Monday, October 15, 2012

Android Central

Android Central

Classic Sega title Crazy Taxi will be coming to Android

Posted: 14 Oct 2012 03:17 PM PDT

Android Central

Anyone remember Crazy Taxi? The classic Dreamcast and arcade title was loved by many, and will continue to live on in mobile form. Our iOS loving friends have recently seen the title launch in the Apple App Store, but fear not, we haven't been forgotten. 

Over on their official blog, Sega has confirmed that Crazy Taxi will also be launching soon on Android. As ever, soon could be any number of days, weeks, or even months, but the important fact remains the same. Mad driving and collecting fares will soon be possible on our Android devices. And, that makes us happy. To whet your appetite a little more, be sure to check out the launch trailer -- albeit for the iOS version -- after the break. 

Source: Sega via Pocket Gamer

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Softbank said to be buying 70 percent stake in Sprint

Posted: 14 Oct 2012 02:48 PM PDT

Android Central

Well, that didn't take long. After both sides of the proposed deal confirmed talks, sources from the deal reportedly have confirmed to Business Insider that Japanese carrier Softbank will purchase a 70 percent stake of Sprint. CNBC reports the deal will be officially announced on Monday.

The deal in total will cost Softbank a whopping $20 billion -- $8 billion in shares directly from Sprint, and a $12 billion offer to buy shares from the public. The deal is expected to close officially with a statement from Softbank on Monday, and will not require a shareholder vote because of the deal's structure.

So what does this mean for the mobile industry? Only time will tell. All reports are that any Softbank investment in Sprint is a bit of a gamble, so it really is yet to be seen what the plan is after the deal closes.

Source: Business Insider; CNBC

Merging with MetroPCS is T-Mobile's best chance [opinion]

Posted: 14 Oct 2012 01:05 PM PDT

Android Central

The U.S. wireless industry

Let’s be honest, the U.S. wireless industry is a tough market to break into, even for so-called “established” brands. Dozens of carriers have come and gone over the last decade, all falling to the giant duopoly that is Verizon and AT&T. With over 210 million subscribers between the two, it’s an almost insurmountable number for any single entity to overcome.

Although you could consider T-Mobile part of “the big four” carriers in the U.S., it’s hard to argue that they’re on the same scale as the top two. With just 34 million subscribers, T-Mobile is seen more of a target for buyouts and acquisitions than a viable challenger. In the eyes of most people, T-Mobile isn’t even a viable carrier option.

Whether you want to personally use T-Mobile or not, you should really want T-Mobile to stick around. With Sprint’s buyout by Softbank all but confirmed, T-Mobile is the so-called “last line of defense” before we see competition all but completely disappear from the U.S. wireless industry. Read on to see why MetroPCS is T-Mobile's best chance.

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All 700 Orange and T-Mobile shops to be re-branded as EE by the end of the month

Posted: 14 Oct 2012 12:56 PM PDT

Android Central

It's interesting times at the moment in the UK for EE (formerly Everything Everywhere), who own both Orange and T-Mobile UK. We have mentioned in various posts about the company rolling out their new 4G LTE service in the UK at the end of October, the first network to do so in Great Britain.

Today EE have announced that all 700 of the Orange and T-Mobile stores will be re-branded as EE by the end of the month to coincide with the 4G roll out. The news arrives along with some special EE staff training that is happening at the NEC in Birmingham where 12,000 internal staff and 3000 partners will learn about the new brand.

I popped into my local EE store earlier today and although they have the new EE sign above the shop the internals are still very much Everything Everywhere. But, that will change over the next few weeks so I suppose I had better plan another visit soon.

As well as EE having the new 4G service as a huge selling tool I am pretty sure that they are the only retail chain in the UK where every phone on display actually works. Using dummy ones is a total waste of time in my opinion so kudos to them for that.

Keep your eyes peeled for more EE news soon including price plans and data tariffs, but if you spot anything we don't, please send us a tweet or sound of in the comments.

 

Source: mobilenewscwp

From the Editor's Desk: Some quick hits

Posted: 14 Oct 2012 06:23 AM PDT

Phil Nickinson

We've got another fall CTIA event in the books. By most accounts, this one was pretty much a snoozer, even more so than the other "apps and enterprise"-focused events of the past. Hopefully the non-media folks got more out of it than we did. Up next is the Oct. 24 U.S. launch event for the Samsung Galaxy Note 2. And then ... Nexus event? Let's hope so.

And now, with apologies to SI writer Peter King, some things I think I think:

  • We finally can post directly to the Android Central Google+ page from the Android app. It's not perfect -- having to log out first, then log back in, and then choose which page to post to is a bit of a chore, but it's better than nothing.
  • Along that front, we're going to start posting more event photos there -- of things other than phones and tablets. We've started with some of the fun things from San Diego last week. See if you spot any old friends.
  • By the way, we banged out a quick podcast on Friday, rounding up what we know about the LG Nexus stuff. It was kind of nice to not do it live, and to not worry about video. But we'll be back to our normal selves this week.
  • I'm officially excited for a new Nexus. Yes. Even if it's LG. And maybe especially because it's LG. Like Jerry wrote last week, folks need to let stuff go sometimes. But, hey. It's your ulcer. Not mine.
  • We're finally spitting our headlines onto App Dot Net. (That's Twitter for those who hate Twitter.) I'm on there as well. Just cross-posting from Twitter, though.
  • I finally got some face time with the HTC One VX. If you're on AT&T and are in the market for something a little cheaper and more traditionally shaped than the One X, give it a look-see. The qHD resolution looks surprisingly good on that thing.
  • Finally got to play with the RAZR M as well. Not a bad little phone. Also not true "edge to edge."
  • Will we see a tweaked Nexus 7 before or after Apple's Oct. 23 iPad Mini event?

Enjoy your Sunday, everybody. It's back to work on Monday.
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Newest image EXIF data outs LG’s E960 smartphone as the Nexus 4

Posted: 14 Oct 2012 04:21 PM PDT

Last week we came across a plethora of images taken with LG’s E960 smartphone, though we were unsure as to what exactly the official name would be. Well, new EXIF data from Picasa has revealed the ubiquitous Nexus 4 moniker once again, adding to our growing suspicion. And, with a full review of the device already having been published, this name seems all but official.

As with any EXIF data, it’s completely possible that it could have been faked. Although, with all signs pointing to an LG-manufactured Nexus, we have no reason to doubt its authenticity.

Source: Picasa

CM10 Updater, Revisited

Posted: 14 Oct 2012 03:30 PM PDT

 

We told you about the CyanogenMod (CM) 10 Updater a couple of weeks ago and we wanted to revisit the nice feature that the CM team included. Not so much a review, but an update as it’s simply a feature of a full-fledged ROM. The CM team was very quick about releasing this feature after they initially announced it. It was actually a feature found on a few previous versions of CM ROMs, but it’s been a while since CM users have been graced with this convenient feature. Granted, some may not feel comfortable trying something new or jumping back to a way they used to update their ROMs, but the feature is very convenient and at least worth a look if you’re running CM10 on your device.

 

 

As mentioned a couple of weeks ago, you can find this option in the About Phone options on your device and selecting “CyanogenMod updates.” Once in there, you’re faced with a couple of options: Check for updates and Update types. “Check for updates” is really straight-forward as it just checks the get.cm servers for the latest version. However, Update Types let’s you specify which updates you want it to check for, be it new Stable versions only, new Nightlies, or all stable and nightly versions. Upon searching, it’ll then retrieve any new versions and display them in the list of updates within the updater. Just remember that you won’t have push notifications for updates, however you can set up the updater to look for updated ROMs up to twice a day using the “check for update” option. I never really got to see how that worked since I’m a bit of a freak when it comes to updates so I have mine set to “manual.” Other options for auto-searching updates are daily, weekly, bi-weekly, monthly, or upon boot.

 

 

Below is a quote from a CM developer after he sensed a lot of confusion regarding the updater which should be helpful answering any questions:

The OTA updater in +CyanogenMod is just that: an updater. It is intended to be executed from within a CM installation, to update to a more recent version when available. It is not an installer,so it will not perform any of the tasks required to install CM (wiping, cleaning, renaming, installing addons, installing a recovery) because it is designed to run in an already-functional CM installation (which assumes that it is working, that a recovery is present, that any CM-compatible addons the user is interested in are already installed, and that any incompatible data from other firmwares was wiped during the original installation).

 

 

 

 

The only caveat is that you have to be using a version of ClockworkMod recovery on your device as booting into said recovery is part of the auto-update process. This was probably a decision made based on troubleshooting, so at least they have one of the variables accounted for now with using an all-open source process. I’ve had good luck with the updater over the past week or so. There were a few hiccups earlier in the week like the updater seemingly not able to connect to the servers and slow downloads at times, but out of the 6 or so updates I’ve done, most have gone without an issue. Speaking of issues, major issues are nowhere to be found. The updated ROMs are flawless upon updating, and act as my “daily driver.” However, you must remember that living on the bleeding edge of nightlies comes with its risks, and this includes the of the updater itself. However, CM10, the Updater, and Jelly Bean are working fine for me using my Samsung Galaxy S II. Let us know your thoughts on this feature, and hit up Cyanogen’s link for more information on their work.

 

 

source: CyanogenMod

LG Releases Unusual 4-Minute Product Video Highlighting Optimus G Features, Gives Viewers A Martial Arts Show In The Process

Posted: 14 Oct 2012 04:59 AM PDT

 

The LG Optimus G smartphone is no doubt going to be the single device that will turn the LG brand around and give it some much-needed credibility among Android fans. With that in mind, in order for LG to show off its new superphone to the world, it has to develop a unique advertising campaign— and let’s just say that LG has successfully gotten this started by releasing an ummm… “unique” video highlighting the device’s features. In the product movie below, you will find a spokesmodel using some fancy hand gestures and moves as part of the simulation of the Optimus G’s features. You’ll see everything from the slimness of the device to the wonderful graphics to the impressive Q Slide function– which allows for simultaneous video watching and texting รก la Samsung. Whether it’s better implemented than Sammy’s multitasking feature remains to be seen, though it’s nice to see other manufacturers incorporating this into their products as well.

All in all, the video does succeed in creating additional buzz of the Optimus G smartphone– albeit in an incredibly bizarre and unusual way. You can check out the full video below.

 

Click here to view the embedded video.
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