Android Community |
- Samsung Galaxy S III for under a dollar on Black Friday from Sam’s Club
- Shadowgun: DeadZone Beta test battle ends November 15
- AT&T to invest a massive $14 Billion in network improvements
- T-Mobile to lower prices of several Android devices for holiday season
- Microsoft Office For Android screenshots and release info leak
- Apple looks to add Galaxy Note 10.1 and Jelly Bean to Samsung lawsuit
- Sony rolling out updates for Xperia T and Xperia TX with Miracast
- Motorola PHOTON Q update rolling out now
- HTC DROID DNA official press image leaks
- LG Viper 4G LTE getting Android 4.0 ICS update
- Green Throttle Games introduces the Atlas controller
- Google’s own site confirms Google Wallet Cards coming soon
- Motorola Atrix HD Developer Edition on the way
- Amazon releases Send to Kindle for Firefox
| Samsung Galaxy S III for under a dollar on Black Friday from Sam’s Club Posted: 07 Nov 2012 11:14 AM PST We’re only a few days into November and the Black Friday ads and deals are already coming out full steam with all sorts of excellent deals. Since we love Android, and the Galaxy S III from Samsung this one certainly was worth a mention. Sam’s Club will be offering the impressive Samsung Galaxy S III (In Club only) for just $0.96 on Black Friday. Yes that is less than a dollar.
As you can see in the ad listed above, thanks to SlickDeals, participating carriers will be basically giving out the amazing smartphone for a dollar, as long as you subscribe to the usual 2-year contract. For those that don’t know, this is an amazing deal. The US Galaxy S III consists of an amazing 4.8-inch 720p HD Super AMOLED Display, a 1.5 GHz dual-core processor, 2GB of RAM, and 4G LTE from most carriers. You’ll get an impressive 8 megapixel camera, Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich, and overall one of if not the best smartphone to date for a 1/3rd of what you’d pay for some Starbucks coffee. You’ll need that coffee though if you plan on waiting in line at Sam’s Club. According to AndroidPolice, who called a few local stores, this will be available on all 4 major US carriers. So make sure you have a crisp dollar bill and a few cans of Red Bull, and you’re set! Sam’s Club will also have the Samsung Galaxy Tab 2 10-inch for $299 for those interested. Will you be waiting in line for an Android smartphone or tablet this year? Device Info
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| Shadowgun: DeadZone Beta test battle ends November 15 Posted: 07 Nov 2012 10:38 AM PST MadFinger Games popular shooter game for Android and iOS, Shadowgun, is finally read for the big stage. The games been a huge success and lately they’ve been running a limited beta for the new ShadowGun: DeadZone multiplayer. Today they’ve announced they’ll be shooting and blasting their way out of beta and become official in a few weeks.
ShadowGun: DeadZone multiplayer will officially hit all Android devices in the Google Play Store on November 15th according to the developers, and will also be available for that iOS platform too. For those that loved the original game (me) and the multiplayer as well, this will be good news. We can expect player traffic to really increase come November 15th — although many might just opt for Halo 4 instead. Today the folks at MadFinger Games also released the official trailer for the new multiplayer game, which was a bit cheesy, but shows just how awesome this game truly is on mobile devices. The graphics look excellent, and gameplay is stellar as long as you can man the controls. The game has been in open beta for a little over a month, and has since seen a few bug fixes and updates to even out gameplay, and is now ready for the big time. We’re expecting the game to be free-to-play and for those enjoying the beta hopefully your weapons and rank carry over with the official release. It’ll likely be an update in the Play Store so we shouldn’t lose anything. For those who like to get headshots, get out those Bluetooth or wired game controllers, and for those that like to run around like chickens — enjoy the on screen controls. Get ready for some action on the 15th.
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| AT&T to invest a massive $14 Billion in network improvements Posted: 07 Nov 2012 08:29 AM PST AT&T wants to cover 300m people with 4G LTE by the end of 2014. That’s a lot of high-speed cell phone coverage for AT&T customers. In all, AT&T is going to invest $14bn in network improvements over the next 3 years, with $8bn of that going into its wireless networks. With an increasing number of Android phones coming with 4G technology installed, this is great news.
If you own a 4G Android phone on AT&T and you’re in an area that does not have 4G coverage, AT&T’s spending spree might be just what you need to get faster data on your device. AT&T originally intended to cover 250m people with 4G by the end of the year, and this new announcement expands that by 50m over the course of 12 months. Much of this expansion comes from AT&T acquiring spectrum through more than 40 spectrum deals this year. Of course, some of those deals are still pending regulatory review. AT&T has plans to acquire more spectrum going forward, which will go a long way to improving 4G coverage and help them bring 4G to move people, which is certainly beneficial to Android owners. [via SlashGear]
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| T-Mobile to lower prices of several Android devices for holiday season Posted: 07 Nov 2012 07:49 AM PST T-Mobile is prepping for the upcoming holiday season by dropping prices of many of its most popular devices, at least according to a report from BriefMobile. The report comes from an internal memo sent to T-Mobile employees. Popular devices such as the HTC One S, Samsung Galaxy Note II, and Samsung Galaxy S III will see price drops very soon for T-Mobile customers eligible for an upgrade or those opening a new account.
T-Mobile customers will also be able to grab an HTC One S for $99, down from $149. The Samsung Galaxy Note II will see its price drop from $369.99 to $249.99. The already affordable Samsung Galaxy S Blaze will go from $99 to $49. If this ends up being true, these are some pretty serious deals. T-Mobile has yet to officially announce the price drops. It is still early in the day, so the price drop could occur at any time, if this rumor is to be believed. Hopefully, T-Mobile makes an announcement regarding these huge sales soon. As always, we will keep you posted on this as it develops. [via BriefMobile]
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| Microsoft Office For Android screenshots and release info leak Posted: 07 Nov 2012 06:54 AM PST Rumors of Microsoft office coming to mobile have been circulating for a quite a while, but we’ve never seen final confirmation of it and when it is coming to the market. According to The Verge and its sources, the app is scheduled to release in early 2013. This could prove to be some fantastic news for fans of Microsoft Office with Android (and other OS) smartphones.
The apps are reported to be available for free for viewing documents and spreadsheets. If you are interested in editing documents, you will need an Office 365 subscription. With the iOS version of the app, you will be able to buy an Office 365 subscription, but for the Android version, it looks like you will need to sign up outside of the app to get access to the editing features. Even with the editing features added from an Office 365 subscription, it doesn’t look like these apps are designed to replace the desktop versions of Office. Rather, they are simply designed for basic editing functions as a companion to the desktop software. Still, it looks like it could be quite the useful app that will be worth checking out if and when it hits Google Play. [via The Verge]
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| Apple looks to add Galaxy Note 10.1 and Jelly Bean to Samsung lawsuit Posted: 07 Nov 2012 06:32 AM PST Apple and Samsung are at it again. This time, Apple is going after Samsung for the Galaxy Note 10.1 and Android Jelly Bean. Apple claims that the Galaxy Note 10.1 is in direct violation of its patents. Apple also claims Samsung is infringing with Android Jelly Bean.
Of course, Samsung plans to add Apple’s iPhone 5 to its list of suits as well, so it’s not just Apple that’s going on the offensive. According to Apple attorney Andrew Liao, Apple “wants to add 17 devices that could use a stylus,” even if the devices don’t actually ship with a stylus. The arguments were presented to Magistrate Judge Paul Grewal, who has yet to issue a ruling. It sounds like the latest requests might be approved, as Judge Grewal is concerned that denying both companies their latest requests could trigger a whole new slew of lawsuits, and it seems like there is already more than enough out there. The trial for which Apple is trying to add the Galaxy Note 10.1 and Galaxy Nexus is set for 2014. Apple has already scored a preliminary order that blocks the sale of Samsung Nexus smartphones in the US. [via SlashGear]
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| Sony rolling out updates for Xperia T and Xperia TX with Miracast Posted: 07 Nov 2012 05:50 AM PST Sony has just announced a new software update for its Xperia T and Xperia TX devices in the European and Asian markets. Sony is bringing the devices to Ice Cream Sandwich 4.0.4. The updates have started rolling out, and will continue to do so until it hits all devices. If you don’t see the update on your phone, fear not, it should be ready to go soon.
The update also gives the devices an extended standby mode. This is designed to increase how long the phone can sit in standby by up to four times. When the device has been asleep for a few minutes, it will automatically turn off Wi-Fi and data traffic and most apps will be become inactive. This will make it so the phone uses very little battery while in standby, which should improve overall battery life. You will see be able to receive text messages and calls while in this standby state. Sony has also improved its media applications with this update. This should be quite useful if you use your phone as media player. As as I said in the beginning, this update is rolling out gradually, so there is a chance you may not see it yet. Be patient, and you will see it soon enough.
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| Motorola PHOTON Q update rolling out now Posted: 06 Nov 2012 03:43 PM PST Get excited all you Motorola PHOTON Q smartphone fans, because the phone is about to get a much needed software update. Sadly there isn’t a bag of Jelly Beans with this update, but instead you’ll be greeted with tons of improvements, bug fixes, and a few new features so head down past the break for the full rundown of what to expect.
The PHOTON Q is enjoying 4G LTE, a slide-out QWERTY keyboard, and Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich. While you’ll still be on ICS here and no Jelly Bean, you’ll be happy to know Motorola’s fixed a few issues with the handset. Performance will be improved device-wide, as well as faster performance with YouTube and Chrome Browser specifically — just to name a few. Motorola and the Now Network also state the PHOTON Q update will bring improved text and MMS functionality, fix some bugs with WiFi direct randomly powering off, and fix some email sync issues that have been plaguing users of the device. The changelog also states a few tweaks to the multi-user hotspot feature too, but we aren’t exactly sure what’s new there. The Motorola PHOTON Q 4G LTE QWERTY Slider (gasps for air) overall is a pretty great little mid-range slider from Motorola and the Now Network. You’ll want to check it out in our full review. Just like most over the air software updates this will be rolling out in stages. Feel free to sit back and wait for it to arrive, or manually head to settings and pull it down yourself. We’ll update when we hear more, or when Motorola devices to bring Jelly Bean to this handset. Device Info
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[via Android Police]
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| HTC DROID DNA official press image leaks Posted: 06 Nov 2012 02:36 PM PST With HTC’s newest smartphone clearing the FCC this week followed by Verizon and HTC announcing a joint press event next week in New York City, we knew an official press photo of the HTC DROID DNA was coming soon. Today as usual, the awesome dudes from @evleaks delivered again. Giving us the cleanest and best press shot yet of the upcoming HTC DROID DNA phablet.
Sadly we don’t really learn anything new here, other than the fact that this upcoming 5-inch smartphone will be awesome. The HTC DROID DNA comes complete with a 5-inch 1080p 440PPI display, Android 4.1 Jelly Bean, a quad-core 1.5 GHz S4 Pro processor, 2GB of RAM, 16GB of storage, a 2,500 mAh battery, and of course rocking Verizon 4G LTE speeds. The FCC report also confirmed global GSM radios were on board, but other than that the details are still rather light on this impressive looking smartphone phablet hybrid from HTC to take on the Galaxy Note II. Looking closely at the image above you can see the background wallpaper at the very top actually matches the image used for the November 13th press invites, so it’s safe to say this is exactly what we’ll see next Tuesday. Previous rumors and leaks we received have stated the HTC DROID DNA would be arriving on Verizon Wireless come December 6th for $199 or $249. While usually this means nothing, the date on the press photo says December 7th, so it could be a sign that the 6th or 7th could indeed be the launch date. We’ll be in NYC live for all the videos and details you can handle about this new 5-inch HD smartphone so stick around.
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| LG Viper 4G LTE getting Android 4.0 ICS update Posted: 06 Nov 2012 01:49 PM PST For the few of you rocking LG’s mid-range Viper 4G LTE we have some good news this afternoon. The LG Viper 4G LTE is set to finally get Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich starting today, and it will be arriving for all users over the next few weeks. The Now Network has just green lit the update and it’s rolling out as we speak. More details below.
LG’s Viper 4G LTE still isn’t quite enjoying 4G LTE speeds in most of the country thanks to the carrier, however LG’s making the experience even better by updating to their new and improved version of Ice Cream Sandwich. With it comes all the UI enhancements, new features, Face Unlock, and multiple other improvements to the handset. Here’s just a few according to the update page itself:
Just as we’ve already seen from Android 4.0 ICS you’ll be enjoying a brand new user interface that is lovely, improved unlock screen, homescreen folders and such, as well as re-sizable widgets and Face unlock as mentioned above. The LG Viper 4G LTE runs a nearly stock version of Android 2.3 Gingerbread, so this should be a massively awesome update for all those Viper owners. No LG skin or tweaks to the UI, a nearly vanilla version of Ice Cream Sandwich just as we like it. The device might not be too powerful, but it’s a great budget-friendly device that just got a whole lot better with this update. The update is currently rolling out as we speak to all Viper LTE owners, and the carrier states all users should receive the update over the course of the next few weeks. I’ve just launched the ID app and quickly was prompted to update to the latest and greatest — so users shouldn’t have too many problems. Get the new ICS for your Viper, then hopefully 4G LTE arrives this year too. Let us know if the update causes any issues. Device Info
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– Thanks Tim and Nikks
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| Green Throttle Games introduces the Atlas controller Posted: 06 Nov 2012 01:29 PM PST As if one Android gaming controller today wasn’t enough, Green Throttle Games has revealed its new Atlas controller. Like the other Android controllers before it, the Atlas looks to solve the problem of touchscreen controls in mobile gaming, but there are a few little quirks that make the Atlas stand out. For one, Green Throttle Games is actually making some first-party titles that will be compatible with the Atlas, so there will be at least a few Atlas-enhanced games ready to go from the start.
The Atlas connects to your phone through Bluetooth, but it’s only compatible with handsets that support HDMI out through mobile high-definition link or microHDMI. That’s because you’ll be hooking your phone up to your TV to use the Atlas, and that might prove to be something of an issue for some mobile users. In any case, the video that has been put together by Green Throttle suggests that the company wants to turn your phone into all the gaming console you’ll ever need, and you can check it out below. Green Throttle has some pretty big names attached to it too, including CEO and co-founder Charles Huang, who was one of the co-founders of Red Octane – the company the brought us Guitar Hero. The Atlas isn’t available commercially yet, but developers can pre-order their own controller from Green Throttle’s website to begin developing Atlas-supported apps to have ready at launch. The Atlas sports a pre-order price of $44.95, which is about the going rate for gaming controllers these days. The Atlas doesn’t have a firm release date yet, though developer kit pre-orders will begin shipping on December 12. We’re interested to see where the Atlas goes, but there are already so many Android gaming controllers on the market that Green Throttle might have a difficult time sticking out from the crowd. What do you think? Will the Atlas be a success when it launches?
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| Google’s own site confirms Google Wallet Cards coming soon Posted: 06 Nov 2012 12:57 PM PST In an interesting bit of news last week we learned that the awesome developers from Google were working on a completely different element to their Google Wallet NFC mobile payment solution. As you know, Google Wallet hasn’t quite taken off as expected. Google’s now getting ready to introduce a physical Google Wallet Card for NFC payments and more.
A leaked APK last week first revealed the news, and now today the folks from Google have accidentally spilled the beans themselves right on the Google Wallet help website. The link just posted has since been edited, and Google’s removed all mentioned of the “card” and simply states Google Wallet. The image below, provided by Droid-Life is how it was before being deleted.
So what do we see? Clear evidence that Google is working on physical Google Wallet NFC payment cards. So close that they’ve already prepared help guides and all the details. It looks like these could actually be launching here fairly soon based on what we’re seeing. Now the initial thought with Google Wallet was to replace physical cards, but Google’s been having a bit of a push-back regarding safety, carriers, privacy and many other things. This new physcial card should help alleviate that. You’ll still have to carry a card, but the Google Wallet Card with NFC will potentially be every card in one. All your credit, debit, rewards cards and more in one. Lose it and you’ll just need to cancel and replace it, instead of the entire wallet. I’m assuming this is also Google’s way of getting the idea and technology into more consumers hands moving forward, hoping they’ll eventually just opt for the mobile app instead. Another important step here is this bypasses the few phones capable of Google Wallet support now. Google states all Android 2.3.3 Gingerbread and above devices can use the Google Wallet app along with the Card. We’re expecting Transit card options, payment withdrawals, transferring between accounts and cards on the fly, and even transfers between friends should you choose. Pretty exciting stuff Google is doing here with payments and NFC, no thanks to all the US carriers that went against their hopes and dreams. We’re actually pretty excited for Google to announce more details on this so stay tuned.
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| Motorola Atrix HD Developer Edition on the way Posted: 06 Nov 2012 12:36 PM PST Lately, we’ve been seeing Motorola offering Developer Editions of its various handsets. The DROID RAZR M, RAZR HD, and Photon Q came first, and now it’s time for the Atrix HD‘s moment in the spotlight. The Atrix HD Developer Edition has popped up on Motorola’s website, which means that it shouldn’t be too much longer before it’ll be available for purchase.
Naturally, the biggest draw of these Developer Editions is that they come with unlockable bootloaders, which send customization options through the roof. Of course, Motorola isn’t about to let you unlock the bootloader without voiding your warranty first, so be prepared to go it alone once Motorola gives you that unlock code. In any case, we’re sure that most people ordering an Atrix HD Developer Edition aren’t all that concerned about the warranty. We don’t have a price or release date for the Atrix HD Developer Edition yet, with the listing on Motorola’s site only inviting interested parties to sign up for additional information. The fact that it’s appeared on Motorola’s site suggests that it’s coming soon though, so we’ll be keeping an eye out for that release date information. Even though we’re not sure of the price, we’re expecting it to be at least a little cheaper than the RAZR M and RAZR HD Developer Editions since the Atrix HD is just a touch older than either of those two handsets. Still, keep in mind that the Atrix HD Developer Edition isn’t going to be an inexpensive handset since you’re buying directly from Motorola without a two-year plan to subsidize the price. If you need a refresher on the device, be sure to check out our full review of the Atrix HD. Keep it tuned here to Android Community, as we’ll have more information on the Atrix HD Developer Edition once it becomes available!
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| Amazon releases Send to Kindle for Firefox Posted: 06 Nov 2012 11:56 AM PST The folks from Amazon have continued to give users access to content on their Kindle devices in a quick and seamless manor, and today have announced one more additional to their “Send to” offering. It’s called Send to Kindle for Firefox and enables a one-click method to easily send your favorite pages and more right to your Kindle of choice.
Amazon already offers multiple Send to Kindle options, and today they’ve announced and released the official version for the Mozilla Firefox browser. This allows users to easily and quickly send content from the web right to their Kindle Fire tablets and more. Everything from news blogs, details on Android right from Android Community, videos, and other web content to your Kindle to read anytime, everywhere on Kindle devices and reading apps. Not only that but you’ll be able to send the content to more than one Kindle branded device, and even archive it to re-download later if you’re on the go. This is nothing new and is offered for multiple other options and as a Chrome extension and more, but for all the Firefox users this is the official first step. To get started yourself you’ll want to click here. Amazon also mentions support for Safari is coming soon, and Chrome is already available. This certainly isn’t a major feature or anything of that sort, but for those not using Chrome sync, this is the quickest way to share content and websites with your Kindle Fire tablet.
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