Wednesday, March 30, 2011

MobileCrunch

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Tap Tap Revenge Now Available For Android

Posted: 29 Mar 2011 06:34 PM PDT

Whoa! It’s a huge day for the big-name mobile games. Just a little while ago, the universally known Doodle Jump got its long-awaited multiplayer update. Hours later, another massively popular title is gettin’ a big new feature: Tap Tap Revenge, a title so popular that it lead Disney to snatch up the company that built it, is now available on Android.

Like its iOS counterpart, Tap Tap Revenge for Android is a music game (think Dance Dance Revolution, or Guitar Hero) wherein you tap a quickly scrolling series of icons to the beat of any of the game’s bazillionty pop tracks. The better your timing, the better your score. Also like the original iOS build, Tap Tap Revenge for Android is a free download and comes with a handful of songs — but once you’re bored of what’s built in, you’ll have to shell out some dough for new tracks.

You can find Tap Tap Revenge on the Android Market right over here.




[Thanks Jerry!]

Doodle Jump Goes Multiplayer

Posted: 29 Mar 2011 06:06 PM PDT

Doodle Jump. Ever heard of it? If you’re an iPhone owner — or at least, someone who’s ever gone anywhere near the iOS App Store — you probably have. While it’s hovering somewhere around the 10th place slot these days, Doodle Jump’s addictive gameplay and near-constant updates had it locked into the #1 spot for months.

Today, the folks behind Doodle Jump are pushin’ out an update with a feature that might just help it win back the throne: multiplayer.

Like the original, forever-alone version of Doodle Jump, the goal of the multiplayer game is to get your lil’ ever-jumping dude (Doodle the Doodler) up a series of randomly placed platforms while avoiding a bevy of things that want you dead. Unlike the single player game, however, this one’s not about climbing as high as you can — it’s about climbing as fast as you can. Once you’ve connected to your buddy through Game Center, the goal is to get from point A to point B before they do, collecting power-ups along the way.

When it comes to livin’ the Indie Developer’s dream, Lima Sky (the two brother team behind Doodle Jump) is pretty much the perfect example. They’ve kept operations small, kept users happy with a seemingly endless series of updates, and have played the App Store game perfectly. Their best trick: properly pacing their releases to maximize the download spikes that come with. (Hell, I’d be willing to bet this multiplayer update has been done for some time, and they’re just releasing it now to counter a dip in downloads.)

In the off chance that Doodle Jump hasn’t already found its way onto your device, you can find it in the App Store right over here. Doodle Jump is also available for Android, though there’s no word yet when (or if) that port will be gettin’ the multiplayer treatment.

Like Us On Facebook, Win Awesome Stuff

Posted: 29 Mar 2011 04:03 PM PDT

If you’re a MobileCrunch reader, it’s probably because you’re an early adopter. Or you’re just awesome.

Well, we’ve got something new for you to be an early adopter of (or that’ll just make you more awesome): the brand spankin’ new MobileCrunch page on Facebook.

Yeah, I know: we should have built a Facebook Page ages ago. To be honest, it’s been sitting on our to-do list since back around the time man discovered fire — we’ve just been busy. As an apology of sorts for our tardiness (but primarily because we like to give stuff away), we’re going to start things off with a giveaway tomorrow, exclusive to our Facebook fans. What’ll we be giving away? It’s a secret, for now — but unless you want to forget about the giveaway, you better hit that Like button.

Oh, and don’t think that tomorrow’s giveaway is going to be the only one. If I have my way, we’ll be hookin’ our readers up on a regular basis.

New York Attorney General To Dig Into The AT&T/T-Mobile Deal

Posted: 29 Mar 2011 11:31 AM PDT

While AT&T continues to exude confidence that their planned acquisition of T-Mobile will get all the necessary approvals, it’s starting to look less and less likely. Many in the industry were already a bit dubious about the deal once we worked out that the top two carriers in the US (the AT&T/T-Mo mega carrier as #1, Verizon as #2) would account for nearly 80 percent of the market share. Just days after the announcement, Sprint CEO Dan Hesse announced his plans to battle the deal. Now, New York’s Attorney General, Eric Schneiderman, is looking into the matter.

In a comment sent to Bloomberg:

"Affordable wireless service and technology, including smart phones and next generation handheld devices, are the bridge to the digital broadband future," Schneiderman said today in an e- mailed statement. "We want to ensure all New Yorkers benefit from these important innovations that improve lives."

Schneiderman’s main worries? The deal might have anti-competitive impacts, affecting those in such regions where there are already fewer wireless options to pick from.

Hey AT&T: those sharp, crackly things under your feet? Those are eggshells. You’re gonna be walkin’ on those for a long while.

Video: Would You Use Samsung’s Crazy (And Arguably Brilliant) New Webpage Zooming System?

Posted: 29 Mar 2011 10:41 AM PDT

Yowza. It’s been a while since Samsung has done anything on the software side that was particularly original — but this… this is friggin’ awesome.

The idea: as an alternative to multitouch zooming, you place your thumbs on the screen and then move the device closer to or further from your face. By pulling data from the too-oft-unutilized accelerometer inside the phone, Samsung’s able to zoom the page accordingly.

It’s a damned fancy demo — but would you use it? Is it any better than just multi-touch zooming to the precise point you’re looking for? Weigh in down in the comments! Let your voice be heard! Rabble rabble!

[Via Android Community]

Sprint Opens Up Kyocera Echo Reservations For The Extra-Crazy Early Adopters

Posted: 29 Mar 2011 10:33 AM PDT

Even if you never heed any other word of gadget advice I give, heed this: Sprint has just opened up the reservation queue for their crazy new multi-screen Android phone, the Kyocera Echo. Don’t do it.. Don’t stand in line for it, either. Wait a few weeks.

Now, the Echo may be a wonderful phone. It may very well surprise us and be the best Android phone ever. It also might a hot, wonky mess — and given that it’s a brand new form factor (one that requires developers to tweak their apps for full functionality with the dual screen setup) and that it comes from a company that has never really been known for their software, the odds are stacked against it.

Give the gadget reviewers and the extra-crazy early adopters a few weeks to get our feet wet with it before you dive in. Don’t let the siren call of a shiny new form fact go and get you locked into a 2-year contract.

Best Buy Adds 4G To Its Mobile Internet Service

Posted: 29 Mar 2011 08:00 AM PDT

Flickr’d

Best Buy is now in the the 4G business. The company has announced that its Best Buy Connect service, which first launched last July, will now support 4G, courtesy of a deal worked out with Clearwire. Access to the 4G network will set you back $45 per month, with Best Buy willing to waive the $35 activation fee if you agree to a two-year contract.

The service will be available as an option one any one of 23 "computing models" that Best Buy sells from the likes of Asus, HP, and Samsung.

Best Buy says that its customers want "choice" when it comes to mobile Internet access, hence its move to 4G.

Keep in mind that it could become harder and harder to find "choice," as the nation’s telecos attempt to gobble each other up.

You think things are bad now, in other words.
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