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Update: It looks like stock for the online store is depleted. If you've got a Fry's store near you, you might still be able to select in-store pickup. Here's a list of retail locations.
Prepare for a week filled with new product announcements, Android newshounds. Acer isn't letting their rivals get the better of them at IFA in Berlin (or indeed at the pre-show events that are becoming standard). This morning the company announced no less than three new products: the Liquid S2, a 6-inch Android phone with 1080p video recording, the 10.1-inch Iconia A3 tablet, and the DA241HL, a 24-inch all-in-one desktop powered by Android 4.2.
Most manufacturers tend to be coy when it comes to release dates, especially when it's customers asking rather than press or investors. But Chinese manufacturer Oppo sometimes shoots from the hip, as they did with a recent Google+ post. When asked about release dates from an inquisitive poster, someone using the official account replied with a general target release for two upcoming devices, the N1 and Find N7.
Samsung's Galaxy Note 10.1 is due for a refresh along with its smartphone cousin. If you've been waiting for a high-end Samsung tablet (or just a tablet that's considerably larger than the current 10-inch breed), the folks at Korean site MovePlayer may have spotted it. A single photo of a hitherto unseen Galaxy Note 12.2 bearing the obviously huge screen and Samsung's increasingly ridiculous physical Home button was leaked earlier today.
If you've got a late-model Samsung device and a desire to tinker, Wanam Xposed is for you. It's a module for the increasingly popular Xposed Framework (which means that those without root need not apply). If you have a stock Samsung device that runs Android 4.2 or later, Wanam Xposed opens up an incredible amount of customization options for TouchWiz and other settings.
Piper is a nifty little gadget that combines a number of recently deployed technologies to create a connected and hyper-aware home automation hub. The project has been getting a lot of press since it appeared on Indiegogo a couple of weeks ago, and it passed its $100,000 funding goal today. There's another twenty days before the project ends, so the creators won't be wanting for funds.
Every once in a while we come across an app with such a practical, obvious application that we're forced to wonder why we didn't think of it first. Case in point: Botifier, which sends status updates from any app to a paired and compatible Bluetooth display using version 1.3 or later of the A/V Remote Control Profile. Translation: it sends notifications to your car's Bluetooth-enabled stereo.
There's something strange going on with SNK's The King of Fighters. Way back in March of 2012 an Android version of the classic 16-bit 2D fighter series was published, with a frustratingly short list of supported devices and no small amount of technical problems. The app disappeared from the US Play Store before too long, only to reappear this July. Now there's a brand new version, The King Of Fighters-A 2012, available alongside the original Android release.
Welcome to the latest entry in our Bonus Round series, wherein we tell you all about the new Android games of the day that we couldn't get to during our regular news rounds. Consider this a quick update for the dedicated gamers who can't wait for our bi-weekly roundups, and don't want to wade through a whole day's worth of news just to get their pixelated fix. Today we've got another zombie puzzle game (yes, really), a mix between Dig Dug and tower defense, and slug-themed take on Reversi. Without further ado:
When we first reported on the iMpulse controller, I was excited. A super-portable Bluetooth controller that strives to capture the near-perfect control scheme of the Super NES and only adds a few ounces to my pocket? Sign me up! And that's exactly what I did, almost a year ago.
If you've never heard of Skylanders, you either don't have children aged 6-10 or you haven't walked down the video game aisle of a supermarket in the last two years. Today Activision has released the first Android entry in the series, Skylanders Cloud Patrol, which integrates with the eponymous toy line. It's available 18 months after the iOS version - try not to act surprised.
Take a look at that image. That one right down there. See that? It's the first reliable bit of information that indicates what the Samsung Galaxy Gear smartwatch will look like.
We featured Audio Glow when it launched in November of last year. This ultra-stylish music visualizer takes the basic visual component of classic hi-fi systems and gives it a fresh coat of paint. It's gained quite a following thanks to eye-popping visuals and a huge degree of customization. Today's version 2.0 update adds some interesting options, most notably the new "Glowing Strings" visualization, below.
United Kingdom citizens, your long wait for LTE service is finally over... assuming you haven't gotten fed up and switched to EE already. Vodafone and O2, half of the UK's "big four" wireless providers, have both switched on their 4G/LTE networks today. Vodafone's LTE network is limited to London at the moment, while O2's network fares slightly better with a rollout to London, Leeds, and Bradford.
There's a new app available from the San Francisco Metro Transit Authority: an official Muni bus guide called Muni+. It's available right now for Android and iOS. And this dual release seems to have given the promotional department a bit of a problem. See if you can tell what it is by looking at this freeze frame of the new TV commercial now airing in the Bay area.
Update 2: Hugo Barra himself has confirmed his plans on Google+. He'll become the new Vice President of Xiaomi Global. We wish you the best of luck, Hugo - you will be missed.
As Motorola's first phone developed start to finish under Google's corporate umbrella, the Moto X is getting more than a little attention from developers, modders, and ROM enthusiasts. They'll be happy to know that the kernel source code for various models of the Moto X are now available on SourceForge. Kernel code is available for three models: AT&T (XT1058), T-Mobile (XT1053), and Sprint (XT1056).
So you're a fan of custom ROMs, but you're not quite ready to live on the bleeding edge (or alternately, your device doesn't have a reliable Android 4.3 build yet). Fear not, cautious Android power user: the CyanogenMod team has a build for you! CyanogenMod 10.1.3 will be the last version of CM based on Android 4.2, and release candidates are now being posted for supported phones and tablets.
Remember that nifty multi-carrier LTE version of the Nexus 7 that was shown off when the tablet was revealed last month? Google has been mum on a specific release date for that version, but United Kingdom carrier O2 is more than willing to chat it up. According to both a tweet from the official 02 account and a short blog post, the "4G" Nexus 7 will hit the UK on September 13th.
If you've been holding off on a new phone purchase to get a look at Samsung's Galaxy Note III first, you won't have long to wait: the company is all set to unveil it at their pre-IFA event on September 4th. The Note III has proven surprisingly leak-resistant, but this morning we got the first bit of possibly significant information comparing an alleged screen panel for the new model to the Note II from 2012. Observe: