Editorials - 7/20 - Android Police - Android News, Apps, Games, Phones, Tablets

Jun

Alpha Colony: A Tribute To M.U.L.E. Is A Great Example Of Increasing Kickstarter Abuse - And The Blurry Line It Sits Upon

Posted by David Ruddock in Apps/Games, Editorials, Games, Off-Topic

Last Updated: June 21st, 2012

Update: I've refined a few of my points in this article to focus less on the whole "how much it costs to make a video game" angle, because I'm not exactly an expert on project funding. I think the point I'm trying to illustrate about Kickstarter as a whole is now clearer, and articulated in a more generally-applicable manner.

Note: This piece is of tangential relation to Android (and it grew more tangential as I wrote it), but the game in question is a joint Kickstarter venture promising an Android game, M.U.L.E. Returns, as well as a multi-platform title, Alpha Colony: A Tribute To M.U.L.E.

Jun

Editorial: Android Tablets Still Suck, And Google's Running Out Of Time To Fix Them

Posted by David Ruddock in Android OS, Editorials, Tablets

I want to ask everyone a question - well, everyone who owns an Android tablet, that is - how often do you instinctively reach for it, as opposed to your phone or laptop? I don't care what the reason is, I'm just genuinely curious how much of a "tweener" role your Android tablet has taken in your life. And after you read this editorial, share that story with me in the comments, because I'd really like to have a discussion with people on this.

I own a Transformer Prime. Know how often I use it? Once, maybe twice a week for a few minutes.

Jun

Why Android's Greatest Threat Isn't Apple - It's Microsoft

Posted by Aaron Gingrich in Editorials

There's little denying that Apple rules the smartphone world. The company sells just one phone model, yet that sole model constitutes 8.8% - or roughly 1 in 11 - of all worldwide smartphone sales and 73% of profits. iOS is the second most popular smartphone OS in the US after Android with 31.4% of the market (Android has 50.8%). Windows Phone 7, on the other hand, has just 4% of the US smartphone market, yet it's Microsoft that we have to worry about. We're witnessing a Kansas City Shuffle; while everybody is looking left, Microsoft is going right.

Microsoft is a lot like a freight train: it may be fat, bloated, and heavy, but once it finally gets up to speed, it's a force to be reckoned with.

Jun

Draw Something's "Fresh New Look" Could Use Some Help, But A Few Tweaks Could Make All The Difference

Posted by Liam Spradlin in Applications, Design, Editorials

With the introduction of Draw Something's "fresh new look!" update a couple of days ago came many design changes, not all of them entirely great. Just for fun, I decided to take a shot at making Draw Something's design slightly "fresher," or at least slightly more sensible. Just like my last design critique, I'll start by taking a look at what issues the current design has, and then make a few suggestions (with some quick mockups) as to what I think could be improved.

What's Wrong

To be completely fair, Draw Something's new look isn't terrible. It's just not what it could be.

Jun

iOS Didn't "Stomp Out" Android, And Both Platforms Are Doing Just Fine

Posted by Eric Ravenscraft in Android OS, Editorials

It's inevitable that, when a new version of iOS or Android gets released, the fanboys will come out of the woodwork to mourn the death of their beloved rival. In most cases, it's best to ignore them. However, in most cases, they also aren't the founder of a major tech publication. As such, it feels like Mr. Geller's premature funeral service for Android deserves its own bit of attention because, in the immortal words of Monty Python, Android isn't quite dead yet.

Where Does Apple Get Those Wonderful Toys?

In times past, I've written pretty extensively about Apple and Google's habit of copying features from other places.

Jun

[Editorial] NVIDIA's Kai Platform Could Single-Handedly Revolutionize The Android Tablet Market - Here's Why

Posted by Cameron Summerson in Editorials

The name Kai seemingly popped out of nowhere during NVIDIA's meeting of stockholders last month. Since then, we've heard it many times - but I still don't think it's getting the attention it deserves. Its importance, and what it means for the future of Android tablets, is being greatly understated across the board. I believe that Kai is going to be revolutionary for Android tablets - here's why.

The Budget Powerhouse Is Upon Us

We don't often use the words budget and powerhouse together in the same sentence. Historically, budget smartphone have been small, underpowered, and outdated. In the tablet arena, budget devices offer an even worse experience: most of have shoddy touchscreens, horrible resolutions, and are lacking access to the Play Store.

Jun

Editorial: Why The Importance Of The Unified Galaxy S III Launch In The US Cannot Be Overstated

Posted by David Ruddock in AT&T, Editorials, Galaxy S III, Samsung, Sprint, T-Mobile, Verizon Wireless

Here in the United States, we've all been witness to an historic "second" this week (as opposed to a first) in the unified launch of the Galaxy S III, untainted by carrier modification, on all four of the major US wireless providers (Verizon, AT&T, Sprint, and T-Mobile).

Now, you'll probably say "but David, the Galaxy S III is the first smartphone to launch as the same model on all four major carriers!" and you'd be right. That's important, no doubt about it. But really, the iPhone has had two, and now three, of the four major carriers, and the addition of T-Mobile isn't exactly a massive achievement - heck, they can't even come to an agreement with Apple to sell the iPhone at all.

Jun

Google Is Holding A Maps Event Just A Few Days Before WWDC, Could Be Big News For Google, Apple, And The Future Of Maps

Posted by Eric Ravenscraft in Editorials, News

Last Updated: June 2nd, 2012

Google announced today that it will be holding a special event on Wednesday, June 6th, regarding the future of Google Maps. Anyone who knows Google knows that these products are huge for the company, ranking right up there with Gmail and Android. More importantly, however, Google Maps is very important to Google's largest competitor: Apple. Which is why, when Google announces an event for one of its last major strongholds on iOS mere days before Apple's WWDC, we take notice.

How Did It Come To This?

It's not hyperbole to call Google Maps a stronghold on iOS, either. Those of you with decent long-term memories will recall that Google Maps was on the original iPhone.

May

[Editorial] It's Time To Stop Complaining That Your Smartphone Isn't "Revolutionary"

Posted by Eric Ravenscraft in Editorials

Last Updated: July 4th, 2012

The last few years have been really exciting. Heck, the whole last decade. The explosive proliferation of broadband brought about a whole new world of possibilities for mankind, and the mobile revolution, even moreso. From about 2007 to the present, we watched as Apple and Google, as well as a host of phone manufacturers, turned the world upside down by putting powerful, location-aware, internet-connected, touchscreen mini-computers in the hands of everyday consumers for a price that is relatively affordable.

It's been five years, though, since the first iPhone came out, and nearly four years since the first Android device. Android fans, and indeed the entire tech world, is getting a little bored.

May

[Editorial] The Life And Trials Of Android: A Beautiful Mess That Is Destined To Survive

Posted by Aaron Gingrich in Editorials

Last Updated: May 27th, 2012

First, A Brief Introduction...

If you've been paying even the slightest bit of attention to the tech world for the past year or two, you're probably well aware that Android has more or less taken over the smartphone scene. Way back in June of 2010, Google revealed that 160,000 Android devices were being activated per day - at the time, that was more than double the combined total of iPhone, Mac, and iPad activations. According to comScore, Android had already conquered 28.7% of the market in December of 2010. In March of 2011 - just a few short months later - comScore's numbers showed market share had leapt to 34.7%.