Android Phone Fans |
- Apple can’t use lawyers to stop launch of Android-based “iphone” in Brazil
- The Simpsons: Tapped Out is a city-building game set in iconic Springfield
- 15-Minute Challenge: Gene Effect by Lightstorm3D
- BugDroid LEGO idea needs only 200 more supporters to become a reality
- Carbon (Twitter) for Android gets a ton of bugs fixed
- The Sandbox, a cool pixel art world creation game, coming soon to Android [VIDEO]
- Motorola Electrify M (US Cellular’s RAZR M) getting Android 4.1.2
- Twitter for Android update brings improved Search and Discovery
- Dropbox introduces improved sync API for Android developers
- WinAMP for Android gets notification controls
- ZTE Blade 3 comes to Virgin UK for £79.99
- This HTC teaser could double as the poster for the next Matrix movie
- Samsung trademarks new set of Galaxy names
- Samsung to start mass production of 5-inch 1080p AMOLED display this month
- More leaked pictures detail Huawei Ascend P2
| Apple can’t use lawyers to stop launch of Android-based “iphone” in Brazil Posted: 06 Feb 2013 04:49 PM PST When iPhone discovered a Brazilian electronics firm using “iphone” to brand its line of Android devices, the Cupertino company likely blew as many gaskets at one time as any company can blow. If you don’t remember, IGB Electronica has been using the “iphone” brand in the country since the year 2000, and Apple tried to retain exclusive rights to the brand when it found out. Apple built the brand into a world-renown line of smartphones, but IGB has every right to it considering the iPhone didn’t launch until 2007. After a series of legal proceedings, Reuters has heard that the Brazilian Institute of Intellectual Property will finalize and confirm its decision to grant IGB Electronica exclusive rights to the name next week. These rights will last through 2018, though we’re not sure what might happen once that time comes. With that, Apple has found itself between a rock and a hard place.
Apple might not care so much if IGB were using the name for something completely unrelated to mobile, but the company has actually been using it to brand its newest line of Android smartphones. The “iphone Neo One” isn’t what we’d call a smash-mouth hit that Apple has to worry about with its 3.7-inch HVGA display, 5 megapixel camera and 2GB of internal storage, but it has to sting knowing that a phone running the operating system by a company you promised to wage thermonuclear war against will don your prestigious brand. So what is it to do? Well, since Apple can’t bully its way to a favorable decision through the use of lawyers, I suspect IGB will walk into a nice secluded conference room with a big smile on its face as it looks to secure a blank check in settlement talks. Apple suffered a similar situation over in China where Proview held the rights to the iPad brand, and it cost Apple about $60 million to secure that. Apple probably spends more than that on marketing in one fiscal quarter, so we’re not surprised the technology giant was willing to cough it up. That said, the terms of that particular agreement will have no bearing on the one it will have to make with IGB, and any dollar amount could exchange hands to make sure Apple seals the deal. IGB’s chairman Eugenio Emilio Staub says his company is open for dialog regarding anything at any time, so at the very least it sounds like Apple won’t be shunned out. [via Digital Trends, thanks Alexandre!] |
| The Simpsons: Tapped Out is a city-building game set in iconic Springfield Posted: 06 Feb 2013 03:43 PM PST You might have heard that an official Simpsons game was headed to Android this week, but that game has long been unavailable for download. We’re not sure what happened with initial availability, but all of those issues seem to have been cleared up and EA is now offering it in the Google Play Store. Named The Simpsons: Tapped Out, it’s a city-building game that is set in Springfield and features all your favorite characters and buildings from the show.
Your primary responsibility is none other than Homer Simpson, and it’s up to you to help him find the rest of his family and friends all throughout the city. Tasks you complete will net you doughnuts, natch, and you can use them to help you build things like the Duff Brewery, Apu’s Kwik-E-Mart, Lard Lad Donuts and more. It won’t cost you a dime to be thrust into the Simpsons universe on your phone or tablet so be sure to download it right away. Nostalgia alone was enough to get me excited, but it turns out the game is pretty damn fun. Give it a shot in the Google Play Store, and try not to be too mean to Ned while you go about your business. |
| 15-Minute Challenge: Gene Effect by Lightstorm3D Posted: 06 Feb 2013 03:27 PM PST
For our latest 15-Minute Challenge, I went digging through the Google Play Store in search of the latest and greatest paid applications and this is what I found: Gene Effect by LightStorm3D. At $3.50, the game is expensive enough to some frugal buyers wary, yet cheap enough to warrant a purchase (if it turns out it’s any good). I spent a good amount of time with the game and for my full 15 minute walkthrough (it’s been edited down to a more palatable 8 minutes), check out my video below. Story and VisualsUnlike many a Play Store titles, Gene Effect actually features a pretty in depth, interwoven story to accompany the game. The story helps immerse players in a world where, as the developer puts it, “a simple rescue mission in the not so distant future turns into the discovery of a secret that threatens the existence of mankind.” Sounds epic, right? Gene Effect is further brought to life thanks to dark, moody graphics that make good use of special effects such as lens flares and light bloom (might not work well on all Android handsets). While exploring other planets, environments combine lush plant life with desolate rock landscapes, honestly, it really feels like a real living breathing alien world.
GameplayAlthough described as an action-exploration title, I think the first part of that description might do Gene Effect a little more harm than good. Yes, your tiny ship can carry weapons and yes, you will have an opportunity to blast enemies. But Gene Effect is no fast-paced shooter. Far from it. The real name of the game in Gene Effect is side-scrolling navigation and exploration. Similar to titles like Metroid of yore, you explore unknown planets while gathering resources and powerung up your ship with various upgrades along the way. The game really does have the appeal of bigger budget titles, making the price tag sound more like a very reasonable offer. VerdictAs you no doubt saw from my video above, Gene Effect wasn’t quite for me. That’s not to say the game isn’t good. I also avoid sports titles like the plague but we all know how much people like Madden. What I can tell you about Gene Effect is that it’s a solid Android title — one of the better ones found in the Google Play Store — and if a great storyline and planetary space exploration sound even remotely interesting to you, then I urge you to give it a download. With 3 difficulty modes, randomly generated items, trophies, rewards, hidden ship upgrades, puzzles and even 25 music tracks that can be played on your favorite Android music player, Gene Effect offers quite the bang for the buck. It gets 2 big thumbs up from me. You can download Gene Effect for $3.50 via the Google Play link below. [Google Play link: Gene Effect] |
| BugDroid LEGO idea needs only 200 more supporters to become a reality Posted: 06 Feb 2013 02:58 PM PST Want to help out on making the next big Android-related product a reality? If you don’t remember, we reported about a LEGO Cuusoo idea that featured the BugDroid, or the Android robot, as a possible build that the fine folks at LEGO could bring out. LEGO Cuusoo is a site that allows the community to vote on build ideas that can turn into real products with enough support. The goal is to get 10,000 supporters, and once it hits that milestone LEGO will work to put it into production.
Well, if you take a look at the project today it seems we need just under 200 more people (as of the time of this writing) to put their names down and get this baby rolling. That’s quite a long way to come since we first heard about the project in August 2012, so it would be a shame if we couldn’t get past the finish line at this point. LEGO Cuusoo is different from Kickstarter, a crowd-funding website where users pledge their own funds to get projects rolling — all you need to give up here is the time it takes to sign up and hit the big, green “Support” button on the right side of the page. Let’s see if we can’t get a couple hundred more stamps of approval for this exciting project — our desks are just dying for yet another Android ornament. Head here if you want to pitch in a minute or two to help the LEGO-loving Android community get the next big thing in building blocks. [via Reddit] |
| Carbon (Twitter) for Android gets a ton of bugs fixed Posted: 06 Feb 2013 02:25 PM PST Carbon for Android, the one that we use to check Twitter, might have a very unique and beautiful user interface, but the launch didn’t sit well with everyone. A mix of crash-producing bugs and a very limited set of customization options had people running back to the hills (or Falcon Pro and other Twitter clients), but developer dots & lines made quick work in providing a much-needed bug fixing upgrade.
A bug that caused the app to crash whenever you entered via a notification or caused by an avatar not being able to load was fixed. Duplicate notifications have also been resolved, so you won’t be bugged about new mentions and direct messages you’ve already checked on. There are a lot more bugs that were addressed, and we’re happy enough to know what, exactly, they were:
That said, we do get two new additions, including badges to note verified and private accounts, as well as the addition of quick mentions (or autocomplete, if you will). All of this brings us up to version 1.1.5, and can be had in the form of a 7 megabyte download in the Google Play Store. Get to it if any of these bugs have been bothering you in the past few days. |
| The Sandbox, a cool pixel art world creation game, coming soon to Android [VIDEO] Posted: 06 Feb 2013 01:48 PM PST Our friends at Pixowl have announced that The Sandbox, a game that utilizes pixel art graphics to let you shape a world however you want, will soon be coming to Android. This exciting game could be described as “Minecraft, but with even more pixelation,” though it has a ton of interesting elements such as the ability to build organic creatures, build structures based on downloadable blueprints and more. Pixowl suggests the possibilities are nearly limitless, with millions of different things to create and do. Interestingly enough, the game starts off giving you the basic elements of earth, such as stone, water and soil. You can use that stuff to make mud and sand. Sand could then turn into glass, if you need it. The soil and mud could be used to grow plants and you could eventually generate life. Later on, you can discover metal, find a way to make light and do so much more. The game has seen huge success over on iOS, generating over 2.1 million download. It’s a hit, and it’s one that we absolutely can’t wait to get on Android. Pixowl didn’t have a price to share with us, but The Sandbox was free on iOS and we don’t expect anything different for the Google Play Store. The trailer alone should get you excited, so if you have a quick minute be sure to press the play button up above. We’re told to expect a late February release, but it doesn’t sound like Pixowl is ready to promise us anything just yet. Read on for the full game description.
|
| Motorola Electrify M (US Cellular’s RAZR M) getting Android 4.1.2 Posted: 06 Feb 2013 12:51 PM PST
Motorola has been rolling out Jelly Bean updates for many of its handsets around the globe lately, including the DROID RAZR M/RAZR I. It only makes sense, then, that US Cellular’s Electrify M — a rebranded RAZR M — wasn’t far behind. This should be a standard affair for any Android user by now, but in case you’re not used to getting a big software upgrade there are a few things to keep in mind. For starters, this might be a staggered roll-out process, meaning some will get it before others. Everyone will eventually receive a notification to download and install it, so don’t fret if you don’t see yours right away. If you didn’t get a notification you can always check for the upgrade in Settings > About Phone, though this method doesn’t always work either. Some pre-game warmups aren’t a bad idea, either — make sure to charge your phone to at least 50%, and turn that WiFi radio on to ensure a fast download and to save your mobile bandwidth allotment. US Cellular even claims that you won’t be able to get the download unless your WiFi radio is on, so that might be something to check if you can’t get the upgrade to pull down. Let’s get into all the goodies you’ll be getting once it’s all said and done! The standard assortment of Android 4.1-specific features will be in tow, such as Google Now, Project Butter, improved notifications, face unlock, and more. These features really are as great as everyone says they are so make no delay in grabbing them. Find more info at US Cellular’s site. |
| Twitter for Android update brings improved Search and Discovery Posted: 06 Feb 2013 12:24 PM PST You tweeters of the world should be happy to know that the official Twitter application for Android has gotten itself a pretty significant upgrade — there’s a lot to get into here, folks. For starters, the Discover tab has been improved to combine all of the activity, including Tweets, Activity, Trends, and follow suggestions, into one nice stream. You’ll also be able to drill further into Activity and Trends if you want to see those specific things in their own lists.
For search, you’ll get a nice, clean look at relevant photos, tweets and accounts in the same stream. This functionality has been available on the desktop site for quite some time, and now that it’s on mobile the two experiences are almost identical. More features include the ability to change the default view for the Connect tab to mentions only, and the ability to click a link within a Tweet without having to specify that action in an extra dialog. Improved support for Hebrew, Farsi and Arabic have been made for those running Android 4.0 and higher, and your usual helping of miscellaneous bug fixes have been made (including reduced crashes). As usual, all of that is available as a quick, free and easy download in the Google Play Store so get to it and let us know how the updated experience is treating you. PS: all of these changes have been made to the mobile site, as well, if that’s your thing. [via Twitter] |
| Dropbox introduces improved sync API for Android developers Posted: 06 Feb 2013 11:52 AM PST While many developers have done a fine job of implementing Dropbox functionality in their Android applications, the folks at Dropbox feel an improved API is necessary to help development along even further. It’s always a wonderful day when APIs are opened up and improved to help developers instead of locked down tight or intentionally made to cripple third-party development (coughTWITTERcough).
The latest API makes it easy to implement Dropbox syncing, allowing apps to work with Dropbox files as if it were a local filesystem. This is similar to how Dropbox is implemented for desktop platforms so with the right coding we could see those feature mirrored in a mobile app sometime soon. Improved support for local caching makes it easier to create offline features, as well. Here’s a full list of what to expect:
The new API was said to cut the amount of Dropbox-related code in half for developer Chris Cox’s Squarespace Note, and if that little tidbit alone isn’t enough to get you developers excited then see what it can do for you by giving it a whirl yourself. Head to Dropbox’s developers’ site to get started. [via Dropbox] |
| WinAMP for Android gets notification controls Posted: 06 Feb 2013 11:14 AM PST WinAmp, the highly celebrated music player for desktop that finally made its way to Android a few years ago, has gotten itself a pretty neat upgrade in the Google Play Store. The biggest change you’ll find will be inside the notification bar as you’ll be greeted to a new set of controls to manipulate music playback while you’re not inside the app. Controls for pausing, skipping, going back, accessing a playlist or jumping straight into the app are all your fingertips so you won’t have to head to the home-screen or back to the app if you need to do a bit of simple music switching.
Alongside the new notification, you’re also getting a small round of bug fixes. The Google Play Store listing doesn’t go into detail about what bugs have been fixed, but Android Police seems to believe improvements to SHOUTcast support and AAC playback have been made. WinAmp is still running strong despite its dated user interface. Most folks won’t mind, of course, because it’s the same way on PCs — it may look like it belongs in 1998, but it still provides one of the best music listening experiences you can find. While a full user interface update might not be in the cards very soon, getting a better playback notification is a pretty good indication that the Llama-infused music player won’t be taken out back to the woodshed anytime soon. Find the free download (there’s also a pro version available) in the Google Play Store. |
| ZTE Blade 3 comes to Virgin UK for £79.99 Posted: 06 Feb 2013 10:34 AM PST Virgin Mobile out in the UK has a new option for those needing an affordable smartphone to take them into 2013. It’s ZTE’s Blade 3, and it’s a 4 inch device which runs Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich, has a 1GHz processor, 512MB of RAM, a 5 megapixel camera, 4GB of internal storage, a 1,600mAh battery and more. You might have noticed by now that it’s not some high-end beast, but considering its £79.99 off-contract price (free if you’re willing to deal with a 24-month £18 tariff as a new customer, or a £13 tariff as an existing one).
Despite ZTE’s efforts to get into the high-end market and create better brand perception for itself, the company still wants to make sure it’s not missing out on the massive sales opportunity that the entry level market has to offer. It’s a smart strategy for the company to stick to its roots as it finds its way through tough sales battles up against Samsung, HTC, Sony et al. There are loads of other tariff options that can be had, including 12-month offerings starting at £28 per month and a host of others. Head to Virgin’s site to check them all out for yourself and see which is right for you. |
| This HTC teaser could double as the poster for the next Matrix movie Posted: 06 Feb 2013 10:17 AM PST
No, this creepy image isn’t a teaser for the next film from the Wachowski brothers. This heart bleeds for whatever HTC has dreamed up next (hint: the HTC M7). The picture, which features a realistic depiction of the human organ melding into a circuit board, is rife with suggestion. HTC could be teasing a smartphone that is more “human” than its predecessors, with features that could tie intuitively into the natural flow of life. The company might be getting a bit more sentimental, offering the illustration so as to say, “Our new phones have heart, they have soul.” Whatever it is, the theme matches the upcoming Valentine’s Day holiday in a rather macabre way. And the February 14th celebration of love falls only a few days before a scheduled event where it is expected HTC will unveil their 2013 lineup. The picture reminds us of some of the original Droid ads marketing the phone as an eery extension of the human body. It certainly is a different approach than that of Apple and Samsung, both companies that place a focus on their phones as social status icons in recent advertising. Whatever HTC is teasing though, it will be “alive soon.” Let’s hope it isn’t some sort of Android-powered Frankenstein beast. [via TalkAndroid] |
| Samsung trademarks new set of Galaxy names Posted: 06 Feb 2013 09:55 AM PST Whenever a company begins trademarking new device names it’s always interesting to ponder what they could be looking to do. However exciting it may be to get a beeline on a company’s plans, it’s important to remember that these names might not ever be put into use. In fact, it’s not often we see a good amount of names in one of these lists come to fruition as actual products. Samsung is the latest OEM to have its latest list of ideas come to the forefront, though instead of a leaked roadmap these names are actually trademarked. This might give a little more weight to the possibility that we’ll see one or two of these show up as actual device names, but a trademark alone isn’t enough to go on.
To be specific, we’re looking at the Galaxy S Kit, Galaxy S Mate, Galaxy S Impact, and the Galaxy S Act. A quick round of “guess that phone” might lead me to believe that the Galaxy S Kit could be some mid-range offering, the Galaxy S Mate could be an MID equipped with an S-Pen (or pretty much a Galaxy Note without phone radios), the Galaxy S Impact could be a rugged option, while the Galaxy S Act could be a phone tailored toward those who’s always on the fitness track. These leaked names tend to be too ugly for retail, but Samsung’s latest set could pass for some legitimately marketable material. That doesn’t change the fact that none of these are guaranteed to come to fruition, but it’s something to think about regardless. What do you think? |
| Samsung to start mass production of 5-inch 1080p AMOLED display this month Posted: 06 Feb 2013 09:13 AM PST
Samsung is ramping up production on the 4.99-inch Super AMOLED display that is rumored to be the centerpiece of the upcoming Galaxy S4. The display, which will be Samsung’s first Full HD AMOLED, has been in the news since late last year, making a brief appearance at CES. Now reports say it will reach mass production status by the end of this month. Word from the front lines back in November claimed that hangups in the manufacturing process had forced a delay in producing the screen en masse. With displays reaching Samsung’s smartphone assembly lines in early March, the company will cutting it close to the GS4′s rumored early April availability. The display in question will sport a pixel density of about 440ppi. In the future, Samsung is exploring options to create comparable pixel densities or higher in a smaller overall size. [via SammyHub] |
| More leaked pictures detail Huawei Ascend P2 Posted: 06 Feb 2013 08:05 AM PST
After a leaked press shot a couple weeks back, it’s time we get a real-world look at Huawei’s upcoming Ascend P2, the followup to last year’s ultra-thin Ascend P1. Aside from promising to reclaim the crown of world’s thinnest smartphone, the P2 will boast a smattering of high-end specs, including a 4.5-inch 1080p IPS display, a 1.8GHz quad-core CPU, and 13MP camera. The new photos give us a look at the phone from all angles, including its rumored 6.45mm profile, which here looks a bit thicker than anticipated. The real judgement will come when we have a chance to handle the device. That will more than likely occur later this month at MWC, where Huawei is expected to round out its line of Android devices.
|
| You are subscribed to email updates from Android Phone Fans 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