Android Phone Fans |
- N.O.V.A. 3 for Android trailer shows Halo influence [video]
- NewTrent iTurbo IMP60D Portable Charger Review
- Could a developer suddenly decide you can’t use an app anymore? EA says yes
- Carrier billing now available for Books, Movies, and Music
- T-Mobile: Android 4.0 testing for HTC Sensation complete; should be rolling out “very soon”
- T-Mobile announces Prism for May 6th, only $20 on contract
- RIM takes responsibility for Australian ‘Wake Up’ protest
- Nokia sues HTC, Viewsonic, RIM for patent infringement
- Amazon once again offering refurbished Kindle Fire for $139
- Samsung Galaxy S3 launching in blue and white?
- New updates available for MOTOACTV and companion app
- Android Overload: Target To Stop Selling Kindle Fires Over Conflict of Interest, B&N Sticking With Android For Nook Tablet and More
- ASUS Padfone Could Be Delayed Due To Qualcomm S4 Shortage
- Decorate Your Home With These Plants vs Zombies High-Quality Wall Prints
- 84 All New “Flat Icons” Are Now Ready For The Downloading
| N.O.V.A. 3 for Android trailer shows Halo influence [video] Posted: 02 May 2012 03:53 PM PDT Gameloft just caught a sale before the game is even out. I’m talking about N.O.V.A. 3, and their new gameplay trailer is mouth watering in a couple of different ways. For starters, these are some damn good graphics for a mobile game. While most developers aim to develop for the largest group of phones possible, Gameloft wasn’t afraid to push things to the limit. And to top off what should be fun shooter gameplay, you can tell the team drew a lot of inspiration from Halo. Even some of the maps and environments are reminiscent of Master Chief-infused intergalactic warfare. Let’s not even get started on what I think could be a warthog. Grab a look at the trailer above!
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| NewTrent iTurbo IMP60D Portable Charger Review Posted: 02 May 2012 03:38 PM PDT As much as I want to believe that the batteries inside my mobile devices are good enough for my needs, I often find myself in situations where I need to find a wall outlet as soon as possible. This is especially important at events when I need to constantly check my email and calendar to make sure I’m on top of my schedule. Instead of going the dual battery route, I decided to buy myself a portable charger. Thanks to a tip from a reader in the comments section of this post, I decided on the NewTrent IMP60D. As of the time of this writing, a coupon code offered $14 off of the $42 device.
ChargingThe IMP60D is a 6,000mAh capacity portable charger which is enough for a few full phone charges (assuming you’re using a phone with a sub-2,000 mAh battery) and a partial tablet charge. Without any scientific tests I’ve found that the device gives roughly the full amount promised. I was able to get 2 and 3/4s of a charge for my 2,100mAh-equipped Galaxy Nexus on a recent trip to Chicago. ConvenienceOne important factor of the device was its flexibility. It’s important that I can charge a wide range of device types as I tend to have many different varieties in my possession at any given time. Whether it’s my Galaxy Nexus, a Transformer Prime, or even my iPad 2 (I know, shame on me) it needed to be compatible. Thanks to a completely USB-based design, the IMP60D met all of my needs.
Not only is it convenient because it can charge any device that uses a standard male-to-whatever USB cable, but it’s convenient because it doesn’t come with a ton of wires and pieces to lose and get confused with. My friend and colleague Joe Tomasane from sister site iSource.com allowed me to use his portable charger once, and while it was as flexible as the IMP60D, it was a lot more complicated. You could call it an eight-legged freak of sorts. It’s a different story with the IMP60D. Two standard USB ports grace the top of the device — one is 5V/1A while the other is 5V//2A. The two ports give enough juice for charging smartphones and tablets, respectively, at standard rates. I’ve found that it does indeed charge my devices at normal rates, but even more interesting is charging my phone using the 2A port. While I wouldn’t recommend doing this, I often charge my phone with the 2A port to essentially cut the charge time by almost half. I could have 20% of battery life in just as many minutes doing this, and I can’t seem to pinpoint any short term negative effects on battery life. Despite being charged this fast, the device discharges battery life at normal rates when it’s off the hook. Be careful, though, as the device is rated for 500 charge cycles. Design and other contentsOther than the two standard-sized USB ports, the device houses five different LED lights, a microUSB port for charging the portable battery itself, and a power button. Four of the five LEDs are used to indicate battery life and charging, while the other is used to alert the user that it’s currently charging a device. When charging, the device will cycle through the different stages, between low, mid, high, and full, depending on where it’s at in the charging process. It’s a quick and easy way to tell how much juice your charger will have, though it won’t tip you off to any exact capacities unless it’s full. Conversely, a tap of the power button while the device is on let’s you know how much battery life is left while it’s charging another device.
The IMP60D comes with a very minimal setup, including a retractable standard sized USB cable, two attachments for microUSB and miniUSB, and a nice, felt carrying pouch. I didn’t even need to use the extra accessories included as it worked with my tablet and smartphone cables just fine. It’ll be a nice backup if I ever lose those, but you could buy this product without those pieces and still use it to its full capacity. This is especially important for tablets as there are many different multi-pin charging cables depending on which manufacturer you bought it from. The VerdictThe design of the device itself is very simple and clean. A glossy front-side with NewTrent’s logo gives an elegant feel to it, while a more matte-like back-side will hold up well to rough bumps and wear and tear. I see a lot of devices that make me cringe based on design alone. Even NewTrent has some ugly devices that I wouldn’t want to be caught with. The IMP60D, however, would look just fine alongside whatever device you’re using with it. While there are higher capacity options available, 6,000mAh will be sufficient for those who just need a couple of smartphone charges throughout their day. The IMP60D offers a nice balance between capacity and physical size, while also maintaning an eye-pleasing exterior and a very minimalistic yet flexible setup. Being able to get standard charge times for both smartphones and tablets from the same device is a premium that is definitely worth paying for.You can find the NewTrent IMP60D on Amazon for $42.          
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| Could a developer suddenly decide you can’t use an app anymore? EA says yes Posted: 02 May 2012 01:50 PM PDT An interesting message has popped up recently for those who purchased Rock Band on iOS. The game, published by EA, is apparently going to be unplayable the last day of this month, and it’s not by accident. In a sense, we really don’t own these apps, we’re simply licensing them. For whatever reason, EA decided that everyone’s time was up. Since this doesn’t happen very often, the assumption is that EA’s hand is forced due to licenses expiring with the music labels who provide the music for the game. EA could always extend those licenses but it’s hard to say if they’ll be going that route. I wouldn’t worry about this becoming a common theme for the time being, but it’s unsettling nonetheless. While it’s not completely similar, this reminds me of a post I made a while ago complaining about developers who can take paid apps off the I argue that software should be more like hardware, and while that is mostly true for desktop operating systems and downloadable games via consoles, the same doesn’t seem to play to the mobile realm. Sure, subscription-based services are a whole different beast but when you pay a one-time license for an app you should be able to keep that app for as long as you want. I could go on all day about how I feel about all of this, but I’ll elect to digress. Even with EA’s hand possibly being forced due to music licenses, do you think this is right? [via iSource]
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| Carrier billing now available for Books, Movies, and Music Posted: 02 May 2012 01:07 PM PDT
Google’s announced that carrier billing has now been extended to more types of content in the Google Play Store. The feature was previously available for apps and games, but books, movies, and music still required a credit to purchase things. Welp, for those who are on carriers that support the feature you can now charge any of those purchases to your monthly phone bill. Verizon’s still not on the list of supported carriers, and the worldwide list isn’t all that big itself. But if you have a carrier who supports this grossly convenient feature, rejoice and go enjoy not having to pay for stuff until your bill is due! [Google via Google+]
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| T-Mobile: Android 4.0 testing for HTC Sensation complete; should be rolling out “very soon” Posted: 02 May 2012 12:49 PM PDT While some versions of the HTC Sensation have been receiving Ice Cream Sandwich worldwide, T-Mobile users are still waiting. They won’t have to wait long, however, as T-Mobile’s announced that testing for the update is complete and that it should be rolling out to users “very soon.”
While the wait has been long, an update in the coming weeks would still be impressive as a vast majority of devices still haven’t received the official upgrade. There aren’t many details yet, but based on other HTC Android 4.0 rollouts users will have to settle for Sense 3.6 instead of 4.0. It’s a bummer, but those are the breaks. And that’s all the more reason to upgrade to an S4-enabled device, I suppose. Anyway, keep an eye out for that update every day. [via T-Mobile]
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| T-Mobile announces Prism for May 6th, only $20 on contract Posted: 02 May 2012 09:57 AM PDT
T-Mobile has announced their latest budget Android handset, the Huawei-made Prism. The phone features a 3.5-inch HVGA display, 3.2MP camera, and 3G connectivity all for the price of $19.99 on a new two-year agreement (and after $50 mail-in rebate). The T-Mobile Prism runs Android 2.3 and is about as entry-level as it gets, but the price is right for those looking for a low-cost path to the smartphone age. The Prism will be available exclusively from Best Buy starting May 6th before reaching Walmart stores on May 9th. T-Mobile will begin selling the phone through their own retail chain beginning May 23rd.
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| RIM takes responsibility for Australian ‘Wake Up’ protest Posted: 02 May 2012 09:09 AM PDT
The world was a bit hasty in jumping to the conclusion that Samsung was behind a recent spontaneous protest that broke out outside of an Apple Store in Sydney, Australia. We were right in assuming that things seemed a bit too polished for the “Wake Up” campaign to be any sort of grassroots movement, what with the professionally printed signs, coordinated outfits, and decked out bus (not to mention an accompanying website). We just had the responsible party wrong. BlackBerry maker RIM has admitted that they were behind the charade as part of a buildup to a May 7th reveal that “will aim to provoke conversation on what ‘being in business’ means to Australians.” It just won’t be provoking any conversation about Samsung or their upcoming Galaxy S III. But hey, being mistaken for Samsung is a step in the right direction for RIM, right? [via PCWorld]
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| Nokia sues HTC, Viewsonic, RIM for patent infringement Posted: 02 May 2012 07:55 AM PDT
When you’re down, sue the pants off the competition. That seems to be the approach in the mobile industry lately, and not even once-mighty Nokia is averse to throwing their legal weight around. The company has just announced plans to sue HTC, Viewsonic, and RIM over allegedly infringing upon some 45 patents covering everything from power management to email attachments. The list covers both hardware and software, so the defendants in the case will need to bring their best legal representation to the table. Nokia has stayed out of the patent/lawsuit game for the most part, but did pull out a win over Apple back in 2011. The aggressive move is likely the result of declining market share due to increased competition. [via WinSource]
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| Amazon once again offering refurbished Kindle Fire for $139 Posted: 02 May 2012 07:19 AM PDT
Amazon has replenished its stock of refurbished Kindle Fire units and is once again offering them for a steal of a price. For the next 16 hours (or until sold out) the online retailer is offering the certified in working order tablets for $139, a savings of $30 off the normal price of a refurbished unit (and $60 off a new one). The price includes the same one-year warranty you get with a new one. The same deal was offered a little over a month ago and sold out quickly, so you’ll want to act fast if you want to grab the Kindle Fire at this bargain price. [Amazon via TalkAndroid]
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| Samsung Galaxy S3 launching in blue and white? Posted: 02 May 2012 07:09 AM PDT
There is only one more day to go before the world will finally catch its first official glimpse of the Samsung Galaxy S3, but that leaves plenty of time to get in a few more leaks. The latest is suggesting the phone will come in two color options, blue and white. This certainly matches the product invitation, which featured globs of white and blue to accompany the “next Galaxy” tease. More interesting than the color choices would be Samsung’s decision to make both available at launch. Typically it takes a few months before the white variant of a Samsung handset is released. I suppose we’ll have all the answer tomorrow, though.
[GSMArena via AndroidCentral]
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| New updates available for MOTOACTV and companion app Posted: 02 May 2012 04:52 AM PDT
A new update is available for Motorola’s personal trainer in an Android-powered watch. The upgraded software improves the MOTOACTV’s interaction with heart rate monitors and gives fitness fanatics the ability to select their primary activity at setup in order to get a more focused experience. The update also enhances album listings and for owners of the golf edition improves club recommendations and scoring. Users will be prompted to update when connecting the MOTOACTV to their Mac or PC. Also updated was MOTOACTV’s Android companion app. The new version of the app features Ice Cream Sandwich compatibility, improved pace graphs, and better automatic workout syncing. The update can now be found in the Google Play Store. [via Engadget]
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| Posted: 02 May 2012 01:30 AM PDT
After a long day’s work, it looks like you’ve made it into the Android Overload and for that — I am glad. This is the place we sweep all the stories that didn’t get featured on our front page, under the proverbial rug of our site, hoping you’ll maybe discover out a gem or two. So have a look around and let me know what you find. :)
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| ASUS Padfone Could Be Delayed Due To Qualcomm S4 Shortage Posted: 02 May 2012 01:27 AM PDT
That rumored S4 shortage might have some truth to it after all. According to a tweet from ASUS Indonesia, a shortage of Qualcomm’s latest 4th generation Snapdragon processors is spelling trouble for the iPad destroying ASUS Padfone launching on time. The tablet/smartphone transforming hybrid was originally slated to launch in Taiwan at the end of April, followed closely by an Italian launch in May. The tweet, which roughly translated by the folks at The Verge says that Qualcomm is still experiencing Snapdragon S4 shortages and “unfortunately” that just so happens to be the processor used in the Padfone. An ASUS spokesperson confirmed the tweet, stating that, “I believe [the shortage is] affecting all of Qualcomm’s customers.” We could only wonder if this strain has something to do with the worldwide launch of Samsung’s Galaxy S3, now rumored to be using the S4 here in the US. Hopefully we’ll have word on the expected availability of the ASUS Padfone in a more official announcement in the coming weeks. How many of you have been saving your pennies for the smartphone/tablet hybrid and are disappointed by this news? [EEEPC]
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| Decorate Your Home With These Plants vs Zombies High-Quality Wall Prints Posted: 01 May 2012 11:33 PM PDT
Something about Plants vs Zombies that really captured a place in my heart. Not sure if it was the easy to pickup, but hard to put down, strategic gameplay. Or if it was simply those loveable zombie character designs (still getting over the loss of zombie Michael Jackson), but I’d have to say, PvZ is definitely one of my favorite video game franchises to date. Maybe that’s why I was so jazzed to discover that Walls360 — a company who specializes in video game themed “wall art” — is teaming up with Popcap for all new Plants vs Zombies stickies.
Walls360 has provided their wall prints for huge publishers like EA for titles on Battlefield 3 and Mass Effect 3 (among others), and features a variety of designs and pop-culture art (seriously, they even have Garbage Pail Kids). The stickers are made of a fabric based material and can be reused and positioned over, and over again. The Plants vs Zombie prints will officially go on sale May 3rd (Galaxy S3 Day) but you can sign up for free at Fab.com for early access. [Walls360 | Fab | Via Polygon]
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| 84 All New “Flat Icons” Are Now Ready For The Downloading Posted: 01 May 2012 10:32 PM PDT
Remember those amazing looking minimal icons I showed you last night? A few of you loved what my buddy Mitch (yeah, we hang out) came up with. The only real downside was the limited amount of icons he provided. Well, Mitch has just added around 84 all new icons to his icon portfolio, covering most of your favorite apps. All of them are currently ready for the downloading and can be applied to your favorite launcher. Remember, folks — you do not need to have a rooted device to apply these icons. Most 3rd party launchers (homescreen replacements) in the Google Play Store have the option to change up your icons. So what are you waiting for? Get to it!
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