Wednesday, March 6, 2013

Android Authority

Android Authority


Sony Xperia L gets detailed some more, has 4.3-inch display and 8 MP camera

Posted: 06 Mar 2013 02:48 AM PST

Sony logo aa (2) - 600px

With only two phone launches in the first couple of months of 2013, Sony's alphabet soup was starting to get stale. Fortunately, the Xperia makers seem to have caught that right on time and are now prepping to add some spices with a new L.

Irony and bad food puns aside, the Xperia L is said to be in the works, but it looks fairly unexciting. Initially thought to be coming with a 4-inch display in tow, the L is now rumored to be a slightly bigger 4.3-incher.

Unfortunately, the previously speculated 854 x 480 pixels resolution is almost set in stone, so, again, pretty unexciting. As is the 1 GHz dual-core processor (most likely a Snapdragon S4 Plus unit), the Adreno 305 GPU and 8 GB of on-board storage.

As for the 1,700 mAh battery, that sounds truly pitiful even for what is shaping up to be a budget mid-ranger. On the flip side, the 8 MP camera packed with an Exmor RS sensor could be unexpectedly delicious, while the running of Android 4.1.2 Jelly Bean is also nice though fairly standard already.

In a nutshell, the Xperia L (aka C2104, C2105 or "TaoShan") will probably be a slightly bumped up J. Which, for once, would actually be a logical move from Sony. You know, given L is two letters after J in the alphabet. And you'd expect in such a naming scheme to see the low-enders at the beginning (like the E, for instance) and the top-tier devices towards the end (the Z and ZL). But what comes after Z?

No idea, but getting back to the L for an instance we have to mention the dimensions of the phone have also leaked. These are said to be 128.7 x 65 x 9.7 mm. Which would make the L a whole mm thinner than last year's 4.3-inch Xperia S. Not bad!

Naturally, there’s still no word on pricing or release dates, but expect the L to be unveiled next to the higher end SP. Probably sometime this month, but that’s just a guess. Anyone interested?

The post Sony Xperia L gets detailed some more, has 4.3-inch display and 8 MP camera appeared first on Android Authority.

Here are four screenshots showing the GS4′s eye and head tracking features

Posted: 06 Mar 2013 02:07 AM PST

Samsung’s Galaxy S4 is due to be announced in a little over a week. That means the rumor mill is going to be spinning non-stop at a furious pace for the next eight days or so. I got punked earlier this week by @evleaks, apologies for that, but this next leaks seems a bit more legit. Someone who doesn’t want to identify themselves for obvious reasons sent the folks at SamMobile four screenshots that show off the eye tracking and head tracking features in the GS4. I’m only going to embed one screenshot, but you get the idea.

It appears that the eye tracking will enable automatic scrolling for certain applications, meaning it’s not a system wide feature. Chrome looks to be supported, as well as both the Gmail and Email apps, but that’s all we can tell. And as for head tracking, it looks like the GS4 will pause videos if you turn your head away. All of this sounds really neat, but it’s going to be all about the execution.

And in case you haven’t noticed, it looks like TouchWiz hasn’t changed. At all. We’re quite shocked by that, but at the same time we’re not all that surprised. Samsung would rather spend their money adding features upon features to their devices instead of improving their theme. But hey, you never know, maybe Samsung is keeping Nature UX 2.0 a secret as well as they’re keeping the GS4 a secret?

What else do we know about the GS4? The screen will measure 4.99 inches diagnol and do 1080p, the camera will be a 13 megapixel part, and the Exynos 5 Octa will be inside the belly of the beast. That’s it. Anything anyone else tells you is just bunk.

The post Here are four screenshots showing the GS4′s eye and head tracking features appeared first on Android Authority.

News Corp. intros educational 10-inch Amplify Android-based tablet

Posted: 06 Mar 2013 02:07 AM PST

Amplify tablet

Rupert Murdoch's News Corp. is probably known to many of you for the huge phone hacking scandal that made the headlines for the past couple of years. But what if I were to tell you that the multibillion dollar business is ready to give back to society in the form of an educational tablet?

Surprised? I know I am, especially looking at the tab. Unlike similar school-oriented gadgets manufactured in the past, like the Indian government's Aakash and Aakash 2, the Amplify tablet doesn't seem to come with clunky hardware or outdated software.

Instead, the thing is described as "similar to the Asus Transformer Pad TF300TL", meaning it sports a 10-inch IPS screen and packs a quad-core Tegra 3 processor, 1 GB of RAM (probably) and a battery capable of providing up to 8.5 hours of continuous use.

The software is based on Android Jelly Bean, but it's severely tweaked to serve educational purposes. Usually, that would mean a very rudimentary UI, a lot of "academic" bloatware and some ridiculous "educational" little games, but not this time.

The user interface takes a lot of cues from the Holo Launcher, while the video demo below seems to show off a very smooth OS, easy to control and master for both teachers and students. You do get a lot of pre-loaded academic content and special apps, but most of them look useful, engaging and fun.

Teachers can share content with the entire class or differentiate the materials based on what each student needs to work on to improve, while blocking and unblocking specific features and apps looks like a piece of cake.

Homework can also look fun on Amplify and not in a dumbing down the subjects kind of way. Meanwhile, teachers can build custom lessons with the tab, take attendance in a matter of seconds and monitor the activity of each student without having to keep a direct eye on all of them.

And now for the catch. What, you really thought News Corp. was not expecting a profit here? Unfortunately, the Wi-Fi only tab will apparently cost $299 with a mandatory two-year subscription to Amplify's services (an additional $99 a year). There's also going to be an LTE version made available soon, but for $349 plus a $179 a year subscription.

The tablet really looks great and all, but only schools with very deep pockets will be able to afford it, so it’s not exactly about giving back, eh, Rupert Murdoch? Oh, well, at least some private schools will acquire it and it’s not like the students admitted there will already have access to the latest technology and the best learning methods. Oh, wait…

The post News Corp. intros educational 10-inch Amplify Android-based tablet appeared first on Android Authority.

HTC Sense 5 wallpapers now available for download online

Posted: 06 Mar 2013 01:57 AM PST

Sense 5 walls
Are you looking for ways to fully enjoy HTC Sense 5 without having to purchase an HTC One? Or is your HTC smartphone not among those scheduled to get HTC Sense 5 in the future? Maybe you just want to get your hands on it right now, and use the supplied wallpapers in whichever way that you like. Well, look no further, because the HTC Sense 5 wallpapers are now available for download, and you can find them all here.

Some of these wallpapers look like abstract paintings, while others are just simple patterns that use great colors which make them more than usable as tiled background screens. There are also a couple of black and white photographs, which seem to jump at you the firs time you look at them. In any case, words are simply not enough to describe the entirety of these wallpapers, so go ahead and just download them to see for yourself.

htc-sense-5-wallpaper-15 htc-sense-5-wallpaper-10 htc-sense-5-wallpaper-14 htc-sense-5-wallpaper-7 htc-sense-5-wallpaper-12 htc-sense-5-wallpaper-11 htc-sense-5-wallpaper-16 htc-sense-5-wallpaper-9 htc-sense-5-wallpaper-13 htc-sense-5-wallpaper-8

To download the HTC Sense 5 wallpapers, just right click on the photos and click “Save As.” Or as an alternative, do a long press on the photos if you’re on a mobile device.

The post HTC Sense 5 wallpapers now available for download online appeared first on Android Authority.

HTC’s February numbers are in, they haven’t made this little money in 3 years

Posted: 06 Mar 2013 01:13 AM PST

HTC has just published their February 2013 revenue numbers. Actually, it’s just one number: $11.37 billion Taiwanese dollars, which translates to about $384 million. That’s an incredible 44% less than the same month one year ago, and it’s 27% less than revenues for January 2013. According to The Next Web, the last time HTC made this little money during one month was February 2010, exactly three years ago.

This is bad. Really bad. To provide some additional context, most of HTC’s sales are in Asia. Do you know what takes place every February? Chinese New Year. This writer was in Taiwan last month, and he can report that it was an absolutely insane experience. Gift giving is a critical component of the culture, and many highly sought after consumer electronic items were simply out of stock.

Did people know about the upcoming HTC One and simply decide to delay their smartphone purchase? We’ll find out in April, when HTC reports their March figures. But to be perfectly honest with you, we think HTC has simply lost their way. The One, regardless of how good it might be, will starve for attention once Samsung starts marketing the Galaxy S4. Maybe HTC has something up their sleeve that they’ve yet to show off? We can only hope.

What else is there to say at this point? HTC should be studied by everyone in the mobile industry, because they make great products, yet the company is losing money left and right. Why? When you stop and think about it, HTC doesn’t really do anything other than put together other people’s components. They don’t make their own screens, their own chips, their own batteries, anything really.

Meanwhile, Samsung depends on their own factories for pretty much their entire portfolio. Yes, there are several Braodcom powered Galaxy phones out there, but the bleeding edge stuff, the high margin high end devices, those contain a fair amount of Samsung parts.

The post HTC’s February numbers are in, they haven’t made this little money in 3 years appeared first on Android Authority.

HTC One expected in stock come March 14 in the UK

Posted: 06 Mar 2013 12:59 AM PST

htc-one-leftaa

HTC was initially pretty vague on One's official release date, but the pieces of the puzzle fell into place one by one in the past couple of weeks. The 4.7-incher is now expected on March 7 in Taiwan, starting on the 15th in the UK, a couple of days later in the rest of Europe and on the 22nd in America.

Actually, scratch that British launch date, because it seems at least one particular retailer in the country might ship the One early – Expansys. The new ETA is March 14, so only a day early, but this is definitely news considering what will go down on the same day halfway around the world.

That's right, just as the first HTC One pre-orders will be fulfilled, New York City will be hosting the debut of Samsung's Galaxy S4 (we’ll be there, by the way). We already figured something in the grand scheme of One's release had to overlap with the GS4 intro, but is it really smart of HTC to try stealing the spotlight of this year's most anticipated Android smartphone this way?

HTC One

No, but then again this is probably all on Expansys. As far as we know, the rest of the British retailers and carriers are still planning to put the One up for grabs on March 15 (at the earliest).

That will still be fresh after the S4 unveiling, but maybe it'll all be a good thing for HTC. After all, Sammy's new spearhead can't please everybody, so whoever will end up disappointed with the S4 will most likely jump on the One bandwagon. How about you, are you on the S4, One team or still undecided?

The post HTC One expected in stock come March 14 in the UK appeared first on Android Authority.

Google celebrates Play Store’s 1st birthday with massive week-long sale

Posted: 06 Mar 2013 12:49 AM PST

Google Play birthday balloons
About a year ago, Google launched the Google Play Store. It was the official replacement for the Google Android Market, which back then was the only place where users of Android tablets and smartphones could go to in order to download Android apps. Today, to celebrate the Play Store’s very first birthday, Google is pulling a Good Guy Greg and is offering gifts to all Android users instead of the other way around.

To kick off this week-long Google Play Store birthday celebration, Google has started offering Android users gift cards, exclusive in-app content, limited-time deals, and huge discounts on apps. If you make your way to the Google Play Store right now, you’ll find that some games now feature new exclusive characters, and that you can also get special deals on books, movies, music, and magazines.

And if you don’t find anything that you think is worth spending on, don’t worry. As mentioned earlier, the Google Play Store’s 1st birthday celebration lasts all week long. And the deals and discounts will be updated every day of the week. So hold on to your wallets and keep an eye out for those exclusive offers until something you fancy comes along.

The post Google celebrates Play Store’s 1st birthday with massive week-long sale appeared first on Android Authority.

Verizon’s Samsung Galaxy S3 gets Android 4.1.2 update

Posted: 06 Mar 2013 12:04 AM PST

Samsung Galaxy S3

Three months after Android 4.1 came to Verizon's Samsung Galaxy S3, the carrier is now rolling out a newer version of Jelly Bean to the phone, a different build than the one that leaked in early February.

You should be getting an OTA update soon — if you’re lucky — that will bring your Galaxy S3 to Android 4.1.2. The VRBMB1 build is about 150MB in file size, and for those who are wondering, here's the full change log:

  • Keyboard Predictive Text has been improved
  • Users can take picture while on a call
  • Manual refresh button has been added to lock screen ticker
  • E-mail syncing has been improved
  • Enhanced Bluetooth performance
  • VZ Navigator and Amazon added to stub applications

Granted, it's not the major update that you've probably been waiting for. Think of it as a starter meal before Verizon takes you to the grand feast that is Android 4.2 and beyond.

Let us know below if you've received the Android 4.1.2 update on your device.

The post Verizon’s Samsung Galaxy S3 gets Android 4.1.2 update appeared first on Android Authority.

TweetDeck for Android being shutdown as team focuses on web app

Posted: 05 Mar 2013 11:14 PM PST

tweetdeck-deadAs Agent Smith said so succinctly in The Matrix, “It is inevitable.” That is really the only response to the news that Twitter will close TweetDeck for Android, along with TweetDeck AIR and TweetDeck for iPhone, in May.

TweetDeck was a brilliant multi-platform, multi-account social networking suite that worked on the desktop and on smartphones. In fact, it was so good that Twitter bought it for $40 million back in May 2011. From that moment it was inevitable that the apps were doomed. Twitter already had apps for mobile and wants people to use the web  to access its service from the desktop. It didn’t need a second set of mobile apps nor a desktop program.

According to the TweetDeck team they want to focus on developing a modern, web-based version of TweetDeck and are therefore discontinuing support TweetDeck for Android, TweetDeck AIR and TweetDeck for iPhone. They will all be removed from their respective app stores in early May and will stop working from then on. Any remaining users of TweekDeck for Android should get used to using another Twitter app from today onwards as the team also announced that with the retirement of Twitter’s v1.0 API, the engineers at Twitter will be performing occasional tests that will cause some outages even before the TweetDeck apps are discontinued. So basically it will become unreliable as from now.

The blog post by the TweetDeck team also mentions that it will discontinue support for Facebook integration which, since the two social networks are rivals, was inevitable!

The post TweetDeck for Android being shutdown as team focuses on web app appeared first on Android Authority.

ZTE to deepen their relationship with Intel, plans to use the Atom Z2580 this year

Posted: 05 Mar 2013 10:16 PM PST

ZTE is such a dirty girl. They’ll do business with just about anyone, as long as they get some sort of preferential treatment. ZTE was the one and only company to ship a phone using an NVIDIA Tegra 2 and Icera modem. They were also one of the first companies to announce a Tegra 3 phone. And recently they said they’ll be the first handset maker to launch a phone using the Tegra 4. Forgetting about NVIDIA for a second, just last month they announced that the ZTE Grand Memo will be the first device to use the Qualcomm Snapdragon 800.

See where we’re going with this?

Yesterday ZTE made yet another announcement. They’ve signed an agreement with Intel to make a phone using the Atom Z2580. What exactly is so special about that chip? It’s a dual core processor, with each core having HyperThreading support, so Android is going to see it as “four” cores. It also has a wicked fast graphics processor, the PowerVR SGX 544MP2. There’s even an integrated HSPA+ modem that can hit a theoretical 42 Mbps.

So this as yet to be named phone will be fast, but will it stand out from the crowd?

The answer is probably not, which isn’t too surprising. ZTE is known more in emerging economies, but even there they fall behind their Chinese cousins Huawei and Lenovo. We’d love to be proven wrong though, and have this Intel powered ZTE phone be the coolest thing since sliced bread, but we’re not going to hold our breath.

Recommended Reading: Intel’s Clover Trail+: Dual-Core CPU and Graphics Unveiled at MWC

The post ZTE to deepen their relationship with Intel, plans to use the Atom Z2580 this year appeared first on Android Authority.

Android and Me

Android and Me


Name your own price and get your hands on Humble Bundle with Android 5

Posted: 05 Mar 2013 12:06 PM PST

Humble Bundle is back with five new games and an amazing price – whatever the heck you feel like paying. If you consider yourself a gamer, you’ve probably heard of Humble Bundle which features a handful of amazing indie games that have been developed for Android, Windows, Mac, and...

Visit our site to read the full article.

LTE equipped Sony Xperia ZL soon to be available in US; black, white, red

Posted: 05 Mar 2013 06:42 AM PST

It’s been nearly two months since the Sony Xperia ZL was unveiled at CES, but we’ve finally received word from Sony that the handset will soon be making its way to the United States. Typically, news like this is accompanied with details of a carrier partnership (most Sony phones...

Visit our site to read the full article.

Android Phone Fans

Android Phone Fans


Hands-on with Burt Destruction, a runner game that feels like full fledged Comedy Central show

Posted: 05 Mar 2013 04:09 PM PST

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Runner-style games are a dime a dozen in the Google Play Store, so in order for one to capture our attention, it takes something with a little more flare than normal. Enter, Burt Destruction by RunWilder Entertainment. Apparently, the fella behind Burt Destruction is a veteran in the industry, dabbling in such video game works as Star Wars: The Force Unleashed. So does that mean Burt Destruction will feature a similar level of production and polish? Let’s find out.

Keeping in mind this is only a mobile game, Burt Destruction adds extra gameplay features not normally found from others in the runner-genre, while adding a storyline and design that’s unequaled. In fact, the guys that did the cut scenes and character art were responsible for Comedy Central shows like Ugly Americans — one of my personal favorite animations to come along in a long while. Just watching the opening sequence, I felt like this was a show I somehow managed to miss out on, getting a good chuckle from the voice overs and wacky animations.

Story

It’s a bit strange that there’s even a story to begin with, but Burt Destruction has an interesting one. An evil Yeti is hellbent on creating a hair ray to transform the entire world into beast like himself (I know, it’s silly) and you play as Burt, a seemingly normal dude with Big Foot and a dodo bird as a friend (the former has a PHD) who rages out at the slightest level of excitement. It’s Burt’s natural ability that Yeti and his team of evil cohorts feel would make the perfect addition to their team, so they set out to capture Burt, while completing their plans to turn the world into a beast-men.

Gameplay and Graphics

This is a runner game, so, players will only have to perform a single action to advance: jump. Sounds easy, right? Well, the level is filled with enemies that can be defeated jumping on top of (classic platforming fare), and obstacles that will need to be carefully navigated over. Collecting coins strewn about the level and defeating enemies builds up Burt’s rage meter and once max’d out, allows him to go into a hulk-smash mode, transforming him into his invincible alter ego. Players are offered a variety of ways to upgrade and customize their character, adding additional powerups in the form of ally summons, and additional costumes. While this isn’t a freemium title, the difficult challenge in Burt Destruction kinda leave you feeling like there’s only one way to advance (forking out real money), and that may not leave such a good taste in some player’s mouths.

Visually the game looks great. I did find the 3D cell-shaded style a bit jarring after watching the amazingly well animated cutscenes, but that was just my personal preference. There’s enough enemies and changes in backdrops to keep things fresh and exciting in Burt Destruction, and I like that.

Verdict

Overall, I’d say Burt Destruction is a solid runner/platformer. However, its insane difficulty may prove too challenging for some and even with an entry fee, players may find it impossible to advance without purchasing the many powerups made available via a plethora of in-app purchases. Still, I did find the Burt Destruction more than enjoyable and despite the shortcomings in its business model, still worth a $2 download if for nothing else than accessing all of the game’s cutscenes.

[Burt Destruction on Google Play]

Autodesk updates Socialcam for Android with complete redesign, video filters, front-facing camera support and more

Posted: 05 Mar 2013 03:53 PM PST

The folks at Autodesk have fully taken Socialcam under their wing after the startup was purchased in 2011. The app has been pushed under Autodesk’s banner and has gotten itself a brand new upgrade in the Google Play Store to go along with the occasion. Loyal fans can look forward to all new video filters, support for front-facing cameras, a complete redesigning of the user interface, and “tons of bug fixes.”

Autodesk touts that the app works on most new Android devices, a worthy note considering the app was terribly bad for today’s standards. Autodesk is hoping to win back the hearts of those who have abandoned the app, though, and this is a pretty decent first step to doing just that. Find the video sharing app in the Google Play Store and see if it can’t inspire you to get creative with the videos you share to your family and friends.

Password sync and autofill sync come to Chrome Beta

Posted: 05 Mar 2013 02:57 PM PST

The folks at Google have issued a new upgrade to the beta channel for Chrome for Android. Two big changes are incoming, including synchronization for both passwords and autofill information. These were two of the biggest requested features for the mobile version of Android, and while we caught wind before that Google began work on them we’re as excited as ever to see it’s finally here.

The beta channel of Chrome for Android isn’t 100% guaranteed to be stable, of course, but to be quite honest the stable channel isn’t without a few minor bugs of its own. It’s a good idea to use Chrome Beta to make sure you’re at the edge of Google’s latest innovations. PS: Google says the browser will only sync passwords and autofill information with other Chrome clients based on Chrome 26, so keep that in mind if you can’t get things working. Grab the download here to check it out for yourself.

This is how guys will use Google Glass to get laid [VIDEO]

Posted: 05 Mar 2013 02:55 PM PST

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We could talk all day about the implications of Google Glass and what the high-tech eyewear could mean mean for the future of a connected world. Sure, capturing life’s fleeting moments and improving our day-to-day lives sounds all good and dandy, but some dudes out there just wanna know how wearing a chastity belt around their heads is going to hurt their chances with the ladies.

Well, we came across a fun video exploring this very topic. The good news? Having full access to the limitless knowledge of the world wide web strapped to your skull might not hurt your chances at all. But your friends are another story and of course, Apple still finds a way to cock-block. Some things will never change. Watch on.

This is actually a more humorous take from an idea explored in another short movie called Sight. A much darker flick, we featured Sight awhile back when it was blowing up on Vimeo and for those that missed it, here’s where Google Glass could take us in the very distant, cold future. Word of caution: if we ever get to 2099, never date a Google engineer.

Download these HTC Sense 5 wallpapers

Posted: 05 Mar 2013 02:40 PM PST

You might not be buying an HTC One or your HTC device might not be in line for Sense 5, but that doesn’t mean you can’t give it that Sense 5 feeling. The folks over at AndroidSpin have gotten the default wallpapers that will be included in Sense 5 for all to download. As is usually the case with HTC wallpapers, these look quite nice and elegant, and at least one of them is sure to be pleasing to your eye. Give one a quick download and see if you can’t apply some digital feng shui to your home-screen.

[thanks to everyone who sent this in!]

htc-sense-5-wallpaper-16 htc-sense-5-wallpaper-14 htc-sense-5-wallpaper-9 htc-sense-5-wallpaper-7 htc-sense-5-wallpaper-8 htc-sense-5-wallpaper-13 htc-sense-5-wallpaper-12 htc-sense-5-wallpaper-11 htc-sense-5-wallpaper-15 htc-sense-5-wallpaper-10

Android 4.0+ commands more device share than Gingerbread in latest platform numbers

Posted: 05 Mar 2013 02:14 PM PST

Google has updated its platform distribution numbers to reflect the two week period ending March 4th, 2013. The numbers are looking pretty interesting these days, folks, as devices with Android 4.0 and higher seem to be the majority now.

Ice Cream Sandwich has 28.6%, while Jelly Bean has 16.5%. Of course, Android 4.1 holds the vast majority of Jelly Bean’s share with 14.9% compared to the 1.6% 4.2 has.Gingerbread isn’t dead by any means as it still holds 44.2% of the pie. Amazingly enough, Froyo and Eclair are still kicking with a combined 9.6% of the share. We’re sure there are a few oddball devices still floating about, but considering the hundreds of thousands of device activations taking place each day that’s still pretty significant.

Google is expected to introduce Android 5.0 Key Lime Pie at Google I/O in a couple of months, and by the time we reach that version these numbers could be much different. The arms race for Android 4.2-enabled device hasn’t even taken off quite yet, as ASUS was the first OEM to deliver the goods to a non-Nexus device this week.

It’s tough to say if any of these versions of Android will ever quite reach Gingerbread status, but we’re happy things seem to be staying in the right direction. Check the chart above and find the full table at the source link ahead.

[via Android Developers]

Snoop Dogg game coming to an Android device near you [VIDEO]

Posted: 05 Mar 2013 12:54 PM PST

So how would you like Snoop Dogg on your Android phone or tablet? If watching YouTube videos if his iconic sound from the 90s or his multiple stints on ESPN (where he’s recently been trying to push the “Snoop Lion” persona) don’t do it for you these days, Snoop’s going to be offering himself up in video game form sometime later this year. Dubbed “Way of the Dogg,” the game is a rhythm fighter that has you fending off his foes to the beat of his own music.

Set to release on Android, iOS, Xbox Live Arcade and PSN, the game will ask you to input buttons to the beat of the music, and only the most successful string of inputs will get Snoop pulling off martial arts combos that he probably couldn’t do in real life. The game pays homage to the classic blaxploitation cinema of a few decades ago, and Snoop says this is the first real “gamification” of his music.

Snoop was in the studio to do some voiceover work for the game, and you can find interesting snippets of that in the video above. Way of the Dogg is supposed to launch as part of a multimedia mega launch consisting of his latest album — Reincarnated — and a related documentary by the same name. The release date is still undetermined, though, so if you are looking forward to seeing what sort of lethal weapons Snoop Dogg has attached to his limbs you’ll have to wait a while yet.

Humble Bundle for Android 5 is now live

Posted: 05 Mar 2013 11:31 AM PST

Ready for another round of one of the best deals (and best causes) in mobile gaming? The 5th Humble Bundle for Android has gone live, and it includes a total of 6 games. You pay what you want and decide where you want your money to go — broken down between charity, the developers, and a “humble” tip for the Electronic Frontier Foundation — and get some pretty nice games in the process. Of course, two of those 6 games can only be obtained if you pay more than the average donation price (which, for this round, is about $5.71 as of the time of this writing).

The four standard games in this edition of the Humble Bundle include Beat Hazard Ultra, Dynamite Jack, Solar 2 and Night Sky HD, while the two bonus games for higher donations are Super Hexagon and Dungeon Defenders. You’ll also get the soundtracks for most of these games, and you’ll get access to them on other supported platforms, as well. The charitable donation this time around would go to the Child’s Play Charity, an initiative to entertain sick children in hospitals and let those children keep that entertainment even after they’ve been cared for.

You could just enter $0.01 and be done with it, but why not be a good sport and shoot for that average donation price? You’ll get two games in the process and you’ll feel good knowing that you were able to help a developer feed his family or brighten the day of a sick child. Watch the video above, and head to the Humble Bundle site to get started.

Verizon CFO: subsidized prices to come down in the next few years

Posted: 05 Mar 2013 10:56 AM PST

It’s no secret that when you think about Big Red you also think about lots of green. Verizon likes its money, but chief financial officer Fran Shammo has reason to believe that some of its price tags will eventually come down within the next few years. Specifically, Shammo touched on high subsidy prices when it comes to smartphone sales, and cited the growing LTE market and the blurred lines it’s creating as reasons why prices will soon be driven down.

The typical high-end smartphone on Verizon costs between $200 and $300 these days, but users can get perfectly fine LTE phones for $0 – $200 with decent hardware. With competition between operating systems and OEMs strengthening by the day we could be seeing lower MSRPs, and that is something that also directly affects the way a carriers subsidizes a smartphone.

Seeing how this trend affects the tablet space will be even more interesting, as some users still consider a $500 ticket price for a tablet on a two-year contract to be quite egregious. Shammo also said the launch of VoLTE within the next year will help drive subsidy prices down as more and more Verizon phones eventually ditch antiquated CDMA chips.

T-Mobile has shaken the subsidy model up the most in recent years with the advent of its value plans. On these plans, users can buy smartphones for a down payment (your cost after subsidy in typical pricing models) with payments for the rest of the phone spread out over the course of several months until the device is paid off.

Should you decide to end your arrangement with T-Mobile before then, the only cost to you is the remaining balance of the phone after those payments. Users going this route get a decent discount on service, too, and it seems to be a very valuable deal for those who take advantage of it.

It’s that sort of outside-the-box thinking that will force Verizon, Sprint, AT&T et al. to get creative in the near future and shape their business models to adapt to the changing wireless market. We won’t even consider factors outside their control like the general economy. It’s not at all ridiculous to think subsidies will get cheaper in the coming years, so the only question is “who first, and when?”

[via Fierce Wireless]

Yesterday’s leaked Galaxy S4 render revealed as fake

Posted: 05 Mar 2013 10:26 AM PST

We can all breathe a sigh of relief: the leaked Samsung Galaxy S4 render from yesterday has been exposed as a fake, albeit an unintentional one. The image was designed as a placeholder by the Expansys team to use on GS4 landing page. After finding its way to the usually reliable @evleaks Twitter handle, the image was posted online as a purported first look at the upcoming Samsung flagship’s final design.

While it once again puts us back in the dark as to the Galaxy S4′s appearance, the silver lining is that the rather bland picture presented as the phone is not representative of the real deal. It leaves some room for a much more interesting look, rather than the simple Galaxy Note-esque stylings seen in the render.

Looks like we might be waiting until March 14th and Samsung official announcement to get our real first look at the highly-anticipated Galaxy S4.

[via DroidDog]

UK retailer expects HTC One stock starting March 14th

Posted: 05 Mar 2013 10:12 AM PST

Wondering when the first group of folks around the world will be able to get a crack at the HTC One? At least one retailer — stationed in the United Kingdom — seems to have an idea of when these devices will be hitting the streets. Expansys has said stock is expected to arrive and ship beginning March 14th. That day is rather significant, of course, as Samsung will be hitting the ground running with its Samsung Galaxy S4 announcement in New York City (which we’ll be covering live if you haven’t heard).

Odd timing aside, this date is being treated as tentative and subject to change right now, but it sounds like HTC doesn’t want to wait too long into the month to get this beast into hands everywhere. The HTC One is outfitted with a 4.7 inch 1080p HD display and Qualcomm’s latest Snapdragon 600 chipset. With two gigabytes of RAM and HTC’s “UltraPixel” camera, and all the features of HTC Sense 5 on top of Jelly Bean it’s sure to turn a few heads this year.

This is expected to be HTC’s baby as the OEM has confirmed it wouldn’t be creating multiple offspring. This is “the guy” for its 2013 line-up, and it will be pushing this device to carriers and users as the ultimate flagship to have on the year. Expansys has the black and silver versions available for pre-order for £519.99 if you’re interested, so head over there and get started if you’re already sold on this pristine package.

Verizon’s Samsung Galaxy S3 receiving Android 4.1.2 update now

Posted: 05 Mar 2013 09:44 AM PST

The Verizon Samsung Galaxy S3 is receiving its update to software version VRBMB1, a day after the change log for the latest build was posted online. The Android 4.1.2 update weighs in at 150MB and is currently being pushed over the air to owners of the handset.

Expected changes include keyboard and Bluetooth enhancements, the ability to use the camera while placing a call, and a manual refresh on the lock screen stock ticker. All small beans in the grand scheme of things, but users can also expect a number of bug fixes and performance tweaks. You can check for the update under the “About phone” section of the system settings if it hasn’t automatically reached your handset already.

[Thanks, Chris!]

Google Play gift cards now available in the UK

Posted: 05 Mar 2013 08:59 AM PST

Google is expanding the gift card program for the Play Store beyond the US with the first appearance of the cards in the UK. Cards valued at £10 and £25 were spotted at a Tesco supermarket. Google’s support page also lists a £50 denomination, though it didn’t appear available in store.

The arrival in the UK marks Google’s first push to international market with Play gift cards. The availability of gift-able credit to the Google Play Store was a long time coming, and it may be more time still for most regions around the globe. The arrival of the cards in the UK is a good sign, however.

[via EuroDroid]

Report: Tablets could account for nearly one-third of mobile usage by year end

Posted: 05 Mar 2013 08:00 AM PST

According to the latest data from Jumptap, the percentage of mobile content usage stemming from tablets is growing rapidly, eating into smartphones’ share. The ad network collected info on its ad network, which reaches 134 million mobile users in the US and 206 million worldwide, and determined that at the end of 2012 18 percent of all traffic originated from tablets. Smartphones accounted for 78 percent, with feature phones making up the difference.

The numbers are slightly disproportionate to actual device demand, with smartphones still accounting for the large majority of mobile devices sold. Analysts don’t see tablets making up more than 10 percent of sales this year, according to TechCrunch. Still, Jumptap estimates that by the end of 2013 29 percent of all mobile content usage will be tablet based.

Jumptap also used their data to make some predictions about future market share for the major mobile operating systems. As has been the case recently, while Android is predicted to remain in the lead, it appears the platform’s period of rapid growth has subsided, with numbers more or less reaching a plateau.

[via TechCrunch]

Official: Samsung Galaxy Note 10.1 available at Verizon March 7th

Posted: 05 Mar 2013 06:25 AM PST

Verizon has announced the availability of the LTE-enabled Samsung Galaxy Note 10.1 for March 7th. The tablet will be available in stores and online for $599.99. For that price you get a slate with a 10.1-inch HD display, 1.4GHz quad-core processing, 5MP camera, and Android 4.1. The main difference from the standard Note 10.1, of course, is access to Verizon’s 4G LTE network.

The Galaxy Note 10.1 with LTE was first announced at CES back in January. The official statement from Verizon confirms rumors we heard late last week.

[via Verizon]