tegra 2 - 3/9 - Android Police - Android News, Apps, Games, Phones, Tablets

Jul

[Deal Alert: X2 Edition] Get The DROID X2 For Just $100 On A New 2-Year Agreement

Posted by David Ruddock in Deals, Droid X2, Motorola, Verizon Wireless

I'm not sure why anyone would want the DROID X2 (our own Aaron Gingrich didn't exactly love it, either - and that's putting it nicely.) But, some people do seem to like the X2 - probably most owners upgrading from the original X. Why? Because it looks and feels exactly the same. So, if you want this Motorola monster, now's a decent time to get it - as it's just $100 with a new Verizon account on Wirefly or AmazonWireless.

The X2 is packing an NVIDIA Tegra 2 dual-core processor, a 4.3-inch qHD display (some people hate qHD for its Pentile subpixel rendering), 512MB of RAM, and an 8MP rear shooter.

Jun

Verizon Galaxy Tab 10.1 4G LTE Pre-Order Up, Starts At $529.99 With New 2-Year Enslavement

Posted by David Ruddock in 4G, Galaxy Tab 10.1, Honeycomb 3.0/3.1/3.2, News, Tips & Tutorials, Verizon Wireless

I'm not sure how well this 4G-ified Tab 10.1 is going to do in terms of sales, but it's coming nonetheless. And in four flavors! And by that, I mean there's two storage options (16GB or 32GB) and two color options (grey or white):

These prices are, of course, subsidized with a new 2-year data contract. How subsidized? Try $100 off (yes, that's all). Sounds like Verizon is super confident about this thing, too. I think we can all agree, until carriers actually start giving these mobile data-enabled tablets meaningful contract discounts (or better data plans), there's next to no incentive for consumers to purchase them.

Jun

Zinio And NVIDIA Team Up To Bring Hardware-Accelerated Magazine Reading To Tegra Tablets

Posted by Cameron Summerson in Applications, News

One of the best things about having a tablet is that it can take the place of many other, usually not-so-techy, things in our lives. Paper products like newspapers and magazines, for example, are easily replaceable with a simple application. Zinio is a popular newsstand app that aims to take the place of the latter, and while it has only been in the Android Market for a short amount of time, it just received an update that makes it even more desirable.

The newest update is designed specifically for Tegra-based Honeycomb tablets, as it fully utilizes the Tegra 2's GPU and hardware acceleration to create a visually stimulating reading experience.

Jun

[Review] Galaxy on Fire THD Brings Extreme Quality And Ambition, But Is It Worth The $15?

Posted by Matt Demers in Apps/Games, Game Reviews, Games, Reviews

Last Updated: July 24th, 2011

Sometimes, it's best when a game doesn't perform just one function. Especially when graphics-heavy apps charge more than usual for an experience that might grow stale, variance and depth is extremely important. The iOS port of Galaxy on Fire II has depth in spades, but is the overall experience worth the game's price?

The Gameplay

Galaxy on Fire II plays remarkably similar to a 2003 Windows game called Freelancer, in which you took on the role of an interstellar starship captain with an eye for earning money. The same concept remains true in Galaxy on Fire II; you can follow a story mission or go off on your own, accepting missions from people in space station bars.

Jun

Galaxy On Fire 2 THD Lands In The Android Market, And It's Free... Somewhat

Posted by Cameron Summerson in Games, News

It has been several weeks since Nvidia first dropped the news that Galaxy On Fire 2 was coming to Tegra devices, and now it's finally here. Galaxy On Fire 2 THD takes mobile gaming to a whole new level with its amazing details and rich gameplay, offering a massive galaxy for its playground. Here are some of the main features:

Game Features:

A huge galaxy with over 20 solar systems and beautifully rendered planets

100 unique 3D space stations and more than 30 customizable space ships

Unique reputation and diplomacy system

Story-based, mission-based and free gameplay

Complex trading system with over 170 different commodities of all kinds

High quality visuals and music, full voice acting (English) and 3D sound

Action Freeze™: 3D screenshot tool to save screenshots from any perspective and upload them to Facebook™

OpenFeint integration of leader boards, achievements and saved games

Supports up to full native 1280 x 800 pixels resolution

Tegra Features:

Heavily optimized to utilize the eight-core rendering power of Tegra’s GeForce GPU for console-gaming quality on mobile devices

All meshes re-created from scratch as if they were to be used for a proper console game

New details added to the design of each of the over 30 spaceships and 100 space stations

Carefully re-painted space background images and planets at 2048 x 2048 pixels resolution to ensure crystal clear game experience even on 10 inch tablets

Four times higher texture sizes on all in-game textures and four times higher polygon count on its spaceships, space stations, jump gates and asteroids compared to standard tablet versions

Sophisticated OpenGL ES 2.0 specular and displacement shaders on all in-game assets

You can get Galaxy On Fire 2 THD free in the Android Market right now - but there's a catch.

Jun

NVIDIA: "Tegra Has No Compatibility Issues With LTE At All"

Posted by Cameron Summerson in News

We've all heard the rumors about why the XOOM hasn't gotten its LTE implant yet, and why the Droid Bionic was delayed - and there was a lot of speculation that said it was because of incompatibility between the Tegra 2 chip and Verizon's LTE. NVIDIA has made a statement regarding the matter, and says that is simply not true. See for yourself:

Tegra has no compatibility issues with LTE at all. The Tegra-powered Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 4G LTE tablet runs on Verizon’s LTE network and is a perfect example of Tegra working fine w/ 4G LTE. Tegra 2 interfaces with many types of modems via standard interfaces, including LTE.

Jun

Toshiba Tells Us About The Thrive And Its Many Accessories, We Take Notes

Posted by Jakub Glodek in Honeycomb 3.0/3.1/3.2, Tablets, Thrive / Regza / Antares / AT100

Earlier last week, we got some leaked information about the upcoming tablet from Toshiba called Thrive. Today I had the opportunity to meet Philip Osako, Director of Product Marketing at Toshiba, who gave us a demonstration and a little more background on the development of the Thrive. Starting June 13th you will be able to pre-order the tablet at all major retailors starting at $429 for the 8GB version, $479 for the 16GB, and $579 for the glorious 32GB version.

What Mr. Osako stressed is that rather than taking the typical approach of making a phone first and then just jumbo sizing it, Toshiba wanted to build a product from the ground up.

Jun

Toshiba Thrive Officially Gets Priced - Starts At $429, Ships Early Next Month

Posted by Jaroslav Stekl in News, Thrive / Regza / Antares / AT100, Toshiba

Last Updated: June 4th, 2011

A slimster the Toshiba Thrive is not, but it's sure going to be more affordable than its competition when it goes on sale next month.

Toshiba executives Jeff Barney and Phil Osaka today confirmed that customers will be able to pre-order the dual-core Honeycomb tablet starting next week, though the parcel won't arrive until early July. The tablet, which we last saw at CES, will start at $429 for the 8GB version, while $479 will get you double the storage, and for $579, you'll be able to get your hands on the version with 32 gee-bees. All in all, very competitive pricing.

Jun

[Review] Riptide GP Proves What Tegra 2, And Android, Are Capable of Doing

Posted by Matt Demers in Apps/Games, Game Reviews, Games, Reviews

Last Updated: July 24th, 2011

Riptide GP emerged from the Tegra zone late in May, touting amazing graphics that the Android system is now capable of pulling off. However, is it all flash and no substance?

Riptide GP comes to us from Vector Unit, the developer of Hydro Thunder Hurricane for the Xbox Live Arcade. While that game features a number of souped-up racing boats with weapon attachments, Riptide GP returns to the water for a comparatively tuned-down affair. Instead of boats with Gatling cannons, you race jet skis against AI opponents; you can pull off tricks in order to fill a boost meter, which can then be used to further a lead or recover from a costly spill.

May

[Updated: Now With Video] SHADOWGUN Is The First Android Game Optimized For Quad-Core Devices, Looks Ridiculously Awesome

Posted by Cameron Summerson in Games, News

Android has really grown quickly in the realm of mobile gaming, especially with the influx of Tegra 2 phones and tablets. Keeping that momentum going, Madfinger (creator of Samurai 2) is currently working a new game optimized for Tegra devices called SHADOWGUN. There will be two version of this game - one for Tegra 2 devices, and one that takes advantage of NVIDIA's next-gen Tegra 3 processor, the quad-core Kal-El.

Update: Now with video (thanks, Nick!).

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L12sZP22UbI

SHADOWGUN is a tactical combat game, but I don't think I can explain it any better than this:

Authored with the Unity development platform, SHADOWGUN combines tactical combat with third person harrowing action, ushering in a new visual standard for handheld gaming.