Sunday, June 3, 2012

Google Android News Android Forums

Google Android News Android Forums

Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich Grows To 7.1 Percent Of All Android Devices

Posted: 02 Jun 2012 03:23 PM PDT

The last time we looked at the Android version number distributions, Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich had a 4.9% piece of the total Android pie. Google just released the latest numbers for the two weeks leading up to June 1st, and now we see ICS has grown 2.2% to a total of 7.1%.

Though the growth is admirable, keep in mind that the ICS SDK was released 8 months ago in October. To only be on 7.1% of all Android devices out there doesn’t say much for the time it’s taking manufacturers and carriers to upgrade existing devices.

Other notable changes:

  • Honeycomb is down 0.6% for a total of 2.7%
  • Gingerbread is up 0.6% to a total of 65%
  • Froyo is down 1.8% to a total of 19.1%
  • Eclair is down 0.3% to a total of 5.2%

The trends are mostly moving in the right directions, with Gingerbread’s growth slowing down slightly and ICS’s rate increasing just a bit. Maybe now that the HTC One X and Evo 4G LTE are making it to stores, and the Samsung Galaxy S III is on the way soon, the next platform numbers may show a larger bump for ICS.

source: android developers

HTC Desire C now available in the UK

Posted: 02 Jun 2012 05:19 AM PDT

A little later than originally advertised, HTC‘s low end Android phone the Desire C is finally available both sim-free and on select contracts.

The Desire C is a unique offering as it’s one of the very first entry level Android phones shipping with Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich. The phone is powered by a single core 600 MHz processor with 512MB of RAM, and offers a 3.5″ HVGA display. The rest of the specifications are very reasonable for the price with Beats Audio, Wi-Fi, HSDPA, GPS, Bluetooth 4.0, a 1,230 mAh battery and 5MP rear camera all on-board.

The device is available in black or white and Three UK are offering it up for free on a 2 year contract at £13 per month or on Pay-As-You-Go for £149.99. If you prefer your phone to be sim-free and unlocked then you can pick it up from Clove for £189.99.

If you’ve been looking for an affordable Android 4.0 device then the Desire C could be exactly what you’ve been waiting for. Hit the links below to find out more.

 

Clove
Three UK 

Carmageddon is Android bound

Posted: 02 Jun 2012 04:45 AM PDT

When it first arrived on the scene back in 1997, Carmageddon was easily the most controversial game of the decade and perhaps the first game to bring video game violence concerns to the public domain. To put it into context for our younger readers, the press reaction for the original Grand Theft Auto was mild in comparison to the outrage caused when Carmageddon was released. The game was actually banned from sale in a number of countries in Europe (the UK being the most high profile) and had to be reworked replacing humans and blood with zombies and green goo. Only after the changes was the game approved for release.

Inspired by the Deathrace 2000 movie, the game throws the gamer into a high velocity, extremely violent race through the city where there are no holds barred. The Android version is a direct port of the original PC version with enhanced high-resolution graphics and refined touch screen controls. Oh and if you were wondering, the Android version will arrive complete with blood and gore. The game will launch for free for a limited time so there’s no excuse not to check out the game that inspired the GTA series. Check out the video below to see what all the fuss was about.

 

Click here to view the embedded video.

Rumour: Microsoft Office set to land on Android November 10th

Posted: 02 Jun 2012 04:22 AM PDT

Little more than a week ago we brought the news that strong rumours were surfacing suggesting a November launch for Microsoft Office for Android. The rumour mill just keeps on churning and further information has come to light today suggesting that November 10th will be the exact date. Tech news site The Daily received a tip off that Microsoft finished work on the app last month and are now engaged in testing across multiple platforms.

With Google Drive recently swallowing up Google Docs, it will be interesting to see what kind of impact the arrival of MS Office will have on Google’s own productivity suite. Keep tuned in to TalkAndroid and we’ll keep you updated as the story develops further.

 

Source: The Daily

Verizon’s Viewdini video streaming application available now

Posted: 02 Jun 2012 04:03 AM PDT

We’re fast approaching a time where physical storage for your favourite movie or latest album will be a distant memory, cassettes and records have already been confined to the museums and CD’s and DVD’s are sure to follow before long . My 3 year old daughter already thinks it’s absurd to have to dig a DVD out of the collection and load into the player as opposed to simply clicking a button and waiting for your content to play.

The challenge we have now is that a lot of the video providers each have exclusive content. You can’t quite remember whether season 3 of Breaking Bad was on Netflix or Hulu and you find yourself launching them all until you find where it is. Thankfully it looks like Verizon has recognised this problem and is offering up a solution.

Viewdini by Verizon aims to be one-stop shop for 4G LTE customers that searches through the libraries of popular streaming services such as Netflix, Comcast XFINITY, Hulu Plus, mSpot etc. The service will find your content and bring up information such as reviews, availability, where you can watch and whether or not it will cost you to do so.  The app doesn’t stream the content directly, it simply directs you to the service that holds the content.

It may be just a touch ironic that Verizon has launched a service that essentially makes it easier to engage in one of the most data-hungry activities possible right around the time they’re in the news for bandwidth cap complaints. All that aside, this is a handy little app that’s sure to make your life a little easier and that’s always a good thing, click the link below to grab it right away!

 

Google Play

Microsoft Smart Glass: A Cross-Platform App That Pushes Media To Xbox 360

Posted: 02 Jun 2012 12:35 AM PDT

Microsoft is set to demo Smart Glass, an app that is akin to AirPlay for the Xbox 360, at E3 next week. This Xbox companion app is said to be able to play videos from different sources on tablets and phones as well as push that content from your device to an Xbox 360. What’s more, the app is apparently going to be made available for Windows, Windows Phone, iOS, and Android. This multiplatform strategy is smart for Microsoft since so many people have Xboxes regardless of which side they take in the mobile OS wars.

A leak of a confidential presentation for Smart Glass noted the following:

  • Will allow users to control their Xbox 360 remotely. Will be available cross platform on multiple operating systems including Windows, Windows Phone, Android and iOS.
  • Applications will be accessible through the tablet. Such as Youtube/Netflix/Vemo ect.
  • Live streaming ability through the tablet to the TV, desktop, lap top and other devices.
  • A demo at E3 will be shown, but no live video will be featured

As the owner of two Xbox 360′s, this is certainly something I am going to keep an eye on. More details should emerge at E3.

source: examiner
via: engadget

AT&T CEO Says Data-Only Plans Are “Inevitable” Within The Next Two Years

Posted: 01 Jun 2012 10:51 PM PDT

AT&T‘s CEO Randall Stephenson said at an investor conference in New York this week that he’d “be surprised if, in the next 24 months, we don’t see people in the market place with data-only plans. I just think that’s inevitable.” Of course, he wasn’t necessarily saying AT&T would offer data-only plans in two years, but merely stating that someone most likely will.

A data-only plan would consider phone calls and texts as just another form of data. Smartphone usage trends on AT&T (and probably other carriers) indicate people are using fewer minutes each month. This makes sense with messaging and social networking apps doing a lot of the communication heavy lifting for many folks these days. Even voice calls can be made without using your carrier’s minutes.

Now let’s hope they increase the throttling thresholds, or do away with data speed caps all together before launching a data-only plan.

source: yahoo
via: engadget

MADFINGER Games announces Dead Trigger, A zombie-themed first person shooter [Video]

Posted: 01 Jun 2012 06:42 PM PDT

MADFINGER Games, makers of the very popular Shadowgun, just announced their upcoming title called Dead Trigger. It’s a first person shooter and zombies are involved so we’re already excited. The storyline is that the world has collapsed due to a strange infection that turns regular people into zombies. You guessed it, you need to take the zombies down with your collection of weapons.

Dead Trigger will be compatible with many devices, but they will release a NVIDIA Tegra 3 version which promises to be console quality. It also supports game controllers so you can connect your device via HDMI to your big screen and play it like it was an Xbox 360 or a PS3. MADFINGER games was able to maximize what the Tegra 3 offers by adding ragdoll physics, volumetric fog, specular lighting, and enhanced fluid and water. You won’t find anything like this in the standard version.

It’s now time to see for yourself. Checkout the video below and you will quickly see how powerful NVIDIA’s Tegra 3 is.

Click here to view the embedded video.

And here is the official teaser trailer

Click here to view the embedded video.

They are planning a late June release so stay tuned!!!

Full press release

MADFINGER Games Announces New Title For Mobile Devices DEAD TRIGGER

Powered by Unity and optimized for NVIDIA Tegra 3 mobile devices, DEAD TRIGGER showcases stunning graphics and immersive gameplay

Brno, Czech Republic – 1st June, 2012 – MADFINGER Games, creators of the blockbuster thirdperson shooter SHADOWGUN, today announced the beginning of a new game, DEAD TRIGGER – an action-packed first person zombie shooter. With DEAD TRIGGER, MADFINGER Games continues producing games with outstanding next-generation graphics and user-friendly gameplay on mobile devices.

MADFINGER Games remains faithful to mobile platforms – including smartphones and tablets – and has again created an amazing handheld experience, optimized for superb performance. Just as they did with SHADOWGUN, DEAD TRIGGER is offering gamers the same quality expected from console gaming systems. Optimized for the NVIDIA Tegra 3 quad-core mobile processor with its 4-PLUS-1 quad-core CPU architecture, MADFINGER Games was able to add ragdoll physics, volumetric fog, normal maps, specular lighting and realistic water; further enhancing the experience.

The main story of DEAD TRIGGER is set in the present – the year 2012 – but the world has collapsed and modern civilization is coming to its end. Billions of people have died from a strange infection and those who remain have turned into abominable beasts. There are just a few humans on the planet who survive, at least until they run out of ammo or figure out how to stop the beasts.

Authored with the Unity development platform, DEAD TRIGGER provides intuitive controls and stunning graphics with advanced lighting and post-process effects. The new MADFINGER Games title aspires to become one of the best looking and most entertaining zombie shooters on the market, combining graphically astonishing environments with intense first person action and a gradually revealing storyline.

DEAD TRIGGER is going to be released at the end of June 2012 on both Android and iOS and it will be featured on the NVIDIA TegraZone app – NVIDIA's free app that showcases the best games optimized for the Tegra processor – and available on Google Play, as well as AppStore.

"We are very proud to announce our very first First-Person Shooter on mobile devices. By using new technologies to raise visual quality again, DEAD TRIGGER represents a further step in our production. We enhanced the visual experience by using motion captured animation, improved creation of characters or new shaders effects. But it's not only an issue of graphics, we are working very hard on gameplay mechanics as well," said Marek Rabas, CEO of MADFINGER Games.

"MADFINGER Games has been a great partner of ours with their extraordinary ability to deliver high quality, console-quality gaming experiences for mobile devices," said Ashu Rege, Vice President, Game Content & Technology at NVIDIA. "DEAD TRIGGER promises to be a visually stunning game and the graphical enhancements they are making, made possible by the Tegra 3 mobile processor, will heighten the experience for gamers on their Tegra 3 powered devices at launch."

"DEAD TRIGGER pushes the boundaries of what developers have achieved with Unity on mobile and tablet devices", said David Helgason, CEO of Unity Technologies, "What the team at Madfinger has achieved is wonderful, and demonstrates what you can create with our amazing cross-platform engine."
Posted by at 5:59 AM

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