Eric Ravenscraft - 14/103 - Android Police - Android News, Apps, Games, Phones, Tablets

Eric Ravenscraft

Eric is a snarky technophile with a taste for the unusual. When he's not obsessing about Android, you can usually find him obsessing about movies, psychology, or the perfect energy drink. Eric weaves his own special blend of snark, satire, and comedy into all his articles.

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Mar

Verizon Approves Droid 4 Jelly Bean (4.1) Update, Will Roll Out 'Soon'

Posted by Eric Ravenscraft in Droid 4, News, Verizon Wireless

Verizon has very surprisingly been killing it lately with Jelly Bean updates for various devices. Today, the Droid 4 is joining the pack with an imminent upgrade to Android 4.1. The rollout hasn't begun just yet, but support docs have shown up on the carriers website indicating that the update will be 'Coming Soon.'

Of course, the major benefits of Android 4.1 are obvious: access to Google Now (which can be updated directly from the Play Store after that), improved voice controls, expandable notifications, and voice transcription even when you don't have a data connection. Verizon has also improved connectivity with the mobile hotspot app and no longer includes Sling and MOG as preloaded applications, so you can remove those if you'd like.

Mar

Break Media Launches GameFront, Provides Video Walkthroughs On Your Android Device

Posted by Eric Ravenscraft in Games, News

When I was younger, video game tips came in one of two forms: a Nintendo hotline that you could call to get someone to walk you through the game, or you could find a written guide in one giant doc with some kind of ASCII art at the top. You kids today get all the nice stuff. Like video walkthroughs delivered directly to your phone or tablet via Break Media's new GameFront app.

The app is completely free and has access to tons of videos covering a variety of games for various platforms. The walkthroughs are curated, so it's not just a random assortment of links to YouTube clips.

Mar

Sony Announces Xperia L And SP To Round Out Its Mid-To-High End Lineup

Posted by Eric Ravenscraft in News, Sony

Today, Sony announced two new handsets to add to its existing smartphone lineups, led by the new SP. This handset has a 1.7GHz Snapdragon S4 Plus, 4.6" 'HD Reality Display' and Android 4.1. It's not the most awe-inspiring spec list we've seen, but certainly good enough to stand next to other highish-end handsets.

Here are the full specs for the Xperia SP:

1.7 GHz Qualcomm® Snapdragon™ S4 Plus dual core processor
Adreno 320 GPU
1 GB RAM
4.6” 1280x720 display
Android™ 4.1 (Jelly Bean)
LTE
NFC
8MP camera with HDR

In addition to the SP, Sony also announced the Xperia L, which is closer to a mid-range handset.

Mar

The Sony Xperia Z Can Survive Being Boiled Alive In A Pot Of Soup (But You Probably Shouldn't Drop A Hammer On It)

Posted by Eric Ravenscraft in News, Xperia Z

6 cups chicken broth
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon dried basil
1 large onion, diced
1 large carrot, diced
1 large celery stalk
1 cup penne noodles
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 Sony Xperia Z

Heat chicken broth in a large pot over medium-high heat. Check your Xperia Z for any new emails. In a separate pan, heat olive oil, add diced onions, cook about 4 minutes. Pull up your favorite music video on the Xperia Z. Add onions, oregano, basil to broth. Chop celery and carrots. Accidentally cut your finger. Look up first-aid for deep cut on Xperia Z.

Mar

Samsung Vs. HTC Advertising Smackdown (Or: This Is Why The Galaxy Brand Is Killing The One Series)

Posted by Eric Ravenscraft in Editorials, News

We've mentioned a couple of times on this site that when it comes to the battle of HTC versus Samsung, advertising is of paramount importance. Why? Because people who don't read blogs with names like 'Gizmondo,' 'Android Cops,' or 'The Precipice' have no idea what makes the Galaxy S IV better than the HTC One or vice versa. In fact, more often than not, the average Joe looking to buy a new item in a field he has no expertise in has just one question: what's a good brand?

Marketing is the art of getting people to know and trust your brand.

Mar

[The Android Police Podcast] Episode 52: Monkey-Lovin' Snakes On This Monday-to-Friday Plane

Posted by Eric Ravenscraft in News, Podcast

Welcome to the Android Police Podcast, Episode 52. This marks our one-year anniversary and, to celebrate we had a very special drinking game episode. As such, the show may be a bit more adult than usual, but also tons more fun.

Don't forget - the Android Police Podcast's live broadcast is every Thursday at 5PM PST (www.androidpolice.com/podcast). The very unedited video version of the podcast can be found here - and will likely include various verbal expletives, technical snafus, tangents, and probably a good 5-10 minutes of pre-podcast banter as we prepare. Watch at your own risk!

Mar

NASA Releases Augmented Reality App With 3D Models Of Real Spacecraft Like Curiosity

Posted by Eric Ravenscraft in Applications, News

NASA is kind of awesome. In case you live under some red rocks, the organization sent this crazy robot to Mars that sends us back high-resolution photos. The future is amazing. Of course, there's nothing the space administration loves more than curiosity (which is why they named the Mars rover after it), and it's aiming to fuel yours with this 3D model explorer.

In a somewhat odd move, instead of simply providing the 3D models themselves, the app requires you to print out some markers. Then, as you've seen in other AR apps, you point your camera at the page and the model appears.

Mar

AT&T: 'We Unlock Our Customers' Devices', Claims New Ban Will Not Negatively Affect Any Of Its Customers

Posted by Eric Ravenscraft in Legal, News

Most of the time, major corporations like to cushion their words so that, in the event of a PR disaster, it's easier to walk back its statements. Today, an AT&T exec in charge of public policy decided to throw that caution to the wind and announce in no uncertain terms 'the Librarian’s ruling will not negatively impact any of AT&T’s customers.' Well. That sure is blunt.

We're not apt to take any AT&T rep at their word, and there are certainly some things to raise eyebrows over. For starters, at one point in the post, the author says the following:

As we make clear on our website, if we have the unlock code or can reasonably get it from the manufacturer, AT&T currently will unlock a device for any customer whose account has been active for at least sixty days; whose account is in good standing and has no unpaid balance; and who has fulfilled his or her service agreement commitment.

Mar

Nexus 7 Arrives In The Play Store In South Korea, Nexus 4 May Be Launching In Japan Soon

Posted by Eric Ravenscraft in Google, News, Nexus 4, Nexus 7

Nexus 7 in South Korea

The international rollout continues as Google has announced that the Nexus 7 is now on sale in South Korea. This marks the ninth country the tablet can be purchased in and the widest availability of any Play Store hardware to date. The first runner up is the Nexus 10 with a whopping 8 countries.

Nexus 4 in Japan

The Nexus 4, however, wants to catch up in that list with a possible Japanese launch. We've previously heard reports that the handset had already appeared, but multiple Japan residents have confirmed to us the phone is not actually on sale yet.

Mar

ASUS Announces The Transformer AiO P1801, The Windows 8/Android Desktop/Tablet Hybrid, Will Arrive April 12th For $1299

Posted by Eric Ravenscraft in ASUS, News, Transformer AiO P1801

Last Updated: April 17th, 2013

Back at Computex 2012 last year, ASUS showed off an 18" Windows 8 all-in-one desktop that could turn into a gigantic Android tablet simply by sliding the display out of the dock. Questions aside about whether anyone needs or wants an 18" Android tablet, the tech was certainly neat. This isn't a dual-boot situation, but rather two completely concurrent OSes being run on two separate systems in the same device. The whole of the hardware carries an Intel processor and NVIDIA SoC. Now, ASUS has seen fit to announce some launch details: it will be landing (with a thud) on April 12th at a starting price of $1299.