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May

TV Guide Mobile Version 3 Released With Interface, Experience Overhaul For ICS, Jelly Bean Users

Posted by Liam Spradlin in Applications, News

If you've been paying attention to TV Guide's official app, you know that it's needed some attention for a while. Its UI through version 2.x was an outdated pastiche of Gingerbread tabs and gradated iconography desperately in need of a redesign (and support for 4.0+). Today, TV Guide has fulfilled that need (for the most part), bringing to the Play Store TV Guide Mobile version 3.0. The update also brought "many cool new features" to the app, which we'll discuss momentarily. First though, check out the difference between the old and new interfaces.

Before: ew.

After: yay!

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.

Oct

Google Releases 'Tablet App Quality Checklist' To Help Guide Developers On Best Tablet Practices

Posted by Eric Ravenscraft in Google, News

In the ongoing effort to make apps better on Android, Google has released another new guide for the developers who may be looking for guidance on just how to build a great tablet-oriented app. The piece has some fairly detailed information, including how much to adjust padding of UI elements and how to target different screen sizes and resolutions. There is also more broad guidance on how to make the most of larger screen real-estate.

^{An example of how to rearrange UI panes when switching orientations.}

One thing that becomes clear as you read this advice is that the company doesn't want everyone developing for the Nexus 7 and ignoring other form factors.

Oct

How To: Install Sony's New PlayStation Mobile For Android On Any Rooted Device

Posted by Artem Russakovskii in Applications, Games, News, Tips & Tutorials

Last Updated: October 19th, 2012

Sony's PlayStation Mobile for Android just went live for certified devices last night. But what if you don't have a certified device, which so far includes only a number of Sony phones and tablets as well as the HTC One series? Heck, I have a One series device - the EVO LTE - but turns out it's not certified. That's just silly.

Not a problem - if you have root on your phone or tablet, getting the PSM (PlayStation Mobile) apk to work is a matter of pushing a few files it relies on to your /system directory and rebooting.

Sep

[New App] Official My Disney Experience Guides You Around Walt Disney World With GPS Maps And Wait Times

Posted by Jeremiah Rice in Applications, News

Walt Disney World Resort might be home to the Most Magical Place on Earth®, but with 30,000 acres and millions of visitors every year, it's awfully easy to have a bad day there. To that end, Disney has released its very own guide app, covering all four theme parks and the various satellite tourist areas around Disney World. The most useful feature is probably the detailed maps, complete with annotations for rides, shops, restaurants, et cetera, and GPS tracking to help you find your way around. (Incidentally, they'll also point you to the nearest restrooms.) You can even make a reservation at one of the restaurants without leaving the app.

Jul

Google Posts Official Changelog For Android 4.1 Jelly Bean

Posted by Liam Spradlin in Android OS, News

Need some reading for the weekend? Google has you covered. To celebrate the shipping of the first batch of Nexus 7 pre-orders, Google has posted up the full, official, exhaustive changelog for Android 4.1 Jelly Bean.

Covering everything from Accessibility to Widgets, the changelog delivers comprehensive explanations of each and every change users can expect to find in Android's latest iteration, as well as changes to Google apps and the "new Google experience on Android," including Google Search and Google Now.

While the raw changelog may not be quite as compelling (or nearly as visually rich) as Ron's Getting To Know Android series (which has three parts so far: part 1, 2, 3), it's still a great read for those wanting to explore each and every detail of Jelly Bean.

Jul

Official (And Open-Source) iFixit App Hits The Play Store – Tear Down And Repair From Anywhere

Posted by Liam Spradlin in Applications, News

Perhaps the most popular (and complete) free repair manual in existence, iFixit, launched an official app for Android recently, bringing detailed step-by-step repair instructions and (of course) the saucy teardown images we've come to know and love from the service's online counterpart to your Android devices.

For those who don't know, iFixit provides users with incredibly detailed repair guides for a huge variety of things from laptops to mobile devices, game consoles, and even cars, including great imagery and nice explanations for why hardware is the way it is.

The free repair manual's official app offers the same easy-to-grasp instructions as iFixit.com, delivering them to your mobile device with a simple, easy interface.

Mar

[New App] The CW Network Gets Its Own App, Streams Full Episodes Of CW Shows, Completely Legit This Time

Posted by Eric Ravenscraft in Applications, News

Sure, Hulu may still be struggling with supporting even a majority of Android devices, but who needs that mess when the CW has an app? Well, yes, people who want to watch shows by any of the other networks, but now all of the CW's top shows are available on (some of) your phones and tablets in their full-episode glory.

It's not quite the complete library experience we've all been hoping for that some shows occasionally get on Hulu or Netflix, but all of the 12 shows available come with 5 episodes each which, we assume, will be the five most recent episodes unless a show is on hiatus, as is the typical custom with most major streaming sources.

Oct

Time Warner Cable Remote / Guide App Coming To Android At End Of November, Live Streaming On Ice Cream Sandwich Tablets Early 2012

Posted by David Ruddock in Android OS, Applications, News

Likely not wanting to get left behind by the likes of Comcast, whose XFINITY for Android app has been quite well-received, Time Warner Cable is preparing to release a comparable remote control app for its cable subscribers at the end of November.

The app will incorporate full set-top box remote control functionality, access to the DVR interface, and an in-app 7-day programming guide.

The app is being developed for Honeycomb tablets (the test device looks to be a Galaxy Tab 8.9 or 10.1), and TWC has indicated that it's possible the release could be pushed back a little beyond November because of a heavy product release schedule this season.

Sep

[Complete Guide] Root, Custom Recovery, Backup, And De-Bloat Your DROID BIONIC

Posted by David Ruddock in Bionic, Tips & Tutorials

WARNING: We are not responsible for any destruction of data, phones, or small animals resulting from your use of these instructions. Utilize them at your own risk. If you brick your BIONIC, head to this link.

OK, DROID BIONIC owners - I think it's finally safe-ish (well, as safe as it can be for the moment) to start tinkering with your phone a little. There's enough information out there now to reliably root, backup, and de-bloat your phone - with the ability to unbrick if you screw something up. So, let's get this party started. Also, these instructions are for Windows only.