Android Phone Fans |
- The official Family Guy: The Quest For Stuff game now available for Android
- Newest Chrome Beta update lets you undo closed tabs, adds Chromecast support
- Verizon counters T-Mobile’s Tablet Freedom plan by offering 1GB free on a More Everything plan
- Amazon buys digital comic book service Comixology for undisclosed amount
- Aereo will soon bring broadcast television to the Chromecast
- Phan Favs: What is the best weather app?
- Google planning to let anyone in the US purchase Google Glass for a limited time [Updated]
- Google strengthens Android security with enhanced malware monitoring
- Sonos announces Google Play Music support
- Galaxy S5 too pricey? Get some extra cash with the Amazon trade-in program
- HTC One M8 now available in-store nationwide
- Samsung Galaxy S5 teardown shows device’s mechanical organs ahead of launch
- T-Mobile announces Tablet Freedom to make it easier and cheaper to add tablets to your lines
- Android 4.4.3 reportedly in dogfooding stages right now
- LG G3 UI leak shows flatter design
| The official Family Guy: The Quest For Stuff game now available for Android Posted: 10 Apr 2014 06:29 PM PDT
New to the Google Play Store is the official Family Guy video game from TinyCo. The game features your favorite TV show family, the Griffins, doing what they do best… mayhem. The story begins with the Griffins attending a town meeting to find out why the Family Guy TV show has gotten cancelled (again). There, they find out it was nothing more than an elaborate plot by Chicken to exact his revenge on Peter Griffin. Another epic battle ensues, and when the dust clears, the city of Quahog is left in ruins. That’s where you, the player, comes in.
Played in an over-head top view, we’d be lying if we said it didn’t remind us of the Simpsons: Tapped Out. You tap to perform actions with Peter, completing mission quests to find the rest of your family, and rebuild the town. Because, yes, this is a freemium title, there are two types of currency: coins and clams. Coins are given as rewards for rebuilding houses and buildings, while clams are a little tougher to come by (and can be acquired via in-app purchases, ie: real money). Features? Well, the game has a quite a few:
Craziest part is the game has been translated to French, Italian, German, Spanish, Russian, and Brazilian Portuguese — although we’re not sure how well the humor translates. Because the game’s dialog comes from the writers of the Family Guy show, you’re sure to have a good chuckle every now and again. You can download the Family Guy game via the Play Store link below.
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| Newest Chrome Beta update lets you undo closed tabs, adds Chromecast support Posted: 10 Apr 2014 04:45 PM PDT
Google is pushing out an update to Chrome Beta for those of us living on the bleeding edge. The update adds a handful of extremely handy features, namely, the ability to undo closed tabs. It works similar to Gmail and the like, with a little popup asking if you’d like to undo your action. The update also adds support for “multi-window” devices, as well as new video features including full screen video with subtitles and HTML5 controls, and the ability to ‘cast some videos to your Chromecast. Oddly enough, YouTube video casting isn’t available quite yet, but then again, there’s always the app for that. If you want to give Chrome Beta a shot, you can download it free from the Google Play store via the link below.
Thanks, Wade! |
| Verizon counters T-Mobile’s Tablet Freedom plan by offering 1GB free on a More Everything plan Posted: 10 Apr 2014 04:04 PM PDT
Just as T-Mobile CEO John Legere predicted yesterday in his press release for their new Simple Starter plan, there would be copycats (also known as competition). Day 2 of T-Mobile’s 3-day announcement revealed T-Mobile’s new “Tablet Freedom” plan. The plan gives tablet owners 1GB of free 4G LTE data a month, for as long as they own their tablet. Verizon Wireless didn’t waste any time in offering a similar deal, with the nation’s largest network tweeting their own promotion: an additional 1GB of free data for tablet owners. Sound familiar? Verizon says the offer is only good only on one of their More Everything plans, as long as its one that already has 1GB or more of data. Upon activating a Verizon 4G LTE tablet, you’d then be eligible for a bonus 1GB of data, good for as long as the tab is active on the account. For a list of currently available 4G LTE tablets on Verizon Wireless, you can visit their site here and browse around. Anyone taking advantage of this deal? [Twitter] |
| Amazon buys digital comic book service Comixology for undisclosed amount Posted: 10 Apr 2014 02:24 PM PDT
Amazon is taking their digital content distribution one step further with the purchase of Comixology, a popular digital comic book service. Amazon and Comixology announced the news via press release, where Comixology CEO and co-founder David Steinberger says, “we look to accelerate a new age for comic books and graphic novels." Terms of the deal weren’t disclosed, with the acquisition not becoming 100% official until the second quarter of this year. It’s not entirely clear what Amazon plans on doing with Comixology, given they already sell comic book via their Kindle apps, but Comixology will, in fact, “retain its identity as an Amazon subsidiary.” If nothing else, it’s just one more step in Amazon’s world wide conquest to offer an even wider array of digital goods. [Amazon | Comixology] |
| Aereo will soon bring broadcast television to the Chromecast Posted: 10 Apr 2014 01:21 PM PDT
When Aereo finally launched in the Google Play Store last October, we were excited at the prospect of streaming live television to our Android devices. It’s not the most ideal situation — what, with a tiny display/speaker setup on our mobile devices — but it would get the job done. For those lucky enough to live in an Aereo market (it’s still in beta), starting May 29th you’ll now be able to stream broadcast television to your Chromecast, effectively 1-uping the functionality of Google’s tiny dongle. Depending on how you look at it, it’s a small step for Chromecast, but it’s a huge leap for Aereo, as they’re about to bring broadcast television exactly where it belongs — your television. For those unaware, Aereo not only let’s you stream live broadcast television to all your devices, but acts as a DVR as well. The antenna/servers are all found in one of their local data centers, which is the reason why Aereo is not yet available everywhere. Aereo still has its fair share of legal hurdles (it was recently shut down in Utah, and the US Supreme Court is about to decide whether or not they’re infringing on broadcast copyrights in a few more weeks. [Aereo Blog | via Engadget] |
| Phan Favs: What is the best weather app? Posted: 10 Apr 2014 12:48 PM PDT
We have several recurring features on this site where we tell you what the best apps, games, phones, or tablets happen to be. Of course these picks are largely based on our own opinions. Many times you, the readers, disagree with us. That is one of the great things about Android. It’s very personal. You all have your favorite apps and games, so it’s time we ask you. Phan Favs gives you, the readers, the chance to tell us which apps and games are the best. It’s time for some good old-fashioned crowd sourcing to find out what apps Android users are really using. For our first vote we will be talking about WEATHER APPS. Checking the weather is one of the most basic functions of a smartphone. There are probably thousands of apps available for this specific task. We want to know which ones you are using. How It WorksIt’s very simple. Leave a comment below with the name of your favorite weather app. DON’T leave a comment with the name of an app that has already been mentioned. If your favorite app has been mentioned already just upvote it. Next week we will put the top 5 (and a few honorable mentions) into a list. Spread the news! Let other Android users know about this! More people means more data, and more data means more accurate results. Click right here to tweet about it. Thanks for playing along! |
| Google planning to let anyone in the US purchase Google Glass for a limited time [Updated] Posted: 10 Apr 2014 12:20 PM PDT
According to an internal document obtained by The Verge, Google will soon be expanding their current Glass Explorer program in quite a big way. For a limited time, any US resident with $1,500 to spare will be able to purchase Google’s wearable computer. This one day only promotion could start as soon as April 15th according to the document below. To sweeten the deal, Google plans to offer either free frames or free shades to new Glass Explorers.
This is quite the promotion compared to Google’s previous methods to expand the Glass Explorer program. Previously, you had to either register at Google IO 2012, be 1 of 8,000 #IfIHadGlass contest winners, get an invite from a current Explorer, be a Google Play All Access subscriber, be lucky enough to get one from the Glass sign-up page, or win Phandroid’s Great American Glass contest. It’s worth mentioning that this new promotion isn’t to be confused with a public, consumer launch. Google is just opening the Glass Explorer program up to a larger audience. With the impending KitKat release for Glass, we’re sure Google is trying to get Glass in the hands of as many users as possible to help iron out some final bugs before a future public launch. That said, we still don’t know when the public launch will be and we don’t have any information on the consumer price either. If you have the cash on hand, will you be purchasing Google Glass and joining the Glass Explorer program? Let us know in the comments. Update: And, now it’s official.
Source: The Verge |
| Google strengthens Android security with enhanced malware monitoring Posted: 10 Apr 2014 11:53 AM PDT
Google’s had a tough time battling the notion that their mobile operating system is most vulnerable to malware. We’ve seen a ton of cases over the years, though none have impacted the Android community in a meaningful way (partly because Google already goes above and beyond to try and protect Google Play users). Google has a kill switch that can obliterate any app known to be malicious, meaning it can be wiped from your phone to prevent it from doing any more damage than it already may have. Google has also implemented a built-in malware checker that scans apps at the time of install to warn you of potential danger. Today, things go a step further with Google announcing a solution that will be able to monitor apps on the device even after install. Should an app be found to exhibit malicious behavior after it’s already made its way into the Google Play Store and onto your device Google can warn you about it the next time you start the app up. It’s basically anti-malware in mobile form, and no disrespect to some of the more noble antivirus companies out there, but it’s probably a lot better than anything you can download from Google Play. The feature is headed to all Android phones with Android 2.3 or higher that have Google Play installed, so you won’t need to do anything to get setup with this extra bit of security. [via Google] |
| Sonos announces Google Play Music support Posted: 10 Apr 2014 10:57 AM PDT
Sonos — the company with those super cool wireless speaker systems for your home — has announced that they’ve partnered up with Google to add seamless integration of Sonos into the Google Play Music app. You can stream 20,000 of your personally uploaded tracks, and if you have All Access you can stream over 20 million of those tunes, as well. You’ll be able to control playback (pause, play, skip, shuffle and repeat) and volume all from within Google Play. This also means you’ll have full access to playing playlists, radio stations and more over your Sonos system. Simply hit the Cast button within Google Play, and it’ll pick up your Sonos system just as easily as it would a Chromecast. That, or you could do your bidding from within the Sonos app if you’re so inclined. Either way, it’s great that the functionality is finally here and doesn’t require shoddy bridge apps or Frankensteined solutions. This marriage is so official that Sonos has their very own page over at Google Play. Be sure to take a look if you aren’t already part of the Sonos family and see if they have something that fits your needs. If you are, well, simply update your apps and you’ll be treated to seamless integration of your vast ecosystem of music. [via Sonos] |
| Galaxy S5 too pricey? Get some extra cash with the Amazon trade-in program Posted: 10 Apr 2014 10:18 AM PDT
The Samsung Galaxy S5 finally goes on sale tomorrow (4/11) for most carriers here in the U.S. You can already pre-order the device from many places, including Amazon. It’s available for around $200 at most places. If you don’t have enough cash to pick up the latest and greatest from Sammy there is a way to make some quick dough. Amazon has been running their trade-in program for a while now, but often times it gets forgotten. They allow you to trade in old phones for Amazon gift cards. You can then use those gift cards to buy a brand new phone from Amazon. Amazon currently has some very nice trade-in prices for last year’s phones. If you are looking to upgrade to the new Galaxy S5, or any other phone from Amazon, check out these trade-in offers.
Of course, you can also trade in items like cameras, textbooks, laptops, video games, and CDs to earn even more money. To learn more check out www.amazon.com/tradein. Out with the old, in with the new! |
| HTC One M8 now available in-store nationwide Posted: 10 Apr 2014 10:01 AM PDT
Waiting for the HTC One M8 to head to physical retail before opting to pick one up? You’ll be pleased to know you won’t have to be a Verizon customer to be able to do that now, with HTC announcing nationwide in-store availability for all carriers starting today. Starting at just $199.99, the HTC One M8 brings a pretty worthy upgrade over a 2013 smartphone that wasn’t bad to begin with. Its specs feature a Snapdragon 801 processor, 2GB of RAM, a 5-inch 1080p display and more. You can get deep and intimate with it by reading our HTC One M8 review if you haven’t already. If you decide you want to rush to the store and buy one, don’t forget to watch our comprehensive HTC One M8 tips and tricks video. It’ll give you over 35 small, but important things you can do to tweak the experience exactly how you like. Let us know if you’ll be skipping into your local carrier’s store to order one whenever you free up some time today. |
| Samsung Galaxy S5 teardown shows device’s mechanical organs ahead of launch Posted: 10 Apr 2014 09:12 AM PDT
Why are techies so obsessed with teardowns? Because they’re damned cool, that’s why. You may think you’ve seen them all if you’ve seen just one, but there’s always something new and unique about each and every device when you go beneath the hood. In the case of the Samsung Galaxy S5, it seems Samsung made it dead easy to get to the battery, but repairing and replacing anything else could come with a bit of trickery. The display, first and foremost, uses tons of adhesive that makes it difficult to remove without damaging the display or wires. If that’s not enough, a vast majority of the components are only accessible by removing the display, so think of it as a tough barrier of entry to do anything worth anything should your phone suffer a fate worse than declining battery performance. All of that led to a repair score of 5/10, with 10 being the easiest to repair. There’s a good thing insurance exists, and you will definitely want to get it if you’re buying ANY phone worth hundreds of dollars. The device is available tomorrow, so you still have a bit of time to think about which route you want to take. [via iFixIt] |
| T-Mobile announces Tablet Freedom to make it easier and cheaper to add tablets to your lines Posted: 10 Apr 2014 08:42 AM PDT
T-Mobile is continuing to count down the days until they implement their latest uncarrier moves. Yesterday, they revealed a new entry-level plan for $40 that gives folks unlimited talk and text with 500MB of data for $40 per month. Announcement 2 of 3 deals with tablets, and how sucky other carriers make it to add connected devices to their account. They’re calling their latest moves “Tablet Freedom,” and here’s what it’ll bring:
No convoluted process to get a tablet line added to an account primarily meant for phones. No extra charges simply because it’s a bigger device. No more justifying a $300 premium over the price of the WiFi model simply because it has 4G radios. That’s the kind of stuff that all adds up to make T-Mobile one of the most compelling options in the game (even if their coverage isn’t up to snuff yet). Like the Simple Starter plan, these changes will be available starting April 12th, and it wouldn’t be a bad guess to suggest whatever tomorrow’s announcement ends up being will be available that day, as well. Circle back for more news on that front as the week winds down. |
| Android 4.4.3 reportedly in dogfooding stages right now Posted: 10 Apr 2014 07:51 AM PDT
We could be close to a launch of Android 4.4.3 soon, with reports suggesting Google has started the dogfooding process internally (which means their engineers and employees are using it internally to help find and crush those last annoying bugs keeping them from unleashing the update onto the masses). Of course, this update might not be huge in terms of new features, but it will be important. For starters, we’re waiting on an answer to the battery drain bug triggered by background initialization of device cameras. Skype was an app that caused this bug to flare more often than not, though the company has already developed a workaround while we await Google’s official fix. There are sure to be a few more hidden nasties trotting about inside the code that Google wants to address, but until we get a solid changelog we won’t know what, exactly, they are. Fingers crossed that whatever they have cooked up isn’t far off from being released. |
| LG G3 UI leak shows flatter design Posted: 10 Apr 2014 07:20 AM PDT
We know LG’s working on their next flagship smartphone behind the scenes even if the South Korean company is predictably denying it to no end. Another leak has surfaced showing the latest user interface changes they’ll be introducing. We don’t get much in the way of information, but we do see the design language LG will be going with. The trend has been “flat” lately, and that’s exactly where they’ll be going if these shots are to be believed. Not a big fan of it? You’re just as free to install a custom launcher and use an icon pack if you want. Otherwise, you can try another device (the trend is practically everywhere so you might have trouble escaping it) or just deal with it. After all, they’re just icons. We’ll save real judgment when we get a real look at everything LG’s latest changes will have to offer (which hopefully won’t take too long into the summer to happen). [via PhoneArena] |
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