David Ruddock - 7/142 - Android Police - Android News, Apps, Games, Phones, Tablets

David Ruddock

David's phone is an HTC One X+. He is an avid writer, and enjoys imparting a legal perspective on Android news where it is relevant. He also doesn't usually write such boring sentences.

Follow @rdr0b11

Apr

SuperTooth Disco Twin Dual Bluetooth Speakers Review: Because Two Is Better Than One (Especially In Stereo)

Posted by David Ruddock in Accessories, Other Reviews

Last November, I reviewed a product called the SuperTooth Disco 2. It's a really great little Bluetooth speaker, because it manages to pack a ton of sound into a small, attractive (I think so, at least) package. But it isn't the most refined speaker ever built, and its decreased audio output when compared to its predecessor did leave a little to be desired.

It also was missing something - a feature that it originally promised to ship with: wireless stereo pairing with a second Disco 2 speaker. The company teased the functionality back at CES in 2012, but when the Disco 2 came to market, the feature vanished.

Apr

HTC One Deep-Dive Review: The Most Important Smartphone This Year May Also Be The Best

Posted by David Ruddock in One, Phone Reviews

Last Updated: April 15th, 2013

Yep, I'm calling it: the HTC One is the most important smartphone that will be released this year. And I know, this year is far from over - but let me explain why I think it will hold true regardless of what's to come.

Right now, the smartphone industry is slowly but surely evolving into a duopoly. Samsung and Apple control a larger piece of the proverbial pie than ever, as almost every other major Android OEM's market share shrinks - a trend that has continued for nearly two years now. HTC has borne the brunt of this sea-change, something a quick look at the company's financials can tell you in more words than I will here.

Apr

DROID Bionic Jelly Bean Update (Android 4.1.2) Announced On Verizon Site, Rollout Starts April 15th

Posted by David Ruddock in Bionic, Device Updates, Jelly Bean 4.1, News

Last Updated: April 26th, 2013

Verizon has just announced the Jelly Bean update for the Motorola DROID Bionic, bringing Android 4.1.2 to a handset many thought would never make it past Gingerbread. Motorola has been on an update spree the last few months, and the decision to bump the Bionic to Android 4.1 was made official by Motorola back in October 2012. The version number for the Jelly Bean update is 98.72.22, and it will begin rolling out in phases on April 15th.

The update brings Google Now, rich notifications, the stock Android keyboard, some Project Butter enhancements, and the standard bug fixes and improvements.

Apr

[Update: Winner Selected] Win An Oppo Find 5 (32GB, Midnight Black) From Oppo And Android Police

Posted by David Ruddock in Contests / Giveaways, Find 5, Oppo

Last Updated: April 23rd, 2013

This contest is now over.

The final results are listed below. If you've won, you will be contacted in the near future. Congratulations!

Everyone else - keep participating and stay tuned to Android Police so that you don't miss our upcoming giveaway announcements. You can follow AP on Twitter, Facebook, Google+, and RSS.

Karaklioumis Vasileios

Would you like a chance to win an Oppo Find 5 smartphone? Read on - we're giving one away, courtesy of the fine folks at Oppo (see our review here).

We're giving away a black version of the Find 5 with 32GB of storage capacity.

Apr

Google Play Music Goes Live In Austria, Australia, Belgium, Ireland, Luxembourg, New Zealand, And Portugal

Posted by David Ruddock in Android OS, Applications, News

About six months ago, Google expanded the portfolio of countries with access to Play Music for the first time since its launch in the US. Today, seven more countries were added to that list: Austria, Australia, Belgium, Ireland, Luxembourg, New Zealand, and Portugal.

Google announced on Google+ that the aforementioned nations had been added to the list of supported countries for Play Music, which should be accessible at this URL, as well as via the Play Store on your Android device. The Play Music app should also now be available. What are you waiting for? Start uploading those 20,000 songs!

Apr

[New Game] AlertEgo: DreamWalker Is Basically What I Imagine Mario Would Look Like After Too Many Mushrooms

Posted by David Ruddock in Games, News

Looking for a platformer that'll bend your brain a bit? AlterEgo: DreamWalker is the 8-bit-on-acid sequel to AlterEgo, and basically just builds on its predecessor. More levels, arguably trippier visuals, and the same switch-up platforming action of the original. The game mechanic, by the way, is simple, but fairly novel: you move your character around the platform world, but on the opposite side in a mirrored position as an 'AlterEgo' (the ghost-looking thingy).

The alter ego doesn't take damage and can move through any obstacle, and you complete levels and progress by swapping positions with him at any time.

Apr

Worms 2: Armageddon Expands Launch On Play Store To Most Countries

Posted by David Ruddock in Games, News

After a brief soft launch* in the Great White North, the classic Worms 2: Armageddon has expanded its Play Store presence to most countries (so far as we can tell, at least). It's $5 to get your turn-based explosion fix on, and early reviews of the game on the Play Store look promising. 30 single player missions are included, and there's even online multiplayer (as well as local hot seat mode).

Head to the link below to get it now.

Worms 2: Armageddon

*A 'soft launch,' if you're not familiar with the term, is a way for a developer to test an app's stability, level of interest, and compatibility in a live environment without a high level of risk.

Apr

Board Game Tigris & Euphrates Comes To Android With Hot Seat Multiplayer, Because Two Rivers Are Better Than One

Posted by David Ruddock in Games, News

While I'm not exactly the world's biggest board game enthusiast, Tigris & Euphrates is one even I've heard of: the much-lauded strategy game has transcended its cardboard and tile roots and is now on Android. The proto-historic pastime designed by Dr. Reiner Knizia has been around over 15 years now, and this Android version is an official port.

Right now, only hot seat multiplayer is supported, but the developer promises online multiplayer is 'coming soon.' Three game modes are available: solo, pass and play, and hotseat. A full tutorial is included, along with the official rule book. Head to the Play Store to get it now.

Apr

AutomateIt (A Tasker-Like App) Gets Weather-Based Triggers: Make Your Smartphone Alert You When It's Going To Rain

Posted by David Ruddock in Applications, News

We've all been there - you walk out of a restaurant or your workplace, only to discover "oh crap, it's raining." Your first thought? "I wish I had known this an hour ago." Checking the weather religiously may be a part of some people's daily routine, but I can say with confidence that I regularly step outside improperly dressed for the [admittedly narrow] range of climate conditions I sometimes encounter. Especially when it rains.

AutomateIt wants to make those surprise showers a thing of the past, though. The app lands somewhere between Tasker and Motorola's Smart Actions (not super technical, but with tons of options and ways to trigger alerts), and has been around on Android for quite some time.

Apr

Nook Tablet Gets CyanogenMod 10.1 Nightlies

Posted by David Ruddock in News, Nook Tablet

Last Updated: April 9th, 2013

Definition: A "nightly" is a bleeding edge release that is built on a daily basis, usually at night after a full day's worth of new code has been committed.

It could oftentimes be unstable and not properly tested, lacking any changelogs, but eventually evolving into alphas, betas, release candidates, and finally stable releases.

If you're still holding onto your B&N Nook Tablet, you might be excited to know that the aging slate can now run Android 4.2, courtesy of CyanogenMod. The Nook Tablet (codename 'acclaim') got its first taste of CM10.1 nightlies a few days ago, and they've been churning them out on a daily basis since.