The latest game from Noodlecake Studios, Inc., Happy Fall, may have just become one of our favorite new time killers. Not only is it a cute and colorful experience, but it’s the kind of game that beckons you back for more and more.
Our friends from Happy Jump are back! Happy Fall is the brand new sequel game to Happy Jump! Join a cute family of Jelly and Ice Cream characters on an exciting journey. Drop safely between the platforms to fall down deeper and deeper.
After spending the weekend playing with Happy Fall, we were reminded of simple, yet addictive games like Doodle Jump or Fruit Ninja. Easy to learn and incredibly difficult to put down, there are plenty of achievements, power ups, and options to lure you back to shoot for a new high score.
I’m not going to lie, I expected this to be the kind of title I’d let my nine year old son play. But, after a few times through, I came to appreciate the challenges and unlockable content. Good luck getting me to give up my phone for him to play.
Your task is simple: fall to the bottom of the screen. To do this you simply lean your phone or tablet from side to side and let the accelerometer do the work. Along the way you’ll have to collect coins, avoid obstacles, elude enemies, and have fun. The coins you grab are accumulated to be used in the game’s store of additional characters, power-ups, boosters, and other clever stuff. Be careful! The screen starts moving faster as you get further along so you need to think quick and figure out whether you need to go left or right.
The game is free to download and play, supported by in-app advertising. These ads display across the bottom of the menus screens and do not detract from the game experience. Once in a while you may encounter a screen splash advertisement between levels. Again, nothing here to bother you or feel intrusive.
What We Liked
Very high replay value
Deceptively simple game is incredible hard to put down
If you’ve been looking at your options for a new phone, and have been considering a Galaxy S3 Mini, chances are you noticed the lack of NFC support in the current model. Later this month, however, that will change, and Samsung is launching an NFC-capable version in the UK this month.
Aside from NFC, we’re looking at a 4-inch device with a WVGA (800×480) SuperAMOLED display, a 1GHz dual-core CPU, 1GB of RAM and TouchWiz’d Android 4.1 Jelly Bean. Pricing isn’t available yet, but Samsung says we should be seeing the new device on major UK carriers at the end of January. Full press release below.
Sony has officially announced the Sony Xperia Tablet Z, and it looks pretty slick. As far as specs, we’re looking at:
10.1-inch
Android 4.1
1920 x 1200 display
quad-core 1.5GHz processor
8-megapixel camera
Backside illuminated sensor
The tablet is only 6.9mm thick, making it, as far as we know, the thinnest tablet available on the market. The Xperia Z is also being touted as dustproof and waterproof, and comes with what Sony is calling “S-Force Front Surround 3D”, which “helps convey the movement of sound and a spacious feeling”. The device is only slated for the Japanese market thus far, and we have no word on pricing or availability in other areas.
At the same time, a leak has occurred in China for the very same device, showing off the Tablet Z for about 30 seconds. Video found below.
The HTC M7 scene seems to be picking up steam as of late, what with two renders of the soon-to-be-announced smartphone. Just as the second one looks more legit than the first, the same could be said about this one. Really, what’s more real-looking than a photo? Oh yeah, well-crafted hoaxes. Nevertheless, this looks to be the genuine thing so we’re sharing it with you guys.
The team at AndroidPolice have what are allegedly the first front and back photos of the HTC M7. What’s more, there are also three screen grabs of the user experience to tease the fanboys. Should the images prove accurate, HTC Sense may be getting a total overhaul, if only on the lock screen weather widgets.
What’s your thoughts on the HTC M7 thus far? Are you getting more excited for this handset or do you see anything here that tickles your fancy?
A new ad campaign for Samsung landed on YouTube this past weekend so you might see an abridged version on television in the near term. You’ll see in the embedded clip below that Samsung doesn’t fear BlackBerry and its new (perhaps final?) push back into the smartphone war.
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The first details for the Samsung Galaxy Tab 3 have spilled online ahead of an expected first half 2013 announcement. According to SamMobile, Samsung will employ 3G and Wi-Fi variants of the familiar 7-inch and 10.1-inch experience. Model numbers are already known –GT-P3200, GT-P3210, GT-P5200, GT-P5210–however the remaining specs remain elusive for the moment. That said, the hardware and software picture for the so-called “Santos” tablets may soon land on our laps.
Switching gears for a moment, the processor for the Galaxy Note 8.0 has been found to be a 1.6GHz CPU, though its exact type is unclear. The “Kona” is shaping up to be a rather impressive mid-range hardware experience for the mid-size Galaxy Note. Additional specs are reported to include Android 4.2 Jelly Bean, 2GB RAM, 16GB/32GB storage options, microSD expansion, an 8-inch 1280×800 TFT (Super Clear LCD), and 4600mAh battery.
Finally, a small bit of information to keep in mind for a high-end Samsung tablet operating under a “Roma” code name. Keep your eyes and ears open for a GT-P8200 with 16GB or 32GB storage and a 5-megapixel camera. This one could be something that follows in the line of the Nexus 10 and should also debut in the first half of the year.
The folks at Cyanogen began releasing M-Series (monthly) builds of CM10 last year, however these were later suspended when the priority shifted towards CM10.1. And well, it looks like the first of the CM10.1 M-Series builds have come available. These of course, come by way of the CyanogenMod website and just like the previous monthly builds — are available only for select devices.
That being said, let us first offer a bit on what the M-Series (monthly) builds offer. These are versions that are described as being “mostly stable and ready for everyday use.” Simply put, these are more stable as compared to the nightly builds, but also not quite ready for a final release. In this case, the M-Series builds are based on Jelly Bean MR1 (Android 4.2).
Moving over to the supported devices, this includes a mix of smartphones and tablets. The device list includes the Samsung Captivate, Nexus S (4G), Galaxy S III (US models), Galaxy S (galaxysmtd/galaxysbmtd), Nexus 7, Galaxy Nexus (all variants), Nexus 4, Nexus 10, ODroid U2, Samsung P3100, P3110 and the Samsung P5100, P5110. And for those with a device not listed, the promise was made that “more devices are being worked on.”
As always, the CM10.1 M-Series builds can be grabbed from the Get.CM website. Otherwise, a bit of good news for those who happen to be waiting for a stable release of CM10.1, in addition to word of the M-Series builds, the folks at Cyanogen also mentioned that is on track. But as we have come to expect, no time estimate was given.
The extremely popular and addicting game Temple Run has recently launched a sequel as I’m sure you’ve all heard. Simply called Temple Run 2. Sadly in this day and age you’ll always have a select few people looking to bank on others success. Just as expected a few fakes have arrived on Google’s Play Store, but are quickly being removed by the good folks at Mountain View.
It’s a shame that this has to happen, but the openness of Google’s Android OS and the Play Store that many love is also the cause for these headaches. The developers of Temple Run 2 recently took to Twitter to mention their frustration. Later confirming and thanking Google for working swiftly to remove these dirty little fakes.
As you can see above from that original tweet from Imangi Studios CEO Keith Shepherd, avoid all these fakes and unofficial apps (even wallpapers) like the plague. At least until the official version hits the Google Play Store on January 24th. Obviously there will be Temple Run 2 help guides or wallpapers, but the “official game” has been appearing and are likely malware infested apps — just like this one.
Either make sure to search for the exact developer name (Imangi Studios) or just don’t download any apps until we post the official and legit download link come early morning Thursday. All those Temple Run HD apps and such are all fakes. This is just a public service announcement from your friendly Android Community team. Oh and in case you missed it, get our brand new Android Community App and stay tuned for plenty of Temple Run 2 news and reviews coming soon.
It would not be all that surprising to learn that Google was working on a next-generation Nexus 10 tablet. In fact, assuming they were planning to release a new Nexus 10 and were planning to show it off during Google I/O, we suspect that they would have already been working on such a device. That being said, it looks like today has brought a Nexus 10 rumor.
More specifically, a rumor about the processor that will be included in the next Nexus 10. The details are coming by way of the Bright Side Of News who are reporting that Google will be including a quad-core processor along with the new 8-core Mali-T678 GPU. Assuming that proves to be accurate, this should put a smile on the face of those who complained about the original Nexus 10 being underpowered.
It seems this new Nexus 10 was being shown off during CES. But not in a booth setting, in a private meeting. The details state that the quad-core powered Nexus 10 was being shown off in the original Nexus 10 casing, but that it was showing a “significant increase in digital power.” Other bits include how Google may address some of the shortcomings of the original design, but that adding a bit of “wow factor” will “probably wait for the third generation.”
Bottom line here, another Nexus 10 by itself does not sound all that surprising. Nor does it sound all that surprising that Google would want release the second-generation Nexus 10 with a bump in power and performance. The real key here will be seeing those final specs, and while we may see bits and pieces, this is something that Google will probably show off in full force at Google I/O.
The folks from ASUS have a few new awesome Android tablets in the works. While all the attention was on their leaked 7-inch MeMo Pad that many thought would be a $99 Nexus, another tablet was brewing behind the scenes. This weekend the all new ASUS MeMo Pad 10 tablet has surfaced and we have an entire unboxing video to go along with it.
ASUS hasn’t officially announced this tablet yet, but a few lucky folks already have one in their hands to enjoy. What you’ll essentially be seeing below is a redesigned, slightly thicker, yet cheaper Transformer Prime in a sense. The new ASUS MeMo Pad series aims to be more budget friendly while not compromising on performance or portability. I’m liking the stereo speakers too, something that has been a problem for ASUS tablets in the past.
We were pretty surprised ASUS didn’t show this off at CES, but now we can confirm its existence most likely they’ll be showing it off at MWC later next month in Barcelona, Spain. The tablets official model number is ME301T and should hit the streets as the ASUS MeMo Pad 10. For some reason ASUS is going with last-gen specs, but here’s the video:
According to the leaked details the MeMo Pad 10 will sport a 1280 x 800 HD IPS display, but the rest of the specs match previous offerings and aren’t anything new. You’ll get a 1.2 GHz NVIDIA Tegra 3 (not the 4) quad-core processor, 1GB of RAM, and 16GB of storage. As usual ASUS added a micro-SD slot for expanded storage, and a pair of cameras. The rear however was dropped from 8MP to just 5. We’ll be working with Android 4.1 Jelly Bean out of the box too. Hopefully this will be priced fair and to compete with the others, especially considering many tablets are headed to market with higher specs. ASUS is aiming for the budget crowd again here.
Sony made a pretty big splash at CES this year with their new Xperia Z smartphone, but they decided to wait a few days before revealing its tablet sibling. Earlier this afternoon we reported on the just announced Xperia Tablet Z, and now we have some actual footage of the pad and not just press images. Check out the leaked picture and quick video after the break.
Above is one of the first actual pictures of the hardware, rather than just a few press renders provided by the folks from Sony. Since the device has already been announced this isn’t anything major since we already know all the details, but it’s nice to see it in the flesh. This also means Sony is probably in the final testing stages and will have this tablet ready to rock soon.
While we know this tablet will sport a 10.1-inch display, a 1.5 GHz quad-core processor, 2GB of RAM, 32GB of storage along with NFC, 4G LTE, and much more we still don’t have a price or release date. Now that we’re seeing actual pictures and the video linked to below, it’s safe to say Sony should have this on the market shortly.
The video above shows the new Xperia Launcher and skin Sony’s tossed over stock Android, and from our first glance it looks rather fresh and quite smooth. Whether you’re a fan of stock Android or custom skins, Sony seems to have a winner here. Bloomberg is reporting this will hit the shelves in March after Mobile World Congress, and we’d have to agree. Stay tuned for some hands-on pictures and videos live from Barcelona next month.
While Samsung has yet to offer any sort of confirmation at this point, it looks like some early details have begun to leak for the next-generation Galaxy Tab tablet. In this case, that would be the Galaxy Tab 3 and it looks like Samsung will continue the trend and offer two models — one with a 7-inch display and one with a 10.1-inch display.
The Galaxy Tab 3 is currently going under the codename of Santos and is expected to arrive in both a Wi-Fi only and also a cellular connected model. But based on previous Galaxy Tab history, that is not all that surprising. Otherwise, the details and specs are fairly light at the moment. It was said that the tablet will have a 5 megapixel rear-facing camera and is expected in the first half of 2013.
Aside from the Santos codename, the Galaxy Tab 3 code numbers include GT-P3200, GT-P3210, GT-P5200 and GT-P5210. This gives two for the 7-inch and two for the 10.1-inch models, with those breaking down to the previously mentioned Wi-Fi only and cellular models. Another interesting tidbit here, it was said that the Galaxy Tab 3 is expected to be released first in white.
Otherwise, putting the Galaxy Tab 3 details aside, another higher-end tablet is also expected from Samsung. This one is the GT-P8200 which is sporting the codename of Roma and the specs for this one are tipped to include a 5 megapixel rear-facing camera along with options for 16GB or 32GB of internal storage. The one catch with the Roma tablet, the details have yet to mention anything about operating system, which rather simply means — that one may not be running Android.
Samsung originally announced the Galaxy S III Mini back in October. As of today, Samsung has returned with another Galaxy S III Mini announcement — they are releasing another variant of the handset, one with NFC. As of now, Samsung has confirmed the release for the UK market and mentioned that the handset will arrive later this month.
Samsung has yet to offer anything about a price, however it should fall somewhere close to that of the currently available (non-NFC) Galaxy S III Mini which is selling for around £270 contract-free. As to what the addition of NFC will mean — S Beam and Wi-Fi Direct file transfers.
Using S Beam you will be able to share files with another S Beam capable device. The S Beam transfers are direct and do not require any other connectivity. In other words, you can share without having to be on the same Wi-Fi network. Moving over to the Wi-Fi Direct side and we have Samsung touting that “by combining NFC and Wi-Fi Direct, S Beam is capable of sending larger files” including video files. Samsung has said that you will be able to transfer a 10MB audio file in under two seconds.
Otherwise, aside from the addition of NFC, the Galaxy S III Mini remains the same as we saw back in October. That is to say, a handset with a 4-inch Super AMOLED display, dual-core 1GHz processor, 8GB or 16GB of internal storage, VGA quality front-facing camera, a 5 megapixel rear-facing camera and Android 4.1 Jelly Bean with the TouchWiz user interface.
Google may have banished the Nexus Q from the Play Store a while back, however it looks like the device isn’t totally dead yet. Well, it may be in the eyes of Google, however the folks at CyanogenMod have just released the first nightly build for the media streaming device that never really took off.
That being said, the CyanogenMod nightly build for the Nexus Q is dubbed steelhead and will bring Android 4.2.1 Jelly Bean. Of course, while this may be exactly what some Nexus Q users have been waiting and hoping for, there are some catches that you will likely want to know up front.
The folks at CyanogenMod are describing this release as being “fully functional” but with one caveat. That caveat may be enough for some to stop thinking about running this nightly and sticking with the original software. The original @home functionality will no longer work once you have the nightly build up and running. Taking that a step further, it was said that is is unclear if it will ever work.
The ROM can be downloaded from the CyanogenMod website and the installation process is similar to other Nexus devices. In other words, boot into fast boot mode, unlock it and then flash the recover. Another bit worth mentioning, the navigation during the recovery process is done using the Q. You will need to rotate the ball to navigate the menu and tap when you need to select. And then once in with CyanogenMod up and running, you can navigate with a mouse — either wired or Bluetooth. All said and done, it looks like the folks at CyanogenMod have given the Nexus Q a little bit of extra life.
Last week brought rumors about the Samsung GT-N5100, which is expected to arrive as the Galaxy Note 8.0. Based on those details, we were expecting Samsung to announce the 8-inch version of the Galaxy Note during Mobile World Congress. And on that note, it looks like a MWC announcement will be coming.
The latest chapter in the Galaxy Note 8.0 story is coming courtesy of the Korean language iNews24 who are reporting that the tablet will indeed be announced at MWC in February. According to the report, JK Shin was the person who confirmed the Galaxy Note 8.0 announcement. Sadly though, Shin didn’t go into any further details.
Based on previous details courtesy of the GLBenchmark filing, the Galaxy Note 8.0 is expected to debut with a 1280 x 800 display resolution, 2GB of RAM, microSD card slot, 4600 mAh battery, 1.3 megapixel front-facing camera and a 5 megapixel rear-facing camera. Otherwise, the tablet is expected to be running Jelly Bean and have options for either 16GB or 32GB of internal storage.
All that being said, while those hoping for an 8-inch Galaxy Note now have something to look forward to seeing — there are obviously lots of details that still need to be released and confirmed because as of now, the only bit confirmed by Shin was that the Note 8.0 will be unveiled during MWC.
We have seen plenty of leaks surrounding the HTC M7 up until this point. In fact, we saw a rendered image leak last week with another this weekend. And well, another M7 image has leaked and thankfully, we have moved away from the renders. Simply put, this latest HTC M7 leak is a pic of an actual handset and come courtesy of Android Police. The images of the handset look like the previous render and also comes along with some images of what is said to he HTC Sense 5.0.
And while we cannot say that the small differences between the render and the actual images are anything other than small differences, we do have to mention a few. For example, the flash is on the opposite side of the camera and the Beats Audio logo is, well, a logo. On the previous render it appears as text. The HTC logo is also black as opposed to shiny as in the render. Of course, this could mean nothing more than the real-work images of the M7 are showing a prototype.
Moving away from the pics and into what we have learned about the specs. The M7 should arrive with features to include a 4.7-inch 1080p display, quad-core 1.7GHz processor, 2GB of RAM, 2300 mAh battery and 13 megapixel rear-facing camera. The HTC M7 is also expected to be running Jelly Bean with version 5.0 of the HTC Sense user interface.
All this being said, while we have yet to hear anything from HTC in terms of when we can expect an announcement, things are shaping up like we may see something at Mobile World Congress, which will take place in Barcelona at the end of February. If nothing else, the M7 appears to be giving the HTC name quite a bit of a boost in the Android world. Stay tuned for more details.
Sony has put an end to another series of rumors. These latest were tablet related, specifically, for the Xperia Tablet Z which has been announced for just one market as of this time. We should also point out that while Sony has officially announced the Xperia Tablet Z, this feels more like it is a soft launch and that we should expect some additional details moving forward.
To begin with, as of now the Xperia Tablet Z is heading to just one market — Japan. Of course, that is not to say we will not see any additional details in the future, especially with Mobile World Congress coming up next month. And if nothing else, we expect that Sony will have the Xperia Tablet Z on full display during the show.
That all being said, lets dive in with some of the specs that have been mentioned. The Xperia Tablet Z will arrive sporting a 10.1-inch (1920 x 1200) display with the Mobile Bravia Engine, quad-core 1.5GHz Qualcomm APQ8064 processor, 2GB of RAM and 32GB of internal storage space. Other specs include a microSD card slot, 8.1 megapixel rear-facing camera, NFC and LTE connectivity.
Otherwise, as we had seen based on the rumors, the Xperia Tablet Z is indeed waterproof and dustproof. Another rumor prove accurate, the tablet is thin — 6.9mm. The other bit we can pass on is the colors, as you can see in the above images, the tablet will be available in black and white. Finally, Sony has yet to announce anything in terms of a specific release date or a price.
This week we’ve got a real special treat for all you out there in love with Google’s mobile OS: the first official Android Community app! This app is made to connect you to the the vast archive as well as newest in new in Android Community action, top to bottom. This app is absolutely free and is able to work on most any Android device, big or small – let’s have a hands-on look right this minute!
We’re having a look at this app on a couple of different devices here to show you how it’s working out, once in the video below showing the newest in new, Android 4.2 Jelly Bean running on a Nexus machine, and another on stock Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich working on a Samsung Galaxy S III. The screenshots above and below come from ICS, the video shows Jelly Bean, the video shows on-screen buttons, the screenshots work without. Needless to say, this app is versatile.
In this app you’ll be able to access all of the latest and greatest news from the Android universe through Android Community’s own official feed. You’re getting the same info you’d normally have to head to the web for, now easily made ready for you with a tap or two. Each post is able to be commented on and full galleries as well as videos are ready for action right out of the box.
You can access featured posts as well as Must Read posts to make sure you’re up on the most important and most up-close-and-personal posts the same. We’ve got the Reviews section ready for your perusal as well as integration with our own device archive from DEVICE.AC (you’ll see this integration in every post that’s about one single device, down near the end.)
Pay special attention to the grid button in the upper left-hand corner as well as the Android menu button (wherever that may be for your device) for access to options above and beyond the normal read and let be collection of items, too. Each post’s galleries and videos are behind single-tap buttons so you only have to load them if you want them, this saving you precious data each and every time you move.
This is all available in the Google Play app store right this minute – you’ll be wise to head to the [R3 Media LLC collection] to get the real-deal official Android Community app, and while you’re there you might want to take a peek at SlashGear’s app for kicks. All the news you can handle from every tech direction at once!
ALSO don’t hesitate to leave us feedback on the app right here in this post or through more official means on Google Play – we’ll be constantly updating as we go through the future!
