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Light and floating wisps
Tranquil music serenades
You're playing Lemmings
The T-Mobile Galaxy Exhibit 4G—formerly known as the Exhibit II 4G before a software update rebranded the device, because I guess you can do that—is receiving another update today. Sorry, it's not Ice Cream Sandwich. As a consolation prize, though, you get stability improvements and bug fixes!
We'd previously heard that Play Store Gift Cards are set to arrive officially on August 26th. While that may be true for stores that are still waiting on their shipments (read: not Target), Google has decided to take the wraps off of the whole thing ahead of time. The elusive URL we've seen floating around for a gift card landing page is now live. As well as that support page we found last night.
Movies by Flixster has a very interesting design history. The developers behind this app are usually among the first to adopt new Android design guidelines—they had a Honeycomb-style action bar back when the Xoom was the only Android tablet around—and today it got another new refresh. The good news is that now it looks better on the Nexus 7, as opposed to the broken mess it was before. Now, for the bad news.
It looks like the biggest leak of the Play Store's soon-to-launch gift cards may be coming from Google itself. A support page showed up in search indices (that has now been pulled) which confirms the cards will be US-only at launch and will come in $10, $15, $25, and $50 increments. Through some Google-fu, we've also learned your Google Play balance will have a $2000 limit and cannot be used on subscriptions or devices. So, sorry about your plans to buy a hundred $50 gift cards and then buy 25 Nexus 7s. That's forbidden.
It was only a couple days ago that we heard the Ice Cream Sandwich update for the Motorola Xyboard Wi-Fi models would be rolling out. Now, Verizon has announced that the same update for the LTE version of the tablet is about to rollout to customers via an OTA upgrade. The package will be about 336.4 MB, so hope you're on Wi-Fi.
[Updated] Leaked Images Reveal That Android-Powered Nikon Camera You've Totally Always Wanted
Leaked Images Reveal That Android-Powered Nikon Camera You've Totally Always Wanted
Okay, so maybe David's not looking forward to a point-and-shoot running Gingerbread, but someone probably is! Well, Ashton Q. Someone, here are some photos that should whet your appetite. Nikon Rumors is reporting the first alleged leaked images of the Coolpix S800c, an Android-powered camera.
[Leak] Google Play Store Gift Cards May Land In Stores On August 26th
I bet you never thought you'd read so many rumors about gift cards! Well, if our latest tipster's info is accurate, you won't be hearing them much longer.
I bet you never thought you'd read so many rumors about gift cards! Well, if our latest tipster's info is accurate, you won't be hearing them much longer. According to an internal image sent to us, the gift cards should be ready to hit store shelves on August 26th. The leak comes from internal systems at Target which, a certain eagle-eyed commenter has pointed out, would not be the first time we've seen a leak from this company.
[Updated x4: Official Word] OnLive May Be Closing Today—Or It Might Be Fine—As Conflicting Rumors Surface
Update 4: OnLive has finally issued the following statement: We can now confirm that the assets of OnLive, Inc. have been acquired into a newly-formed
Update 4: OnLive has finally issued the following statement:
[Review] The Tablet Claw Is A Horrible Attempt At An Accessory That Doesn't Need To Exist
It's very difficult to review something like the Tablet Claw. For starters, my first instinct is to make the entire thing one big Inspector Gadget joke.
It's very difficult to review something like the Tablet Claw. For starters, my first instinct is to make the entire thing one big Inspector Gadget joke. Then there's the fact that I have no idea why anyone would need this. The Tablet Claw is a device that you slide your tablet into, and a little plastic piece that kind of looks like the tab you open soda cans with (called a "ringlet", apparently) folds out and gives you a way to grip your tablet.Why.[EMBED_YT]https://youtu.be/g5XX6fsKpww[/EMBED_YT]Okay, hang on, though. I'm an open-minded person. Perhaps there is a use case for this. We will set aside, for the purposes of (most of) this review, my personal belief that a tablet is already pretty portable. We will ignore that this is one of the primary reasons tablets exist. We will forget, temporarily, that spending $39.99 on an accessory to prevent you from dropping your tablet probably says more about your coordination skills than you'd like. How does it hold up as a device? Not well at all, actually.
[New Game] Avoider Is A Puzzle Game That Challenges You To Move Colored Squares In Tandem, Is Harder Than It Sounds
Well, this one sure is going to bend your brain a bit. Avoider is a puzzle game with a very basic premise. You have to move two colored squares to opposite
Well, this one sure is going to bend your brain a bit. Avoider is a puzzle game with a very basic premise. You have to move two colored squares to opposite corners of the screen without hitting any obstacles. The catch? They're movement is locked together, and you only control the blue one. When you move your box, the red one moves in perfectly-synced symmetrical motion. Yeah, it gets convoluted. Though, reading this site, I'm sure you're used to that.
[Update: It's Live!] Google Maps Is About To Get An Update To v6.10, Adds A Ton Of New Public Transit Info And Features
It's not quite live yet, but Google would like you to know that Google Maps 6.10 is on its way to handsets by the end of the day. "What's new for me, the
It's not quite live yet, but Google would like you to know that Google Maps 6.10 is on its way to handsets by the end of the day. "What's new for me, the public transit user?" I hear you ask. Quite a bit, in fact! First off, Google has announced that it now has data on more than one million transit stops worldwide, spread throughout almost 500 cities. In an effort to make that information more usable, the Transit Lines map layer can now me narrowed down to a single method of transportation. Um. Yes please.
Now You Can Add Your Discover Card To Google Wallet Straight From Discover's Site
When Google announced that it would support all major credit and debit cards, it was big news. What may have slipped under the radar, however, is that
When Google announced that it would support all major credit and debit cards, it was big news. What may have slipped under the radar, however, is that Mountain View also sent an open invitation to card issuers to sign up for tighter integration into the service. Today, Google is announcing that you can add your Discover card to Google Wallet directly from your account on Discover's website. You even get fancy card graphics now, too!
Google+ App Updated To 3.1.1: Now You Can Join Hangouts On Air From Mobile, Other Less Cool Features Added Too
Google has released an update to its social network app on Android today that should please Hangout enthusiasts both young and old. For starters, now you
Google has released an update to its social network app on Android today that should please Hangout enthusiasts both young and old. For starters, now you can join Hangouts on Air via your mobile device (like the one we use to broadcast our weekly podcast every Thursday at 8pm EST hint hint). This is fantastic news as Hangouts on Air are among the most useful application of the already-awesome Hangouts feature. Unfortunately, until recently, you could only join via a desktop, but no more!
Meet Ubi: The Totally Voice-Controlled Android Computer You Plug Into A Wall Outlet
Another day, another Kickstarter project. This one actually looks like it could have potential, though. Ubi is an Android-powered speaker system that connects
Another day, another Kickstarter project. This one actually looks like it could have potential, though. Ubi is an Android-powered speaker system that connects to your local WiFi network. The small black box plugs into a power outlet and is controlled primarily via voice. It comes equipped with colored LEDs for notifications, and an array of sensors including temperature, humidity, air pressure, and ambient light. To round out the specs, the box packs a full-size USB port and a 3.5mm audio jack. Couple all that with an open development platform and the potential is nigh on limitless.
Sprint Will Sell The Kyocera Rise For $20 After Rebate With Contract On August 19th, Tries Selling A Budget Smartphone Without The Rope
Sprint has finally announced what we'd heard almost a month ago. The Kyocera Rise, the budget smartphone best known for making my movie references easy,
Sprint has finally announced what we'd heard almost a month ago. The Kyocera Rise, the budget smartphone best known for making my movie references easy, is heading to the Now Network on August 19th. The device will cost $19.99 after a $50 mail-in rebate. So if you want the internal specs of the original Evo in a QWERTY slider from the company that you probably didn't know also makes cutlery, it will run you $70 out the door.
Google Adds 'Prior Art Finder' And European Patents To Its Patent Search Tool, Pretends There's No Subtext
Earlier today, Google rolled out a brand new feature for its online patent research tool: prior art search. Now, while looking at a patent, you can click
Earlier today, Google rolled out a brand new feature for its online patent research tool: prior art search. Now, while looking at a patent, you can click a single button to pull up a host of results from Google Patents, Google Scholar, Google Books, with a bit of Google's typical search results sprinkled on top. The goal, of course, is to aid in researching whether a patent that's been filed is "new and not obvious." Which is far more complex than it sounds.
Verizon Is Almost Ready To Roll Out ICS For The Motorola Droid 4, Global Roaming Tags Along
While Ice Cream Sandwich continues to struggle to gain significant proliferation, more and more devices are receiving the bump to Android 4.0. The latest
While Ice Cream Sandwich continues to struggle to gain significant proliferation, more and more devices are receiving the bump to Android 4.0. The latest entrant into the post-crappy-design world of Android is the Motorola Droid 4. According to Verizon's software update page, a new upgrade is on the way. In addition to bringing Android 4.0.4 and everything that entails, the software will also enable Global Roaming capabilities. This should make international travellers very happy.
[Whoa!] Google Will Start Down-Ranking Search Results That Receive Too Many Takedown Requests
This may not be strictly Android-related news, but it's safe to say that what Google does to search results is relevant to our readers' interests, no?
This may not be strictly Android-related news, but it's safe to say that what Google does to search results is relevant to our readers' interests, no? Today, Google announced via its Inside Search blog that the company will start including the volume of valid copyright removal notices as a factor in determining how high or low a site ranks in its search results. Translation: pirate sites won't be removed entirely, but they'll start ranking lower than legitimate sites.
[Leaked Deal] Sprint Giving Away Free ZTE Optik Tablet With Purchase Of Any Smartphone Starting August 12th
If you happen to be in the market for a new phone on Sprint in the near future, you might want to hold off for a couple days. TechnoBuffalo reports that
If you happen to be in the market for a new phone on Sprint in the near future, you might want to hold off for a couple days. TechnoBuffalo reports that the Now Network is getting ready to launch a promotion on August 12th—and continuing until September 30th—that will offer customers a free ZTE Optik tablet when they purchase any new smartphone. Yes, any new smartphone. Including the free Galaxy Nexus for new users ($99 for upgrading customers).