Eric Ravenscraft - 25/103 - 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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Jan

NASCAR Mobile '13 Screeches Into The Play Store, Covered In Engine Grease And Logos

Posted by Eric Ravenscraft in Applications, News

Round and round and round she goes. Where she stops nob-holy mother of crap! That car just exploded! Okay, alright. Maybe I can understand a little bit of why folks like NASCAR. And in solidarity with my fellow southerners who adore the sport, allow me to share this with you: NASCAR Mobile '13.

The app gives you access to news, schedules, driver information and a ton more. It even looks nice, utilizing the sidebar navigation we're all getting used to, and a Holo-ish feel. There are a few quirks, though, as some features (like the Sprint Unlimited Vote) require the user to open a browser, and sliding between videos—as in the center image above under the "Latest" subheading—was very difficult when I tried it.

Jan

[Exclusive] This May Actually Be The HTC M7 With Sense 5.0

Posted by Eric Ravenscraft in Exclusives, Leaks, News

You know what we like here at Android Police? Solid information. Earlier today, we reported on an alleged render of the HTC M7 that looked a little 'close-but-not-quite'. For starters, that image is not exactly the M7. But a helpful tipster decided to help us clarify some things today, by providing real images of something that more than likely is the M7.

We've been seeing a flurry of photos recently and this to be the most legitimate one yet. This is also obviously a photograph of a real piece of hardware, not a render. This photo corroborates a lot of the information that PocketNow's tipster reported that we mentioned in our last article - notably, that the home and multitasking buttons have been swapped.

Jan

There Is A Significant Chance This Is Not A Real Render Of The HTC M7

Posted by Eric Ravenscraft in News, Rumors

Ah, after CES we were beginning to wonder when we'd get our next flurry of conflicting rumors. Today's comes in the form of what is being called an official render of the HTC M7. Trouble is, it's not. For starters, PocketNow claims that they're not made by anyone within the company, however according to someone who 'has access' to a photo of the handset, the front looks about right. Allow me to reiterate that point: the claim here is someone has allegedly seen an alleged photo that allegedly looks similar to this image, but only the front half:

Of course, this render has some issues just on the face of it as well.

Jan

[The Android Police Podcast] Episode 45: This Movie Rental Requires Pants

Posted by Eric Ravenscraft in News, Podcast

Welcome to the Android Police Podcast, Episode 45.

Don't forget - the Android Police Podcast's live broadcast is every Thursday at 5PM PST (www.androidpolice.com/podcast). The 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!

Jan

Sundance 2013 App Lands In The Play Store, Guides You Through 'jOBS', 'Google And The World Brain' And Much More

Posted by Eric Ravenscraft in Applications, News

On this site, you'll read a lot of Android news (which is why we put it in our name). You will also hear a lot of tech news. You will maybe hear a tiny bit of movie news. Today, though, you're getting a triple-whammy of all three. The Sundance Film Festival, which actually began yesterday, has released the 2013 version of its mobile app to help you keep track of everything going on at the event.

The app contains full schedules of everything playing and where, film synopses with trailers, and even social network integration so you can easily share what you're watching.

Jan

Facebook App Updated To v.2.1, Brings Voice Messaging, Better Sharing, And Faster Photos

Posted by Eric Ravenscraft in Applications, News

It's nice to finally have Facebook pay at least a little attention to its mobile apps for a change. Today, the social networking giant is rolling out an incremental update that brings a couple of new features. Of course, there's the big one: remember that new voice messaging thing that Messenger got? Now the regular app has it, too.

Here's the full changelog:

What's in this version:

• Open and view photos faster
• Share your friends' stories to timelines, pages and groups
• Send voice messages when you have more to say

The bulk of the new changes will likely be of little consequence, but if you've ever been mildly frustrated by your inability to share a friend's posts to different pages or groups, your life will get just a smidge easier.

Jan

[Deal Alert] LG Optimus G 4G For AT&T Drops To $49 On Amazon Wireless For New And Upgrading Customers

Posted by Eric Ravenscraft in Deals, News

Dang it, I've already used up all my "G" adjectives for the day. The internet is not gonna leave me be, though, as the LG Optimus G 4G gets a good ol' grice grop to $49 on Gamazon Gireless. Gee, what a deal. The previous best offer we'd seen for this beast of a phone was $99, also via Amazon. $49 is a downright bargain for this flagship handset.

Both new and upgrading AT&T customers are eligible for the lower price point, as long as they're signing up for a new 2-year contract. Of course, you probably knew that already. While LG's Nexus 4 is still seeing supply shortages, and likely will until mid-February, this is a great alternative if you don't mind contracts and manufacturer skins.

Jan

Leaked Slide Shows Off LG Optimus G Pro With A 5" 1080p Display, 3,000 mAh Battery, And Snapdragon S4 Pro

Posted by Eric Ravenscraft in Leaks, LG, News, Optimus G Pro

Last Updated: January 21st, 2013

Just yesterday, an LG rep let us know that, among other things, the "G" branding would continue to be representative of the company's top-tier hardware. Today, we get a glimpse at what the next great handset could look like. This leaked slide shows off the LG Optimus G Pro with a gorgeous 5" 1080p display, a gargantuan 3,000 mAh battery, a gratuitous Snapdragon S4 Pro processor, and a glorious 13-megapixel rear camera.

Here's the full list of generous specs, partially courtesy of Blog of Mobile:

5" 1080p display
1.7GHz Snapdragon S4 Pro processor
2GB RAM
32GB storage
LTE
3,000 mAh battery
Jelly Bean (4.1)
13MP rear camera
2.4MP front camera

Before you get too giddy, though, this gleaming bit of hardware is likely destined for Japan in its current condition.

Jan

Larry Page On Apple's Thermonuclear War: 'How Well Is That Working?', Also Facebook Is 'Doing A Really Bad Job On Their Products'

Posted by Eric Ravenscraft in Google, News

It's hard to argue that Google hasn't been a significantly different company under Larry Page's leadership. If nothing else, it has certainly become more directly competitive. Mountain View has generally (though not always ) preferred to be passive in its approach to other companies, allowing the product to speak for itself (whether for good or ill), rather than outright antagonize others. Apparently all that reservation was just saving up for when Page would take the helm and let the zingers fly. In a Wired interview, the CEO had this to say on the subject of Apple:

Wired: Steve Jobs felt competitive enough to claim that he was willing to “go to thermonuclear war” on Android.

Jan

AT&T Is Going Shopping For A European Carrier To Buy Or Merge With, Says WSJ

Posted by Eric Ravenscraft in AT&T, News

AT&T has a problem on its hands. It's big, but is it big enough? If you're a CEO of a major corporation the answer to that question is always "no." However, the carrier has difficulty expanding on the home front. An overwhelming majority of U.S. citizens have phones with one carrier or another, so there's very little wiggle room to grab new customers. And gaining in market share when you (and all your competitors!) are dead set on locking people into two-year contracts is very difficult. In short, growth isn't much of an option outside acquisitions, and those haven't gone so well.