Thursday 9 February 2012

Android Community

Android Community


DROID RAZR Root Utility Tool released, makes rooting and unrooting easy

Posted: 09 Feb 2012 11:24 AM PST

For all those that love tweaking, hacking and messing with Android things like one-click-root and root tools are becoming extremely popular. Today we have a brand new root tool for the DROID RAZR that will make everyone’s life much easier — so long you know what you’re doing. More details and download links after the break.

This new tool was designed for Windows but appears to also have a working version for those on Linux and will basically allow you to do anything and everything you’d like to the RAZR with ease. From rooting, unrooting, booting to recovery or bootstrap and more. Thanks to the awesome developers at XDA you can learn more and get the root tool by clicking here.

Just like the image above says: “too powerful to fall into the wrong hands”. This goes for both the phone, and the new utility tool released. This program makes things easy but you can also cause some problems with the tap of a button so make sure you know what you’re doing and read up on instructions before giving anything a try. One of the better parts of the tool is the OTA RootKeeper. Install that and just back up root before an OTA update, then restore after completion and you’ll still have root. It works like a charm. Use with caution and enjoy it. One more time here is that link

XDA RAZR Root Tool Link

Device Specifications and Information
Device Info
    Device Name : DROID RAZR
    Manufactuer : Motorola
    Carrier : Verizon
    Announced Date : October 18, 2011
    Release Date : November 03, 2011
    Also Known As :
Display
  • Screen Size : 4.3 Inch
  • Resolution :
  • Screen Type : Super AMOLED Advanced qHD
Dimension & Weight
  • Height : 5.15 Inch
  • Width : 2.71 Inch
  • Depth : 0.27 Inch
  • Weight : 127 Grams
Battery & Power
    Battery Type:
  • Lithium Ion
  • Battery Capacity : 1780 mAh
  • Talk Time : NA
  • Stand By Time : 8.9 hours
Software
    Android OS:
  • 2.3.x
    Audio Playback:
  • AAC
  • AAC+
  • MP3
  • WAV
  • WMA
    Video Playback:
  • MPEG-4 (MP4)
    Messaging:
  • SMS
  • MMS
Hardware
    CPU : OMAP 4430
    CPU Clock Speed : 1200 Mhz
    Core : 2
    Ram : 1000 MB
    Internal Storage : 16.384 GB
    Front Facing Camera :
    Camera Resolution : 8 MP
    External Storage:
  • MicroSD
  • MicroSDHC
    Camera Features:
  • Auto focus
  • Flash
  • 1080p Video Recording
    QWERTY :
Cellular Network
    Network Technology:
  • CDMA
    CDMA Band:
  • 800
  • 850
  • 900
  • 1700
  • 1900
  • 2100
Device Connectivity
    Wi-Fi:
  • 802.11b
  • 802.11g
  • 802.11n
    Bluetooth:
  • Bluetooth 3.0
    Location Features:
  • Compass
  • GPS
  • Cellular location
  • Wi-Fi location
    FM Radio :
    NFC :

[via Droid-Life]


Gameloft’s Real Soccer 2012 available today on Android

Posted: 09 Feb 2012 10:46 AM PST

For all the soccer fans out there we have some good news today from the folks at Gameloft. While their Real Soccer mobile games have been extremely popular they’ve been a little slow on the releases for Android. Real Soccer 2012 has been available for some time on other platforms but today Gameloft has announced on Twitter it’s finally available for Android.

Just in time for the new season you can follow your favorite teams and even replay the match you just watched on TV right from your Android device. Inside Real Soccer 2012 is a news and game feed and with the touch of a button it will set up the games being played in real-time right on TV for you. It’s that simple. They’ve integrated custom kits and jerseys so you no longer have to choose what you want. Players can be completely customized to their own liking.

With Real Soccer 2012 we have better graphics, smoother gameplay, and better camera angles. They’ve been officially licensed and offer thousands of real players' names, 350 teams and 14 league championships to play including England, Spain, France, Germany and South America. With online support the game stays up to date with injuring, roster changes, and player transfers to be as realistic as possible for the thousands of fans.

Real Soccer 2012 is completely free and available for Android starting today. Get it now from the market link below and give it a try. Let us know what you think of the new graphics. Don’t forget to follow along with your friends with the new Gameloft Live! app.

Market Link

soccer3 soccer2 soccer


Tony Hawk teases possible T-Mobile Galaxy Nexus

Posted: 09 Feb 2012 10:28 AM PST

There is no denying T-Mobile customers would love Galaxy Nexus from the carrier although many are using the GSM unlocked version at this time. T-Mobile hasn’t announced anything regarding a possible T-Mobile Galaxy Nexus but a recent twitter post by their good friend and pro skater Tony Hawk might have revealed their plans. Posting a picture on twitter with the Galaxy Nexus and the words “I love T-Mobile”.

Really, this could mean anything. He could be like thousands of others on T-Mobile that bought the international version. Or he could be extra special and received an official T-Mobile Galaxy Nexus early. The reason this is in the news today is because Tony Hawk has been a partner with T-Mobile for years — all the way back to the Sidekick days. They even released an officially branded Tony Hawk T-Mobile Sidekick at one point. Their relationship remains strong and he could be teaming up with them again with this next major release.

Being an Android site and loving T-Mobile we are optimistic and are assuming it’s a T-Mo version. This could all just be speculation and hopefully we’ll get some clarification from T-Mobile soon. If this was all planned it sure would be some sneaky and smart marketing — getting the interest peaked before an announcement. We’ll have to just wait and see. You can see the silver on the bottom right, ruling out the thought of this just being the T-Mobile Nexus S.

Maybe this is nothing and he’s just showing off his unlimited data. Who knows.

Device Specifications and Information
Device Info
    Device Name : GALAXY Nexus
    Manufactuer : Samsung
    Carrier : Verizon
    Announced Date : October 18, 2011
    Release Date : December 15, 2011
    Also Known As : Nexus Prime
Display
  • Screen Size : 4.65 Inch
  • Resolution : 1280x720
  • Screen Type : Super AMOLED
Dimension & Weight
  • Height : 5.33 Inch
  • Width : 2.67 Inch
  • Depth : 0.35 Inch
  • Weight : 135 Grams
Battery & Power
    Battery Type:
  • Lithium Ion
  • Battery Capacity : 1750 mAh
  • Talk Time : NA
  • Stand By Time : NA
Software
    Android OS:
  • 4.0.x
    Audio Playback:
  • AAC
  • AAC+
  • AMR
  • MID
  • MP3
  • WAV
  • WMA
    Video Playback:
  • h.263
  • h.264 / AVC
  • MPEG-4 (MP4)
    Messaging:
  • SMS
  • MMS
Hardware
    CPU : OMAP 4460
    CPU Clock Speed : 1200 Mhz
    Core : 2
    Ram : 1000 MB
    Internal Storage : 32 GB
    Front Facing Camera :
    Camera Resolution : 5 MP
    Camera Features:
  • Auto focus
  • Flash
  • 1080p Video Recording
    Sensors:
  • Accelerometer
  • Ambient light
  • Proximity
    QWERTY :
Cellular Network
    Network Technology:
  • GSM
  • CDMA
    GSM Band:
  • 850
  • 900
  • 1800
  • 1900
Device Connectivity
    Wi-Fi:
  • 802.11b
  • 802.11g
  • 802.11n
    Bluetooth:
  • Bluetooth 3.0
    Location Features:
  • Compass
  • GPS
  • Cellular location
  • Wi-Fi location
    FM Radio :
    NFC :

[via Androidandme]


HTC: Updates to Ice Cream Sandwich will begin in March, Sensation up first

Posted: 09 Feb 2012 09:26 AM PST

Who’s ready for some tasty Ice Cream Sandwich this afternoon? HTC has just issued a statement minutes ago, and released some official information regarding their updates to Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich on popular HTC handsets. They have released small details and confirmed updates were coming but today’s announcement makes it officially coming in March for many phones.

Over on their Facebook page they have just this morning announced the HTC Sensation will be the first to Android 4.0 ICS. Stating that the first round of updates will roll out by the end of March. So we should be seeing them start to roll out a little before that period. First round will be the HTC Sensation, T-Mobile Sensation 4G, and the Sensation XE.

In addition to those few, they’ve also just confirmed a number of popular HTC devices are slated to get the same update very soon, but sometime after March. We knew most devices lately would be updated but here’s the initial list right from HTC themselves: HTC Rezound, HTC Vivid, HTC Amaze 4G, HTC EVO 3D, HTC EVO Design 4G, HTC Incredible S, HTC Desire S and HTC Desire HD. That list isn’t looking good for Thunderbolt owners!

HTC has also stated that they’ll be announcing more details and have more updates in the next few weeks regarding all their popular Android devices. This has literally just hit the wires so we’ll be digging for more information and will report back shortly.


Nvidia schedules Tegra 3 event at Mobile World Congress

Posted: 09 Feb 2012 09:11 AM PST

Nvidia’s doubling down on its already successful mobile push with a full press event at Mobile World Congress in Barcelona. The gaming giant and lately up-and-coming system on a chip provider has been making waves with its Tegra platform, most recently the quad-core Tegra 3. Nvidia promises a sneak preview of new devices, presumable ones that will be unveiled at the conference itself. The event will be held during MWC in late February and early March, and Android Community will be on hand to cover it live.

Take a good gander at the invitation above: the roller-coasting model is using a smartphone while pulling a couple of Gs. (Note: do not ever do this, unless you’s like to test your phone’s ability to survive a drop of several stories at 70 miles an hour.) Aside from the inadvisable use case scenario, the smarphone itself is relevant, as currently the only Tegra 3 device on the market is Asus’s Eee Pad Transformer Prime tablet. We’ve heard rumblings of quad-core phones from both HTC and LG, and since HTC has its own event scheduled just before the show begins, it’s them that we expect to see partnering with Nvidia at the later press conference.

That implies that none other than the HTC Edge, rumored quad-core smartphone and  HTC’s flagship for early 2012, will be showing up at the conference. The smartphone will be a host of firsts if it’s announced: the first quad-core smartphone, HTC’s first Ice Cream Sandwich device (possibly shared with the HTC Ville) and HTC’s first device to use Nvidia’s system on a chip instead of Qualcomm’s. We can’t wait to see what Nvidia has in store.


Motorola DROID XYBOARD update offers worldwide roaming

Posted: 09 Feb 2012 08:34 AM PST

A couple of weeks ago a modder was shocked to discover that Verizon’s HTC Rezound worked on international GSM networks with a SIM card and a little tweaking. It looks like the Rezound isn’t the only Verizon LTE device hiding a surprise: the latest update to the Motorola DROID XYBOARD tablets turns on the feature as well. Download the update from Verizon’s servers by checking for it in the settings menu on either the XYBOARD 10.1 or 8.2, and your tablet should be able to roam on nearly any cellular network in the world. Previously the FCC published the GSM capability, but it was disabled at the time.

Other minor improvements include refinements to the 10.1′s included stylus, faster browser performance, better switching between WiFi and cellular networks, and a complete lack of Ice Cream Sandwich. But the worldwide roaming is the interesting part, since that technically makes the XYBOARD tablets Verizon’s first official international LTE devices. (The Rezound doesn’t really count, since it requires some fairly extensive modifications to work fully.) That certainly implies that more are on the way, or perhaps waiting to be unlocked with a similar update.

This begs the question: why isn’t Verizon advertising the fact that three of its high-profile Android devices can work internationally? It was a big deal a couple of years ago – the DROID 2 got a complete re-release as the DROID 2 Global with only the radio changed. It could be that Verizon simply doesn’t have the marketing materials ready to start advertising international LTE devices. If that’s the case, it’s reasonable to expect a push in the late spring or early summer.

[via Droid-Life]


Motorola executive: Android hardware is to blame for slow software updates

Posted: 09 Feb 2012 08:10 AM PST

One of the most frustrating parts of the Android ecosystem is the often long delay between the time that Google releases and updated version of Android and the time it’s delivered to ernd-users’ phones and tablets. Motorola has been no stranger to these delays, often waiting months before sending out major revisions to Android. Christy Wyatt, Senior Vice President of Motorola’s Enterprise Business unit, offered and explanation to PC World: it’s the myriad of hardware differences between phone models that makes upgrades take so long.

When Google does a release of the software… they do a version of the software for whatever phone they just shipped. The rest of the ecosystem doesn’t see it until you see it. Hardware is by far the long pole in the tent, with multiple chipsets and multiple radio bands for multiple countries,” said Wyatt.  That’s certainly true: with the exception of development devices, manufacturers don’t have access to Android’s open-source code any faster than regular users and developers do. Wyatt also mentioned that Motorola’s custom software takes a long time to modify for a new Android release.

But there’s a problem with this justification. I don’t wish to single Motorola out, since most major manufacturers are guilty of the same thing. But the explanation provided to PC World is baloney. Yes, Android’s AOSP source code is released to everyone at the same time. So why is it that independent developers and modders, usually working alone, in their spare time and for no greater reward than the thanks of their peers, can get updates out months faster than an international corporation with vast resources and thousands of employees? Why must Android users void there warranties to get timely updates, or features that aren’t included by default?

And perhaps most of all, if Motorola’s additions to the core Android software are holding up the update process, why are they still there? I can understand that value-adds like extra encryption and MotoSync are important to Motorola’s strategy, but I have never, ever seen a reader or any of my fellows proclaim, “man, those Moto icons and launcher make my phone so much better!” Why must Motorola continue to bog down a perfectly good user experience with unnecessary add-ons, especially if it makes their devices less valuable with the understanding that updates will come late, or not at all? Didn’t you promise (quite erroneously) that retail devices would launch with ICS within six weeks of the code becoming available?

Motorola’s about to be purchased outright by Google. If that doesn’t inspire you to use a dog food strategy (i.e., sticking with your own products) I don’t know what will. It’s entirely possible, nay likely, that the next developer device will be coming from Motorola. The company should take the opportunity to extend a more developer and c0nsumer-friendly policy to all their upcoming phones and tablets.

Oh, and unlock your freaking bootloaders.


Samsung trademark points to Android-powered Galaxy Camera

Posted: 09 Feb 2012 06:20 AM PST

And you thought Samsung’s Galaxy branding couldn’t get more ubiquitous. According to SammyHub, Samsung has filed for a trademark on the term “Samsung Galaxy Camera” at the United States Patent and Trademark Office. There’s really only one thing to take away from that: Samsung is either considering or already working on an Android-powered camera, at least tangentially related to its current smartphone lineup. Aside from the name filing, there’s no technical information to go on.

Samsung wouldn’t be the first to release such a device, even among major brand names: that goes to Polaroid, with their SC1630 Smart Camera. And it’s not as if Samsung itself hasn’t stretched Android out to unfamiliar territory, first with the original Galaxy Tab running Froyo and then with the Galaxy Player series of WiFi-only PMP devices. Samsung has some previous experience in the area of connected cameras, since they’ve developed their own lone of point-and-shoots with both WiFi and sharing capabilities.

That said, there’s no indication that such a device is actually in development: this is likely one of the first steps after exploratory market research. If Samsung were to bring a Galaxy Camera to market, you could expect it to look something like the current line of Galaxy Players, plus some upgraded sensor and glass components for more high-resolution photos. But Samsung, could you please come up with at least one more naming convention? The “G” section of my review folder is filled to bursting.

[via Phandroid]


Nokia N9 Ice Cream Sandwich port in progress

Posted: 09 Feb 2012 04:52 AM PST

Much as we begrudge Nokia their wring (not to mention stubborn, deluded and more than a little incestuous) decision to go with Microsoft’s Windows Phone 7 platform for their current generation of smartpohnes, it’s hard to deny that their hardware and industrial design is top-notch. Home Android developer Alexey Roslykov seems to agree, as he’s been instrumental in porting Android to Nokia’s underground favorite the N900. Now he’s on to something a little more modern, in terms of both hardware and software: getting a full-fledged Ice Cream Sandwich port running on Nokia’s drool-worthy N9. The developer tweeted out the phot below with the simple desciption, “Progress“.

For those in need of a brief refresher: the N9 was to be Nokia’s saving grace for the smartphone world, the first device to run the MeeGo OS created by a collaboration between Nokia and Intel. As a showpiece for the next-generation OS, the N9 was well-received by reviewers, if not consumers (pricing started at around $650 equivalent) when it launched in fall 2011. Even at launch the N9 was something of a lame duck as far as competition goes: it came out more than six months after Nokia CEO Stephen Elop (a former Microsoft executive) announced his intention to switch the company’s smartphones to Windows Phone 7. By the way, almost exactly a year later, Windows Phone 7′s world market share stands at less than 2%.

Not much information on the status of the port is available, but if the overlapping lock screen, home screen and Ice Cream Sandwich widgets are any indication, it’s very slow going indeed. Even so, an apparent associate of Roslyakov notes that the software is running in a dual-boot configuration, presumably keeping the MeeGo OS intact. As a mid/late 2011 top of the line smartphone with a 1Ghz OMAP processor and a gigabyte of RAM, the hardware itself should be more than capable of running the latest version of Android; it’s just a matter of getting the correct drivers, software configuration and permissions going. It should be noted that a fully-functional Android port on the N9 may or may not be possible.

[via The Verge]


Google’s own cloud storage service to launch soon

Posted: 08 Feb 2012 10:42 PM PST

We’ve all sent ourselves countless emails through GMail with important files attached to place them on Google’s servers for easy access. There’s no shame in that; it’s easy, fast, and works. No need for an installed application, as it is accessible from whichever device you decide to login from. But haven’t you wondered when Google would release their own cloud service?


Apple’s done it through iCloud, then there’s Dropbox, and even Box (formerly Box.net). Google is said to release their own iteration of cloud storage soon, and will be calling it ‘Drive’. Your Google Drive will be available from any device at any time. From a report in the WSJ, there is said to be a free allotment of storage. There will likely be subscription options to increase one’s storage space as well – but maybe not right at launch.

10GB would be ideal, but I also know many of us would settle for 5. Like the feature that instantly uploads media to your Google+ account, I suspect Google Drive will work the same way. Anything Google releases tends to work seamlessly with their other services, thus in time – we may rely on Drive alone and end up dumping the others.

[via GigaOM]


Google Wallet PIN can be compromised on rooted Android devices

Posted: 08 Feb 2012 09:53 PM PST

When progressing through a Google Wallet transaction via NFC, the system requires the user to input his/her PIN to follow through with their transaction. Zvelo, a respected security firm based in Colorado, has communicated to Google that due to their current security architecture, rooted devices PIN information is at risk. Most of you are not included in this small pool of people, and should be safe.


But for the rest of you modders running custom ROMs and kernels, while using Google Wallet take extra precautions to protect yourselves. Apparently, PIN information is saved in the actual phone, and not through the secure NFC chip. And thus Zvelo stated that “this completely negates all of the security of this mobile phone payment system”. I don’t know about you, but hacking the PIN to my Google Wallet account would leave me in utter turmoil.

Preventing this is actually easy, but requires doing nevertheless. By adding a lockscreen security pattern or PIN to your device and disabling USB debugging, the chances of a hacker producing your Google Wallet PIN is slim to none. Though, Google is probably already taking measures to improve current security upon realization – so I’m sure we’ll hear back from them soon.

[via AndroidCentral]


US Justice Department to approve Google’s Motorola buyout soon

Posted: 08 Feb 2012 08:57 PM PST

This news seemed to come and go way back when it was first announced, but the Google-Motorola deal may finally see its end in the coming week(s). Slated for February 13th, the US Justice Department is set to approve the deal, but it seems some US and European antitrust enforcers are still worried Google could attempt licensing current (and future) Motorola patents to other companies on unfair terms. But isn’t that what Google just spent $12.5 billion to do? Not necessarily practice unfairly – but run their new company the way the see fit?


If you technology isn’t patented, then you’ve got no chance playing this game – and Google has know this from the start. Countless lawsuits between every manufacturer commence night and day, so there’s no wonder why Google would invest in many of the valuable patents Motorola has to offer. If these enforcers wish to see more discreet licensing practices – then it should be expected not just from Google, but everyone else as well.

This is Google’s time to shine. Even though they’ve stated Motorola Mobility will remain completely separate from Google, there’s no doubt much more in store for Android once the purchase is complete. We’ll have to wait and see. And I don’t know about you guys, but a ‘Nexus’ device touting one of Motorola’s amazing antennas would win me over in a second.

[via TalkAndroid]


Android Community Evening Wrap-Up: February 8, 2012

Posted: 08 Feb 2012 08:07 PM PST

Earlier today, we conducted a hands-on for the highly anticipated Motorola DROID 4. We already took a quick look at it over in Vegas during CES, but we definitely got a better look at it today. Those waiting for a decent LTE device on Verizon with a QWERTY keyboard are going to absolutely love it.


As you know, Chrome Beta for Android was released just yesterday. But today, our eyes were opened to a few Easter eggs the devs incorporated. It’s nothing too special – but most of all, they were included to show how well Chrome can perform both graphically and under a heavy system load. It’s too bad the application is only available on Android 4.0, they haven’t released any information regarding a possible Honeycomb or Gingerbread release – but we can only hope it’s coming.

We were really hoping to see some new gadgets from Samsung unveiled at Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, but it seems they won’t evenbe hosting press conference this year. They will likely just hold out, and assemble their own conference later on. This is a very ‘Apple-esque’ move, and I wouldn’t be surprised to see it trend throughout other manufactures over time as well.

Lastly, the US gaming population has almost tripled since 2008, and there’s no doubt smartphones have cause quite a bit of this growth. Thus, now that smartphones are much more affordable – we’ll see the amount of gaming adopters eventually start to taper off. There was quite a boom these past three years, and though mobile gaming isn’t the only avenue gamers take – it has been the most progressive.


Google Music ramps up for a Valentine’s Day sale

Posted: 08 Feb 2012 05:31 PM PST

In case the bombardment of retail, online, television, billboard and radio ads hadn’t informed you just yet, Valentine’s Day is less than a week away. If you haven’t made plans for your significant other, for God’s sake, close this tab and get some dinner and/or show reservations pronto. We’ll wait. Couldn’t get any? Well you’re in deep trouble, gentle reader. If you’d still like to be in a relationship come February 15th, you might want to take advantage of Google Music’s Valentine’s Day sale.

While not quite as dramatic as the holiday music sale back in December, the “For Lovers For Le$$” promotion offers a collection of 81 albums for a reduced price of $6.99 each (in most cases). It’s an eclectic mix that should satisfy fans of every genre, whether you’re trying to woo a certain someone or console yourself over rejection from same. Get your lonely on in whatever way you choose, but if romance is your aim, you gotta go with the classics: albums from Billie Holiday, Ella Fitzgerald, Dean Martin, Etta James, Nat King Cole, Frank Sinatra and The Temptations are all on offer.

Most of the albums have a distinctly amorous theme, though a lot are simply popular collections from the last few years of pop and rock. Like the previous sales, there’s no indication of when Google intends to end the sale, though sometime after next Tuesday is a pretty good bet. As usual, you can purchase the albums from your phone or computer, and listen to them via the web or any Android device.


Rovio celebrates 2 years of Angry Birds with 15 new birthday levels, unlocks everything

Posted: 08 Feb 2012 05:15 PM PST

Angry Birds isn’t going anywhere quite yet. Although things like Temple Run are getting big the flying and obnoxious birds are here to stay. Today Rovio is celebrating their 2-year anniversary and are doing so with full-fledged update to the original Angry Birds with 15 new birthday themed levels full of cake.

This update has a lot of good things but one part I’m a little unsure about is they’ve unlocked every single level for all users. That means you wont have to earn it like the rest of us that wasted hours and hours of our lives. Firstworldproblems right? The update is available today, right now in the Android Market. The 15 new levels has also boosted them up to over 300 Angry Bird levels — impressive to say the least.

They’ve even introduced a new orange expandable bird character to make things even easier for those that want to play all those levels again, or for newbies looking to launch some birds for the first time. The menu’s have been tweaked and Rovio mentions a few improvements to the graphics too. I know many might be sick of the Angry birds by now but if you aren’t, you’ll want to head to the market right now and give it a try. Have fun!

Market Link


Chrome for Android Easter eggs: stupid tab tricks

Posted: 08 Feb 2012 05:02 PM PST

Being the fun-loving world domination corporation that they are, Google likes to spread around Easter eggs in almost every website or piece of software they develop. The system version Easter eggs are some of Android’s most famous, like Ice Cream Sandwich’s NyanDroid. So it is with Chrome for Android, Google’s attempt at synchronizing its desktop, mobile and stand-alone browser strategies. Two Easter eggs have been found in the mobile browser thus far, both intended to show off Chrome’s impressive memory management.

The first trick is easy enough to pull off: on the smartphone version, tap the Tabs button and slide the tabs up until the foreground tab fills the whole screen. Swipe up quickly and multiple times, and the entire stack will flip vertically, displaying a Chrome icon. This shows off Chrome’s animation power, which you can see elsewhere in the normal interface: swipe the tabs left or right to dismiss them in a circular motion. It’s neat, but mostly useless.

Observe:

The second Easter egg will take a little doing. Open up as many tabs as you can. Then do it again. Notice that the number of tabs is displayed in the address bar. When you reach a total of 100 open tabs, the icon will change to a smiley emoticon. Again, this is mostly useless, but it’s Google’s way of showing off Chrome’s impressive memory management abilities – try opening 100 tabs in the stock browser or any third-party browser and they’ll cry in frustration.

As Chrome for Android is still in Beta, there’s probably at least a few more of these left to find.

[via Cnet]


Temple Run for Android not launching tomorrow, still aiming for February

Posted: 08 Feb 2012 04:14 PM PST

The wildly popular and extremely fun game Temple Run for iOS is coming to Android, just like we told you last month. After a huge response from readers hoping for the game we have some bad news. Sadly after numerous rumors claimed February 9th was the official launch date we can now confirm that this hugely successful game is still coming soon, but not tomorrow.

After reaching out to Imangi Studios regarding the Android version, and checking progress over on their Facebook page we have learned that the release date was never announced and was never official on February 9th. Instead, progress is moving along quickly and they’ll be announcing a release date soon once it’s ready. According to numerous tweets we should still expect Temple Run for Android within this month, but as usual nothing is confirmed.

So there you have it folks. For everyone wondering, no it will not be released tomorrow, but hopefully before the end of the month we’ll have an update or even better — a release. This will be their first Android release and they want to get it right. I’ll be sure and follow progress for this game and will report back once we hear anything more. Be sure to stay tuned right here at Android Community for a full review once the game becomes available.


Android Open Kang Project ICS now available for the Motorola XOOM

Posted: 08 Feb 2012 02:59 PM PST

The Android Open Kang Project from Team Kang is yet another relatively extensive modification of Android’s open source code, available for a wide collection of devices including the Galaxy Nexus. For those of you who prefer your developer devices in tablet form, an Ice Cream Sandwich build for the Motorola XOOM is now available. Download the unicorn-themed ROM at your leisure, remembering of course that your warranty is gone like the promises of a thousand smiling politicians.

AOKP is similar to CyanogenMod, while having a distinct set of features and quirks. The now standard set of custom modifications to Ice Cream Sandwich is present, including custom power toggles, a fix for Facebook’s contact sync, and deodexed app files for custom themes. Naturally the ROM is rooted from the get go. AOKP for the XOOM is currently on Build 22, relatively early in its development, though from reports already showing promse when compared with Google’s stock ROM.

To flash AOKP, just download the ROM from the primary RootzWiki thread, reboot into a custom recovery (Assuming that you’re already rooted and all that jazz), wipe your current software and flash it in the normal fashion. As always and especially in Alpha ROMs, make a Nandroid backup of your current install for the unlikely event that something goes wrong. Like CyanogenMod, AOKP does not include Google’s apps, so you’ll need to flash a separate file to get access to Gmail, the Android Market, et cetera. Builds are available for both the WiFi-only XOOM and Verizon’s 3G version.


Google+ update brings “massive performance improvements” and more

Posted: 08 Feb 2012 02:31 PM PST

Google’s been busy this week with all sorts of exciting new updates. From Google Chrome for Android to a brand new overhauled Google Voice. Today they’ve issued a massive update to their social network Google+ application with tons of new features. Mainly stating “massive performance improvements across the app”.

Google has been updating their social app quite often to make sure it is steady, stable, and quick. Something the Facebook app for Android could use some help with. Looking over the “What’s New” from the image above we can see an entire host of changes with today’s update. Here is the full change log:

–Massive performance improvements across the app
–What’s Hot!
–View who +1′d a post or comment
–Stream posts shortened to fit more per scroll
–Infinite photos feed in ‘From your circles’
–Stream no longer jumps to the top for an automatic refresh

From my initial few minutes with the latest update things do seem to be running swiftly as I flip through pages, posts, and circles. The streams being shortened to fit more per scroll doesn’t appear to have changed too much. It looks like the previews are just slightly smaller. One of the biggest changes and something I’ve been extremely frustrated with is the automatic refresh jumping to the top. What a pain that has been. I’m extremely glad to see they’ve fixed that minor oversight. The update has just landed and is available right now. Check for updates or hit the market link below to enjoy the latest from Google. Don’t forget to circle us at +AndroidCommunity

Market Link


Xbox indie hit Super Meat Boy may be headed for Android soon

Posted: 08 Feb 2012 02:24 PM PST

Imagine, if you will, a classic two-dimensional platformer of the Mega Man or Ghosts and Goblins ilk. Plenty of twitch jumping and running, and taking out humorously proportioned sprite bad guys with improbable methods of self defense. Got it? OK, now imagine that your hero character is half a pound of ground beef. That’s the gist of Super Meat Boy, a flash game that gained acclaim when it was published to the Xbox Live Arcade and later desktop computers. According to remarks made by developer Team Meat (I’m sensing a theme here) their next game will probably come out on mobile devices.

Of course that’s no guarantee of an Android version, at least for most games. But lead developer Tommy Refenes has made his preferences well known over the last year or so, loudly proclaiming his distaste for the iPhone, the iTunes App Store and Apple in general. In short, he’s our kind of dev. “If it comes out, it’ll come out for everything at the same time. I like Android more than I like iOS.” Thanks, Tommy – so do we. Since the company’s CEO has indicated that the next project would be coming to the iPhone, that’s a pretty good indication that it’s headed to Android, too.

Super Meat Boy started out as an in-browser Flash game, attracting digital masochists with its punishing difficulty. The gist is that Meat Boy must rescue his girlfriend Bandage Girl from the evil Dr. Fetus. Yes, really. Players must navigate a nightmarish 2D landscape of buzz saws, spikes and other massive tools of dismemberment. If you die, you meaty former self remains stuck to the landscape in various states of dismemberment. Upon its release on XBLA, it received nearly universal acclaim from reviewers. It’s possible that Team Meat’s next game will be something outside of the Super Meat Boy universe… but come on, they call themselves Team Meat. You can play the original here.

[via Pocket Gamer]


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