Friday, March 30, 2012

Google Android News Android Forums

Google Android News Android Forums

2014 Map of Sprint 4G LTE Network Surfaces

Posted: 29 Mar 2012 04:03 PM PDT

Well look what we have here folks. It’s a map showing the plans of Sprint’s 4G LTE Network for the year 2014. The map was posted on Twitter by tech journalist Sascha Segan. It appears to be legit, with questionable drawing skills as some of the states are not properly drawn. I know some maps are drawn up to represent market areas and are not always drawn to represent the States of the U.S. Whatever this case, it shows Sprint’s determination to get 4G LTE out to the masses, no matter how small it seems to be. Jump past the break to see the map and read more. 

The green shades represent the areas to receive 4G LTE by 2014, while the people in the blue are going to have to wait. This all seems good, but remember Verizon has a large portion of the U.S. covered and Sprint is playing catch-up. As the number three carrier in the U.S. Sprint has some major ground to cover to get back into direct competition with the likes of Verizon and AT&T. Only time will tell if Sprint’s plan is solid or a little too late. With me being a Sprint customer, I do like seeing my little town of Fort Collins covered by the 2014 plan. I just wished I didn’t have to wait until 2014 for it. What about you, are you happy to see your area covered, or are you left in the blue shaded area? Let us know in the comments section below.

Source: Twitter

 

Ubisoft to introduce cloud saving system into mobile games

Posted: 29 Mar 2012 02:26 PM PDT

Let me set the scene, as I’m sure it’s one that many of us have encountered on numerous occasions. You’ve spent a solid hour in the morning smashing your way through level after level on Angry Birds using your trusty Android tablet. Fast forward several hours and you’re sitting on the train on your way back from work and decide to kill some time, you whip out your Android phone to pick up where you left of. Or so you thought, all that hard work you put in hasn’t carried over to your phone meaning you’ve got to run through it all over again. Frustrating right? Well the team over at gaming powerhouse Ubisoft agree and have decided to do something about it.

Head of Digital at Ubisoft, Chris early told Pocket-lint “I think this is a huge issue and I personally can’t stand it where I have to do something over again. We have a cloud-based storage system for that data for you.” Chris also confirmed that Ubisoft’s forthcoming title Ghost Recon Commander will utilise cloud storage, allowing you to access your character on multiple platforms including Facebook, mobile and tablet devices.

It’s great to see Ubisoft address this issue and here’s hoping that other games developers follow the trend. Better yet, perhaps Google could help us out and bake cloud storage for mobile gaming into Google Drive.  Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.

source : Pocket-lint

Sprint’s HTC EVO One – A Former Favorite Is Getting A Refresh

Posted: 29 Mar 2012 02:11 PM PDT

The original HTC EVO made waves on Sprint for being one of the first “big” phones and of course, more importantly,  for being the first 4G enabled phone. It’s been about two years since then so perhaps your EVO and your contract have begun to wear thin. If so, you may be excited by the rumors going around. A tipster in communication with our friends at Phandroid has detailed the existence of an up and coming HTC EVO One. Obviously, we knew we were going to see something soon.  Sprint and HTC have a collaborative event scheduled for April 4th. At the time of that writing we speculated the focus of the event may be the HTC One X, but now…now I’m not so sure. The EVO was a landmark device for Sprint and in my opinion most deserving of a special press congress. I’m sure we’ll hear more about this on April 4th, if not sooner, but in the mean time, what do we know so far? 

According to the tipster, this device is going to be pretty similar to the HTC One X: a re-branding for Sprint? Maybe, but there are supposedly a few key differences too. For instance, Sprint’s EVO One will feature removable storage in addition to a pre-installed 16GB. The tipster also claims the triumphant return of the almighty kickstand. It might sound negligible if you haven’t had a kickstand before, but otherwise, you don’t know what you’ve got until its gone, am I right? Moving on, this device could also differ in build materials. The tipster noted the phones solidarity in the hand suggesting maybe this device is metal rather than plastic like the One X. However, it’s also noted that the device is largely black with silver accents and a red stroke around the kickstand. If it’s metal, it sounds like it may have a gel coat of sorts. To sum things up,  its expected to house a Snapdragon S4 processor, “confirmed” to utilize a beautiful SLCD2 display, and hopefully packs 2,650mAh worth of juice. That’s a whole lot of rumors, but if their at least close to true, this will be an all around solid  device. But, how will it stack up?

We can assume that the EVO One will launch sometime in early June, which coincidentally is at least a full month after the expected release of the Galaxy Nexus. Plus, further rumors suggest that a Sprint Galaxy Note is in the pipe. Those are two  blockbuster phones releasing either side of this device’s trajected timeline. So, will it be able to make a name for itself?

source: Phandroid

ASUS Transformer Prime Update Rolling Out Now Sans Face Unlock

Posted: 29 Mar 2012 02:06 PM PDT

I have some news for you Transformer Prime owners who are eagerly awaiting that “awesome” update ASUS Italy was talking about earlier. We got to see some interesting details about the update yesterday and today the update is actually rolling out. The bad news about the update is that this appears to be missing the “awesome” Face Unlock feature we were reading about, but the update is still good nonetheless.

If you own a Transformer Prime you should hopefully have an OTA update waiting for you right now. This update will bring you to software version 9.4.2.21 and includes a few new features. The biggest advancement in the update is the support for Ethernet connectivity via an upcoming USB accessory allowing for a wired network connection – No word on when that accessory will be available. Also to be expected is a new lockscreen option that displays incoming notifications directly on the lockscreen, a fix for the annoying screen flicker, improved HDMI support, and updates to the ASUS apps. I also noticed tethering and portable hotspot options (presumably to share via new Ethernet capability), Wi-Fi direct, device encryption and status bar locking.

If you have yet to receive the update notification you can try and force the update by looking under Settings > About Tablet and check for updates. If you successfully pull the update let us know in the comments what you think! Oh, and be sure to tell us if you find any other features I missed!

 

Oh no not again, Could there be a DROID Bionic 2 in the works?

Posted: 29 Mar 2012 01:36 PM PDT

Well I don’t think there is anyone in the world of mobile that would disagree with me when I say that the DROID Bionic was probably the biggest disappointment in 2011. I can’t remember a more hyped up phone that literally didn’t delivery an ounce of anything. Now all of a sudden a possible followup is showing up in Asurion’s open enrollment forms. That’s right the DROID Bionic 2. Are you kidding me?

Droid-Life is speculating that it could be a placeholder for the version without a 16GB microSD card. The assumption is that they break out every version of the RAZR based on color and storage and put a 2 in the model number, but to me it doesn’t add up. I don’t see a “2″ next to any of those RAZR titles. The DROID Bionic 2 is listed as such, but yes it does have a “2″ in the model as well. Lets hope it’s a simple mistake.

Who’s ready for a DROID Bionic with a 3300mAh battery? Let’s hope that if this is true, they will drop the seriously awful PenTile display.

source: droid-life

 

HTC One S for T-Mobile could launch on April 22

Posted: 29 Mar 2012 01:16 PM PDT

The HTC One S has already been announced for T-Mobile, but when? With Europe getting the complete HTC One series in early April, it has to be pretty soon right? Well there aren’t any obvious assumptions in mobile, but things might be looking good for April 22. Sunday isn’t a normal day for T-Mobile releases. Usually it’s a Wednesday or Friday, but since they’ve launched phones on Sundays before, it could be a strong possibility. Love to hear from T-Mobile customers. Are you excited for the One S?

source: tmonews

 

Samsung Outlines ICS Update Additions, ‘Face Unlock’ Now Requires You to Blink for Added Security

Posted: 29 Mar 2012 01:06 PM PDT

Samsung today announced new features that were added to the ICS update that is scheduled to hit select Galaxy devices. Samsung’s Product Planning Team, the folks in charge of creating the update, spoke with Samsung Tomorrow detailing what is to be expected in the Galaxy S II and Galaxy S firmware updates.

The man in charge of the Galaxy S “value pack” update, SangHyuck Nam, says the device’s firmware update will contain five additional functions and expects customers to be happy with the upgrade since they “tried to make functions as similar to those found in ICS as possible.” One of the more notable features included is the more secure ‘Face Unlock’ function, requiring the user to blink to prove that in fact it isn’t just some ne’er-do-well using a picture of the owner in an effort to unlock the device. Another big addition is a custom  version of Go Launcher, called S Go Launcher. This new launcher will allow the user to further customize the phone’s home screens and to replace standard ICS icons with ones of the owners chosing. Also included is 'Photo Editor', 'Beta Font' for font sizing, and a 'Snapshot' feature that allows for taking pictures while filming video.

As far as the Galaxy S II goes, applying the Samsung UI was the main reason for the update. Although a few new features have been added such as Face Unlock, Snapshot, Image Editor, a data usage monitoring application, and NFC powered 'Android Beam.'

For those of you still curious as to Samsung’s update schedule, they had this to say regarding the matter:

For those waiting for the upgrade, you don't need to worry because the ICS upgrade will be arriving successively for the GALAXY Note, GALAXY SII LTE, GALAXY S 2 HD LTE. Korean users can now receive Gingerbread firmware upgrades for GALAXY S, K and U, and it's coming to GALAXY Tab (7") S/K/U, GALAXY S Hoppin, GALAXY M Style soon.

source: Samsung Tomorrow

Hulu Plus gets a new style and support for seven additional Android tablets

Posted: 29 Mar 2012 11:59 AM PDT

I know a lot of you have been dying to get Hulu Plus support on your Android tablet. Well we have some good news as Hulu just announced support for seven additional tablets: Asus Eee Pad Transformer Prime, Asus Eee Pad Transformer, Motorola Xoom, Motorola XYBoard 10.1, Toshiba Thrive, Acer Iconia and the LG G-Slate. If you remember, up until now it only supported the HTC Flyer and the Vizio 8″ tablet.

Also the new Hulu Plus app introduces a new design with horizontal “trays,” which allows you to naturally swipe while browsing through TV shows and movies. At $7.99 a month it’s a pretty solid deal, we just need it on more devices. At least this is a start.

Hit the break for download links

qrcode
Play Store Download Link

The HTC One XL Smartphone Defined

Posted: 29 Mar 2012 08:58 AM PDT

 

The HTC One X is no doubt an impressive phone— whether in its Tegra 3 or Snapdragon S4 form. While the device has generated a lot of buzz and excitement, we do know there is a clear difference between the two versions besides the chipset: the Snapdragon version has an LTE chip, the Tegra 3 version doesn’t. People may not realize that HTC has casually made mention of an HTC One XL smartphone, but there has been some minor confusion of what that smartphone actually is. Here’s a quick answer for you all: the HTC One XL smartphone is essentially the AT&T version of the HTC One X without the AT&T branding that will be released specifically for international markets utilizing LTE technology.

There’s a few theories on why this is too. AT&T perhaps wanted to keep the more edgy HTC One X branding, but HTC realized it needs to cater to other growing LTE markets worldwide. That means in order to bring an LTE variant of the One X smartphone outside of the US, it will need to need to you guessed it– bring the Snapdragon S4 version of the device. Instead of causing confusion abroad by having two different versions of the device bearing the same name, HTC kept things simple and named the Tegra 3 version of the device the One X and the Snapdragon S4 version of the device the One XL.

So there you have it gang. The One X will also be known as the Tegra 3 version. The One XL will be also known as the Snapdragon S4 LTE version. And those of us in the U.S. will have the lucky honor of having AT&T’s version of the One XL known as the One X. OK… so there is some minor confusion for us here in the States, but you hey– you get the point.

source: AC

[Deal] Refurbished Kindle Fire On Sale Today Only for $139

Posted: 29 Mar 2012 08:14 AM PDT

If you’ve been dying to get your hands on a new Kindle Fire and don’t mind refurbished merchandise, today would be the day to make the plunge. Amazon’s Gold Box deal of the day features the refurbished Kindle Fire for only $139, $30 less than the usual $169. Have no fear about buying one of these pre owned units as Amazon claims they have been tested and certified to look and function as a brand new device. They will even honor the 12-month warranty period found on new units. This deal only lasts until midnight tonight (or until stock is gone) and only one Fire per Amazon account is allowed. Be sure to check out our full review if you have any questions about the device and hit the source link to start saving!

source: Amazon

 
Posted by at 6:03 AM

No comments:

Post a Comment

Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)