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.

10
May
cyanogen_logo_small

OpenDESIGN Aims To Bring All The Best Features From Manufacturer Skins To CM9-Compatible Devices

Posted by in News

One of the biggest downfalls of major third-party ROMs is that often they miss out on features added by manufacturers. OpenDESIGN is an attempt to rectify this problem, spearheaded by XpLoDWilD of TeamHacksung, a subgroup of the CyanogenMod team. Ultimately, the goal is to rebuild popular and useful manufacturer features and build them into CM9 for all to be able to use.

2012-05-10 19h39_04

The site's FAQ says that these features will be "written from the ground up and will be opensourced early on." This should be extremely helpful for the community as a whole. From features like stop watches to S Pen functionality, the biggest reason to continue using a manufacturer skin instead of an AOSP-based ROM is extra features added by the manufacturer.

10
May
2012-05-10 13h26_02

Google Working On Its Own Version Of Game Center, Says Business Insider

Posted by in Google, News

In a continued attempt to make Android more viable as an entertainment platform, Google is working on a social gaming app in the same vein as Apple's Game Center, if Business Insider's sources are to be believed. The app would be a huge boon for social gaming on Android. As the platform grows, and gaming along with it, Google risks losing a golden opportunity to be even more deeply embedded within one of the biggest growth markets in mobile.

The usual features are expected: social achievements, awards/trophies, and player leaderboards. What's unclear is whether or not Google will try to integrate Plus into the mix.

09
May
2012-05-09 16h40_32

Sony And Google Show Off New GoogleTV Box With A Remote That Resembles A Space Shuttle Control Panel

Posted by in Google TV, News

You guys remember Google TV, right? It's the project that every CEO and their mothers stood on a stage with to declare war on Apple's AppleTV hobby? Yeah, those guys have been pretty quiet since about that platform for a while now. Sony, however, got up the nerve to announce a new Google TV box at a special event in Palo Alto. Where "announce" means "say some words near, without actually talking about."

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Details one the device are scarce. In photos we can see that it comes with standard fare in the port department. A couple of HDMI ports, optical audio out, ethernet, a couple USB slots, and even an (optional?) space for an IR blaster.

09
May
cloudontiny

[New App] CloudOn Gives You Access To Microsoft Office On Android Tablets, Stores Files In Your Preferred Cloud Storage

Posted by in Applications, News

Tablets have, historically, been less-than-ideal for productivity. Part of the problem is that developers are still trying to catch up to the new world of connected devices. One solution, as CloudOn demonstrates, is to bring together the best options from various platforms and merge them into a fluid product. CloudOn lets you use what appears to be remote access to Word, Excel, and Powerpoint from an Android tablet.

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The app might be best utilized if you have a connected keyboard and mouse at times, as the UI is still very much the Windows-style. No special, touch-centric designs here. However, since Android supports the use of a keyboard and mouse, having the option is a huge boon.

09
May
pairtiny

[New App] Pair Is The Social Network Just For You And Your Schnookums, Lets You Text, Tease, And Thumbkiss Your Significant Other

Posted by in Applications, News

The social landscape of the 3rd millennium can be extremely confusing. Facebook, Twitter, Google+, Tumblr, texting, IM...it can all be a bit much. Sometimes you just want to get away from it all, go to a nice quiet place with someone you care about, curl up together and enjoy some nice alone time. Now, thanks to Pair, you can do that on the go! Pair is a social app that allows you to stay in contact with your significant other and no one else. Sorry, polygamists.

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The app is actually packed with plenty of useful features. A shared to-do list lets you and your partner keep up with household-y things.

09
May
tab7

[Deal Alert] Galaxy Tab 2 7.0 Available For $219 (That's $30 Off) From eBay Daily Deals, Making It An Even Better Deal Than Before

Posted by in Deals, Galaxy Tab 2 7.0

The Galaxy Tab 2 7.0 is, by most standards, the best Android tablet available for the price right now. That's what we thought when the tablet was available for $250. Today, though, on eBay's Daily Deals, the tablet is available for $219.99, or about $30 off. If you're in the market for a 7" tablet, the cost of an average night out at the movies is the difference between the Kindle Fire and this full Android 4.0 experience.

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The deal is available for today only. This tablet was already a fantastic deal, though we're all eager to see what Google might announce at I/O.

08
May
att logo

AT&T Is Working On Shared Data Plans, Finally Device Consolidation Might Be Possible

Posted by in AT&T, News

The CEO of AT&T's mobile business, Ralph de la Vega, told CNET in an interview that the company is working on family data plans that would give consumers one big pot of data that all devices could share. While minute plans have worked this way for years, since tiered data came along, customers have been waiting on a way to pool their data.

No details are available on how the plans will work, or how it will affect subsidized devices. It's also unclear whether or not devices like tablets would be entered into the mix. One of the biggest hang ups on selling network-enabled tablets (aside from the increased device price) is convincing customers to buy into yet another data plan.

08
May
kyorise

Kyocera's Two New Phones, Hydro And Rise, "Meet The Demands Of Real Life"... From About Two Years Ago

Posted by in Hydro, Kyocera, News, Rise

When we last left Kyocera, the company was still trying to convince us that more screens are more better. Today at CTIA, the company best known for creating the company printer you kick at least once a week in the office announced two new phones that are decidedly less gimmicky: the Kyocera Hydro and the Kyocera Rise of the Machines.

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First off, the Kyocera Hydro, which is designed to be water resistant, and billed as a device that can "withstand the spills and drops of everyday life." Which is handy because, as a device with a single-core 1GHz Snapdragon processor and 512MB of RAM, there is a very real chance you'll want to throw this device in a lake on more than one occasion.

07
May
pixtiny

Pix'n Love Rush Is A Delightful Retro Platformer, Hearkens Back To A Simpler Game

Posted by in Games, News

Sometimes, we don't want complex games. Sometimes, adding new rules or features to existing genres is a bit overwhelming. Pix'n Love Rush is, in contrast to many games that come out these days, very simple. You're in a side-scrolling platformer world and your goal is to run around collecting things sans dying. Simple enough, right? The game has a colorful retro aesthetic and easy gameplay.

The game has 4 play modes that offer different challenges, but the general idea remains the same. The on-screen controls are as good as on-screen controls can get (which is to say, okay, but not great).

07
May
lowestiny

Lowe's Has An App Now, Allows You To Create Supplies Lists, Read Reviews, Or Have Items Delivered To Your Home

Posted by in Applications, News

These days, you're not anybody if you don't have an app. Now, Lowe's is somebody. The home improvement warehouse has launched a mobile app that allows you to search for store locations, items, read reviews on products, manage your Lowe's card, and even have some products shipped to you.

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The app is packed with all the bells and whistles you'd expect from a retail app, including a barcode scanner and the ability to check inventory at the stores nearest you. It even has photo galleries to help you get ideas for decorating your home, and some how-to videos to help you out once you're home.

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