OffTopic - 11/13 - Android Police - Android News, Apps, Games, Phones, Tablets

Jan

Man Uses Geek Wizardry, Magic To Use HTC EVO 4G As Garage Door Opener

Posted by Aaron Gingrich in Applications, Apps/Games, EVO 4G (Supersonic), News, Off-Topic

In an impressive display of nerdery, XDA member JsChiSurf (who you may remember as the guy behind the re-mapped EVO buttons and a shout-out in Fresh 3.5) has used a host of tools and tricks to create an app that allows him to use his EVO as a garage door opener. Check out the video below (it's on the longer side at nearly 4 minutes, but it's got all the details).

In short, he connects an old Linux server (which was already running in his garage) to a serial relay controller, which is in turn connected to his garage door, to do the trick.

Dec

CNN Money: Could Google Become A Carrier?

Posted by Aaron Gingrich in Carriers, Editorials, News, Off-Topic

Yesterday, CNN Money posted a rather interesting piece that posed the question: could Google become "your new phone carrier?" If you're anything like me (and I hope for your sake that you're not), your first response was "Google? A carrier? #$%^ Yeah!" But as awesome as I'm sure that would be, the more I think about it, the less likely it seems.

I'm not saying it won't happen. Hell, even the author of the article (David Goldman) doesn't seem sure of the idea. The point of the article seems to be more so to point out that it's feasible, especially down the road.

Dec

[Comic] Plan: Buy Nexus S, Write Awesome Android App.

Posted by Aaron Gingrich in Apps/Games, Games, Off-Topic

If you're ever looking for a good webcomic, look no further than Abstruse Goose. Case in point: today's Nexus S comic. There's not much to say about it, so here it is:

_{Bonus lols: the image name is "Rovio_is_pure_evil.PNG."}

Probably safe to say we've all been in a similar situation - which is pretty good for Rovio.

[Source: Abstruse Goose via Reddit]

Dec

Chitika Says Android Won't Pass iPhone's US Market Share Until February Of 2012... We Disagree

Posted by Aaron Gingrich in Android OS, News, Off-Topic

Our pal Dan Ruby over at Chitika just shot us a note to let us know that he's run the numbers and come up with a prediction for when Android will take over the #1 position in market share in the US, based on ad impressions on Chitika's network. The result: February 16, 2012... at 12:23 PM EST.

He's put a fair amount of time into crunching these numbers - last we'd talked to him (two weeks ago), he was already working on it. With that in mind, it's hard to argue that he's wrong - and it's even harder to argue without running my own numbers or putting in my own research.

Dec

Samsung Releases The Greatest Galaxy Tab Promotional Video To Date: Extreme Retreat - Sahara

Posted by Artem Russakovskii in Galaxy Tab, Off-Topic, Samsung, Videos

Samsung is sure throwing some big bucks behind promoting its flagship tablet, the Galaxy Tab. Just like the first video from Andes in the Extreme Retreat series, Extreme Retreat- Sahara manages to be hilarious and informative at the same time, showcasing the Tab's portability, versatility, and functionality. Just watch:

And for those who haven't seen the Andes video, I've embedded it right below:

Source: SAMSUNGmobile

Dec

Awesome: Android-Gingerbread-Skeleton-Zombie Painting Found In The Official Gingerbread SDK

Posted by Artem Russakovskii in Gingerbread 2.3, News, Off-Topic

Google loves putting Easter eggs into their products, and whoever sneaked this late Halloween piece into the official Gingerbread SDK release over at Google is a real master. This is art, people! Found among the boring buttons and icons in the depths of the new Android SDK at this path: platforms\android-9\data\res\drawable-nodpi\platlogo.jpg, this painting is a work of a pure genius:

Source: Android Central

Nov

Cyber Monday Sale: Android Police T-Shirts Are 25% Off, Now Through November 30th

Posted by Artem Russakovskii in Deals, Off-Topic

If you still haven't picked up one of the awesome Android shirts that we added to our apparel store this month, here is your chance at ordering them with the largest discount to date: 25% off orders over $40. Just use coupon codes CYBER2010 (US) or CADCYBER2010 (Canada), and the discount will be applied to the total value of your cart. Customers outside the US and Canada, unfortunately, are not eligible.

Here are some designs you can find in the shop:

TareX - Design #2, the winner of the design contest:

^{Left: back, right: front}

JoeyK - Design #1

^{Left: back, right: front}

Romarto - Design #2

^Front

Romarto - Design #3

And the list goes on.

Nov

Angry Birds And The Pigs Sign A Peace Treaty [Hilarious Video]

Posted by Artem Russakovskii in Off-Topic, Videos

Angry Birds is probably the most iconic Android game on the Market now - I mean, how often do you see people dressing up as Android game characters for Halloween, making game themed cakes and plush toys, and creating fan videos that millions can relate to? Probably not very often. Before Angry Birds actually turns into a full-fledged motion picture, let's enjoy ourselves watching hilarious gems like this one, shot for an Israeli comedy show. There is a tidbit of NSFW language in there, which, in my opinion, makes the whole thing that much more funny.

Love it or hate it - what's the verdict?

Nov

Awesome Android Stop Motion Animation: The Evolution Of Android, With A Twist

Posted by Artem Russakovskii in Off-Topic, Videos

To end our relatively calm and Gingerbread-less Friday, I present to you The Evolution Of Android - a stop motion animation created by YouTube user droidsans. It's kind of like our Meet Andy: Android's History In A Nutshell, except it's not. And it's got a twist at the end. Can you guess what it is?

My favorite part was when Andy spit it (I'm still not telling you what "it" is - watch the video) out - thanks for making our Friday night a little more fun, droidsans!

[Bonus] To finish the night off, here is an Apple keyboard autocorrect fail:

Got one better?

Nov

Best Buy Takes Over And Peels Off The Yahoo Homepage In A Holiday Campaign, EVO 4G Leading The Pack

Posted by Artem Russakovskii in EVO 4G (Supersonic), News, Off-Topic

Here I was, innocently browsing the Yahoo homepage today (I use it as a random site to test my tethered connection), minding my own business. Imagine my surprise when the main navigation column suddenly started peeling off to reveal a so-dear-to-my-heart EVO 4G. Continuing to watch this technique, I observed a flat screen TV and a Blu-ray player before finally seeing the perpetrator on the right - Best Buy. While I'm not usually a fan of Flash ads, this one amused me and reminded me of the upcoming holidays with all the presents that still needed to be bought. Have you gotten your holiday presents ready yet, like that EVO 4G?