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When it comes to streaming subscription services, Spotify has stolen the spotlight in the US, where companies like Rdio have struggled to get the attention and acclaim they used to enjoy back before the Swedish invasion. With Xbox Music looming on the horizon, promising to install 30 million free, ad-supported tracks into every computer running Windows 8, the market has never been more competitive. Which makes Rdio's newly announced overhaul to its Android app all the more timely. It's even better that it looks fantastic.
How far we've come since the early days of running from zombies! Why, back in my day, if we wanted to be chased by hordes of the undead, we had to actually get out of the house and run around, since GPS was the only supported method for keeping track of our progress. Now, however, the app that's designed to get you working out by forcing you to flee for your life has added accelerometer support, so treadmill runners can get in on the action. Nifty!
Sprint's Galaxy Note II With LTE Will Launch On October 25th For $300, Offers Rebate To Get Your Arm And Leg Back
Sprint's Galaxy Note II With LTE Will Launch On October 25th
For the first time, Samsung's largest flagship line will be landing on Sprint with the Galaxy Note II. During the initial launch, though, you better know you want it as this device will come with a whopping $300 price tag with a new two year contract. This isn't unheard of for some major devices, but it still ranks as one of the most expensive handsets you can buy.
Before we get too far into this, let's point out that this rumor is coming from an Israeli newspaper, so it is easy enough for a company to disavow stories like these. With that disclaimer out of the way: Amazon may be looking into buying Texas Instrument's OMAP business. As we already know, TI has expressed interest in getting out of the mobile game. Not to say they'll stop making processors, but that the focus would be less on tablets and phones, and more on embedded SoCs for a variety of applications (such as automotive, vision, and robotics).
The Bard's Tale is huge in just about every way. It's a 3.5GB download (at most), it's a long, elaborate game and, until now, it was $6, which is not quite expensive, but certainly pricier than the average game. Today's sale, however, brings the cost down to an outright bargain. For $3 you can get the full Cary Elwes experience on your phone or tablet. It's almost unreasonable not to go for it.
I know what you're thinking. Did he fire six shots or only five? LG? Making an interesting video? Pshaw, I say! Before you dismiss it, though, let me ask you something. Have you ever seen a phone built out of magic and diamonds?! No? Then I've got something new to show you. In this four-minute promo video for the LG Optimus G, we see a man who is, apparently, a sparkle bender, forge a block of pure obsidian, then literally carve the phone out of this block with telekinesis. And that is just the beginning.
Residents of the great white north have a special treat coming up soon. The Galaxy Note II is coming to Mobilicity the day before Halloween. If you know you're going to want it on day one, though, you can sign up for a pre-order right now and get $50 off. Unfortunately, the ad doesn't specify just what price you'll get $50 off of.
Sprint Promises LTE Coverage For San Francisco, 21 Other Cities 'In The Coming Months'
Sprint Promises LTE Coverage For San Francisco
Sprint would like you to know that, while LTE coverage has not yet been activated in these areas just yet, the Now Network has plans to rollout the shiny new towers to cities like San Francisco and Napa, CA, Naples and Cape Coral, FL, and several markets in midwest and southern states. The network is not live yet, of course. As with the carrier's previous announcement, this is simply to let people know what's coming.
Sure, Google may have acquired Zagat and used the company's renowned ratings engine to start powering its data on everything from electronics stores to car washes. However, the review site got its start in restaurants way back in the day, and even after the purchase, continues to provide helpful information on every aspect of your food consumption outings. So, why not give the service its own app? Well, that's just what everyone's favorite search giant did!
AppSurfer Aims To Bring Android App Emulation To Your Browser, Wants To Embed Apps In Your Web Pages
One of the biggest drawbacks to buying apps on things like the Play Store is wondering if it does what you need it to do before you put your money on the line. AppSurfer, an India-based startup, is building a platform to alleviate this concern and give developers a web-based tool to let users test drive their apps before they buy. If this sounds familiar, it's because Amazon allows customers to do this very thing on its Appstore. The advantage here is that it would be open to the entire web and not just one market. You could even embed your fully-functional app in a website. A-like so:Update: Embed removed because it no longer works.The above is an example of an embed that would be possible with apps available via AppSurfer. Try it out! Click on the simulated phone screen to give it a whirl. At the moment, there are only a few developers who have shared their work to the site which, by the way, is still in need of some work. As you can see, the embed itself is a little wonky.The company has also said that it wants to make it possible to preview apps via an HTML5 browser, which means you could have test runs on your phone or tablet, and that makes more sense in some cases than pointing and clicking with a mouse.All that being said, the company is still getting started and we may never see this vision come to fruition. With bold ambitions like becoming "the YouTube of Android Apps," it's not uncommon to see goals fail to be met. Still, it's a neat idea, isn't it? Hey Google, why not hook these guys up? You're no stranger to purchasing companies to integrate their products. We'd love to see app trials in the web-based Play Store. Just a thought.Source: AppSurfer via TechCrunch
We were expecting this, but today Samsung took the wraps off of the Galaxy S III Mini, though, as Cameron pointed out yesterday, this isn't the same beast of a phone in a tinier display. Packing an unnamed dual-core 1GHz processor, 1GB of RAM, an 800x480 Super AMOLED display, and a 5MP rear shooter, this device is designed to fit in a mid-range slot on carriers' lineups.
We've heard rumors that Sprint is considering outbidding T-Mobile for MetroPCS's affection. Just in case that doesn't work, though, Sprint wants us to know that there is another plan in the works: being purchased by Softbank. Since most of you likely aren't up to date on Japanese telecoms, here's the deal: Softbank is a Japanese telecom. The third largest wireless carrier in the country, so a bit of a kindred spirit with Sprint. Now, the Japanese company may be interested in purchasing big yellow. Rumors broke earlier today, and now Sprint has sent out this brief press release to confirm:
DROID RAZR HD And RAZR MAXX HD Will Arrive On Verizon October 18th, For $199 And $299 On Contract Respectively
DROID RAZR HD And RAZR MAXX HD Will Arrive On Verizon October 18th
We've already seen the RAZR M land on the nation's largest carrier. Now, Verizon is adding the other two RAZRs we knew were coming. The DROID RAZR HD and the DROID RAZR MAXX HD, apart from single-handedly breathing new life into my caps lock key, will be arriving on October 18th. The former will run you $199 on a new two-year contract. If you're looking for some extra battery life from your kevlar-coated phone, the MAXX version will sport a hefty $299 price tag.
If you had your doubts before, they should be all but settled. The rumored LG Nexus phone that we saw the other day has changed hands and re-appeared in high-quality photos on Onliner. Of course, these aren't actually designed for release to the media, as the device still has "Not for sale" emblazoned over the back, indicating that this is a prototype and not a consumer-ready model. However, there is no shortage of brightly lit angles and, for some reason, the phone held up next to a stuffed parrot. All Nexuses should be introduced this way.
It seems like you can't go a day anymore without something new being added to Google+. Today, the mobile app is seeing an update that brings some much-requested features, including the ability to manage Pages from mobile. The method is a little wonky. Unlike on the web version, you can't just hop over to a page you're managing. You have to manually log out then log back in, at which point you will be asked what profile or page you want to control. It's bothersome, but at least it works.
According to a Czech press release unearthed by The Verge, Microsoft may be readying native Office apps for Android. As of right now, the only programs that have mobile versions on the Play Store are OneNote and Lync. Otherwise known as "the ones very few people care about." If this report is to be believed, though, we may see native versions of the entire Office suite.
If you can say nothing else about Square Enix, the company sure is raising the bar on both Android game prices and scope. With the recent Final Fantasy ports, mobile gamers with some cash to spare have had the opportunity to spend a considerable amount of time in mythical lands leveling up and fighting outlandish enemies. If you're looking for something in that neighborhood that you haven't played before, though, Chaos Rings has finally been ported to Android, and it looks fantastic.
There are no shortage of keyboard replacements on the market. Between SwiftKey, Swype, and the various manufacturer-skinned versions, you can't help but have three or four options on your phone. Today's latest entrant, iKnowU, still manages to stand out with the ability to predict entire phrases and highlighting of the next letters it thinks you're going to type. Pretty impressive.
Back in April, we reported that SEGA released Football Manager Handheld 2012, a game that allows you to simulate what it would be like to run a soccer football team. Of course, I honestly couldn't tell you five differences between futbol and handegg, so I may not be the best judge of how fun these games are. Then again, I used to play a game where I pretended to be the owner of a large hotel. To each his own.
We can easily get caught up in the mad scramble for the latest and greatest, so it's easy to lose track of the fact that low-end smartphones also have a place in the world. For this one, we'll let you decide. Who wants a smartphone with a 3" (yes, that is three inches) 240x320 TFT display, a 3MP rear camera, an unspecified "powerful" processor and 512MB of RAM? Before you decide, I should also point out that this phone has a dedicated music button and, for some bizarre reason, the spec sheet lists a WVGA projector (9 lumens), though it seems incredibly likely that this is a mistake.