Android Central

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• Another look at Dead Trigger 2 on NVIDIA Shield
• Spring cleaning: Win an HTC Media Link HD
• T-Mobile ahead of schedule bringing MetroPCS customers to its network
• Samsung and Jay-Z planning something this Sunday during game 5 of the NBA finals
• Android Central 138: Someone got Android in my Camera
• AT&T restructures and improves GoPhone prepaid plans
• Hands-on with Nyko's upcoming NVIDIA Shield accessories
• Sony Xperia SP video walkthrough
• NVIDIA Grid shows you can play Borderlands 2 on Ouya
• Amazon one-day HTC One sale now on
• Candy Crush Saga for Android: Help, hints and cheats
• Devil May Cry developer leaps into mobile with 80s-style beat-'em-up game
• Celebrating 50,000 downloads of the Android Central app with a T-shirt giveaway!
• Testing Google Play Music's new streaming quality settings
• Deal of the Day: Case-Mate Tough Case for Samsung Galaxy S4
• Samsung Galaxy S4 Active up for pre-order on AT&T
• New ASUS-made Nexus tablet drops by the FCC
• Press updated with Feedbin and Feed Wrangler support, interface changes
• Talk Mobile 2013 Launch Party in NYC - The Video!

Another look at Dead Trigger 2 on NVIDIA Shield Posted: 14 Jun 2013 04:22 PM PDT Our first look at Dead Trigger 2 at CES was great, and since then the game has come a long way. We met up with the guys from Madfinger Games at E3 for a walkthrough of a new gas station arena level. Of course the zombie-infested first-person shooter is well-known for its excellent graphics, and they're now including dynamic reflections and shadows in addition the the already great water and lighting effects. Graphics aside, Madfinger emphasized that Dead Trigger 2 plays fundamentally differently than the original. For one, there won't be any premium-only weapons; you'll be able to get everything through a blueprint-based crafting system. read more

Spring cleaning: Win an HTC Media Link HD Posted: 14 Jun 2013 03:23 PM PDT The HTC Media Link HD is way to cool to be sitting here, unused in my desk drawer. See the review for a quick refresher of exactly what this baby can do, but know that if you have a Sense 4+ or Sense 5 phone and a television, you probably want it. So here's your chance. Drop a comment below. Sometime late tonight, we'll shut the comments down and pick a winner at random. Be sure you have a working email address on file here at AC, 'cause that's how I'll get in touch with you to find out where to send it. When I've finished finding all the cool stuff I need to give away, we'll announce the winners here on the blog.  Good luck! read more

T-Mobile ahead of schedule bringing MetroPCS customers to its network Posted: 14 Jun 2013 03:01 PM PDT Two new HSPA+ and LTE devices now available directly from MetroPCS stores MetroPCS is now ready to start selling devices that run on T-Mobile's HSPA+ network, marking the beginning of customer migration to T-Mobile US, the carriers announced today with a press release. Following the announcement earlier this week that MetroPCS customers in a few select cities -- Boston, Las Vegas and Hartford -- could bring their own unlocked GSM devices, stores in those same markets will now be selling two new devices that no longer use MetroPCS' CDMA network. The devices are the LG Optimus L9 and Samsung Galaxy Exhibit, a couple of solid offerings that fit well into MetroPCS' current device lineup. The migration of customers begins just six weeks after the newly appointed T-Mobile US brand began trading on the stock market, and is ahead of schedule according to the carrier. read more

Samsung and Jay-Z planning something this Sunday during game 5 of the NBA finals Posted: 14 Jun 2013 02:49 PM PDT We just received this picture in our email, along with a cryptic reminder to "Tune in Sunday" from Samsung. We're not exactly sure what we'll be seeing, except that it involves Samsung, and producer, entertainer and entrepreneur extraordinaire Jay-Z -- and that we will want to turn up the volume. Tune in Sunday (June 16) at 8PM Eastern on ABC to find out what's up.

Android Central 138: Someone got Android in my Camera Posted: 14 Jun 2013 02:26 PM PDT Podcast MP3 URL:  http://traffic.libsyn.com/androidcentral/acpc138.mp3 Thing 1: Samsung still making things Samsung 'Galaxy NX' Android-based mirrorless camera pictured Mirrorless 'Galaxy Camera 2' to launch at Samsung London event next week Samsung announces Galaxy S4 Zoom: 16MP camera, 10x optical zoom, full phone capabilities Making sense of the Galaxy S4 Zoom Samsung Galaxy S4 Active available June 21 on AT&T for $199 on contract Samsung Galaxy S4 Active up for pre-order on AT&T Thing 2: The agony over iOS 7 Apple's iOS 7 'copied' everyone - and that's a good thing Thing 3: Google Music update is a good thing Google Play Music update brings faster downloads, better data controls Google Play Music All Access will be my first paid music subcription service Testing Google Play Music's new streaming quality settings Thing 4: The Android Central app and Talk Mobile Android Central App gets dark theme, font size options in Version 1.2! The Android Central app now available on the Amazon Appstore Celebrating 50,000 downloads of the Android Central app with a T-shirt giveaway! Talk Mobile Gaming Week Recap: The best things you said

AT&T restructures and improves GoPhone prepaid plans Posted: 14 Jun 2013 11:51 AM PDT More options with better data plans coming June 21; new LTE device joining the prepaid ranks Closely following earlier rumors, AT&T announced today that it will be restructuring its GoPhone prepaid plans to be more data friendly and offer a wider variety of options. Starting next week, AT&T will shift to a new three tier prepaid plan structure: $60 per month: unlimited talk and text with 2GB of data, $10 per 1GB additional $40 per month: 500 minutes, unlimited text with 200MB of data, $5 per 100MB additional $25 per month: 250 minutes, unlimited text with no data, $5 per 50MB of data additional This is a serious shift away from what AT&T' s prepaid offerings looked like at this time last year, and even a marked improvement over its current plans. Currently $65 on GoPhone will get you just 1GB of data, with no option to purchase additional gigabytes -- they've knocked the price by $5, added 1GB  to the base price and now allow additional data to be purchased. For the less-than-power user, the $40 plan offers a good choice for those needing less data. Let's also remember that AT&T now allows customers to bring any phone, including those with LTE, to its prepaid plans. read more

Hands-on with Nyko's upcoming NVIDIA Shield accessories Posted: 14 Jun 2013 11:18 AM PDT Nyko recently announced their first batch of NVIDIA Shield accessories, and we got a chance to play around with them at E3. First up is a soft shell with form-fitted interior for some solid baseline protection. There's a zipper all around the outside to keep it snug, and a lanyard to make sure you don't lose your grip on it. That one should be going for about $19.99.  read more

Sony Xperia SP video walkthrough Posted: 14 Jun 2013 10:40 AM PDT How does Sony's latest mid-range handset shape up? From a handful of phones a few years ago, Sony Mobile now offers a vast portfolio of Android devices -- and it's quickly exhausting the alphabet with its letter-themed Xperia handsets. We've already covered the Xperia Z and Xperia ZL at the high end, now it's the turn of the Xperia SP, the company's mid-range offering for mid-2013. With a dual-core Snapdragon S4 Pro chip, a 720p screen and 8-megapixel camera, the SP boasts specs that would've been considered bleeding edge less than twelve months ago. It's also much more hand-friendly than its larger siblings, with a comfortable, curved back panel. The SP also sees Sony resurrecting one of the quirkier features from its 2011 line-up -- the glowing "transparent element" that acts as a giant notification LED (and disco lights, if you're using the Walkman music app.) Check out our full video walkthrough of the Sony Xperia SP after the break. read more

NVIDIA Grid shows you can play Borderlands 2 on Ouya Posted: 14 Jun 2013 10:33 AM PDT Back at CES, NVIDIA announced a cloud gaming solution called Grid, though it was mostly overshadowed by the Shield portable console. Luckily at E3 we got some time with one of the grid engineers, Chad Cooper, to talk about what Grid can do. Specifically, they were showing how the Android-powered Ouya game console could play big-boy games like Borderlands 2 thanks to their tech.  read more

Amazon one-day HTC One sale now on Posted: 14 Jun 2013 10:25 AM PDT AT&T and Sprint HTC One going for $79.99 up-front for new customers, $99.99 for upgrades Amazon's one-day sale on the Sprint and AT&T HTC One has begun. For today only, HTC's latest handset is being sold at a reduced price of $79.99 if you're a new customer, or $99.99 for upgrades, which is a pretty good discount on our favorite Android phone of the moment. If you're interested, check out the links below -- AT&T Silver HTC One AT&T Black HTC One Sprint Silver HTC One Sprint Black HTC One

Candy Crush Saga for Android: Help, hints and cheats Posted: 14 Jun 2013 10:22 AM PDT If Candy Crush is bleeding you dry, fear not - these tips can help you out  Admit it: You're playing Candy Crush Saga. Or you know somebody who does. The Bejeweled clone has become a big of hit on iOS as well as Android, amassing more than 50 million total downloads on Google Play, with an average rating of 4.4 on some 1.2 million reviews. Like the app or not, you can't deny those numbers. And so Candy Crush has quickly become the latest and greatest timesuck, not to mention a money pit thanks to some devilishly good in-app purchases to get you through those tricky levels. Fortunately, our pals at iMore.com are damned wizards when it comes to Candy Crush Saga, offering up a number of tips and tricks that can keep the frustration at a minimum. read more

Devil May Cry developer leaps into mobile with 80s-style beat-'em-up game Posted: 14 Jun 2013 09:38 AM PDT At E3 2013, we got some time with Ninja Theory, who's been working on their first mobile title called Fightback. These guys made the latest Devil May Cry game, which is part of a well-respected console action series, so it was pretty exciting to see what they'd be able to do on Android. Fightback is straightforward (but gorgeous) beat-em-up where players have to tap and swipe their way through waves of 80s-era goons within a limited timeframe. If things get tight, you can always bust out the guns to clear a wave, but depending on your weapon and upgrades, you'll have to wait on your reload time to use them again.  read more

Celebrating 50,000 downloads of the Android Central app with a T-shirt giveaway! Posted: 14 Jun 2013 09:21 AM PDT It's Friday and we're in a great mood this week, especially since the latest iteration of the Android Central App has surpassed 50,000 downloads in its first month of release, which is wildly exceeding our expectations! As a way to say thanks, we're going to give away 20 Android Central T-shirts. Just leave a comment in this post, and we'll pick 20 winners at random. We'll leave comments open through 5 p.m. Sunday to make sure everybody gets a chance, and this one's open to everyone. (We'll post the winners here in this post after they've been chosen, and we'll contact them by e-mail as well.) Thanks again, everybody! Check out the all-new Android Central app if you haven't already, and be sure to leave a review!

Testing Google Play Music's new streaming quality settings Posted: 14 Jun 2013 07:26 AM PDT New Play Music settings could cut your streaming data usage in half The launch of Google Play Music All Access last month reminded many of us just how much data the app uses for streaming and caching. There were a few things you could do to try and limit your usage, but in the end Google was likely going to stream as high quality of music it could, data caps be damned. Google listened to some of the complaints coming its way about the data usage, and has released an update that gives users better options to limit data usage by lowering the stream quality in Play Music. Rather than allowing the app to offer as high of quality music as possible given the current connection, users now have three settings -- low, normal and high -- to cap the quality, and therefore data usage, of streaming. We've done a little semi-scientific testing on the new settings, and have found them to be quite effective. So, let's put things to the test. read more

Deal of the Day: Case-Mate Tough Case for Samsung Galaxy S4 Posted: 14 Jun 2013 04:29 AM PDT The June 14 ShopAndroid.com Deal of the Day is the Case-Mate Tough Case for Samsung Galaxy S4. Built to withstand sudden drops and accidental falls, the Tough case is the epitome of protection. A snug, form fitting silicone wrap provides shock resistance, while the polycarbonate hard shell protects against impact. Color options include black, pink and purple. The Case-Mate Tough Case is available for just $20.00, 33% off today only. Backed by our 60-day return policy and fast shipping! Never miss a deal. Sign up for Daily Deal alerts

Samsung Galaxy S4 Active up for pre-order on AT&T Posted: 14 Jun 2013 04:16 AM PDT $200 on a two-year plan or $595 up-front, shipping June​ 18 Right on schedule, Samsung's rugged, water-resistant Galaxy S4 Activet is now available to pre-order from U.S. carrier AT&T. The Active packs similar specs to the regular Galaxy S4 -- Snapdragon 600 CPU, 2GB of RAM, 1080p screen -- with the added bonus of being able to withstand the elements. It's rated IP67 for dust resistance and water resistance up to 1 meter for 30 minutes. The Galaxy S4 Active will set you back $199.99 on a two-year plan, or $594.99 outright. It's available in "urban grey" and "dive blue" colors, and will start shipping to pre-order customers from June 18, ahead of the June 21 date for general availability. Anyone placing a pre-order today? Shout out in the comments! More: AT&T

New ASUS-made Nexus tablet drops by the FCC Posted: 14 Jun 2013 03:57 AM PDT Snapdragon S4 Pro quad-core CPU, 5MP rear camera and 4G LTE Rumors of a second-generation, ASUS-built Nexus 7 tablet have been circulating for some time, so it shouldn't come as too much of a surprise to see such a device passing by the FCC today.  The ASUS "K009" tablet is listed on the FCC's online repository, along with the "Nexus" name listed under "brand" in a certification document. The same document specifies a quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 Pro and 4,000mAh battery, a 5-megapixel rear camera and 4G LTE radios. (Additional FCC data points to T-Mobile and AT&T frequencies.) The inclusion of LTE connectivity as well as a rear camera is interesting to see, considering the original Nexus 7 featured only a front-facing camera, and at launch was a Wifi-only product. We wouldn't speculate as to exactly when this new Nexus tablet might see a retail release, but FCC certification hopefully means it's not too far off. Source: FCC, Engadget

Press updated with Feedbin and Feed Wrangler support, interface changes Posted: 13 Jun 2013 08:08 PM PDT Popular RSS reader Press rolled out an update on the Play Store today that added two new options for managing RSS feeds as well as new interface changes. Getting out in front of the planned Google Reader shutdown on July 1st, the latest update now supports both Feedbin and Feed Wrangler alongside the original Google Reader login option. Both of these options are paid ($2 per month for Feedbin, $19 per year for Feed Wrangler), but are a couple of the only viable options available as a Google Reader replacement at this point. Other leading options are Feedly, which Press indicates should be integrated before July 1st, and Fever, which is marked as "coming soon" to the app. Press has also improved the interface, with better categorizing of feeds and some subtle changes to clean up the reading experience. The app is $2.99 in the Play Store and still stands as one of the best designed apps out there today. You can grab a download from the Play Store link above.

Talk Mobile 2013 Launch Party in NYC - The Video! Posted: 13 Jun 2013 07:33 PM PDT We're a week removed from the Talk Mobile 2013 launch party in New York City. For those who were able to make it -- well, you know it was a bit of a rager, as the kids like to say. (And if they're not saying that, give it time. It'll catch on.) Just us and 600 of our closest smartphone nerd friends, men and women from all walks of life, coming together to hang out, have a couple beverages and swap a few smartphone stories. Thank you for coming. For those who weren't able to make it out, we present this highlights video, and we've got a proper gallery of pics if you keep on readin'. And be sure to check out our Week 1 recap on mobile gaming! read more

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