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- Guerilla Bob [Review] [Motorola XOOM + Android Handsets]
- HTC ThunderBolt Extended Battery [Hands-On]
- Droid Bionic Release now Mid-April [Says Verizon]
- Flash Player 10.2 Up Now for Android, Incorrectly Listed as 10.1
- HTC ThunderBolt Perm Rooted
- HTC Thunderbolt battery life to get extended options
- HTC Thunderbolt review on SlashGear
- HTC Thunderbolt display comparison: looks are deceiving
- Android loses out to iPhone bigtime in JD Power Satisfaction Ratings
- OTA updates for Samsung Epic 4G, Transform and Galaxy Tab coming
- HTC Incredible S blushes on Danish site
- Gorilla Glass “A Day Made of Glass” [Video]
| Guerilla Bob [Review] [Motorola XOOM + Android Handsets] Posted: 18 Mar 2011 10:22 PM PDT Lets begin by saying that Guerilla Bob works on lots of different Android devices. It looks fabulous on the XOOM tablet we’ve got sitting here, it looks lovely on the HTC ThunderBolt, and rolls out hard on the ATRIX 4G. The images and video you see below are on the Motorola XOOM tablet of course, as this is the big screen all games like this aught to be tested on, but let me assure you, it works just as well (and in some cases better) on the comparatively small screen. It’s a powerhouse of a fun and simple shooter at just three bucks – skip the review, it rocks like a stick of dynamite attached to an arrow sticking to a bad guy!
First Impressions This game looks very much like the game Gun Bros., but if I’m not mistaken, Guerilla Bob was created before Gun Bros., and was released on iOS all the way back at the beginning of 2010 for FREE on iOS. Since then it’s been released as a HD version on the iPad, PC, Mac OS, and now Android. In fact, it’s already been tested on the Xperia PLAY – And you know they only put super neato games on that thang. We just saw a couple pics of the gameplay and noticed that it only cost a few bucks and POW we were at it. This is a game that’s extremely easy to get into, challenging enough to make you want to play for minutes and hours on end, and there’s several modes of play (including a multiplayer mode!) that’ll keep you around for multiple plays. You can even play against your friends who have the iOS version!
Gameplay It’s a game that you use two thumbs for, or if you’re weird, two fingers for. Where when you’re playing Gun Bros you’ve got one finger to move and one finger to aim your gun, Guerilla Bob makes killing bad guys one notch easier by auto-aiming the gun, requiring only that you hold that finger down to fire – but beware! Holding your trigger finger down too long will result in an overheated weapon.
There’s short cinematic moments during the game, quickly showing up then turning back to the game in no time flat. Each of these shows either a boss or a new type of character you’ll be facing for the rest of the game. As they appear, so too will you get a greater chance at finding the guns they’re using against you – I’m not sure if this directly correlates, but it seems like it to me.
Of course, then there’s mercenary mode where you get money instead of points, and the money you can then spend on bigger and better guns instead of just finding them on the ground. That’s utterly enjoyable and addictive to the max. KILL EM ALL and have a hootin good time doing it – in fact, there’s some what I’d call Duke Nukem-esque war cries littered throughout the game like “TASTE MY BULLETS.”
Wrap-Up Worth the $3 all day long. Actually it costs $2.99, so it’s just a super deal. The game works great on most Android devices, big and small, and the mix of control and auto-control is really well formulated for mobile. Play it for 10 minutes or play it for 5 hours. It can get repetitive if you get bored murdering bad guys, but if you’re in to that sort of thing, and you like getting bigger and better weapons as you do so, then heck, here’s a game for you! Get your clickers or your tappers out and [GRAB IT HERE!]
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| HTC ThunderBolt Extended Battery [Hands-On] Posted: 18 Mar 2011 09:26 PM PDT SO we found out that an extended battery pack for the HTC ThunderBolt existed and we did the right thing – jammed out to the store and picked one up. This battery pack has the 4G LTE mark on it on the bottom, an HTC sticker in the center back, and it’s fat. It’s definitely made for the product, as the edges do indeed meet up with the sides of the handset, but it’s fat. Very fat. That doesn’t mean that we’re not going to use it, however, as long battery life is something we LOOOVE.
Here we’ve got a few photos of the situation you’re going to be in when you attach this battery to your brand new ThunderBolt. You’ll notice that the battery itself is more than double the size of the old battery, while its said to double the battery life – we’ll hand you some tests of this when we’ve sent the phone through the everyday test. The old battery is a mere 1400 mAh while this new one is a monstrous 2750 mAh that we’re hoping will bring us through the day.
You’re able to purchase this battery for right around $50 at Verizon, while at most (all?) locations if you’d like a second one (for if you’re going into the forest for a few days, I suppose,) you can get the second for half-off. That does beg the question though as to weather the device should have had a big fat battery like this in the first place, or if sending it out with such a short life was the right thing to do.             )
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| Droid Bionic Release now Mid-April [Says Verizon] Posted: 18 Mar 2011 04:12 PM PDT We were just hanging out like hooligans at a Verizon store today when we decided to inquire about a particular phone on the horizon: the Motorola Droid Bionic. This is a phone with 512MB of RAM, a dual-core processor, and wouldn’t you know it – 4G LTE speed. As it turns out, the folks at Verizon were more than willing to hand us over a bit of info on this phone, most of it we already knew, but let slip a rather important point of interest: the release date.
While they didn’t get TOO specific as they weren’t 100% sure, they did, these Verizon people, tell us that the phone would be released somewhere around mid-April. This is a phone that’s got a front and rear-facing camera, the read totaling up to 8 megapixels of fury, with a 4.3-inch qHD touchscreen display up front. And it’s connected to the network’s 4G LTE network, the one we’re all freaking out over with the ThunderBolt. Will this phone leave the ThunderBolt obsolete instantly? Perhaps. But there are those who still prefer HTC over Motorola. Why? Heck, I don’t know. The fact that it’s got the built-in ability to silence calls by flipping on its face is enough to keep this dude on HTC. But who knows? I and we do LOVE the XOOM tablet, and the ATRIX 4G has that lovely webtop app that we know the Droid Bionic will also be getting, so perhaps there’s hope after all? Let’s look at the press pics together and think about our decisions we’ve made in life:       )
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| Flash Player 10.2 Up Now for Android, Incorrectly Listed as 10.1 Posted: 18 Mar 2011 03:35 PM PDT As you might have guessed, today is indeed the day that Adobe releases their new version of Flash Player, that being Flash Player 10.2, to the world. However, there is a bit of a complication in the title, as in some places it’s listed as Flash Player 10.1, and in others it’s listed as 10.2. The correct link for the update is below, but before you go there, make sure your firmware is updated to the point it’s supposed to be at, especially if you’re using the Motorola XOOM.
To get the update you need on your XOOM, all you’ve got to do is go to Settings, then About Tablet, then System updates. If when you click this button your tablet informs you that your system is currently up to date, more than likely you’re set to go. If you are sure you did not receive [this update] which would bump you up to Build number HRI66 and Android version 3.0.1. To get the new version of Flash, head over to [this link right here] which goes directly to the Android Market where you’ll be able to install or, if you’ve got a device that already worked with Flash, simply update. If you hit this link with your tablet and it shows up as 10.1, don’t fret, install it anyway. Soon it will be listed as 10.2 and all will be well. Meanwhile you’ll have Flash and your life will become all roses and daisies. Also note that they’re calling this a BETA release for Android 3.0.1+ tablets and a “finished production quality release for Android 2.2 and Android 2.3 devices.”    BONUS here’s the product description: )
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| Posted: 18 Mar 2011 02:38 PM PDT So we had a little look over at the XDA Forums at the root of the ThunderBolt before it was released, and yes, that is always impressive. But it wasn’t permanent! What we love to see is that permanence, the real test of weather the phone is really rooted or just wearing a Halloween mask. Well let me tell you what’s happened essentially overnight – perm root. Indeedy yes, it was user jcase who let the world know that with the first step being a showing on the 16th, the 17th at nearly midnight the real test was accomplished.
The first step was “a kind soul” coming to the AndIRC palace on the 16th of this month, March 2011. They had a release ThunderBolt and it did get tested there and it was confirmed that the Temp Root accomplished some time ago did indeed still work – this test was done because the original ThunderBolt used may well have had a different build from the one released on release day. It was this night that they first tested a permanent root, but the testing was not completed because everyone got tired and decided to go to sleep. On the 17th, yesterday, a couple of production devices were purchased and writing to /system commenced. At first they did not have recovery working, and they toiled away all day! Then it came, at 11:35 PM on the 17th of March, aka ThunderBolt Day, aka the day the device was officially released, and they had it. They had permaroot. You can chat and have a nice coffee or whatever with the doers of these deeds over at http://chat.andirc.net:9090/?channels=#thunderbolt – or you can go back to the XDA Forum Thread where they announced their kingship and see when they’re going to release directions so you can do the same. UPDATE: Our pals over at Android Police have the lowdown, son! )
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| HTC Thunderbolt battery life to get extended options Posted: 18 Mar 2011 02:29 PM PDT It’s no secret that part of the delay of the Verizon HTC Thunderbolt release was do to the challenging battery life of the handset on the 4G/LTE network. In SlashGear’s review today, that was never more obvious when solely relying on 4G for average use, the Thunderbolt red barred after less than 3 hours. And even though coupling 4G with WiFi the battery life becomes comparable with other HTC 4G options, clearly something needs to be done. HTC is addressing battery life concerns by announcing they will be selling an optional extended life battery in the near future.
The new battery, which will cost $49.99, nearly doubles it’s mille amp hours from 1400 mAh to 2750 mAh. But that extra boost comes at a cost because it will add another ounce to an already hefty 6.23 oz handset. And the Thunderbolt will also have to deal with being thicker as the larger battery means a new backing that will come with the battery. There is no word if that new backing will also eliminate the hefty metal kickstand that is built in. In addition to the new extended battery, Verizon will also be offering a charging dock for $59.99 that can charge both the phone and a backup standard or extended battery in concert. A second standard battery will run about $30. Another option takes advantage of the Thunderbolt being the first Verizon phone that supports wireless charging. The optional Qi-compatible back and charging pad will set users back $29 for the Qi back and another $70 for the charging pad. Geez, that’s a lot of money to address an obvious battery life flaw. [via GearLive] )
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| HTC Thunderbolt review on SlashGear Posted: 18 Mar 2011 02:09 PM PDT Vince over at SlashGear got his hands on the long anticipated, and often delayed, HTC Thunderbolt by Verizon and considering it’s 4g hardware is “seasoned,” the impressions are positive. The design of the Thunderbolt standard for an HTC handset, large 4.3″ screen, metal chassis, industrial look. And while the display is a standard WVGA TFT touchscreen, the colors are impressively crisp and warm. And the design is actually narrower than most 4G phones, considering the extra space needed for it’s built in metal kickstand.
One thing users will notice though is the Thunderbolt’s heft at 6.23 oz. But it comes packed with a 1.3 megapixel front facing webcam and an 8 megapixel auto-focus rear facing camera with dual-LE flash. Under the hood, the Thunderbolt sticks with the tried and true 1 GHz Snapdragon single core processor, which is surprising considering the marketing focus on the Thunderbolt is one of speed and performance. And sadly, that’s where this 4G phone falls short as there are much faster options out there. The Thunderbolt does make the most of that Snapdragon processor thanks to 768MB of RAM and 8GB of internal storage. It’s running a mature Android 2.2 (Froyo) out of the box, and we’re hoping that HTC will boost it up to 2.4 Gingerbread sooner, rather than later. But that usually takes some time as Sense is used as an overlay and it usually takes some time to accommodate the new flavor to the many features Sense users are accustomed to. Where the Thunderbolt really shines is in it’s 4G/LTE performance, specifically in hotspot host mode. Users can share the Thunderbolt’s 3G/4G connection with up to eight WiFi devices tethered to it and enjoy a pleasant surfing experience. Vince connected his iPhone and MacBook pro through the Thunderbolt via WiFi and the Thunderbolt’s 4G connection hardly batted an eye with 18.73 Mbps downloads and 4.39 Mbps uploads. When it comes to battery life, we’ve heard a lot of bad news about the Thunderbolt. It was rumored to be causing it’s launch delay. And at first blush, it seemed that relying solely on a 4G connection the Thunderbolt would only not last the day, but users would be lucky to get through Noon. But when combined with a WiFi signal, the battery life on the Thunderbolt becomes on par with other HTC devices on the Verizon LTE network.       For more, check out SlashGear’s review here. )
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| HTC Thunderbolt display comparison: looks are deceiving Posted: 18 Mar 2011 01:23 PM PDT Users of the new HTC Thunderbolt may be quite happy with the phone’s touchscreen display … so long as they don’t show it next to the Google Nexus S or the Atrix 4G. Comparing the Thunderbolt’s TFT display with the Google Nexus S Super AMOLED display or even the Atrix 4g qHD display, it really shows just how muted and washed out the images from the TBolt really look. But according to the review by Vince over at SlashGear, it’s still a pretty impressive display. Users just shouldn’t succumb to display envy.
Considering the huge 4.3″ display, perhaps other display options would’ve been cost prohibitive. Vince also mentioned it’s one of the brightest TFT displays he’s ever seen. All three displays were set to the max brightness settings to provide for optimal display. Users may find different results with different settings and light conditions and most will prefer a warmer tone for every day use.
The HTC underbolt is still a major league performer though with a Qualcomm's 1GHz single-core Snapdragon MSM8655 chipse, 768MB of RAM and 8GB of internal storage. It runs Android 2.2 (Froyo), but look for a Gingerbread update sometime soon since they have to customize it to the Sense interface. It also has HTC’s Sense overlay interface, dual cameras, including an 8MP rear facing that shoots pretty impressive 720HD video, and a dual LED flash. Lastly, it screams on the Verizon 4G/LTE network in spite of not having a dual-core processor option. So even though there are certainly brighter displays out there, that doesn’t mean that users are being short-shifted by the Thunderbolt. Far from it. The colors are warm and bright, with images and video popping right off the screen. It’s likely the best of both worlds. Check out SlashGear’s in depth review here.    [via SlashGear] )
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| Android loses out to iPhone bigtime in JD Power Satisfaction Ratings Posted: 18 Mar 2011 12:18 PM PDT Oh snap, looks like JD Power still loves the iPhone more than every other phone they’ve got a rating for, those dastardly dudes. They’ve got every other bigtime brand on there, HTC, Motorola, Samsung, and even Nokia, Palm, and RIM Blackberry, though we’re also not sure how they found those groups to top Samsung and their Galaxy S device line. Of course you could notice that Apple scores amongst the lowest for battery function, that owing a bunch to the researchers found that those using social networks (battery drainers) enjoyed their phones significantly more than those who had no use for such things.
Feel free to look at the pips on the chart above, or you could take a peek at the full press release below which, when compared to last year’s survey, shows the iPhone to, of course, maintain its position from last year. From there it’s just a bit different – HTC and Motorola switched positions, all three of them (those two and Apple) all dipping in satisfaction from last year just a tad. People know what they want more and more every year, and it’s tough to satisfy! Of course then there’s regular phones, for people who don’t like to play Angry Birds and such, Sanyo leading that pack, LG being second, Samsung going third. Have a peek deep into the dots and find yourself crying over the fact that Apple, Palm, and Blackberry are even on the list. Horrifying! )
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| OTA updates for Samsung Epic 4G, Transform and Galaxy Tab coming Posted: 18 Mar 2011 12:15 PM PDT A pretty strong indication of an over the air (OTA) update to the Samsung Epic 4G, Transform, and even the Galaxy Tab popped up on the interwebs today in the form of a screen shot from Sprint’s website. The intended upgrades includes the Epic 4G moving up to Android 2.2.1 (Froyo) as well as some 2.2 yogurty goodness for the Samsung Transform. Even the Samsung Galaxy Tab joins the Epic 4G and Transform with a little nip and tuck courtesy of a Sprint ID update that will provide for a package of wallpapers, ringtones and apps to bring it up to where the current state of the art is for Sprint and Samsung.
The Spring ID concept, unveiled at CES last January, is ideal for users wanting to change the theme of their handset on the fly without having to do it piecemeal. In addition to the Sprint ID package, other additions include Flash 10.1 on the Epic 4G, and Swype on the Transform. These updates will be over the air (OTA) and will look to be scheduled for a March 21st roll out. Sprint recently suspended Android 2.2 (Froyo) updates to their Epic 4G phones after consumer complaints. It looks as if they’ve ironed out all those issues and are moving forward. The Epic 4G has a brilliant Super AMOLED display to go with it’s slide out QWERTY, and 1GHz Hummingbird processor. Check out SlashGear’s Epic Review here. The Transform features a 3.5-inch HVGA touch-screen display, slide-out QWERTY keyboard, dual front and rear facing cameras and is powered by an 800 MHz processor. And the Samsung Galaxy Tab has recently enjoyed a nifty price cut to $199 along with free activation.     [via Engadget] )
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| HTC Incredible S blushes on Danish site Posted: 18 Mar 2011 11:35 AM PDT There’s a listing of a sexy HTC Incredible S in Red trim on the site of a Danish electronics retailer. Aside from it’s Fire Engine red paint scheme, there’s nothing different from it’s official variant. That also means it will have to be purchased unsubsidized, although there’s no mention of price or availability on the site listing. The unsubsidized price hovers around $550 here in the US. And chances are, though, that users in Europe will be using the Euro-friendly GSM version we reported on last month.
The hallmark feature of the Incredible is is it’s four-inch screen which seems to really pop in the red trim. It has a 1GHz single-core Qualcomm MSM8225 chip under the hood which runs Android 2.2 (Froyo), although HTC promises an update to Gingerbread sometime soon. There’s also an eight-megapixel camera for some snappy 720 HD video and hi-res stills, along with what looks like 2 LED flash bulbs for bright coverage in low light. And there’s a a front-facing webcam as well. The Incredible S represents a “dot upgrade” over the previous Incredible, but it still runs on 3G via HSPA instead of taking the leap to 4G/LTE. And with it’s larger size screen, we’re betting users will look more towards other phone options that provide faster performance via LTE. But then again, they won’t have that red trim, will they? Check out SlashGear’s Hands On here. [via Electronista] )
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| Gorilla Glass “A Day Made of Glass” [Video] Posted: 18 Mar 2011 11:15 AM PDT Behold what our pals at Corning have whipped up, a lovely video showing a world where glass is our main working material, showing us everything from the sun to our statistics – but wait, isn’t that what it is already today? Sort of! This is the sort of video that reminds us that the movie Minority Report only came out a few years ago and already things like NFC are making its future-looking world very much a reality. This video also includes items inside the handset world, so Androids rejoice!
Lots of touchscreen stuff as well, from touching the TV and adjusting it in the morning to speaking to friends via your bathroom mirror. Then there’s a tabletop TV whilst creating what appears to be a very colorful lunch, working with tabletop stoves via touchscreen blippers, Then there’s some refrigerator-front glass that the child of the parents we’ve been following in this video interact with once they get home from school – enlarging and moving photos in a very similar manner to that which we’ve been seeing on larger touchscreen devices for some time now – and the photos are moving too (maybe they’re movies!) thusly reminding us very much of a Harry Potter existence, one we would not mind. Then comes the handsets. See-through phones that can instantly transfer picture display to the tabletop display. Kind of like the Atrix 4G? Yessir. The car of course is also touchschreen all the way, showing the woman a map and allowing her to add a sticky note to her dash. Above her is an auto-darkening piece of glass, and above the car as she drives is large format glass working instantly to show traffic delays and such (this is already a reality with lights that can display similar warnings, but this is so much COOLER.) Then upon passing a bud stop, you can see that this too is of course a touchscreen display, helping pedestrians find their way around to different busses and transport, collecting direction on their again transparent display handsets. Then you see inside an office with another gigantic display for meetings, again with the tabletop display, all of this for sweet fashion work. Instant transportation to walls in malls, gigantic planes of glass for the greatest interaction and instant movement between the office and the store with ads just created. Then there’s flexible display glass that can be rolled up and display onto. Amazing! Then of COURSE there’s perfectly amazing 3D display glass, transportable paper-sized glass (like a transparent tablet) for night reading of a book, and there you have it! A day of glass! We’re very excited, Corning, let’s make this reality a reality!                                                        )
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