Friday, June 15, 2012

Android Central

Android Central

Media Link HD, Facebook high-res photo syncing [From the Forums]

Posted: 14 Jun 2012 04:35 PM PDT

From the Forums

Just in case you missed out on some of the Android news today, now is the time to go ahead and get yourself fully caught up. Here on the blogs and in the Android Central Forums there is plenty to talk about. Have some questions? Need some help or just looking to chat Android? You know where to go, check out some of the threads below. Just make sure you come back for the Android Central podcast.

If you're not already a member of the Android Central forums, you can register your account today.

Disney's Pixar and Imangi Studios release Temple Run: Brave for Android

Posted: 14 Jun 2012 03:43 PM PDT

Temple Run: Brave

The folks from Disney Pixar have an epic adventure movie soon to be released by the name of Brave and to help promote the movie, they've teamed up with the folks from Imagni Studios to create a new twist on their hit game Temple Run. Rather than just changing up the characters to match the movie, Imagni and Disney Pixar worked together to create a custom version of Temple Run with exclusive features built in:

  • Introducing ARCHERY for the first time – tap targets to shoot a bullseye and earn extra coins
  • New, amazing visuals
  • All new environments inspired by Disney•Pixar’s “Brave” and the wilds of Scotland
  • Play as Merida from Disney•Pixar’s “Brave”
  • Outrun Mordu, the demon bear Disney•Pixar’s “Brave”, to earn running glory
  • Bonus: download Temple Run: Brave and start running with $0.99 worth of coins for FREE, that’s 2500 coins for power-ups and more

Temple Run: Brave is available in the Google Play Store right now for only $.99 cents. Of course, that is more than the standard version of Temple Run which is free but we'll leave it up to you all to decide if the extras are worth your hard earned coinage.

Download: Temple Run: Brave

read more

Telcel holding an exclusive night sale for the Samsung Galaxy S III on June 22

Posted: 14 Jun 2012 03:12 PM PDT

Samsung Galaxy S III

With Samsung Galaxy S III roll outs happening everywhere over the next little while Samsung and Telcel have decided to make the event special for those who live near the Telcel Plaza Carso. On June 22nd, Telcel will be hosting an exclusive evening sale where those wishing to pick a Samsung Galaxy S III will be able to get their hands on one in quick fashion.

Source: @SamsungMobileMX, Thanks, Spook81!

Besieged 2 now available for Android, notification bar spam included

Posted: 14 Jun 2012 02:40 PM PDT

Besieged 2, the latest castle defense game from Leviathan Games, is now available in the Google Play store. It's fun as hell. Skeletons keep coming, you keep shooting arrows at them to stop their advance. Kill enough, and you'll get gold to upgrade your castle's defenses and archers arrows. You can buy the materials to upgrade as well, if that's how you roll. As a bonus, you can share your scores and achievements to Facebook to brag to your friends about how many pixels you killed today. It's also pretty nicely done. It's a bit cartoony, but the animation and gameplay is butter-smooth on every device I've tried it on. To top things off, it's free.

Sounds like a winner, right? Wrong.

SPAM

You'll love playing it, but the problem comes when you stop playing. After a while, the game notices you haven't come back and gets a bit lonely. To lure you back, it drops a spammy notification in your drop-down. This is not a way to win my love. In fact, this was an instant uninstall, never to return. I hate notification bar spam. I hate it enough to not play a very fun and addicting little game that's perfect for waiting at the doctors office or to pass the time on the porcelain throne. 

Maybe you don't mind a bit 'o spam, and that's fine. Diff'rent strokes for diff'rent folks, and I realize I get worked up over the silliest things sometimes. But I can't recommend this one, no matter how fun or well done the app is. If notifications like this don't bring out your rage face, you can grab it from Google Play at the link below, and the press release is after the break.

Download Besieged from Google Play

read more

How to sync your Galaxy Nexus with your Google account

Posted: 14 Jun 2012 02:08 PM PDT

how to set up google account

Your Galaxy Nexus can be an amazing tool for keeping your life organized.  Before it can be the tool you need it to be, you need to get your valuable information into your device.

The reality in today’s smartphone world is that organization of your important data – contacts, calendars and media is easiest when you “buy into” the ecosystem of the primary developer.

That means, iPhone and iPad users have an easier time when they let iTunes control their syncing and important information, Windows Phone users have an easier time when they use Windows Live and Outlook and Android users have an easier time when they let Google store and sync their data.

read more

Angry Birds Seasons updated, brings new levels and new game physics

Posted: 14 Jun 2012 02:05 PM PDT

Android Central

There are some things in life that truly are dependable. Christmas Day is December 25, day turns into night, and Rovio will keep giving us new Angry Birds levels. In the case of the latter, today we get yet more new levels, 30 to be exact, to the Angry Birds Seasons extravaganza. However, this time, things are a little bit different.

Piglantis, as the new levels are known, brings underwater action to the Angry Birds for the first time. As with Angry Birds Space, there is a whole new set of game physics to go along with the new territory -- hint, pigs don't float. No longer is it OK just to fire and be happy, you now need to work out how the birds will 'fly' while under the water. Nice. It's actually quite challenging in places, and a welcome departure from the regular gameplay. 

The update is live in the Google Play Store now, so head on over, grab some goggles, and away you go. 

Download: Angry Birds Seasons

T-Mobile updates us on its network improvements, including LTE

Posted: 14 Jun 2012 01:04 PM PDT

Android Central

Dave Mayo, Senior Vice President of Technology for T-Mobile, boasted on the T-Mobile blog today that they've made "great progress in just three short months" since they announced a deal with cell technology companies Ericson and Nokia Siemens Networks to pump $4 billion into its network over the next two years.  Included in the plan is the modernization of 37,000 cell sites and a move to Release-10 capable LTE equipment.  That's right, T-Mobile is going straight to LTE-Advanced, and the trials have already begun.

They also expect to have 400 cell sites upgraded to the latest HSPA+ by the end of the month, with 2,500 being completed by July.  As some people may have noticed, T-Mobile is also conducting small scale tests that will see HSPA+ in the 1900 mHz range, no doubt to help satisfy the millions of iPhones that are in use on their network.  They plan on expanding this to more areas of the country as plans progress.

Now if only we could get some idea of what handsets they'll have to take advantage of these network enhancements.  These enhancements along with some tantalizing new handsets might be enough to keep the subscribers coming.

Source: T-Mobile Blog

Tonight, on the Greatest Android Podcast in the World

Posted: 14 Jun 2012 01:00 PM PDT

Android Central Podcast

Can you feel it? We're less than two weeks out from the Google IO developer conference! It's time to get those juices flowing. Plus, tonight, on episode No. 99 of the Android Central Podcast, we'll see what the big deal is with Verizon's new shared data plans, hit up our HTC Media Link HD review, and try to fathom just how many Android devices are activated each day now. (Hint: It's a LOT!)

So join Phil and the gang -- and, of course, the chat room -- live tonight at 2 a.m. GMT / 9 p.m. EST / 6 p.m. PST for the live broadcast. You should be there. You will be there. You must be there. After all, you are what makes it the Greatest Android Podcast in the World.

Not at a computer? Pick up the free UStream Viewer from the Android Market [link] and search for Android Central a little before the show (it won't appear until we go live). We'll see you there! AndroidCentral.com/live

HTC Media Link HD review

Posted: 14 Jun 2012 12:28 PM PDT

HTC Media Link HD.

HTC makes sending high-definition content from your phone to the TV easier than ever

The prospect of magically sending content from your phone to your TV isn't new. The DLNA (or Digital Living Network Alliance) protocol has been around for some time now, though there's a decent chance you've never used it.  Of newer interest to us is Wifi Direct, in which two Wifi-enabled devices talk to each other directly, no router or access point necessary.

Then there's the HTC Media Link HD, which can connect as a peer-to-peer device or go through your home network. This is the second iteration of HTC's stream-to-the-TV solution. And as the name implies, it's bumped things up to high definition in a package about one-third of the size of one of its smartphones.

What kind of sorcery do we have here? Is it worth the $90 or so you'll have to shell out for it? Read on for our full HTC Media Link HD review.

read more

Kobo Vox gains Google certification - a viable budget tablet option now?

Posted: 14 Jun 2012 11:41 AM PDT

Android Central

You might not be too familiar with the Kobo Vox, and you would be forgiven for it. With it, Kobo tried to go down the Nook Color / Kindle Fire road -- producing essentially an e-reader that had a full color capacitive display with Android on board. Where Barnes and Noble and Amazon may have succeeded, for Kobo, the Vox has been less impressive. One of the biggest issues with the Vox, is the difficulty in getting apps onto the device with no Google Play Store. In the UK for example, the Amazon Appstore isn't available either leaving Vox owners with a tedious time ahead should they want to do more than just read on it, especially since the on board third party store is pretty slim pickings. And, lets face it, Google Play is the best place to get apps, right?

However, the Vox is about to set itself apart from the respective B&N and Amazon offerings. Kobo has announced today that the Vox will be receiving Google Certification. That means, in particular, that owners will be able to access the official Google Play Store and download all the fabulous -- fart apps aside -- applications within. With Google applications on board, does this now mean the Vox becomes a viable budget tablet? 

Maybe, maybe not. It isn't particularly slim, and it doesn't have a particularly great screen. It isn't that powerful either, with an 800MHz ARM Cortex-A8 processor, and only 512MB of RAM, but it does have a microSD card slot to expand the onboard 8GB storage. It's cheap too, in the UK retailing at £150 from high-street chain WHSmiths, and $179.99 in the US at Best Buy online. And, should you be so inclined, the Vox also comes in a rather fetching shade of pink.

New Vox's will be sold ready to go, but existing owners will be able to update their devices OTA.   

via Pocket-Lint; More: Kobo

Flipboard for Android beta updated with memory and battery improvements

Posted: 14 Jun 2012 11:34 AM PDT

Android Central

If you're using Flipboard on a Galaxy S III, where it's pre-loaded, or on another device through the beta program, you'll want to fire it up and grab the latest update for the popular digital magazine app. The new version 1.8.4 beta 3 weighs just a couple of megs, and includes some minor visual changes for dialog boxes, along with some behind-the-scenes improvements. According to the official change log, the new version of Flipboard has a reduced impact on battery life and a lower memory footprint, which will be good news to anyone using it on older devices with less RAM.

Flipboard isn't on the Google Play Store yet, so you'll need to start up the app itself to initiate the update. If you've been using the Flipboard beta over the past few weeks, be sure to drop by the comments section and let us know how you're getting on.

Google Authenticator updated with internal clock sync

Posted: 14 Jun 2012 10:08 AM PDT

Android Central

If you're using two-step authentication for your Google account, you'll want to pick up the latest version of the Authenticator app, which brings a new time syncing feature to ensure correct codes are generated. Previously, if the app's internal clock went too out of sync with Google's, the Authenticator would generate incorrect codes. The new syncing feature remedies this by allowing users to sync the clocks through a new settings page.

With an app as crucial as the Google Authenticator, you'll want to make sure you're always up to date. This one's a manual update, so head to the "My apps" menu in the Google Play Store to grab the new version.

Galaxy S III owners get free Eurosport Player for the Olympics

Posted: 14 Jun 2012 09:12 AM PDT

Android Central

The Galaxy S III is the official phone of the London Olympics, and Samsung's teamed up with Eurosport to give S III owners a way of watching the summer's games on-the-go. Download the Eurosport Player app for Android on your S III, and you'll qualify for a free month-long subscription that can be activated between July 14 and August 12, letting you watch Eurosport's Olympic coverage live.

European Galaxy S III owners (excluding Italy, for some reason) can download the Eurosport Player app from Google Play or Samsung Apps in preparation, though it won't become active until July 14. Unfortunately it looks like this promotion won't be available on the North American S III when it launches later this month.

Source: Eurosport; via: Recombu

Amazon Mobile updated to v1.6, now includes cart shortcut and better sorting options

Posted: 14 Jun 2012 09:10 AM PDT

Amazon Mobile

The Amazon Mobile app has received a sizeable update, which focuses on enhancing the shopping experience within the app. Amazon has added a drop down menu which features oft-visited destinations including Home, Today's Deals, Your Account, Your Wish List, Your Recommendations and Sign Out.

There are also better sorting features while you search. For example, if you type in Android phone and hit 'search', you'll be able to narrow the results down by department in a simple manner. In addition, there's a very welcomed cart shortcut in the top right that will let you get to your cart from any page. Other enhancements include improving the barcode scanning and bug fixes.

Here is the full changelog:

  • Brand new ways to sort and filter your search results.
  • Faster, easier navigation with a Cart shortcut and drop-down menu of the most popular pages.
  • Launch barcode scanning directly from the home screen.
  • Add items to any of your existing wish lists.
  • Additional country support – shop Amazon across 8 countries, including Spain and Italy.
  • Bug fixes and performance improvements.

For the update or if you don't have the app yet, hit the links after the break. As ever, it's available for free from the Play Store.

read more

US Open app shows how sports should be done on smartphones

Posted: 14 Jun 2012 08:49 AM PDT

US Open Android app

We're not going to bog this one down with a bunch of preamble. If you like golf, have an Android smartphone and want to watch the U.S. open on the go, snag the Android app this second. The app is simple and could use a little design polish, but the live video is the perfect example of how sports -- particularly major sporting events -- should be presented on smartphones and tablets. 

Oh, and get it for the first- and second-round pairing of Tiger Woods-Phil Mickelson-Bubba Watson. This is gonna be good.

Download: US Open for Android

CyanogenMod freezes code for CM9

Posted: 14 Jun 2012 08:47 AM PDT

Android Central

The CyanogenMod team has announced that a code freeze has been put into place for CM9.  That would be the version based on Ice Cream Sandwich source, and it's one of the most downloaded ROM's in Android history.  So what does this mean for us, the end users?  It means that a release candidate (RC) is on its way, and they are in the process of squashing bugs to make it stable.  The team states in its blog post that nightly builds will still happen, but they won't be accepting any code other than bugfixes, device support, and translations into the release branch.

The initial release will cover a small amount of devices initially, but other devices will be added further down the road.  (The process of adding new devices should be helped along by the streamlining of certain code.)  Given the large undertaking of moving to ICS, and the amount of time that has been spent on it, knowing that a release candidate is on its way should make CM fans very happy.  Already running and experimental build of CM9?  Be sure to share your thoughts in the forums.

Source: CyanogenMod

Samsung reveals its top-secret Galaxy S III design process

Posted: 14 Jun 2012 08:41 AM PDT

Android Central

Dummy cases, hand-delivered prototypes and two designs that never saw the light of day.

The secrecy surrounding the Galaxy S III was crucial in building anticipation ahead of the device's launch, and today Samsung has revealed some details of the phone's top-secret development process. Only a privileged few within Samsung were able to see the device, with design and engineering work taking place within a secured area at Samsung's Seoul HQ. Discussion with outsiders was forbidden, and the phones were apparently locked inside secure boxes for transportation, even within buildings.

Most interesting is the revelation that Samsung fully designed and built three versions of the Galaxy S III to further reduce the chance of the actual design leaking out. That'd certainly explain the appearance (and leaking) of a buttonless S III a few weeks ahead of launch. In today's blgo post, Samsung R&D engineer Woo-Sun Yoon confirmed the use of dummy cases like the one above in field testing, to protect the phone's true exterior from prying eyes.

“We had to make three types of the GALAXY SIII to prevent the design from leaking. And on top of that, whenever any of these had to go out for testing, we put them inside ‘dummy boxes’, which are cases that hide the design of the device, to disguise it. Even if people, inside or out of the campus, saw the device, I doubt they would have known what it was.”

And the security didn't stop once the devices were completed. Samsung says units delivered to mobile operators were transported in person and hand-delivered by its employees, and testing was done under strict supervision. All this resulted in the final design remaining a mystery until just a week before launch, when a Samsung service manual outed what we now know to be the Galaxy S III.

For all Samsung's pre-launch secrecy, it's now being incredibly open when talking about that secrecy. You'll find a full run-down of exactly how the S III was kept under wraps over at the source link.

Source: Samsung Tomorrow

Aviary goes big time, releases standalone photo editing app

Posted: 14 Jun 2012 08:21 AM PDT

Aviary

Over the past few years Aviary has been making a name for itself by offering its photo editing solutions to the masses through its web applications. They've produced an Android SDK, iOS SDK and even a Windows Phone 7 SDK but now they've gone ahead and released their own self-branded standalone photo editing app. It's quite beautiful and feature packed, as you would expect, and there's an equally impressive feature list --

  • One-tap auto enhance
  • Gorgeous effects
  • Fun stickers
  • Color balance
  • Crop and rotate
  • Adjust brightness, contrast, color temperature, and saturation
  • Sharpen and blur
  • Draw and add text
  • Create your own memes
  • Cosmetic tools: fix redeye, remove blemishes and whiten teeth

In addition to all this, there are add-ons that can be purchased from the Play Store, including extra effects packs. Just a quick look at the app tells you Aviary took their time in making this one, it's a showcase app for them that will not only serve consumers but also show developers what Aviary is capable of. We'll get a deeper look at this app later, but for now we've got download info after the break.

read more

Motorola Droid Bionic's .905 update now available

Posted: 14 Jun 2012 08:11 AM PDT

Motorola Droid Bionic

Just a quick heads up that the .905 update for the Motorola Droid Bionic is now pushing out in earnest, according to the fine Bionic-owning fellers in our forums. Here's what you can expect in this update:

  • Recalibrated volume of the call connect and disconnect tones to be more comfortable for Bluetooth users.
  • Improved Visual Voice Mail to ensure delivery of a notification to the Status bar.
  • Reduced data stalls to improve 4G LTE data connectivity.

You should be able to pull it down through the system menu if you haven't already.

The Droid Bionic is still scheduled to receive its Ice Cream Sandwich update in the third quarter of 2012.

More: Verizon Droid Bionic forums

BBC launches sports streaming over mobile networks

Posted: 14 Jun 2012 07:06 AM PDT

Android Central

​Broadcaster's Euro 2012 and Olympic live streams will be available over 3G on phones and tablets

The BBC has traditionally been big on Android, and mobile content in general -- back in 2010 it was one of the first broadcasters to bring live, streaming TV to the platform in its iPlayer app. Today the Beeb launches its latest mobile endeavor -- a re-vamped BBC Sport mobile site with support for video streaming over mobile networks.

Right now the new site features the same video clips found on the BBC Sport desktop page. But when the BBC is covering a sporting event live, as it's doing with the Euro 2012 soccer football championship and the Olympic Games, those live video streams will be available on mobile too.

In the past the BBC had limited this sort of thing to Wifi users, presumably to avoid the wrath of network operators. But with the increasing speed of 3G and HSPA+ networks across the country, it seems the broadcaster decided it's safe to make the switch. Needless to say, the video content is limited to users in the UK for the moment.

The new mobile site is live now at bbc.co.uk/sportmobile. To view video content, you'll need an Android device running version 2.2 or better, or an iPhone or iPad on iOS 5 or greater.

Source: BBC Blog; More: BBC Sport Mobile

AT&T getting the Sony Xperia Ion on June 24

Posted: 14 Jun 2012 06:57 AM PDT

Sony Xperia Ion

It's been many moons since the announcement of the Sony Xperia Ion -- more than five months since it was announced for AT&T, and more than five months since we went hands-on with it AT&T's developer event at CES, actually. But today, AT&T has announced it'll carry the 4G LTE Android smartphone starting June 24. It'll cost $99 with a two-year contract.

In exchange for that Benjamin, you'll be getting a 4.6-inch device with what Sony's branded an "HD Reality display." It's powered by the Sony Bravia display engine and is pushing a 720x1280 resolution. Sony's also pimping the 12-megapixel camera with a shutter speed of less than a second. It's also got a dedicated camera button that can take the phone from standby to snapping the first shot in a second and a half. 

Other specs of note include a Qualcomm S3 dual-core processor at 1.5GHz, 16 gigabytes of internal storage, plus a microSD card slot. And it's PlayStation Certified, to boot, so you can expect some games on this guy.

But the one spec we (and Sony) have been dancing around is that, yes, it's running Android 2.3 Gingerbread. In June 2012. That's a tough one to swallow. But Sony tells us that, yes, the Ion's in line for an upgrade to Ice Cream Sandwich just as soon as it can be, and that the customizations on board already make up for a lot of the Android 4.0 functionality. 

So, we've got a week to go before this guy hits the streets. Who's buying?

More: Sony Xperia Ion Forums

read more

Deal of the Day: Case-Mate Tough Case for HTC EVO 4G LTE

Posted: 14 Jun 2012 06:52 AM PDT

Deal of the DayThe June 14 ShopAndroid.com Deal of the Day is the Case-Mate Tough Case for HTC EVO 4G LTE. Built to withstand sudden drops and accidental falls, the Tough Case is the epitome of protection. A snug, form fitting silicone wrap provides shock resistance, while the hard shell protects against impact. The lightweight, slim case adds support and shields your EVO 4G LTE, keeping your emotional state intact, one drop at a time.

The Case-Mate Tough Case is available for just $19.95, 43% off the regular price today only. Supplies are limited so grab yours today!

ShopAndroid Daily Giveaway #84: EVO 4G LTE SURFACE Case, OtterBox Defender for Droid RAZR & more

Posted: 14 Jun 2012 06:43 AM PDT

Today's ShopAndroid.com Daily Giveaway will feature the Seidio SURFACE Case for the new HTC EVO 4G LTE, OtterBox Defender Series Case for Droid RAZR, Mobi TPU Skin Case for ThunderBolt, and the Case-Mate Barely There Case for HTC EVO 3D. By picking your favorite item and leaving a comment on this post, you'll automatically be eligible to win the accessory of your choice. One lucky winner will be selected at random and announced next week!

Seidio SURFACE Case for HTC EVO 4G LTE

Looking for a low-profile, protective case for your HTC EVO 4G LTE?  The Seidio SURFACE Case is a great option, featuring an amazingly thin layer of protection without adding the excessive bulk of other cases. At about 1mm thin, the SURFACE Case is designed from a hard, yet flexible material with a soft-touch coating to allow a better grip on your EVO 4G LTE.  The screen is left exposed for full functionality, and there are cutouts for all ports, controls, and kickstand.

read more

Sony Tablet P joins its big brother on Android 4.0

Posted: 14 Jun 2012 05:28 AM PDT

Android Central

The Sony Tablet S was one of the first Honeycomb tablets to be upgraded to the latest version of Android, Ice Cream Sandwich. And now its clamshell-shaped sibling, the Tablet P, has received its own ICS update. In a post on its Developer World blog, Sony announced that Android 4.0.3 is now available for Tablets S and P, with the Tablet P update being limited to "selected markets" for the time being.

In addition to standard ICS features like the improved launcher and multi-tasking menu, Sony's baked in some new stuff for its tablet owners. These include direct SD card access, "small apps" that can run in a window, and a re-vamped photo viewer.

To grab the new software for either device, head to Settings > About tablet > System updates.

Source: Sony Developer World

Achtung! Germany gets Google Play Books

Posted: 14 Jun 2012 05:23 AM PDT

Google Play Books

Good news for our friends and readers (both, I guess; they're not mutually exclusive) in Germany. You've now got access to Google Play Books. That means easy purchasing through Google Play, and easy reading through the Play Books application.

Now ... Which George R.R. Martin book to begin with?

via @chowdarygm
Posted by at 5:48 AM

No comments:

Post a Comment

Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)