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Jan

44 Best (And 7 WTF) New Android Apps And Games From Last Week (1/25/11 - 1/31/11)

Posted by Artem Russakovskii in Applications, Best Apps/Games/LWPs Of The Week, Games, News

Last Updated: April 13th, 2011

Welcome to the weekly roundup of the best new Android applications and games that went live in the Market or were spotted by us in the previous week or so. WTF apps were definitely in abundance this week.

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 week's roundup? Find it here: 46 Best (And 2 WTF) New Android Apps And Games From Last Week (1/18/11 – 1/24/11)

Note: I've removed the Texty application from this list after some valid concerns about its legitimacy - thanks Nexuz-Uno.

Jan

Update: LG Confirms via Twitter. LG Optimus 3D Picture Leaked Ahead Of MWC Reveal

Posted by Nate Kimmey in LG, News, Optimus 3D (p920) / Thrill 4G (p925)

Last Updated: February 14th, 2011

Update:LG has confirmed via its MWC Twitter account that the Optimus 3D will indeed be shown at the Mobile World Congress. They also confirmed the glasses-free 3D display, 3D video capability, and HDMI.

LG's "Into the New Dimension" event is scheduled for February 14, but Phandroid has gotten a hold of an image that is purported to be the LG Optimus 3D. Although a 3D display can't be confirmed by the picture, we can determine that this device is not the LG Optimus 2X or LG Optimus Black. Considering this phone is set to be revealed in two weeks, this certainly seems like a trustworthy tip, and the specs, while awesome, are still believable:

At least a 4" screen
Glasses-free 3D display
Dual core processor (presumably Tegra 2)
Front-facing camera

Even if you aren't the biggest fan of 3D, the Optimus 3D is still an impressive device.

Jan

Google Opens Up Early I/O Registration

Posted by Artem Russakovskii in Android OS, News

Google I/O, a conference dedicated entirely to Google technologies and hosted in San Francisco's Moscone Center, is fast approaching, and Google today opened up early registration to key developer partners and 2010 I/O attendees. Early reg, available to the first 1500 people who complete it, costs $450 ($100 more than last year). Don't worry though - when it goes public next week, the price is going to stay the same until April 17th, at which point it will go up another $100 to $550 (thanks for the correction, Philip!). Unfortunately, unless you've received a personal invitation, you will not be able to proceed with the early signup and will have to wait until February 7th.

Jan

Google Hiring Android Developers To Create Apps In-House

Posted by Abhiroop Basu in Android OS, Apps/Games, News

Although, the Android Market has exploded recently, it is no secret that apps on the iOS platform consistently look and perform better. With revenues from mobile apps set to triple this year, Google is going on a mass hiring spree to find developers to create quality apps for the Android Market, reports the Wall Street Journal.

Google, like Apple, takes a 30% cut for every app sold in the Market. However, with paid app sales failing to live up to expectations, Google is hoping to increase its revenue stream by improving the overall quality of the apps available in the Market.

Jan

Android Takes The Top Spot From Symbian Following Strong Sales In Q4 2010

Posted by Abhiroop Basu in Android OS, News

Just a few weeks after Android became the number one smartphone platform in the US, Canalys is reporting that strong sales of Android devices in Q4 2010 has helped it overtake Nokia's Symbian OS to became the world's best selling mobile platform.

33.3 million Android-based devices were sold globally in Q4 2010, compared with 31.0 million Symbian-based phones and 16.2 million iPhones.

Android's growth is astonishing. In Q4 2009 it sold a mere 4.7 million units, a year later shipments have jumped by over 600%. In the same time-frame Symbian has grown by a mere 30%, while Apple's iOS platform has jumped by 85.9% (this is just limited to smart phones and would not include iPad sales).

Jan

Motorola's New XOOM Ad Takes Another Jab At Apple But Fails To Impress

Posted by Artem Russakovskii in Motorola, News, Videos, XOOM

It appears that Motorola's ad campaign for the XOOM is underway, with the following ad released today by ShareMoto. As in the previous, and I would say much more successful Tablet Evolution ad, Apple plays a big part, being compared to the Big Brother from 1984. Motorola then flies some [impressive] specs around and... that's it. No pictures of the XOOM - nothing. If this is indeed their Super Bowl ad they are planning to air during the game this Sunday, I will be very disappointed. You can do better, Moto. You didn't let us touch or play with the tablet at CES - at least let us see it in your own commercials, OK?

Jan

Verizon Comparison Charts Show Thunderbolt's LTE Speeds Crush WiMax, HSPA+

Posted by David Ruddock in News, Thunderbolt (Mecha), Verizon Wireless

A couple of leaked Verizon charts popped up on Droid Life this morning, their contents? HTC Thunderbolt propaganda - well, at least in one of them.

If Verizon's estimated LTE speeds aren't just hot air, then Sprint and T-Mobile (and AT&T) should probably be worried right now. Sprint's smartphone plan price hike probably isn't winning them any points, and T-Mobile's 4G handsets aren't exactly new and exciting (G2, myTouch, or a rehashed Vibrant - take your pick).

I don't know where Verizon gets their network speed estimates for T-Mo and Sprint, but they seem pretty forgiving - given the speed ranges shown.

Jan

NFL Enterprises Releases Official Super Bowl XLV Android App

Posted by Artem Russakovskii in Applications, News

The 45th Super Bowl is only a week away, and NFL Enterprises decided to help out all attendees by introducing the official Android app. The app features 3D pinch-to-zoop-and-rotate maps of North Texas, parking, events and local info, and a detailed map of the Cowboys Stadium with Steelers and Packers already clearly marked on the field. You can also utilize GPS to find yourself on the map in case you get lost in the crowd.

Not everything is as awesome as it looks like from the screenshots, however. UpNext, the company contracted to create this app, apparently thought it was a good idea to pack 23.5 MB of data into the app, all without giving us an ability to move it to SD.

Jan

LG's Oh-So-Secret G-Slate 3D Tablet Shows Up In A Random YouTube Video Yet Again, Shows Off Kickstand (?), Dual Cameras

Posted by Artem Russakovskii in LG, News, Optimus Pad / G-Slate, T-Mobile, Videos

The G-Slate Honeycomb tablet, announced at CES, was never shown off to the public outside of this weak T-Mobile video which just embedded the official Honeycomb intro into a dark G-Slate frame. Last week, the tablet made a brief and fuzzy appearance in a random Korean music video, seemingly confirming previous rumors of a 3D camera.

Today, we are seeing it again in an even more random creation - a homemade video by MysteryGuitarMan. Dual cameras for recording 3D - check, LED flash - check (though only one), what looks to be a kickstand - check (seriously, nobody has thought of putting a kickstand into a tablet before?

Jan

Virgin Mobile USA LG Optimus V Now Available Through Radio Shack For $150

Posted by Artem Russakovskii in LG, News, Optimus V, Videos, Virgin Mobile

Virgin Mobile USA, a no-contract budget mobile U.S. retailer with plans starting at $25/mo for unlimited text/web/data and 300 minutes, has only crossed paths with Android once, with the introduction of Samsung Intercept. However, another contender, LG Optimus V, an equivalent of Optimus S on Sprint, Optimus T on T-Mobile, etc. just popped up at RadioShack.com, before even hitting Virgin's own site, which is expected to happen on February 1st. There have been reports of the device being available in some brick and mortar Virgin Mobile USA stores, but it looks like this RadioShack appearance is the first time it became available online.