Friday, May 20, 2011

Android Phone Fans

Android Phone Fans

Apps of the Day [5/20]: Nano Panda, BattleBallz and More

Posted: 20 May 2011 03:31 PM PDT

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It’s time for another edition of Apps of the Day, covering what’s hot and new in the Android Market. Just a few apps eking their way in before the weekend, but you’ll want to check them out. Nano Panda comes highly recommended, but don’t take our word for it. Actually take our word for it, the word you will find just below.

Nano Panda – Fluffy, small pandas. Nothing’s better than that, right? Nano Panda is a puzzle game by Unit 9 apps that has you destroying “evil atoms that have infiltrated a science lab.” I have to be honest – this game took a while to grow on me. It’s weird, to put it simply. But it’s unique, gets fun and gives you a challenge after a while. If that doesn’t pique your interest, then the music alone will help soothe you on a bad day. Just don’t let the few performance issues spark that bad day back up. [Market]

Credit Usage – This is a simple application, but one I’m sure many could use. Credit Usage offers an alternative to some carriers’ metering solutions. Some provide their own apps, others allow uses to see usage online, and others don’t give you the option at all. And even for those who do present you with said information, often times than not it isn’t very flexible. Credit Usage allows you to meter anything – SMS messages, MMS messages, free calls to others in your countries, international calls, data – everything you could want, really. If you fit the bill of the type of person who’ll need this, be sure to give it a shot. [Market]

BattleBallz – It’s Brick Breaker on steroids. Sort of. I really can’t describe what BattleBallz is because there is so much going on at one time. That’s not a bad thing, though. People who like seeing explosions, lights and chaos will love this game. And it definitely takes a lot of skill to master. Pocketeers boasts great sound and graphics, and more than it looks and sounds good, it has substance. Check it out for just under $2. [Market]

Android Overload: an Android Engagement, Xperia Arc and Play Receiving Update, and More

Posted: 20 May 2011 03:14 PM PDT

The weekend is upon us but pickin’s ain’t slim. In our effort to bring you all the Android news, sometimes things slip through the cracks. They usually get sifted out here in our Android Overload column, and sure enough you’ll find even more news, news, news below. Don’t read ‘em all in one sitting.

Have You Ever Seen an Android Boogie Like This? [DANCING ANDROIDS]

Posted: 20 May 2011 02:00 PM PDT

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We’ve seen dancing Androids before, make no mistake, but this latest bit of bee-boppin’ goodness is rather unique. This isn’t a man in a suit. It’s a full-fledged remote control robot programmed to groove and ready to roll. Even better the dancing bot is controlled from an app on the Motorola XOOM. Even better than that, the above video was filmed and edited using Android. Too many layers of awesomeness. Can I haz one plz?

[via YouTube]

Backbreaker Football 2 Launches as Xperia Play Exclusive

Posted: 20 May 2011 01:33 PM PDT

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Fans of NaturalMotionGames’ Backbreaker Football are in for a treat. Backbreaker 2: Vengeance has just hit the Android Market, and along with it comes new features, the most notable of which is the ability to outright tackle opponents, rather than simply avoid them. The original Tackle Alley mode is still intact, albeit with enhanced graphics and improved animations. The new Vengeance mode is where you get to do the tackling in an all-out attempt to prevent the ball carrier from reaching the end zone.

Other additions include new stadiums, new moves including jumping and trucking, and enhanced showboating. The catch? It’s an exclusive for the Sony Ericsson Xperia Play at the moment. If you own the gaming handset then head over to the Android Market now and pick up Backbreaker 2 for $2.99. Folks in the US, you’ll just have to wait anxiously until the Xperia Play lands on Verizon next week.

Android Market Link: Backbreaker 2: Vengeance

Stylus Not Included with Best Buy Exclusive WiFi HTC Flyer

Posted: 20 May 2011 12:58 PM PDT

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If you are planning on picking up the WiFi-only HTC Flyer when it lands exclusively at Best Buy on May 22nd, be prepared to plop down an additional $79.99 if you want the full experience. The HTC Digital Stylus is not included in the $499 price tag of the Flyer, but pricing for the accessory that allows you to screen-shot, annotate, and doodle all over your tablet has been confirmed.

Seeing as it is one of the key differentiating features between the Flyer and other tablets on the market, we’d guess many had included the stylus in their purchasing plans. To get HTC’s slate and their digital pen the price now reaches more towards $500. Worth it for the non-Honeycomb 7-inch slate? You tell me.

[via AndroidCentral]

Jenga Wobbles Its Way into the Android Market, Get the Official Game Now

Posted: 20 May 2011 12:30 PM PDT

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Along with the great 3D graphics today’s smartphone processor afford comes enhanced physics as well, and what better way to demonstrate the two in tandem than the freshly released Jenga. This is the Jenga we all grew up with — the one where you remove blocks from the bottom of a stack and move them to the top, all the while hoping the tower doesn’t collapse under its own awkward construction. In the official version of the game for Android developed by NaturalMotionGames the concept stays the same, though a new arcade mode with power-ups and upgrades has been added for enhanced single player fun.

What better way to break in my shiny new Motorola Droid X2 review unit and its dual-core Tegra 2 processor, right? The controls are clunky to say the least. Tapping the screen and dragging your finger is used both for controlling your view of the block tower and for actually moving around blocks themselves, so one must be careful when quickly flicking around the screen to get a better look at what’s going on. Once adjusted to the controls, gameplay is simple and fun. The physics seem a bit overly sensitive when moving blocks (but this may have more to do with controls), but I liked the added challenge.

NaturalMotionGames are the same people behind BackBreaker Football, so they know a thing or two about developing 3D experiences for today’s high-powered handsets. If you are a fan of Jenga, this app is for you. $2.99 in the Android Market now. J-J-J-Jenga!

Android Market Link: Jenga

Google Maps Updated for Mobile Browsers, Who Needs an App?

Posted: 20 May 2011 11:43 AM PDT

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In striving to maintain consistency across platforms, the Google team has overhauled Maps for mobile browsers, bringing it more in sync with the experience we have come to expect from the desktop version. Pointing your mobile phone’s browser to maps.google.com and opting-in to location sharing gives you access to everything you’d expect, from searching nearby places to getting driving directions. You get layers, clickable icons, photos, you get the picture.

For Android users the mobile version of Google Maps might be a bit redundant next to the more fully-featured Google Maps app, but remember not all platforms have access to such a superbly crafted native experience. The updated Google Maps for mobile browsers won’t replace that app, but it’s a nice supplement. Read up on all the changes over at Google’s Mobile Blog.

[via Google Mobile Blog]

Keyboard Dock to Be Among Samsung Galaxy Tab 8.9 Accessories

Posted: 20 May 2011 11:13 AM PDT

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Samsung has been busy showing off their upcoming line of Android tablets, taking the show all the way to Russia where the folks over at MForum.ru had some hands-on time with the Galaxy Tab 8.9. Revealed at the event were some upcoming accessories for the new Android Honeycomb slate, including a look at a keyboard dock. It looks pretty similar to the dock we saw for the original 7-inch Galaxy Tab, an accessory that we found pretty nifty, if not a bit counter-intuitive to the tablet. Perhaps with the recent popularity of the Asus Transformer the whole keyboard dock thing will pick up a bit of steam.

If you follow the source link below you will also find some video from the event, including hands-on time with the Galaxy Tab 8.9. A look at a few Galaxy S II accessories including an extended battery can be found as well.

[via MForum.ru]

Apple Claims App Store Doesn’t Mean a Store for Apps

Posted: 20 May 2011 10:52 AM PDT

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When I say the words “app” and “store” together, what is the first thing that comes to mind? If you said a store in which one buys apps, you’re wrong according to Apple. In a recent response to an Amazon counterclaim that Apple has no right to sue over their use of the term “app store” to describe the online retailer’s Android applications portal, Apple asserted that the combination of words doesn’t, in fact, “denote a store for apps.” Commence head scratching.

The lawsuit, and the claim that Apple has made, boils down to an issue of common meaning. Amazon is sticking to their guns, saying that Apple’s “app store” trademark can’t be enforced because the term is too generic and already accepted to commonly mean a digital marketplace for apps. The burden is on Apple to prove that no such common meaning exists.

We tend to side with Amazon on this one, and not just for the Android vs. Apple storyline involved here. “App store” is a phrase plastered nearly everywhere, a commonly accepted term. Apple has no one to blame but themselves for that. Of course, if Apple can prove that they are the driving force behind the term’s popularity maybe they have a case. I’m no lawyer or legal expert, though. We’ll leave this decision up to the courts.

[via AndroidPolice]

PhanMail Friday: Back From Google I/O [May 20th, 2011]

Posted: 20 May 2011 10:23 AM PDT

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Yes, I know I promised these would go down every Friday. But last Friday was different. We were hot off the heels of Google I/O and there was a crap ton of stuff to do. (You can find all of our coverage link the wrap-up post here, by the way.) But it’s another Friday and it’s about time for another session of PhanMail. Lots of things have come in since the last time we’ve met so let’s not waste any time digging into it all. And remember, you can easily submit your own question by heading over to our contact form here. (We can’t promise that every single question will be met with an answer.) Let’s go!

“Why aren’t companies expanding the tablet market to offer dual boot Android (Honeycomb) / Windows 7 tablets? My online search for such a device rendered only 1 by viewsonic, but it’s subpar especially due to it’s severely outdated Android (1.6 I think).

I have a hard time justifying investing $400-700 dollars in a tablet alone since much of what it might do I can do on my Android phone or my laptop already. But a tablet that could also run Windows software and could be used for Windows computing via touchscreen, then could spin around and through superhero-like magic become a Honeycomb Android tablet…

Now that is something I would actually stand in line to buy! (So long as the hardware specs were enough to support the power it would need.)”

– Eric

Trust me, Eric – we’d all love to see that. Unfortunately, this is not common even in the desktop space. It’s usually always one or the other, with users being given the choice to dual or tri-boot alternative operating systems. It’s amazing that we even have devices in mobile that allow this out of the box, no matter how outdated that version of Android is. Mobile is even more difficult, not only due to licensing and legal speed bumps, but due to technical feasibility. I’m no expert on any of this stuff, but portability with mobile chipset technology isn’t quite as easy as you might think. It’s possible, but most OEMs don’t care to offer such a product. They’ll offer one, the other or both in separate products and it works for them. I don’t see many dual-booting tablets or smartphones headed our way inn the near future.

“I read Quentyn Kennemer’s HTC Incredible 2 review. Now that the Droid X2 is days away, what do you feel is the better solution between Incredible 2 or Droid X2? I do not want to go to 4G and I will be new to the android market (leaving the BB). I am mainly a phone, e-mail, text, and little web user.” [Editor's Note: The DROID X2 is now available online.]

– Bill

Thanks for the note, Bill. Unfortunately, I have not yet played with the Motorola DROID X2 so I can’t give an opinion on it. I can definitely tell you that the DROID Incredible 2 is a fantastic option for some who doesn’t need the absolute latest in specifications. The single core 1GHz processor in the Incredible 2 is fine enough for all of the things you’ve listed plus more. And as you’re a former Blackberry user, I imagine you value battery life. The DROID Incredible 2 is great in that regard and lasts longer than a lot of products I’ve tested recently. Do note that Kevin Krause will be reviewing the DROID X2 shortly, so be on the lookout for that and use it to get an idea of what it’s like up against the DROID Incredible 2.

“Has AT&T resolved the Amazon app-store yet, or did I miss this lead?”

– Whiskey

Not quite yet, Whiskey. While they have released a phone that allows you to sideload applications (the Samsung Infuse 4G), their existing phones are still locked down. AT&T has confirmed that several of their existing Android phones will get an upgrade to enable this functionality, though. We’re not exactly sure how long this will take, but they haven’t forgotten about you folks. Sit tight.

“I am currently on Sprint, and my contract is up, and I’m jumping onto my first android phone. My only necessity is a hardware keyboard. After doing some research, I found the Epic 4g to be the phone that best fits my needs. However, with the Galaxy S II released in Europe recently, a US launch, and hopefully an Epic 4g 2, seems imminent by July to August. The Galaxy S II is arguably the best android phone available, and if there’s a chance of US variants again. Should I hold out and wait for the possible Epic 4g 2 or jump ship to the Epic 4g, and be stuck with already dating hardware for two years?”

– Ralph

While there’s a possibility Sprint could provide a hardware keyboard for the Samsung Galaxy S II, nothing has been confirmed. In fact, all signs are pointing toward Sprint adopting the international Galaxy S, just as AT&T and Verizon are rumored to be. This came by way of an accessory listing that said one case was interchangeable between all three of their versions of the Galaxy S II. And that isn’t the most concrete information in the world, but it’s all we have to go on. Also note that the Galaxy S II is a 4.3 inch device – keyboards are only usually included on devices 4 inches and lower. That’s not to say there isn’t a chance Sprint could opt to include one, but given the history of the smartphone industry that’s highly unlikely. I’d hold out until at least June or July to see what cards Sprint is holding.

“Are keyboards going the way of Pagers? It seems like now a days every phone that comes out is all about the huge touch screen instead of a nice quality keyboard. What are your guys thoughts?”

– Sapan

It certainly seems that way, Sapan. Keyboards on smartphones (with any operating system) are at a premium these days up against sole touchscreens. Thankfully, they haven’t completely been phased out just yet. Motorola, Samsung, Sony Ericsson, HTC and more all produce several phones that include hardware keyboards. Some folks can never seem to find the combination they want, though. 4G? Dual core? Stock Android? Front-facing camera? Some of those but not all? There are still hardware keyboard phones to be had, but options are definitely limited and you can’t be picky if you want one in this day and age. I don’t know if they’ll ever go the way of the beeper, but I imagine they won’t.

“I know that the software update to the motorola xoom is rolling out but this miss anything or the SD card issues still will be missing?”

– Jose

Unfortunately, the latest upgrade to Android 3.1 still did not enable SD card support. Some folks at XDA have gotten it up and running if you’re into that sort of thing, though. Otherwise we’ll need to wait for Motorola to issue that upgrade. (Which we imagine might not come until they start upgrading XOOMs to have 4G radios inside.)

Verizon Posts Plenty of DROID X2 How-To Videos

Posted: 20 May 2011 09:37 AM PDT

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The DROID X2 is out, folks. While we don’t imagine any of you will need help operating it once you get it in your hands, Verizon’s posted a series of how-to videos in case you need to be brought up to speed on something. There isn’t anything exciting here, to be honest, but those who can’t order online can look to these videos to get their X2 fit ahead of the device’s May 26th in-store launch. There are a couple above and below, but head to Verizon’s YouTube channel for the rest.

TNA Wrestling iMPACT! Now Available

Posted: 20 May 2011 09:09 AM PDT

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We said it was coming May 19th, folks, and we’re well past that. I’m talking about TNA Wrestling’s iMPACT! for Android, of course. It’s $2.99 on the Android market by Namco. (It’s supposed to be $6 but they’ve blessed us with an opening sale.) Here’s the feature set, courtesy of the Android market:

Rule the ring with 24 TNA Superstars, including AJ Styles, Kurt Angle, and even the legendary Hulk Hogan! Master each wrestler’s playbook of back-breaking strikes, slams, grabs, and finishers. Not only will you don the costumes of your favorite TNA Superstar in Career Mode, you can customize your own wrestler, from his style and stats to his body type and appearance! Decide whether you want to compete for the TNA Heavyweight, Tag Team, or X-Division championship.

*Featuring Your Favorite TNA Superstars and all Their Signature Moves!*
Hulk Hogan, AJ Styles, Rob Van Dam, Sting, Samoa Joe, The Pope, Jeff Jarrett, Ric Flair, Jeff Hardy and more!

*Create-A-Wrestler*
Create your own custom TNA wrestler with unique move sets, costumes and finishing moves.

*Become a Legend in Career Mode*
Enter the world of TNA Wrestling and climb your way to the top in this story-driven mode.

*6 Different Match Types*
Standard, Submission, Fall Count Anywhere, No DQ, Cage and Tag Team

And word in the ratings section of the market entry is that this game rocks. You know I’m going to try it myself. Head on over there to download it.

 

Hop Into the SwiftKey VIP Program Today Only, Get the New Beta

Posted: 20 May 2011 08:48 AM PDT

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Looking for another chance to get into SwiftKey’s VIP program? Welp, today – and only today – is your lucky day. They’ve opened registration up for all to enjoy, but you must act quickly as this offer will expire. With VIP access comes the latest and greatest beta versions of SwiftKey and there’s a new version of that beta available. Head here and use the code #swiftkeyFRIDAY to get the latest beta. (Which you’ll absolutely want to get.) Go on, now.

First Shot from the EVO 3D’s Camera Arrives

Posted: 20 May 2011 08:17 AM PDT

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The HTC EVO 3D must be in testing, folks – camera shots from the device have surfaced on Picasa. Unfortunately, this photo isn’t 3D but you already know you can capture 3D content with the device. As for the camera performance, this shot doesn’t make the 3D’s camera look all that great, but judgment is still out on that. Take a look above. And let’s hope that rumored June 4th date for the EVO 3D holds up. [PocketNow]

Download: Federico Carnales Working on Windows Phone 7-ish Music App

Posted: 20 May 2011 08:03 AM PDT

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The latest update from Federico Carnales isn’t about LauncherPro, surprisingly. We’ve just learned that the famed developer is working on his own music application right now. It’s tentatively named “Fede Music”, but this is an early alpha build of the application and that could always change.

And more than the name could change, so could the features. We’re not sure how Federico’s treating this project – as a main focus or just a side gig to take a break from LauncherPro – but we’re definitely interested. As the title of this article suggests, it definitely has a very distinct look to it.

If you’ve ever used a Zune or a Windows Phone 7 device, you’ll know what I’m talking about. We’re not mad about that at all, though because that’s one element of design from Microsoft that we’re actually fans of. And for you folks who are about to ask “why is he working on this instead of the rewrite to LauncherPro”, I don’t think it’s wise to jump to conclusions. Just give the app a spin if it looks interesting to you. [Download via Droid-Life]
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