Jeremiah Rice - 9/49 - Android Police - Android News, Apps, Games, Phones, Tablets

Jeremiah Rice

Jeremiah is a US-based blogger who bought a Nexus One the day it came out and never looked back. In his spare time he watches Star Trek, cooks eggs, and completely fails to write novels.

May

[Deal Alert] Samsung Multimedia Desktop Dock, Compatible With Most Samsung Phones Including The Galaxy S4, Is Just $16 On Amazon (68% Off)

Posted by Jeremiah Rice in Accessories, Deals, News, Samsung

There are still very few "universal" docks available for Android users, but if you own a Samsung smartphone, this little baby comes pretty close. The Samsung Galaxy Multimedia Desktop Charging Dock includes a spiffy flip-out stand big enough to support the biggest of Notes, plus an audio-out 3.5mm jack for easy output to a nearby speaker. One Amazon vendor is selling the dock for just sixteen dollars American, a discount of more than two thirds off the retail price.

This is an official Samsung first-party dock, not some cheapo cash-in. It seems to be a slight variation of this dock, which retails for $49.99.

May

Koushik "Koush" Dutta's Carbon Backup App Renamed To "Helium" After Cease & Desist From Carbonite Software Maker

Posted by Jeremiah Rice in Applications, News

Last Updated: May 6th, 2013

If you're an Android power user who regularly applies mods or flashes new ROMs, you've likely run across Koushik "Koush" Dutta's work. He's the maker and maintainer of the ClockworkMod recovery and ROM Manager, and a publisher of several of his own independent applications. One of those apps is the powerful Carbon backup app, which we've featured before. It looks like the name "carbon" was a bit too close for comfort for the makers of Carbonite software (a more mainstream backup solution for desktops and mobile), who sent Koush a cease-and-desist letter back in February.

As explained on Koush's Google+ page in his typical and endearingly nerdy way, the developer renamed his app "Helium", and it's still available on the Play Store.

May

Astrid To-Do App And Service Acquired By Yahoo! - Premium Accounts Are Out, May Be Shutting Down Soon

Posted by Jeremiah Rice in Applications, News

A lot of our readers have made the jump to Google Keep for their task/to-do manager of choice, but the older and more feature-filled Astrid still has a wide and appreciative community of users. Today the cross-platform service announced that it's been purchased by Google's ancient and somewhat diminished rival, Yahoo. While details on price and timeline are scarce, the service blog notes that they're no longer accepting premium subscriptions (which added data storage and saved voice notes) and will be issuing refunds to those who have paid for subscriptions and plugins.

Also of note: the blog post says that Astrid will "continue to work as is" over the next 90 days, implying some kind of change thereafter.

May

23 Best (And 3 WTF) New Android Games From The Last 2 Weeks (4/19/13 - 5/1/13)

Posted by Jeremiah Rice in Best Apps/Games/LWPs Of The Week, Games, News, Roundups

Last Updated: May 13th, 2013

Welcome to the roundup of the best new Android applications, games, and live wallpapers that went live in the Play Store or were spotted by us in the previous 2 weeks or so.

This edition focuses only on new games. The app roundup is coming up soon.

Please wait for this page to load in full in order to see the AppBrain widgets, which include ratings and pricing info.

Looking for the previous roundup editions? Find them here.

Featured App

Boulder Dash®-XL™

Today's roundup is brought to you by Boulder Dash XL from Herocraft. Boulder Dash wasn't considered the greatest game of the bygone 8-bit era, but it had its share of fans thanks to interesting "Dig-Dug meets Tetris" gameplay.

May

MLB At Bat Service Is Free For T-Mobile Customers For The 2013 Season, Download The App Before June 30th To Activate

Posted by Jeremiah Rice in Applications, News, T-Mobile

It's the first of May, and you all know what that means: free access to the MLB At Bat app for T-Mobile subscribers starts today! Tmo's multi-year contract with Major League Baseball gives its customers free access to the video and audio streaming app. Normally the app and the service are part of the expensive MLB.tv game streaming package, or a separate purchase of $3 a month or $20 a year.

There are some surprisingly strict terms. Naturally you'll need an active T-Mobile account to qualify, and you have to download the MLB At Bat app between now and June 30th.

May

Sony Xperia Z Is All But Confirmed For T-Mobile, Thanks To FCC Filing - User Manual Included As Well

Posted by Jeremiah Rice in News, Sony, T-Mobile, Xperia Z

Does the HTC One leave you cold, T-Mobile customer? Tired of all the plastic on Galaxies big and small? Then look at this filing in the Federal Communication Commission's ever-expanding database of certified wireless devices. It's the Xperia Z, Sony's current flagship model, with wireless bands for T-Mobile's standard HSPA+ network and its shiny new LTE spectrum as well. That makes the stylish smartphone as close to a done deal as we're likely to get until T-Mobile starts its press campaign.

Still not convinced? An FCC filing doesn't mean a device will actually appear on American shores, but that's usually only true for international models (sometimes erroneously referred to as having "AT&T bands").

Apr

Samsung Galaxy Note 8.0 Book Cover Review: Very Nice And Too Expensive, Just Like The Tablet Inside

Posted by Jeremiah Rice in Galaxy Note 8.0, News, Reviews, Samsung

I picked up Samsung's official first-party cover for the Galaxy Note 8.0 shortly after getting the tablet itself, because Samsung's plastic body doesn't inspire confidence, because all tablets scream out for an easy freestanding solution, and (not least) because it was the only option right after release. The case hits all the high points: good protection, a built-in stand, and a magnet to activate the screen's sleep feature. The only major downside, like the tablet itself, is the price.

In many ways, the Galaxy Note 8.0 Book Cover Stand Case is a microcosm of the hardware it protects: nice enough, good at what it's supposed to do, way too expensive, and dreaming of the day it's a phone cover.

Apr

NEC Terrain Tipped For AT&T: A QWERTY-Packing Candy Bar Coated With Confusion

Posted by Jeremiah Rice in NEC, News

If you've never heard of Japanese manufacturer NEC, don't worry, you're in good company. While the corporation has indeed been producing Android devices for years, some of which are quite unique and impressive, they haven't seen fit to expand most of their mobile hardware beyond Japan. (Note the complete lack of cellular devices on NEC's American page.) That's why it's so puzzling to see noted tipster @evleaks' latest break: the NEC Terrain for AT&T. The phone would be NEC's very first Android phone to hit America's shores.

Even more interesting is the fact that it appears to be a budget-focused candy bar phone with a full QWERTY keyboard.

Apr

Samsung Galaxy Note 8.0 Review: A Midsize Tablet With A Lot To Love, And A Few Things To Hate

Posted by Jeremiah Rice in Galaxy Note 8.0, News, Reviews, Samsung

The Samsung Galaxy Note 8.0 is a strange beast. Sitting more or less between the Note II and the Note 10.1, the Note 8.0 feels like a Frankenstein Android device, mixing elements of both smartphones and tablets. Of course, that's kind of the point: in territories where carriers don't have such a stranglehold on the wireless industry, the Note 8.0 is exactly the giant phone that it looks like. Here in the States, we'll have to make due with an 8-inch WiFi tablet - a mid-sized device for the category, with a premium price.

That said, the price may be the only major downside of the Note 8.0 for some very targeted users.

Apr

Samsung Officially Reveals The 7-Inch Galaxy Tab 3 - Budget-Grade Specs In A Giant Smartphone Body

Posted by Jeremiah Rice in Galaxy Tab 3, News, Samsung

Those of you who didn't appreciate the divisive smartphone style of the Galaxy Note 8.0 might want to avert your eyes right about now. The South Korean company pulled the wraps off of the first entry in the fourth generation of its Galaxy Tab series today, and there's no denying that the 7-inch tablet looks like a gigantic smartphone. The Galaxy Tab 3 will be available worldwide in May in a WiFi version with a 3G variant following in June, though specific markets were not mentioned.

The Galaxy Tab 3 continues Samsung's positioning of the 7-inch size as a budget device, with hardware specs that are barely a bump over the Galaxy Tab 2 7.0 (P3100 model).