Tuesday, June 5, 2012

Android Phone Fans

Android Phone Fans


Developer J Brothers: How it all starts [Guest Post]

Posted: 04 Jun 2012 05:58 PM PDT

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This is a guest post by Pascal Jacobi from J Brothers as part of Developer Appreciation Month. Please support this developer by downloading their free or paid app!

It starts with a small idea. Something you’d like to see come to life on your Android phone but haven’t seen it yet on the market. Either it’s there but not quite the way you want it or it’s not. For us it was there, a couple of tower defenses were already available on Google Play, but none of them gave the player the possibility to customize their gameplay as much as they wanted. That was the birth of Blew Tower Defense.

Then comes the matter of “how”: whether you’re going to handle the development, graphic design and functional design yourself or have someone else do it for you ; you need a solid team. As two brothers, one of us being a developer and the other being a multimedia designer, we were well on our way. We were going to be the designated parents of BlewTD.

After that: the motivation. I think it’s important to understand the circumstances in which you will be working and the reason why you would be doing it. When you find a good reason, something that can keep you going for a while, I think you’re already well on your way. The reason why I’m saying this is because when you’re working on a project aside from your real life job you have less and less time to hang out with friends, be with your lady or just do whatever you enjoyed doing. So, if your project takes several months of development, it may become frustrating to endure and you might just end up giving in to sloth.

At first our reason was the fact that we managed to get it approved as the final project (multimedia design) for my brother’s masters degree (So we just had to have something playable by the end of the term). Once that was done (around 6 months later) and that it had been presented to the school board (He got a good grade for it too!) we simply decided that we wanted it to appear online just for the sake of it being online. We weren’t necessarily after money or anything, we just wanted to make Blew Tower Defense grow and give players the possibility to play a really cool game that had a lifespan of more than just a few hours while remaining fun all the way.

That’s how it all starts. With an idea, a team and a solid motivation.

That’s also when all the troubles you never expected at first come rushing in.

Unlike a standard IT project with standard management, standard work procedures and decent documentation, when you work on your personal project you don’t take the time to do all these things. You just don’t want to put time into building up a nice Gantt diagram to make sure your project is well on its way, you don’t take the time to setup a bug tracking tool and even less to build up a document that’s only going to be read by the two people that are working on it. You just don’t do these things because you’re a small team and don’t have all the time in the world.

Until now, after the project got deployed on the market and it’s living its life prosperously, I’m still not sure whether we should’ve taken the time to do so or not. Because, in the end, that lack of organization did make us waste an enormous amount of time when we got to the testing phase. But I’m not sure whether we wasted more time restructuring bits and pieces of the game than we would have preparing everything in advance. I guess this would depend on how well you can handle problems. The more at ease you are with handling things the less likely you’ll need to organize everything. If you feel like you can lose it at some point when everything seems to fall apart I’d say you should prepare and organize your work ahead of time (This may seem like we’re praising ourselves, but believe me when I say we were on the edge of giving up a few times).

Another big difference between having your own small personal project and a standard IT project is the workforce’s organization. On a normal project you’d often have separate people for each of the main tasks of the project’s life-cycle. I guess that for a game it would be: game-designer, graphic designer, developer, tester, marketing manager and project leader. That means that whenever the game-designer comes up with a great new idea, he’d first talk to the project leader about it. The project leader would then have to look up the amount structuring changes that would have to be made with the other 4 parties before he can take the decision of whether they can put that new idea into play or not. Being just two on a project makes it a lot harder to estimate what true efforts would be put into some great new idea that could seem negligible at first but would end up being catastrophically impacting.

A couple of months after we started our development, we found ourselves overwhelmed with tons of ideas that we believed would be awesome to have in Blew TD.

We wanted to add a cute way of interacting with the game without it being too troublesome: so we added-in a "skills" feature.

We wanted to give our players as much freedom as possible in their game style: so we gave the game different types of difficulties, we added tons of wicked towers and lots of twisted maps.

We wanted the game to have puzzle-like feeling to it. Something to make it more challenging yet as much fun as possible: so we gave towers with different types of. Heck, we even made it wilder by giving immunity to some creatures.

That’s how it happens. Your team gets put to the test. Harshly.
And after many months of hard working. Then comes that day.
That day where you hit the “Save” button on Google play.
That day when your application is published.
That day when millions of users can see your game. Download your game. And say whatever they want about it.
That day where you find out whether having worked your behind off for the past many months is valued by the world or not.

Although Blew Tower Defense had some bad critics of people that just didn’t like the game-style, found the game too hard or just disliked the absence of some features ; We also got some great constructive comments, great new ideas and eventually did manage to build up a decent rating.

The reason we went online was to give players access to a fully customizable gameplay, we wanted them to be able to play for hours with various different setups and still have fun.

We wanted Blew Tower Defense to be a fun game… and I think that’s exactly what we’ve done.

Note from Phandroid

As a tech writer that constantly works with many developers, I must say that J Brothers is one of the most down-to-earth and passionate ones I have ever met. The team is very attentive to its audience, and really listens and helps you with all your issues and comments.

If you would like to check out the game Blew Tower Defense, you can get it straight from the Google Play Store for $1.99. You can also check out the Lite version for free or take a look at their official website. The tower defense game is very fun and aesthetically pleasing in a very unique way, and I have definitely enjoyed many hours playing it.

Want to get involved in Developer Appreciation Month? Contact us and start your message with “Developer Appreciation Month”.

Don’t miss your chance to win! Sign up for our Developer Newsletter: it’s required to win most of our contests and it’ll feature some huge announcements that you won’t want to miss.


GameFans.com at E3, Launch Android App, Need Writers!

Posted: 04 Jun 2012 02:23 PM PDT

Android Gaming has gotten pretty bad ass, but if you’re a gaming fan in general, chances are you’re rockin a major console, or are crushin’ it on your PC,  and have a long list of favorite game titles/series. If that’s the case, you’ll definitely want to check out the newest Neverstill property and Android App: GameFans.com (download the Android App)

Not only have they just launched the GameFans Android App (look familiar?), but they’ve also got a huge contest in conjunction with XBOXforum.com and WiiUForums.com where they’ll be giving away a ton of stuff including an NVIDIA Prize Pack, Limited Edition XBOX 360, Wii U, and 10 games announced at E3 2012.

You might recognize some familiar faces at GameFans providing live coverage during E3: our own Chris Chavez from Phandroid and Ashley King from WinSource will be at the event, and both Quentyn Kennemer and Edgar Cervantes are gaming lovers who will be contributing to kick off week. But these guys will soon go back to their regular roles of rocking Android… so if you’re interested in writing for an up and coming gaming site,  let us know!

Good luck with that contest and hope you enjoy the site and app.

QUESTIONS:

  • Favorite console?
  • Favorite game series?
  • What are you most looking forward to from E3?

Discuss!


Demolition Inc. now available for non-Tegra devices

Posted: 04 Jun 2012 02:16 PM PDT

Chaotic action game Demolition Inc is now available. It’s a game that has you playing as a space ship that apparently doesn’t like anything on earth. Your task is to destroy anything, everything, until it all becomes nothing. Its physics-based engine means that no two games will ever be the same — buildings will fall and cars will break differently as nothing is predetermined. It’s a fine little experience that provides mindless fun for just $2 in the Google Play Store.


DIY: Verizon Motorola Xoom Android 4.0.4 update now available for download

Posted: 04 Jun 2012 02:11 PM PDT

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The Ice Cream Sandwich update for Verizon’s Motorola Xoom is scheduled to start rolling out today, June 4th. As it goes with all OTA updates, though, not everyone will be getting it that soon. In fact, it may take weeks before all of you see it. And if you are simply tired of waiting, the file is now available for download and you can install the update yourself.

This is build number IMM76L and it brings the following improvements:

The upgraded functionality includes speech-to-text technology and the ability to dismiss individual notifications by swiping a finger over an item. Users can also customize the new launch bar as well as create folders to access frequently used apps from the homepage.

In addition to app management and functionality improvements, the upgrade comes with a built-in photo editor allowing customers to crop and rotate photos, remove red eyes, add effects and correct levels of images.

If you feel uneasy about doing these things manually, we always advice that you simply wait it out until your tablet gets the official OTA update. Remember you take full responsibility should anything happen to your device. But if you are feeling adventurous, simply download the file and follow the instructions.

Instructions

*Instructions require a USB host cable and USB drive/stick.
* You will also need to be on Android build HLK75H

1. Download the file from above and drop it on a USB stick or SD card that can be put in a USB Stick.
2. Turn your XOOM off.
3. When you power it back on, tap Volume Down at the red M logo until it says:

-> Android Recovery

4. Tap Volume Up to enter recovery mode.
5. At the green Android logo, press Power and Volume Up.
6. Plug in your USB drive to a USB host cable and then into your XOOM.
7. Scroll down to "apply update from USB drive" and select it with Power.
8. Scroll down to the .zip update file from above and use Power to select it.
9. Your XOOM will now update.

Let us know how it went and don’t forget to post your experiences in the comment section!

[Via: Droid-Life]


Google to buy Meebo

Posted: 04 Jun 2012 02:06 PM PDT

Google’s buying up more and more property as they are now the owners of Meebo, an instant messaging firm who’ve since introduced the Meebo Bar, a social messaging system that can be used to add chat features to any site.

Don’t get too happy (or sad) just yet: this doesn’t necessarily mean we’ll be getting a chat bar on desktop versions of Google+, although we do wish Google would allow us to use Messenger. Google is using the obligatory PR tongue to describe what they’re doing with Meebo:

We are always looking for better ways to help users share content and connect with others across the web, just as they do in real life. With the Meebo team’s expertise in social publisher tools, we believe they will be a great fit with the Google+ team. We look forward to closing the transaction and working with the Meebo team to create more ways for users to engage online.

So anything is possible at this point. Meebo could be helping Google with something completely unrelated to Messenger, or they could be. Or something. Either way, we’ll be keeping a close eye on this one. The deal, worth an undisclosed amount, has yet to be closed but we see now reason they will have to overcome any huge obstacles. Meebo was reportedly valued at $100 million. [via Gizmodo]


Sprint VIP customers will get first dibs on Galaxy S3 hands-on time

Posted: 04 Jun 2012 01:56 PM PDT

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Making history as one of the smoothest US Samsung Galaxy S releases, the Galaxy S3 is now set for a country-wide release during this month. But sprint is taking the initiative and giving a little extra something to its VIP customers. Said users are getting invitations to attend an event in Boston on June 12th, where they will be able to experience “the Next Big Thing” first-hand.

You will also need to register in order to attend, so you might want to rush in and do that as soon as you get your invitation. It should be worth it – Not only because you will be among the first to check out the device, but it also seems like there will be some freebies and prizes given out. Maybe even a Galaxy S3? Who knows, but free is always good!

[Via: Android Central]


GameLoft to release Amazing Spider-Man game to celebrate movie relaunch

Posted: 04 Jun 2012 01:48 PM PDT

The Amazing Spider-Man is getting a reboot, and Marvel have given GameLoft the honors of making the mobile game to go along with it. You can expect this to have 3D graphics and be a class above many Spider-Man games that have come before it. The movie will launch July 3rd and they have mentioned they want the game to launch in conjunction with it. That means we could see it before or on the day of release, but no pricing has been mentioned. Read on for full press details.

THE AMAZING SPIDER-MAN OFFICIAL MOBILE GAME TO RELEASE ALONGSIDE UPCOMING FILM

Gameloft and Marvel announce an exclusive agreement to bring Spider-Man’s latest web-slinging adventure to mobile devices and tablets this Summer

PARIS - June 4th , 2012 - After the huge success of Spider-Man: Total Mayhem, Gameloft and Marvel are teaming up once again to develop and launch the official game for one of the most anticipated movies of the year, Sony Pictures’ The Amazing Spider-Man. Staying true to the original storyline, Gameloft is working hand in hand with both Marvel and the movie teams to develop an immersive universe that stays true to the upcoming film.

One of Gameloft’s most promising games, The Amazing Spider-Man will be a full 3D action game that incorporates familiar characters and environments, and provides players with plenty of missions, rich gameplay and comprehensive battle systems. Players will explore the city, protect the citizens, develop their skills and discover amazing powers.

"After having previously made Spider-Man: Total Mayhem - which was a huge success for both us and Marvel - we have even bigger ambitions for this new installment, The Amazing Spider-Man," said Gameloft’s Gonzague de Vallois, SVP of Marketing. "In addition to being an opportunity for Gameloft to showcase our skills in adapting movies into games, when combined with the fact that this is one of the most popular and commercially successful Super Heroes of all time, after having boasted one of the highest grossing movie franchises in history, we expect this title to be a great success."

"We are happy to continue our successful relationship with Gameloft to bring quality games to both Marvel and mobile game fans alike," said Andreea Enache-Thune, Marvel’s SVP of Games and Digital Distribution. "The Amazing Spider-Man provides a thrilling and immersive mobile gameplay experience that will continue to raise the bar for both Marvel and Gameloft."

Set to launch summer in conjunction with the movie release on July 3, 2012, The Amazing Spider-Man will be available on feature phones, iPhones, iPads and Android devices.

For more information about The Amazing Spider-Man mobile game please visit the official website at www.gameloft.com.

About Gameloft

A leading global publisher of digital and social games, Gameloft® has established itself as one of the top innovators in its field since 2000. Gameloft creates games for all digital platforms, including mobile phones, smartphones and tablets (including Apple® iOS and Android® devices), set top boxes, connected TVs and consoles. Gameloft partners with leading international brands such as UNO®, Spider-Man®, James Cameron’s Avatar™, Ferrari® and Sonic Unleashed®. Gameloft also operates its own established franchises, such as Real Football, Asphalt™, Modern Combat 2: Black Pegasus and N.O.V.A Near Orbit Vanguard Alliance®. Gameloft is present in all continents, distributes its games in 100 countries and employs over 4,500 developers.

Gameloft is listed on the Paris Stock Exchange (ISIN: FR0000079600, Bloomberg: GFT FP, Reuters: GLFT.PA).

About THE AMAZING SPIDER-MAN™

One of the world’s most popular characters is back on the big screen as a new chapter in the Spider-Man legacy is revealed in The Amazing Spider-Man™. Focusing on an untold story that tells a different side of the Peter Parker story, the new film stars Andrew Garfield, Emma Stone, Rhys Ifans, Denis Leary, Campbell Scott, Irrfan Khan, with Martin Sheen and Sally Field. The film is directed by Marc Webb from a screenplay written by James Vanderbilt, based on the Marvel Comic Book by Stan Lee and Steve Ditko. Laura Ziskin, Avi Arad, and Matt Tolmach are producing the film. Along with Executive Producers Stan Lee, Kevin Feige and Michael Grillo, in association with Marvel Entertainment for Columbia Pictures, which will open in theaters everywhere in 3D on July 3, 2012.

The Amazing Spider-Man is the story of Peter Parker (Garfield), an outcast high schooler who was abandoned by his parents as a boy, leaving him to be raised by his Uncle Ben (Sheen) and Aunt May (Field). Like most teenagers, Peter is trying to figure out who he is and how he got to be the person he is today. Peter is also finding his way with his first high school crush, Gwen Stacy (Stone), and together, they struggle with love, commitment, and secrets. As Peter discovers a mysterious briefcase that belonged to his father, he begins a quest to understand his parents’ disappearance - leading him directly to Oscorp and the lab of Dr. Curt Connors (Ifans), his father’s former partner. As Spider-Man is set on a collision course with Connors’ alter-ego, The Lizard, Peter will make life-altering choices to use his powers and shape his destiny to become a hero.

About Marvel Entertainment

Marvel Entertainment, LLC, a wholly-owned subsidiary of The Walt Disney Company, is one of the world’s most prominent character-based entertainment companies, built on a proven library of over 8,000 characters featured in a variety of media over seventy years. Marvel utilizes its character franchises in entertainment, licensing and publishing. For more information visit www.marvel.com.


$20K DEVELOPER CONTEST: Live Wallpapers & Mini-Games

Posted: 04 Jun 2012 12:28 PM PDT

Our love for developers will continue for eternity, but we’re especially showing our affection this month (Developer Appreciation Month), and it continues with a Developer Contest where we’ve got $20,000 in prizes up for grabs! To enter, you’ve got to make a Live Wallpaper or Mini-Game that includes the new Phandroid Logo and/or the NVIDIA/Tegra 3 Logo!

There will be 4 winners and each of them will get an NVIDIA Tegra 3 powered device along with a Phandroid Advertising package allowing them to promote downloads of their own application or game- a great opportunity to get tremendous exposure to a targeted audience!

The Prizes:
There will be 4 winners, each who will receive:

  • 1 of 4 NVIDIA Tegra 3 powered device
    • (2) Transformer Prime with Dock
    • (1) Toshiba Excite 10-inch Tablet
    • (1) HTC One X
  • Phandroid Banner Advertising Package (valued at $4,500 each) to appear on Phandroid.com, AndroidForums.com, and AndroidApplications.com to appear throughout the month of July.

How To Enter:

  1. Sign up and confirm subscription for the Phandroid Dev Month Newsletter
  2. Create either a (1) live wallpaper, or (2) game, that includes the new Phandroid Logo and/or the NVIDIA logo
    • Game Example: Tic-Tac-Toe where the X and O are replaced with Phandroid logo and NVIDIA logo
    • Live Wallpaper Example: Phandroid Logo with mouth chomping, chasing the NVIDIA Logo around your screen (nom nom nom)
  3. E-mail the apk (as an attachment or link) to press@phandroid.com with the subject “Dev Contest!” and include:
    1. Your Full Name
    2. Your Full Mailing Address
    3. Your Phone Number
    4. Description of the wallpaper or game, how it works, and any background information you wish to provide that may help us make a decision and choose your submission
  4. E-mail and corresponding .apk must be received by June 30th at 11:59PM Eastern

Selecting A Winner:

  • The deadline for entry is June 30th at 11:59PM Eastern
  • All live wallpapers and games submitted will be tested and judged by Phandroid staff
  • Winners will be selected at the sole discretion of the Phandroid staff and announced in the days following the contest
  • At least 1 game and 1 live wallpaper will be selected as winners
  • Winners’ live wallpapers/games may be published on the Google Play Store under the Phandroid or Neverstill Developer Account
Rules & Regulations:
  • All entries and containing source code and graphics must be 100% owned by the entrant (exceptions include Phandroid logo, NVIDIA logo, and open source libraries)
  • Entries may include open source libraries, but must explicitly state/disclose where and what libraries are used when submitting their .apk and must ensure they follow all proper licensing regulations of included libraries.
  • Entrants agree that upon entering an .apk into the contest they relinquish full ownership rights, and authorize Phandroid/Neverstill Media to use the live wallpaper/game, their information, and their source code in any way, shape, or form deemed appropriate or beneficial to Phandroid/NVIDIA, including but not limited to publishing the APK under the Phandroid/Neverstill Developer Account on Google Play.
  • Winners may use their Banner Advertising Package to promote any app or game available on Google Play, with a link to the app on the Google Play Store, but the promoted application/game and related banner advertising must first be approved by Phandroid Staff and may be deemed unacceptable for reasons including but not limited to: trademark issues, explicit content concerns, spam, etc…. In the event that Phandroid Staff disallows promotion of a specific app/game/image, winner will be allowed to submit alternate requests until both parties are in agreement.
  • Winners must respond within 48 hours of receiving notification, or Phandroid staff reserves the right to name an alternate winner
  • Phandroid reserves the right to disqualify any contestant for any reason

We’re hoping that not only will this contest be FUN for developers, but it will also encourage NEW developers to test the waters and give WINNING developers the opportunity to promote their game or app like never before.

Good luck, happy developing, and we can’t wait to see what you come up with!


ASUS introduces the Transformer AiO, an 18.4 inch all-in-one Windows touch PC that boots Android.

Posted: 04 Jun 2012 08:55 AM PDT

ASUS has introduced what we somewhat expected them to. Teasers leading up to their showing at Computex lead us to believe that they’d be bringing us a dual-booting Windows/Android tablet, but that’s only half true. They’re bringing the ASUS Transformer AiO, an 18.4 inch all-in-one PC that has a touchscreen and boots Windows.

This product is unique in that you can detach the display and use it as an Android tablet. It wasn’t clear if you’d be able to use it as a Windows 8 tablet as well. But it’s an interesting design that stays true to the Transformer line that it derives its name from. An 18.4 inch tablet isn’t the most ideal for everyone.

In fact, I have a hard time believing this size will appeal to most people. Unless you’re a designer or an architect, it seems rather foolish to carry one around on a daily basis. That said, it’s still a great looking device that gives ASUS yet another product to set themselves apart from any competition. [The Verge via WinSource]


10 Burning Questions with J Brothers from Blew Tower Defense

Posted: 04 Jun 2012 08:32 AM PDT

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J Brothers is the team responsible for the game Blew Tower Defense. The developers are great fans of tower defense games and have created one with a very unique and special touch, focusing on visuals, simplicity and pure fun. After 3 years of hard work, J Brothers has managed to win its audience’s support with constant hard work, passion and an open ear. The team really values user feedback, and they claim that it has been one of the biggest inspirations and catalysts that have led Blew Tower Defense to what it is now.

Developer Appreciation Month has just kicked off here at Phandroid.com, and we are very glad to learn from those that make it all happen. We have sat down with Pascal Jacobi from J Brothers to learn about his experience developing for our favorite mobile OS – Android. His answers highlight the passion and dedication developers need in order to succeed in the Android platform. One can also see the pride and love that can be developed when working with a product from the ground up and bringing it to life.

Phandroid: How did you get started with Android Development?

Pascal Jacobi: This goes back about 3 years ago, a colleague at work was rambling on about how great the Android market was for developers and what potential it had, so we decided to give a try. A couple of days later I had an animated image walking around on my Android emulator and I was actually enjoying myself more than I expected.

We were already great fans of tower defense-like games, so we looked around on the market and – back then – only Robo-Defense was a serious game in the genre. On the other hand, my brother managed to validate the idea as his final project in college (majoring in multimedia design). We had the idea, we had the will and we had the team, Blew Tower Defense was born. It’s like a little baby, our baby… only without the crying :)

Phandroid: What phone do you personally use?

Pascal Jacobi: HTC Hero. I want to keep testing our application on the oldest phone possible for as long as we can support Android 2.1. I’m seriously considering buying the Samsung Galaxy S3. Although I’m not too sure about how I feel about the “cold war” that’s going on between Samsung and Google. It feels like bad Karma. I don’t know…

Phandroid: What was your biggest challenge in developing Blew Tower Defense?

Pascal Jacobi: Definitely the game design. It was like being in Alien II – Aliens swarming all over the place, and by handling one side you’d be torn apart from the other. But seriously, Blew Tower Defense games can be customized in so many ways that we ended up needing months to test all case scenarios and re-tweak values.

We didn’t want to see someone win all the quick-games with a “perfect” tower combination – but we also wanted to give the game a different feeling depending on the towers you’d pick. Really challenging, especially considering neither of us had had any game-designing experience.

Phandroid: Your game is very visually enhanced and good-looking, but in a different way. What inspired you to create this almost abstract design?

Pascal Jacobi: Overall, we completely altered the theme more than 4 times. Trying to build up graphics for a mobile tower defense is tricky and challenging. It has to be both understandable and good looking. Doing so in a limited space of a 40 pixels square is tricky (creatures, towers…). So one of the solutions we came up with was to make easy shapes with distinguishable colors to differentiate towers, creatures from one another. On the other hand, the maps used in Blew Tower Defense have a different look: more detail with a more realistic feeling to them. This big contrast was made in order to directly show the player what he/she is able to interact with. Adding some glowing effect above all this gave it an interesting effect.

Phandroid: Monetization: in terms of driving revenue, can you tell us about your experience, your strategy, and the overall potential?

Pascal Jacobi: As I understand it, there are two main ways to making money with Android apps. The first is off of adds and the second is through various types of customer purchases (the app itself, services/features inside the app…). Even though we have a “lite” and “full” version of the game (I think “lite” versions are often ideal for advertisement because consumers are more tolerant when they’re seeing them in free apps), we scratched out adds because we wanted our customer’s game-play experience to be genuine while playing the Lite version, in the hopes that they’d enjoy themselves enough to purchase the full version.

On the other hand, the full version is supposed to sell, and at the moment we’re a bit below a 2% conversion ratio (lite to full) which is lower than what most games get. We have quite a few reasons for that. I’ll omit the game itself as a factor (which can still be improved in many ways, and we’re working on that) because I think the game is pretty complete and it’s not the topic of our conversation.

The second most important element in selling an app (in my humble experience) is the marketing aspect of things: We’ve made a Facebook page, added a Twitter account and even made a nice video which is posted on YouTube. But that’s all we did, neither of us has had the time to try and build up a buzz around BlewTD.

In a sense, we’ve gotten pretty much what we worked for. We are, nevertheless, hoping to advertise our game a bit more in the near future as we work on nice new features. We would’ve loved to be able to quit our daily jobs and work full time on Android apps, but as long as our sales ratio is this low and scotch still costs money, I’m afraid that isn’t possible yet.

Phandroid: What do you want to see in future versions of Android?

Pascal Jacobi: We’re trying to keep the game living for older versions of Android, so I’m not really looking into Android’s newer versions from a developer’s perspective. But, as a consumer, I’m eager to see the keyboard laser projection take life. I think typing on a laser projected keyboard is the second coolest thing there is, Blew tower defense being the first (I had to say it)

Phandroid: Do you develop for other platforms and how does Android compare to those platforms?

Pascal Jacobi: No, we decided to stick with one platform. Considering I’m the only one developing, I’m always the one with the most time consuming tasks and behind schedule.

Phandroid: If you could give one tip to fellow Android Developers, what would it be?

Pascal Jacobi: Based on what we’ve seen with game apps, I think the best way to approach this when you have a “standard” application (nothing completely out of the ordinary, just an average game) is to simply build up a decent minimal version of the application and slowly let it build up as you get feedback from your users (quick hello to our fans: We love you!). Give yourself a realistic goal, don’t go beyond your borders. don’t add up too many ideas, stick to the basics and finish those. Once you’re done, publish it and add updates later to boost your game.

Phandroid: Tell us one thing that most people don’t know about you.

Pascal Jacobi: I often have one-sided conversations with my computer. My brother likes to sneak up on me and scare the bajeezus out of me.

Phandroid: What towers do you put first, the poison or the slow ones? ;)

Pascal Jacobi: Do you like to see your enemies agonize in pain as they approach their goal while dying on their way or do you like to keep them in place and butcher them to death? It’s up to you. Building up a poison tower at the beginning of the game is a really good strategy. On the other hand, building a slow tower helps you assist your other damage dealing towers. It’s not only a matter of when you build your towers, it’s also a matter of the amount towers you build as well as the positions you put them at. Understanding this is the way of the Blew (that sounded better in my head than when I read it out loud…)!

As a tech writer that constantly interacts with many developers, I must say that J Brothers is one of the most down-to-earth and passionate ones I have ever worked with. The team is very attentive to its audience, and really listens and helps you with all your issues and comments.

If you would like to check out the game Blew Tower Defense, you can get it straight from the Google Play Store for $1.99. You can also check out the Lite version for free or take a look at their official website. The tower defense game is very fun and aesthetically pleasing in a very unique way, and I have definitely enjoyed many hours playing it.

Want to get involved in Developer Appreciation Month? Contact us and start your message with “Developer Appreciation Month”.

Don’t miss your chance to win! Sign up for our Developer Newsletter: it’s required to win most of our contests and it’ll feature some huge announcements that you won’t want to miss.


Google IO Ticket Still Up For Grabs (12 Hours Left)!

Posted: 04 Jun 2012 08:23 AM PDT

As of now, your chances to win a Google IO Ticket are pretty good. On Friday we announced our contest – with entry requiring you sign up for our Dev Month Newsletter, make some social posts promoting Dev Month, and then circle back and comment on the article: we’ve got less than 15 people who meet the requirements thus far.

So what are you waiting for? You’ve only got about 12 hours left to enter, so head on over to the contest post and get the ball rolling!


Verizon announces Galaxy S3 pre-sale opportunity for June 6th

Posted: 04 Jun 2012 07:46 AM PDT

The big red machine that led the 4G LTE charge, Verizon, today announced new availability details for the Galaxy S3. While they’re not ready to confirm a release date like competitors Sprint and T-Mobile, they have at least given us a pre-sale date. June 6th will be the date that Verizon customers can have their name put on the list for this highly anticipated device.

Verizon’s options will include a 16GB version and a 32GB version for $200 and $250, respectively. Equipped with LTE, their Galaxy S3 houses a 1.5GHz dual-core Qualcomm S4 processor, 2GB of RAM, a 4.8 inch HD display, an 8 megapixel HD camera, a 2 megapixel front camera, Android 4.0 with TouchWiz and a lot more. “In the coming weeks” is all we get for a launch window, but hopefully the wait will be short and sweet. Read on for full press details.

VERIZON WIRELESS ANNOUNCES SAMSUNG GALAXY S® III COMING TO AMERICA’S LARGEST 4G LTE NETWORK

The Next Generation Smartphone with the Power to Share and Intelligence to Make Everyday Life Easier

BASKING RIDGE, N.J. - Verizon Wireless and Samsung Telecommunications America (Samsung Mobile) today announced the 4G LTE-powered Samsung Galaxy S® III is coming to America’s largest 4G LTE network.

Galaxy S III customers can use Share Shot to create their own temporary photo sharing network with a group of friends who are nearby at the same party or event. Photos can be taken by any member of the group and shared with the entire group. One touch sharing with S Beam allows friends to share pictures, videos, documents and more by simply touching two Galaxy S III devices’ backs together. Galaxy S III customers can take advantage of 4G LTE to share live video broadcasts of life’s special moments with their Facebook® friends using the Color app. As an exclusive feature for Verizon Wireless, customers can live broadcast video with audio when using Color.

The Galaxy S III has a 4.8-inch HD Super AMOLED™ display and runs Android™ 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich. Watch a video while texting friends or surfing the Web at 4G LTE speeds with Pop Up Play. Videos can be played in a small window while customers use the rest of the display to complete other tasks such as typing emails, organizing calendars and updating their social networks. Multi-tasking is seamless with the 1.5 GHz dual-core processor and 2 GB RAM paired with the Verizon Wireless 4G LTE network. Customers can also interact with the Galaxy S III in simple and fun ways thanks to Motion Gesture. With Motion Gesture, customers can initiate a phone call from a text message by simply raising the phone to their head, or they can pause a video by covering the display with their hand, and even get to the top of an email message and contact list.

The Verizon Wireless 4G LTE network is currently available in 258 markets, covering two-thirds of the of the U.S. population. Verizon Wireless 4G LTE will be in 400 markets covering 260 million people by the end of this year.

Additional features:

Smart Stay - So intelligent, the display only dims when the customers’ eyes are closed or no longer facing the screen.
S Voice™ - Featuring natural language recognition, you can control the apps and services used most with words instead of touch. Use S Voice to turn the volume up or down on the music player, answer or reject incoming calls, shut off or choose to snooze the alarm clock, or take a picture by saying "smile" or "cheese."
AllShare® Play - Share HD videos and your favorite songs by streaming multimedia content from the Galaxy S III to a compatible Samsung Smart TV® or home audio system when connected to the same Wi-Fi network, and remotely access files on up to six Samsung devices.
Evolved camera capabilities - Burst Shot mode instantly captures 20 continuous shots and Best Photo feature selects the best shot to display.
Enhanced camera - 8-megapixel rear camera with zero-lag shutter speed and a 1.9-megapixel front camera so customers can capture pictures and videos of themselves or video chat with family and friends.
Mobile Hotspot - share a 4G LTE connection with up to 10 Wi-Fi-enabled devices.
· microSD™ card slot for expandable memory.

Pricing and availability:

Samsung Galaxy S III will be available online for pre-order starting June 6 at 7 a.m. EST at www.verizonwireless.com/galaxys3 and will be available in Verizon Wireless Communications Stores and online in the coming weeks.
The Samsung Galaxy S III will be available in 16 GB and 32 GB models for $199.99 and $249.99 respectively with a new two-year customer agreement. Customers will also have the choice of the Galaxy S III in two colors, Marble White or Pebble Blue.
Customers that purchase a Galaxy S III will need to subscribe to a 4G LTE mobile broadband data package starting at $30 monthly access for 2 GB of data.

Customers can visit http://www.verizonwireless.com/galaxys3 to sign up for more information and availability details on the Samsung Galaxy S III for Verizon Wireless. For additional information on Verizon Wireless products and services, visit a Verizon Wireless Communications Store, call 1-800-2 JOIN IN or go to www.verizonwireless.com. Follow @VZWnews on Twitter™ for the latest news on Verizon Wireless.

About Verizon Wireless
Verizon Wireless operates the nation’s largest 4G LTE network and largest, most reliable 3G network. The company serves 93.0 million retail customers, including 88.0 million retail postpaid customers. Headquartered in Basking Ridge, N.J., with 80,000 employees nationwide, Verizon Wireless is a joint venture of Verizon Communications (NYSE, NASDAQ: VZ) and Vodafone (LSE, NASDAQ: VOD). For more information, visit www.verizonwireless.com. To preview and request broadcast-quality video footage and high-resolution stills of Verizon Wireless operations, log on to the Verizon Wireless Multimedia Library at www.verizonwireless.com/multimedia.

About Samsung Mobile
Samsung Mobile (Samsung Telecommunications America, LLC), a Dallas-based subsidiary of Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd., researches, develops and markets wireless handsets and telecommunications products throughout North America. For more information, please visit www.samsungwireless.com.

Samsung, Galaxy S, AllShare, S Voice, Samsung Smart TV and Super AMOLED are all trademarks of Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. Other company names, product names and marks mentioned herein are the property of their respective owners and may be trademarks or registered trademarks. 4G used in connection with the Samsung Galaxy S III refers to the fact that the device is capable of operating on Verizon Wireless’ 4G LTE network.


T-Mobile launching Samsung Galaxy S3 June 21st

Posted: 04 Jun 2012 07:04 AM PDT

T-Mobile have officially announced that they’ll be launching the Samsung Galaxy S3 June 21st, a date they’ll share with Sprint. No pricing information could be had, but we do have information on the slight incantracies of T-Mobile’s version. They won’t have LTE radios, of course, but HSPA+ 42 is available.

Unfortunately their version doesn’t come with Exynos despite not having those LTE radios, but we’re still getting a 1.5GHz dual-core S4 processor by Qualcomm, a chipset proven to be a real threat. It also houses a 4.8 inch 720p display, an 8 megapixel HD camera, a 2 megapixel front camera, 2GB of RAM, a 2,100 mAh battery, and more. Read on for full press details.

T-Mobile to Debut the Samsung Galaxy S III on June 21

Latest in Galaxy S series brings fast group sharing and on-the-go entertainment all running on America’s Largest 4G Network®

BELLEVUE, Wash. -- June 4, 2012 -- T-Mobile USA, Inc., the No. 1 mobile operator brand in Samsung Galaxy S sales, and Samsung Telecommunications America (Samsung Mobile), the No. 1 mobile phone provider in the U.S. and the No. 1 smartphone provider worldwide,1 announced the upcoming release of the highly anticipated Samsung Galaxy S® III.Starting June 21, T-Mobile® customers will have the opportunity to own one of the most innovative smartphones in the market to date, joining the popular Galaxy S family of devices.

The Samsung Galaxy S III is one of T-Mobile’s fastest 4G (HSPA+ 42 technology) smartphones. With an intuitive design, the Galaxy S III enables customers to share photos, videos and more effortlessly to a compatible TV or other Galaxy S III devices. Featuring a beautiful 4.8-inch HD Super AMOLED™ screen, the Galaxy S III packs a powerful entertainment experience allowing customers to watch HD movies and TV shows, download apps and securely browse the Web at lightning-fast speeds on America’s Largest 4G Network®.

"We have a tremendous history of working with Samsung to bring cutting-edge devices to market, and we know our customers are excited to get their hands on the Galaxy S III," said Brad Duea, senior vice president, product management, T-Mobile USA. "As we continue to aggressively compete, this device is yet another example of how T-Mobile delivers amazing devices and 4G experiences to our customers."

Galaxy S III Key Features

Connecting and Sharing: Imagine shooting a video with a group of friends and being able to share it immediately with others in the group. The Galaxy S III enables group sharing via Wi-Fi Direct™ so that content such as a video or photo on one device can easily be shared with up to five other Galaxy S III devices. That same video or photo can also be viewed by the group on a compatible big screen TV, such as a SmartTV, using AllShare®. With an advanced 8-megapixel camera with LED flash and zero shutter lag and a 1.9-megapixel front-facing camera, the Galaxy S III will capture beautiful HD videos and photos that are perfect to share.
Entertainment: Whether waiting for an appointment or commuting on the bus, customers can take in the latest action movie in full HD from Samsung Media Hub or catch their favorite TV show with T-Mobile TV in Mobile HD2. Images appear crisp and clear on the Galaxy S III’s 4.8-inch HD Super AMOLED screen, bringing entertainment to life on the device. In addition, customers can choose between 16 GB or 32 GB of internal memory, and have the option for expandable memory via a MicroSD slot, providing plenty of storage for downloading movies, music, games and other apps. Featuring Android™ 4.0 (Ice Cream Sandwich) and a Qualcomm® Snapdragon™ S4 Processor with 1.5 GHz Dual-Core CPUs and 2GB of RAM, the Galaxy S III also offers a large, 2100mAh battery to power hours of on-the-go entertainment.
Productivity: For customers who want to use the device in their business and personal lives, T-Mobile’s Galaxy S III offers a suite of security features delivering enterprise-friendly capabilities. From syncing corporate email, calendars and contacts to providing on-device encryption, the Galaxy S III makes it easy to maximize efficiency and productivity for enterprise users. T-Mobile customers also have access to Wi-Fi Calling and the Smartphone Mobile HotSpot feature ensuring easy and reliable connectivity while on the road.
Availability

The Samsung Galaxy S III is expected to arrive in a metallic blue or ceramic white color at T-Mobile retail stores and select retailers nationwide, and at www.t-mobile.com starting June 21.

To learn more about the Samsung Galaxy S III, visit http://galaxy-s.t-mobile.com/samsung-galaxy-s3.

1 Samsung is the No. 1 mobile phone provider in the United States and the No. 1 smartphone provider worldwide claims according to Strategy Analytics, Q1 2012 U.S. Market Share Handset Shipment and Global Smartphone Shipment Reports.

2 Mobile HD TV can deliver a bit rate of 800kbps and 16:9 resolution; the bit rate and resolution you experience will vary based on many factors, e.g., programming, network connection and device.

Samsung, Galaxy, AllShare and Super AMOLED are all trademarks of Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. Other company names, product names and marks mentioned herein are the property of their respective owners and may be trademarks or registered trademarks.

About T-Mobile USA: Based in Bellevue, Wash., T-Mobile USA, Inc. is the U.S. wireless operation of Deutsche Telekom AG (OTCQX: DTEGY). By the end of the first quarter of 2012, approximately 129 million mobile customers were served by the mobile communication segments of the Deutsche Telekom group -- 33.4 million by T-Mobile USA -- all via a common technology platform based on GSM and UMTS and additionally HSPA+ 21/HSPA+ 42. T-Mobile USA’s innovative wireless products and services help empower people to connect to those who matter most. Multiple independent research studies continue to rank T-Mobile USA among the highest in numerous regions throughout the U.S. in wireless customer care and call quality. For more information, please visit http://www.T-Mobile.com. T-Mobile is a federally registered trademark of Deutsche Telekom AG. For further information on Deutsche Telekom, please visit www.telekom.de/investor-relations.

About Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.

Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. is a global leader in semiconductor, telecommunication, digital media and digital convergence technologies with 2010 consolidated sales of US$135.8 billion. Employing approximately 190,500 people in 206 offices across 68 countries, the company operates two separate organizations to coordinate its nine independent business units: Digital Media & Communications, comprising Visual Display, Mobile Communications, Telecommunication Systems, Digital Appliances, IT Solutions, and Digital Imaging; and Device Solutions, consisting of Memory, System LSI and LCD. Recognized for its industry-leading performance across a range of economic, environmental and social criteria, Samsung Electronics was named the world’s most sustainable technology company in the 2011 Dow Jones Sustainability Index. For more information, please visit www.samsung.com.

About Samsung Telecommunications America

Samsung Telecommunications America, LLC, (Samsung Mobile) a Dallas-based subsidiary of Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd., researches, develops and markets wireless handsets, wireless infrastructure and other telecommunications products throughout North America. For more information, please visit www.samsung.com.

Forward-Looking Statements

This press release contains forward-looking statements that reflect the current views of Deutsche Telekom management with respect to future events. These forward-looking statements may include statements with regard to the expected development of revenue, earnings, profits from operations, depreciation and amortization, cash flows and personnel-related measures. You should consider them with caution. Such statements are subject to risks and uncertainties, most of which are difficult to predict and are generally beyond Deutsche Telekom’s control. Among the factors that might influence our ability to achieve our objectives are the progress of our workforce reduction initiative and other cost-saving measures, and the impact of other significant strategic, labor or business initiatives, including acquisitions, dispositions and business combinations, and our network upgrade and expansion initiatives. In addition, stronger than expected competition, technological change, legal proceedings and regulatory developments, among other factors, may have a material adverse effect on our costs and revenue development. Further, the economic downturn in our markets, and changes in interest and currency exchange rates, may also have an impact on our business development and the availability of financing on favorable conditions. Changes to our expectations concerning future cash flows may lead to impairment write downs of assets carried at historical cost, which may materially affect our results at the group and operating segment levels. If these or other risks and uncertainties materialize, or if the assumptions underlying any of these statements prove incorrect, our actual performance may materially differ from the performance expressed or implied by forward-looking statements. We can offer no assurance that our estimates or expectations will be achieved. Without prejudice to existing obligations under capital market law, we do not assume any obligation to update forward-looking statements to take new information or future events into account or otherwise.

In addition to figures prepared in accordance with IFRS, Deutsche Telekom also presents non-GAAP financial performance measures, including, among others, EBITDA, EBITDA margin, adjusted EBITDA, adjusted EBITDA margin, adjusted EBIT, adjusted net income, free cash flow, gross debt and net debt. These non-GAAP measures should be considered in addition to, but not as a substitute for, the information prepared in accordance with IFRS. Non-GAAP financial performance measures are not subject to IFRS or any other generally accepted accounting principles. Other companies may define these terms in different ways.


Sprint to begin Galaxy S3 pre-orders beginning tomorrow, launch the device June 21st

Posted: 04 Jun 2012 06:53 AM PDT

Well, that was fast. It was only hours ago that Samsung announced the US’s five biggest carriers would be carrying the Galaxy S3 starting this month, and Sprint has already confirmed pricing and availability. A pre-sale opportunity will kickoff tomorrow, and the device’s launch date is slated for June 21st.

Two versions will be up for grabs: a 16GB version will run you $200, while a 32GB version will run you $250. The latter version will be available exclusively online. Sprint’s Galaxy S3 houses a 4.8 inch Super AMOLED HD display, an 8 megapixel 1080p camera, a 1.5GHz dual-core processor, 2GB of RAM, LTE, and a lot more.

These devices unfortunately won’t house Exynos, but that’s due to the LTE radios inside that still aren’t ready (or aren’t readily available) for chipsets other than TI’s OMAP4 and Qualcomm’s S4. We’re sure the latter is what’s inside powering one of the biggest, most anticipated devices of the year.

The carriers seem to have finally gotten it right. Users aren’t interested in having a carrier-specific devices, design wise. Slap the necessary and compatible radios in there, keep the name the same, and allow Samsung to provide a timely launch across ALL launch titles. We’re glad to see that things have changed for the better for at least one carrier. We’ll see if any others decide to follow suit. Be sure to read on for full press details.

Samsung Galaxy S III Comes to Sprint, the Only Wireless Carrier to Offer the Device with Unlimited Data Pricing Plans and Google Wallet Pre-Loaded, on June 21
Pre-order begins June 5 at www.sprint.com/galaxysiii

OVERLAND PARK, Kan. (BUSINESS WIRE), June 04, 2012 – Sprint (NYSE:S), the only national wireless carrier offering truly unlimited data for all phones while on the Sprint network1, will offer Samsung Galaxy S® III beginning on Thursday, June 21. Manufactured by Samsung Telecommunications America (Samsung Mobile), the No. 1 mobile phone provider in the U.S. and the No. 1 smartphone provider worldwide2, Galaxy S III is powered by Android™ 4.0, Ice Cream Sandwich, and boasts a brilliant 4.8-inch HD Super AMOLED™ touchscreen and access to the Sprint 4G LTE network when it launches later this year.

Sprint is the only national U.S. wireless carrier to offer Galaxy S III preloaded with Google Wallet™ enabling the phone to act like a personal wallet using Near Field Communication (NFC) to make safe purchases at more than 100,000 participating retailers.

Samsung Galaxy S III will be offered in a 16GB version for $199.99 and 32GB version for $249.99 (excluding taxes) with a new line or eligible upgrade and two-year service agreement at Sprint Stores, Sprint Business Sales, Telesales (1-800-SPRINT1) and Web Sales (www.sprint.com). The 32GB version will be available exclusively through Web Sales.

Customers can pre-order the device beginning Tuesday, June 5, at www.sprint.com/galaxysiii. It will be available in two color options - Pebble Blue and Marble White.

"Sprint and Samsung take another leap forward together in bringing our customers the best in mobile technology with Galaxy S III on the Sprint 4G LTE network," said Fared Adib, vice president - Product Development, Sprint. "Sprint is the only U.S. carrier to offer this device with the simplicity of unlimited data plans. Our customers will appreciate being able to use the robust features and capabilities of this device without worrying about data caps, throttling or silly overage charges."

Galaxy S III offers the speed of a 1.5GHz dual-core processor and 2GB of RAM for multitasking, amazing graphics and rich HD multimedia content. It also has two cameras - an 8-megapixel rear-facing zero shutter-lag camera with LED flash, 1080p video capture, intelligent camera features and facial recognition and a 1.9-megapixel front-facing camera. New features designed to make the phone easier to use include:

S Voice™ is the advanced natural language user interface that enables search and basic device-user communication. It can be used to turn the volume up or down on the music player, answer or reject incoming calls, shut off or choose to snooze the alarm clock or take a picture by saying "smile" or "cheese."
Motion simplifies the user experience by understanding the motion of the user. If the user is messaging but decides to call the person instead, they simply lift the phone to the ear and ‘Direct Call’ will dial the phone number. Motion includes quick camera access, missed event alert, double tap to top of list, screen shot, quick pause, quick rotate, turn over to mute, shake to refresh and raise phone to ear to make a call from messaging.
Smart Stay uses facial recognition technology and the front-facing camera to identify the user’s eyes. Smart Stay disables screen timeout if the device detects the user’s eyes are looking at the screen. Galaxy S III is "smart" enough to recognize the user is reading an e-book or browsing the web and maintains a bright display for easy viewing.
Galaxy S III also takes sharing to a new level by making it fast and easy to share pictures, videos and presentations between devices or with friends and groups of people.

S Beam expands on Android Beam™ to enhance device-to-device sharing through NFC technology by adding the ability to share photos, videos, documents and other DRM-free content to Android Beam. This allows a 1GB file to be shared within minutes and a 10MB file within seconds by simply touching another Galaxy S III phone.
AllShare® Play allows users to wirelessly connect Galaxy S III to their PC, tablet or television to immediately share files, stream music, user-generated videos, photos and other DRM-free content to AllShare-enabled devices using Wi-Fi®. It also allows the user to remotely access files on up to six Samsung devices.
AllShare Group Cast lets the user share a presentation or photo album in real time with multiple friends on the same Wi-Fi network.
Share Shot allows photos to be easily and simultaneously shared with a group of friends directly from the camera using device-to-device Wi-Fi Direct.
Samsung Galaxy S III customers enjoy an unlimited data experience with Sprint Everything Data plans. Sprint’s Everything Data plan with Any Mobile, AnytimeSM includes unlimited web, texting and calling to and from any mobile in America while on the Sprint Network, starting at just $79.99 per month for smartphones - a savings of $40 per month versus Verizon’s comparable plan with unlimited talk, text and 2GB web, or $10 per month savings versus Verizon’s 450-minute plan with unlimited text and 2GB web (excludes taxes and surcharges).

Sprint announced Atlanta, Baltimore, Dallas, Houston, Kansas City and San Antonio are expected to have 4G LTE and enhanced 3G service in mid-year 2012. The anticipated launch of these large metropolitan areas demonstrates the continued commitment by Sprint to invest in its network through Network Vision. Sprint customers in these areas should soon enjoy ultra-fast data speeds and improved 3G voice quality. For the most up-to-date details on Sprint’s 4G LTE rollout, please visit www.sprint.com/4GLTE.

About Sprint Nextel
Sprint Nextel offers a comprehensive range of wireless and wireline communications services bringing the freedom of mobility to consumers, businesses and government users. Sprint Nextel served more than 56 million customers at the end of the first quarter of 2012 and is widely recognized for developing, engineering and deploying innovative technologies, including the first wireless 4G service from a national carrier in the United States; offering industry-leading mobile data services, leading prepaid brands including Virgin Mobile USA, Boost Mobile, and Assurance Wireless; instant national and international push-to-talk capabilities; and a global Tier 1 Internet backbone. The American Customer Satisfaction Index rated Sprint No. 1 among all national carriers and most improved in customer satisfaction across all industries during the last four years. Newsweek ranked Sprint No. 3 in its 2011 Green Rankings, listing it as one of the nation’s greenest companies, the highest of any telecommunications company. You can learn more and visit Sprint at www.sprint.com or www.facebook.com/sprint and www.twitter.com/sprint.

Android, Google Wallet, Google+, Google Play, Android Beam, YouTube and Google Voice are trademarks of Google, Inc.
Samsung, Galaxy, AllShare, S Voice and Super AMOLED are all trademarks of Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. Other company names, product names and marks mentioned herein are the property of their respective owners and may be trademarks or registered trademarks. 4G used in connection with the Samsung Galaxy S III refers to the fact that the device is capable of operating on Sprint’s 4G LTE network.

1Everything Data Plan with no data overages or throttling
2 Samsung is the No. 1 mobile phone provider in the United States and the No. 1 smartphone provider worldwide claims according to Strategy Analytics, Q1 2012 U.S. Market Share Handset Shipment and Global Smartphone Shipment Reports.

Contact(s):
Sprint
Mark Elliott, 603-621-4511
mark.j.elliott@sprint.com

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Samsung Galaxy S III to launch on five major US carriers starting this month

Posted: 03 Jun 2012 09:35 PM PDT

The Samsung Galaxy S III should soon make its way to the United States in one way or another. Samsung have just announced that the Samsung Galaxy S III will be headed to US carriers this month. That news is nothing “new,” of course, but now we have confirmation of which carriers will be participating in arguably the biggest launch of the year.

Verizon, Sprint, T-Mobile, AT&T, and US Cellular have all been pegged as the five major carriers that the Galaxy S III will launch with. They’ll be launching starting this June, but Samsung didn’t specify whether that meant all carriers would get it this month or if that estimation was for at least one carrier. We’ve reached out for comment and we’ll update this post if we learn anything new.

The Samsung Galaxy S3 officially made its debut in London this past May, and we finally got our hands on it when CTIA 2012 in New Orleans rolled around. The device will introduce Samsung’s quad-core exynos, feature a Super AMOLED display, and will house an excellent 8 megapixel HD camera.

But the biggest thing is its software: TouchWiz 4.0, which runs atop Android 4.0, introduces a lot of interesting features. The list is far too long to include here, but be sure to check out our hands-on from CTIA 2012 where Ryan from Samsung gives us the best look at the device that we could ask for. Read on for full press details.

Samsung Galaxy S III Coming To Five Major Carriers

Beginning in June

 

In an industry first, Samsung delivers the same iconic smartphone design and premium content sharing experience with customized AT&T, Sprint, T-Mobile, Verizon Wireless and U.S. Cellular services starting from $199

 

 

DALLAS -- June 4, 2012 -- U.S. consumers on five major service providers will now be able to own the highly anticipated Samsung Galaxy S® III. Galaxy S III, optimized for peak performance on the nation’s fastest 4G LTE and HSPA+ 42 networks, will be launching with AT&T, Sprint, T-Mobile, Verizon Wireless and U.S. Cellular starting in June. Exact pricing and retail availability will be announced by each of the five carriers in the coming weeks.

 

"The U.S. launch of the Galaxy S III is the most anticipated launch of the year. As promised, we are delivering the ‘next big thing’ for U.S. customers and across all major carriers," said Dale Sohn, president of Samsung Telecommunications America. "Galaxy S III introduces new technological innovation and takes sharing to the next level."

 

With the Galaxy S III, Samsung is setting a new standard for smartphones. This device was designed to be lightweight, durable and powerful. The Galaxy S III weighs 4.7 ounces and is 8.6 millimeters thin, making it lighter and sleeker than other leading smartphones, including several competitor models with smaller displays. The brilliant 4.8 inch display extends to an ultra-thin bezel to maximize the viewing area. The Galaxy S III delivers impressive processing power to allow more applications to be accessible simultaneously.

 

The Galaxy S III goes far beyond content consumption to content sharing. Continuing its history of innovation, Samsung has simplified how consumers share content and control the device with a single touch, through enhanced gesture technology or the simple movement of the eyes.      

 

Sharing Made Simple

 

The content sharing experience on the Galaxy S III addresses the sharing needs of consumers, whether it’s sharing and editing a presentation with a large group in real-time, sending digital images to several other smartphones at the same time or transferring large files within seconds from one phone to another. Further, these sharing experiences are simple and require little, if any, set-up.

 

Sharing With Multiple Devices

-      The Galaxy S III introduces the next evolution of Samsung’s content sharing service with AllShare® Play. This service automatically notifies the Galaxy S III to Samsung HDTVs, mobile tablets, laptops and other consumer electronic devices on the same network that are ready to receive video files. Users can also remotely access files from devices on other networks.

 

Sharing with Groups

-      With AllShare Group Cast on the Galaxy S III and a Wi-Fi network, users can share and collaborate on documents, presentations or images in real-time with multiple friends or co-workers’ without loading the file separately.

-      With Share Shot, become the official photographer for a group of friends. There’s no need to send photos and video via email, MMS or a USB drive. Users can quickly and seamlessly share pictures taken with the Galaxy S III’s 8 megapixel camera to other phones from up to 200 feet away. Once the Galaxy S III is synched with chosen devices, the pictures are automatically shared.

Sharing Smartphone to Smartphone

-      S-Beam is an industry first, providing fast, easy transfer of large files, such as videos and documents, with a single touch of the Galaxy S III without needing a Wi-Fi connection or cell signal. A 1GB movie file can be shared as quickly as three minutes and a 10MB music file can be transferred in seconds by simply touching another GALAXY S III phone.

 

Smartphone Simplicity

-      The S-Voice™ feature on the Galaxy S III offers much more than just asking and answering questions.  S-Voice allows users to control the applications and services used most with words instead of touch. Use S-Voice to turn the volume up or down on the music player, answer or reject incoming calls, shut off or choose to snooze the alarm clock, or take a picture by saying "smile" or "cheese."

-      Smart Stay puts the "smart" in smartphones. With Smart Stay, the Galaxy S III tracks the user’s eye to ensure the device screen is always on while you’re looking at it. By knowing when you are looking at the screen, it doesn’t dim the backlight or timeout to an idle screen.

-      Motion simplifies and short cuts many common functions including converting a text message to a call by simply raising the phone to the ear, tapping the top of the phone to go to the top of an email and list of emails or contacts, and alerting to missed call or text message.

-      The capabilities of the Galaxy S III’s 8 megapixel camera are far beyond point and shoot. Burst Shot captures still pictures at a rapid-fire pace at three images per second with zero shutter lag; and Best Shot recommends the best picture to keep based on colors, lighting and clarity. The Galaxy S III shoots and plays back 1080p HD quality video with a backside illuminated sensor that improves performance in low light environments, and provides the ability to capture a photo during videoing

-      Watching video while downloading a large file or service is seamless with Pop Up Play. Pop Up Play allows you to watch any side-loaded video content while operating any application in full-screen, background view at the same time. Video running on Pop Up Play can be moved anywhere on top of the full screen, much like picture-in-picture capabilities on large screen TVs.

 

Powerful Performance

 

The Galaxy S III includes Android 4.0 (Ice Cream Sandwich) with TouchWiz enhancements, a Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 1.5 GHz dual core CPU and 2GB of internal RAM to provide high-speed performance enabling efficient and seamless multi-tasking. The dual-core processor offers competitive speeds and performance as leading quad-core processors without sacrificing valuable battery life. The brilliant 4.8-inch HD Super AMOLED™ touchscreen display brings content to life, without compromising the device’s true pocketability. The expansive display is protected by Gorilla Glass 2.0 to guard against cracks and scratches and provide enhanced touchscreen responsiveness.

 

The Galaxy S III, which comes in Marble White and Pebble Blue, is powered by a removable 2100 mAh battery for extended use on a single charge. Users can store large libraries of photos, videos and music onboard the Galaxy S III with expandable memory to compliment the standard 16GB or 32GB of onboard storage.

 

"The Galaxy S III is the most innovative smartphone on the market today. It is an industry first to see five major carriers align behind the launch of a single device virtually simultaneously," said Todd Pendleton, Chief Marketing Officer for Samsung Telecommunications America. "To support the immense excitement for the Galaxy S III we will execute our biggest marketing campaign ever. Consumers won’t be able to miss why this device is the must-have smartphone."

 

For more information:

 

1 Number one mobile phone provider in the U.S. and global claim for Samsung Mobile based upon reported shipment data, according to Strategy Analytics, Q1 2012 U.S. Market Share and Global Market Share Handset Shipment Reports.

Samsung, Galaxy, AllShare, S Voice and Super AMOLED are all trademarks of Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. 

 

About Samsung Mobile

Samsung Mobile (Samsung Telecommunications America, LLC), a Dallas-based subsidiary of Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd., researches, develops and markets wireless handsets and telecommunications products throughout North America. For more information, please visit www.samsungwireless.com.

 

About Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.

Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. is a global leader in semiconductor, telecommunication, digital media and digital convergence technologies with 2011 consolidated sales of US$143.1 billion. Employing approximately 206,000 people in 197 offices across 72 countries, the company operates two separate organizations to coordinate its nine independent business units: Digital Media & Communications, comprising Visual Display, Mobile Communications, Telecommunication Systems, Digital Appliances, IT Solutions, and Digital Imaging; and Device Solutions, consisting of Memory, System LSI and LED. Recognized for its industry-leading performance across a range of economic, environmental and social criteria, Samsung Electronics was named the world’s most sustainable technology company in the 2011 Dow Jones Sustainability Index. For more information, please visitwww.samsung.com.


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