Android Authority |
- Duck Retro Hunt shoots its way into the Play Store
- HTC One UK release once again pushed back, first stock now due out on April 3
- SEGA to release original Sonic the Hedgehog game for Android soon
- Samsung Galaxy S4’s system dump now yours to download
- Nokia not happy with Google for trying to force VP8 codec on the world
- Flipboard 2.0 adds new social features, lets users create own digital magazines
- Motorola DROID Bionic to receive Jelly Bean update in Q2 2013
- Spotify reportedly planning on releasing a video-streaming service
- Strategy & Tactics: World War II by Herocraft now available on the Google Play Store
- Chrome Web Store will soon feature multi-platform support
| Duck Retro Hunt shoots its way into the Play Store Posted: 27 Mar 2013 02:49 AM PDT
The premise is simple… shoot the ducks! The original 80′s game used a light gun to shoot the ducks, but this implementation uses either the built-in gyroscope or the touch screen. The controls do take some getting used to, the touch screen mode is quite difficult to master but not impossible. After a few games I was able to shoot the ducks consistently. However the better method is to use the gyroscope. At first I kept trying to tilt my phone (like in a racing game) to do the targeting, but actually you just need to move it. Playing it on a swivel chair is fun!!! There is also an augmented reality mode which uses the back of a dollar (or a marker which can be downloaded from InfinityK’s website) to create a 3D representation of the hunting ground on any flat surface. It uses the gyroscope for control and you can get closer and further as well as swing around just by moving your phone. I must say I have had little success with AR games in the past, but this one is an exception. The lock-on to the marker is quick and the AR adds to the fun. There are however a few little niggles. First the game tends to display a “calibrating screen” message in the middle of the game and this does seem to mess with the controls momentarily. Second there are some permanent adverts in the game (but these can be removed by buying the PRO version which costs just over $1). Also the game isn’t supported on devices without a rear camera, so even if I wanted to play it in the simple mode on my Nexus 7, I can’t! Why not download the free version and let me know what you think by leaving a comment below. The post Duck Retro Hunt shoots its way into the Play Store appeared first on Android Authority. |
| HTC One UK release once again pushed back, first stock now due out on April 3 Posted: 27 Mar 2013 02:23 AM PDT
Remember when the HTC One was due for a UK release on March 14? Good times! We actually thought HTC was on its way back to the top and Samsung was in big trouble. But then the UltraPixel camera shortages came and HTC pushed back the launch. And again, and again. Now first British stock is apparently due out on April 3 (the silver One) and April 10 respectively, for the black model. The dates have been announced by Clove on the retailer's official blog, so it doesn't necessarily mean you won't be able to grab an HTC One earlier via a different seller. Just don't hold your breath. Even worse, Clove says orders placed "on or after 26th March are likely to ship late April". Late April?!? Come on, guys, we understand the demand is high, but this is getting ridiculous. Not to mention we're not ruling out seeing a couple more extensions to these new ETAs.
After all, Clove does not know "what quantity of stock we will receive, but as soon as we do we will advise you". Or, in plain English, the retailer hopes to be able to fulfill a couple of orders by mid-April and again hopes to ship the HTC One to everybody before the end of the month. The One on Clove goes for £510, including VAT, which translates into around $775. Meanwhile, Expansys, who has the beast listed for pre-orders at £519.99, still expects to have stock available in three days. Our two cents? Not going to happen. Things aren't rosy outside the island either and we expect Germany and Taiwan, the other two countries where releases were scheduled for this week, to be put on the waiting list once again. We don't even want to think what this means for North Americans, which were said to get the HTC One by the end of April. Oh, the horror! The post HTC One UK release once again pushed back, first stock now due out on April 3 appeared first on Android Authority. |
| SEGA to release original Sonic the Hedgehog game for Android soon Posted: 27 Mar 2013 01:54 AM PDT
For those of you not familiar with Sonic the Hedgehog, and I find it hard to believe that there is anyone out there who isn’t, it is a 2D side scrolling platform game where you play the central character Sonic, who is of course a hedgehog. It is a classic platform game but with the added excitement of Sonic’s ability to run very fast and use things like springs, slopes, and loop-de-loops to get through each level. Although there are already some Sonic the Hedgehog games for Android like Sonic CD and Sonic Episode 4, the original game has never been released. And as with many franchises it is the original version that is often seen as the best! The Android version will support widescreen formats and also promises very fast frame rates, something that is essential for a game like Sonic for it to maintain its feeling of breakneck speeds! There are rumors that SEGA will be using Christian Whitehead’s Retro Engine Software Development Kit (RSDK) as he recently Tweeted that he was creating a special build which would be used at GDC 2013. Christian’s engine was first used by SEGA to publish Sonic CD for Android. It also featured widescreen support, and remastered dual Japanese and US soundtracks. SEGA are planning to release the game soon, maybe even in April, with a price tag of $2.99. The post SEGA to release original Sonic the Hedgehog game for Android soon appeared first on Android Authority. |
| Samsung Galaxy S4’s system dump now yours to download Posted: 27 Mar 2013 01:50 AM PDT
From its unveiling a few weeks ago to its impending arrival in stores – the cycle wouldn't be complete without seeing some goodies from the Samsung Galaxy S4 making their way online ahead of the phone's official release. So far, we’ve gotten a hold of the Galaxy S4's colorful full HD wallpapers and ringtones, as well as the new S Voice app. The next treat is sure to please those who want the whole shebang — the system dump of the phone. To take full advantage of the system dump, some software tinkering skills are naturally required, that is if you want to do some advanced stuff like extracting other apps from the device. Alternatively, let's just wait for the dev community to do their magic. The file, which is based on Android 4.2.2 and the I9500XXUAMCH test firmware, comes at a hefty size of a little over 1.5GB. Head over to the source for more details and/or grab the freshly served Galaxy S4's system dump right here. The post Samsung Galaxy S4's system dump now yours to download appeared first on Android Authority. |
| Nokia not happy with Google for trying to force VP8 codec on the world Posted: 27 Mar 2013 01:12 AM PDT
Some of the patents are for the same idea but in different geographic locations, so Nokia isn’t claiming it has over 80 patents related to VP8, however it is clear that Nokia is trying to put a stop to the codec. In comments to the FOSS patents blog, which covers software patent news, Nokia said it would not commit to royalty-free or fair licensing with respect to VP8. The Finnish company claims that Google are “attempting to force the adoption of its proprietary technology” and that VP8 “offers no advantages over existing, widely deployed standards such as H.264″. Since Nokia doesn’t like VP8 and obviously doesn’t want WebM to be based on something which belongs to a rival, the company has said that VP8 infringes Nokia’s intellectual property and as a result it has taken the step of declaring to the IETF that it is not prepared to license any Nokia patents which may be needed to implement the RFC6386 specification.
This means that at the moment the fear of being sued by Nokia now hangs over anyone attempting to implement WebM and it certainly casts a long shadow over its claims to be royalty-free. Google bought a company called On2 Technologies in 2012 so that it could secure the rights to On2′s video compression algorithms, which it then used for the basis of the VP8 codec. However MPEG LA, who own a lot of video related patents, started to form a patent pool against Google. But just under two weeks ago Google announced that the two parties have sorted everything out and MPEG LA is ending its efforts to form a VP8 patent pool. As part of the deal, Google also has the right to sublicense any technology that may be essential to VP8. The question is, can Google and Nokia come to a similar agreement?
The post Nokia not happy with Google for trying to force VP8 codec on the world appeared first on Android Authority. |
| Flipboard 2.0 adds new social features, lets users create own digital magazines Posted: 26 Mar 2013 10:48 PM PDT
Flipboard for Android, which was first introduced officially back in June of last year, is currently on version 1.9.27 on Google Play. And as mentioned earlier, the overall user experience with it is good. So what exactly does version 2.0 add that makes things great? In a word, empowerment. In a post on the official Flipboard blog that details the arrival of version 2.0, it is said that the latest update includes treats for everyone, “from the casual reader to the power user.” Perhaps the biggest thing to come out of this whole update and announcement is the fact that users can now create their very own digital magazines. And quite effortlessly, at that. Flipboard 2.0: Personal magazine machineThe new Flipboard has a feature that lets users select random bits of content — be it a news story, a Twitter post, a photo, or even a song or a video — and put them all together in one place where they will be stored for later viewing. These collections can be named (and renamed), categorized, even shared. In essence, Flipboard users can now be more than just readers. They can be editors as well. And the best thing about using Flipboard to create your own digital magazines is that it requires very little to no effort at all. You just tap on a small “plus” sign to add whatever content you wish to add to your collection, and it will be added in a matter of seconds. Complete with fancy design and typography, to boot. Also, users can create as many magazines as they want.  The new Flipboard also features tighter integration with the world’s most popular social networks, which include not just Twitter and Facebook but also Instagram, Tumblr, LinkedIn, and SoundCloud. And on top of that, it’s now easier to spot content created by other Flipboard users, through a new “By Our Readers” section under the Content Guide. Here are a few of Flipboard 2.0′s other highlights according to a post on the official Flipboard blog:
Flipboard 2.0 for Android will be released very soon. In the meantime, have a look at some of the new features and changes that were introduced with the latest version for iOS by watching the video embedded below. The post Flipboard 2.0 adds new social features, lets users create own digital magazines appeared first on Android Authority. |
| Motorola DROID Bionic to receive Jelly Bean update in Q2 2013 Posted: 26 Mar 2013 07:14 PM PDT
Motorola has very quietly confirmed that the DROID Bionic will receive an update to Android 4.1 Jelly Bean in Q2 of 2013. The information is posted on Motorola's upgrade schedule page that was recently redesigned last month. This comes only weeks after some other Motorola phones have received the same update. It is always a good sign to see older devices such as the Bionic receive the latest version of Android. It certainly makes people feel better about spending a lot of money on a new device and having the peace of mind knowing that you should still get a major update or two during the device's life. This especially applies to the DROID BIonic as the earliest adopters probably experienced some regret initially. If you aren't familiar with Motorola's upgrade schedule page, just head to the source link and scroll down to the information on the DROID BIonic. The post Motorola DROID Bionic to receive Jelly Bean update in Q2 2013 appeared first on Android Authority. |
| Spotify reportedly planning on releasing a video-streaming service Posted: 26 Mar 2013 06:28 PM PDT
According to Business Insider, Spotify is planning on launching a video streaming service to compete with Netflix and other similar offerings. We've certainly seen how capable Spotify is at drawing users in and the fact that the service would support music streaming as well as video streaming would undoubtedly help it grow its user base even more. What is perhaps even more interesting is the fact that the company is looking to establish partnerships in order to stream original content. This would mark the company as a competitor to bigger name in the business including HBO and Netflix. This could in part be due to the fact that there is not a lot of room for profit when a company doesn't own the content that it’s streaming. Obviously getting artists to release content exclusively on Spotify is out of the question, but developing and releasing original video content is certainly within reach for a service like Spotify. Netflix, which could turn out to be one of Spotify's biggest competitors, had a similar problem. Netflix didn't own any of the content they streamed, resulting in ridiculous fees which lead to decreased profits. Netflix solved the issue by releasing it's popular series The House of Cards. This same exact strategy has worked for other companies like HBO as well. So what do you think? Would a Spotify video service stand a chance? The post Spotify reportedly planning on releasing a video-streaming service appeared first on Android Authority. |
| Strategy & Tactics: World War II by Herocraft now available on the Google Play Store Posted: 26 Mar 2013 05:12 PM PDT
Joining the growing list of Android games released by Herocraft is Strategy & Tactics: World War II, which, as the name suggests, is a strategy-based game which allows you to control and play out various scenarios from World War II. If you’re a fan of the popular board games such as Risk or Axis & Allies, you should definitely give this game a shot. Strategy & Tactics features an extensive single player mode with three full campaigns and 18 missions which lets you play both sides of the war, as the Axis trying to conquer Europe, as well as the Allies trying to take back control. Of course, if you’re a fan of the board games, you’ll be more interested in the various multiplayer modes the game offers, playing against other people online. Other than the campaign and multiplayer modes, there are also skirmish games that feature various classical scenarios from World War II. Features of Strategy & Tactics: World War II include -
If you’re hoping for a game with action, you’ll be sorely disappointed as this is a straight-up strategy game, so definitely keep that in mind before spending the $4.99 you’ll need to buy this game. You can take a look at what the gameplay is like in the video below - You can download Strategy & Tactics: World War II from the Google Play Store here. What are your thoughts? Will you be downloading this strategy-based game? If you’ve played Strategy & Tactics: World War II, do share your experiences in the comments section below. The post Strategy & Tactics: World War II by Herocraft now available on the Google Play Store appeared first on Android Authority. |
| Chrome Web Store will soon feature multi-platform support Posted: 26 Mar 2013 04:59 PM PDT
The Chrome Web Store is where you can find a number of different apps or extensions that suite your needs, and Google is working on an update that will benefit both developers and users. According to developer François Beaufort who now works at Google as a Chromium Evangelist (and recently broke news on Google Now coming to Chrome and Chrome OS,) the Chrome Web Store will soon have multi-platform support. What this means is developers will only need to upload one zip file which contains specific resources for each supported platform. From there, the “Chrome Web Store will generate one crx file per platform and serve the appropriate one based on your device.” Known as “webstore multi-crx feature,” it’ll save network bandwidth and storage space on developer machines. Since the introduction of Google+, we’ve seen Google working to unify all of its products and services, and this is a further step in that direction. With this upcoming support on the Chrome Web Store, any application or extension that works in Chrome, could work no matter what platform you’re accessing it from. The post Chrome Web Store will soon feature multi-platform support appeared first on Android Authority. |
Retro gaming is proving to be big on Android and there are a plethora of games which emphasize 8 bit graphics and retro game play. Here is a new app that harkens back to the classic Nintendo Duck Hunt game.
Retro gaming is going strong in 2013. Recently Namco made 
Google has been pushing its VP8 codec for a couple of years now, and together with Vorbis audio encoding, the two codecs are the base of the royalty-free WebM format (also known as RFC 6386) that is designed for use with HTML5 video. However, Nokia isn’t too happy that Google is getting all the attention and has decided to start making some noise. In an official filing with the Internet Engineering Task Force (IEFT), which is responsible for drafting and publishing RFC 6386, Nokia has listed 64 patents and 22 pending patents which it claims pertain to VP8.
| You are subscribed to email updates from Android Authority To stop receiving these emails, you may unsubscribe now. | Email delivery powered by Google |
| Google Inc., 20 West Kinzie, Chicago IL USA 60610 | |
