Android Phone Fans |
- Apps of the Day: The Daily Habit, Dream Log & More
- Correction: Galaxy S II NOT Confirmed to Be on Verizon in July
- Walmart Will Carry the Sensation 4G for $150 as HTC Denies Death Grip Issue
- Winamp for Android Gets a Big v1.1 Update
- Motorola: 4G LTE Shipping Emails Were an Error
- E3 2011: We Take a Look at Qualcomm’s Desert Winds, And Chris Poses With Their Cosplay Model [Video]
- E3 2011: Spacetime Studios Talks About Pocket Legends, Shows Us How to Collect a Special Xperia PLAY Orb In-Game [Video]
- E3 2011: Minecraft on the Sony Ericsson Xperia PLAY Previewed [Video]
- Android vs. Wii U: Competition Is Closer Than You Think
- Rumor: Google Maps to Get True Offline Navigation Soon
- Live in NYC? Go And Grab the Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 from Union Square Today
- Verizon Confirms July Launch Window for Samsung Galaxy S II
- Nook Touch Root Just as Easy as Nook Color
- T-Mobile to Receive Galaxy Mini as the Samsung Dart, Rumored June 15 Launch
- Samsung Might Be Interested in Buying Nokia, but They Aren’t Talking About it [RUMORS]
| Apps of the Day: The Daily Habit, Dream Log & More Posted: 08 Jun 2011 04:26 PM PDT Free some space up on that phone of yours because we have another round of applications for you. Entertainment in nearly every form is here – video, games and even your own brain. Today’s apps are either free or cheap enough that they won’t cut into your daily value meal at your fast food spot of choice so give them a try when you get a chance.
The Daily Habit by Fuel.TV – When a company starts their pitch off with the following, we can’t help but to notice them: “Why did we only launch the app on Android tablets, you ask? Because the Daily Habit’s a show that nobody’s heard of, so why not launch the app on a platform nobody’s heard of.” I don’t know whether to take offense or download the app out of amazement, but it’s gotten my attention either way. Free in the market for tablets only, folks. [Market]
Faces – Bad with names? So is everyone else you know. That’s why the developer behind Faces decided to make an application that’s basically Simon, except with Faces. Use a memory game to match two random faces and unveil their name, choose from a selection of names to match to a randomly chosen photo, or eliminate a collection of faces based on information saved about the contact in their phonebook entry. (That last one might be a red flag for you security guys.) $1.16 to play. [Market]
Dream Log – Don’t want to forget that crazy dream you had last night? Dream Log acts as a journal, allowing you to record your nightly dreams so that you can share them with your friends or see what you’re dreaming of the most. You can set the type of each dream and the app will show you, at a glance, which types of dreams you’re having the most. Aside from friend sharing, we’re not sure there’s a whole lot of use in a basic dream recording app, but I’m sure there’s someone out there looking for one. [Market]
Wiz Kid Jr. – This one’s a whacky puzzle game that has you and a wizard mentor fighting off hungry spirits. What are they hungry for? Why, mana, of course! Great sound and great graphics make a unique idea a joy to play, but the experience may get stale after a long period of time. You should take the plunge and try anyway as this one is only $2 in the Android market. [Market]
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| Correction: Galaxy S II NOT Confirmed to Be on Verizon in July Posted: 08 Jun 2011 03:16 PM PDT
Yea, this sort of slip-up from Verizon isn’t the least bit usual so we are not surprised to learn that today’s news of a July launch for their Samsung Galaxy S II Function is not confirmed. The Verizon rep that Computer World spoke to apparently meant to say that their LTE-enabled Tab 10.1 would be on Big Red this July, not the S II. Of course, this doesn’t mean that the Galaxy S II absolutely won’t make its way to Big Red in July, it’s just that there’s no confirmation of that. (Or of its existence, really.) The story’s still being told, folks.
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| Walmart Will Carry the Sensation 4G for $150 as HTC Denies Death Grip Issue Posted: 08 Jun 2011 02:57 PM PDT
Want a discount on the HTC Sensation 4G? Walmart’s got your back as they’ve rolled the price back to $150, a great value for the device considering just how much power is inside. Of course, it’d be rather foolish for us to not take this with a grain of salt as the Walmart ad mentions it’ll have a 4.5 inch display when the phone actually has a 4.3 inch display. In any case, some users are reporting being able to buy this thing ahead of its June 15th availability so you might want to give your local one a shot.
In related news, HTC’s commented on recent mumblings about an apparent “death grip” issue plaguing the device. Users found that, when holding the device in some ridiculous fashion, signal strength of all wireless radios inside would temporarily cease to work. The accuser held the phone in an awkward position, one that many wouldn’t actually hold it in throughout every day use.
It’s antennagate all over again, except this time you don’t actually hold the phone like you would hold a phone before your signal strength starts tanking. If you do hold the phone like that in every day situations, I advise you to seek help immediately. Kevin Krause has had the device in his hands for some time and has yet to run into the one reported case of this happening in ordinary usage, and neither have tons of other reviewers who already have their hands on the HTC Sensation. Nothing to worry about come June 15th, folks. [Android Community, Slash Gear]
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| Winamp for Android Gets a Big v1.1 Update Posted: 08 Jun 2011 02:22 PM PDT
The folks at Nullsoft (AOL?) have just announced version 1.1 of their Android application, bringing with it some pretty cool features if I do say so myself. (And I do, of course.) Highlights certainly include AOL’s full CD listening party for new release albums, a feature that’ll allow you to stream a new album from start to finish. Other cool changes include implementation of Android’s built-in “listen to” command, redesigns of the now playing screen and home screen, and more. Take a look at the full list of changes below.
Go ahead and find the new upgrade as a free download in the Android market.
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| Motorola: 4G LTE Shipping Emails Were an Error Posted: 08 Jun 2011 01:33 PM PDT
Yesterday, one of our XOOM-owning readers received an email from Motorola asking if he has shipped his XOOM in for the 4G LTE upgrade yet. Funny, that, as Motorola had yet to actually request the thing. In the email, they mentioned that they sent materials for him to ship the device in prepaid. He received an email from FedEx regarding a missed package before this, leading him to believe this was, in fact, the box from Motorola. Things were fishy, though, as reports of others receiving the same were few in numbers. We questioned whether or not this could just be a small glitch in the system and reached out to Motorola for an answer. Unfortunately, it was nothing but a mere error:
And there it is. I should note, though, that this error could indicate they’re testing the automated system for contacting users about their upgrades, meaning we could be close to the rollout. They originally promised XOOMs would be upgraded with LTE functionality 90 days from when it launched, and if my calculations are correct, we’ve long surpassed that. Their response here only mentions a window of “summer”, meaning it’s possible (but probably unlikely) that we could see the LTE upgrade as late as late September. They did say we’d see it “in the near future”, but this is one of those cases where we’ll say “we’ll see it when we believe it”. We’re sitting tight, Motorola.
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| E3 2011: We Take a Look at Qualcomm’s Desert Winds, And Chris Poses With Their Cosplay Model [Video] Posted: 08 Jun 2011 12:57 PM PDT A few months ago, I told you folks about Desert Winds, an action game from Qualcomm that would be the first to flex the Adreno 220′s muscles. The GPU is said to be able to match the power of the ones inside the Playstation 2 and the original Xbox, and that it could potentially pass those consoles with the right combination of tender love and care. They have been working on the game and, to everyone’s surprise, have optimized it for the Sony Ericsson Xperia Play The Play has a single core Snapdragon chipset clocked at 1GHz with an Adreno 205 GPU, considerably weaker than the 220 found inside the HTC Sensation and the HTC EVO 3D We get a bit more gameplay than what we first saw in February, but not much has changed. Check out Chris’ look at the game on the Xperia PLAY above. Oh, and there’s a little “awkward” bonus at the end, if you care.
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| Posted: 08 Jun 2011 12:19 PM PDT Spacetime Studios, one of the first studios to adopt the Xperia PLAY and adapt their game’s controls to it, was one of the exhibitors at Sony Ericsson’s E3 booth. Gary Gattis talked about Pocket Legends and the Xperia PLAY, and how the studio went from unboxing their development units to seeing their game play flawlessly with the Xperia PLAY’s built-in gamepad. We also get a look at what they’re calling the biggest mobile flash mob ever, an “infection” in the game where users can walk up to others with an Xperia PLAY button spinning on top of their heads and get one of their own by waving. Check all of this out in the video above and find more details about Pocket Legends on the Xperia PLAY here.
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| E3 2011: Minecraft on the Sony Ericsson Xperia PLAY Previewed [Video] Posted: 08 Jun 2011 12:03 PM PDT No, folks, Chris was not fired. And he was not maimed by big foot. He’s been in LA perusing the show floor of the Los Angeles Convention Center and getting his hands on some of the hottest Android games yet to be released. This time, Minecraft was on display, just as promised, and that was naturally his first stop. Gameplay looked just as smooth, fun and intuitive as it did on the Xbox 360 demo. And no, Chris definitely could not be an architect. Video’s above for your enjoyment.
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| Android vs. Wii U: Competition Is Closer Than You Think Posted: 08 Jun 2011 11:59 AM PDT Yesterday at E3, Nintendo announced the Wii U, the next generation of their gaming console. The jury is out and right now it seems like a split decision: you’ve got the Wii U Fans who are excited to see Nintendo bringing innovation to the industry and then you’ve got the analysts who obviously weren’t impressed, handing Nintendo it’s lowest stock price in 5 years. I think most people are in between: appreciating the attempt at innovation but not fully able to comprehend how it will play out with real games in the actual consumer marketplace. One fact that perhaps neither fans OR analysts have considered? By the time the Wii U launches, it could be competing head to head with Android. Take a look at the Wii U promo video and you’ll see what I mean: Remember the article I wrote about a Google Gaming Console? Well if you take an Android Tablet, Google TV and Games from Android Market, couldn’t you enjoy experiences very similar to these? I think so, especially once manufacturers leverage the Android Open Accessory program to build not just Android Tablets- but Android Gaming Controllers similar to the Wii U Controller. Nintendo does have several HUGE advantages though. First of all, they’ve got a game development platform that is light years beyond Android Game Development. They’ve got decades of experience, long-term development partners, tremendous distribution channels, and a proven business model. I’m not foolish enough to believe Android will compete head-on with Nintendo or any of the other console makers in the next couple years. But I do think that Google has created the atmosphere where game developers and accessory manufacturers can build momentum and 5 years down the road? Android Gaming could be up there with the other elite mainstays. If you ARE excited about the Wii U, you might want to head on over to the Wii U Forums where a small crowd has already gathered. While people like Chris Chavez get to enjoy E3 up close and personal, yourselves and I will have to bask in the glory of other people’s videos.
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| Rumor: Google Maps to Get True Offline Navigation Soon Posted: 08 Jun 2011 11:52 AM PDT
Google has already had caching in Maps for quite some time, but it wasn’t like services provided by CoPilot and NDRIVE which don’t require internet connections at all. (Meaning you could use navigation on your WiFi-only tablet.) With caching inside of Maps, you can slip outside of a coverage area and still get navigation directions for quite some time, but you’re still left in the dark if you leave the area that’s cached and still can’t seem to grab a connection. And considering this is Google, if this rumor turns out to be true, the cost of $0 would all but make navigation decisions easy for most Android users. (I’m aware there’s still a market for premium turn-by-turn apps that have a lot more features than Google Maps.) If true, all of this is set to go down this summer. [via Engadget]
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| Live in NYC? Go And Grab the Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 from Union Square Today Posted: 08 Jun 2011 11:18 AM PDT
It’s June 8th, folks, and Samsung initially promised the Galaxy Tab 10.1 would be here by now. The only thing they forgot to mention at CTIA was that only those who happen to be in New York City near a Union Square Best Buy store would be able to pick it up between now and June 17th. If you fit the location criteria and have been dying to get your hands on one, sprint down to Union Square and put your $4-$500 (16GB & 32GB WiFi models) down for one. As for the rest of you? June 17th couldn’t get here soon enough. We’ll wake you up from your medically-induced comas when that time comes.(Note: Pre-orders are still going on at BestBuy.com.)
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| Verizon Confirms July Launch Window for Samsung Galaxy S II Posted: 08 Jun 2011 09:50 AM PDT
While the cat isn’t quite out of the bag yet, Verizon is confirming that they will receive the Samsung Galaxy S II, and that it will be launching sometime in July. Verizon’s version of the powerful Galaxy S II is rumored to be getting the tag Samsung Galaxy Function, and the phone will launch under different names on at least AT&T and Spint (and undoubtedly many others). The July timeframe jives with rumors we have heard previously regarding the American launch of the S II, but without even the hint of an actual date we are left guessing whether it comes sooner or later. [via ComputerWorld]
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| Nook Touch Root Just as Easy as Nook Color Posted: 08 Jun 2011 09:30 AM PDT
The Nook Touch and Nook Color might have a few differences in the technology they deploy, but the root process is all too familiar between the two. We’ve seen the rooted Nook Touch running Angry Birds, and you can do the same in a few easy steps. The root process requires a microSD card, which is loaded up with a few disk images and booted onto when powering up the Nook Touch. Can’t really get much easier than that. Time will tell if the Nook Touch gives us the same unexpected tablet experience as the Nook Color. [via AndroidCentral]
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| T-Mobile to Receive Galaxy Mini as the Samsung Dart, Rumored June 15 Launch Posted: 08 Jun 2011 08:49 AM PDT
Samsung’s Galaxy Mini is headed to T-Mobile as the Samsung Dart, and CellPhoneSignal got the scoop on the mid-range handset. The handset features a 240×320 display, 2MP camera, and Android 2.2 and, according to the source that provided these press shots, will launch on June 15th. The Dart will join the Samsung Exhibit 4G and Samsung Gravity Smart also launching on TMo this month as the carrier rounds out its budget Android offerings. Yes, expect this one to be priced on the cheap, though we don’t have any firm details.
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| Samsung Might Be Interested in Buying Nokia, but They Aren’t Talking About it [RUMORS] Posted: 08 Jun 2011 08:14 AM PDT
Whispers have been circulating that Samsung might be interested in capitalizing on Nokia’s recent market floundering by proposing an offer that would see the Korean mobile manufacturer buying out their Finnish competitor. Neither party would confirm or deny talks, and Samsung went so far as to issue a statement calling the idea nothing more than a “market rumor.” And the whole story is just that: a rumor of biggest order. If Samsung were to acquire Nokia we can only speculate at what may result. Would the company nix current plans for Windows Phone 7 and move forward with Android products? Would Microsoft — a name that has also been floated in regards to a Nokia buyout — stand in the way of the deal in hopes to preserve the headway they have gained with the handset maker? Then again, Samsung could always rely on Nokia to continue doing what Nokia does best, peddling feature phones to consumers worldwide. It will be interesting to see how things play out, but we can’t say we’re totally buying the notion outright. Microsoft, again, is the wild card here. A Samsung-owned Nokia would equate to a huge shakeup in the mobile industry. [via Electronista]
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