Sunday, February 3, 2013

Android Authority

Android Authority


Flash-based hit Catch The Candy lands on Android

Posted: 02 Feb 2013 08:24 PM PST

Catch the Candy img

A few days ago, I showed you a great new game that has players fling righteous spheres against the invading cubes. Today I give you a more relaxed physics-based puzzler: Catch the Candy.

What started as a popular online Flash game is now a new fantastic time-waster for your Android device. The game features a lovable creature that has an undeniable sweet tooth, whose tail acts like a grappling hook that the player can use to get that ever elusive candy. There are 58 levels, each boasting unique dynamics so as to introduce multiple gameplay, all throughout different worlds. Forty achievements are waiting to be unlocked, not to mention hidden Easter eggs lying around to be discovered. Finally, the graphics and music have a charming touch to them that both young'uns and adults will find absolutely adorable.

Developer HeroCraft, which brought us other fantastic games such as Majesty: Fantasy Kingdom Sim, Farm Frenzy, and Treasures of Montezuma 2, happens to sell Catch the Candy at a discounted price to mark its launch on Android. If you have at least a Froyo device and 28mb of free space, grab the game now while it still costs less than a buck!

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BLU announces new Tegra 3-powered Quattro line of phones

Posted: 02 Feb 2013 03:53 PM PST

blu-quattro-4.5-hd

We’ve previously mentioned some of the low off-contract prices that BLU has sold its Android phones for, but that was for fairly low-end hardware. With its new Quattro line of devices, is significantly upping the hardware ante.

The BLU Quattro line consists of three Nvidia Tegra 3-powered quad-band GSM phones, with the Quattro 4.5 representing the lower end of the three. For $249.99 off-contract, it packs a 1.5 GHz quad-core processor, 1 GB of RAM, 4 GB of internal storage and, as the name implies, and a 4.5-inch display. For $50 dollars more, the $299.99 BLU Quattro 5.7 HD keeps the same exact specs while significantly increasing the screen size and upping the resolution to 1280 x 800.

The top of the line in the Quattro range is the BLU Quattro 4.5 HD. While it takes a hit in screen size, the pixel density gets a major bump up to 326 ppi and the screen is now protected by Gorilla Glass. Internal storage is quadrupled to 16 GB, and the camera is upgraded as well. The Quattro 4.5 HD will sell for $349.99.

While none of these phones have us drooling the way certain upcoming phones do, it’s pretty hard to beat the price, especially considering that we’re talking off-contract here.

Anybody interested?

Show full PR text

MIAMI, Feb. 1, 2013 /PRNewswire/ — BLU Products, one of the fastest growing mobile phone manufacturers in the world, announced the new Quattro Series of smartphone devices, all powered by the NVIDIA® Tegra® 3 1.5 GHz quad-core processor with a fifth battery saver core. The Quattro Series will deliver flagship smartphone performance with console-quality gaming, amazing graphics, speedy applications and fast multitasking.

Quattro Series devices will run on Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich with a planned upgrade to Android 4.1 Jelly Bean. Connectivity for all Quattro Series devices will include quad-band GSM and penta-band 21Mbps HSPA+, including 1700MHz AWS for the US, as the company tries to capitalize on the increased demand for high performance unlocked smartphones in the US.

Quattro 4.5 HD

The Quattro 4.5 HD features a stunning aluminum and glass unibody resulting in an exceptional build quality and luxurious design. Photos and videos come to life with spectacular clarity and rich, natural color on the vivid Advanced Super View 4.5-inch HD 326ppi display, resulting in unparalleled viewing angles and contrast ratio, all protected with marvelously curved scratch resistant Corning® Gorilla® Glass.  Additionally, the Quattro 4.5 HD delivers excellent image capture quality even in adverse conditions such as low light, no light with an 8 megapixel camera featuring an f/2.4 large aperture lens, plus HD video recording up to 1080p, along with 16GB internal memory and 1GB RAM. The Quattro 4.5 HD will be available the first week of February at $349.99 retail unlocked through various websites in the US.

Quattro 4.5

The Quattro 4.5 features the most affordable price point in the industry today for flagship quad-core smartphone performance. The Quattro 4.5 includes a 4.5-inch qHD display, 5.0 megapixel autofocus camera, HD video recording up to 1080p, along with 4GB internal memory, expandable up to 32GB with an external memory card, and 1GB RAM. The Quattro 4.5 will be available the first week of February at $249.99 retail unlocked through various websites in the US.

Quattro 5.7 HD

The Quattro 5.7 HD combines the functionality of a tablet with smartphone portability, highlighted by the captivating 5.7 inch, 1280 x 720 HD display, an 8 megapixel camera, plus HD video recording up to 1080p, along with 4GB internal memory, expandable to 32GB with external memory card, and 1GB RAM. The Quattro 5.7 HD will be available at the end of March at $299.99 retail unlocked through various websites in the US.

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Free PlayStation Mobile games all month long for HTC Sense 4+ users

Posted: 02 Feb 2013 01:23 PM PST

htc-playstation-mobile-cubixx

While there’s no shortage of free games available for Android devices, more is always better, right? Thanks to HTC and Playstation Mobile for Android, owners of select HTC phones will be offered a free game a week until the end of February.

HTC says you simply need to be running a device with Sense 4+, but certain models are mysteriously left out. While I was able to download the Playstation Mobile app on an HTC Droid DNA, when I tried to run the app, I was met with the helpful message "an error has occured." Granted, the Droid DNA is not on the list of supported HTC devices.

At the time of this writing, these only supported HTC devices are those listed below.

  • One V
  • One X
  • One S
  • One XL
  • One EVO 4G LTE
  • One X+

This week’s game is the action-puzzler Cubixx. To get your hands on it, make sure your device is updated to Android 4.1 and head to the Playstation Mobile site. The app isn’t available in the Play Store, so you’ll have to download the apk manually. For the link, see the sources section below.

Have you grabbed Cubixx yet? What do you think of it?

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Android web share falls, Apple rises, and what that really means

Posted: 02 Feb 2013 11:32 AM PST

web share The Android vs iOS battle will continue until one of them is gone. Given that is slowly losing its grasp on the mobile market, we’d be willing to bet that it won’t be Android that goes down first. However, new studies have come out showing that Apple controls the web share by nearly 40%.

Let’s observe the facts. Since November 2012, Android web share has fallen 13% while Apple’s web share as gone up 1%. According to CNNMoney’s Philip Elmer-DeWitt, this trend actually began in October when the iPhone 5 and the iPad Mini were released. This sparked skepticism that the shipping numbers that have been going around may be wrong.

For those who don’t know, the shipping numbers state that Android outsold iOS this year in both tablets and smartphones. More importantly, that Android now controls tablet market share as well as smartphones. This explains the skepticism that if Android is the king of every market share, then the web share should reflect that too. Since it doesn’t, well, you see where this is going.

So what does the increased web share actually mean?

The conclusion by some is that Android users simply don’t use their web browsers as much as Apple users do. That, or someone’s numbers are screwy. The problem is discerning which one is true. Since sales numbers seem to pop up out of nowhere, many believe that it’s the sales numbers that are skewed and that iOS is much more popular than Android. These people use this web share data as proof of that.

To put it bluntly, the web share information doesn’t mean squat when it comes to hardware sales. It simply shows that Apple fans use their browser way more than Android fans. It’s not a giant leap in logic to make. Consider that for months, the only way to access Google Maps on iOS devices was through the web interface. There are many similar bottlenecks to iOS that make people use their web browser. There is also the chance that Apple users just like their web browsers more often.

It’s impossible to correlate hardware sales to web share when dealing with titans like Apple and Android. Trying to use consumer habits to determine hardware sales is like saying people buy more sports cars because studies show sports car owners drive faster. It’s comparing apples to oranges and can lead to conclusions that aren’t always accurate.

Next time you see a web share graph, take it for what it’s worth. This one is showing more people on iOS use their web browsers and that’s it. It’s a measure of preference, not of dominance. No one should walk around stating that an operating system is more prevalent due to something like web share.  We’d love to hear from our readers on the subject. Do you think web share has any bearing on operating system sales and popularity?

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The popular Game Stick kickstarter comes to an end with $647,658 pledged

Posted: 02 Feb 2013 10:14 AM PST

Game Stick After a long and successful run, the Game Stick Kickstarter project has finally come to an end. The company had hoped for around $100,000 in backing to get their concept off the ground. What they got certainly must have surprised them, as they totaled $647,658 in pledges. That’s over 600% more than they were asking for. This despite a number of setbacks, including a a full redesign of the controller.

Now the waiting begins. According to their Kickstarter page, the Game Stick crew plans on having these shipped out by April. So if you contributed, you only have a couple of months to go. If you didn’t get to, we can only hope these will be available mass produced soon.

This project, along with Ouya, really shows how much people want an Android console. The only question is do people want the classic console paradigm or something that can be unplugged and transported easily. With Ouya and Game Stick, both choices are available.

The Ouya is available for pre-order now for shipment in April. Based on that, we should see the Game Stick become available to the general public by March or April on the latest. Will anyone be picking one of these up when they become publicly available?

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Google submits a proposal to end EC antitrust inquiry

Posted: 02 Feb 2013 06:47 AM PST

court

It looks like an end to Google’s long running EU court saga could be right around the corner. According to AllThingsD, the technology giant submitted a proposal, before the end of January deadline, which should settle the investigation.

The EU’s antitrust probe began in 2010 after complaints of anti-competitive behavior arose from European businesses, which prompted the European Commission to investigate into how Google was ranking its search results and advertising. Google was facing a fine of up to 10 percent of its total revenue, which would have cost the company around $4 billion, but a settlement could see Google escape the steepest penalties.

Google has always denied any wrongdoing in both of their cases concerning anti-competitive business practices, but government regulators are notoriously hard to please.

Although neither Google nor the EC has made a commented on the submitted proposal, inside sources have indicated that the settlement looks very similar to the agreement Google made with the FTC not to long ago.

Under the FTC’s ruling, websites will be granted the opportunity to opt out of search results and be able to remove content from specialized search pages. The FTC also granted advertisers more control over the availability of ad related information, allowing them to more easily acquire and export relevant data from Google using third party software.

However, just because Google has submitted a proposal to settle the dispute doesn’t mean that the EC will accept. If Google failed to make sufficient concessions to address the EC’s concerns then the battle could be draw out even longer, and Google could even face steeper punishments than those handed out by the FTC.

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Android Phone Fans

Android Phone Fans


Android Overload: Galaxy Note 2 deal, Nexus 10 back in stock, leaks and more

Posted: 02 Feb 2013 05:59 PM PST

We hope you are having a good weekend! If not, you can always make it a bit better by checking out the Android stories that didn’t make it to our homepage. There’s a lot of goodies in here, so take a look and nerd out with us.

Share to Google Talk on Android with GTalkShare [VIDEO]

Posted: 02 Feb 2013 04:31 PM PST

Google Talk seems to be one of Google’s abandoned step children. We have been begging for file transfers, group chats and many other features, but no major update comes around. Not being able to share to Google Talk on Android is one of Google’s most notorious faults, though, and that is what we are going to touch on right now.

Developer 360Dev has a very nifty solution for all of us looking to share directly to Google Talk – GTalkShare. It has been around for a while, but it really should have more downloads. I mean, this is Google’s official IM service, how can the guys at Mountain View not give us some sharing love?

GTalkShare does exactly what the title entails – it allows you to share to your Google Talk contacts straight from Android’s native sharing function. Upon opening the app, one is prompted to select which Google account to use. You must allow the app access to your Google Talk account, so no need to sign in or any of that.

After that, simply go to any app, hit the share button and tap on GTalkShare. Then select your recipient and share away! It’s really that simple. Sure, it doesn’t have the most beautiful UI or the smoothest experience, but it works as intended.

So there you go, guys. Head to the Google Play Store and download this app! Do you struggle with this lacking feature, as well? Do you have another solution? Let us know in the comments!

More Motorola X Phone rumors surface – amazing battery, great camera and more

Posted: 02 Feb 2013 02:07 PM PST

Rumors of the Motorola X Phone are heating up and we have some new possible details for you today. Some of these seem a bit iffy, some sound exciting and some are just unbelievable. It seems no matter how we look at this phone, we have no idea what Google and Motorola are trying to do here. Let’s just jump into today’s murmurings, shall we?

Phone Arena’s sources claim to have the inside scoop on the X Phone’s details. Allegedly, some of his friends have been testing this bad boy and we are looking at some great improvements laid out in the table.

For starters, Google is said to be working with Motorola to focus on better battery life and superior durability. According to the insider, the device will have a kevlar back (of course) and a hefty battery (like the RAZR Maxx). It is also stated that it will have a 4.8-inch display, a quad-core processor and… wait for it… a microSD slot and up to 128 GB of internal storage! That is some serious storage, and we seriously doubt this will happen, but we’ll see.

We are not sure what is going on here. If this is true, Google is going back to its old ways, as Google has permanently moved away from expandable storage. Then again, this is not meant to be a Nexus device – even if it is said it will be sold via the Play Store, have stock Android and be built in collaboration with Google.

The last rumored addition, and probably the most exciting, is an improved camera. More specifically, it is said to come with a Sony Exmor sensor (Apple devices are powered with these sensors). We know many of you have been begging Google to improve camera quality, so this might very well be the first step.

Like always, you should take this with a grain of salt. Even trusted sources have been wrong in the past, and it is way too early for us to really bet on any of this. If you are patient enough, you can go ahead and speculate in the comments, let us know what you think, and wait until Google I/O to see if any of this is true.

[PhoneArena]

Android Overload: Apple takes top smartphone vendor title from Samsung, Google valued at over a quarter trillion dollars, and more [VIDEO]

Posted: 01 Feb 2013 08:59 PM PST

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The Android Overload is where we feature the biggest news stories from throughout the day (see above video), as well as stash all of the stories/articles/news bits that didn't make it onto our front page. But just because they weren't featured doesn't mean they aren't worth taking a look at. In fact, there's almost always a little something here for everyone. So, take a look around and let us know if you find anything of interest.

  • Sony Xperia Z gets priced in the UK. £529 straight up. [GSMArena]
  • ASUS Memo Pad 10 press shots leaked. Basically, a Transformer Pad in a new shell. [UnwiredView]
  • Sony Xperia E gets torn down at the FCC, Sony’s entry level Android device. [WirelessGoodness]
  • Samsung no longer #1. Apple takes the crown for Q4 2012 (but not for long). [TNW
  • HD Widgets updated with support for Colourform theme. [Google Play]
  • Google shares hit all time high of $775.32. [AllThingsD]
  • TWRP updated to 2.4.1.0 Adds new features. [TeamWin]
  • ASUS sells 1 million Padfone 2 units globally. [Digitimes]
  • NVIDIA finding it hard to sell the Tegra 4 to handset manufacturers. Other than Toshiba, anyway. [Digitimes]
  • Chrome Beta for Android updated in the Play Store. [Google Play]
  • Intel will show off their dual-core processors at Mobile World Congress. [Intel]
  • PlayJam GameStick’s Kickstarter campaign is over. Reaches $647,000+ in funding. [DroidGamers]
  • Star Trek companion app now available in the Play Store. [Google Play]
  • Twitter hits $9.9 billion in valuation. [Fortune]
  • Flipboard updated in the Play Store. Now allows for saving images to gallery. [Google Play]
  • Archos 70 Titanium and Archos 101 Titanium hit the FCC. [Liliputing]

Android Central

Android Central


AOSP updated to revision 1.2, build JOP40G

Posted: 02 Feb 2013 04:22 PM PST

AOSP

The AOSP has been tagged as 4.2.1 r1.2, and the small change log lists a few interesting bug fixes. Version JOP40G will have some power management fixes as well as a tweak to the way an EXT4 partition handles file creation. These fixes are not device specific, so they will affect the Nexus 10, Nexus 7, and Nexus 4. We imagine the Galaxy Nexus will also see the benefits of this build.

In a nutshell -- some folks had issues where their device would shut off when removed from the charger, and these changes should address those. No word on when to expect an update, or if one is planned for this tag. There's plenty of bugs to squash in 4.2.1, and like we have seen with every other build of AOSP these things take a little time -- often longer than we would like. Maybe OEMs holding off and not delivering the bleeding edge for their phones isn't such a bad idea, right?

Source: AOSP; via Android Police



Apps of the Week: NFL '12, Ulysse Speedometer, Aquarium Calculator and more!

Posted: 02 Feb 2013 01:18 PM PST

Apps of the Week

It's the first apps of the week roundup of February, and we tried our best to get some great picks for you this week. We've got a couple of useful tools and some fun games to try out, with a couple others sprinkled in as well. Check them out after the break and see how we did this week.

read more



Beta version of Tesla Model S app comes to the Play Store

Posted: 02 Feb 2013 11:49 AM PST

Android Central

After being iOS-only for some time, Tesla owners can now control their car with an Android app as well. One perk of having an all-electric car designed for a consumer electronics-focused market is great integration of systems, and there's no better way to show it off than with an app that controls your car. The Tesla Model S Android app lets you check your remaining range or charge state, control heat or A/C before you get into the car, open/close the roof and unlock/lock the doors from a distance.

The app has just been released and holds a "Beta" tag, citing occasional UI glitches, but we're just happy to see it released publicly. If you're lucky enough to have your hands (and a good chunk of your bank account) on a Tesla Model S, you'll want to head to the Play Store and grab this app right away.



Foursquare for Business hits Google Play, manage your locations from your Android device

Posted: 02 Feb 2013 04:26 AM PST

Android Central

Until now, business owners utilizing Foursquare have been required to manage their locations via the Foursquare website. Now though, Foursquare for Business has hit the Google Play Store, providing the opportunity to manage those locations on the go. 

From within, business owners can post photo updates, share updates via Facebook and Twitter, view recent checkins at their locations, learn more about their customers and drive new business by way of Foursquare specials. It's a very specific app with a specific purpose, but it's great news that Foursquare has realized the power of being able to access your business specific information on the go. Further more, it looks to have been extremely well done, so if you're a business owner on Foursquare, hit the Play Store link at the top to grab yourselves a copy. 



Google Android News Android Forums

Google Android News Android Forums


Xperia T Jelly Bean update rolls out to some devices

Posted: 01 Feb 2013 10:15 PM PST

Well that didn’t take long. Just yesterday we saw Sony prepping some Jelly Bean updates for Xperia T devices, and today they’ve officially started rolling out. The update that’s been hitting devices matches what was on the original website, so it looks legit. As of right now, the update is confirmed live in just the Netherlands, but it’s bound to pop up on other parts of the globe. Let us know in the comments if you’re getting your taste of Jelly Bean on your device.

source: Xperia Blog


HTC giving away free Playstation Mobile games to Sense 4+ users

Posted: 01 Feb 2013 10:11 PM PST

Are you a fan of using Playstation Mobile on your certified HTC device? You’re about to get pretty excited. HTC is giving away free Playstation mobile games to users with devices running Sense 4.0 or above, and Android 4.1. This includes several HTC devices, but unfortunately leaves out AT&T and T-Mobile users that are still waiting on their Jelly Bean update. It’s hard to blame HTC for that, though, as they’ve updated their other versions of many of their devices.

They’re running a different free game every week until the end of February. This is pretty similar to Sony’s giveaway that’s going on right now. All you have to do is set up your account and download away. Happy gaming!

source: HTC


Paramount releases Star Trek Into Darkness app to hype up movie’s release

Posted: 01 Feb 2013 10:02 PM PST

Paramount has released a Star Trek application for free in the Play Store as a companion app to their new movie. It adds a lot of user engagement to the upcoming movie by offering bonus material for users that go on “scavenger hunts” within the app, some of which involve photographing movie posters or billboards to unlock new content or using sound recognition while watching movie trailers. It’s a pretty cool app that’s definitely one-of-a-kind. If you’re a die-hard Trekkie or just excited for the new movie, hit the source below to download the app.

QR Code generator

Play Store Download Link


Leaked Qualcomm roadmap suggests Spring release for Key Lime Pie

Posted: 01 Feb 2013 09:53 PM PST

Anytime a company releases some big, well-kept secret, you know it’s going to fly to every corner of the internet in roughly 6 seconds. Qualcomm made this mistake earlier today, with their leaked roadmap referring to a Spring release for “Key Lime Pie” several times. Oops. They tried to clean it up pretty quickly by using lawyers to demand the copyrighted materials be pulled from the internet, but the cat’s out of the bag, and there’s no better way to confirm a rumor than by panicking about it. Oops again. Of course, this back up everyone’s suspicion that Google will unveil the latest flavor of Android at Google I/O in May, as well as revealing that mysterious X-Phone. Just a few more months to wait, folks.

source: CNet


Southeast Asia to receive Intel-powered phones in near future, starting with Acer Liquid C1 in Thailand

Posted: 01 Feb 2013 07:20 PM PST

Intel is trying their hardest to break into the smartphone market lately, though not the American market. Next up for the chip maker is the Acer Liquid C1 that’s planning to be launched in Thailand first, then launch in other nearby markets, hopefully within three months according to a certain senior Intel executive. The C1 runs on Intel’s Lexington platform with an Atom Z240 CPU and boasts a 4.3 inch screen, 2,000 mAh battery, and Android 4.0. Not ground breaking, but coming it at about $335, it’s expected. It does also feature HSPA+ connectivity, which was a smart move on Intel and Acer’s part. The C1 marks the ninth phone in nine months powered by one of Intel’s processors.

Since that area is a new, growing smartphone market, it makes sense that Intel would want to start trying to sway early adopters to their phones, and it’s beneficial for partners like Acer to jump on board. We won’t see any immediate results from this, but it’s definitely going to be interesting to see how Intel-powered phones pan out across the globe, and whether or not they can shake up the already competitive Android playing field.

source: ZDNet


ASUS MemoPad 10 press images surface, pricing leaked

Posted: 01 Feb 2013 03:48 PM PST

ASUS’ rumored MemoPad 10 has been revealed today in a set of leaked press photos, outing the as-of-yet unannounced tablet. According to recent leaks, the MemoPad 10 is expected to feature a 10.1-inch 1,280 x 800 IPS LCD panel, a quad-core NVIDIA Tegra 3 CPU and 1GB of RAM. Also included is 16GB of on board storage, a MicroSD slot for further memory expansion, Android 4.1 Jelly Bean, a 5-megapixel rear camera and a 1.2-megapixel font facing shooter.

Interestingly, the same leak suggests the device will make its debut in Europe for a price of €300, equal to around $410 US. Unlike the Transformer Pad TF300, there’s no docking station to go along with the device. Additionally, the MemoPad 10 is expected to weigh less than the previous generation tablet, while opting for a more robust 10.5mm thick body.

There’s still no word on a release date or general availability, though were sure ASUS won’t be waiting too much longer to give us the full low-down.


Google/Motorola “X” Smartphone To Feature Great Battery Life And Kevlar Backing, Reminds Us Of Previous Motorola Phones In The Process

Posted: 01 Feb 2013 02:33 PM PST

 

It’s been a while since we’ve heard anything about Googlorola’s mysterious “X” smartphone, so it’s fitting that we’ve gotten some new juicy details about the device. According to the wunderguru Sniggly, there are already working models of the upcoming handset somewhere out there in the wild as part of the smartphone’s extensive testing process. It appears that Google is pulling no stops as it is intent on making a phone that features great battery life and is durable— something that most smartphones of today lack, but Motorola clearly emphasizes with its long line of smartphones featuring Kevlar backings and great battery lives. In addition, the phone is rumored to have a screen size around 4.8-inches, a quad-core processor, and a microSD card slot with the possibility that the internal storage is rumored to go up to a 128 GB version. Oh and those of you afraid of this upcoming device having a crummy camera can fear no more as Motorola/Google are expected to feature a much better camera sensor… perhaps even one of those new Sony Exmor sensors that the tech world has been raving about.

We still have a long ways to go before the device is expected to be announced– but boy you just can’t help but get giddy at the expected May 15th announcement date– especially for you Verizon customers.

source: PhoneArena