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- Verizon Offering Dual-Core LG Lucid 2 For Free Starting April 4
- Facebook phone images leak, likely to be called the HTC First
- Featured Android App Review: Fynch for Twitter [Social]
- Featured Android Game Review: Strategy & Tactics: World War II [Arcade & Action]
- AT&T’s Galaxy S 4 hits the FCC
- ARM Teams Up With TSMC To Create First 16nm Cortex-A57 Processor
- WWE Presents: Rockpocalypse now available in Google Play Store
- Add Sprint to list of carriers offering HTC One on April 19th
- LG confirms Optimus G Pro sales have already topped the 500,000 unit mark
- AT&T Working on HD Voice capabilities for its customers due for arrival later this year
| Verizon Offering Dual-Core LG Lucid 2 For Free Starting April 4 Posted: 02 Apr 2013 03:47 PM PDT
Verizon has a new mid-range device coming soon and will offer the LG Lucid 2 for free on a new two-year contract. We reported the news yesterday and instead of the Lucid 2 being available in retail stores starting April 4, customers will only be able to order online with the phone making its way to physical stores in the coming weeks. The LG Lucid 2 is actually the Optimus F5 and for an entry-level smartphone, offers very reasonable specs.
The Lucid 2 is also capable of being charged wirelessly with the wireless charging cover sold separately. For users who want to tap into their Verizon Mobile Share plan, mobile hotspot functionality is built-in as well. Source: Verizon Wireless
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| Facebook phone images leak, likely to be called the HTC First Posted: 02 Apr 2013 02:59 PM PDT
Well, if Facebook was trying to hide their phone before the April 4th announcement, they’ve officially failed. We’re getting our first look at the fabled device that’s going to run Facebook’s unique software courtesy of @evleaks on Twitter, and it’s apparently going to be called the HTC First. It is neither HTC’s first phone, nor Facebook’s first attempt at a phone, so I don’t completely understand the naming scheme, but I’m no marketing expert, so maybe I’m just missing something here. Weird names aside, the First looks like a pretty slick, although generic, device. We can see a volume rocker on the side, a power button on the top, and three buttons along the bottom bezel, presumably a back, home, and menu button, in that order. The rumors say the phone will sport a 4.3 inch screen, and from this render, I’d say that looks pretty accurate. Either way, we only have a few days left before the official announcement. Anyone excited to see this phone in person? source: evleaks
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| Featured Android App Review: Fynch for Twitter [Social] Posted: 02 Apr 2013 11:46 AM PDT
We recently reviewed SayIt Voice Launcher from Rn Software, and they just came out with another very cool app called Fynch for Twitter. Although it integrates with the official Twitter app, it’s not a full-fledged Twitter client. It’s a tool for enhancing your experience. Twitter timelines can be very overwhelming, which could result in you missing a lot of stuff. For example, everyone you follow might not tweet 100 times per day. Some of them only tweet once every few days, but that doesn’t mean those tweets aren’t important to you. Fynch will notify you of any activity from those less active users. Fynch will also tell you when someone starts tweeting a lot more than usual, which is perfect for breaking news stories or events. Last but not least, Fynch will also let you know when someone you follow mentions a trending topic.
The best part of Fynch, other than it works great, is that there isn’t much to set up. Fynch does everything on it’s own based on it’s own algorithm concerning the people you follow. Once you install the app, it will take a day or two to get going as it analyzes the people you follow. The other cool thing is that it learns from your actions as well. For example, if you constantly ignore certain people, Fynch will know not to report it to you anymore. What’s really nice is how Fynch condenses the tweets. For example, if I get notified that one of the Boston sports writers I follow just Tweeted 5 times in 15 minutes, I will be able to see all 5 tweets together. With other Twitter clients it’s more cumbersome to get that information. Again, Fynch isn’t a client and it won’t replace your Twitter client of choice. It makes Twitter better. If there is one negative, it is that you can’t open links within tweets, reply, retweet, or favorite unless you have the official Twitter app. When you tap on an individual tweet, it will automatically open it in the official Twitter app if you have it installed. At this point you can take the appropriate action. For now, it will only integrate with the official Twitter app, but they are likely to add more popular Twitter clients in the near future. If you don’t have the official Twitter app installed, you can still get Fynch notifications, and still be able to read the entire tweet. You just won’t be able to do those things I mentioned. As I stated above, Fynch works on its own without the need for you to do anything, but there are a couple of tweaks that you can make. You can set how often Fynch will notify you as well as how sensitive to make the algorithm. You can set notifications for either 5, 10, 15, or 30 minutes and you can tell Fynch to be either conservative, moderate, or liberal. You don’t get a notification for each tweet, you simply get notified for how many Fynches you have. So far, I’m loving it during sporting events since the beat writers are always tweeting more often during the games. Being able to get each person’s most recent tweets on one page in a quick fashion is ideal. Also, since I follow a lot of people who don’t tweet constantly, those tweets aren’t getting lost in the shuffle. Fynch is absolutely Free, so give it a try. Check out my hands on video below and hit one of the download links to get started. Let me know what you think. Features:
Requirements:
       Click here to view the embedded video.
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| Featured Android Game Review: Strategy & Tactics: World War II [Arcade & Action] Posted: 02 Apr 2013 11:07 AM PDT
HeroCraft is at is again with yet another game to add to their incredible repertoire in the Play Store. This one is called Strategy & Tactics: World War II, and it’s a lot like RISK or other similar strategy games. You won’t find explosions or special effects, it’s simply pure strategy. The game takes place during World War II, and in the first part of the game you will command the Axis to conquer Europe. Later, you will command the armies of the USSR and Allies to retake it. The game offers three play modes: play against the computer AI, 2-player (hotseat), and 2-player over WiFi. Gameplay is pretty simple, but accomplishing the task isn’t necessarily the case. Early on in the game, you will start with just soldiers, but eventually you will be able to utilize vehicles and planes. You job is to take over certain regions depending on the mission, of which there are 18 in all. You simply move your armies into nearby regions with the hopes of surrounding the enemy and taking it over. There are two ways to figure out if you will win an attack. For example, you are given a certain amount of soldiers. If you have 10 soldiers in region A and your opponent has 5 soldiers in region B, there’s a good chance you will win. The other factor is the meter below your soldiers icon, which tells you how weak they are. You can split up your soldiers as in divide and conquer or keep them together. You can also attack from multiple locations at the same time to increase your chances. If you find that you don’t have enough forces, and you will, you can ”buy” more soldiers, vehicles, and planes depending on how much currency you have earned while playing the game. Just like any other game like this, you can cut to the chase, and use your own hard earned cash as well.
There is a really good tutorial at the beginning of the game, but I found that I had to go through it two times since the game itself can be a little overwhelming. Sometimes it’s hard to tell how many moves you’re allowed to make per turn and it can also be cumbersome in the way you move your forces as in it’s not simply a tap or a drag. You have to choose if you’re attacking, moving, or assisting the attack. It’s also strange in that you are forced to attack regions in which there are no enemies occupying it. For example, if your opponent was in a region, and moves out of it, you can’t just move your soldiers there. You have to attack that region even though there isn’t anyone to fight. Still, I found this game to be pretty addictive, and I had a hard time putting it down. If you really like strategy games, you will want to check this one out. The one negative is the price. It’s $4.99. Now $4.99 for a good game is not too much to ask for, but usually when an an app or game costs that much, it’s the last purchase you will need to make. As I mentioned earlier, you’re given the option to buy more troops through in game currency or in app purchases. You can probably conquer the game without app purchases, but it won’t be easy. There is always that thought that comes into your head, “Can this really be done without purchasing something, or by including in app purchases, are they telling me that it’s impossible if I don’t?” Check out my hands on video below as well as their trailer, and hit one of the download links to get started. As always, let me know what you think. Features
     Click here to view the embedded video. Click here to view the embedded video.
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| AT&T’s Galaxy S 4 hits the FCC Posted: 02 Apr 2013 09:52 AM PDT
We’ve already seen AT&T announce that they’ll start taking preorders for the Galaxy S 4 on April 16th, but if you’re just a really, really skeptical person, we officially have some information about AT&T’s version of the device from an FCC filing. A Samsung device with the exact same dimensions as the S 4 and AT&T’s LTE bands has gotten approval, so unless AT&T and Samsung have another 5-inch device lined up to show us, it’s a pretty safe bet that this is the S 4. Are any of you picking up an S 4 on AT&T this month? source: Engadget
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| ARM Teams Up With TSMC To Create First 16nm Cortex-A57 Processor Posted: 02 Apr 2013 09:45 AM PDT
With mobile phones and tablets getting more advanced every single day, so does the hardware that goes inside them. Mobile chip designer ARM and TSMC have managed to create the first 64-bit Cortex-A57 processor. Even more impressive, they did it utilizing 16nm technology developed by TSMC. According to an official press release, the process took six months and is ARM’s most powerful processor ever. Cortex-A57 processors are the predecessor to the Cortex-A15 and deliver significantly more performance (pictured above). ARM doesn’t say when this next generation processor will be released and you can read the official press release below. HSINCHU, Taiwan and CAMBRIDGE, England, April 2, 2013 /PRNewswire/ — ARM and TSMC (TWSE: 2330, NYSE: TSM) today announced the first tape-out of an ARM® Cortex™-A57 processor on FinFET process technology. The Cortex-A57 processor is ARM’s highest performing processor, designed to further extend the capabilities of future mobile and enterprise computing, including compute intensive applications such as high-end computer, tablet and server products. This is the first milestone in the collaboration between ARM and TSMC to jointly optimize the 64-bit ARMv8 processor series on TSMC FinFET process technologies. The two companies cooperated in the implementation from RTL to tape-out in six months using ARM Artisan® physical IP, TSMC memory macros, and EDA technologies enabled by TSMC’s Open Innovation Platform® (OIP) design ecosystem. ARM and TSMC’s collaboration produces optimized, power-efficient Cortex-A57 processors and libraries to support early customer implementations on 16nm FinFET for high-performance, ARM technology-based SoCs. “This first ARM Cortex-A57 processor implementation paves the way for our mutual customers to leverage the performance and power efficiency of 16nm FinFET technology,” said Tom Cronk, executive vice president and general manager, Processor Division, ARM. “The joint effort of ARM, TSMC, and TSMC’s OIP design ecosystem partners demonstrates the strong commitment to provide industry-leading technology for customer designs to benefit from our latest 64-bit ARMv8 architecture, big.LITTLE™ processing and ARM POP™ IP across a wide variety of market segments.” “Our multi-year, multi-node collaboration with ARM continues to deliver advanced technologies to enable market-leading SoCs across mobile, server, and enterprise infrastructure applications,” said Dr. Cliff Hou, TSMC Vice President of R&D. “This achievement demonstrates that the next-generation ARMv8 processor is FinFET-ready for TSMC’s advanced technology.” This announcement highlights the enhanced and intensified collaboration between ARM and TSMC. The test chip was implemented using a commercially available 16nm FinFET tool chain and design services provided by the OIP ecosystem and ARM Connected Community partners. This successful collaborative milestone is confirmation of the roles that TSMC’s OIP and ARM’s Connected Community play in promoting innovation for the semiconductor design industry.
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| WWE Presents: Rockpocalypse now available in Google Play Store Posted: 02 Apr 2013 09:36 AM PDT
After a slight dip in popularity, WWE star Dwayne Johnson, aka The Rock, seems bent on making a comeback in the cultural psyche. Starring in the new G.I. Joe: Retaliation movie and the upcoming reality/contest TV series The Hero on TNT will help, but there was still one thing needed to make the effort complete – a video game. That last box can now be checked with the release of WWE Presents: Rockpocalypse in the Google Play Store. The new title takes place on a Hollywood soundstage when the folks on the lot start changing into violent, angry beasts due to some unknown pathogen. At least, that is how the setting is described. Screenshots make the enemies The Rock battles appear as regular goons. The goal of all the action is to guide The Rock through the movie lot, punching, kicking and slamming along the way, to find the source of the infection. The game includes hidden clues, upgrades to health, stamina, attack and slam capabilities, and five different combat skills. Rockpocalypse requires Android 4.0 or higher, clocks in at 226MB and it is free. If you feel like taking a turn as the People’s Champion and want to lay the smack down on some bad guys, use one of the download links below to grab a copy for your Android device.    
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| Add Sprint to list of carriers offering HTC One on April 19th Posted: 02 Apr 2013 09:11 AM PDT
Just a short while ago we reported on AT&T’s announcement that they will start selling the HTC One on April 19th. Sprint is hot their heels as they too have announced the availability of the HTC One on the 19th for the same $199.99 price for a 32GB version with a two-year contract. Sprint also indicated they will start accepting pre-orders online this Friday, April 5th, at www.sprint.com/htcone. Hit the break to read the full press release.
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| LG confirms Optimus G Pro sales have already topped the 500,000 unit mark Posted: 02 Apr 2013 08:43 AM PDT
Considering the Optimus G Pro has warranted a ton of praise from both the press as well as customers out there, it should come as no surprise that LG has officially hit a milestone with the device. The Korean manufacturer announced it has sold 10,000 on its initial February 21st launch. Oh and for good measure, LG confirmed that Optimus G Pro sales topped over the coveted 500,000 unit mark during the first month of the release. It looks like customers out in Korea really took a liking to the beefed up specs including the 5.5-inch display, quad-core Snapdragon chip, 2 gigs of RAM and full LTE capabilities. Now all we need is an American variant to officially hit the States and we’ll be in business. source: LG
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| AT&T Working on HD Voice capabilities for its customers due for arrival later this year Posted: 02 Apr 2013 08:20 AM PDT
As part of its initiative to introduce some topnotch voice call capabilities, AT&T has confirmed it will roll out some improved network capabilities for its customers. First off the bat is the Ma Bell offering full HD Voice service for its customers later this year. AT&T senior VP Kris Rinne asserts that “HD Voice is part of our voice over LTE strategy“. The reasoning, you ask? AT&T certainly lacks the call quality and clarity that its competition has, so it is in the wireless carrier’s best interests to ensure that its call quality is topnotch. Additionally, AT&T will showcase even more features for its customers. Rinne confirmed that AT&T is currently working on “advanced LTE”, which does things to reduce interference and bond together traffic from various frequencies which you guessed it— will presumably help to improved things like its upcoming HD Voice service. Look for both the “advanced LTE” and HD Voice to arrive sometime later this year. source: AllThingsD
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