Friday, August 23, 2013

Android World Update # Android and Me

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Top 10 Android games released this week: Asphalt 8: Airborne, Retro Runners, Exp3D
Aug 22nd 2013, 19:19, by Steve Raycraft

Welcome back to Android Gaming Weekly, our weekly recap on new game 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.

Dots: A Game About Connecting

Description: The task is simple; connect as many same-colored dots as you can in 60 seconds. Get competitive by connecting Twitter and Facebook to see your friends’ scores on the High Scores list. For the first time in Dots, an un-timed, moves based mode is available; kick back and take your time while planning strategic moves.

Dragons of Atlantis: Heirs

Description: The Ancients fled Atlantis in the wake of a cataclysm. The savage Anthropus overran the Lost Continent. The Dragons are dying. It’s up to you to rebuild ruined cities, rediscover ancient wisdom and save the Dragons of Atlantis!

Asphalt 8: Airborne

Description: The best Android arcade racing game series reaches a new turning point! Perform dynamic, high-speed aerial stunts in an intense driving experience powered by a brand-new physics engine!

Retro Runners

Description: Get ready for a big challenge in this awesome racing game with a nostalgic 8-bit style! Get as far as you can, dodging obstacles and enemies while collecting coins and special items!

Contra: Evolution

Description: Contra: Evolution is the first official Contra game for Google Play, bringing all the run-and-gun action of the 1988 original with 21st century graphics and controls to the palm of your hands.

BattleFriends in Tanks

Description: Battle friends or strangers using one of many special weapons and become a field marshal. Get ready for the ultimate in turn-based mayhem!

Gentlemen!

Description: A Victorian era head-to-head arcade battle for tablets 7 inches and up! Take on your friends in this frantically paced duel game. Knives, bombs, homing pigeons – choose your weapon wisely, and master the art of the gravity flip. An honorable duel, a dapper delight.

Champs: Battlegrounds

Description: Lead your squad to victory in Champs: Battlegrounds, an action-packed squad based strategy game with fast-paced real-time combat. Choose your Champs, build your squad, battle through the campaign or challenge other players and upgrade your army with more powerful Champs.

Exp3D

Description: Move your ship around by touching the screen to dodge enemy bullets. Your special weapon reloads over time., When it’s fully loaded double-tap anywhere or touch its icon to unleash its power. Some enemies drop orbs; grab them to upgrade your ship and unlock new content.

Dragon & Shoemaker

Description: Dragon & Shoemaker is a challenging and extremely addictive 3D side-scrolling platform game, based on one of the most popular Polish legends about Shoemaker and the evil Dragon. The game will take you on a journey across an early medieval world of Cracow and its surroundings. Your goal is to guide Shoemaker through five different and exciting locations and to become Cracow's legendary Hero – the Dragon Slayer.

COMING SOON

The Ubuntu Edge crowdfunding campaign raises $13 mil, just $19 mil short
Aug 22nd 2013, 19:13, by Dima Aryeh

Canonical had a very lofty goal: make a high-tech phone that could demonstrate the abilities of its mobile operating system. To make that device, it would have to throw in some pretty impressive specs. Had things gone according to plan, we would have seen a 4.5-inch 720p display under sapphire crystal, an 8MP camera, multi-core CPU, 4GB of RAM, 128GB of storage and the ability to dual boot Ubuntu and Android packed in a 9mm thick shell made out of textured aluminum, called the Ubuntu Edge.

Canonical set their expectations high with a massive goal to raise $32 million in funding. The first 5,000 phones disappeared at only $600, but the rest were a bit more difficult to sell. They ended up doing more promotions at $625, $675 and $725, but the full price was $830. A bit of a hard sell, but it could have worked.

Unfortunately, it didn’t. The Edge raised a very impressive $12.8 million dollars, but that meant the project was still over $19 million short. It’s unfortunate, but it tells us that public interest isn’t quite strong enough. Maybe the Edge was ahead of its time, and in three years we’ll be seeing devices a lot like it. We’re sad to see it fail, but life will go on and technology will continue to advance. Maybe next year, an even better Edge will come out with a lower goal. I really think the high goal is what killed it. Why do you think the Edge failed? Was it the price or something else?

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Android World Update # Samsung Galaxy Golden – clamshell mania

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Samsung Galaxy Golden – clamshell mania
Aug 22nd 2013, 20:00, by Sterling Keys

There’s no stopping the clamshell gravy train as Samsung has announced another version of a retro/new age smartphone. The Samsung Galaxy Golden has been revealed for the Asian markets (don’t expect this to hit North American shores anytime soon) and at a pretty large price point: around $700. 

samsung galaxy golden
It's here, but unless you REALLY want it and live in an Asian market, don't expect it to land on your lap anytime soon. / © Samsung

(This is a preview - click here to read the entire entry.)

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Android World Update # Android Community

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Chrome Beta for Android gets new gestures and image search improvements
Aug 22nd 2013, 20:04, by Robert Nelson

The latest Chrome Beta for Android update has been detailed. This one is arriving as Chrome 30 Beta and should be available by way of the Play Store soon enough. More important are the changes and new additions which this time around include some image related search improvements and some new gestures.

Screen Shot 2013-08-21 at 11.20.42 PM

The new gestures can likely be described as the biggest addition with this update. These bring the ability to swipe horizontally across the top toolbar to switch between tabs. And just to clarify, this is replacing the earlier ability to swipe in from the edge of the screen.

In addition, you can also swipe down vertically from the toolbar to enter the tab switching view and drag down from the menu to open the menu. From that point you will be able to select what you want without even having to lift a finger. Aside from the gestures, Chrome 30 Beta also brings the ability to long-press on an image to find more details. This also allows the user to quickly perform a search based on the image.

Diving in a bit deeper and there are also some details coming from the Chromium Blog in regards to the Chrome 30 Beta update. In this case there was talk of WebGL, DeviceMotion Events and Media Source Extension. The first of these three, WebGL is a JavaScript API for rendering interactive graphics and this update means this will now be enabled by default for devices that can support it (such as the Nexus 7 and Nexus 4).

The DeviceMotion Events portion is another API and this one deals with the Device Orienation API which provides information about device acceleration and rotation rates. Google provides the www.isthisanearthquake.com website as an example. Lastly in terms of Chrome Beta for Android is the Media Source portion which is yet another API. This is another that will be enabled by default moving forward (for Jelly Bean and higher) and deals with streaming to mobile devices.

SOURCE: Google Chrome Blog, Chromium Blog

XBMC app arrives in the OUYA store
Aug 22nd 2013, 18:37, by Robert Nelson

We have seen XBMC up and running on the OUYA game console before. A demo surfaced way back in March that showed the software running and how it was controlled using the OUYA remote. That build was being shown on a developer unit OUYA and came by way of Nathan Betzen, who is part of the XBMC team. Well, flash forward till today and it looks like installing XBMC on your OUYA has gotten just a bit easier.

20130717_123720-540x405

That is based on the bit about it no longer needing to be sideloaded. Of course, the caveat with that is this is an unofficial build. A version of XBMC 12.2 has appeared in the OUYA store and comes by way of Chris Browet. This one is being described as an official OUYA fork, but a fork that isn’t officially supported by Team XBMC. That said, this one is installable direct from the store.

For some that may be enough to convince you to pull the trigger. Before you go ahead and do that though, there are some other points worth considering. To begin with, some users are reporting issues with the build. Those reports touch on some general bugs and some crashes. There has also been some reports of inconsistent video streaming. Basically, if you decide to move forward with an installation do so knowing that the experience may not be perfect. On the plus side, the controls have been properly mapped to work with the OUYA controller.

xbmc-ouya-marketplace

With that in mind, those looking to get started should head to the “Discover” tab from the main menu and scroll down to Genres -> App and then look for the icon that says XBMC on OUYA. Once here you need to download the app, let it install and then launch it and begin the configuration process.

The process seems simple enough and is described as being one that can be completed in “less than a few minutes.” The XBMC Hub (link below) has a detailed set of step-by-step directions to walk you through the process. Otherwise, those still on the fence about an OUYA purchase may benefit from our earlier published review.

VIA: Liliputing

SOURCE: XBMC Hub

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Android World Update # Chrome OS stable channel updated with immersive mode, smarter app launcher

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Chrome OS stable channel updated with immersive mode, smarter app launcher
Aug 22nd 2013, 20:08, by Andrew Martonik

Chrome

Usability tweaks and behind-the-scenes improvements for nearly all Chromebooks

The Stable channel of Chrome OS is being updated today to version 29.0.1547.57 for all Chromebooks (except the Lenovo Thinkpad X131e) with several improvements. First up is a new "immersive mode", which hides some of the chrome (pardon the pun) around windows and provides a nearly full-screen experience. 

The app launcher has also received a few tweaks, letting you pin apps to the shelf from the launcher with a simple drag-and-drop. The app launcher search has learned a few new tricks as well — it will dynamically learn what you search for most regularly, prominently highlight apps and offer web store results if you don't have an app installed.

Some behind-the-scenes improvements like a move to kernel version 3.8, wallpaper sync across Chromebook devices, two finger history navigation and fixes for monitor scaling are all included in this update as well. Be on the lookout for the download on your own Chromebook today.

Source: Chrome Releases


    






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Android World Update # APPTEASERS: 15 great Android apps and games you should know about (August 22)

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APPTEASERS: 15 great Android apps and games you should know about (August 22)
Aug 22nd 2013, 19:25, by AndroidGuys


APPTEASERS is a collection of apps and games that are new to Android, recently updated, discounted, etc. Whatever the case, we think they’re worth exploring and are willing to bet that many of you would enjoy a few of them.

We understand that we won’t get every single app that crosses our path but we hope to filter things a bit and pass them along to you, dear reader. What you’ll find below is a quick plug for apps and games, occasionally using the developer’s own words to describe the title.

Note that this column is not intended to be a list of “must have” apps but more of a random assortment of titles you might not already know about. No, these are not always new titles. Yes, they can be from big name developers and little indie teams as well.

Also, be sure to follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Google+ as we showcase different apps over on our social network streams.

timely

Timely

The best looking alarm clock/stopwatch/timer app we’ve ever laid eyes on, you’ll stare at the screen until you fall asleep. There are tons of options in the free version, but do consider purchasing the premium stuff. Both, however, do allow for customization across the board and beg for your touch. Beautiful on tablets, the app can even sync across the cloud to ensure you’re not going to miss appointments. FREE

biba

Biba

Mobile-first business app helps users stay in touch or reach each other instantly. Whether it’s a simple message or a conference call, you’ll be just a tap away from your colleagues. Works with Outlook and Google calendars and even appeals to IT professionals. FREE

chegg

Chegg eTextbooks & Study Tools

The timing couldn’t be better for this helpful app for students headed back to school this season. Launching on Android and iOS this week, the free app lets users read their eTextbooks, access over 2.5 million guided solutions (step-by-step guides to help students understand and solve questions in their textbooks). Rent or buy your books at with amazing discounts of up to 80 percent off! FREE

todoist2

Todoist

One of our favorite apps for keeping to-do lists, tasks, and notes, Todoist has picked up some great new features. Be sure to check out the 2.0 release as it offers easier task adding, enhanced search capabilities, and a number of new Premium options. If for no other reason, you need to see the new design which falls right in line with some of the best on Android.  FREE

nextdoor

Nextdoor

Get in touch and stay in touch with the folks living next door with this free application. Organizing a yard sale or neighborhood crime watch team? Let everyone know with one simple update. Other use cases might include finding and/or returning a lost animal, selling or giving away an old appliance or toy, or finding a new babysitter. FREE

swiftkey

Swiftkey

One of the best keyboard replacement apps you’ll ever encounter, the new update brings about the Swiftkey Cloud integration. As was the case with the beta client, you can back up your language profiles, teach writing styles more efficiently, and even pull in trending words and phrases from social media. FREE

contra

Contra: Evolution

The arcade action of the 1988 NES title makes its way to Android this week and brings high quality graphics to an 8-bit classic. Everything is here from the old school title but it’s designed to play on your Android phone or tablet. Limited device compatibility means it might not be available for you yet, but we’re holding out for expanded support, namely the NVIDIA Shield. $.99

timetable

Timetable

Get the school year started off on the right foot and stay organized with this beautiful and intuitive calendar app. Features sync across multiple devices, automatic muting during lessons, light and dark themes, searching, and much more. Works just as nicely on tablets and provides or list view or grid views.  FREE

astro_boy

Astro Boy Dash

What happens when you combine the endless runner game mechanics of Temple Run with the  iconic cartoon robot from the 1950′s? You already know.  You’ve had enough of Prof. Ochanomizu’s shenanigans and you are in no hurry to go back. Take control of Astro Boy or Astro Girl and bolt through the city streets, avoiding capture, buildings and multiple obstacles. FREE

clinch

Clinch

Create collaborative movies by combining and editing your own pictures and videos with those from around the world. Got a bunch of Instagram or Twitter pictures you’d like to show off in a new way? Combine them with music, add captions, and other great things or include some content from your friends as well! FREE

riptide_gp2

Riptide GP2

One of our absolute favorite games to play on the NVIDIA Shield, this one will steal away hours of your life.  With some of the most realistic physics we’ve ever seen on mobile, you’ll find tons of levels, achievements, stunts, and racers to keep you coming back for more. Extra points awarded for being able to log in with Google+ so we can take on our friends across the globe. $2.99

excalibur

Excalibur: Knights of the King

Side-scrolling action MMORPG set in the realm of King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table., you can play as either a Knight, an Assassin, a Wizard or (soon), an Archer. Can you help save Britain from falling into the wrong hands? FREE

on_beyond_zebra

On Beyond Zebra

As the 44th Dr. Seuss title from Oceanhouse Media, this one takes children on an adventure beyond the end of the alphabet into a world of “Itch-a-pods” and “Glikkers. Features multiple reading modes including narration, audio sound effects, highlighting, and other intuitive details. These are great ways to get your child up and running with some good ol’ fashion classic stories from days gone by.  $3.99

ytd_downloader

YTD Video Downloader

Download, convert, and play videos from various websites on your Android smartphone or tablet. Details include unlimited downloads queued, stats on video size, ETA for downloading, pause, resume, and cancel. Despite the rough and basic outward appearance this one gets the job done. FREE

playkids

PlayKids TV

Offers hours of age-appropriate, educational shows and games which can be watched even when there’ no data connection. Take this one in the car ride with you and let the little one enjoy fun, engaging programming and games. Subscription is required but you get 7 days to try things out before making any commitments. FREE

The post APPTEASERS: 15 great Android apps and games you should know about (August 22) appeared first on AndroidGuys.

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Android World Update # New Nexus 7 update JSS15Q going out to address touch screen issues

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New Nexus 7 update JSS15Q going out to address touch screen issues
Aug 22nd 2013, 19:55, by Quentyn Kennemer

Google has confirmed that a new update -- version JSS15Q -- is rolling out to the masses who own the Nexus Nexus 7. This update directly addresses touch screen issues which made for erratic use of multi-touch.

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