June 2011 Archives

Jun

HTC Has A "Sense" Of Humor - Friend Stream Widget References Resident Evil 3: Nemesis

Posted by Jaroslav Stekl in EVO 3D (Shooter), HTC, Sensation / Sensation 4G (Pyramid)

Complaints about HTC's Sense UI becoming increasingly bloated are nothing new, but there's no denying that the skin has its upsides - and Reddit user TheEntireUniverse just unearthed another such boon. Behold, the preview image for Sense 3.0's "Friend Stream" widget:

For those not familiar with the reference, Jill Valentine is one of the main characters in the popular Resident Evil franchise, and the Nemesis-destroys-a-helicopter story was taken right out of the third game in the series.

So how does it all end? To find out, you'll have to wait for HTC Sense 4.0, which will introduce the revolutionary new "Nemesis Stream" widget.

Jun

Want 300 Additional Minutes On Your Sprint Everything Data 450 Plan For Free? Here's How To Get Them

Posted by Cameron Summerson in News, Sprint, Tips

If you recently signed up for Sprint's service, then there's a good chance you took advantage of the current running promotion that adds 300 bonus minutes to the Everything Data 450 plan. That's awesome for you - but what about those who already have Sprint? You're not left out, my friends - you, too, can enjoy the benefits of 300 additional minutes every month for the low cost of nothing, and it's easier to get than you think: call and ask. That's right, all you need to do is give Sprint a shout and ask them for 300 more minutes.

Jun

[Rumor] Is The Motorola Atrix 4G Getting Android 2.3.4?

Posted by Cameron Summerson in Atrix 4G (Olympus), News

The Motorola Atrix has been making some serious waves as of late - first, we saw a Gingerbread test build that had an unlockable bootloader, and now the crew over at Android and Me have gotten a hold of some exclusive images showing the Atrix running Android 2.3.4 with the latest version of Gingerblur. Before I continue, have a look:

If these images are to be believed, then the Motorola Atrix is back in the game in a big way. The tipster went on to say that the update drastically improved battery life and GPS functionality, fixed the random reboot issues, and substantially improved the overall experience.

Jun

Samsung Updates Kies For Mac Beta To Include Galaxy Tab 10.1 Support

Posted by Cameron Summerson in News, Samsung

If you're a Mac user who scooped up the recently released Galaxy Tab 10.1, then there's little doubt you've already had to deal with some frustrations - like the fact that you couldn't even access the device's internal storage from your computer. Fortunately, Samsung pushed an update to Kies for Mac Beta that adds Galaxy Tab 10.1 support, so you can finally start loading it up with all of your favorite on-the-go goodies.

While this update does bring some welcome features, you still won't be able to use it upgrade your devices firmware. Of course, this can still be done over Wi-Fi, so you're not left completely in the cold.

Jun

N.O.V.A. 2 HD From Gameloft, One Of The Best Android FPS Games To Date With Multiplayer Support, Available Now In The Market

Posted by Artem Russakovskii in Games, News

First-person shooter lovers, if you've been waiting for a good game in the FPS genre with multiplayer capabilities and awesome 3D graphics to hit the Android Market, you're going to want to check out Gameloft's latest offering - N.O.V.A. 2 HD that was just released into the Market.

Gameloft, which caught a lot of flak for avoiding the official Android Market for years, recently reversed its stance and vowed to start taking the Market more seriously. Releasing a hit like N.O.V.A. 2 HD, following other hits, such as Asphalt 6 and Modern Combat 2, seems to reinforce the company's position.

Jun

Hulu Plus Finally Available In The Android Market For Select Few Models, Download Away If You Can

Posted by Artem Russakovskii in Applications, News

Hulu, one of the top TV and movie streaming sites on the web, has long been an elusive target for Android users. At first, we didn't have Flash. Once we got Flash, Hulu started blocking Flash-enabled Android devices. Many hacks followed, but required modifications to the Flash apk and resulted in less than optimal viewing experience in the browser. In January, we finally saw the light at the end of the tunnel, when the upcoming official application was finally revealed, though without any promises on delivery timelines.

For Hulu Plus subscribers, the battle is now over, as the company just dropped off a little overdue present in the Market.

Jun

Motorola To Unlock Atrix 4G Bootloader With Gingerbread Update? Looks Like It.

Posted by Aaron Gingrich in AT&T, Motorola, News

Notch another victory for the Android community: shortly after Motorola publicly stated they would be moving towards unlockable bootloaders - even retroactively where possible - it appears that the Gingerbread update for the Atrix does just that. Brief Mobile laid hands on a leaked early build of the Android 2.3.3 update, and to their delight, found that unlocking the bootloader was as simple as using a simple console command.

^{I hereby declare this the poster child for "Mr. Blurrycam" photos.}

It's worth pointing out that, according to Brief Mobile, this is an early build of the update. As such, there's a possibility that Motorola simply left the bootloader unlocked for developer use, and the final update will maintain the locked bootloader.

Jun

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[Update: It's In The Market] Angry Birds Seasons: Summer Pignic Update Coming Soon - Make Ready The Beach Towels

Posted by Cameron Summerson in Games, News

Update: Annnnd it's live in the Market. That didn't take long, did it? Hit the widget below to grab it and get started knocking out 30 new levels of pig-destroying fun!

The arrival of summer brings several things: heat, sunshine, barbeques, vacations, and, of course, an update to Angry Birds Seasons! Cleverly titled "Summer Pignic," it'll be fun in the sun for the homicidal birds... or bird, rather. Judging by the video, it looks like you'll have to make it through this update with only one bird, which will make things quite interesting. Have a look:

There is no set release date for this update yet, but I'm sure it will be quite soon.

Jun

Huawei Glory Coming To Cricket Wireless, Brings 1.4GHz And Gingerbread For Under $300

Posted by Cameron Summerson in Cricket Wireless, Glory, News

Normally, when we think about prepaid carriers, one thought comes to mind: low-end devices. Most manufacturers reserve their higher-end handsets for the Big Four, so those who don't want to empty their wallet each month on a wireless plan end up with very little to choose from when it comes to decent phones. However, that is all about to change with Huawei's upcoming Glory phone, which is set to land on Cricket Wireless this November.

For more images, check out PCMag's Photo Gallery

The Glory packs a pretty hard punch, especially compared to its prepaid competitors: a 1.4GHz Qualcomm MSM8655T processor, 4-inch 480x854 TFT display, 8MP camera, and Android 2.3 - all for under $300.

Jun

[Deal Alert] Samsung Exhibit 4G ($50) And Gravity SMART (Free) From Wirefly

Posted by Cameron Summerson in Deals, Exhibit 4G, Gravity SMART, News

To welcome the arrival of T-Mobile's newest mid-range handsets, the Samsung Exhibit 4G and Gravity SMART, Wirefly is throwing a bone out there to all who are thinking of signing up with Team Magenta. If you walk into a T-Mo retail store looking to pick up either of these devices, then you'll be shelling out $80 for the Exhibit and $70 for the Gravity SMART (or $30 if you get the plain black one), but you can grab them from Wirefly for $50 and free, respectively.

Since these are both new devices, here is a look at the specs:

Samsung Exhibit 4G

3.5 Inch 480x800 TFT display
1GHz single-core Hummingbird processor
512MB RAM
3MP rear shooter, 0.3MP 'round front
Android 2.3 with Touchwiz
Black and Violet variants

Samsung Gravity Smart

3.2 Inch display
600MHz single-core proccessor
3MP rear shooter
Slide-Out QWERTY
Android 2.2 with Touchwiz
Grey and Berry variants

While the Exhibit is a solid mid-range device (apart from the subpar camera), the Gravity SMART is more of an entry-level handset clearly directed at the 'tweener of the family.