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- Samsung Galaxy S III gets the teardown treatment
- Quad-core Creative HanZpad slides through the FCC
- CyanogenMod 9 ported to international HTC One X
- MOGA combines universal Bluetooth game pad and dev tools
- Galaxy Nexus 3-pin car dock works with Verizon model – sort of
- Samsung Galaxy Player 4.2 Review
- Possible T-Mobile Galaxy S III photos show physical home button
- Gameloft’s N.O.V.A. 3 for Android Review
- T-Mobile Galaxy S II getting Ice Cream Sandwich June 11th
- SHADOWGUN meets Left 4 Dead in Dead Trigger THD for Android
- Verizon Motorola Xoom 4G LTE upgrade to ICS coming June 4th
| Samsung Galaxy S III gets the teardown treatment Posted: 01 Jun 2012 07:27 PM PDT Rumor, leak, speculation, pre-announcement, announcement, release, root, recovery, custom ROM, waiting for new software releases, replacement. Such is the life cycle for a modern Android phone (though not necessarily in that order). For major phones, a teardown from the dedicated folks at iFixIt has also become pretty commonplace, and the latest to get the treatment is the Galaxy S III.
There’s nothing particularly surprising inside the GSIII - everything’s just a little bigger and a little thinner than we’re used to seeing on a slate phone. Getting the thing open doesn’t even require any normal tools, just a standard Phillips screwdriver in a small size and something to lever the plastic. Configuration is very similar to the Galaxy S II and Galaxy Nexus, with an inner plastic brace separating the electronic components from the battery bay. Interestingly, there’s a large among of components embedded into the (probably) magnesium frame just below the motherboard. The camera module gets its own separate plastic piece. Based on the photos and descriptions, it should be fairly easy to repair hardware failure for those with the know-how – much more so than, say, the DROID RAZR. Hardware-based mods should be at least as easy as other phones, though with an integrated wireless charger coming, it’s hard to see what else you could add. Device Info
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| Quad-core Creative HanZpad slides through the FCC Posted: 01 Jun 2012 06:06 PM PDT It’s been a year and a half since we saw any Android hardware from Creative Labs, but that may change very soon. Engadget spotted a previously unknown tablet, the HanZpad (yeah, we don’t know either) going through the motions at the FCC. It’s a pretty standard WiFi tablet, but there’s some surprisingly high-end specs on display, including a quad-core ARM processor and a thickness of just 7.95mm.
The HanZpad is using the somewhat non-standard ZiiLABs platform, a system-on-a-chip from a Chinese manufacturer designed specifically with Android 4.0 in mind. So while there’s no hint at what software the tablet is actually running, Ice Cream Sandwich seems like an obvious choice. Engadget supposes that Creative will be adding its own software (which makes sense, considering their media history) and debuting the HanZpad in China before a wider release. Specs include a 1.5ghz processor speed, 1GB of RAM, a MicroSD card slot. The screen is a standard 10-inch 1280×800, but the panel is thankfully IPS. We don’t know when or if this one will make it to Europe or the Americas, but we’d be glad to see Creative give Archos some competition in the media-focused tablet area.
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| CyanogenMod 9 ported to international HTC One X Posted: 01 Jun 2012 05:30 PM PDT Ah, custom ROMs: the soul and center of the Android world, at least for us. Today we finally see the combination of one of the hottest phones available and the world’s most popular custom ROM. A generous dev named “TripNRaVer” on the Modaco forum has built CyanogenMod 9 from source for the HTC One X. Custom ROM flashers, it’s time to get your mod on.
There are a couple of things that might keep you away from this build: one, it’s only for the Tegra 3 version of the phone, so AT&T and Rogers users need not apply. Second, it’s not from the official CyanogenMod 9 team – this is a ROM built from the source code by a third party, technically making it a “kang”. That said, it appears to b ea pretty faithful build, without extra fluff. The CM9 team will probably produce their own version eventually. It looks like just about everything is working except for WiFi tethering, which you may be able to implement via a third party app. Those of you who have the LTE version of the phone needn’t worry – now that the pesky bootloader has been undone, it shouldn’t be too long before we see similar ROMs for other versions. The menu key is recreated in software, so no need to worry about navigation woes. Have fun, kiddos, and remember to always make a Nandroid backup. Device Info
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| MOGA combines universal Bluetooth game pad and dev tools Posted: 01 Jun 2012 04:58 PM PDT I’ll just come out and say it: touchscreen controls suck for action-packed, complex games like, say, N.O.V.A. 3. That’s what makes the Xperia PLAY popular despite mid-range hardware, and why so much energy is expended on getting existing controllers to work with Android. MOGA isn’t the first controller we’ve seen specifically for Android, but it does appear to be one of the best thought-out around, and it already works with games from Gameloft, Sega and others.
The MOGA uses a style we’ve seen before: a flat-ish controller with a clip mechanism that expands and contracts to fit your phone. When folded flat, it’s a little over twice the size of the Galaxy Nexus with the phone attached. It follows the standard of modern console controllers, though it opts for dual analog sticks with no D-Pad. FPS fans will love it, fighter and puzzle fans, not so much. The best part is that the manufacturer is publishing dev tools and APIs so that any game developer can get in on the action. They’re already well in with some major publishers, so N.O.V.A. 3, Six Guns, Duke Nukem and Sonic The Hedgehog 4 Episode II are already working. There’s also a completely separate controller for tablet gamers. Details on availability and price are scarce, but we should know more after E3 next week. [via Kotaku]
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| Galaxy Nexus 3-pin car dock works with Verizon model – sort of Posted: 01 Jun 2012 04:05 PM PDT Plenty of you disappointed when Samsung’s Galaxy Nexus car dock for the Verizon LTE version of the phone turned out to be less of a dock and more of a snugly-fitting piece of plastic. So far Verizon customers haven’t been able to take advantage of the three electrical contacts on the left side of the phone at all. Though Google states (emphatically and repeatedly) that the docks on the Google Play Store are for the GSM model only, at least one LTE Gnex owner on XDA got it to work.
According to XDA member Wade-0, the LTE model will indeed fit into the GSM car dock, even with the popular extended battery in place. The biggest problem is that the volume rocker is slightly depressed when doing so, an issue that Wade got around by slicing a small part of the plastic off. There’s also a little bit of confusion over whether or not the phone will actually charge, since he’s got custom kernel that allows faster charging via USB. (Good on ya.) Other small issues like the dock partially blocking the camera and auxiliary port can probably be solved in the same fashion, so long as you’re OK with taking a knife to your $54 car dock. Based on this, I think I’ll just stick with the dock I’ve got now for my personal vehicle. Ain’t it a shame that all this could have been avoided if Samsung had done right by Verizon customers in the first place? Device Info
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[via Droid-Life]
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| Samsung Galaxy Player 4.2 Review Posted: 01 Jun 2012 03:59 PM PDT Samsung has continued its push of Android WiFi devices for the media consumption crowd with their all-new Galaxy Player 4.2 iPod rival. The Galaxy Player 4.2 aims to take on media players of all shapes and sizes coming with great specs, a large screen, impressive sound output and more all for a low price. This is everything a high quality Samsung smartphone is, only without the phone parts. Read on for our full review and conclusion.
Just like their tablets, Samsung has a wide array of sizes for Galaxy Players too. We’ve reviewed a few (linked below) but today will be focusing on the new and improved size and design of the Galaxy Player 4.2. Complete with decent specs and a simple user interface this device is what Samsung hopes will reach the hands of Android fans needing an iPod replacement. Hardware    As you can see above, the design is awesome and is a perfect blend of the Galaxy S III and a tablet. Taking the same hardware home button and two capacitive touch buttons for controls and tossing large and loud speaker grills on both sides for optimal audio bliss. To complete the specs we have a 2 megapixel camera on the rear (no 720p video recording), a VGA front camera if you care to use it, a decent 1,500 mAh battery under the hood and Android 2.3 Gingerbread. The design is very sleek and simple. In the video below I compare it to the Galaxy Nexus, and the only buttons we have is the power button, volume up/down on the right. Then the bottom gets the 3.5mm headphone jack and a charging port. Very minimal — but in a good way. The only downside to the hardware is the capacitive buttons seem a bit dim, and the dedicated home button doesn’t feel extremely sturdy. Neither of these are a big concern though, just me nitpicking.    As you saw from the video the phone looks great, but it also feels great in the hand. The hardware is top notch although it uses the usual Samsung cheapy plastic — but I’d hardly consider that a con. If you like Samsung products and smartphones you’ll love the Galaxy Player. One last time I must comment on the speaker and audio quality. Obviously while listening through the provided headphones the device sounds great, but while playing games like the pre-installed Need For Speed the two stereo speakers sound amazing. Seriously it is that good, and beats any smartphone or media players built-in audio that I’ve used thus far. I was really blown away and enjoyed it immensely.
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As far as games go you’ve already seen a few hints from the pictures or video above. Out of the box you’ll get a few classics like Angry Birds and Tetris, but Samsung also added Need for Speed Hot Pursuit and FIFA Soccer 2012 to the device for free — which is a nice touch. I found NFS more addicting than I thought it would be. Who knew racing through streets and running from cops could be so much fun. The loud sirens and awesome sound effects enhanced by the stereo speaker grills probably helped out here too. Unlike some knock-off devices the Player 4.2 comes with full Google support. We have Gmail, Google Play Store, Google Music, and everything else we’ve come to expect on our smartphones, even Google Maps with full GPS support — so long as you have a WiFi connection. As usual we ran a quick benchmark just for fun, because we know you Android crazies love that stuff. Obviously running an older 1.0 GHz single-core processor it doesn’t beat any records, but works great for what Samsung’s intended it for.
Camera    Battery Life Wrap-Up
Coming in at only $199 for the 8GB Galaxy Player 4.2 this is a hard deal to pass up for anyone that needs a dedicated media device. I currently just use my Galaxy Nexus, but I’m sure there are users that would like a separate media player. My only concern is once the rumored Google Nexus 7-inch tablet and others start arriving for the same $199 price point will this be priced too high? Or is the small portable MP3 player size just what users are looking for. That my friends, is up to you.                Device Info
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| Possible T-Mobile Galaxy S III photos show physical home button Posted: 01 Jun 2012 03:19 PM PDT Stop the presses! Photos of T-Mobile’s Galaxy S III have leaked! And… they look just like the international version. How exciting. Believe it or not, there’s some pretty relevant information to be gathered here: Samsung appears to be sticking with the physical centered home button flanked by two capacitive buttons, unlike previous US Galaxy phones that used the standard four-button Android arrangement. We can’t confirm that these photos are real, but the cases at least seem to be taken from photos that are distinct from the official international press stills.
Though Samsung isn’t overly fond of the implication, many have said that the lack of bi-lateral symmetry indicates a direct attempt to forestall Apple’s lawyers. It’s long been assumed that the lack of a physical, centered home button on the Galaxy S and Galaxy S II (in the United State,s at least) was for similar reasons. Perhaps the new wedged shape of the Galaxy S III’s home button is enough for Samsung to feel a little more confident in this area. Both white and “pebble blue” devices are shown, though there may be issues with the latter. Like every other American cellular provider, T-Mobile has yet to confirm that it will carry the Galaxy S III, despite numerous leaks. We’re still wondering if the T-Mobile version uses a Snapdragon S4 dual-core processor like Verizon and AT&T’s leaked versions, or if T-Mobile’s current lack of LTE will allow them top opt for Samsung’s newer Exynos 4 quad-core processor. The last we heard, T-Mobile was aiming for a June 20th release. Device Info
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[via The Verge]
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| Gameloft’s N.O.V.A. 3 for Android Review Posted: 01 Jun 2012 01:49 PM PDT It’s finally here. The third installment of Gameloft‘s popular mobile first person shooter N.O.V.A has finally arrived for Android late yesterday. With improved graphics, stunning visuals, huge multiplayer maps and more can Gameloft deliver? For $6.99 many are expecting a quality game that is worth their dollar. Read on for full details, video, and our thoughts.
While N.O.V.A (Near Orbit Vanguard Alliance) has always pushed the boundaries on graphics, gameplay and looked great, this time around I couldn’t help but feel they were taking strong hints from not only Halo, but also the popular PC shooter Crysis. Why not though? They are both impressive games and hugely successful. The futuristic body suite, multiplayer modes with “warthog” looking vehicles, top mounted turrets for multiplayer, and even jetpacks this game has it all. Add all that into a mobile device and this is what you get — N.O.V.A 3.
Below we have a few videos, both of single player and their multiplayer. We tried to keep em short but there’s a lot to see, and a lot you’ll want to see before spending the $6.99 asking price. First off let me just say this game has it all. Like we said above the visuals are awesome, but the gameplay is too. With hours of gaming, top notch graphics, multiple weapons, power-ups, and add-ons, an excellent soundtrack and sound effects this is a complete package. I didn’t take too many in-game screenshots as I figured you’d like to see it on video instead. Below is a look at the single player Campaign mode a few levels deep. Single Player has 10 immersive levels that will surely eat up your entire weekend. Defend the ruins of Earth against all types of enemies in underground parking lots, the streets of New York and various other locations. The single player mode is worth the price alone. The sound effects, voice-overs, and overall story line all completes the picture. This is by far the best N.O.V.A yet, and it should be. Honestly I feel like a few changes could be made to the game in general, not just SP. The controls are a bit wonky and hard to grasp, but that has always been the case. The reload button is at the top right, while the shoot and controls are on bottom making those fast reload or switch to pistol during a firefight moments extremely hard. I died multiple times trying to quickly reload or change weapons while in need. Then the controls in general could use some work. Obviously being a touchscreen device our options are limited (use a gamepad) but the on-screen joystick needs some serious help in N.O.V.A 3. The first two it was good but this time around it’s way too sensitive and turning sensitivity down didn’t help. This will vary by device because on my Galaxy Nexus I was able to control and aim with extreme precision with the virtual joystick. Use it on my tablet though and it was off the charts and uncontrollable. For tablet players I’d recommend the entire right side of the screen for aim/looking around, and have the virtual joystick be the fire button. Again the reload is still too high, but there’s only so much room.    Multiplayer    They offer online as well as local wifi as shown above. Local WiFi I was unable to get to work and joining with friends was near impossible. Maybe I was doing something wrong. For online however it was a breeze and incredibly simple. You can get into the instant action with quick play, or select the level by selecting the “join” option. From there you could pick a game with the amount of players you’d like, or even search for a friends live game and join in. I was able to find my buddy’s game once out of about 3 tries, but it was still a blast either way. This morning while playing there was about 800 people online. While that isn’t a large number it’s pretty impressive for a multiplayer first person shooter game for mobile devices that was just released yesterday. Again the controls are exactly the same for multiplayer, and I mentioned what I didn’t like about those above. Playing on my 4.65-inch Samsung Galaxy Nexus I felt I had much more control, better aim, and my kills to death ratio was much higher. This might vary by user but I was severely struggling on the tablet, and there’s a lot of finger sliding and movement needed. The smaller screen wasn’t as exhausting and my aim steadily improved to where I had more kills than deaths haha. With mulitplayer you have tons of options, power-ups, weapon choices, and game modes. Play team capture the flag and fly around with a jetpack and rocket launcher, or hang out in the vehicles running fools over and letting your teammates man the top-mounted turret. I played 5 rounds and spent well over 2 hours gaming last night and I only experienced one network connection where we lost our game. I was on WiFi so those playing on a mobile connection might have different results. In the end the mutiplayer is the cream of the crop for N.O.V.A. 3 and if you hone your skills you’ll be rocking people all day. Wrap-Up The price you ask? Gameloft’s N.O.V.A. 3 is $6.99 in the Google Play Store and supports a wide array of phones and tablets. If you can get over the price tag, and the 30+ minutes you’ll have to devote to download the additional 1.7 GB of game content this game is a must buy. That 1.7 GB download gets you some of the best graphics I’ve seen on mobile, one of the most complete gaming experiences to date, hours of fun, a great soundtrack, and stunning visuals you can use to show off to friends and family. Hit the link below and get started today. Good luck and aim for the head!        
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| T-Mobile Galaxy S II getting Ice Cream Sandwich June 11th Posted: 01 Jun 2012 12:56 PM PDT If you’re the proud owner of the Samsung Galaxy S II from T-Mobile we just learned some excellent news this afternoon. T-Mobile has just confirmed the much awaited update to Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich will finally arrive this month. Bringing tons of new features, improved user interface and everything else we know about ICS. More details below.
Just a few weeks ago T-Mobile pushed an update out to the Galaxy S II that was still 2.3 Gingerbread and basically fixed a few bugs. Just as we reported, it also paved the way for ICS by preparing the device for the hotly anticipated update. Most of the Samsung Galaxy S II phones have already received ICS, although the US carrier models were a little late. T-Mobile customers will finally be getting it in about 10 days (if it doesn’t leak before that.)
While the full update details have yet to be posted on T-Mobile’s support forum they did announce the update on Twitter at @Tmobile confirming June 11th would be the day. What better way to enjoy the hot summer days in June then with Ice Cream Sandwich right? (jokes) Once T-Mobile confirms any more details or posts the full update and change log we’ll be sure and update. For now stay tuned as we’ll report any leaks or once the update officially starts rolling out. Device Info
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[via TmoNews]
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| SHADOWGUN meets Left 4 Dead in Dead Trigger THD for Android Posted: 01 Jun 2012 12:42 PM PDT The developers behind what is quite possibly one of the best games for Android, MadFinger Games has just announced their all new first person zombie shooter that will surely be one of the best mobile games this summer. Partnered again with NVIDIA they’ve just announced Dead Trigger THD coming soon to NVIDIA’s Tegra Zone and the Google Play Store. Read on after the break for more details and a quick video.
Unlike recent THD games this will also support other Android devices, but has been improved specifically for Tegra 3 and it sure looks impressive. With the same developers as the popular SHADOWGUN this game will be excellent, I have no doubt. The graphics look improved, the gun sound effects are awesome, and the NVIDIA Tegra 3 brings gaming to another level on mobile. Here’s the basis of Dead Trigger THD.
NVIDIA has released a quick teaser video that not only shows off the awesome weapons, enemies, graphics, and levels, but it also shows just how amazing this game looks thanks to the Tegra 3 quad-core processor. Check it out: News about the all new game Dead Trigger THD by MadFinger Games has just hit the wires so stay tuned for more details, gameplay trailers, and expect it to arrive for Android in late June. You can read more details by heading to the NVIDIA blog linked to below. I can’t wait to get my hands on another epic first person shooter from MadFinger Games. Can you?    Bonus Video: [via NVIDIA]
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| Verizon Motorola Xoom 4G LTE upgrade to ICS coming June 4th Posted: 01 Jun 2012 11:16 AM PDT If you’re one of the 12 lucky folks that still own the original Motorola Xoom on Verizon we have good news. After the WiFi model received the update to Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich what seems like forever ago, the Verizon
Verizon has just confirmed the update and all the details on their official support page. The update is listed by Verizon as “coming soon” but usually once the info hits their support page the update is a day or so behind. The update to Android 4.0.4 Ice Cream Sandwich is about 107 MB in size and might take a few minutes to download, then you’ll be enjoying those 4G LTE speeds and ICS on that bulky — yet classic Motorola Xoom.    Along with everything we already know and enjoy about ICS, Verizon mentioned the new launch bar, the data usage center (for that 4G LTE), notifications, and creating folders. The Xoom is being updated to the absolute latest Android 4.0.4 IMM76K build so Xoom users shouldn’t have anything to complain about, for now. With this taking two months longer than the WiFi model hopefully all the bugs have been ironed out. We know there’s still tons of Xoom fans so let us know in the comment section below how the upgrade goes. Update: Verizon has confirmed the update will roll out on June 4th. Device Info
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[via Droid Life]
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