Friday, June 8, 2012

Android Phone Fans

Android Phone Fans

Hands-on with 5 new Tegra HD games from E3 2012 [video]

Posted: 07 Jun 2012 04:04 PM PDT

Remember the five new Tegra HD games NVIDIA announced earliest this week at E3? Welp, our gaming sister site GameFans.com tracked all of them down at E3 2012, and they wasted no time in going hands-on. Bounty Arms, Puddle, Heroes Call, Demons’ Score, and Dead Trigger were all on-hand. Chris Chavez and Ashley King from GameFans were our beneficiaries.

We’ve included the Dead Trigger hands-on here, but be sure to head to GameFans.com for the rest. Puddle can be had here, Demons’ Score here, Bounty Arms here, and Heroes Call here. Have at it and let us know if these games will be on your radar for your Tegra 3 (and possibly Tegra 2 for some of them) devices.

T-Mobile Father’s Day promotional material reveals free phone offer

Posted: 07 Jun 2012 03:40 PM PDT

T-Mobile is gearing up to offer a nice Father’s Day sale, it seems. Promo materials leaked by TmoNews seem to suggest we’ll be able to get any phone we want for free on June 15th and 16th. This offer would only be fulfilled after signing a new two-year agreement we imagine, though we have little details to go on so we’re not sure if there will be a little trickiness going on with the rebates. In any case, if you’re looking for a nice father’s day gift and your dad or any other fathers you want to gift are in need of a phone, be sure to consider Magenta’s upcoming offering. [TmoNews]

Evernote Food for Android lets you chronicle your dining life

Posted: 07 Jun 2012 02:43 PM PDT

Evernote is on a roll, lately. After having just launched Evernote 4.0 and Evernote Hello, they’ve introduced Evernote Food. This app will allow you to document what you’re eating, and as pointless as it may sound it’s actually pretty cool.

You can snap a photo of the food you’re eating and add what it is you’re eating, add the place where you ate, create tags and a description, provide impressions of the food and more.

Your foodie diary will also automatically sync with your main Evernote account, and whenever you access them there you’ll find notes related to the entries.

You can also share your food entries with other people using Android’s built-in sharing feature. Sound interesting enough? Be sure to find it in the Google Play Store, and watch the demo video of it up above.

Oracle pushed Google hard enough in court to be ordered to pay part of Google’s legal fees

Posted: 07 Jun 2012 02:06 PM PDT

The Google-Oracle trial is over — Oracle can’t restrict Google from using parts of Java they alleged the latter were wrongly infringing on, and they also can’t enforce a license. Judge Alsup made that perfectly clear. But something interesting was revealed about Oracle’s strategy: they pushed way too hard for a lawsuit that pretty much wasted the court’s time.

After two failed revisions of their trial, Alsup made Oracle adhere to one condition if they wanted to get back into the courtroom: that they pay for Google’s legal fees for that third trial. The damages come in at about $300,000, an amount that seems like pocket change even for Oracle.

Earlier in this trial’s history, Google called Oracle’s claims frivolous, and they should have taken heed of that in a serious manner. With this move, Alsup made it clear that Oracle is not going to get anywhere with such a weak hand, and that they should think twice before making themselves look like fools in front of the entirety of the tech world. [via Android Authority, thanks Earl!]

SoundHound 5.0 brings hi-res album art, new homescreen, and more

Posted: 07 Jun 2012 01:31 PM PDT

SoundHound for Android has gotten an upgrade to version 5.0, and the big change in version numbers is reflected with a big list of nice changes. Version 5.0 brings even faster music recognition, hi-res album art and artist photos, a new homescreen to show you top artists and tracks, a new interface, and more music lyrics. You’ll definitely want to give it a go ASAP so find it in the Google Play Store.

Motorola DROID Bionic 5.9.905 update now rolling out

Posted: 07 Jun 2012 11:29 AM PDT

The Motorola DROID BIONIC for Verizon has officially received its 5.9.905 update that leaked in mid-May. It’s being rolled out via an over-the-air process, and many of you should have been notified of its arrival by now. The update provides some minor fixes and enhancements, one of which includes improved 4G connectivity. If you can’t seem to pull it down and don’t want to wait, be sure to grab the update file here. You’ll need to be on stock, unrooted build 5.9.902 to apply it. [via Droid-Life]

HTC’s One X sales talking point pamphlet against the Galaxy S3 shows unsurprising bias

Posted: 07 Jun 2012 11:08 AM PDT

Here’s a quick and interesting read that should prove to be humorous to many of you. HTC’s formed a sales training document that mentions what a sales clerk should say to persuade that their HTC One X is better than the Galaxy S3. These things are never empty of bias, but some of this is just downright funny.

Take, for instance, the bit about the non-removable battery in the HTC One X vs the one in the Galaxy S3. HTC’s opinion is that a non-removable battery is better because you don’t need a separate charger, and because it doesn’t require the phone to be off.

The first scenario is only true if someone has a spare battery and wants to charge both at the same time, while the latter is only true if you want to swap those batteries. But many users don’t need to do this, and I think we all agree that choice is greater than no choice.

There are many more funny tidbits to be had, including their response to someone saying the Galaxy S3 being thinner, its build materials, and the “disappointing” design of the Galaxy S3 opposed to the One X. Take a look at the images above and below. [PriceBaBa via The Next Web]

Angry Birds Utopia update brings10-level cornucopia of popcorn, cookies, and candy apples

Posted: 07 Jun 2012 10:39 AM PDT

Angry Birds has gotten a nice new update that’ll added 10 new levels. Named “Utopia,” the upgrade features levels filled with popcorn, cookies, and candy apples. There’s also a nice jelly trampoline that you can use to bounce birds off of. Of course, the upgrade is free for both those who have paid for it and those playing the ad-supported version. Find this 23MB update in the Google Play Store. [via Android Central]

Foursquare version 5.0 is a completely reworked app, available now

Posted: 07 Jun 2012 08:43 AM PDT

Foursquare has completely revamped its Android experience with the release of version 5.0 of their app. Not only does the app get an ICS-friendly UI makeover, but it also adds in a bit of functionality that should make the checkin process a bit more engaging. With an added “Explore” tab and new map view overlaying points of interest and the current location of friends, the latest version of Foursquare encourages discovery rather than the almost pointless quest to visit a certain location more times than the rest of the service’s userbase.

There is plenty to like about the app’s new look and new features, it might even offer something that could draw in those that gave up on Foursquare months ago, which I suspect is the aim here. It’s always nice to see this sort of overhaul come into play when things are get a bit stale.

Google Play Download Link: Foursquare

[via AndroidPolice]

Verizon’s Motorola XOOM receiving Android 4.0.4 now, use this trick to force the update

Posted: 07 Jun 2012 07:57 AM PDT

The Android 4.0.4 update for the Motorola XOOM has begun to push to Verizon subscribers after reaching a small group of testers earlier in the week. The rollout will be staggered, which means some may have to wait longer than others to receive the new software version. The good news is that a trick first used to force the Android 4.0.4 update on the Samsung Galaxy Nexus also works with the XOOM.

To pull the update

  1. navigate to Settings/Apps/All,
  2. locate Google Services Framework,
  3. force stop the application and press “Clear data,”
  4. return to Settings and navigate to About phone/System update,
  5. press “Check now.”

Your mileage may vary, but initial reports are that this trick should trigger the update. Let us know what you think in the comments below!

[via DroidLife]

7-inch Acer Iconia Tab A110 is a quad-core Ice Cream Sandwich machine for under $200

Posted: 07 Jun 2012 07:22 AM PDT

Move over rumored Nexus tablet, Acer wants to beat you at your own game. The company unveiled a new 7-inch tablet at Computex this week and the details are enticing enough to pique the interest of even the most lukewarm tablet enthusiast. It isn’t that the slate does particularly impressive or inventive aside from its Tegra 3 quad-core CPU and Android 4.0 operating system. Rather, it’s the price you might be able to pick one up for.

Word is that Acer plans to market the Iconia Tab A110 for less than $200, pitting it directly against the Kindle Fire but offering a more robust and traditional Android experience. The low cost plus high-end specs might be attributable to NVIDIA’s recently announced Kai program, but there has been no official confirmation.

Additionally, Acer showed off the Iconia Tab A210, which will feature similar specs to the A110 in a 10.1-inch form factor.

[The Verge via AndroidCentral]

Google Wallet updated with prepaid improvements, support for new form factors

Posted: 07 Jun 2012 06:45 AM PDT

Google Wallet has received a new update, though the changelog is a short one. Only two changes are listed, and they cover prepaid topup improvements and support for new device form factors. The latter may hint at more than what we see on the surface, but likely just relates to getting the app to look its best on Android devices large and small. We could read into it and examine the possibility that this may have something to do with the upcoming Nexus tablet, but it’s far too early for that sort of speculation. The latest version of Google Wallet is available now from Google Play.

Google Play Link: Google Wallet

[via AndroidCentral]

HTC One V launching at Telus on June 8

Posted: 07 Jun 2012 06:07 AM PDT

Telus will round out a trio of Canadian carrier stocking the HTC One V starting June 8th. Joining Bell and Koodo, the carrier will sell the stylistic throwback for a mere $30 on a three-year contract. Without a lengthy obligation the phone can be purchased for $290. The One V is the baby of the the HTC One family, sporting entry level specs to go along with its Sense 4.0 infused version of Ice Cream Sandwich.

[via Engadget]

AT&T HTC One X receiving minor update to improve WiFi performance

Posted: 07 Jun 2012 05:35 AM PDT

For those who have managed to get their hands on AT&T’s HTC One X after a customs delay pushed back its release date, an update is ready for you. The minor software update brings the phone to version 1.85.502.3 and mainly addresses issues pertaining to the handset’s WiFi functionality. The One X should see improved operation outside if WiFi networks as well as increased speeds over WiFi. An AT&T address book fix is also included.

The update doesn’t seem to address all known bugs for the One X, and some users are reporting no noticeable difference in WiFi performance. In some cases battery life is said to be taking a bit of a hit. Hopefully a larger update is in the works to address some of the more sweeping issues.

[via TheVerge]

Apple seeks injunction to delay Galaxy S III in US, Samsung says launch will go as planned

Posted: 07 Jun 2012 05:08 AM PDT

Stop me if you’ve heard this one before. Apple is seeking an injunction against Samsung to block the sale of the Galaxy S III in the United States. After spending some time with the nearly identical international version of the GS3, Apple has decided that the phone falls neatly under the umbrella of a patent infringement suit targeting another Samsung device, the Galaxy Nexus. Among the items Apple believes infringe upon their intellectual property are Samsung’s S Voice app and basic functionality like tapping a phone number to launch the handset’s dialer app.

Apple has already largely responsible for a US customs investigation that caused the delayed launch of the HTC One X and HTC EVO 4G LTE and has filed another complaint in an attempt to ban the sale of the new HTC phones altogether. Now Samsung is being targeted with the release of the Galaxy S III looming at the end of the month. Samsung, however, is not worried. They believe Apple’s case is without merit and will proceed with the US launch of the phone as planned.

[via TechCrunch, Reuters]
Posted by at 7:59 AM

No comments:

Post a Comment

Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)