Posts Tagged driver
World’s First Crowdsourced Headphone The Crossfade M-100
V-MODA, the multi-platinum selling designer of headphones trusted by the pros and elite, announces the availability of the highly-anticipated M-100 headphones designed by and for music aficionados. V-MODA tapped the collective intellect of artists, editors and audiophiles to design, develop and vote on the first units to go to mass production. M-100 quickly became the most highly discussed headphone on the internet forums with over 10,000 posts and 700 pages on the world’s largest headphone site, Head-Fi.
V-MODA is the authentic music brand that fuses fashion and function. Headphones are an essential tool for mobile producers and musicians who require unparalleled performance delivered reliably, night in and night out. The founder of V-MODA, also a producer and DJ, designed the Crossfade series to deliver professional sound yet withstand even the rigorous needs of globetrotting travelers. V-MODA’s professional pedigree is shown through a clear history of innovation: the Hex design, product, drivers, CliqFold, SharePlay, CoilPro, SpeakEasy, 45-degree plug, V-CORK, packaging and accessories are all patented or patent pending.
The M-100 was master crafted by the people – over 200 audiophiles, editors, artists, DJs and Grammy-winning musicians collaborated for years on the tuning and features. V-MODA utilized hundreds of prototypes to gain feedback from the collective masterminds of the best in the business to create a versatile crowdsourced headphone.
Why Crossfade M-100?
- Superior Sound
- Unrivaled Durability
- Comfort, Customization, Style
- Compact Portability
- Detachable Microphone & Audio Cables
Superior Sound – M-100 evokes the experience of a live performance with clean, deep bass, lifelike vocals and ultra wide clarity in an immersive 3D soundstage. Patent pending 50mm Dual-Diaphragm Drivers sport inner and outer rings separating the bass from bleeding into the mids and highs. V-MODA’s analog noise isolation naturally blocks out the distractions of jet engines, outside noise and booth monitors minus the extra digital-to-analog conversions of battery powered headphones that pollute the purity of your music
“I completely fell in love with the Crossfade M-100s” -Gizmodo
Immersive 3D Soundstage… evokes the experience of a live performance
Clean Deep Bass… feel and hear the precise vibrations of your music without bloated boom or a muddy mid-range
Ultra Wide Clarity & Vivid Midrange… hear lifelike vocals, crystal clear cymbals and crispy hi-hats
M-100′s explosive sound is created by:
- 50mm Dual-Diaphragm Driver (Patent-Pending): Inner and outer rings separate the bass from bleeding into the mids and highs
- Master Crafted Materials: More expensive driver and components than peer headphones at this price range
- Modern Audiophile Tuning: Crowdsourced alongside the producer and audiophile community to fine tune the sound and ergonomics
- Analog Noise Isolation: Naturally cut out the distractions of jet engines, crying babies and crowd noise
- No Batteries or Artificial Processing: Powerful, pure sound without the two extra digital-to-analog conversions of battery powered headphones that pollute the purity of your music
- Minimal sound leakage: Immersive sound for you without bothering others
- Consistent Driver Quality: The spectacular Crossfade sound is quality tested at 6 frequencies to maintain stricter consistency than the competition, often by an order of magnitude
Military-Grade Durability – The M-100 is built to last with a steel frame, aircraft grade metal shields, and STEELFLEX headband that fortify this exquisite headphone design with Military-Level MIL-STD-810G test standards. M-100 will survive 70+ drops on concrete from 6 feet, extreme high and low temperatures, humidity, salt spray, and UV exposure. The Kevlar reinforced cables can bend up over 1 million times which is up to one hundred times the industry standard.
Durability: Built to Last
“One of my top passive on-the-go headphones of choice, for both its sound and durability” -Head-Fi Founder, Jude
- Virtually Indestructible STEELFLEX Headband
- Steel Frame and Interchangeable Aircraft Grade Metal Shields
- Exoskeleton Form-Fitting Case
- Tested Beyond Military-Level Quality MIL-STD-810G Test Standards
- Kevlar Reinforced Cable/Plug Bend: Cables and 45-degree plug can bend over 1 million times (100x industry standard)
- Concrete Drop: Survives 70+ drops on concrete from 6 feet (10x industry standard)
- Headband Bend: Steelflex can bend 10+ times flat
- Environmental: High and low temperatures, humidity, salt spray and UV exposure
Comfort, Customization, Style
“V-MODA started the idea of fashion headphones in 2004…” -Stereophile + Innerfidelity Editor, Tyll
- Inspired in Italy, Styled in Hollywood: Stylish colors and metal beats plastic headphones
- 4+ Years of Ergonomic R&D: Resulted in an ergonomic headband and hexagon shape that contours to the natural lines of your facial features and minimizes gaps
- Supple BLISS Memory Foam Cushions: Naturally forms to your ears to provide ergonomic comfort and noise isolation for extended listening sessions
- Optional Custom Shield Kits: Laser engrave your logo, favorite team or change your shield color
- Optonal Cables & Ear Cushions: Choose from a variety of color and feature options so that you have a different headphone than everybody else
Ultimate Versatility – Beyond its superb fidelity and tank-like durability, V-MODA includes an array of extra features that empower M-100 users with a complete listening experience for travel, music production, DJing, gaming and more. The Swiss-like CliqFold hinge precisely folds the headphones into the impossibly small Exoskeleton case with a v-strap system to organize the included cables and ¼” adapter. M-100 features dual inputs so a DJ can mix two sources at the same time or share the music by daisy chaining other headphones. The unused input can be sealed with the patent pending V-CORK to accurately balance the sound and prevent corrosion.
The re-optimized SpeakEasy Mic cable is tuned for voice recognition even in the noisiest environments and works with all 3.5mm smartphones and tablets including Apple, Android, Windows, Kindle and Blackberry while the extended SharePlay audio cable allows you to share your music with a friend. The optional BoomPro professional-grade boom mic is made for gaming and Skype while the CoilPro locking extended coiled cable allows DJs and musicians to reach further. Modern music enthusiasts can further customize their M-100 with the Matte Black Metal, Shadow or White Silver colors and a selection of shield colors which can be customized through V-MODA’s laser engraving service with virtually any logo, text or a variety of select designs.
Portable Exoskeleton Case
“First full-size, audiophile-friendly headphone we’ve seen that you can really take anywhere” -Sound + Vision
- CliqFoldtm Hinge: Swiss-like hinge mechanism precisely folds the headphones into the impossibly small exoskeleton case (patent pending)
- V-STRAP System: Organize included cables and 1/4″ adapter via the V-STRAP system inside the exoskeleton case, with extra room left over for your USB Flash Drive and Fader earplugs
- Carabiner: Safely clip your headphones on the outside of your bag for quick access
Detachable Cables: Make the Call. Share the Vibe.
- Dual Inputs & V-CORK: Mix two sources at the same time or daisy chain headphones with your friends; the included V-CORK seals & protects the unused input
- SpeakEasytm Mic Cable: Specially tuned for voice recognition and calls in the noisiest environments, the button control universally works with all 3.5mm smartphones and tablets including Apple, Android, Windows, Kindle and Blackberry
- SharePlaytm Audio Cable: Share your music on a ride or DJ tandem without adapterss
- Optional BoomProtm, CoilProtm & 3-Button Cables: Extend your functionality with a professional-grade boom mic for gaming and Skype, a locking extended coiled cable for musicians or a 3-button mic cable for Apple in a variety of colors
M-100 Features
• 50mm Dual-Diaphragm Drivers (patent pending)
• No batteries or artificial sound processing
• CLIQFOLD folding hinge (patent pending)
• Dual Inputs with V-CORK seals (patent pending)
• Form fitting Exoskeleton case
• Two Kevlar-reinforced cables
• Universal SpeakEasy microphone cable for Apple iPhone, iPad, Android and Windows devices
• SharePlay extended audio cable and ¼” adapter
• Compatible with locking CoilPro, BoomPro Mic and 3-button mic cables (sold separately)
• Two year warranty, lifetime 50 percent immortal life program and V-MODA Six-Star Service
MIL-STD-810G and V-MODA Quality
• Survives 70+ drops on concrete
• Virtually indestructible SteelFlex Headband
• Minimal sound variances from unit to unit checked along six parts of the sound curve versus 10-30dB+ of competing products
• Kevlar-reinforced detachable cables and 45-degree plug strain relief can each bend more than 1 million times, over 100x industry standards
• MIL-STD-810G environmental tests including high and low temperatures, humidity, salt spray and UV exposure
The Crossfade M-100 is available now at V-MODA.com
Top games on sale in Google Play for the holidays, get them all right here!
It’s that time of year again. Tis the season right folks? With Christmas quickly approaching you can expect multiple deals, sales, and other goodies to arrive for us Android faithful. App and game developers will be lowering their prices, and hopefully Google offers something better than their current failure of a holiday sale. Below you’ll find a huge list of excellent games all as much as 85% and more.
Usually I snag all the awesome deals, yet only play about half of what I purchase. Either way you should hide your wallet or be prepared to have countless awesome games to enjoy all holiday weekend long. Hit all the links below to get these deals. We’ll start with the awesome Jet Set Radio. Yup, it hasn’t been on Android long but today is on sale for just $1.99 for a limited time.
Jet Set Radio Link
EA Games popular racer that aims to take on Gameloft is also on sale. The recently released and editor’s choice favorite Need for Speed: Most wanted has been dropped 86% from $6.99 down to just $0.99 for the holiday season. This fast pace racing game is certainly worth a buck. Make sure you have a device that’s supported.
Need for Speed Link
Then the highly acclaimed awesome shooter Call of Duty Black Ops Zombies has settled in at an awesome low price this week too. While some might argue it gets repetitive, it’s still loads of fun and can be yours this week for only $2.99 as well. Certainly get this if you love Zombie games.
Call of Duty Zombies Link
While we’re talking about zombies we have another one for you all today. The graphically stunning Zombie Driver THD for Tegra 3 powered devices got a price drop too. And that isn’t the only game with amazing graphics on sale. Also check out Dead Space which is at the lowest point we’ve seen in a while not counting that 10 cent sale. Get em below!
Zombie Driver THD Link
Dead Space Link
Then, for all you Sonic fans that entire franchise is on sale too. It looks like EA and SEGA are having a pretty decent sale right about now so don’t forget to check out all of their games. Sonic CD, and Sonic the Hedgehog 4 Episode 1, and 2 are all on sale at the moment. Get all the classic Sonic games for just $0.99 each.
Sonic CD Link
Sonic 4 Episode 1
Sonic 4 Episode 2
Then last but not least SwiftKey 3 is on sale, as well as another awesome Tegra-powered game. The fun and involved RPG The Bard’s Tale where you play the selfish and drunken Bard in a large-scale role-playing game on Android. It’s been lowered 50% off and can also be yours today for a low low price.
Bard’s Tale Link
We’ll continue to monitor prices, and feel free to drop us a comment below if you see more games or apps on sale.
Dragon Mobile app update brings new features including support for Android 2.3
Dragon Mobile Assistant launched back in October and at that time, served to replace the Dragon Go! app. Both of these apps were similar, however Dragon Mobile Assistant added new features to bring it more on the level of Google Now and Siri. In fact, the Dragon Mobile app looked rather appealing, but it had one issue — device support.
You see, when Dragon Mobile Assistant launched it was only available for devices with Android 4.0 or later. The good news today, Nuance has updated the app and that device support has changed. The app now supports devices with Android 2.3.3 or later. And while Gingerbread is feeling dated, it is hard to deny that many are still using it.
Speaking generally in terms of this update. The app has gone up to version 2.0 and it remains available for free. Anyway, while the additional device support was a nice addition, we are happy to see that was not the only change. Nuance has also fixed “several” bugs and added some other new features.
Those additional features come in the form of additional voice support. For example, with Dragon Mobile 2.0 you will now be able to launch third-party applications, play on-device music and even set an alarm. Otherwise, Dragon Mobile has more than 200 content partners along with a Driver Mode which will allow for a hands-free experience while in the car.
Bottom line here, Dragon Mobile looks like a good alternative for those without access to Google Now, or to access from a manufacturer app such as S Voice from Samsung. Those interested in checking out Dragon Mobile Assistant can follow this link to the Google Play Store.
Game Fire Sale Bonanza Extravaganza: Call of Duty Black Ops Zombies, Need For Speed, Zombie Driver THD And More All Marked Down
Hide your wallets, folks. Every dang game on the Play Store, it seems, is on sale today. Whether you’re looking for a FPS, racing games, or something with the word Zombie in the title, there are plenty of options for you. For example, Call of Duty Black Ops Zombies which manages two out of three of those qualifies at once! Normally, $6.99, this one’s been dropped to $2.99. This sale will be going on through January 3rd.
Alright, okay, let’s take a break from shooting zombies, shall we? What ever happened to old-fashioned, wholesome street racing?
- [New Game] Zombie Wonderland 2: Outta Time – Blast Through Zombie Hordes Now, Clean Up Later
- Glu Mobile Releases The Next Iteration of Contract Killer Into The Android Market: ‘Contract Killer: Zombies’
- Gameloft’s Back-To-School Sale Slashes Backstab HD, N.O.V.A. 2 HD, And Asphalt 6: Adrenaline HD To $0.99 Each
- [Deal Alert] EA’s Real Racing 2 On Sale For Just $0.99 (That’s 80% Off) For A Limited Time
Game Fire Sale Bonanza Extravaganza: Call of Duty Black Ops Zombies, Need For Speed, Zombie Driver THD And More All Marked Down was written by the awesome team at Android Police.
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Apple iPad Mini’s entire display assembly did not come from Samsung
Despite the tension between the Silicon Valley giant Apple and South Korean manufacturer Samsung over their on-going legal battles, the latter remains one of the suppliers to the former. In fact, the latest iPad mini which was released earlier this month uses display technology from Samsung. But just so it’s clear, not the entire display panel of iPad Mini came from the South Korean, only small but relevant portion of it.
One electronic repair company said that the iPad’s little brother powered by Apple’s own powerful A5 processor and packed with features like FaceTime HD camera, SK Hynix flash memory, a series of Fairchild Semiconductor International chips, and a Broadcom touch controller, has a little Samsung-ish in its display.
According to iFixit, Apple once more worked with Samsung for its display panel. While LCD markings did not disclose enough information, iFixit had discovered it through the Samsung display driver chip.
“Though the markings on the back of the LCD (display) don’t turn up much information, the Samsung display driver (chip) reveals that Apple once again went with Samsung in its display manufacturing,” iFixit said.
Does it mean Samsung can sue Apple over the display of iPad Mini? No, because apparently, Apple did not copy Samsung’s technology or infringed its patents over such technology. The Apple-Samsung legal war may leave an impression that these tech giants are on a nasty business relationship. But the fact is they are not. Both should have benefited from iPad Mini’s good sales performance.
Samsung sells display driver ICs, which means any company (even if they are competitors) can buy them to be used for their devices. Unless the company’s rights and patents are infringed, other OEMs couldn’t be sued over it. That’s business.
Both companies, Apple and Samsung, are competing in the rapid economic growth of mobile industry. There have been speculations and reports that Apple aims to be less dependent on Samsung. The fact that only a display driver chip was used in the Mini is evident the Silicon Valley tech giant is now slowly trying to cut its association with its fierce competitor.
Samsung has stopped supplying display panels for iPhone and have lessened its participation in the manufacturing of iPad. This forced Apple to turn to SK Hynix and Elpida Memory for the memory chips for its iPhone 5.
It has been foreseen by many analyst that Apple will be slowly terminating Samsung as its major supplier of microprocessors and switch to TSMC supplier, another Samsung competitor.
It appeared that the iPad Mini was sold to the market with a more expensive price than what was expected by many analysts. The Wi-Fi model can be purchased at the price of $329. It was believed to be in direct competition with Google Nexus 7 and Amazon’s Kindle Fire but the price says Apple needs to be what it’s known for.
How to unlock and root the Nexus 10
Although there is a simple root toolkit for the Nexus 10, we always stress the importance of unlocking and rooting your device the manual way. It gives you a better understanding of how things work, but we do understand why you might want to go the easy route. If you want to give it a go the old fashioned way, we’ve got you covered with all the necessary steps to unlock and root your Nexus 10. It’s actually pretty simple and in less then the time it takes to watch a sitcom you will be well on your way. Hit the break to get started.
**These instructions are straight forward and easy, but things can go wrong so we don’t take any responsibility.
Requirements
- You must have the sdk installed and be able to access and use adb and fastboot.
- You must have USB debugging enabled on your Nexus 10. If this is the first time going into developer options on your Nexus 10, just go into “About Phone” from your settings and tap the build number seven times. You will now see all developer options from now on.
Unlocking the bootloader
**By unlocking the bootloader you will completely reset your device so make sure to back up anything you want to keep.
- Connect your Nexus 10 to your PC via the USB cable that came with it
- Launch Terminal / Command Prompt
- Navigate to the fastboot/adb folder which will be inside the location where the Android SDK is installed (On Windows, it should be in C:\program files (x86)\android\android-sdk\platform-tools)
- Enter the following command: fastboot devices (You should see your device ID. If you don’t, you don’t have the proper driver installed and you can’t move forward unless you get this resolved. See below for help. If you see the device ID move on to step 5)
- Enter the following command: fastboot oem unlock (If you didn’t get a device ID from step 4 and you moved to this step by mistake, it will be stuck on “Waiting for Device.” If this is the case, just hit CONTROL-C to stop it and see the below driver information)
- It should say Start in the top right. Hit the power button to reboot.
**If you ever want to lock the bootloader you can simply enter fastboot oem lock instead for step 5.
Gain Root Access
- Turn on USB debugging again
- Download the latest CWM recovery file for the Nexus 10 (either non touch or touch) and place it in the fastboot folder (again this location should be C:\program files (x86)\android\android-sdk\platform-tools in Windows)
- Download and place CWM-SuperSU-v0.98.zip directly under /sdcard on your device
- Enter the following command: adb reboot bootloader
- Enter the following command: fastboot flash recovery-clockwork-6.0.1.8-mako.img
- Tap the volume down so it shows Recovery Mode in the top right, then hit the power button.
- At this point you can perform a backup from the “backup and restore” option in case anything goes wrong. If you need to restore this backup ever, just use the restore option.
- From the main menu, navigate to install zip from sdcard > choose zip from sdcard > CWM-SuperSU-vo.98.zip
- From main menu, select reboot system now
- After reboot you should see SuperSU in your apps drawer, open it and tap on continue to make sure your installation is successful.
If you followed these instructions correctly, your Nexus 10 bootloader is now unlocked and you should have permanent root. Congratulations!!!
**Driver Issues
You might find that even though you can access your Nexus 4 via Windows, you might have a problem with the driver not installed correctly from terminal mode. You will know you have this problem because the device ID didn’t appear in Step 4 or for Step 5. it’s stuck on “Waiting for Device.” You can’t unlock the bootloader until you get this resolved. The following may help…
Make sure the Google USB drivers are installed from the SDK.
Go to your Control Panel then Device Manager. You should see Android Phone with a Yellow ! mark on it. Right click on it and choose update driver, choose browse my computer, then Let me pick from a list. Select Android ADB Interface. You should be good to go. Return to Step 5 under Unlocking the bootloader.
Hamilton’s Great Adventure THD Review: A Puzzle Game That’s Heavy On Charm… And Frustration
It’s time for yet another Nvidia-only game with the “THD” label, and like the excellent Zombie Driver, it’s a pilgrim from the PC and console shores. Hamilton’s Great Adventure has been a sleeper hit on Steam and the PlayStation 3, thanks to its adventure game presentation and challenging, go-at-your-own-pace puzzle structure. You follow the exploits of Indiana Hamilton and his pet bird Sasha, as they trounce around ancient ruins in search of the Fluxatron, which Hamilton’s professor buddy needs to finish his Transmorphanizer. For some reason. THe game is available today in two parts, at $3.99 each.
Gameplay boils down to finding the best path through each level for Hamilton, while switching to a bird’s eye view with Sasha to explore the level and open up the path.
- [New Game] Hamilton’s Great Adventure Brings An Indiana Jones-Style Puzzler To Nvidia Devices
- Quiet, Please! Is An 8-Bit Adventure Puzzle Game That’s Just Entertaining Enough To Spend A Dollar On
- NVIDIA Announces New Tegra Zone Games Including Sonic The Hedgehog 4 Episode 2, Exclusively For Tegra 3 Devices
- [Hands-On] Osmos HD Floats On Over To The Android Market Bringing Unique Captivating Gameplay Along With It
Hamilton’s Great Adventure THD Review: A Puzzle Game That’s Heavy On Charm… And Frustration was written by the awesome team at Android Police.
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How to unlock and root the Nexus 4
Nexus 4 shipments are starting to arrive for the very lucky souls that were able to get an order in. If you plan on unlocking your bootloader (and subsequently rooting) you Nexus 4, we recommend doing it first thing since unlocking the bootloader will reset and erase everything on your device. If you’re ready to go, you’ve come to the right place, just hit the break to get started.
**These instructions are straight forward and easy, but things can go wrong so we don’t take any responsibility.
Requirements
- You must have the sdk installed and be able to access and use adb and fastboot.
- You must have USB debugging enabled on your Nexus 4. If this is the first time going into developer options on your Nexus 4, just go into “About Phone” from your settings and tap the build number seven times. You will now see all developer options from now on.
Unlocking the bootloader
**By unlocking the bootloader you will completely reset your device so make sure to back up anything you want to keep.
- Connect your Nexus 4 to your PC via the USB cable that came with it
- Launch Terminal / Command Prompt
- Navigate to the fastboot/adb folder which will be inside the location where the Android SDK is installed (On Windows, it should be in C:\program files (x86)\android\android-sdk\platform-tools)
- Enter the following command: fastboot devices (You should see your device ID. If you don’t, you don’t have the proper driver installed and you can’t move forward unless you get this resolved. See below for help. If you see the device ID move on to step 5)
- Enter the following command: fastboot oem unlock (If you didn’t get a device ID from step 4 and you moved to this step by mistake, it will be stuck on “Waiting for Device.” If this is the case, just hit CONTROL-C to stop it and see the below driver information)
- It should say Start in the top right. Hit the power button to reboot.
**If you ever want to lock the bootloader you can simply enter fastboot oem lock instead for step 5.
Gain Root Access
- Turn on USB debugging again
- Download and place CWM recovery for the Nexus 4 in the fastboot folder (again this location should be C:\program files (x86)\android\android-sdk\platform-tools in Windows)
- Download and place SU_Busybox_Package.zip directly under /sdcard on your device
- Enter the following command: adb reboot bootloader
- Enter the following command: fastboot flash recovery-clockwork-6.0.1.8-mako.img
- Tap the volume down so it shows Recovery Mode in the top right, then hit the power button.
- At this point you can perform a backup from the “backup and restore” option in case anything goes wrong. If you need to restore this backup ever, just use the restore option.
- From the main menu, navigate to install zip from sdcard > choose zip from sdcard > SU_Busybox_Package.zip
- From main menu, select reboot system now
- After reboot you should see SuperSU in your apps drawer, open it and tap on continue to make sure your installation is successful.
If you followed these instructions correctly, your Nexus 4 bootloader is now unlocked and you should have permanent root. Congratulations!!!
**Driver Issues
You might find that even though you can access your Nexus 4 via Windows, you might have a problem with the driver not installed correctly from terminal mode. You will know you have this problem because the device ID didn’t appear in Step 4 or for Step 5. it’s stuck on “Waiting for Device.” You can’t unlock the bootloader until you get this resolved. The following may help…
Make sure the Google USB drivers are installed from the SDK.
Go to your Control Panel then Device Manager. You should see Android Phone with a Yellow ! mark on it. Right click on it and choose update driver, choose browse my computer, then Let me pick from a list. Select Android ADB Interface. You should be good to go. Return to Step 5 under Unlocking the bootloader.
If you’re having any other issues, make a comment below or head to this XDA thread.
Nook Color/ Tablet (price drop)
With all the different choices of tablets these days there are some devices that just don’t die. All that is due to amazing developers that keep pushing the limits of devices. One amazing example is the Nook Color that as of today is running and unofficial CMX beta2 that I can personally say is far from beta and more of a day-to-day driver. To add icing on the cake Barnes & Noble dropped the price to there Nook Lineup. Whether you are looking for a low-end Android Table (after rooting) or just an amazing tablet reader the Nook lineup deserve a second look if tablets are something your shopping for this holiday season.
You can take a look for your self at the Barnes&Noble website when you get a chance.
Samsung Galaxy Express on AT&T available November 16th for $99
Yes, you’re reading that title correctly. Samsung is releasing yet another device rocking the ‘Galaxy’ tag. I have nothing against Samsung as a Samsung device is my daily driver, but really? Why not just call it the Mini-Mini? Although not too much of a surprise seeing as we caught wind of this device back in September, it just seems like we’ve been bombarded with Galaxy titles this fall. This device at least makes a little sense as it fills the entry-level, first-time smartphone buyer segment. Samsung now seems to have a well-rounded portfolio as it were. Strike while the iron’s hot, as they say. The Galaxy Express will have a 4.5-inch screen backed by a 1GHz dual-core processor and a 2000 mAh battery powering Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich. A 5MP camera and the ability to run on AT&T’s LTE network will round out the package. I realize this is for first-time buyers and $99 seems a little high these days on contract, as there are certainly other deals to be had out there.
source: AT&T
Contest: Win one of two Nexus 7 tablets courtesy of NVIDIA and TalkAndroid
Earlier today we posted our review of the latest Tegra game to hit the Google Play Store and TegraZone, called Zombie Driver. In celebration of this release, NVIDIA gave us two 16GB Nexus 7 tablets to give out to our awesome readers. We are going to keep this simple folks. We know it’s Halloween, but we aren’t going to ask you to send us photos of your costumes or any of that. Just follow these simple rules.
- One Nexus 7 will be given out here in the main site and one will be given out in our forums
- To enter the main site contest, comment below telling us what your favorite candy bar is
- To enter the forums contest, go to this post, and reply with what your favorite game is currently
- For chances to win both tablets, you need to enter in both places (although very unlikely, you can’t win twice)
- You have until tomorrow night, November 1 at 11:59PM EST to enter either contest
- We will pick the winners at random and announce them on Friday, November 2
- If you are a winner, you will receive an email with instructions to the one associated with your account
That’s it. Remember you need to enter both here and in our forums for a chance to win both tablets.
Good Luck!!
Zombie Driver Tegra HD review
[Note]: this review is from the perspective of using a dual analog gaming controller.
In a time where many are beginning to grow tired of the zombie culture that has infected pop culture and gaming, Exor Studios introduced a fresh take on the genre back in 2009. Zombie Driver is the name of that new concept, a top-down driving shoot-em-up mayhem-style feast for those of you who get sick satisfaction out of mowing down countless undead creatures.
It’s finally gotten a port to Android, and what better crop of devices to launch them on than those bearing the Tegra juice that the game surely demands? Will this be a dastard trick or a tasty treat for those of you craving some wholesome Halloween fun?
Well, there’s a bit of both. Zombie Driver aims to deliver a horde-like experience that shoves seemingly-countless seas of rotten brain-eating creatures right into your face. The intensity factor won’t alarm you quite like a Left 4 Dead or Dead Rising will, but that’s due to the nature and perspective of the game. Instead of being on foot trying to mow these things down, you’re instead nestled safely (well, as safe as you’re going to get, anyway) inside a vehicle for which to do your bidding.
The core objective is to drive around and spill zombie guts all over the pavement, and you don’t do so without some interesting weapons to toy around with. Things like a flamethrower, rocket launcher, rail gun, and machine gun keep things fresh if you like to stay varied. You can get these terror-inducing weapons via pickups throughout the map, and their effects can be upgraded at the end of each mission for the right price.
And, of course, there are those trusty old bumpers at either end of your vehicle of choice — there’s nothing like ramming a full-sized school bus right into the gut of these blood thirsty monsters. Blood will splatter onto your vehicle as if you’d just emerged from a giant pool of ketchup, and the streets will be drenched in zombie flesh as you behold all the dead cartilage and mayhem you helped cause.
You’ll get several vehicles to choose from including a limo, a sports car, a police unit and even a tank, though whether or not you unlock them depends on your willingness to complete several secondary objectives throughout your campaign missions (hint: they’re not hard at all).
Cars will take damage and progressively appear worse on screen if you don’t find a health pickup. I never knew it was possible to drive around in a flaming taxi for more than 5 minutes without it blowing up, but I’ve pleasantly been proven wrong.
I had a hard time adjusting to the controls initially. This sort of top-down action tends to be accompanied by little more than dual analog controls, but being inside a vehicle means you have to account for things like braking and physics, unidirectional shooting, and more. It was nothing that I couldn’t get used to in a half hour’s time so don’t let it deter you if things feel clunky at first.
Perhaps the most damning element of this game is the hurl-inducing camera work. The game’s “smart camera” aims to swivel and swerve around your car to give you the best view possible, but the effect it had on me is something akin to those awful shaky cam movies like Blaire Witch Project that turn my stomach more due to the lens instead than the gore and horror. There’s a fixed camera angle for those who might find themselves suffering from an episode of motion sickness, thankfully.
Much of the game’s content will be provided through its campaign, though this probably won’t be your most favorite mode. There are 31 missions spread across a few different levels, and you’ll find a grand total of three boss battles throughout it all. I felt those boss encounters were a tad too sparse for my liking, and the lack in quantity wasn’t made up for in quality as I found them to be rather boring for the most part.
The missions themselves aren’t anything to jump for, either — “go here, kill these zombies, escort these folks back to the base” seemed to be a common theme throughout all of the missions. In fact, I spent more time driving around aimlessly looking for power-ups and driving from point A to point B than actually engaging zombies and carrying out my objectives.
As boring as that may sound you do get the urge to fool around a little bit between locations, like seeing how fast you can build a combo multiplier, but you’ll be hard-pressed to find much else. It’s not that I’d expected to go into this game expecting some Call of Duty-esque thrill ride, but a little more variety would have been nice.
Likewise, I wasn’t expecting much out of the game’s story-telling so the fact that it’s driven along by cluttered mission briefing cards and mediocre voice acting didn’t catch me by surprise, either. The upside to playing these story missions is that this is where you go to unlock those aforementioned cars, as well as earn cash (either through pickups, combos or objectives) to unlock upgrades for them.
But for all of that “bad” there’s a nice balance from the “good” pool to keep this experience fresh. Blood Race mode pits you up against anyone (AI driven, but work with me here) willing to go toe to toe with you.
A classic race will equip you with your guns and plop you onto streets full of zombies as you race your foes to the finish line. Eliminator is a destructive race to see just how many pieces of scrap metal you can make out of innocent vehicles waiting to be blown up, and Endurance is like the movie Speed — there’s a bomb on your bus and you’d better keep moving fast toward the finish line before you find yourself blown to smithereens.
All of these racing modes offer the much-needed excitement that was lacking from the campaign, and they’re set up to be perfect for those 5-10 minute spurts of gaming you need while waiting on your next train or a ridiculously expensive cup of coffee from Starbucks.
Just as exciting as all that is Slaughter mode, a Gears of War-style horde mode where you take on waves of zombies ranging from the slow, frail guys to the big, scary brutes. The action takes place in 7 different “arenas,” though you’ll find that these are just smaller bits from the bigger maps you’ve seen in other modes. That’s not a bad thing, though — the constricted space makes for more intense action. Waves get stronger and bigger the longer you survive, and things get quite intense quite fast so you’ll no doubt be spending a lot of time here.
Unfortunately none of this comes with the multiplayer experience that would be perfect for this type of game. Had I been able to tag team some of the Slaughter waves with friends or gone head to head with someone that had an actual brain in the Blood Races it would add a tremendous amount of replay value for me. But without multiplayer this game would quickly become one that only serves as a quick time waster instead of an engaging and compelling experience after you’ve experienced the meat and potatoes of it all.
Zombie Driver does a lot of things right — it has great visuals, a nice variety of modes, and a good amount of things to unlock — but I can’t quite get over the lackluster campaign and I can’t quite find that feeling of needing more like a zombie that hasn’t had a blood meal in half an hour. Go into it knowing that you’ll be experiencing it alone, it’ll have limited replay value, and that it isn’t a game that aims to do one thing great, but does a bunch of other things very good. Find it in Tegra Zone and the Google Play Store to try for yourself!
Happy Halloween! Stay tuned to Phandroid for details on how you can win one of two Nexus 7 16GB units, courtesy of NVIDIA!
Tegra-Enhanced Zombie Driver THD Hits Google Play, We Have Two Nexus 7 Tablets to Celebrate [Contest]
It’s Halloween today, one of our favorite holidays. I think what makes it so great is that it’s the best time to be a mobile gamer. It seems that every other day there is a new game to play that lets you kill endless amount of zombies, and we just can’t get enough of that. [...]
Click through to continue reading…
Featured Play Store Review: Hands on with Zombie Driver THD [Arcade & Action]
Those of you with a Tegra powered device might want to check out Zombie Driver THD, which was just released in the Google Play Store and TegraZone. If slaughtering zombies is your thing, you are probably going to love this one because there is no shortage of zombies to run over and shoot at. This game becomes a serious bloodbath pretty quickly.
Zombie Driver has already been available on the PC and consoles, but if you’re not familiar with it, the game is set in a city that is infested with zombies because of a chemical accident from a secret government project. You will take on various missions to rescue civilians while slaughtering zombies along the way. You will get around with a car that can be equipped with a generous amount of weapons. This game is a lot of like Grand Theft Auto, in that you will be presented with missions and you must navigate to where you need to go via the map. The one major difference is the zombies. You simply run them over or shoot them and watch the blood splatter all over the place.
As you complete missions, you will earn money for car and weapon upgrades. For starters you will get a taxi, but in no time you could be sporting a bulldozer, fire trick or a tank. If missions aren’t your thing, you can take part in a Blood Race tournament or jump into Slaughter mode. The Blood Race is basically a race in which you try to take out other cars on brutal racing tracks. Slaughter mode takes place in arenas and you will try to survive as long as you can.
I had a chance to play the game and I will say zombie fans are going to love it, but I do have some gripes. For starters, I wasn’t in love with the controls. In their defense there is a lot of choices in that you can use the display, a keyboard, or a game controller. I didn’t have a keyboard so I can’t say anything about that, but I didn’t like the on screen controls. You have two choices, either a virtual joystick or buttons for each direction, and I had a hard time controlling my car with either one. The wireless game controller seems to be the best route, but I still had a problem with that. I was forced to use the stick as not only directional but for the gas as well, which I’m not used to. There are other configurations, but for my OnLive gaming controller, I couldn’t get it to work right since the triggers weren’t programming properly. I would lose something with the available configurations. This is probably more of an issue with my controller than the game itself, but it was a letdown since I’m not much of a touch display controller kind of guy. Now there is an option that lets you configure each button to your own liking, but I didn’t get into it yet. I suspect it would probably solve my issue.
The other issue I have is that everything is so small. The fonts for all instructions are too small and even playing the game. The zombies are way too small. There are two camera options, but neither one seems to make a difference. You can see this issue with the screenshots below and in my hands on video.
Right now Zombie Driver THD is only available on Tegra devices, and if you have a Tegra 3 device such as a Nexus 7, you will get even more realistic physics simulation, rich textures, massive amounts of zombie carnage and unprecedented destruction effects. It’s priced at $6.99 and will require an additional 1GB data download. Check out my hands on video below and hit one of the download links to get started. Let us know what you think.
Click here to view the embedded video.
and the official trailer for mobile
Click here to view the embedded video.
Win two Nexus 7 tablets to play Zombie Driver for Halloween! [GIVEAWAY]
Following our review of Zombie Driver, where we told you whether or not the Tegra HD game would be the scare of the year, we bring you the Zombie Driver Tegra HD Giveaway! You ghouls and ghosts have a chance to win two great treats, and believe me when I say there are no tricks involved… well, not many.
First thing’s first, you’re going to want to know what’s at stake. Two winners will each win a Nexus 7 tablet, courtesy of our friends at NVIDIA. It comes outfitted with the quad-core Tegra 3 chipset they make so great games like Zombie Driver will look better than they could on any other device.
Next, you’re probably wondering what you have to do to get in on these awesome goods. Welp, it’s Halloween, and although the trick or treating phase has passed all but the weirdest of towns we still want to see and hear some creative costume ideas. We want to hear your most creative idea for an Android-related costume that also incorporates the spirit of Halloween.
Your entry can be completely text-based if you want, but we’re willing to award style points here — if you can show us an illustration or even manage to create your own in such a short amount of time you’ll definitely get some close looks. That doesn’t mean you text-only folks don’t have a chance, though — flesh out a really good idea with a nice explanation and you’ll catch our eye just as easily.
Let’s get some hard rules and regulations into the mix, shall we?
- This contest is only open to residents of the United States of America, Canada, and countries within the United Kingdom.
- Two winners will each win a Nexus 7 16GB tablet with Tegra 3, courtesy of NVIDIA.
- To enter to win, leave a comment on this post telling us your best Android-related costume idea. [Be creative, be thoughtful, and if you manage to make a drawing or a physical costume (with picture proof including your username and "Phandroid Tegra Giveaway" somewhere in the photo) you'll stand out more.]
- Your entry must be submitted by 11:59pm Eastern on October 31st.
- Only one entry per person is permitted.
- The two best costume ideas and/or illustrations will be selected as winners at the sole discretion of Phandroid staff.
- If a winner doesn’t respond with a reasonable amount of time (generally 24-48 hours) we will move on and select the next best entry. We will continue this process until two winners have been determined. [Remember to use your real email address -- no one can see it but us, and if you don't have a valid email address you can't win.]
That’s it! Good luck to everyone, and thank you for being the loyal Phandroid readers you always have been. We want to thank our sponsors at NVIDIA and wish all of you guys a Happy Halloween!
Zombie Driver game splices Mad Max with undead apocalypse
Zombie Driver launched on Google Play for $6.99, giving players with Tegra devices the pleasure of running over undead with a wide variety of vehicles. Of course, nitro boosts can help a bunch when the hordes get a little thick, plus military-issued weaponry can thin the ranks from range. Beyond the story-based campaign, there's a race mode where you compete with other survivors to complete three laps, or you can try to weather an endless tide of zombies in the slaughter mode. Over time, players upgrade their various vehicles according to their playstyle. Like to get up-close and personal? Crank up your armor and dozer ratings. Prefer to hit and run? Upgrade your nitro and get a fast car.
I played the first few levels and the graphics are beautifully gross on the Nexus 7. My only serious qualm is that the controls aren't that awesome. The game came to Xbox Live Arcade and Steam first, and it really shows. The default control scheme lays out WASD-style virtual keys with some awkward diagonal movement. At least there's support for keyboards and gamepads if you've got either handy.
In any case, if you can't get enough gruesomeness this Hallowe'en, Zombie Driver is a nice change of pace from the deluge of other slaughterfests out there.
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[New Game] Zombie Driver THD Has Zombies And Driving, But Only For Nvidia Tegra [UPDATED]
There’s been a glut of zombie games lately – nary a roundup goes by where I don’t have to try and find something new to say about the oh-so-popular undead. But Zombie Driver, the rare mixture of top-down driving and survival horror, comes by it honestly. The indie game was released on Steam for the PC back in 2009, and has been a popular seller on various platforms ever since. Now the THD version is available to owners of Tegra-based phones and tablets for $6.99.
If you haven’t stumbled across Zombie Driver before, think of it as a mix between the Carmageddon and Twisted Metal games of old and the newer top-down racers that seem to do so well on mobile.
- [New Game] Global Outbreak Uses Geolocation To Bring The Zombie Apocalypse To Your Front Door
- [Lock 'n Load] Dead Trigger Officially Coming To The Play Store On Monday, July 2nd For $0.99
- [Review] Dead On Arrival Brings The Thrill Of A Zombie Apocalypse To Your Android Device
- [New Game] Zombie Wonderland 2: Outta Time – Blast Through Zombie Hordes Now, Clean Up Later
[New Game] Zombie Driver THD Has Zombies And Driving, But Only For Nvidia Tegra [UPDATED] was written by the awesome team at Android Police.
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[New Game] Zombie Driver THD Has Zombies And Driving, But Only For Nvidia Tegra
There’s been a glut of zombie games lately – nary a roundup goes by where I don’t have to try and find something new to say about the oh-so-popular undead. But Zombie Driver, the rare mixture of top-down driving and survival horror, comes by it honestly. The indie game was released on Steam for the PC back in 2009, and has been a popular seller on various platforms ever since. Now the THD version is available to owners of Tegra-based phones and tablets for $6.99.
If you haven’t stumbled across Zombie Driver before, think of it as a mix between the Carmageddon and Twisted Metal games of old and the newer top-down racers that seem to do so well on mobile.
- [New Game] Global Outbreak Uses Geolocation To Bring The Zombie Apocalypse To Your Front Door
- [Lock 'n Load] Dead Trigger Officially Coming To The Play Store On Monday, July 2nd For $0.99
- [New Game] Zombie Wonderland 2: Outta Time – Blast Through Zombie Hordes Now, Clean Up Later
- [Review] Dead On Arrival Brings The Thrill Of A Zombie Apocalypse To Your Android Device
[New Game] Zombie Driver THD Has Zombies And Driving, But Only For Nvidia Tegra was written by the awesome team at Android Police.
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HTC reveals disappointing consolidated Q3 results
HTC has announced its consolidated third-quarter financial results, revealing yet more disappointing numbers after a year of financial woe for the Taiwanese company.
From July to September, the company reported revenues of NT$70.2 billion ($2.4 billion), with gross margin of 25.0% and operating margin of 7.0%. Net profit stood at NT$3.9 billion ($133 million), with earnings per share of NT$4.7 ($0.16).
The year-on-year figures make for grim reading, as revenues are down some 48 percent compared to Q3 2011, when HTC was in a comparatively strong position.
In today's statement, HTC singled out China as a key growth driver for the third quarter, and noted that the U.S. performed in line with expectations. The company also took the chance to highlight major upcoming product launches, such as the Android-powered One X+ in Europe and J Butterfly in Japan, as well as the new Windows Phone 8X and 8S.
However, HTC's outlook for Q4 2012 is similarly bleak, with expected revenues of NT$60 billion ($2.05 billion), a gross margin of 23% and operating margin of 1%.
Source: HTC
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Zombie Driver THD coming soon to Android
With Halloween coming up next week the zombies are starting to come out of the darkness and grace the world of Android. Earlier we mentioned a new Gameloft game Zombiewood, but what we have for you below looks even better. Last year we showed you an amazing looking Tegra 3 game called Zombie Driver THD, and it’s finally coming soon.
Zombie Driver THD is bloody and gory, but it looks freaking awesome. We first mentioned this back in November of last year, and just two weeks ago it finally launched for PC and consoles — with the Android version coming soon. How soon? We have no clue but have a feeling it will be just in time for Halloween. Possibly even next week.
As far as we know this will launch as an NVIDIA Tegra 3 exclusive, just like we reported back last year. The graphics are stunning, the explosions are detailed and full of fireballs, and the physics as you drive through hoards of zombies is epic. Without ruining all the excitement about this impressive looking THD game check out the brand new official Zombie Driver THD launch trailer released just last week:
Looks amazing right? With Zombie Driver THD on Android you’ll get to enjoy all sorts of vehicles to cause mayhem, not to mention flame throwers, missiles and everything else you’ve just seen from the epic game trailer above. When we first saw this game 11 months ago it looked awesome and we expected it to arrive sooner, but now that it’s almost here it is time to get excited. We can’t wait to enjoy this on our Tegra 3 powered Android phones and tablets.
Thoughts?
Sprint Optimus G Officially Has Root
We’ve come to expect complete root access for all most Android devices, even if they haven’t been released yet. So while the Sprint LG Optimus G will be in our hands in a matter of weeks, prospective owners will have the luxury of being able to root the phone as soon as they power it on. Thanks to some crafty folk at the Android Central Forums, it was realized that the Sprint Optimus G could be rooted in the same manner as the Korean version of the smartphone. Essentially, you’ll need a Windows-based computer, USB cable, LG driver and a subsequent additional file. It sounds relatively simple and straightforward enough, so if you are planning on grabbing that device, be sure to hit up the source link below to get all the details.
source: Android Central Forums
CyanogenMod 10 M2 builds released
The CyanogenMod team sends word that they've released the second "M" — milestone or monthly — build of the Jelly Bean-based CyanogenMod 10 ROM. "M" builds of the popular custom firmware are described as "essentially stable" and "ready to use as your daily driver", compared to the more common but less stable nightly builds. Fittingly, M2's release comes around a month after M1 landed.
M2 builds are still rolling off CM's servers, but right now the ROM is available for all three Galaxy Nexus variants, as well as numerous Galaxy S2 and U.S. Galaxy S3 phones, among others. The newest builds of CyanogenMod 10 are available via the CM updater, as well as via ROM Manager.and the get.cm download site.
For the full list of supported devices in this latest version of CyanogenMod, check the source link below. And when you're up and running, be sure to hit the comments and let us know how you're getting on.
Source: CyanogenMod
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Google Posts Updated Binaries And Android 4.1.2 Images For Multiple Nexus Devices
If you’re a developer, you’ve likely been chomping at the bit for Google to release the updated binaries and full device images after yesterday’s Android 4.1.2 release. Just moments ago, Android maintainer JBQ placed 4.1.2 driver binaries for all maintained Nexus devices on the Google Developers site, as well as updated factory images (JZO54K) for the Nexus 7 and “takju” and “maguro” variants of the Galaxy Nexus.
These files are absolutely essential for tinkerers and developers wanting to stay on the cutting edge of Android, and Google has always been pretty on top of getting them out in a timely fashion.
Official Android Police t-shirts are now on sale, with over 25 designs to call yours.
- Android Binaries Updated To JRO03R For All Nexus Devices; Jelly Bean Factory Image Released For The Verizon Nexus
- Jelly Bean Factory Images Are Now Available For Several Nexus Devices, Including GSM Galaxy Nexii And Nexus 7
- Google Releases Full Flashable OS Images For Nexus S i9020A (sojua 4.0.4 IMM76D), Sprint Nexus S 4G D720 (sojus 2.3.7 GWK74), Korean Nexus S M200 (sojuk 2.3.6 GRK39F)
- New Jelly Bean (JRO03H) Binaries Up For Nexus S/4G, Motorola Xoom Wi-Fi, And Verizon, GSM Galaxy Nexus
- Nexus S 4G Now "Fully Supported In AOSP, With No Restrictions"
Google Posts Updated Binaries And Android 4.1.2 Images For Multiple Nexus Devices was written by the awesome team at Android Police.
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Updated Nexus 7 Driver Binaries Zipped and Ready for Flashing – May Solve Software Issues with the Tab
While it’s just about everyone in the Android community’s favorite little tablet, the Nexus 7 doesn’t come without its flaws. We’ve heard of more than a few bad eggs coming out of factory lines with specific hardware issues, but nothing that couldn’t be fixed by tightening up a few screws here and there. Then there are the software issues that have also been reported by users in various forums around the net. These software bugs range anywhere from unresponsive touch sensors, WiFi problems and the like.
You may remember a short time ago, build number JRO03R was released for the tab and it brought with it a handful of updated driver binaries for the Nexus 7. A member on XDA was kind enough to hand pick these binaries out of the update and repackage them into a flashable zip file for rooted users. Apparently, flashing these can fix some many of the software issues Nexus 7 users have been experiencing, with a few members on XDA already reporting success. Here’s what’s inside the zip:
- WiFi, Bluetooth, and GPS by Broadcom
- Touchscreen by ELAN
- Orientation sensor by InvenSense
- Graphics & CPU by nVidia
- DRM by Widevine
For many users currently running custom ROMs on their device, some of these drivers may not have been updated by the ROM chef (yet). This gives you the power to update these yourself, but be careful. Tinkering around with the software on your device could lead to a bad time. These seem to work universally across all ROMs for the Nexus 7 so if you feel so inclined, visit the forum thread below for links and give ‘em a flash.
[XDA]
Motorola DROID XYBOARD 8.2 with Verizon getting OTA soon, ICS Baby
Verizon looks to be putting out an update for the Motorola DROID XYBOARD 8.2 soon. They just released update documents to their support page listing off the new details of an Android 4.0.4 Ice Cream Sandwich update. Good news for you guys out there with one of these tablets. They never mention when the update will go live, but usually it happens shortly after the update docs get posted.
Also, with this upgrade, your device will now run on Android 4.0.4 (Ice Cream Sandwich).
Here are some of the key updates with this operating system:
+ Includes the latest Motorola USB driver to allow Xyboard to connect to a computer to transfer files.
+ Securely refresh your Corporate Email account with the native email client.
+ Faster Browsing Experience
+ Improved network connectivity
As usual, they also outline a few things to know about the the update file itself. On Wi-Fi it could take 20 to 30 minutes to download, it is approximately 299.2MB’s. Once it has completed and starts to install, you won’t be able to use the tablet for about 10 minutes during the install. No big deal really. We assume you should also have well over 50% battery charge on the device before you try to install the update as well. You sure as heck don’t want the battery to die mid flash.
We will keep our eyes peeled for reports of it arriving, on its own, but you can always check out Settings > About tablet > System updates and see if you can get to pull through early. No promises there though.
Source: Verizon
Thanks Karl
Samsung announces Drive Link, a car-friendly app with MirrorLink integration
Until self-driving cars become mainstream, it’s best to keep eyes on roads and hands off phones. With this in mind, Samsung’s debuting Drive Link, an app that balances in-car essentials with driver safety, complete with approval from the no-nonsense Japanese Automotive Manufacturers Association. It’s all about the bare essentials — navigation, hands-free calling and audiotainment from your phone-based files or TuneIn. Destinations can be pulled from S Calendar appointments or texts without trouble, and the text-to-speech feature means you won’t miss a message, email or social media update. The best bit is that via MirrorLink, all these goodies can be fed through compatible dash screens and speaker systems. Drive Link is available now through Sammy’s app store for Europeans sporting an international Galaxy S III, and will be coming to other ICS handsets “in the near future.”
Filed under: Cellphones, GPS, Transportation, Mobile
Samsung announces Drive Link, a car-friendly app with MirrorLink integration originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 28 Aug 2012 05:35:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Featured Play Store Review: Night Ride [Arcade & Action]
I don’t know about you guys, but when it comes to gaming on my Android device, I just don’t have a lot of time, so I like games that are fairly quick and not too complicated. Night Ride is one of those games as it’s simple to play and the controls are easy. It actually reminds be a lot of Atari’s classic Night Driver, but only in the sense that it takes place at night. Trust me, this game has a lot more excitement. It’s a sci-fi racing game created by Black Bunny Studios and it’s also very similar to Jetpack Joyride, Doodle Jump, and Tiny Wings.
The premise is simple; try to last as long as you can while racing your motorcycle through the futuristic city. Along the way you will try to collect power ups and points, but once you crash, the game is over. You get 10 points for every Proton collected, 200 points for each atom, and 100 points for going through accelerator lanes. For power-ups, they offer a Jet, which gives you a temporary speed boost while all obstacles are deactivated. You can also grab a cannon, which gives you 5 shots that will deactivate electric walls. Last but not least is the magnet, which absorbs protons from neighboring lanes. Speaking of lanes, there are 5 lanes and you simply steer by tapping either the left or right on screen buttons at the bottom of the display. Along the way, you move up levels by unlocking achievements. For example, one achievement might be to collect 20 atoms in one session, but it gets a lot harder trust me. Night Ride is also compatible with OpenFeint so you can share these achievements.
I found the controls to be very responsive and easy. The graphics are nice to look at and the gameplay is so simple that you can quickly start a game anytime. At first I wasn’t sure of what all the power ups did and how the obstacles worked, but after a few very short races, it was easy to pick up. The race track is completely straight, which might seem boring, but trust me it isn’t. Races start out slow, but quickly speed up as you grab the jet power ups or go through the accelerator lanes. You simply can’t take your eyes off the road for even a second or you will be done. For those that like speed-type games, this is one game you need to try. Night Ride is Free so you don’t have any excuses, just hit one of the download links below to get started.
Click here to view the embedded video.
Verizon Galaxy Nexus welcomed back into the AOSP fold, Sprint shunned by Google
Slowly but surely Google is bringing CDMA devices back into the AOSP fold after giving them the boot in February over driver issues. The Nexus S 4G was welcomed back last week and now the Verizon Galaxy Nexus is joining it over at the Android open source site. Head on over to the developer portal and you’ll find binaries for Android version 4.1.1. The LTE GNex isn’t quite a full-fledged member of the family yet though, driver support is currently considered “experimental.” So, don’t be shocked if there’s a bunch of bugs. Unfortunately, we have bad news for Sprint fans. Google apparently has no intention of adding the carrier’s LTE Nexus to the list of supported developer devices. Jean-Baptiste Queru, lead of the AOSP, told the Android Building Google group that there were no plans to bring custom builds of the open source OS to the Toroplus.
Filed under: Cellphones, Software
Verizon Galaxy Nexus welcomed back into the AOSP fold, Sprint shunned by Google originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 10 Jul 2012 11:45:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Android Police, TalkAndroid | Google Developers, Android Building (Google Groups) | Email this | Comments
Verizon Galaxy Nexus Returns To AOSP, “Experimental” Driver Binaries Available For Download
Earlier this year, Google dropped the Verizon Galaxy Nexus from being a “supported developer device” due to its CDMA binaries that could not be signed by the same platform key as the AOSP binaries. When this news broke, everyone was in a tizzy about the Verizon Galaxy Nexus not being a real Nexus device.
Well, Google has our backs and have just released Verizon driver binaries to use for the 4.1.1 Jelly Bean AOSP build. What does this all mean? Basically, it just means the Verizon Galaxy Nexus is still being supported as a developer device as much as it can be. These drivers will help ROM developers build custom Jelly Bean ROMs for Verizon’s Nexus.
It’s not all rainbows and unicorns, however. Jean-Baptiste Queru, tech lead of the Android Open Source Project, posted in a forum that he doesn’t consider “toro to be higher than ‘experimental’ at this point,” the term toro referring to the Verizon binaries. What that means is currently not totally known, but expect devs to pull this apart and tell us how it’s all working… or not working. Stay tuned.
Devs, click the source link for the binary downloads.
source: google developers
Jelly Bean Now Ported to the International HTC One X. Hopefully One S will soon Follow
Just keeps getting more and more exciting. Developers have dropped everything and are trying to get Jelly Bean on to as many phones as they can. With all versions of the Galaxy Nexus getting ports, the next on the list of super phones that shall receive the candy are the HTC One phones. First being the international HTC One X. XDA Senior Member tgascoigne has ported an initial build over to the One X, but their are still issues of course with this alpha release. WiFi, audio, camera, are just a few things that are having issues so this is by all means not a daily driver yet. It is a start though, and if you own an international One X and you want to at least get a taste of “Project Butter”, head down to the thread below and let us know what you think.
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