Android Community |
- Sega launches Sonic Jump on Google Play Store
- T-Mobile expected to phase out the 16GB Pebble Blue Galaxy S III
- ASUS Padfone 2 getting updated to Jelly Bean
- Latest Dropbox for Android beta release includes photo-related improvements
- Archos unveils the 97 Titanium HD tablet with “super HD” display
- Google and Motorola building their own ‘X-Phone’ according to reports
- Samsung releases version 1.0 of the AllShare Framework SDK
- Nielsen’s year-end rundown has Android on top once again
- Enjoy New Years with the official Times Square Ball Drop app for 2013
- Keep track of all the holiday deals with ‘AppSales’ for Android
| Sega launches Sonic Jump on Google Play Store Posted: 21 Dec 2012 03:06 PM PST Sonic fans take note, because Sega has just released a new game called Sonic Jump on the Google Play Store. One look at the title and you’re likely to know right away what kind of game this is – it’s a vertical platformer in the vein of Doodle Jump, a game that was extremely popular a while back. Here we’ve got the same basic premise, only this time, it features everyone’s favorite blue hedgehog and his friends.
In Sonic Jump, players are tasked with jumping as high as they can before missing a platform. You’ll be collecting rings as you go (of course), which can then be used to unlock new characters. Of course, if you don’t want to go to the trouble of collecting all of those rings by yourself, you can always take the easy route and acquire them through in-app purchases. In this initial release, players will be able to take control of Sonic, Knuckles, or Tails and play through an impressive 48 levels in the game’s story mode. Classic Sonic levels like Green Hill Zone have been remade for Sonic Jump, with Sega also developing new levels specifically for this title. If you’re up for it, there’s even an arcade mode that goes until you lose, along with an accompanying leaderboard that lets you see how far your friends made it in the mode.
Sonic Jump is available right now on the Google Play Store [download link] for $1.99. Sega says it will soon be adding more characters for free (that we’re assuming you then unlock in-game with the rings you’ve collected), so at least Sega will be attempting to keep people playing with steady content updates. Judging from the screenshots, it looks like a pretty polished game, so it might be worth a look for the more hardcore Sonic fans roaming around out there.    |
| T-Mobile expected to phase out the 16GB Pebble Blue Galaxy S III Posted: 21 Dec 2012 01:59 PM PST While some carriers, such as AT&T have the Samsung Galaxy S III available in a variety of colors, it looks like T-Mobile is set on keeping the color options to two at most. This comes by way of a leaked, and yet to be confirmed T-Mobile memo. According to what we are seeing, the memo has the carrier phasing out the Pebble Blue color in favor of Titanium Gray.
T-Mobile will be launching the Titanium Gray Galaxy S III on January 4, however you may not actually be able to make a purchase of that color on that date. Further details note that the stores “must sell through their existing inventory of the 16GB Pebble Blue” devices before switching over to the Titanium Gray. Simply put, if you wanted a 16GB Pebble Blue Galaxy S III with T-Mobile — now is the time to make the purchase. Otherwise, the 16GB Galaxy S III will remain available in the Marble White color. And just add the tiniest bit of confusion, T-Mobile will continue selling the 32GB model in Pebble Blue (as well as Marble White). To break this down, the 16GB model will be available in gray or white and the 32GB model will be available in blue or white. For those happy to learn of the new gray color coming, rest assured in knowing that T-Mobile retail stores will have it available no later than January 9. Also, January 9 will be the date for third-party retailers such as Best Buy and Walmart. And remember, T-Mobile is having the year-end “Zero Down Sale” which will allow you to grab a 16GB Galaxy S III with no money down (after a mail-in rebate). Device Info
Display
Dimension & Weight
Battery & Power
Software
Hardware
 Cellular Network
Device Connectivity
 [via TmoNews] |
| ASUS Padfone 2 getting updated to Jelly Bean Posted: 21 Dec 2012 01:50 PM PST ASUS and their impressive smartphone and tablet hybrid we all know as the Padfone 2 is getting a taste of Android 4.1 Jelly Bean today. After being announced in October and finally hitting a select few markets in November we’re happy to report the update is available now. Earlier this month the update initially started, but today it’s rolling out on a larger scale.
Along with Android Police reporting, we’re getting multiple reports that the Padfone 2 is indeed getting the update today in multiple regions across Hong Kong, Japan, and more. ASUS has just released the update files for the Hong Kong and WWE version, so get it from the link. The previous update to Jelly Bean for those other regions was a little different, and we’re hearing this update is slightly newer with additional improvements and bug fixes. That quad-core Snapdragon S4 Pro powered smartphone and its beautiful display will be even better with Jelly Bean and Google Now on board. Here’s the changelog:
As usual the update is rolling out in stages, so you’ll want to be on the lookout for a notification letting you know the sweet tasty update is available. For those who’d rather not wait, hit the link above or as usual you can manually check for updates right on the phone. Head into settings > about phone > and check for the OTA update. Since the tablet runs off the phone this will be all about the phone, but tablet goodies will also be updated and included. Let us know how it goes in the comments below. Device Info
Display
Dimension & Weight
Battery & Power
Software
Hardware
Cellular Network
Device Connectivity
[via ASUS] |
| Latest Dropbox for Android beta release includes photo-related improvements Posted: 21 Dec 2012 01:30 PM PST Dropbox has released the latest beta version for Android users. The app, which is dubbed the ‘experimental forum build’ is sitting at version 2.2.2.8 and with a few new image related features. This beta release is available for any and all that want play provided you are willing and/or able to sideload an app.
The one catch with this release, you must have, or be willing to switch your settings to allow for the sideloading of apps. Otherwise, this is a nice way to get a peak at what Dropbox is up to. And while I have yet to run v2.2.2.8, I will say that previous beta releases have been fairly stable. That being said, lets get into the features that you can expect to see. As mentioned, they deal mostly with images. According to the details coming from Dropbox, this version will allow for the sharing of multiple images at the same time, the ability to delete multiple images at the same time and the ability to organize your images into albums. Those albums can also be shared. Additionally, this release brings “lots of other little tweaks and big fixes” as well as user interface improvements and updates throughout. Those looking to grab the app can find the APK at this link, or by using this QR code. [via Dropbox Forums] |
| Archos unveils the 97 Titanium HD tablet with “super HD” display Posted: 21 Dec 2012 12:54 PM PST Archos seems to be on a bit of an announcement role this month. We saw the GamePad released back on December 6 and the Video Player app land in Google Play just yesterday. And perhaps coming as a bit more of an exciting announcement, we have word of another tablet. The latest, which has recently made an appearance on the Archos website, is the 97 Titanium HD.
As the name would imply, the Archos 97 Titanium HD tablet will feature a 9.7-inch display that is HD in resolution. More specifically, the tablet will have an IPS display with a resolution of 2048 x 1536. Also worth mentioning right up front, the tablet will arrive running Android 4.1 Jelly Bean. Other goodies include 8GB of internal storage, a microSD card slot, 1GB of RAM and a dual-core 1.6GHz A9 processor. The tablet will also arrive sporting a 2 megapixel front-facing camera and a 5 megapixel rear-facing camera. So far we have yet to hear anything from Archos in terms of a release date or price. Not to mention, which markets would be getting this particular model. Otherwise, the 97 Titanium HD arrives as the latest tablet in the Archos Element lineup which also includes the 97 Xenon and 97 Carbon as well as the 80 Cobalt. And while we would expect Archos to begin pushing tablets with Jelly Bean, it is interesting to see them make the jump in mid-lineup — the previous three Elements tablets were released (and remain) with Ice Cream Sandwich.      [via ArcTablet] |
| Google and Motorola building their own ‘X-Phone’ according to reports Posted: 21 Dec 2012 12:20 PM PST According to some interesting reports today from the Wall Street Journal, Google and Motorola are teaming up to take the smartphone world by storm. As if Android already hasn’t done just that, We’re now hearing Google’s designing a brand new device named internally as the X-Phone to truly take over Apple and Samsung in the smartphone world.
This news has literally just broke a matter of minutes ago, so hopefully we’ll be able to dig up tons of details and additional information in the coming days or weeks. The report also states that Motorola’s current popular line of Android and DROID smartphones won’t be replaced, and this will be another line all together. Sounds exciting. We’ve been saying the words “Motorola DROID Nexus” ever since Google acquired Motorola, but it sounds like this will be the result instead. That isn’t all either. They’re also working on a project called the ‘X Tablet’ as well, now that the X Phone is nearly reached its final stages. Yup, WSJ said the X Phone is in the final stages, which means we could be seeing or hearing more very soon. I’m getting excited already! Reports suggest Google’s own product manager Lion Ron has been heading up this project, and was previous in charge of Google’s mapping attack. Which as we know has been extremely successful to say the least. Motorola’s new CEO Dennis Woodside declined to comment on the matter, but hopefully we hear more. According to the Wall Street Journal plenty of next-gen technology has been looked into, and could possibly be inside this new flagship super-phone. Talks of bendable displays, ceramic frames that are extremely durable, longer battery life and tons of “evolutionary” features. Although it’s nothing we haven’t heard before. I’m excited, but we might want to take this all with a grain of salt. Stay tuned for more details! Drop us your thoughts and comments below. [via Wall Street Journal] |
| Samsung releases version 1.0 of the AllShare Framework SDK Posted: 21 Dec 2012 12:17 PM PST Samsung has recently released the AllShare Framework SDK, which in theory, could help to add features to third-party apps. You see, while Samsung has the AllShare apps, up until this point, third party developers were unable to add AllShare support in their apps. Anyway, with the release of this SDK, developers will be able to create AllShare-capable apps.
The development and the apps that come as a result will be left up to the individual, however Samsung has said the the main features of the SDK include media sharing, screen sharing and control sharing. These are basically what the names imply. The media sharing will allow the user to share media stored on their device with another device. This sharing includes movies, music and images with other DLNA compatible devices. The screen sharing will allow the user to share their display in real-time. The screen sharing will be shareable over any HDMI enabled TV using a dongle or Wi-Fi Display compatible device. Finally, the control sharing will be for things such as a remote. Anyway, while there could be a wide variety of uses for these APIs, Samsung has managed to include the Smart TVs in all aspects. All that being said, with all the Samsung devices that have been sold over the recent months, it seems only logical to thing that there are more than a few developers that will be willing to create some useful AllShare-capable apps. [via Samsung] |
| Nielsen’s year-end rundown has Android on top once again Posted: 21 Dec 2012 12:09 PM PST It’s time for Nielsen to break down the data it collected throughout the year, and once again, we’re seeing Android dominate the mobile space as of the end of October 2012. Android had 52% market share at the end of Q3, which places it a significant 17 percentage points ahead of its closest competitor, iOS. BlackBerry managed to secure a third place ranking with 7%, while Windows Phone was only able to boast 2% market share at end of Q3.
That isn’t bad for Android at all, and it speaks volumes to the popularity of various Android handsets, as Q3 was when iPhone 5 mania was in full swing. It was a good year for Google in other sectors too, as Nielsen’s yearly data (which spans from January to October 2012) shows that the big G was the top-ranking web brand of the year with 172,649,000 average unique monthly visitors. Facebook was a close second with an average of 152,996,000 unique monthly visitors, while Yahoo rounded out the top three by coming in at 141,579,000 unique monthly visitors.
Just as well, YouTube came in a clear first when it comes to Nielsen’s “Top 10 U.S. Online Destinations for Video of 2012.” YouTube was unsurprisingly able to boast more unique monthly viewers than Yahoo and VEVO – which came in at second and third place respectively – combined. That’s excellent, and with YouTube’s numbers, don’t be surprised to see it at the top of the list for years to come.
Finally we come to the top Android apps of 2012, the results of which have Google Search, Gmail, and Facebook in a pretty fierce battle for the top spot. Google Search ultimately came out on top, with Gmail settling at second and Facebook landing at third. It seems that the only other Internet mainstay that can challenge Google in Nielsen’s results is Facebook, so executives at Google headquarters have a lot to smile about.     |
| Enjoy New Years with the official Times Square Ball Drop app for 2013 Posted: 21 Dec 2012 12:05 PM PST Just like years past, Countdown Entertainment and Toshiba have released their brand new and updated Official Times Square Ball Drop app for Android. They’ve completely updated and redesigned the app for the new year, and as expected supports the latest versions of Android and more. To learn how to get your picture on the big screen live in New York this year read on below for all the details.
If you’ve never been to New York City on New Years Eve it’s a site worth seeing at least once. Same goes for my little town here in Las Vegas!! Today Toshiba and Times Square have tossed their latest edition of this popular app in the Play Store. The update is available as we speak and looks rather nice, as always. Just like last year, Toshiba has their massive screen right in the middle of Town Square. Using their official Ball Drop app users on Android and iOS can upload their photo right to the app, and if you’re lucky your face will be shown right on the big-screen for the entire world to see. Better make it a New Years kiss with that lucky someone. I’ll be doing a toast myself. The app will be streaming all of the NYC live performances by tons of popular artists, there’s a Times Square wedding this year they’ll be showing, as well as the countdown and ball drop of course. Don’t forget to stay up til midnight to watch the Crystal ball drop in all its glory. Bust out the champagne and enjoy yourself. Get the official Times Square Ball drop app right now from the Google Play Store.    [via Times Square] |
| Keep track of all the holiday deals with ‘AppSales’ for Android Posted: 21 Dec 2012 11:46 AM PST Earlier this week we reported on a large list of games and apps that are currently on sale at huge discounts in the Google Play Store, but we can’t catch them all. Between Google and all the developers there’s some awesome games and apps on sale for the holiday season. Today we have a neat app called AppSales that will find all the deals for you.
If you’ve been looking for a neat and simple way to find all the price drops, discounts, and deals on anything and everything from the Google Play Store — this is it. AppSales will curate a long list full of treats for you, all in their well designed and easy to navigate app for Android. AppSales doesn’t just find the best deals either. It notifies you of sales, price drops, allows you to like or comment on apps and more. Also, it won’t find those terrible apps you’ve never heard of. Only up and coming or popular apps with be shown off to help cut out the clutter that is hundreds of thousands of apps available. AppSales will even let you set your own custom filters for what you’re shown, what notifications are received, and will even give you a detailed price history of said app. This is the perfect app to both save you money, as well as spend that hard earned cash because you’ll be finding excellent deals all day long. With the holidays officially here and tons of sales going on, give it a try today by getting it from the Google Play Store. Enjoy!    – Thanks for the tip @WinDroidGuy! |
| You are subscribed to email updates from Android Community To stop receiving these emails, you may unsubscribe now. | Email delivery powered by Google |
| Google Inc., 20 West Kinzie, Chicago IL USA 60610 | |
No comments:
Post a Comment