Android Community |
- Android team says Happy Holidays in touching video
- Here are some of the MOGA compatible games available in Google Play
- Instagram update adds new filter and deeper Facebook integration
- Pitfall Harry celebrates his 30th with a re-booted release on Android
- US Cellular Galaxy S III Jelly Bean update arriving today
- Samsung Galaxy S III suffering from sudden death syndrome
- AT&T lights up 4G LTE in an additional 10 markets
- Acer V350 leak shows Jelly Bean and a 720p display
- Springpad app update brings tablet support along with fixes and improvements
- Sony Yuga expected to come available as the Xperia Z
- Asus ME172V images leak revealing the tablet in both black and white
- Android Community Nightly: December 20th, 2012
- Samsung to show off 5.5-inch flexible screen during CES
- Meizu MX2 goes on sale in China for $389
- T-Mobile ends 2012 strong with 14 new HSPA+ markets
- HTC is rumored to begin cutting back on smartphones models in 2013
- ZTE Nubia Z5 1080p quad-core flagship smartphone available today
- Antitrust charges on the way for Samsung from European Commission
- ZeptoLab has released the Cut the Rope follow-up Pudding Monsters
- Galaxy S III International Jelly Bean premium suite update rolling out now
| Android team says Happy Holidays in touching video Posted: 21 Dec 2012 11:19 AM PST We’ve been seeing plenty of companies releasing holiday-themed videos lately, including one particularly unsettling commercial from the likes of Samsung. Today it’s the Android team’s turn to show off a holiday video of their own, and rest assured, there isn’t any uncomfortable innuendo between Santa and Mrs. Claus to be found. Instead, the holiday video the Android team put out is rather touching, and may even make you shed a tear if you aren’t careful.
The video is set in Google‘s offices during the Android team’s holiday party. Everyone is having a good time, save for one lonely Bugdroid, dressed in his holiday finest and staring longingly at a tiny Christmas tree set up in the office. When one Android developer notices the Bugdroid, he surrounds the lil’ guy with a winter wonderland using various Nexus devices, bringing a smile to his green (and adorable) face. It’s a touching video that has an even more heartwarming ending which we won’t spoil here, but it also shows off a couple of items that are currently unavailable for purchase: docks for the Nexus 7 and Nexus 10. Perhaps the Android team decided to roll a teaser into this holiday video and we can expect an announcement shortly? One can only hope. In the meantime, we suppose we’ll just have to settle with watching the video. Google has put out some pretty excellent videos in the past, and this one is no different. 2012 was a pretty great year for Android, so we’re definitely looking forward to what 2013 has in store. What did you think of the video? |
| Here are some of the MOGA compatible games available in Google Play Posted: 21 Dec 2012 11:13 AM PST PowerA recently had a rather nice sale on the MOGA game controller. Maybe more accurately, they were not actually having a sale, but instead just giving controllers away. And giving them away with a free copy of Modern Combat 4: Zero Hour. The deal was simply, ‘buy’ a MOGA controller and get the game for the price of shipping. Anyway, following up on that offer, MOGA has come forward with details on which games are compatible.
There are some that are currently available, such as Modern Combat 4, and some that are still coming soon. The MOGA controller was originally released in October and since then, plenty of additional game titles have come available. In fact, PowerA has stated that they now have “key titles in every major gaming genre.” Aside from Modern Combat 4, some of the other available titles include Battle Bears Royale (SkyVu Entertainment), Grand Theft Auto: Vice City (Rockstar), Wild Blood (Gameloft), Dead Trigger (MADFINGER Games), Jet Set Radio (SEGA), NFL Pro 2013 (Gameloft), Tiki Kart 3D (Arb Studios), Expendable Rearmed (Retrobomb) and The Bard's Tale (inXile Entertainment). And while these game titles were all released with support for the MOGA controller, PowerA has offered the reminder for those playing Modern Combat 4 — make sure you use the “iron sight” button. Otherwise, some of the other supported games include; The Dark Knight Rises HD, N.O.V.A. 3, Sonic CD and Dungeon Hunter 3. |
| Instagram update adds new filter and deeper Facebook integration Posted: 21 Dec 2012 10:57 AM PST Today Instagram is in the news again, only this time regarding updates to their popular mobile apps instead of privacy and terms of service changes. Today the folks from Instagram updated their app with multiple changes, as well as deeper Facebook integration. Which makes sense given that Facebook now owns the artsy app. More details after the break.
Instagram version 3.4.0 was released today and now supports 25 languages according to the what’s new page. They’ve also added another filter to their app called Mayfair, which is the second filter added in the last week. More options to be artsy and creative are always welcomed additions. Then they’ve integrated more Facebook features. Instagram makes it easier to find friends and family that use Instagram, who are also your friends on Facebook. Then today’s update also integrated the sharing features a little deeper. Users can now share photos to Facebook Groups directly in the app, instead of just to their own page. Instagram has been under a lot of flack lately over policy changes, where many believed they’ll have the right to share and sell your photos at will. They’ve reverted to their old terms and policies after a media backlash, so we’ll see where it goes from here. For now get the latest and greatest Instagram update from the Google Play Store and enjoy that new filter. Oh, they also state improved performance and a few bug fixes, as usual.    |
| Pitfall Harry celebrates his 30th with a re-booted release on Android Posted: 21 Dec 2012 10:28 AM PST The original version of Pitfall came along with the Activision Anthology game that landed in Google Play a while back. And well, as of today, Pitfall Harry has returned to Android with a “re-envisioned and re-booted” release. This latest release is simply called Pitfall and has arrived for the 30th anniversary of the original.
Needless to say, this version of Pitfall does not look like the original. The game is available for free and with support for devices running Android 2.3.3 or later. This version of Pitfall is in a ‘free runner” style and has you navigating though the jungle as well as narrow trenches, dark caverns, and cascading waterfalls. You will also have to navigate things such as rattlesnakes and scorpions as well as fiery volcanic flames, tumbling ancient artifacts and narrow cliff side pathways. The game has swipe and tilt controls and sharing over Twitter and Facebook — so you can brag to your friends about how good you are at Pitfall. All said and done, this looks like a nice follow-up to the original. And if nothing else, we are fairly sure it will make those who remember playing the original feel rather old. Otherwise, the only thing we see missing, it would have been cool if Activision included the original game release as a bonus. But hey, this version if free and we really shouldn’t be so greedy. [via Google Play] |
| US Cellular Galaxy S III Jelly Bean update arriving today Posted: 21 Dec 2012 09:58 AM PST Last week the folks from US Cellular officially announced the update to Android 4.1 Jelly Bean would be arriving for their device soon. Now that Verizon was the last of the big 4 to receive the update, now it’s regional carrier US Cellular’s turn. The update is rolling out today, December 21st, just in time for the world to end.
US Cellular announced on Facebook that they’d start the update to Android 4.1 Jelly Bean for the Galaxy S III starting today, and so far we’ve received just a few reports of it arriving. The update will probably start gradually with a limited rollout, but we can expect more users to receive the tasty treat sometime soon today or this weekend. As expected, Android 4.1 Jelly Bean brings everything that many Galaxy S III owners have been enjoying. Along with that smoother user interface from Google’s project butter, you’ll also enjoy expandable and more informative and useful notifications. Then Google Now will also be on board, which is one of our favorite features. See what you can do with Google Now in this hands-on video. As usual expect to see an update notification arrive up top on your device, or you can manually check for updates by heading into settings > about phone > and check for updates. Samsung’s also offering the update from their usual Kies PC software so don’t forget to take that route if you’d like. All you folks on US Cellular can now enjoy the latest from Samsung. Drop us a comment below and let us know how it goes. Enjoy! Device Info
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| Samsung Galaxy S III suffering from sudden death syndrome Posted: 21 Dec 2012 09:53 AM PST We would’t call this a widespread issue at the moment, however it looks like the conversation is building around a sudden death syndrome on the Galaxy S III. The chatter is coming by way of the XDA Developers forums where the current discussion is up to 64 pages.
The short side of this story goes as follows — uses are reporting that the handsets are dying. And dying suddenly without warning. Some reports have said the handset died overnight while charging and other have said that the handset died during a reboot. Regardless of how it happens though, the end result is a handset that turns off an doesn’t turn back on. The reports suggest that the issues are happening somewhere between 150 and 200 days of activation. As to the reason, while this has yet to be confirmed by Samsung, it is believed that the NAND is becoming corrupted and failing. All said and done, Samsung has yet to offer an official statement on the matter, however based on the reports coming from xda users, they are replacing the handsets with no questions asked. In fact, Samsung is even said to be replacing handsets that were rooted. Device Info
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[via PocketNow] |
| AT&T lights up 4G LTE in an additional 10 markets Posted: 21 Dec 2012 08:48 AM PST AT&T has announced the latest expansion to their 4G LTE network. And while they have yet to outpace Verizon, they are making nice progress and currently have more than 130 markets covered across the country. Of course, AT&T blurs the line of 4G here and tout themselves as having the “nation's largest 4G network.”
More on that in a moment, lets first cover the new 4G LTE markets — of which AT&T has added 10 today. The new markets include Boise, ID; Boulder, CO; Bowling Green, KY; Harrisburg, Hartford, CT; Lancaster, PA; Lexington, KY; New Haven, CT; Ogden-Clearfield, UT and Providence, RI. Touching back on AT&T having the largest 4G network and there is some truth to that, at least in name. You see, AT&T is including the 4G HSPA+ and the 4G LTE networks. And for those combined, AT&T has coverage for more than 285 million people. Or as the announcement mentions, AT&T has “coverage in 3,000 more 4G cities and towns than Verizon.” For the record, Verizon has 470 LTE markets. 4G aside, AT&T also has a Wi-Fi network available which now has more than 31,000 hotspots. These hotspots are located at restaurants, hotels, bookstores and retailers across the country. Perhaps the key here though, most AT&T smartphone customers are able to get access to the hotspots at no additional cost. [via SlashGear] |
| Acer V350 leak shows Jelly Bean and a 720p display Posted: 21 Dec 2012 07:48 AM PST In addition to the leaks surrounding the V360 smartphone, it looks like another Acer is prepping another device for 2013. This latest is the Acer V350 and the details that we have seen thus far have arrived by way of GLBenchmark. The details include some specs and as of this point in time, we would expect Acer to offer an official announcement either during CES or at Mobile World Congress.
Regardless of when they choose to make the announcement though, lets cover what we have as of now. According to the details coming from GLBenchmark, the Acer V350 will be running Android 4.1.2 Jelly Bean along with a dual-core 1.5GHz processor. Or more specifically, a Snapdragon S4 MSM8960 processor.
Otherwise, the details also included a display resolution of 1280 x 720, however as of now the actual display size remains a mystery. Comparing this to the previously leaked Acer V360, that handset has a 4.5-inch display at 960 x 540 and a dual-core processor at 1GHz. Simply put, the Acer V350 is looking like it will be one step above the V360 in terms of specs. Time will tell exactly what Acer has planned, but given we are now seeing two V3xx handsets there is some speculation that a series is being worked on. Maybe Acer has a third handset in the works (with some higher-end specs) that has yet to be discovered. [via phoneArena] |
| Springpad app update brings tablet support along with fixes and improvements Posted: 21 Dec 2012 07:18 AM PST The Springpad app has been around for some time now, in fact, it was way back in February of 2011 when they announced they had topped the 1 million user milestone. Amount of users aside though, the folks at Springpad have returned with another announcement that should make another group of users happy — those with an Android tablet.
Simply put, the latest Springpad for Android app update has brought support for Android tablets. This update has taken the app to version 3.2.6 where it remains available for free and with support for devices running Android 2.1 or later. Though, a note on the device support, the tablet support requires Android 3.1 or later.
Those using Springpad on a tablet for the first time can expect to be able to do things such as collaborate with others, or layout images, links and products for a design project, use labels to separate boards and also add maps to boards to see location-based items such as restaurants. Also worth noting, one of the perks that had existed with Springpad is the ease of access. You can use Springpad on your tablet and smartphone as well as on the web and even with Chrome and/or Firefox extensions. Aside from the tablet support and the new features associated with that, Springpad also received a few fixes and improvements. The changelog for this update notes that syncing with web, scroll performance and app speed have been improved. The fixes include those dealing with issues that Jelly Bean and Android 2.1 users were having as well as a fix for the issue that was preventing the widget from displaying item thumbnails. As always, you can grab the update from the Google Play Store.       |
| Sony Yuga expected to come available as the Xperia Z Posted: 21 Dec 2012 06:48 AM PST It looks like the Sony Yuga has gotten a name. According to the latest details, the Sony Yuga will be launching as the Sony Xperia Z. And in addition to the Xperia Z name, this latest round of leaks also includes some details about the specs and the handset in general. Of course, like any leak, we caution that things may change before an official announcement.
The Xperia Z is said to be both water- and dust-resistant. The handset is also expected to have an IP (Ingress Protection) rating of IP55 and IP57. The folks at the Xperia Blog note that this is similar to other Sony handsets including the Xperia acro S and the Xperia V. Other details include measurements of 139 x 71 x 7.9 mm and a 5-inch display that will be 1080p and with a PPI of 443. It was also said that the Xperia Z display will have OptiContrast technology which is something typically found in Sony televisions. In terms of the OptiContrast technology, that is also found in the Xperia V smartphone and the Xperia Tablet S. Finally, for those not familiar with the OptiContrast technology, Sony touts these as being able to deliver “a richer viewing experience.” Sony notes that these panels have a special resin layer which absorbs any diffused light delivered from the backlight. Or in terms that you want to hear — you should see a display with high contrast and natural colors that bring out a real sense of depth. [via Xperia Blog] |
| Asus ME172V images leak revealing the tablet in both black and white Posted: 21 Dec 2012 06:24 AM PST Another day and another bit dealing with the yet-to-be-officially announced Asus ME172V, which for those not familiar with that model number, that is the low-priced tablet that is expected to be announced during CES. You remember, the tablet that is supposed to drop at $99. Of course, given the low price, the specs are not expected to be all that high-end.
More on the specs in a moment though as this latest bit of ME172V information deals with leaked images which come courtesy of Notebook Italia — the first images of the tablet to leak. As you can see, the tablet closely resembles the Nexus 7. In fact, it has the same dimensions as the Nexus 7. You will also notice the color, the Asus ME172V will be available in both black and white.
Otherwise, touching back on the specs and we have mention of Android 4.1 Jelly Bean along with a 7-inch TN type display with a resolution of 1024 x 600. The display will differ from the Nexus 7, which is an IPS display. Other goodies include a front facing 1.3 megapixel camera, a VIA WM8950 processor, 1GB of RAM and 16GB of internal storage. Differing from previous reports, this latest comes with no mention of any microSD card storage, and based on the images it doesn’t look like a slot will be present. We can see the speaker on the lower back, which is close, but not exactly the same as the speaker opening found on the Nexus 7. The images also show what appears to be the power button and volume rocker on the right-hand side and a headphone jack up top. Those match up with the Nexus 7. Finally, these leaked images come along with some pricing expectations — €129 to €149, which would place this above the previous reports of $99 for the US market. Time will tell though, remember, CES is getting close now. [via SlashGear] |
| Android Community Nightly: December 20th, 2012 Posted: 20 Dec 2012 06:28 PM PST Welcome to another quick edition of the Android Community Nightly. In what could very well be the last one ever (if the world does indeed end) we’ll start off with some fun news from Google, then dig into everything that mattered to us today. Google’s letting you send greetings via a personal call to friends from Santa, so give it a try.
There’s a few more bits of news regarding Google today. Their Play Store has some sweet deals going on with about 10 impressive games, then Acer is building a budget tablet to take on Google’s Nexus 7 and B&N’s NOOK. Then we learned the official ASUS Nexus 7 desk dock will be on sale December 30th. Who’s buying? Samsung news, we always have a little. Samsung’s Galaxy S II on AT&T is getting Ice Cream Sandwich, and there’s no sign of Jelly Bean. Then the international Galaxy S III is getting another update of Jelly Bean with Sammy’s premium suite of updates. We’re also hearing Samsung’s 5.5-inch flexible AMOLED display will be showcased at CES. So we’ll be sure and get some hands-on time with it.
Then we have some random hardware news today too. HTC’s still struggling and is aiming to scale back next year even more to try and cut their losses. Polaroid’s Android camera will be shown at CES, then two new quad-core phones hit the shelves in China. The Meizu MX2, and the ZTE Nubia are both impressive phones available today. Then to end this wild Thursday as we prepare for the holiday weekend we have some Verizon news. First up their NFL Mobile app finally supports tablets. Thank you, thank you. Then today Verizon added 4G LTE to 29 new markets across the US. Speaking of improving networks T-Mobile fired up faster HSPA+ “faux 4G” in 14 cities themselves too. Slow clap for T-Mobile. We’ll end on a few good notes. Flipboard for Android now finally works as it should on tablets, and the awesome Cut the Rope developers launched their new game Pudding Monsters for Android. Enjoy the rest of your evening and we’ll see you tomorrow! |
| Samsung to show off 5.5-inch flexible screen during CES Posted: 20 Dec 2012 05:33 PM PST We’ve heard plenty about Samsung‘s flexible smartphone screens throughout the years, but when CES rolls around in a couple of weeks, Samsung will be ready to show them off once again. This time around, the screen will be 5.5-inches and sport a resolution of 1280×720 – that gives us a pixel density of 267. There will also be a flexible 55-inch TV screen on display, so Samsung has been hard at work to bring us these nifty new displays.
Of course, the goal behind these screens isn’t necessarily to give you a bendable smartphone. Instead, flexible screens offer more options when it comes to design – if you have a smartphone using a flexible screen, there could potentially be more room for components on the inside, thus leading to a thinner smartphone. They would also be more durable than the typical smartphone displays, meaning that they would be more resistant (though not exactly immune) to drop damage. It’s a very interesting technology, and we’ll get the chance to see it in action at CES 2013. The trade show is rumored to be a big one for Samsung, as we’ve not only heard that the company will use it to reveal new branding, but to also announce the highly-anticipated Galaxy S IV. Those are just rumors, of course, whereas Samsung has confirmed that it will have these displays on hand during the show. We’ll be right there to see it all too, along with all of the other tech goodies that are bound to be on the show floor. CES 2013 will certainly be a big show, but with this news, you can bet that we’ll be keeping an eye on Samsung while we’re there. What do you think of these flexible displays? [via CNET] |
| Meizu MX2 goes on sale in China for $389 Posted: 20 Dec 2012 03:42 PM PST Today we have another awesome smartphone that has just hit the street, only this isn’t from the usual suspects. If you haven’t heard of Meizu before, their a popular company that launched the highly successful MX1 in China and are a competitor of Huawei, ZTE and others. Today their new MX2 quad-core smartphone is available, so lets take a look.
The Meizu MX2 is certainly a top end smartphone in all regards. While they’ll mainly be shipping in China it is also available in Hong Kong, Russia, and a few other regions. My calculations bring this quad-core smartphone out to be priced around $389 USD. A pretty decent price considering the top end hardware this phone is equipped with. The Meizu MX2 rocks a 4.4-inch edge-to-edge 1280 x 800 HD resolution display, Android 4.1 Jelly Bean, and under the hood is a powerful 1.6 GHz Samsung Exynos quad-core processor and 2GB of RAM. $389 gets you 16GB of storage, but they’ll also be offering 32 and even 64GB models for those interested. It was officially announced and details last month, but today is available to all. To wrap up the specs we have an 8 megapixel rear camera, 2 MP up front and a mediocre 1,800 mAh battery. Android 4.1 Jelly Bean is powering the phone but is heavily skinned with Meizu’s Flyme 2.0 interface. For those interested you’ll need to be in the regions mentioned above or import one yourself. China’s budget phones are getting better and better as of late. We might need to watch out. [via Android Authority] |
| T-Mobile ends 2012 strong with 14 new HSPA+ markets Posted: 20 Dec 2012 02:57 PM PST T-Mobile has been working hard to update and improve their networks with faster 4G HSPA+ speeds. They’ve been calling it a network refarm or modernization project, and today have announced their largest update yet. Last week we mentioned 3 or 4 cities were getting updated, but today T-Mobile’s confirmed an additional 14. More details on where can be found below.
T-Mobile earlier this year announced they’d be making improvements to their network to the tune of around $4 billion. They’ve been improving network reach, reliability, and of course speed throughout 2012 and things are looking pretty good. Today they’re rolling out an enhanced and refarmed 1900 MHz HSPA+ spectrum in 14 locations, and some are pretty big. Here’s the list: New York, including The Bronx, Brooklyn, Manhattan, Queens and Staten Island Pretty long list you have there T-Mobile. Adding faster network speeds to places like Dallas, Phili, Boston, and much more is pretty impressive. Those aren’t small improvements either. T-Mobile’s modernization process allows for unlocked devices like the Nexus 4, or iPhone to access even faster speeds than before. Making them a pretty awesome choice these days. It sounds like San Diego and Los Angeles are up next for T-Mobile, and currently their number sits at around 37 markets that have been improved. Reaching well over 100 million customers and growing. Next year we can expect T-Mobile to continue this refarm process, while also rolling out their 4G LTE network. [via SlashGear] |
| HTC is rumored to begin cutting back on smartphones models in 2013 Posted: 20 Dec 2012 01:53 PM PST Samsung and Apple have taken the lead in terms of the smartphone market, which means that others such as HTC are going to have to start playing catch-up. And based on that, it is now being reported that HTC is going to be scaling things back as they move into the new year. That being said though, the report is coming by way of DigiTimes, so we take that as it comes.
According to what was in the report, HTC has “suspended development of a number of new models for 2013″ which in turn has been said to have reduced the visibility of its orders for handset components. This comes by way of some unnamed industry sources. And as one would suspect, HTC has declined to comment on the matter. We should also state that this DigiTimes report failed to mention any specific models. In other words, we are not entirely sure if this means HTC will be cutting back on Android or Windows Phone Other details suggest that due to the cutbacks, HTC will actually see a 10-15 percent rise in smartphone sales during the first quarter of 2013 as opposed to the 20-30 percent growth that was previously expected. Granted, assuming the first bit about the cutting back proves to be accurate, then this lower rise in sales only sounds logical. All said and done, maybe HTC cutting back on models will be a good thing for the company. Let’s just hope that the rumored M7 doesn’t end up as one of the handsets that gets a cut. Otherwise, while not a handset for 2013, they seem to have made a decent splash with the Droid DNA which launched a short while back with Verizon Wireless. Maybe cutting back and following-up with devices similar to the DNA will be the magic they need. |
| ZTE Nubia Z5 1080p quad-core flagship smartphone available today Posted: 20 Dec 2012 01:24 PM PST While news from those Chinese companies like ZTE might be few and far between, they’ve still been busy working on their own flagship powerhouse smartphones to take on the competition. Today we’ve learned that ZTE’s new quad-core 5-inch 1080p flagship smartphone is launching in China today, and looks pretty promising.
We mentioned ZTE’s new 1080p HD phone a few weeks ago, but now it’s official and starting December 21st it will be available for all. Being the 21st at the moment in China, you can grab this flagship smartphone phablet right this minute if your interested. Most likely this impressive phone won’t sell outside of China, but we’re hoping it will. So what will about $400 get you in the ZTE Nubia Z5? a 5-inch 1920 x 1080p full HD display, a 1.5 GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 Pro processor, 2GB of RAM, Android 4.1 Jelly Bean and more. They’ve also equipped this phone with a 2 megapixel front and 13 megapixel rear camera, 2,500 mAh battery, dual speakers and a unibody design all coming in at 7.6mm thin. ZTE might have been a budget brand before, but this is certainly a top-tier smartphone. ZTE announced the device would be available in China starting December 21st (has the world ended yet?) so starting today you’ll be able to pick up this new phone if you’re interested. Hopefully we learn more about Huawei’s upcoming 1080p phones for China too. Competition is always good. [via UnwiredView] |
| Antitrust charges on the way for Samsung from European Commission Posted: 20 Dec 2012 01:07 PM PST More bad news for Samsung today, as the European Commission told Reuters that it may soon be hitting the Galaxy S III maker with antitrust charges. These possible anti-competitive charges come after a larger and longer investigation of Samsung carried out by the European Commission. Essentially, the European Commission wants to know if Samsung broke the EU’s competition rules by filing patent suits against Apple.
A lot of this centers around Samsung’s standard-essential patents, which the company is required to offer fair, reasonable, and non-discriminatory rates for. Earlier this week, Samsung backed down on injunction requests on a number of Apple devices, but apparently the European Commission is taking issue with the fact that Samsung is still suing for damages. “We will issue a statement of objections very soon,” Joaquin Almunia, competition chief for the European Union, told Reuters. The European Commission will let Samsung know about any incoming charges in writing, after which time the company will be able to request a hearing in front of regulators. If the Commission decides that Samsung is in the wrong, it could impose a pretty large fine – up to 10% of Samsung’s annual turnover, to be exact. Make no mistake, that’s a lot of money, so Samsung will want to fight any antitrust charges its hit with. Apple and Samsung have been duking it out in courtrooms around the world, which each claiming patent infringement left and right. There have been mixed results for both companies, but perhaps the biggest case here in the US ended with Samsung being told to pay Apple $1.05 billion. That certainly isn’t good, and things are bound to get at least a bit worse if the European Commission opts to hit the company with antitrust charges. Stay tuned. |
| ZeptoLab has released the Cut the Rope follow-up Pudding Monsters Posted: 20 Dec 2012 12:58 PM PST Cut the Rope made quite the splash when it was released and it looks like ZeptoLab has returned with a follow-up game. We heard details of this earlier in the month when the developer announced the name, Pudding Monsters, and the fact that the game would drop on December 20. And well, today just so happens to be December 20.
That being said, a quick check of the Google Play Store shows two version of Pudding Monsters — one for free along with an HD version for $0.99. Otherwise, Pudding Monsters is currently sitting at version 1.0 and with support for devices running Android 1.6 or later. Pudding Monsters is described as being a “deliciously addicting puzzle adventure, with wacky characters and innovative stick-’em-together gameplay.” In terms of the gameplay, there are 75 levels (with a promise of more to come) and the player will control the Pudding Monsters on their mission to save their friends from the cold-hearted fridge owner. The game features “unique stick-’em together gameplay mechanics” along with monster shapes to include the Slime Monster that leaves behind a trail of green goo. And similar to Cut the Rope, Pudding Monsters is noted as being suitable for all ages. In other words, able to be played and enjoyed by kids and adults alike. On that thought, we are a bit curious to see how well Pudding Monsters will stack up against Cut the Rope, which between the original and Experiments has been downloaded more than 250 million times.      |
| Galaxy S III International Jelly Bean premium suite update rolling out now Posted: 20 Dec 2012 12:44 PM PST If you’re the proud owner of the international Samsung Galaxy S III we have some excellent Jelly news this afternoon. After initial updates started rolling out earlier this week, and in select regions late November today we can confirm Android 4.1.2 Jelly Bean and their “premium suite” is hitting the GSIII in the UK, Germany, and many other regions.
Samsung’s been really busy pushing out Android updates for all their devices, especially their flagship Galaxy S III. Everyone here in the US (except for US Cellular) should be enjoying the latest and greatest, with Verizon just receiving it this last weekend. Today Samsung’s confirmed the UK, Germany, Switzerland, Romania, Russia and many other regions are set to get the update this week, and many are getting it today. Samsung’s recently updated the Canadian Galaxy S III, and now all those quad-core international models will be able to enjoy everything that Android 4.1.2 Jelly Bean brings to the table. A better, faster, smoother UI with project butter. Google Now voice search, expandable notifications, improvements to the keyboard, and more along with that premium suite. The camera’s also been improved but Sammy makes their own changes on that front. Samsung’s “premium suite” which has been shown off here, and here, is the star of the show with this update. You’ll be able to enjoy multi-window mode, improved gallery app, customizable notification bar, and everything else shown in the videos linked to above. Device Info
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[via Android Police] |
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