Saturday, March 23, 2013

Android Community

Android Community


ASUS Padfone Android 4.1 Jelly Bean update rolling out

Posted: 22 Mar 2013 04:22 PM PDT

We haven’t heard much from the folks at ASUS regarding their unique and original PadFone tablet, but today the hybrid device is getting an update to Android 4.1.1 Jelly Bean. After the original was overlooked and ASUS updated the PadFone 2 to Jelly Bean back in December, those early adopters are getting the treat today according to reports.

PadFone-Stylus-Headset+PadFone+PadFone-Station-540x345

ASUS now has three PadFone’s out and about, and the FonePad is coming soon too, but that’s a discussion for another day. All those enjoying the original ASUS Padfone will be happy to know that today’s update isn’t just a bump to Android 4.1.1 Jelly Bean, but they’ve also fixed a few bugs and issues many users have been reporting.

According to AndroidGeeks the update will bring your Padfone to Android 4.1.1 Jelly Bean, but then you can also expect improved dictionary and keyboard operation, better camera previews, and the scrapbook feature with the stylus has also been improved. Then according to the official changelog from ASUS they’ve also fixed that ongoing volume key problem, and added a new File Manager app.

According to the official ASUS page linked to below the update is rolling out as we speak, and is also available for download. However, this appears to only show two versions available. One being worldwide, and the other for China. If you’re rocking the original Padfone give the update a try and let us know how it goes.

[via ASUS]

Device Specifications and Information
Device Info
    Device Name : Padfone
    Manufactuer : Asus
    Carrier : NA
    Announced Date : June 01, 2011
    Release Date : April 15, 2012
    Also Known As :
Display
  • Screen Size : 4.3 Inch
  • Resolution : 540x960
  • Screen Type : Super AMOLED
Dimension & Weight
  • Height : 5.04 Inch
  • Width : 2.57 Inch
  • Depth : 0.36 Inch
  • Weight : 129 Grams
Battery & Power
    Battery Type:
  • Lithium Ion
  • Battery Capacity : 1520 mAh
  • Talk Time : NA
  • Stand By Time : 440 hours
Software
    Android OS:
  • 4.0.x
    Audio Playback:
  • AAC
  • AAC+
  • AMR
  • MID
  • MP3
  • WAV
  • WMA
    Video Playback:
  • h.263
  • h.264 / AVC
  • MPEG-4 (MP4)
    Messaging:
  • SMS
  • MMS
Hardware
    CPU : S4
    CPU Clock Speed : 1500 Mhz
    Core : 2
    Ram : 1024 MB
    Internal Storage : 64 GB
    Front Facing Camera :
    Camera Resolution : 8 MP
    Camera Features:
  • Auto focus
  • Flash
  • 720p Video Recording
    Sensors:
  • Accelerometer
  • Ambient light
  • Proximity
    QWERTY :
Cellular Network
    Network Technology:
  • GSM
    GSM Band:
  • 850
  • 900
  • 1800
  • 1900
Device Connectivity
    Wi-Fi:
  • 802.11b
  • 802.11g
  • 802.11n
    Bluetooth:
  • Bluetooth 4.0
    Location Features:
  • Compass
  • GPS
  • Cellular location
  • Wi-Fi location
    FM Radio :
    NFC :

Angry Birds Star Wars: Cloud City coming soon

Posted: 22 Mar 2013 03:41 PM PDT

This week the folks at Rovio are yet again teasing another expansion for their popular bird slinging game. The popular and newest version Angry Birds Star Wars is about to get a new expansion called Cloud City. Get ready for more bird fun in the city of clouds all in the Star Wars style guys. This game isn’t going anywhere anytime soon.

Screen Shot 2013-03-22 at 3.35.52 PM

The Star Wars spinoff of Angry Birds just keeps getting better and better for all you fans. With the Hoth expansion being a big hit, Cloud City surely should be too. For any Star Wars fan or die hard nerd (no offense) you’ll quickly notice that Rovio is following right along with Star Wars collectibles with these releases and updates.

If that doesn’t excite you then what about Carbon frozen birds? Yup, it looks like the update will have that too. Rovio is pulling out all the stops, as usual, and look to be bringing another jam-packed update out for all you bird lovers. Without saying anything, enjoy the quick teaser trailer released today.

Yup, that’s all they gave us. However it looks like we’ll be finding out more soon because starting Monday Rovio will release the official game trailer. We’ll be sure and share the latest as soon as it arrives too, so stay tuned right here at Android Community. If you already beat Hoth and Dagobah get ready for the next wave coming soon!

Lenovo S920 announced with 5.3-inch display, quad-core and Jelly Bean

Posted: 22 Mar 2013 02:45 PM PDT

It was only a few weeks ago we got our first look at the previously unknown Lenovo S920 quad-core smartphone, and today they’ve made it official. The S920 is a pretty impressive sounding smartphone and as of today you can order it over in China, although they aren’t quite shipping this 5.3-inch device yet.

Lenovo-S920

Leaked in a series of pictures earlier in March the S920 has a very similar design to the HTC One X, to put it lightly. Well at least on back anyways. The front, internals, and OS will all be completely different however, and we have all the details. You’ll be working with Android 4.2 Jelly Bean and a big phablet sized display.

The full rundown shows the new Lenovo S920 rocking a 5.3-inch 1280 x 720p HD display (no 1080p here sadly) but the newest version of Android should make plenty happy. Then you’ll be working with a 1.2 GHz quad-core MediaTek processor with 1GB of RAM, and it looks like you get 16GB of internal storage as well as micro-SD support. Then according to Lenovo it rocks an 8 megapixel rear camera and 2 MP up front.

This is all rounded off with a mediocre 2,250 mAh battery and a sleek design coming in at just 7.9mm thin. It all sounds pretty good except that small battery if you ask us. This well-rounded smartphone from Lenovo is up for pre-order in China and will hit the streets April 8th for what comes out to be around $350 USD. Now if the rumors of Lenovo buying BlackBerry would come true and they’d launch smartphones in the US, then we’d have something to talk about.

[via UnwiredView]

Alien VS Predator: Evolution game review

Posted: 22 Mar 2013 02:07 PM PDT

Fox Digital Entertainment and Angry Mob Games have recently released Alien VS Predator: Evolution and as such, we have spent some time playing. For those thinking the Angry Mob Games name sounds familiar but aren’t sure where from — they were the team behind PREDATORS. Anyway, Alien VS Predator: Evolution has been released for mobile devices, which is to say that it is available for Android and iOS. Of course, the focus here is all Android.

Screenshot_2013-03-10-19-38-17-L

The game kicks off with you having to pick from Alien or Predator. Based on the game description, this means that as an Alien you would be responsible for destroying the Super Predators and freeing your species from enslavement. On the flip side, those choosing Predator would be tasked with eliminating the Alien Queen in an effort to prevent the Super Predators from annihilating your clan. Regardless of which you pick though, you will eventually be playing both sides.

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Aside from not being able to pick (and stick) with one side throughout the game, it does seem worthy of the money you will need to shell out to play. Alien VS Predator: Evolution is available by way of the Google Play Store and is selling for $4.99. The game promises everything from vicious characters to fierce combat and even chilling environments and incredible graphics. We found that these mostly lived up to the description, however we have also included a video walkthrough and plenty of screenshots for you to come to your own conclusion. Or at the very least, we believe they will be enough to help you decide if Alien VS Predator: Evolution is worthy of your $5 investment.

In addition to our hands-on, the developer has also released a walkthrough of their own. The developer edition measures in at 4 minutes and 14 seconds in length and can be seen in the video below. As a whole though, Alien VS Predator: Evolution appears to be a worthy third-person combat game that will have you running, dodging, fighting and collecting new weapons as you go.

If you grab the game and start playing, and what better time than a Friday evening, make sure you let us know your thoughts in the comments below. Otherwise, for those looking for a bit of game play and find yourself in a position of not wanting, or not being able to spend $4.99 — remember that Predators is still available and that one is only $0.99.

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Google brings over 400 Dark Horse Comics to the Play Store

Posted: 22 Mar 2013 02:03 PM PDT

For all you comic book fans we have some excellent news from the folks at Google. It looks like they’ve just pushed a massive update to their offering, and now have well over 400 Dark Horse Comics in the Play Store. Google shared the news over on Google+ and mentioned the comics are available in every region Play Books are supported.

DarkHorseComics

They added slightly over 400 editions of the Dark Horse Comic collection to the Play Store yesterday, and you can start enjoying a few good reads right this minute. They have all the popular titles too. From Star Wars to HellBoy, Aliens, and even Buffy the Vampire Slayer all in a convenient digital version for our smartphones and tablets.

You can build out your collection, or get the last few you might be missing if you’re a diehard comic fan. Google also states that starting today and for a limited time, you can get entire collections starting at just $3.99 as an introductory price. Get them while they’re hot.

For the full list you can start by hitting the via link below, and that will take you to the entire collection of Dark Horse Comics. Don’t spend all that cash in one place now guys. Google’s also added Mexico to the supported list of Play Store Books recently. If you’re in Mexico give it a try today too.

[via Play Store]

LG LS720 FCC filing suggests a Virgin Mobile release

Posted: 22 Mar 2013 01:15 PM PDT

Earlier today we saw what is believed to the Optimus G Pro for AT&T and in addition, it looks like another LG branded handset has made the required FCC visit. This latest is not quite as high-end as the previous though. The handset is the LG LS720 and it appears to be a mid-level device destined for Virgin Mobile.

lg-ls720-fcc

Based on the model number, this could be a follow-up to the LG Optimus Slider. That handset was known as the LS700. Of course, we should point out that is nothing more than speculation based on the model number. Unfortunately, this particular FCC filing does not reveal all that much.

In fact, the specs remain mostly a mystery on this one. A look at the Mtest results for this device suggest it will be running Jelly Bean. Specifically, Android 4.1.2. Bottom line here, for now it looks like we are going to have to remain on the lookout for more details, which will hopefully arrive in the form of an official announcement from LG and/or the carrier.

Aside from this particular handset, today seems to have been a busy day for FCC related news. We already mentioned the Optimus G Pro filing, however we also saw details for the HTC Myst (also for AT&T). Key for the FCC news was in regards to Chairman Julius Genachowski who announced that he will be stepping down sometime in the coming weeks.

[via Engadget]

T-Mobile LTE quietly launches in eight cities

Posted: 22 Mar 2013 12:28 PM PDT

We had already known that T-Mobile was planning to launch their 4G LTE network this month, however it looks like they have quietly flipped the switch in select cities. What we have seen is all unofficial at the moment and is said to have come by way of OpenSignal. For those not familiar with the name, OpenSignal is a Wi-Fi and signal-finder app for Android that uses crowdsourced data.

t-mobile_usa-580x4271113-540x3971

Perhaps more important here — where is that T-Mobile LTE. Well, so far it has been spotted in eight cities. They include Denver, Las Vegas, Kansas City, New Orleans, New York, San Diego, San Jose, and Seattle. The speeds look to be averaging 25Mbps down and 8Mbps up with a 40ms latency.

Touching on those speeds. While they are both really nice to see, we do have to remember that this is based on testing of a network that is not yet saturated with customers. In other words, they will likely be slower when the network is open and being used by the masses. OpenSignal is also reporting that T-Mobile has been doing testing with the Galaxy Note II as well as the yet-to-be released GALAXY S 4.

Coincidentally, OpenSignal has also made mention of the GALAXY S 4 having a Snapdragon S4 (MSM8960) processor. But nothing all that surprising there as we have heard that in the past. While we wait for the official launch in these cities, the carrier has previously announced plans to have LTE available for 100 million people by mid-2013 and a total of 200 million by years-end 2014.

[via PC Mag]

Samsung Galaxy S 4 Mini leaks in the wild

Posted: 22 Mar 2013 12:25 PM PDT

We heard a few rumors that Samsung was also prepping what they’d call the Galaxy S 4 Mini, and here it is. Well, at least according to new pictures of an unknown device acquired by SamMobile. Just like the Galaxy S III Mini the specs leave a little to be desired, but Samsung is going for more than just the high-end here. This device is aimed for the more budget oriented crowd. The design mimics the GALAXY S 4, it’s just smaller.

s4-mini

As you can see from the image above they have the GS4, the GS III, and the far right is the new Galaxy S 4 Mini. There’s no word on the exact size of the display but it looks to be around the 4.3-inch range and is apparently running a qHD (540×960) Super AMOLED display that rocks 256 PPI. Not too shabby, but nothing amazing either.

The leakster states it will come in June or July and will be powered by an unknown 1.6 GHz dual-core processor, and as we see from the leak is running Android 4.2.2 Jelly Bean and Samsung’s latest Nature UX. Just like its bigger brother. You’ll notice the design is extremely similar with the same squred-off home button, and aluminum ring along the sides and all.

Screen Shot 2013-03-22 at 12.14.13 PM

For now we don’t have additional details such as internal storage, camera, or battery but that should all be appearing soon. Somehow this isn’t quite as exciting as the GALAXY S4 leaks, but surely plenty of you are excited to see a nice 4.3-inch smartphone. Personally, I want the Galaxy S 4 specs in a 4.5-inch screen myself. We can expect the GS 4 Mini to come in a dual-sim variant sometime this summer. Stay tuned for more details.

[via SamMobile]

LG joins Google with rumors of a smartwatch

Posted: 22 Mar 2013 11:28 AM PDT

Just when we thought enough names were in the smartwatch realm, it looks like we have another to consider. The latest is LG and similar to what we have heard about Google, the details are at a minimum. While LG and Google remain rumor, we have at least heard confirmation from Samsung. Granted, they have yet to offer details, but they have at least officially confirmed the plans.

lg-smartwatch

Anyway, the LG smartwatch details are coming by way of a recent report in The Korean Times. The LG watch is hoped to be running Android, however according to what we have seen, both Android and Firefox OS remain a possibility. The report is based on information from an unnamed source that is familiar with the matter. Basically, the generic source.

Aside from a brief mention about the operating system and the watch being a touch-screen device, the source mentioned that LG smartwatch is “one major part of many currently non-commercialized products under development by LG Electronics." Apparently LG also thinks a smartwatch will become very important. The source went on to mention that the “company has spared no efforts to invest in products that it believes are must-haves to stay ahead technology wise in the market, whatever the situation may be."

Time will tell just how well received the smartwatch will be. It seems that Pebble has proved it will be popular within the tech crowd, however we have yet to see how regular consumers will react to having their email and messages appear on their wrist. We also have yet to see if the smartwatch will even remain popular within the tech crowd. After all, this could be something that simply fades away. But at the moment, it seems every big company wants something to do with a smartwatch.

[via SlashGear]