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And the inaugural 'MoDaCo Recommends...' award for Best Android Browser goes to:
Mark Dearlove in - Android News
...Google, with Chrome for Android!
Despite only being released less than a week ago, having no flash player, and being supported only on Android 4.0, Google's Chrome browser took first place in our poll with just over 31% of the vote. Chrome is still in Beta but initial reports from users are extremely encouraging. Chrome for Android supports syncing bookmarks and tabs with Chrome on other devices, Chrome-to-phone, and incognito browsing. Chrome is being reviewed currently so keep your eyes on the site for all the details.
Read More → 4 comments
Despite only being released less than a week ago, having no flash player, and being supported only on Android 4.0, Google's Chrome browser took first place in our poll with just over 31% of the vote. Chrome is still in Beta but initial reports from users are extremely encouraging. Chrome for Android supports syncing bookmarks and tabs with Chrome on other devices, Chrome-to-phone, and incognito browsing. Chrome is being reviewed currently so keep your eyes on the site for all the details.
Read More → 4 comments
T-Mobile UK's non existent speed cap updated to new non existent speed cap?
PaulOBrien in - Android News
When T-Mobile UK recently announced their new 'Full Monty' all you can eat data plans, they were understandably very proud of their unlimitedness... but forget to mention the dreaded 'T-Mobile speed cap'.
For years now there has been a speed cap on T-Mobile connections that could only be removed by calling customer services, requesting a service plan they denied existed any more while standing on your head chanting backwards Latin [note: 50% of previous statement is actually true]. A bit of a nightmare for all concerned.
Now, with the launch of their new plans, a bit of a storm was raised about said capping, which they denied, admitted, then claimed to have removed. The official party line now is that there is no cap on the speed.
However...
I'm getting a lot of reports from Full Monty customers that while their download speed is much improved (and actually, this change seems to have been rolled out across the network), there is still a very obvious (albeit higher rate) speed cap taking place on downloads, but more worryingly, a pretty low speed (sub 0.5Mb/s) upload limitation.
Now, i'm thinking that if T-Mobile are managing their network traffic in this way, they should at least come clean to you and I, their paying customers. With this in mind i'd like to collate some data about download / upload speeds, whether you are seeing a cap and whether you are seeing changes... both as regular and Full Monty customers.
Please post your experiences below!
11 comments
For years now there has been a speed cap on T-Mobile connections that could only be removed by calling customer services, requesting a service plan they denied existed any more while standing on your head chanting backwards Latin [note: 50% of previous statement is actually true]. A bit of a nightmare for all concerned.
Now, with the launch of their new plans, a bit of a storm was raised about said capping, which they denied, admitted, then claimed to have removed. The official party line now is that there is no cap on the speed.
However...
I'm getting a lot of reports from Full Monty customers that while their download speed is much improved (and actually, this change seems to have been rolled out across the network), there is still a very obvious (albeit higher rate) speed cap taking place on downloads, but more worryingly, a pretty low speed (sub 0.5Mb/s) upload limitation.
Now, i'm thinking that if T-Mobile are managing their network traffic in this way, they should at least come clean to you and I, their paying customers. With this in mind i'd like to collate some data about download / upload speeds, whether you are seeing a cap and whether you are seeing changes... both as regular and Full Monty customers.
Please post your experiences below!
11 comments
LG's interesting competition to the Galaxy Note
Victor von Zeppelin in - Android News
We all know LG isn’t doing all too well in the handset business (and considerably worse with tablets). What they really need is an amazing product. Something they can shout about, that has good design and great software. Unfortunately, what we seem to have is the Optimus Vu - a 5 inch phone/tablet thing akin to the Galaxy Note, complete with a 1024x768 resolution
Initially we only had an announcement video, but now images leaked from Korea show the Vu up against its fellow countryman, the Samsung Galaxy Note. It’s now that we have this comparison we can say….what?
The body of the device seems as tall as the Note, but also substantially wider. Then the screen itself is a much smaller percentage of the surface area of the device, encapsulated with massive top and bottom bezels. LG’s own video makes some allusions to the increased surface area afforded by the screen’s 4:3 aspect ratio, but when the direct competitor to the Vu has a larger screen is a smaller chassis, it makes getting excited about this product quite difficult.
However, we shouldn’t judge it until we can play with it. I for one just hope LG would try to do something more original with their devices, instead of producing competitors to whatever Samsung makes.
Source: helloadam100
0 comments
Initially we only had an announcement video, but now images leaked from Korea show the Vu up against its fellow countryman, the Samsung Galaxy Note. It’s now that we have this comparison we can say….what?
The body of the device seems as tall as the Note, but also substantially wider. Then the screen itself is a much smaller percentage of the surface area of the device, encapsulated with massive top and bottom bezels. LG’s own video makes some allusions to the increased surface area afforded by the screen’s 4:3 aspect ratio, but when the direct competitor to the Vu has a larger screen is a smaller chassis, it makes getting excited about this product quite difficult.
However, we shouldn’t judge it until we can play with it. I for one just hope LG would try to do something more original with their devices, instead of producing competitors to whatever Samsung makes.
Source: helloadam100
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Survival mode now included in Minecraft - Pocket Edition
PaulOBrien in - Android News
The title says it all... a new update has just dropped for Minecraft - Pocket Edition which includes a number of updates, including Survival Mode!
The full list...
Minecraft Pocket Edition is $6.99 from the Android Market.
[Thanks Reesters for the tip!]
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The full list...
Quote
- Major version 0.2.0 (first survival update)
- New mode! Choose between Survival and Creative mode when creating a map
- New blocks; most notably doors, fences and fence gates
- Added flying to Creative mode (double tap jump)
- Added mobs; sheep and zombies being the first
- Day and night in Survival mode, with monsters coming at night...
- Gather resources from nature!
- Tools for different purposes (digging, attacking.. shearing
)
Minecraft Pocket Edition is $6.99 from the Android Market.
[Thanks Reesters for the tip!]
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Trial Extreme 2 - Winter Edition is free today on the Amazon Appstore
PaulOBrien in - Android News
Regular readers will know i'm a fan of Trial Extreme (and to a slightly lesser extent Trial Extreme 2). With this in mind, it's very cool to see that Trial Extreme 2 - Winter Edition is free today on the Amazon Appstore!
The winter themed game features 30 levels of action, where you...
Well worth a download, especially at the price!
Grab the game from the Amazon Appstore on your device or the Amazon site. If you are outside the US, you can use our how-to guide to get up and running, and follow @aafaotd on Twitter to keep up to date with the daily free apps!
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The winter themed game features 30 levels of action, where you...
Quote
- Ride through rough trails and collect as many stars as possible
- Negotiate hundreds of obstacles including ramps, jumbo tires, planks and more
- Challenge yourself with 30 levels in a cold, snowy environment
- Enjoy incredible graphics, realistic physics, and an intuitive tilt-control system
- Submit your high scores to OpenFeint
Well worth a download, especially at the price!
Grab the game from the Amazon Appstore on your device or the Amazon site. If you are outside the US, you can use our how-to guide to get up and running, and follow @aafaotd on Twitter to keep up to date with the daily free apps!
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EXCLUSIVE: New details on the forthcoming HTC Endeavor superphone
PaulOBrien in - Android News
We've just had some details drop in our inbox about the HTC Endeavor (sic), HTC's forthcoming flagship that is expected to launch at MWC later this month.
Our source confirms what we've heard about the Endeavour already, namely it's an ICS phone with a 4.7" 720P screen. It seems that it will be packing an 8 Megapixel Camera, 1.3 Megapixel front facing camera, WiFi 802.11 a/b/g/n and Bluetooth 4.0. 1GB RAM is onboard.
Chipset wise, the Endeavour seems to be Tegra 3 based (1.5GHz Quad Core) - something of a departure from HTC's Qualcomm focus of old. The phone is toting quad band HSPA+ radio, not penta-band (thereby not a true worldphone).
Sense 4.0 is of course on board, as well as HTC's usual software tweaks, as well as the full Beats experience.
I'll be posting more information as we get it, stay tuned!
6 comments
Our source confirms what we've heard about the Endeavour already, namely it's an ICS phone with a 4.7" 720P screen. It seems that it will be packing an 8 Megapixel Camera, 1.3 Megapixel front facing camera, WiFi 802.11 a/b/g/n and Bluetooth 4.0. 1GB RAM is onboard.
Chipset wise, the Endeavour seems to be Tegra 3 based (1.5GHz Quad Core) - something of a departure from HTC's Qualcomm focus of old. The phone is toting quad band HSPA+ radio, not penta-band (thereby not a true worldphone).
Sense 4.0 is of course on board, as well as HTC's usual software tweaks, as well as the full Beats experience.
I'll be posting more information as we get it, stay tuned!
6 comments
MOTOLUXE, coming to the UK and Germany soon
hecatae in - Android News
Motorola have announced the MOTOLUXE, an Android 2.3 powered, 8 megapixel autofocus camera toting, 4 inch display wielding, 'fashion' smartphone.
The screen resolution is FWVGA 854 x 480, weight is 122 grams, and the device is only 9.8mm thick and available in two colours: Licorice (Black), and Glacier White.
To do this, the MOTOLUXE includes Social Graph to work out who you contact most and put that information at your finger tips. Similarly the included Activity Graph focuses on your app habits, creating customised menus of your most used applications.
There is no mention of Android 4.0 in the press release and we will be asking Motorola about this for you.The release date is stated as the end of February, Motorola has already priced the device in Germany as €279 handset only, with UK pricing yet to be revealed.
Does this device appeal to any of our readers? It seems to have decent if not groundbreaking specs at a reasonable price...
Source:Motorola
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The screen resolution is FWVGA 854 x 480, weight is 122 grams, and the device is only 9.8mm thick and available in two colours: Licorice (Black), and Glacier White.
Quote
Incorporating Motorola’s MotoSwitch user interface, the MOTOLUXE learns who you talk to and which apps you use the most, and puts all that information front and center.
To do this, the MOTOLUXE includes Social Graph to work out who you contact most and put that information at your finger tips. Similarly the included Activity Graph focuses on your app habits, creating customised menus of your most used applications.
There is no mention of Android 4.0 in the press release and we will be asking Motorola about this for you.The release date is stated as the end of February, Motorola has already priced the device in Germany as €279 handset only, with UK pricing yet to be revealed.
Does this device appeal to any of our readers? It seems to have decent if not groundbreaking specs at a reasonable price...
Source:Motorola
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Toshiba AT200 Android Tablet Now Available From CPW
todoleo in - Android News
The Toshiba AT200 Android Tablet has gone on sale in the UK. Exclusively at the Carphone Warehouse, you can now purchase the 10.1" tablet which has a dual core 1.2 GHz processor, 1GB RAM and a 1280x800 screen. The Android flavour currently on the AT200 is Honeycomb (3.2), and it should be later upgradeable to Ice Cream Sandwich (4.x).
There are two variants on sale: one with 16GB storage for £399 and one with 32GB storage for £449. Both versions are WiFi only, so no 3G option at the moment.
Sources: Android Central, Carphone Warehouse
1 comments
There are two variants on sale: one with 16GB storage for £399 and one with 32GB storage for £449. Both versions are WiFi only, so no 3G option at the moment.
Sources: Android Central, Carphone Warehouse
1 comments
Sky Go for Android update - it's bad news folks
PaulOBrien in - Android News
When SKY released 'Sky Go' for the iPhone and iPad back in July, Android owners were soon asking 'what about us'?
Sky's initial response was "it's coming in the Winter". This estimate was updated in a press release on 31st January 2012 which stated 'next month', i.e. February.
Early delight amongst the Android community however is now turning sour as more info is coming out of Sky regarding the compatibility list for Sky Go on Android - they have listed just 7 devices for initial release, namely:
Further caveats have been also been highlighted in the following post in the Sky help forum, including:
Sky also state that if any of the above manufacturers release ICS and you upgrade your phone, you are likely to break Sky Go... yesterday's announcement that HTC phones are getting ICS in March couldn’t have come at a worse time if you were thinking of installing the application.
Finally, to add insult to injury, there is no mention of any Android tablet getting Sky Go. Crazy!
I have no idea why Sky are making the application so device specific, Netflix etc don’t seem to have such an approach... I get the feeling this is debacle is going to run and run!
[Thanks Zarch1972 for the tip!]
10 comments
Sky's initial response was "it's coming in the Winter". This estimate was updated in a press release on 31st January 2012 which stated 'next month', i.e. February.
Early delight amongst the Android community however is now turning sour as more info is coming out of Sky regarding the compatibility list for Sky Go on Android - they have listed just 7 devices for initial release, namely:
- HTC Desire
- HTC Desire S
- HTC Desire HD
- HTC Incredible S
- HTC Sensation
- Samsung Galaxy S
- Samsung Galaxy S2
Further caveats have been also been highlighted in the following post in the Sky help forum, including:
- ICS not initially supported (so no Galaxy Nexus)
- Android 2.2 and 2.3 only
- It will NOT WORK on rooted phones
Sky also state that if any of the above manufacturers release ICS and you upgrade your phone, you are likely to break Sky Go... yesterday's announcement that HTC phones are getting ICS in March couldn’t have come at a worse time if you were thinking of installing the application.
Finally, to add insult to injury, there is no mention of any Android tablet getting Sky Go. Crazy!
I have no idea why Sky are making the application so device specific, Netflix etc don’t seem to have such an approach... I get the feeling this is debacle is going to run and run!
[Thanks Zarch1972 for the tip!]
10 comments
Feed your HTC an Ice Cream Sandwich in March
dialmformostyn in - Android News
Great news for (some) HTC owners - the Taiwanese manufacturer has announced that it will be rolling out Android 4.0 to its flagship handset the Sensation and its 4G, XL and XE variants “by the end of March.”
But don’t fret if you aren’t a Sensation owner - the post on HTC’s official Facebook page also stated that several other handsets are set to receive the highly-anticipated Ice Cream Sandwich upgrade: the Rezound, Vivid, Amaze 4G, EVO 3D, EVO Design 4G, Incredible S, Desire S and Desire HD.
So while HTC hardly stormed out the blocks when ICS was announced, there are many out there who will be equal parts relieved and joyous that they haven’t been forgotten.
The company’s brief post doesn’t mention phones like the Wildfire S (which isn’t surprising given its budget spec) nor the Thunderbolt.
Check out our scribblings on the leaked video of Sense 4.0 to see what’s in store for those lucky enough to get the ICS update for ICS.
Source: Official HTC Facebook page
1 comments
But don’t fret if you aren’t a Sensation owner - the post on HTC’s official Facebook page also stated that several other handsets are set to receive the highly-anticipated Ice Cream Sandwich upgrade: the Rezound, Vivid, Amaze 4G, EVO 3D, EVO Design 4G, Incredible S, Desire S and Desire HD.
So while HTC hardly stormed out the blocks when ICS was announced, there are many out there who will be equal parts relieved and joyous that they haven’t been forgotten.
The company’s brief post doesn’t mention phones like the Wildfire S (which isn’t surprising given its budget spec) nor the Thunderbolt.
Check out our scribblings on the leaked video of Sense 4.0 to see what’s in store for those lucky enough to get the ICS update for ICS.
Source: Official HTC Facebook page
1 comments
Google Voice suddenly got handsome
dialmformostyn in - Android News
The popular-in-the-US-because-it’s-only-available-there app Google Voice has been updated.
Although I’m in the UK, and therefore unable to use Voice, this update has nonetheless pleased me as the bright new speech bubble style icon fits right in with the stock Ice Cream Sandwich Messaging and Talk icons. Pretty shallow, I know but emphasis on the “pretty” ok?
If you actually have reason to tap on the nice new icon, you’ll notice the UI has been re-designed to fall in-line with (you guessed it) Android 4.0 and, in my opinion, looks all the better for it particularly if you run ICS or Honeycomb.
The big change in terms of functionality is that Google Voice now supports “Asynchronous SMS sending” or in layman’s terms: it’ll queue text messages you’ve written when sans signal and then fire them off to their respective recipients once back in civilisation/signal range.
Get it from the Market if you're in the US, or just want your phone to look like it is.
Source: Gizmodo
0 comments
Although I’m in the UK, and therefore unable to use Voice, this update has nonetheless pleased me as the bright new speech bubble style icon fits right in with the stock Ice Cream Sandwich Messaging and Talk icons. Pretty shallow, I know but emphasis on the “pretty” ok?
If you actually have reason to tap on the nice new icon, you’ll notice the UI has been re-designed to fall in-line with (you guessed it) Android 4.0 and, in my opinion, looks all the better for it particularly if you run ICS or Honeycomb.
The big change in terms of functionality is that Google Voice now supports “Asynchronous SMS sending” or in layman’s terms: it’ll queue text messages you’ve written when sans signal and then fire them off to their respective recipients once back in civilisation/signal range.
Get it from the Market if you're in the US, or just want your phone to look like it is.
Source: Gizmodo
0 comments
Review: Gametel controller
Feb 10 2012 11:00 AM | flibblesan in - Android Reviews
flibblesan in - Android Reviews
Mobile gaming has never been easier thanks to the Gametel Controller
There are many fantastic games available for Android devices these days. Most such as Fruit Ninja & Angry Birds are designed to be used with simple touchscreen gestures but there are a few games catering for the type of user that remembers the good old games of waggling joysticks and bashing buttons. Retro remakes like R-Type & Sonic the Hedgehog have hit Android in a big way but for many playing these games using a touchscreen isn't a great experience. For a better experience you could purchase a Sony Xperia Play which features a slide out joypad for gaming the way it's meant to be played, but what if you already have a great Android device? Enter the Gametel controller.
Read More → 0 comments
There are many fantastic games available for Android devices these days. Most such as Fruit Ninja & Angry Birds are designed to be used with simple touchscreen gestures but there are a few games catering for the type of user that remembers the good old games of waggling joysticks and bashing buttons. Retro remakes like R-Type & Sonic the Hedgehog have hit Android in a big way but for many playing these games using a touchscreen isn't a great experience. For a better experience you could purchase a Sony Xperia Play which features a slide out joypad for gaming the way it's meant to be played, but what if you already have a great Android device? Enter the Gametel controller.
Read More → 0 comments
MoDaCo Recommends... Best Android Web Browser - Voting opened
Mark Dearlove in - Android News
The nominations are in for the inaugural 'MoDaCo Recommends...', thanks for all your suggestions.
You can cast your vote for your favourite here and voting will be open until Monday morning, with the results being announced the same day.
The winner of the poll will receive the coveted 'MoDaCo Recommends...' marque.
Happy voting!
Poll Link: http://android.modac...id-web-browser/
0 comments
You can cast your vote for your favourite here and voting will be open until Monday morning, with the results being announced the same day.
The winner of the poll will receive the coveted 'MoDaCo Recommends...' marque.
Happy voting!
Poll Link: http://android.modac...id-web-browser/
0 comments
Samsung Galaxy Nexus extended battery now available in the UK
PaulOBrien in - Android News
Friends-of-the-site Mobi-City have been in touch to let us know that they now have stocks of the official Samsung Galaxy Nexus extended battery, which I covered previously in this post.
The battery and replacement rear cover retails for a somewhat eye watering £49.99, however we have a £5 off code to slightly ease the pain. Head on over to the product page, add it to your basket and use the code 'NEXUSFIVE' to receive the discount.
Mobi-City have also given us a discount code for their new 'Oona Multi-Surface Suction Smartphone Stand', detailed here. Use the code 'OMSFIVE' to knock a fiver off that item.
5 comments
The battery and replacement rear cover retails for a somewhat eye watering £49.99, however we have a £5 off code to slightly ease the pain. Head on over to the product page, add it to your basket and use the code 'NEXUSFIVE' to receive the discount.
Mobi-City have also given us a discount code for their new 'Oona Multi-Surface Suction Smartphone Stand', detailed here. Use the code 'OMSFIVE' to knock a fiver off that item.
5 comments
Super Meat Boy to Android?
Reesters in - Android News
Yes. If it comes out, it'll come out for everything at the same time. I like Android more than I like iOS. - Tommy Refenes (Team Meat)
In a recent interview on Formspring, Tommy Refenes (co-CEO of Team Meat) hinted at a port of the super hard Super Meat Boy to Android. The XBLA hardcore platformer has a cult following around the world and would be a welcome addition to Android.
As a fan of the hunk on XBLA and now on PC, I would certainly play on my mobile. As a furiously difficult game, it works as a quick hit gaming experience but I would worry about swearing on the bus as I die over and over again.
0 comments
In a recent interview on Formspring, Tommy Refenes (co-CEO of Team Meat) hinted at a port of the super hard Super Meat Boy to Android. The XBLA hardcore platformer has a cult following around the world and would be a welcome addition to Android.
As a fan of the hunk on XBLA and now on PC, I would certainly play on my mobile. As a furiously difficult game, it works as a quick hit gaming experience but I would worry about swearing on the bus as I die over and over again.
0 comments