Android and Me |
- LG said to debut device with flexible OLED display by Q4
- Vine for Android coming “soon”
- Viggle is the perfect companion app for the NBA playoffs
- Top 10 Android game releases this week: Iron Man 3, Anthill, Zombie HQ, Fieldrunners 2
- T-Mobile rolls out Jelly Bean update for the HTC One S
| LG said to debut device with flexible OLED display by Q4 Posted: 25 Apr 2013 04:50 PM PDT What’s next for the smartphone display? We’ve already got pixel densities far higher than the human eye can detect, amazing color reproduction, and panels are thinner and more energy efficient. We’re at the point where innovation in the display space is going to either come to a grinding halt, or explode as companies can push more money into research and development. There’s no definitive answer as to what the next big thing in smartphone display technology will be, but companies like Samsung and LG are banking on flexible OLED technology. During an investor call, LG’s vice president of mobile Yoon Bu-hyun has said that not only is LG’s mobile division working on flexible OLED display technology, by the fourth quarter of this year, the company plans on delivering a phone utilizing it. As much as we’d like to see a phone that can be twisted back and fourth, rung out like a towel, something even close to that is realistically years away. The display panel might be there, but other important components most certainly are not. As a more realistic idea of what LG may announce, look back to the prototype Samsung demoed at CES 2013. Samsung had a phone on the floor that featured a wrap around display. It’s nothing breathtaking, but it’s a start. And with the power of Android, there’s bound to be some interesting things both Samsung and LG could do with a similar handset. Can you think of anything better? Let us know in the comments. 
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| Vine for Android coming “soon” Posted: 25 Apr 2013 02:10 PM PDT It’s only once every six months or so, maybe even once a year, that we see a really great app break into the mainstream. Much like Instagram, Vine has done just that. Everyone from comedians to electronic music super-duos (I’m looking at you, Daft Punk), have adopted the 6-second video service in a big way. And also much like Instagram, Vine in all of its massive popularity, didn’t start out with an Android app. According to the developers behind Vine, that will be changing soon. In an interview with The Verge, it was mentioned that Vine for Android is being actively worked on, and is coming “soon.” For those of who have been intrigued by the app, but not enough to dump Android for it, this is great news. Large companies glazing over Android, and releasing as iOS only at first, has proven to be a relatively smart move. While some would argue the fact that half of Instagram’s users are now on Android means the company missed out in the beginning, some might argue the exact opposite. Launching on iOS only gave the team behind Instagram the option to support a small amount of handsets, and hone their product before expanding overnight to double the user base. And you can’t forget that even though Instagram launched initially just for iOS, Android users still gobbled it up when it was released. It’s highly unlikely that in the end, Instagram missed out on anything by not supporting Android out of the gate. Someday that won’t be the case, but for now, Vine is in the same situation. The fact does remain that even now, if you do ignore Android, you ignore a huge amount of the market, but expanding to more platforms responsibly is best for everyone. If Vine for Android really does release soon, it looks like Vine may have found the sweet spot with a paced rollout that doesn’t put strain on its developers or the service itself. 
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| Viggle is the perfect companion app for the NBA playoffs Posted: 25 Apr 2013 09:35 AM PDT Fantasy sports games make watching live sports more fun, but not everyone wants to invest the time into drafting a team or playing out an entire season. Thankfully Viggle has come to the rescue with MyGuy Fantasy Sports, an app that lets you participate in instant fantasy challenges and earn real rewards. I’ve been using Viggle this week as I watch my San Antonio Spurs march towards the NBA Finals, and I’ve had a blast competing with other players. Joining a MyGuy game is super easy and it only takes a few minutes to get started. All you need to do is launch the Viggle app, check-in to the game you are watching, and then join a MyGuy challenge. Each MyGuy game includes up to 10 people, and you can start playing when the game begins or at any point after that. Once you are inside a MyGuy game, you get to choose a starter from either team. Every time your selected player does something good (field goal, steal, block, free throw, or rebound), your score goes up. If your player does three positive things in a row, then you go on a streak and earn double points (similar to being on fire in NBA JAM). You are free to change players at any time during the game, and a leaderboard helps you keep track of which players the other fantasy competitors have selected. There is a joy in competing with others and talking smack during the game, but Viggle Rewards adds another bonus for participating. Viggle Points are handed out at the end of each MyGuy game and they can be exchanged for prizes like a gift card to Foot Locker, CVS, Old Navy, or JC Penny, a free month of Hulu Plus or Spotify Premium, or a free pizza from Papa Johns. Most of the rewards are of the gift card or coupon code variety, but they rotate them frequently and there are some premium prizes if you decide to save up your points. If you plan to tune in to an NBA game tonight or anytime over the coming weeks, download Viggle and give MyGuy Fantasy Sports a try. 
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| Top 10 Android game releases this week: Iron Man 3, Anthill, Zombie HQ, Fieldrunners 2 Posted: 25 Apr 2013 08:20 AM PDT Welcome back to Android Gaming Weekly, our weekly recap to focus on new releases. We still plan to cover upcoming releases and games we're playing, but this column is dedicated to new games you can install and start playing right now. Check out our top picks and let us know if you have any suggestions for next week in the comments below. Iron Man 3Description: Become billionaire Tony Stark as Iron Man in this free, fast-paced, endless runner, the official game of the upcoming movie! After the events of Iron Man 3, Tony has become a peacekeeper, but new threats emerge regularly all around the globe and Iron Man is the only one who can take care of them. Confront 4 epic villains from the Iron Man comics: Crimson Dynamo, Ezekiel Stane, Living Laser and the mighty M.O.D.O.K. Fieldrunners 2Description: The biggest sequel in tower defense history is finally available for Android phones and tablets: Fieldrunners 2 has arrived! With legions of soldiers and a gaggle of new tricks, they're ready to conquer the globe. Or so they think! Our top scientists at SubaLabs have built a bleeding-edge arsenal of devastating weapons for any heroes willing to stop these dastardly invaders. Help your people by taking action – defend the world! Cut the Rope: Time TravelDescription: Join Om Nom as he travels back in time to feed his ancestors with candy. Cut the Rope: Time Travel is a completely new adventure filled with time-traveling, candy-crunching, physics-based action! With two cute monsters to feed in each level, Cut the Rope: Time Travel is twice the fun but familiar to play. If you like Cut the Rope, you'll love Cut the Rope: Time Travel! AnthillDescription: A gorgeous strategy game with an award-winning interface, Anthill is based on the real-world behavior of ants. By drawing pheromone trails, you direct your ground forces to different destinations, working with streams of units rather than individuals. Your mission is to protect the hill as wave upon wave of enemy bugs are thrown at you with tower defense gameplay. Slay a bug carry out air raids upgrade your troops with four types of ants to deploy: workers, soldiers, spitters and drones. They Need To Be Fed 2Description: The sequel to the popular They Need To Be Fed is finally here! Run and jump in this 360 degree gravity platformer! Gravity in all directions means you can never fall off, but that’s not to say the game is easy! Boulder Dash XLDescription: A classic reborn, Boulder Dash-XL updates the best 80's action-puzzler with cutting-edge graphics and gameplay. With over 100 caves of frantic robo-mining fun across 5 game modes – including Retro caves! As mining robots Rockford or Crystal dig, dynamite, push and puzzle to the exit as fast as you can – but watch out for many types of roaming monsters determined to block your delving delight. Zombie HQDescription: The zombie infestation in the city is seriously getting in the way of your down time. Take back your city and reclaim what is yours! Scour the streets for salvage to get bigger and badder guns, explosives, and other zombie-killing weapons. Rescue survivors from the zombie horde and airlift them to safety for bonus rewards. RE-VOLT ClassicDescription: RE-VOLT Classic brings the original PC and Dreamcast kart racer back to life with retina visuals, control methods tailored for touch devices and all the great gameplay that made the title such a fan favorite when it was originally released. Fast paced, exciting driving, with explosive weapons and unique track designs deliver a larger than life racing experience like no other. Thor: Lord of StormsDescription: Use the awesome power of Thor, God of Thunder, to push back the forerunners of Ragnarok in this unique, highly stylized interpretation of the classic myths! Thor: Lord of Storms is a free action-packed game based on the magnificent Norse myths. Choose your hero – mighty Thor, wise Freya or intrepid Brunhilde – to strike against the forces of evil. Fight against demons, giants and monsters, and confront their masters: Loki the trickster, Surt the bringer of flame, and Fenrir the great wolf. Planets DefenseDescription: Planets Defense is a 3D space strategy game where you create, develop and command your space fleet, research new technology and acquire new resources. Invest into planet mining or debris scavenging and form habitable atmosphere, deploy on new planets and build defense structures – protecting mankind from ruthless invasion! Talisman Prologue HDDescription: 30 years young, the prologue to the seminal fantasy adventure board game now available! The legend begins with a single-player series of adventures designed to invite both veterans and newcomers to explore the land of Talisman. While multiplayer gameplay will be available in upcoming expansions, Talisman Prologue focuses on creating narrative depth through its single-player campaigns. The story unfolds as the player rolls dice to move around the outer, middle, and inner regions of the board. Each space will require the player to draw a card or resolve a special effect, leading your hero to encounter monsters, discover friendly followers, and gather treasure. COMING SOON
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| T-Mobile rolls out Jelly Bean update for the HTC One S Posted: 25 Apr 2013 07:36 AM PDT The long-awaited Android 4.1.1 update for the T-Mobile HTC One S has finally arrived. The update is considerably late when compared to the international rollout which began in December of 2012, but it’s only a month behind the Android 4.1 update for the AT&T HTC One X. To start the download process, you can manually ping T-mobile’s update servers by going to Settings > About > Software updates > Check now. T-Mobile has yet to release its official change log for the HTC One S Android 4.1.1 update. Based on what we know about the Jelly Bean update for the international HTC One S, the US version should be getting HTC Sense 4+, Google Now, Project Butter, offline speech-to-text, advanced notifications, a handful of UI tweaks, an updated camera app with Sight Seeing mode (allows you to launch the camera app by pressing the power button) and a new gallery app which sorts images by events and time while plotting them all out on a map. Since we have a T-mobile HTC One S on hand, we decided to document the Android 4.1.1 update and install process by creating a Video Highlight with the HTC One. We hope you enjoy it. 
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