Android Guru: August 2012

Friday, August 31, 2012

Dozens of apps marked down to $0.99 for Google Play End of Summer Sale

Early this morning we noticed Max Payne was on sale, and now it we find Google Play is throwing an End of Summer Sale over the next couple of days. For a limited time you can purchase dozens of popular apps and games for only $0.99. There are some awesome games like Modern Combat 3 and N.O.V.A. 3, plus some great apps like Swiftkey 3. See the full list after the break.

$0.99 GAMES

$0.99 APPS

Hisense and Samsung tune in to Google TV

Google TV has struggled to gain adoption in consumer's living rooms, but it's one of my favorite Android powered platforms and I believe it still has huge potential left. VIZIO recently started selling the $99 Co-Star and this week Hisense and Samsung both announced they would offer Google TV products later this year.

The Hisense Pulse is a small Google TV box, very similar to the Co-Star in design. It features the same

This Week in the Life of DROID: 8/31/2012

bugdroid splatter dark droidlife 1920x1200 650x406 This Week in the Life of DROID: 8/31/2012

Seeing as how it's a three day weekend, we are going to cut out just a wee bit early this Friday. We hope you all have a

Gameloft Celebrates Labor Day With Three Big Name Games Only $.99 in the Play Store

Gameloft Gameloft Celebrates Labor Day With Three Big Name Games Only $.99 in the Play Store

For most of us, the end of today means the beginning of the 3 day Labor Day weekend. Any extended break from work or school is exciting, but Gameloft is looking to make your Labor Day a bit better with a sale in the Play Store. This weekend only you can get 3 of their top games, N.O.V.A 3, Gangstar Rio: City of Saints or Modern Combat 3: Fallen Nation all for only $.99.

Samsung’s Galaxy Stellar 4G LTE to Launch Sept 6 According to Leaked VZW Document

Samsung's Galaxy Stellar 4G LTE to Launch Sept 6 According to Leaked VZW Document

According to a newly leaked image from Engadget, Samsung's Galaxy Stellar is expected to launch September 6 for the price of $99. As you may have gathered from earlier posts, the Stellar is Sammy's budget offering for folks looking to take advantage of VZW's 4G LTE, but still have money left over in their wallet. The Stellar is powered by a 1.2GHz dual-core processor, runs Ice Cream Sandwich, and has a 3.2MP back-facing camera for your snapshot needs.

HTC: We’re Aware We Missed the Deadline For ICS on the Thunderbolt

HTC Facebook 650x280 HTC: We're Aware We Missed the Deadline For ICS on the Thunderbolt

Many Thunderbolt owners may be asking themselves today, "Where's my Ice Cream Sandwich? I could have sworn HTC said it would come this month." Well, unfortunately HTC has basically confirmed that they will indeed miss the August update deadline for ICS. Funny enough, HTC pokes that they are working with Verizon to get the software out to users as soon as possible.

Sorry Thunderbolt owners. We'll keep you posted.

Via:

Monday, August 27, 2012

Cruzerlite Androidified Cases for the Nexus 7 Up For Sale

nexus7 green Cruzerlite Androidified Cases for the Nexus 7 Up For Sale

Cases from Cruzerlite for the Nexus 7 tablet are now up and they can be purchased in a wide variety of colors. As for the material they are made of, it's a hard rubbery material that is sure to stand up to a beating. Here's a previous review of Cruzerlite material we did for the Galaxy Nexus. If you can't get enough of Bugdroid and want to keep your Nexus 7 safe for an

Wednesday, August 22, 2012

Quick Look: Hands-on With the Archos 101 XS Tablet

Archos Cover 650x434 Quick Look: Hands on With the Archos 101 XS Tablet

Watch out, folks. Archos is looking to make a blast in the Android tablet market with their new Gen10 lineup of devices. The first to debut is the 101 XS. While it's a 10.1″ tablet, featuring Ice Cream Sandwich and a pretty beefed up OMAP 4470 processor, it looks to be a direct competitor to ASUS' Transformer line. I've been playing around with it in my day to day routine for almost a week now and have a pretty solid opinion on some of the tablet's highs and lows.

Monday, August 13, 2012

Taiwan Central Bank proposes HTC bailout to help company and stabilize Taiwan’s economy

With stiff competition from Apple and Samsung, HTC has posted some less than stellar numbers the past few quarters. The company is still profitable, but its decline in sales and revenue have contributed significantly to Taiwan's five months of decline in exports which saw a drop in July of 11.6% from a year earlier.

In an effort to get HTC and the country back on track, the president of Taiwan Central Bank has urged the local government to step in. According to some sources, an unnamed official claims that the Taiwan's Ministry of Economic Affairs is already working on a plan to help HTC.

While HTC been struggling to keep up with the record breaking numbers it posted last year, we're not sure that the company really needs assistance from the government of Taiwan – at least not yet. HTC is still a dominant force the Android world, second only to Samsung. An HTC bailout may force the company to pull back on risky or innovative ideas which may actually help the company regain some market share and help them live up to the "quietly brilliant" tag line that they are so proud of.

So is HTC at a point where a bailout is the only option to get the company into a position where it can be competitive and regain market share?

1. Anything Nexus

jelly bean nexus boot Poll: Top 5 most wanted Android smartphones for Q4 2012

Why it's hot: The Nexus brand represents an up-to-date, pure Google experience. The original HTC Nexus One was launched back on January 5th, 2010 and it has spawned two more Nexus phones.

Which OEM will make it?: Old rumors from Digitimes reported that Samsung would build the 4th-gen Nexus phone, and then a newer story from the Wall St. Journal said Google was working with multiple OEMs on releasing several Nexus devices. A lot of details are still unknown, which will lead to increased attention and buzz in the coming months.

Expected US carriers: AT&T and T-Mobile for the unlocked phones. It's possible we could see a carrier locked version on Sprint or Verizon, but the unlocked model will be more desirable.

2. Next devices in the HTC One series

htc one x plus Poll: Top 5 most wanted Android smartphones for Q4 2012

Why it's hot: HTC had the nicest looking Android phone this year, but AT&T snagged an exclusive and deprived HTC fans on other carriers. Now the refreshed One X+ and rumored phone with 5.5 inch display are looking to bring an enhanced experience to the other carriers.

4-PLUS-1-PLUS: The HTC One X+ could be the first Android phone in the US powered by Tegra 3+. This quad-core chip from NVIDIA will feature

Wednesday, August 8, 2012

Samsung Galaxy Note, new myTouch lineup available now on T-Mobile

T-Mobile has officially released its three latest smartphones for purchase today. The Samsung Galaxy Note, new myTouch, and new myTouch Q are available online now for $249 and $49 respectively.

With the release of the Samsung Galaxy Note II right around the corner, T-Mobile has just released the original Galaxy Note for $249 on a new two-year contract, $599 without. The device might be a hard sale for tech news junkies, but the device still offers plenty of shelf appeal for the less-informed.

Save for the T-Mobile branding near the speaker of the device, Magenta's Note hasn't undergone any major changes. There's a 1.5GHz dual-core Snapdragon processor, 1GB of RAM, 8 megapixel camera, 5.3-inch S Pen compatible display and of course, access to T-Mobile's "4G" network.

The Huawei manufactured myTouch and myTouch Q (for Qwerty keyboard) have also gone on sale today for $49 with a two-year contract, or $349 without. Both devices feature a 1.4GHz single-core processor, 5 megapixel camera, 4-inch WVGA display and Genius Search powered by Nuance.

A year ago, a device like the new myTouch would have been a good deal. But in the age of $349 unlocked Galaxy Nexus, it's hard to imagine it taking off.

I have a feeling I already know the answer, but do either of the myTouch devices or the T-Mobile Galaxy Note interest you? Let us know if you plan on picking up either device in the comments below.