Android Central |
- Zombies to invade Plague, Inc. in coming update
- Nexus 4 hitting retail shelves in Australia come Feb. 1
- This week's sidebar poll: Are you ready to upgrade your phone?
- GroupMe v4.0 exits beta with new design and tablet support
- Videotron to launch LG Nexus 4 on Jan. 30
- Pink Motorola Droid RAZR M hits Verizon on Jan. 24
- Preorder now: Lloyd Flex Case for the Samsung Galaxy Note 2
- Nexus 4, two months on ...
- Finger Army 1942: A whack-a-mole game worth your 99 cents
- Deal of the Day: Ventev Fusion Case for Galaxy Note 2
- iPhone's Siri was originally headed to Verizon Android phones
- UK 4G spectrum auction gets underway today
- International Galaxy S2 gets Jelly Bean update and new Nature UX
- Nexus 4 back in stock on T-Mobile website
- New LagFix application promises to fix mystery lag on some devices
- AT&T buys Alltel for $780 million, gains spectrum and 585,000 customers
| Zombies to invade Plague, Inc. in coming update Posted: 23 Jan 2013 04:43 PM PST
Ndemic has shown off a bit of the cool update we talked about late last year for everyone's favorite apocalyptic game Plague, Inc. The Necroa Virus update, tentatively slated for February brings a new style of play to the game, where you can branch out and reanimate the dead as a zombie like horde.
The update will cost $1.99, but you get what looks like a lot of bang for your buck(s). Along with the new name and zombie minions comes new gameplay where humanity fights back, and new abilities that can target specific countries and areas. Of course there is more, and the update also brings new events and achievements, more languages (French, Italian, Portuguese and Spanish), some UI changes and the ubiquitous performance tweaks. We can't wait to see what Ndemic brings to the table. Hit the break for a few screenshots, and grab Plague, Inc from the link above if you haven't tried it yet. 
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| Nexus 4 hitting retail shelves in Australia come Feb. 1 Posted: 23 Jan 2013 03:57 PM PST
If you're one of the many still trying to get your hands on a Nexus 4, and happen to live in Australia, we have some good news. Starting February 1, the phone that plays hard to get will be available in retail stores across the land of Oz. The 16GB version will set you back $499 AUD (that's about $525 US) without any pesky contracts or commitments. Of course, you can also choose to get it bundled with an Optus plan for just $35 AUD (about $37 USD) a month. The pricing isn't bad compared to retail on other unlocked phones, but is still marked up a bit over the Google Play price of $349 US. It's a case of demand setting the market price, and it's still cheaper than eBay. Via: Ausdroid 
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| This week's sidebar poll: Are you ready to upgrade your phone? Posted: 23 Jan 2013 02:27 PM PST
It's the time of year when smartphone manufacturers trot out pretty shiny new things, in the hopes that we will trade our money for them. It's pretty successful, because they always have something to wow us. Sony, Huawei and plenty of other players have already teased us with things we want at CES. Mobile World Congress is coming up soon, and we expect to see some more, and after that the fun begins for us here in the states as carriers and OEMs trickle out news about which incredible things we've seen are coming, and that they will be coming soon. Even chip makers are in on the game, telling us how great these new devices are going to be. They seem to know exactly how to make us want the new gear, and we get hyped up for it all. But when reality sets in, most people just can't skip from phone to phone on a whim. These things that are so pretty are also pretty expensive. A new Android smartphone costs more than I spent for my first car! Subsidies from carriers help offset the price, but then you're locked in for years. In the words of the great English poet Mick Jagger, "You can't always get what you want." So to put things into perspective, we wanna know who is ready to plunk down the cash for a new phone when this year's hotness becomes available. There's a poll in the sidebar to the right, or you'll find it after the break. Answer it, and we'll all have a better idea of how many of us are ready. Before we go, last week's poll results: Which chip maker impressed you most at CES 2013?
Pretty tight race here, and that's a good thing. I have a feeling that any of these would be a great choice! 
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| GroupMe v4.0 exits beta with new design and tablet support Posted: 23 Jan 2013 01:15 PM PST
Group messaging service GroupMe has had an invite-only beta program going for its latest update -- v4.0 -- since early November, and has now finally released it to the Play Store. This latest update brings a complete redesign to the app, with new fonts, colors and layout. It's now easier to send direct messages and access your chats from anywhere in the app with a new slide-out drawer on the left. Version 4.0 also adds proper tablet support with a distinct UI, which should make many users happy, and GroupMe says that the overall app performance for every type of device should be improved with the latest update. If you're interested in checking out the latest version, head to the Play Store link above. More: GroupMe Blog 
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| Videotron to launch LG Nexus 4 on Jan. 30 Posted: 23 Jan 2013 11:48 AM PST
Videotron will become the first Canadian carrier to offer LG and Google's Nexus 4 when it launches the device next Wednesday, Jan. 30. The Quebec-based operator posted the confirmation, in French, on its Twitter feed this afternoon. The news comes almost exactly a year after Videotron launched the previous Nexus handset, Samsung's Galaxy Nexus. So far there's no information available on pricing, but based on how things have panned out in other territories, buyers should expect Videotron's price to be in line with that of other high-end handsets, rather than the cheaper Google Play Store price. Source: Twitter; via: MobileSyrup 
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| Pink Motorola Droid RAZR M hits Verizon on Jan. 24 Posted: 23 Jan 2013 09:57 AM PST
And be sure to read our complete RAZR M review (and just pretend it's pink). UPDATE: Ah. Right. Verizon also says it'll be available for Valentine's Day, which in hindsight makes a little more sense. Source: Verizon 
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| Preorder now: Lloyd Flex Case for the Samsung Galaxy Note 2 Posted: 23 Jan 2013 09:45 AM PST
Attention, people of Android Central: You are the first to be put on notice that the Lloyd Flex Case for the Samsung Galaxy Note 2 is now available for preorder (and at quite a savings) from ShopAndroid.com. This is a flexible TPU-style case (that stands for thermoplastic polyurethane, by the way) that'll keep your Note 2 protected from accidental dings and drops. It wraps completely around the phone, with cutouts for the camera and ports -- and the all-important S Pen. And most important, it features Lloyd on the back of the case. The Lloyd Flex Case is available for preorder for just $14.95 (that's 25 percent off) and is available in black or clear (as seen here), as well as smoke and green. 
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| Posted: 23 Jan 2013 08:06 AM PST
It's been a little more than two months since the LG Nexus 4 first made its way onto Google Play's virtual store shelves. And as we all know all too well, it sold out record fashion. (Or, if you prefer, Google failed to ensure supply kept up with demand even worse than with previous devices.) So it's probably safe to say that those of us with nine or 10 weeks of Nexus 4 usage under our belts are firmly in the minority. With that in mind, we thought we'd revisit the Nexus 4 ownership experience two months on, and examine how the Android flag-bearer has performed as a daily driver. If you've recently picked up a Nexus 4, or you're still waiting to place your order, here's your chance to find out what the future holds. Check past the break to find out how well the Nexus 4 has weathered 70 days in the hands of an Android Central editor. 
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| Finger Army 1942: A whack-a-mole game worth your 99 cents Posted: 23 Jan 2013 07:34 AM PST
We're all familiar with the arcade classic "whack-a-mole" type games, but how does that translate into an Android app? Pretty darn well in Finger Army 1942. Sometimes the most simple games are also the most fun, and it's a recipe that works well here. You basically have a whack-a-mole clone set to the theme of a 1942 battle field, but the second twist is that soldiers are... fingers. Right. Trust us though, it works and is extremely fun. You progress through levels with increasing difficulty, tapping on the finger soldiers to gain points. As the levels get tougher, more variety of military units are deployed, adding to the variety and fun of the game. Hit the soldiers with metal helmets twice to knock them down, but don't touch the medics or white flag wavers! It only takes a few minutes before you're frantically mashing your fingers on the screen. The game doesn't have any settings or menu really to speak of, lending credence to the idea that this is a true casual screen-masher. Finger Army 1942 brings a bit to the table for all ages, with easy gameplay from the start for younger users and harder advanced levels later on for the more serious player. The graphics, sound track and gameplay are all high quality, which just add to the overall game experience. You're not distracted by messy animations or slow performance anywhere in the game. You can tell that the developers (Tin Planet) put a good bit of work into every aspect here. Although it is certainly compatible -- and runs just as great -- with phones we find it the most fun on a tablet (it ran great on a Nexus 7) because you have more screen real estate to work with. Stick around after the break to see an official gameplay trailer of Finger Army 1942, and if you're interested in the game it can be found for $0.99 in the Play Store at the link above. 
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| Deal of the Day: Ventev Fusion Case for Galaxy Note 2 Posted: 23 Jan 2013 06:26 AM PST
The Ventev Fusion Case is available for just $11.00, over 60% off today only. Grab yours while supplies last! Never miss a deal. Sign up for Daily Deal alerts! 
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| iPhone's Siri was originally headed to Verizon Android phones Posted: 23 Jan 2013 05:56 AM PST
From a Huffington Post feature on the origins of Apple's 'Siri' comes the revelation that the famed voice assistant almost became a poster child for Verizon's line of Android phones. In late 2009, Siri's founders reportedly signed a deal with the carrier that was to bring Siri to its Android phones launching in the new year. HuffPo reports that Verizon even went as far as filming commercials highlighting this unique add-on of Android phones on Big Red -- likely featuring early hero devices like the original Droid. As we all know, the deal was not to be, and following its acquisition by Apple, Siri re-emerged in October 2011 as an exclusive feature of the then-new iPhone 4S. By that stage, Google would've been well on its way towards bringing its own voice assistant to life through the Jelly Bean Google Search app and Google Now. In any case, today's news underscores how differently things might've turned out had the Verizon/Siri deal borne fruit. Source: Huffington Post; via: The Verge 
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| UK 4G spectrum auction gets underway today Posted: 23 Jan 2013 05:23 AM PST
After years of delays, the UK's 4G spectrum auction finally gets underway today, with seven organizations -- including the country's four major carriers -- bidding for 28 lots of spectrum across 800MHz and 2600MHz bands. UK telecommunications regulator Ofcom says bidding will continue over several rounds, and that the bidding process may take "several weeks" to complete. The process is designed "[to put] the spectrum in the hands of the bidders who value it most highly, while also ensuring they pay a competitive price," Ofcom says. 
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| International Galaxy S2 gets Jelly Bean update and new Nature UX Posted: 23 Jan 2013 04:33 AM PST
The official Jelly Bean update for the international Samsung Galaxy S2 (GT-i9100) has started to roll out, starting with unlocked handsets in Spain. The update is based on Android 4.1.2, and features all the benefits you'd expect from that version of the OS, including "Project Butter" performance enhancements and the new Google Search with Google Now. What's also new is the "TouchWiz Nature UX" from Samsung's 2012 line-up, which has been back-ported to the Galaxy S2 along with Jelly Bean. This means S2 owners will be in for some pretty sweeping visual changes when they apply this latest firmware update. (The ICS update for 2011 Samsung phones was of course based upon the older TouchWiz 4 UI.) Galaxy S2 owners are also set to inherit a bunch of Galaxy S3 features in their Jelly Bean update, including Direct Call, Smart Stay and Pop-up Play (picture-in-picture video). Right now the update is only available for Spanish Galaxy S2 phones, so other territories may have to wait a few days or weeks for localized firmware to be released. In particular, we wouldn't hold our breath for an immediate release on any of the U.S. Galaxy S2 models. Regardless, it's great to see the latest updates rolling out for an almost two-year-old handset. 
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| Nexus 4 back in stock on T-Mobile website Posted: 22 Jan 2013 09:20 PM PST
We heard last week that the Nexus 4 would be back up for sale from T-Mobile directly starting January 23rd, and it has shown up right on time. Provided you're willing to sign up for 2 years on a Classic Plan at T-Mobile the 16GB Nexus 4 can be yours for $199.99, or if you decide to keep it off-contract (seriously consider this route) you can have it for $499.99 after mail-in rebate. We're not sure how many are available, but hopefully it's enough to at least let some people have their chance at the latest Nexus. As for proper availability in the Play Store at $299 and $349... who knows. Here's hoping that this new wave of stock to T-Mobile means there's more on the way to Google as well. Source: T-Mobile; Thanks, Frank! 
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| New LagFix application promises to fix mystery lag on some devices Posted: 22 Jan 2013 08:17 PM PST
LagFix is an app (rooted phones only) with an unimaginative name that uses a standard Linux tool to help fix "lag" on Android devices. Lag is a term that gets thrown around pretty liberally, without any real definition attached to it. In this case, I'm familiar with the tool being used so I know what this app attempts to address -- times when your system is stopped, waiting on the memory controller to be told which storage blocks are free and which are in use, so it knows where it can write data to the device storage. While this is happening, the system is halted until the memory controller gets the answer it needs. This is a standard process in every operating system, and in reality is a lot more complicated than I've explained here. For our purposes today, this covers the important things to know. This can be done on the fly (and this is how stock Android does things) or it can be done using a Linux utility called Fstrim. When a stock Android system does it on the fly while data is being written, sometimes some folks (this is important, and we'll talk more about it later) see their device slow down while the memory controller is waiting to know which storage blocks are in use, and which are free. People call this a form of lag, and lag is universally hated. A solution, one often used on Linux desktops, is to use the Fstrim utility. It goes through the storage and tells the memory controller which blocks are really free, and which are in use. The memory controller doesn't have to ask, because it has just been told. Eventually, this all changes and the memory controller needs told again. On the desktop, people set up Fstrim to run at a specific interval to keep things in sync. 
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| AT&T buys Alltel for $780 million, gains spectrum and 585,000 customers Posted: 22 Jan 2013 06:45 PM PST
AT&T has announced today that it will completely acquire the Alltel brand and assets from Atlantic Tele-Network, Inc. for $780 million in cash. This purchase encompasses all of the Alltel assets, from spectrum, network licenses and wireless properties to retail store locations and about 585,000 subscribers. That's a good number of customers that will come under the AT&T umbrella, but what's likely more valuable is the spectrum holdings that AT&T will gain. Alltel currently operates mostly in rural areas of Georgia, Idaho, Illinois, North Carolina, Ohio and South Carolina -- covering about 4.6 million people. Spectrum gains in these areas are in the 700, 850 and 1900MHz bands, which compliments AT&T's network deployment nicely. It's a cheap, all cash acquisition that will help AT&T continue its LTE rollout into the future. Source: AT&T 
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