Android and Me |
- Gamepop to deliver Android games by subscription
- Chinese Analyst: Google gives up on “X Phone”?
- Samsung SideSync connects your phone and PC
- ASUS teases new Transformer tablet with a stylus?
- AT&T’s no-contract brand Aio reveals their plans and pricing
- Top 10 Android game releases this week: Blitz Brigade, Punch Quest, Emily in Darkness
| Gamepop to deliver Android games by subscription Posted: 09 May 2013 12:29 PM PDT Many companies are trying to become the “Netflix for games,” but none have stood out above the rest yet. Today Bluestacks announced their Android-powered Gamepop console that offers access to 500 games for a monthly subscription of $6.99. For new customers that enroll by the end of May, Bluestacks will throw in a free Gamepop console and controller if you sign up for a 12-month subscription. We are pretty against subsidized hardware, contracts, and early termination fees, but Gamepop appears to be off to a nice start with their launch game library. They have already signed deals with notable mobile developers Glu, Halfbrick, Jawfish Games, and Gameloft, and we expect more will be coming soon. I’m tempted to try out Gamepop out of curiosity, but I’m currently waiting for my OUYA to arrive any day now. I would much prefer to buy my console and own my games, but I can see how the subscription based model would be appealing for others. But if anyone succeeds at becoming the “Netflix for games”, it’s going to be Netflix itself. Check out the preview videos below and let us know what you think. Will any of you be signing up for a Gamepop subscription? 
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| Chinese Analyst: Google gives up on “X Phone”? Posted: 09 May 2013 12:00 PM PDT Reports are swirling today that Google might have abandoned or given up on the fabled “X Phone.” The source of the information is from Chinese analyst Sun Chang Xu who left a comment on her Weibo blog. Our Chinese is a little rusty, but a friend tells us that the vibe of the message is that Google doesn’t care about the “X Phone” anymore and they are letting Motorola do their own thing with the device. The rough translation says that Motorola will not be cancelling the device, but it is no longer slated for the Chinese market. This information contradicts some other reports, so we will have to wait and see what happens. We have heard nothing to support this latest rumor, but we have reached out to our sources to see if they can provide an update. The last we heard, Motorola was planning to launch the first “X Phone” device in August. As far as we know, things are still on track and unlikely to change, but the launch plan for other countries might still be up in the air. Are you still excited for the over-hyped X Phone, or are you already let down? 
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| Samsung SideSync connects your phone and PC Posted: 09 May 2013 11:46 AM PDT If you own a Samsung PC and Samsung smartphone, then you might want to check out SideSync, a new application that connects the two devices and lets you perform some pretty convenient functions. A new YouTube video shows off some of the tricks that SideSync can perform including using your keyboard and mouse on your phone, copy and pasting between the two devices, and drag and dropping files from one device to another. The app is only available from the Samsung App store, so owners of other devices will not be able to try it out. I happen to have a Samsung laptop and a Galaxy S 4, so I’ll be testing it out later and reporting back on the experience. Check out the demo video below and let us know if you get it up and running on your Samsung device. 
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| ASUS teases new Transformer tablet with a stylus? Posted: 09 May 2013 11:14 AM PDT The ASUS Transformer Prime tablet was one of the most hyped Android devices of all time, but all that buzz didn’t exactly translate into massive sales numbers. We are still fans of the tablet-with-keyboard form factor, so it’s nice to see that ASUS will be releasing a new model soon. In a new teaser for Computex 2012, ASUS shows off an unannounced blank slate that has a stylus coming out of it. We don’t know much about the next ASUS Transformer, but rumors suggest it will be powered by NVIDIA’s Tegra 4 chip. The Transformer Prime was the first device powered by Tegra 3, so it makes sense that ASUS might be one of the first Android tablets with Tegra 4. Computex takes places June 3rd, so we have less than a month before the full details are revealed. ASUS has a teaser page for their press event with blank spaces for four more videos, so we should get some more clues soon. 
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| AT&T’s no-contract brand Aio reveals their plans and pricing Posted: 09 May 2013 10:04 AM PDT Last week we heard that AT&T was preparing to launch a new prepaid brand, and this week Aio Wireless is now live. The no-contract wireless service is now active in Houston, Tampa, and Orlando, but it should see a nationwide rollout on June 15th. GoPhone is AT&T's current prepaid brand, but the prices and data caps are not competitive with other no-contract offerings, and it’s refreshing to see them try something new. The basic plan from Aio Wireless starts at $40 per month and offers unlimited talk, text, and web. Users get 250 MB of “high speed data” and then they are throttled to 2G speeds when they exceed that. For $55 per month the high speed data cap is raised to 2GB, and for $70 per month the limit is increased to 7GB. Additional data can be added to any plan at a rate of $10 per GB. We had to dig through the fine print, but it appears that “high speed data” is limited to a maximum of 4 Mbps. That is slower than AT&T’s HSPA+ network which has a theoretical max of 21 Mbps, and their LTE network which can go much faster. Compared to other no-contract plans, T-Mobile offers more bang for the buck, but it’s still nice to see AT&T expanding their options for prepaid wireless. These Aio Wireless plans are a big improvement over GoPhone, that offered 1GB of data for $65 per month, and there is always the chance that AT&T could boost the download speeds at a later date. Check out the full plans below and head over to the official Aio Wireless site for additional details. Aio Tablet – $15 / month
Aio Basic – $40 / month
Aio Smart – $55 / month
Aio Pro – $70 / month
Aio Gig - $10 / month
Aio International - $10 / month
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| Top 10 Android game releases this week: Blitz Brigade, Punch Quest, Emily in Darkness Posted: 09 May 2013 07:28 AM PDT Welcome back to Android Gaming Weekly, our weekly recap to focus on new releases. We still plan to cover upcoming releases and games we're playing, but this column is dedicated to new games you can install and start playing right now. Check out our top picks and let us know if you have any suggestions for next week in the comments below. Blitz BrigadeDescription: You ready for multiplayer action? Axis or Allies, victory or defeat, mayo or mustard… All will be decided in the ultimate FPS showdown, Blitz Brigade! Become one of five highly skilled and totally badass classes and team up with other players to pound your enemies into the dirt and call them mean names. Finally, a true class-based multiplayer FPS game comes to Android! HiversairesDescription: Hiversaires is a cryptic point & click adventure game in a textless world. Created for adventurers who remember drawing maps to survive, the dark world of Hiversaires features an original Aliceffekt soundtrack to lure you through its entangled corridors. Punch QuestDescription: Punch Quest is an arcade-style fighting game, entirely controlled by taps with your left and right thumbs. Jab, uppercut, slam, and otherwise pummel your way through dungeons full of monsters, branching path choices, rare events, and fragile pottery. Ride a dinosaur that shoots lasers out of its mouth, and punch an egg that turns you into a magical gnome. Undead SoccerDescription: Protect the world with your only weapon, a soccer ball! Play the endless addictive game by killing zombies wave by wave. The higher skill you got, the farther you can go. Upgrade your power, your super ball power to kill more zombies. Unlock cool fottbal styles and shield styles. Normal zombies became just too easy for you? Be prepared for the big bosses! Leviathan: WarshipsDescription: Leviathan: Warships is a strategic action game where players can build and customize their own fleet of warships to play with or against their friends. Play together in the co-op campaign missions against the growing Marauder threat or fight through special Challenge Missions with your friends. Monkey BoxingDescription: Enter the Monkey Boxing League with Monkey Boxing! Step inside the ring, do powerful K.O.s and combos, customize your monkey, and compete for huge Trophies! Fully animated 3D characters with dynamic accurate lighting. Ludicrous characters and fast paced, crazy gameplay. Create your own Monkey Boxer choosing colors and wearable props up to more than 269 billions of combinations. Death Ray MantaDescription: Death Ray Manta is an arena shooter where you blow stuff up and make pretty colours in the spirit of Minter, Jarvis and Fearon. Death Ray Manta does not waste your time. There is no guff, no IAP, no upgrades, just a videogame. Tap to start. Score higher. Wizard Ops TacticsDescription: Part Action, Part Strategy, Total Wizardry – Battle Friends in Wizard Ops Tactics! Are you ready to command a crazy commando team known as the Wizard Ops? Wizard Ops Tactics is an asynchronous, turn based, tactical game that allows you to battle your friends whenever and wherever you like! Build and customize your armies for maximum destruction! Bejeweled BlitzDescription: Treat yourself to an exciting take on the world’s #1 puzzle game from PopCap! Play for free on your Android as you match and detonate as many gems as you can in 60 action-packed seconds and compete with Facebook friends. Match 3 or more and create cascades of fun with Flame gems, Star gems, and Hypercubes. Add up to three Boosts at a time plus powerful Rare Gems to send your score soaring, and dominate the weekly leaderboards! Emily in DarknessDescription: ”Emilly In Darkness” is an old school action-adventure game in which on one hand the character shoots, sets traps and learns new skills, but on the other hand the character must navigate a gloomy, complex world with a twisted and unpredictable plot, highlighted by cut-in animations and conversations with NPC’s. COMING SOON
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