Android Community |
- ASUS Transformer Prime gets ClockworkMod Recovery
- DROID Fighter and LG Cayman leak for Verizon
- HTC drops teaser before Mobile World Congress
- Verizon’s 4G LTE network has yet another outage
- ASUS releases glimpse of final Padfone hardware before MWC event
- Motorola prepares Gingerbread update for the Cliq 2 – yes, really
- LG X3 will come to market as the Optimus 4X HD
- Asus releases Transformer Prime bootloader unlock tool
- Fujitsu plans 13.1MP Tegra 3 Ice Cream Sandwich phone for MWC
- South African carriers hint at Galaxy S III release in Q3 2012
- T-Mobile officially announces Samsung Galaxy S Blaze 4G, available in March
- LG Optimus 3D Cube announced with 3D video editing and more
- Twitter for Android updated, new features included
- T-Mobile to see HTC Ville, Huawei Prism, and Samsung T769 soon
- Android Community Evening Wrap-Up: February 21, 2012
- Bicycle prepares playing cards with NFC and Android apps
- Qualcomm introduces 5th-generation Gobi network chip
- Verizon Galaxy Nexus desktop dock available from Samsung
- Ubuntu for Android gets a hands-on video
- The Simpsons: Tapped Out coming to Android by EA Mobile
| ASUS Transformer Prime gets ClockworkMod Recovery Posted: 22 Feb 2012 11:34 AM PST Well folks, that sure was fast. After ASUS released their official bootloader unlock tool only hours ago, the amazing developer community we all love and trust have already released ClockworkMod Recovery for the quad-core powered tablet. It is available now and will require a few ADB commands but for those interested this is good news.
Obviously now that the Transformer Prime bootloader can be easily and officially unlocked the development will surely take off. It has been rooted a few times already and now the fun part can truly begin. It looks like developers might have already had this waiting because they released it pretty quick after the ASUS unlock tool was dropped. Once some official work gets started I’m sure the touch-based recovery will make its way to the Prime. Also this early release only works with the built-in storage and you wont be able to flash or mount USB storage while in recovery. That should be fixed shortly but for now we’ll take what we can get right. Check out a few of our links below for our full review, root instructions and more for the Prime then head to XDA and get CWM Recovery today. XDA Thread — thanks MacK Device Info
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Dimension & Weight
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 Cellular Network Device Connectivity
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| DROID Fighter and LG Cayman leak for Verizon Posted: 22 Feb 2012 11:22 AM PST Mobile World Congress officially kicks off on Sunday but we are slowly starting to see plenty of leaks and details this past week. Today another leak has just revealed two upcoming smartphones for Verizon Wireless and most likely they’ll be 4G LTE phones. The DROID Fighter and LG Cayman have both broke cover and are coming in the next month or two.
The name “DROID Fighter” instantly made me think of the above picture. It was that or Jean Claude Van Damme but I figured a picture from Bloodsport would be too much. Obviously these names are probably just codenames and we’ll have something more fitting come final release — although the XYBOARD name might prove that theory to be false. We don’t have many details on either of these phones but according to leaks gathered by Droid-Life the LG Cayman is listed in Verizon maps for a late March arrival around 3/29 and the DROID Fighter (probably Motorola) is slotted in around April 12th. The Fighter could also be a follow up to the DROID Charge but your guess is as good as ours at this point. Chances are we’ll be hearing or seeing more shortly, possible at Mobile World Congress this next week over in Barcelona, Spain. These may or may not be actual release dates but they do both fall on Thursday — Verizon’s favorite day to launch new phones.
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| HTC drops teaser before Mobile World Congress Posted: 22 Feb 2012 09:55 AM PST HTC is gearing up for Mobile World Congress with a new line of smartphones and a neat new naming scheme. Aiming to have a better year than the last we expect great things from HTC. Today over on their Facebook page they’ve posted a teaser image that only causes us to have more questions than we did yesterday.
They don’t give us much to go on other then a simple one liner that reads : “This Sunday you'll discover something fast.” We already know they have a quad-core smartphone headed to the event in the HTC One X (HTC Edge), but the 5 could mean we’ll be seeing 5 devices from team HTC this weekend. Sunday is HTC’s Mobile World Congress event and we will be there live to get all the pictures and video you’d like. Other various leaks have teased an HTC One S, One V, and possible a tablet or two from HTC this year so we’ll be sure to bring all the latest news. Not just on that “fast” device they are teasing. There is a lot we expect to see at MWC this year and HTC is just one part, but an important one. With their new hero strategy where they’ll be making less, but better quality phones than they have in the past we are excited to see what they bring along. Check back Sunday for all the details and news as it comes in. [via Facebook]
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| Verizon’s 4G LTE network has yet another outage Posted: 22 Feb 2012 09:10 AM PST Play it again, Sam: Verizon customers in locations across the United States are unable to connect to the LTE data network this morning. The outage may or may not be nationwide, but customers in Houston, Dallas, Memphis, various California locations and New York City are all reporting issues. Verizon customer service has confirmed connection problems, and assures applicants that it’s working on them. 3G data and voice seem to be unaffected so far.
This has become a recurring problem for Verizon, which had no less than three major outages in December of 2011 – just a few weeks after the releases of major 4G phones like the HTC Rezound and Motorola DROID RAZR. It didn’t help that Verizon’s marketing has featured the “largest 4G LTE network in the country” and “the most reliable major network” (paraphrasing) for months. The outages varied in breadth and duration, but the longest was a complete shutdown of every LTE network that lasted more than a day. Verizon previously indicated various technical issues behind the interruptions of service. They basically blamed new challenges in the LTE standard, but that’s little comfort to customers who were sold on greater speeds on a big, reliable network – not to mention the fact that data caps now limit how much they can do and when. Verizon’s reputation as the best large-scale cellular provider is taking some big hits, no doubt about it. We’ll see if they can make amends, or if their competitors can capitalize on the misfortune. Feel free to report any Verizon issues you’re having in the comments section, and be sure to include your city and the time that the problems started or ended. [via SlashGear]
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| ASUS releases glimpse of final Padfone hardware before MWC event Posted: 22 Feb 2012 08:48 AM PST Without a doubt, one of the most interesting pieces of hardware3 from a design and form factor standpoint has been the Padfone from Asus. We first saw the dockable smartphone/tablet way back in May of last year as a concept device, but over the last eight months it’s been steadily progressing to a retail release. We saw refreshed hardware at CES under glass, but rumors pegged it for a final, official unveiling at Mobile World Congress. Considering the invitation we just received to Asus’ press conference, we’d say those rumors can be put to rest.
To refresh your memory, the Padfone is a unique smartphone with a ~10-inch tablet add-on device. Slide the phone into the dock and your data, apps and media appear on the tablet, using Android’s tablet interface. Back in May this was a bit of a pipe dream, but the combination of code for both smartphone and tablet interfaces in Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich appears to have made it a reality. In effect the tablet add-on is just a bigger screen and battery for the smartphone… because that’s all it needs. Presumably, that means you can use your phone’s cellular and data connection to make calls and texts as well. Given the conceptual nature of the Padfone, hardware specifications are a little hard to come by, but we do know that the smartphone uses a 4.3-inch AMOLED display (or at least it did when we saw it at CES). Based on the revised render in the invitation, it looks like the capacitive navigation buttons may have been abandoned. There’s no way to know the dimensions of either piece, but it’s safe to say that the tablet portion needs to be considerably larger than other ten-inch devices. There’s been a lot of talk about docking and interfaces in Android lately: rumors persist that Android Jelly Bean includes a desktop mode activated by an external screen, and a new ARM-based version of Ubuntu will be available to Android OEMs later this year for the same purpose. Of course Asus id no stranger to docking hardware, since the Eee Pad Transformer and Transformer Prime include keyboard attachments with extra ports and batteries. We can’t wait to see what Asus brings to the table in Barcelona – keep an eye on our Mobile World Congress portal for the latest news.
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| Motorola prepares Gingerbread update for the Cliq 2 – yes, really Posted: 22 Feb 2012 07:29 AM PST I’ve got some wonderful news for the eight people that still own a Motorola Cliq 2 on T-Mobile! Your prayers have been answered, and you’ll soon be getting an official update to Android 2.3 Gingerbread. All it took was 13 months after the Cliq 2′s January 2011 release, and a full 14 months after the availability of Gingerbread itself. So…. hooray. If you’d like to get in on the action a little early, you can head over to the official Motorola forum and sign up to beta test the update for the manufacturer. The new software still includes the MOTOBLUR UI layer.
The Motorola Cliq 2 was released on January 19th, 2011 as a mild refresh of the original Cliq, including its sliding QWERTY keyboard. The screen was bumped up to 3.7 inches with a resolution of 854×480 (the same size nad density as the original DROID) with a 5-megapixel camera and Android 2.2, which at the time was downright timely. T-Mobile was the only US carrier to bite, though it seems to have hit its end of life between then and now – likely superseded by phones like the MyTouch Q by LG. Motorola has been getting a lot of flak lately for its poor update schedule, thanks to the reveal that most of its high-end phones wouldn’t be seeing Ice Cream Sandwich until at least the summer of 2012, and probably longer. Updating a year-old phone with year-old software isn’t likely to change that perception. All this is set to the backdrop of Google’s acquisition of the American company, which seems to clash with their continuing habit of poor support and locked-down software. We can only hope that the big G will be a positive influence of Moto’s customer-facing policies, but that seems less and less likely as the acquisition begins its final stages. [via TmoNews]
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| LG X3 will come to market as the Optimus 4X HD Posted: 22 Feb 2012 06:56 AM PST What’s more catchy than an extremely generic product name like “X3″? How about a longer generic name that’s already appeared on dozens of handsets? PocketNow reports that the LG X3, rumored to be the South Korean manufacturer’s new flagship when it appears at Mobile World Congress, will be rechristened the LG Optimus 4X HD. Why 4X? Who knows. Changes from a codename to a more generic name for actual release aren’t uncommon, and our American readers should remember that LG tends to bow to carriers when it comes to US branding – see the Optimus LTE and its Nitro HD and Spectrum names on AT&T and Verizon, respectively.
Just to jog your memory: the LG X3 was previously rumored to feature a quad-core Tegra 3 processor, a massive 4.7-inch 720p display (likely featuring the same IPS LCD technology as the Optimus LTE) with 16GB of on-board storage and an 8MP rear camera. The original source claimed that the superphone runs Ice Cream Sandwich, but since we’re seeing a Menu button in the capacitive navigation area, Gingerbread at launch is still a distinct possibility. The CX3/Optimus 4X HD has already been put through the benchmark gauntlet, and come out way on top of the rank and file of high-end Android phones. For those of you keeping track, that’s at least four Tegra 3 phones we’re expecting to see unveiled at Mobile World Congress next week: HTC’s One X (nee Edge), Fujitsu’s unnamed 13.1-megapixel monster, Huawei’s Ascend D1 Q, and now the LG Optimus 4X HD. In addition LG has recently unveiled the Optimus 3D Cube, AKA the 3D Max, with its lenticular display, along with the more luxury-oriented L3, L5 and L7, all likewise sporting the Optimus branding. If you can get through all of that without a chart of some kind, good for you – everyone else, head over to our Mobile World Congress 2012 portal to get the latest.
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| Asus releases Transformer Prime bootloader unlock tool Posted: 22 Feb 2012 06:33 AM PST It’s finally time, Eee Pad Transformer Prime owners: Asus has graced you with its promised bootloader unlock tool. If you don’t want to waste precious seconds reading, click this here link to get to the download page. Select “Android” in the OS pull-down menu, then click “Utilities”, then click the download link under “Unlock Device App: Unlock boot loader”. The bootloader unlock tool will only work if you’ve updated your Transformer Prime to the official Ice Cream Sandwich ROM, and like all bootloader unlocks, it will wipe your personal information completely.
If you’re new to the Transformer Prime or the short-lived controversy surrounding its release, it goes something like this: Asus locked the bootloader when the high-powered tablet hit the market back in December, to the consternation of just about every advanced Android user who wanted to get his or her custom ROM on. After an outcry from disgruntled customers, Asus promised an unlock tool in February, as well as a relatively speedy upgrade to Android 4.0 in January. Both those promises are now fulfilled, even if some of the hardware-related issues that users have been having with WiFi and GPS are still present. Note that if you decide to take your bootloader into your own hands, your warranty is kaput. Once the bootloader is unlocked, it won’t take long for someone to use fastboot to get a custom recovery package installed, and after that it’s only a matter of time before custom ROMs and kernels start appearing. Asus has yet to update the original Transformer to Ice Cream Sandwich (and may not do so until March) but there’s plenty of community-authored ROMs out there that have picked up the slack. Happy modding, folks!
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| Fujitsu plans 13.1MP Tegra 3 Ice Cream Sandwich phone for MWC Posted: 22 Feb 2012 05:51 AM PST
Naturally Ice Cream Sandwich is along for the ride, and it’s coming in a semi-rugged chassis that’s resistant to both water and dust. Fujitsu didn’t say anything about ARROW-style thinness, and since it’s also purported to have impressive battery life, we can assume that a slinky frame wasn’t a priority. Based on the tiny thumbnail provided by the manufacturer as a pre-event teaser, you can see that it uses just three capacitive buttons – and that one of them is Menu. That implies that the phone was originally designed with Gingerbread in mind, but of course, the photo probably doesn’t reflect final hardware. If Fujitsu wants to get back in the worldwide smartphone game, it’s picked a heck of a time to do so. Both HTC and Huawei have already leaked drool-worthy Tegra 3 devices before MWC, and fellow Japanese giant Panasonic has already revealed its high-end Eluga phone set for a wide release. That’s not even counting regular competition from Samsung and Motorola, both of which are probably sitting out MWC when it comes to high-end smartphone hardware. Fujitsu will be on the floor showing off its latest and greatest, so keep an eye on our Mobile World Congress 2012 portal for all the juicy details.
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| South African carriers hint at Galaxy S III release in Q3 2012 Posted: 22 Feb 2012 05:23 AM PST Well it’s been about a week since we heard some juicy and unsubstantiated rumors about the Samsung Galaxy S III… which means we’re long overdue. MyBroadband reports that a spokesman from the South African branch of Virgin Mobile said that they plan to offer the phone some time in the third quarter, with local carrier Cell C replying that they’d have it some time in July. A third carrier, MTN, said that they’d offer the Galaxy S III instead of the Galaxy Nexus, but didn’t give a time frame for the former.
A late summer/early fall release makes sense, if the rumors that Samsung is delaying the Galaxy S III to better prepare for the iPhone 5 launch are true. And we stress, those are just rumors – Samsung won’t be bringing the next Galaxy flagship to Mobile World Congress this month, but that could just be because it needs more time in development. However, the fact that Samsung has decided to hold its own event, Apple-style, certainly lends credence to the idea that they want their own private limelight. We’d talk about the Galaxy S III’s rumored specifications, but honestly, there’s been so much back and forth and the release is so far away that there isn’t much point. (The photo above is an optimistic fan render.) It’s safe to assume that the phone will have at least a 4.5-inch screen using Samsung’s 720p Super AMOLED display, and rock Ice Cream Sandwich with Touchwiz. Beyond that, it’s all speculation: 3D lenticular technology, waterproof casings, and a built-in bottle opener – take your pick. We won’t be seeing the GSIII at Mobile World Congress, but the smart money is on third-generation Samsung tablets showing up. [via Phone Arena]
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| T-Mobile officially announces Samsung Galaxy S Blaze 4G, available in March Posted: 21 Feb 2012 10:05 PM PST T-Mobile has officially announced that the Samsung Galaxy S Blaze 4G will be available in March. It will take advantage of T-Mobile’s 4G (HSPA+42) network, and run a 1.5GHz dual-core Snapdragon S3 processor. Coming in with a display at just under 3.97″, the Blaze is classified as an above-average device.
It may not have an 8MP shooter like the best of them, but the 5MP included should suffice the average user. The camcorder is capable of taking 720p HD video, and a 1.3MP front-facing shooter will allow video conferencing. It will sport a Super AMOLED display for color-rich pictures and better-than-average viewing angles. The Blaze 4G will ship with Android 2.3 (Gingerbread), and there is no word on whether it will see Android 4.0. Chances are it will, but then again Android 5.0 may be out by then – so devices released within the next few months may see an upgrade to that instead. It is expected to retail for $149.99 in store, after a $50 mail-in rebate; this is of course after you sign up for a 2-year service agreement.    
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| LG Optimus 3D Cube announced with 3D video editing and more Posted: 21 Feb 2012 09:55 PM PST LG is at it again today and have announced another smartphone this week. With three new devices in the L series we mentioned earlier today and now the LG Optimus 3D 2, only they are calling it the LG Optimus 3D Cube. With dual 5 megapixel cameras and live 3D video editing this should be a pretty great phone — if you like 3D.
If you are a fan of 3D then this will be the phone for you. Hopefully this will change my mind because I’m not quite sold on it yet — especially on mobile. Apparently LG decided they needed a follow up to the original so today we present you with the 3D Cube. Previously leaks called it the CX2 but that was just a code name. The LG Optimus 3D Cube is powered by Android 2.3 Gingerbread, a 1.2 GHz dual-core processor, 1GB of RAM and dual 5 megapixel cameras for full 3D video capture. As you probably guessed we have glasses-free 3D viewing but the screen size or resolution hasn’t increased from the original Optimus 3D. The Cube also comes with 16GB of internal storage and a measly 1520 mAh battery under the hood. However, we do have NFC included to take advantage of the new LG Tag system that was also announced earlier this week. The LG Optimus 3D Cube is a little thinner, faster, and has NFC but until we get our hands on it live in Spain during Mobile World Congress we’ll just leave it at that. If 3D video capture or editing on while on a mobile device interests you stay tuned to our MWC 2012 portal for all the details.    [via LG Korea (translated)]
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| Twitter for Android updated, new features included Posted: 21 Feb 2012 09:24 PM PST Twitter has been updated for Android, and includes some much welcomed features. After updating, you’ll notice that when swiping over a tweet, options to reply, retweet, favorite, or share instantly glide over. This is all without losing your place in your timeline; heavy twitter users are going to love this.
A “find friends” update has made its way over as well. It alerts the user that Twitter will be uploading your entire contacts’ email addresses and phone numbers over to see who all may have a Twitter account. Previously, there was no confirmation alert. With the recent Path scare some experienced, it’s better to let your users know what they’re getting themselves into. Lastly, Twitter for Android is now optimized for Android 4.0 (Ice Cream Sandwich), the Kindle Fire, and the Barnes & Noble NOOK Color/Tablet. The update has already gone live, so head over to the Android Market to pick it up. If you’re not really interested in the new features, you’ll be glad to know the update has a few security improvements, new languages, and a many bug fixes as well. [via intoMobile]
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| T-Mobile to see HTC Ville, Huawei Prism, and Samsung T769 soon Posted: 21 Feb 2012 08:51 PM PST An internal T-Mobile document has finally been leaked reassuring exposure of a few devices. From the snapshot you’ll notice three devices confirmed to launch on their network. Though the devices themselves aren’t mentioned in the leak, their accessories are – which is good enough for us. It’s also nice to know we should see some official accessories to accompany the devices upon initial release.
The Samsung T769 (also known as the Galaxy S Blaze 4G), Huawei Prism, and the HTC Ville should all see T-Mobile shelves in due time. The HTC Ville has been in the spotlight a bit more than the rest; from prototype videos leaking to a few spy photos. On the other hand, the Prism is completely new to us all. It’s too bad the information doesn’t confirm device specifications, as that’s what we’ve all been wondering about. Knowing a device is set to show up on your network is nice too though. Those of you with upgrades may want to hold it out a bit longer until a few of these hit, they’ll likely be well worth it. [via TmoNews]
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| Android Community Evening Wrap-Up: February 21, 2012 Posted: 21 Feb 2012 08:21 PM PST Today, the Cyanogen team finally showed off their new logo and boot animation for CyanogenMod 9. It looks much like the previous boot animation from the start, but instead of the revolving arrow, the team has added a ‘digital warp tunnel’ of some sort. There’s no doubt this new animation takes advantage of screens with higher resolutions.
We also saw Canonical bring Android and Ubuntu together today in a rather unique way. When the Linux distro is loaded onto your smartphone, it can now display Ubuntu over its HDMI-out. It’s hard to get a feel for how responsive it may be, and that’s where the hands-on video clears up any questions. It’s looking really smooth – and sure beats a few webtop UI’s we’ve been introduced to. The Blackberry Playbook received an upgraded version of its OS today. Version 2.0 brings long awaited Android application support. For now, only select applications will work – around 800 to be exact. Considering how many Android apps are actually out there, that’s very few. And finally, Motorola has been confirmed as an Intel Medfield launch partner. Details will surely be exposed next week, and I’m sure we’ll see Intel’s new chip be implemented into many other devices as well. It’s hard to set accurate expectations for the Medfield processor; we’ll just have to put it to the test once they’re accessible.
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| Bicycle prepares playing cards with NFC and Android apps Posted: 21 Feb 2012 05:17 PM PST Fifty-two cards, four suits, with an ace and three face cards in each. It can’t get much simpler, right? But it can get a whole lot more complicated. That seems to be the thinking behind Bicycle’s new Jacked Up! cards, which feature an NFC chip embedded in each card. The cards can be read by any smartphone with an NFC chip, plus a free Android app. Separate decks will be sold for Solitaire, Hearts and War. (War? Really?) The Jacked Up! decks were displayed at the International Toy Fair, and should be available in April.
So if you’ve got a smartphone you can play cards on, and you’ve got, well, cards that you can play cards with, what do you need a connection for? The NFC function is thrown in as sort of a digital wildcard: scan a card, and suddenly the rules change. All of a sudden jacks are wild or the river flows over the sixes or something (admittedly, I’ve never learned how to play Hearts). A random change and a losing hand could instantly become a winning one. The decks include some plastic smartphone stands to keep your phone private. So, who’s ready to dive into the exciting world of augmented playing cards! To be honest, this sounds like a bit of a reach – cramming new technology into something that’s better left alone. Even with amazing video games around, people still manage to play with real, physical cards – heck, with the sensory overload that is modern video games, playing a round of cards is a downright relief. If you still insist on inserting technology into every aspect of your life, the Jacked Up! decks will start at around $8 in a couple of months. [via PC World]
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| Qualcomm introduces 5th-generation Gobi network chip Posted: 21 Feb 2012 04:41 PM PST With Nvidia announcing a compete smartphone platform and nipping at the market leader’s metaphorical heels, Qualcomm isn’t intent on slowing down for a minute. Earlier today benchmarks for the next generation of Snapdragon processor were released, and now the networking architecture to match has been unveiled. Qualcomm’s Gobi framework, intended to match the Snapdragon system on a chip hardware spec, should be coming to phones and tablets later this year.
Gobi 5 will have support for the standard GSM, HSPDA+ and CDMA networks, plus LTE, TD-SCDMA, and TD-LTE. If that’s not enough alphabet soup for you, it”l also include a GPS module. All are intended to allow for faster and more efficient operation. Compatibility with Android and other ARM-based operating systems will sit right next to x86 capabilities, for tablets running Windows 8 or Linux derivatives. Since Apple uses Gobi in its Verizon hardware, it’s likely that they’ll upgrade along with everyone else. What does this mean for end-users of Android? Not much – Qualcomm leads production of SoC and network chips, so the upgrades above are status quo. But with more and more competition form the likes of Nvidia, Samsung and Marvell, not to mention Intel’s entrance into mobile hardware, the supply side of Android is about to get much more complicated. Developers in particular will have more and more processor, graphics and network platforms to contend with. [via SlashGear]
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| Verizon Galaxy Nexus desktop dock available from Samsung Posted: 21 Feb 2012 04:32 PM PST Since Google and Samsung first announced the Galaxy Nexus we have been waiting for some official accessories from Samsung themselves, especially for the Verizon LTE model. Thanks to a watchful eye it appears Samsung.com is all set and has recently started shipping the desktop dock for the Galaxy Nexus. Looking at the compatibility list the Verizon model is clearly listed.
Being listed as the Galaxy Nexus i515 Pogo Desktop dock this landscape mode dock uses the 3-pin connectors on the side of the Nexus for wireless and easy charging. We have seen a few accessories for the GSM international Galaxy Nexus but not the Verizon model. Under supported devices the Galaxy Nexus is listed as “SCH-I515MSAVZW”. See the VZW at the end folks? More pictures of the new dock are available in the gallery below for those interested. With no HDMI-out option I’m a little sad but Samsung has provided an audio output for those looking to stream music, don’t forget the Galaxy Nexus supports MHL either guys. The official Samsung Galaxy Nexus Pogo desktop dock will run you $89.99 but is currently listed as out of stock. We’ve reached out to Samsung for more details and hopefully will have one in for review soon — if they ever become available.     [via Droid-Life]
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| Ubuntu for Android gets a hands-on video Posted: 21 Feb 2012 03:39 PM PST Canonical’s brand-spanking new combination of Android and the Ubuntu Linux distribution is easily the most exciting software development for Android since Ice Cream Sandwich. Basically it packs an ARM-based version of Ubuntu into a standard Android phone, activating it only when docked to a computer via HDMI. The software and basic capabilities were announced earlier today, but a Canonical employee was nice enough to post a live demonstration of Ubuntu on Android to YouTube.
As promised, as soon as the phone (a Motorola Atrix 2) is placed in the dock, the full Ubuntu OS opens on the computer monitor. (A mouse and keyboard are probably connected via Bluetooth.) The phone is still running Android in the background, and Ubuntu has access to not only the files and folders on the phone, but the video out and apps as well, not unlike WebTop. Ubuntu uses the phone as storage and a network connection, and Android alerts show up on the desktop as well, keeping a user connected at all times. Observe: There are some important limitations: first, Canonical isn’t releasing Ubuntu for Android to the public. They’re hoping to license the software to manufacturers as an add-in on new phones, so no existing phones will be officially supported. Next, phones must have at least a dual-core process or and 512MB of RAM (understandable with all the power requirements) and HDMI-out to qualify. Lastly, Ubuntu is running on ARM hardware, so programs designed for x86 (i.e. most of the desktop applications out there) won’t work immediately. Expect to see more out of Canonical in the next few months, and perhaps the first Ubuntu on Android phones before 2013.
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| The Simpsons: Tapped Out coming to Android by EA Mobile Posted: 21 Feb 2012 03:36 PM PST This is quite possibly the best news I’ve heard all day. EA Mobile is planning to release a brand new game called The Simpsons: Tapped Out according to CNET. EA is expecting this to be one of the biggest mobile game titles of the year for them, and in general. If you are a mobile gamer this should definetaly have you excited.
The pictures provided look pretty awesome so far, as does the story line. This will be a building and strategy game where players will get to rebuild the town of Springfield. Goofy Homer causes an explosion and blows up the nuclear power plant, and city of Springfield. No characters actually get hurt but instead are scattered throughout the city. Players will have to gather the characters while rebuilding the city and other various quests. You can unlock and play as multiple characters in the Simpson family as you progress through the game. Sounds good right? Lisa is unlocked first and helps daddy Homer clean up the city. Along the way players will be treated with the usual Simpsons’ trademark brand of humor. The entire freemium model might make a few unhappy but the model of freemium games is getting bigger and bigger. You should be able to play for free but users can make in-game purchases for faster achievements, unlocks and other things. I’m hoping that in-game purchases aren’t necessary to beat the game and will just make things quicker or easier, but I have a feeling that wont be the case. I’ll gladly buy some donuts and beer for Homer along the way, but not everyone will want to do the same. We are hearing this will sadly land first for iOS in the coming weeks or months. And EA expects it to be a smashing success for iPhone and iPad. According to the reports it will later land on Android, hopefully within a month or two but nothing was confirmed. It looks like we might be waiting a few months for another awesome game.    
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Fujitsu has been making waves in the Android world as of late, due in no small part to their impressively thin 
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