Android World: Android Authority

Tuesday, October 9, 2012

Android Authority

Wild Blood hack and slash RPG out on Android
Samsung Galaxy S3 is now officially the best selling device for T-Mobile
Rumor: Samsung and Google are working on a 10 inch 2,560 x 1,600 pixel Nexus
Ladies and Gentlemen, we present to you photos of the LG Optimus G Nexus
Rumor: HTC DLX: The 5 inch 1080p quad core smartphone flagship we all want
Big Android BBQ Session Schedule Announced
Samsung F2FS filesystem specially created for flash storage
Facebook already testing native Android app
VOD service Viewster gets new look, Android app
Motorola Germany pulls all of its current Android devices from the market

Wild Blood hack and slash RPG out on Android

Posted: 09 Oct 2012 02:41 AM PDT

This title comes from Gameloft and it has been built using the Unreal Engine, which means it looks pretty spectacular next to your average Android game. If you're a fan of Arthurian legend then you'll probably be mildly horrified by the ridiculous storyline in Wild Blood, but you might enjoy the action.

You play as brave Sir Lancelot and your philandering with Queen Guinevere has driven her hubby insane with jealousy. King Arthur has lost the plot and stupidly teamed up with Morgana to open a Hellgate and unleash a torrent of demons on the world. Guess who has to sort it out?

This is a pretty in-depth RPG with a high level of polish. There are various detailed 3D environments to explore, an impressive array of enemies to fight, and a solid soundtrack. You also have a bucket load of customization options to enjoy – weapons, armor, powers and stats can all be upgraded using the loot you accumulate.

Wild Blood looks like a big open world, but it's actually a linear adventure and the hack and slash, melee combat is occasionally broken up by a ranged attack sequence or a puzzle. It should keep you busy for around ten hours so there's quite a bit of single player content to enjoy. For added replay value you'll also find a multiplayer component where up to eight players can engage in Team Deathmatch or Capture the Flag.

As for downsides, the controls and the camera could use a little more work because they are both frustrating at times. It's also not exactly innovative, but it does put familiar gameplay elements together in a pretty entertaining way.

If you feel the irresistible urge to don your armor and dust off that broadsword for some demon slaying fun then you'll need 2GB of space on your phone and $6.99 or £4.99 to spend. Check out the trailer and decide.

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This article, Wild Blood hack and slash RPG out on Android , was originally published at AndroidAuthority.com - Your Android News Source.

Samsung Galaxy S3 is now officially the best selling device for T-Mobile

Posted: 09 Oct 2012 01:03 AM PDT

Despite being launched just five months ago internationally (back in May 2012) and four months ago in the US (back in June 2012), the Samsung Galaxy S3 has already sold more than 20 million units globally, and is already the best selling Android smartphone of all time, with Samsung expecting to sell 30 million Samsung Galaxy S3 units by this year's end.

Although some might expect Galaxy S3 sales to slow down as other Android flagships emerge on the consumer market (iPhone 5, Samsung's own Galaxy Note 2, etc), the reality is that the S3 is still selling like hot cakes on its way to breaking new sale records. In fact, some reports claim that Apple's launch of the iPhone 5 has only fueled up an increase in Galaxy S3 sales, as many former iPhone fans have declared themselves disappointed by Apple's latest efforts in the smartphone market.

Back to the Galaxy S3 breaking sales records, this time I'm here to report on a recent tweet from T-Mobile (the fourth carrier in the US ranked by number of subscribers), one that acknowledges the Samsung Galaxy S3 as the best selling device to ever reach its physical and virtual shelves.

Here's the actual tweet from the official T-Mobile twitter channel, posted this last Friday:

Did you know the Samsung Galaxy S III is @tmobile‘s all-time best-selling device? RT if you love your device!
— T-Mobile USA (@TMobile) October 6, 2012

While we're not surprised to see an Android smartphone topping the T-Mobile sales charts (given that T-Mobile has never carried an iPhone – and we all know that Apple's line of smartphones is the most commercially successful line on every carrier that it has ever landed), it is sort of surprising to see the Galaxy S3 overthrow its older brother – the Samsung Galaxy S2 – as the best selling device, despite the fact that the latter has been available for purchase for roughly a year already.

It looks like Samsung has found the perfect recipe for a blockbuster Android smartphone in the name and shape of the Galaxy S3. Where can they take it from here? Will Samsung's most recent flagship, the Samsung Galaxy Note 2, be able to top these record sales? Only time will tell for sure, but if you feel like it, you can take a shot at predicting the future in the comment section below!

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This article, Samsung Galaxy S3 is now officially the best selling device for T-Mobile , was originally published at AndroidAuthority.com - Your Android News Source.

Rumor: Samsung and Google are working on a 10 inch 2,560 x 1,600 pixel Nexus

Posted: 09 Oct 2012 12:54 AM PDT

The Nexus 7 is going to turn three months old this week, and while Android fans definitely love the $199 tablet, there is a clear demand for a larger device. According to C|Net, Samsung and Google are working on a 10 inch Nexus. The screen, besides being larger, will also be stupendously sharp at a whopping 2,560 pixels across by 1,600 pixels tall. In other words, it’s going to have a pixel density that’s higher than that of the third generation iPad. More importantly, this device will be “co-branded”. Translation: Google and Samsung will both be marketing this Nexus tablet. We can’t stress enough how important this is. Why do you think the Samsung Galaxy S III is selling so well? It’s because you can’t walk more than a couple hundred meters without seeing a Samsung advertisement. Now we don’t know if Samsung is going to push this “Nexus 10″ as hard as they’re pushing the Galaxy S III, but wouldn’t it be nice if that was the plan?

The rumors don’t stop there. C|Net is also saying that Google will begin producing a $99 Nexus tablet in December. That’s a curious rumor for multiple reasons. First, since when does Google produce anything? Usually they get other companies to make devices for them. Second, that price tag just seems unrealistic. How much would Google have to sacrifice in terms of components to make a tablet that cheap? The screen would probably be a 7 inch 800 x 480 panel, the processor would be a year old Qualcomm Snapdragon, and the plastic … we don’t even want to imagine what sort of cheap plastic will be used.

Looking at the bigger picture, can Google make Android tablets popular? Developers don’t seem to care about making their apps work beautifully on devices like the Nexus 7. That and there are rumors circulating around the internets about a smaller iPad.

We’ll just have to wait and see how the market evolves.

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This article, Rumor: Samsung and Google are working on a 10 inch 2,560 x 1,600 pixel Nexus , was originally published at AndroidAuthority.com - Your Android News Source.

Ladies and Gentlemen, we present to you photos of the LG Optimus G Nexus

Posted: 08 Oct 2012 11:44 PM PDT

We’re painfully close to the official unveiling of the next Nexus smartphone. We say painfully because the rumor mill has reached a critical state. Every damn day we’re hearing something new, but not everything we hear is true, which makes our job that much more complicated. But enough insider baseball, let’s get to the news. Today, courtesy of an online forum in Belarus, we have images of the LG Optimus G Nexus. The model number is supposedly E960, but that’s not really important. What’s important here is that we now know, without a shadow of doubt, that this phone exists.

How does it differ from the LG Optimus G? From what we can tell, the Nexus version has a rounder design, it has a silver rim around the edge of the device, there are no capacitive buttons, meaning it’s just like the Samsung Galaxy Nexus, and … that’s sadly all we can make out from the pictures.

When is Google going to make this thing official? Like we said earlier this week, Andy Rubin, the father of Android, is going to be speaking at a conference hosted by AllThingsD at the end of the month. Similar to how Andy demoed the Nexus S at the same conference back in 2010, we think the same is going to happen this year. That means we’re just three weeks away from hearing something!

But what about the other Nexus devices? Rumor has it that HTC is also making a Nexus, and so is Samsung, and even Sony might join the game. Will each company host their own event to show off their respective devices? Will Google hold one massive event and demo a massive new Nexus portfolio?

This holiday shopping season is going to be completely and utterly confusing for Android fans. With so much to choose from, it may be time to consider selling that spare kidney.

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This article, Ladies and Gentlemen, we present to you photos of the LG Optimus G Nexus , was originally published at AndroidAuthority.com - Your Android News Source.

Rumor: HTC DLX: The 5 inch 1080p quad core smartphone flagship we all want

Posted: 08 Oct 2012 11:11 PM PDT

Anonymous Twitter user @Football4PDA, who has proven to be a reliable source of information in the past, is reporting that HTC is going to launch an Android 4.1.2 device called the “DLX”. Said phone will allegedly have a 5 inch 1080p display, it’ll make use of Qualcomm’s ultra powerful quad core Snapdragon S4 chip, and it’ll have a 12 megapixel rear facing camera. Judging by that spec sheet, this thing is going to be the company’s new flagship device, which is a bit odd considering that the recently announced HTC One X+ hasn’t even started shipping.

Let’s break this rumor down. First, the display. Earlier this year, LG announced a 5 inch 1080p LCD. Earlier this month, Sharp announced that they’ve begun mass producing 5 inch 1080p panels. Sharp even showed their display off at the 2012 CEATEC trade show. So we know that the screen is out there. Second, the processor. LG’s Optimus G uses the same quad core Snapdragon S4, and the company says that device will start shipping next month. That means we know the chip is in circulation. And finally, the camera. All of today’s Android flagships have 8 megapixel sensors, and the Optimus G will have a 13 megapixel sensor depending on where you buy it, so 12 megapixels isn’t all that outlandish.

To make this rumor even more credible, Unwired View found evidence suggesting that the DLX has already been approved by the Global Certification Forum. The bands that the DLX supports seem to indicate that it’s going to run on Verizon’s 4G LTE network. That too makes a lot of sense since we heard a over than two months ago suggesting Verizon would be carrying a 1080p HTC “phablet”.

What questions remain unanswered? When will this thing be announced, when will it ship, how much will it cost, and does HTC have plans to make a Nexus version for all the Sense haters out there?

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This article, Rumor: HTC DLX: The 5 inch 1080p quad core smartphone flagship we all want , was originally published at AndroidAuthority.com - Your Android News Source.

Big Android BBQ Session Schedule Announced

Posted: 08 Oct 2012 07:07 PM PDT

The dates for the Big Android BBQ in the Dallas, TX are right around the corner. With the event approaching fast, the folks behind the conference have released the upcoming sessions schedule for all to see. They have something for all types of Android fans attending. Whether you’re a developer and looking for the latest trends, trying to find ways to monetize Android, or a general Android enthusiast looking to geek out and have a good time, they’ll be plenty of sessions for you. If you’re looking for a more personal, casual approach, the Big Android BBQ staff have you covered with Fireside chats in an open courtyard.

The conference kicks off as any event should. A pool party. On Friday, from 6pm – 8:30pm fun shall be had at the Hyatt Hotel pool area. Rumor has it that a truly unique way will be used to DJ this part of the event. Free beer will also be provided by the local micro-brewery, Rahr. Things gets started bright and early Saturday morning at 8:45am for the opening keynote. The rest of the day is filled with vendor sessions, developer sessions from Android community members, and sessions for everyone else. Saturday sessions end around 3pm leaving plenty of time before the evenings bar crawl for socializing and general Android geekiness. Sunday morning comes early at 9am, so try not to stay out too late the night before party people. The last day of the event is filled with more developer sessions, vendor sessions and closing remarks from the CyanogenMod team. Sunday night from 6pm-10pm is the actual Big Android BBQ. Those of you that have come to eat good food (and drink a beer or two), this is what you’ve been waiting for.

So, there you have it Android fans. If you’re attending the BBQ this year, you may want to plan ahead and see which sessions fit you best. Most of the time, multiple sessions are going on in up to three different rooms, so choose wisely. Head on over to the Big Android BBQ’s official event schedule to see the full session listing.

Also, be on the lookout for a guy in a pink gorilla suit at the pool party.

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This article, Big Android BBQ Session Schedule Announced , was originally published at AndroidAuthority.com - Your Android News Source.

Samsung F2FS filesystem specially created for flash storage

Posted: 08 Oct 2012 06:49 PM PDT

samsung memory

Mobile devices have grown to become the prevalent computing and Internet access device today. But unlike desktop and notebook computers, though smartphones and tablets don’t come with disc-based storage but rather solid-state storage such as NAND Flash.

Older filesystems designed for drives with rotating discs exhibit problems in dealing with flash-based storage, though. These include issues with accessing data stored on specific, physical locations on the drive itself, and the read/write limits on flash storage. Case in point: operating systems will usually attempt to “defragment” disc-based drives, which is totally unnecessary on solid state drives, and is even taxing on the drive, since it adds to the read/write activity.

Enter Samsung’s F2FS, which has been designed from ground-up to account for the characteristics of flash-based storage:

F2FS is a new file system carefully designed for the NAND flash memory-based storage devices. We chose a log structure file system approach, but we tried to adapt it to the new form of storage. Also we remedy some known issues of the very old log structured file system, such as snowball effect of wandering tree and high cleaning overhead.
Because a NAND-based storage device shows different characteristics according to its internal geometry or flash memory management scheme aka FTL, we add various parameters not only for configuring on-disk layout, but also for selecting allocation and cleaning algorithms.

Samsung isn’t keeping the technology to themselves, though. Samsung has submitted these filesystem patches for integration into the Linux kernel, which means it’s likely to appear on Android releases, too. Submitting the technology as part of Linux itself makes it easy for OEMs, software makers and other device makers to implement this on their devices, as well. This means F2FS might also be useful for other Flash-based storage like SD cards, microSD, and the like.

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This article, Samsung F2FS filesystem specially created for flash storage , was originally published at AndroidAuthority.com - Your Android News Source.

Facebook already testing native Android app

Posted: 08 Oct 2012 03:19 PM PDT

You might be confused with our headline, given that Facebook already does have an app for Android. But if you’ve been a longtime mobile Facebook user, you would notice that the Android app doesn’t exactly offer the best user experience. That’s because it’s essentially an HTML5 app that runs within an Android app wrapper. Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg himself admits that they need to improve the user experience, and that this is most likely to come from an altogether new app.

The company released its latest iOS app a few weeks ago, to rave reviews. It offers a much smoother and cleaner user experience for mobile users. With this in mind, Zuck reportedly asked his employees to go “dogfooding” — that is, use their own mobile product themselves, to see if it has any room for improvement. Even so, a native Facebook app was seen as months into the future, given

A source has tipped Engadget that Facebook is already testing its latest Android app. No further information was revealed, other than the fact that there is such an app under development, and that it’s already under final testing internally.

We hope to see a better Facebook app on our Android phones soon.

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This article, Facebook already testing native Android app , was originally published at AndroidAuthority.com - Your Android News Source.

VOD service Viewster gets new look, Android app

Posted: 08 Oct 2012 02:04 PM PDT

While a lot of companies are fighting it out trying to make headway in the video on demand market, there isn’t much room for more than a select few of them to truly succeed. With its new Android and iOS apps, Viewster has at least one feature that nobody else has yet: offline viewing.

It may not sound like much, but offline viewing is a great feature if your phone or tablet is your only means for entertainment on a road trip, for example. While users of other services are stuck as soon as they get out of Wi-Fi or Data range, Viewster customers can keep on watching.

The Viewster Android app was only released three days ago, but for users of the service, being able to use the content they buy or rent in a lot more places adds tremendous value to the service. Even though the app doesn’t offer much else that Viewster’s competitors don’t, the offline feature is sure to get them a few new customers.

Viewster has also given its website a new look to make it more consistent with its mobile apps. In addition to the fresh coat of paint, Viewster’s back end is seeing a significant revamp. Viewster CEO Kai Henniges says ”As we make the platform more attractive we are confronted with a continuous and substantial increase in views.”

Check out the commercial below for slightly more information.

The Viewster Android app is a free download in the Google Play Store, and is available for devices running Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich and up.

Have you tried Viewster? How do you think it compares to other video on demand services? If you haven’t tried it, are you considering giving it a look now that it has an Android app available?

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This article, VOD service Viewster gets new look, Android app , was originally published at AndroidAuthority.com - Your Android News Source.

Motorola Germany pulls all of its current Android devices from the market

Posted: 08 Oct 2012 01:38 PM PDT

Motorola Germany

Looking to buy a new Motorola tablet or smartphone in Germany? Good luck with that. You can thank the Microsoft patent battles against Motorola for the lack of purchase options being offered. In order to comply with injunctions against it, Motorola made the decision to pull most of its current inventory.

Both at brick-and-mortar and online stores you will find only three devices for sale right now: the Motorola Razr i, the Motorola Razr HD and the Motorola Gleam+. According to a Motorola PR person, this will give them time to rework the software and remove any infringing patents. How long the handsets will be gone remains a mystery for the time being.

A full-scale take-down of products is never good news for any company. Considering Motorola’s strong association with Google (considering they own it), it is even more embarrassing to see this happen. Motorola has continually lost several major patent battles in Germany against both Microsoft and Apple, so this isn’t that surprising for those that have followed the trials. Doesn’t mean it isn’t disappointing to see, though.

The good news is that the Razr i and Razr HD are both very capable and exciting smartphones that are coming out in the near future. At least the very best from Motorola will be represented going forward. Are you a German Motorola fan? What do you think of this new development, does it affect your opinion of Motorola or not?

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This article, Motorola Germany pulls all of its current Android devices from the market , was originally published at AndroidAuthority.com - Your Android News Source.