Author Archive: Gareth

10p mayhem continues for Android

Here we are with batch three of Google’s big celebration with another bunch of carefully chosen price cuts for you. Each one will be considered by many as essential software and at this price it’s probably worth snapping them all up.

• Blue Skies Donation Wallpaper: https://market.android.com/details?id=fishnoodle.clouds
• Can Knockdown 2: https://market.android.com/details?id=pl.idreams.CanKnockdown2
• Talking Tom Cat 2: https://market.android.com/details?id=com.outfit7.talkingtom2
• Space Physics: https://market.android.com/details?id=com.doodle.main
• Reckless Getaway: https://market.android.com/details?id=com.polarbit.Getaway
• Tetris: https://market.android.com/details?id=com.eamobile.tetris_eu&feature=related_apps
• Toki Tori: https://market.android.com/details?id=com.polarbit.tokitori
• Homerun Battle 3D: https://market.android.com/details?id=com.com2us.HB3D
• ADWLauncher EX: https://market.android.com/details?id=org.adwfreak.launcher
• Kids Learn to Read (Preschool): https://market.android.com/details?id=com.intellijoy.android.reading

Posted by: Gareth

Android deal-a-thon continues

So today marks Day three of the huge sale going on with the Android Market to celebrate 10 billion downloads on the market. Just like yesterday, there are some prime titles available for a measly 10 pence once again. Some are apps while others are games but all are top notch.

So here is today’s list of 10p deals for you to snatch up as Google celebrates 10 billion downloads:

• Fruit Ninja
• Beautiful Widgets
• Reckless Racing
• Read It Later Pro
• AirSync
• NFL Rivals
• Flick Golf
• Star Charts
• Christmas HD Live Wallpaper
• BB – Bedtime Battle

Posted by: Gareth

Ice Cream Sandwich on Archos G9

Charbax gives us a quick demo of the Archos G9 running Android 4.0.1 Ice Cream Sandwich on the OMAP4 based tablets. This is to be finalized during Q1 of 2012. They still have to finish the hardware acceleration for video support, Samba/Upnp, 3G stick support and all of the other specific features that Archos provides on top of Android.

A £250 tablet with 100% GPU acceleration will be a very tempting option for those out there shopping for some Ice Cream Sandwich action.

Possible Ban on HTC products in the U.S.

Well here is some interesting and somewhat troubling news that was just pointed out to us. According to Fortune CNN, HTC could be facing a possible import ban here in the U.S. depending on the outcome of an appeal over two patents that Apple is going after HTC for.

Depending on the upcoming ruling, which will be handing down the final verdict of HTC’s appeal on Dec. 14th, HTC could end up facing an import ban of all their Android devices to the U.S. which would shrink their current market share of 25% down to 0%. This would happen right before the holidays no less when sales for mobile devices, as Christmas presents and what not, are generally at their highest.

The first Ice Cream Sandwich Tablet

Here’s a bit of a surprise… even though we have seen ports on several devices, the first Android 4.0/Ice Cream Sandwich tablet will not be what we expect. The first ICS tablet will be a $99 MIPS SoC enabled tablet called the NOVO7. 

Instead of the usual ARM-based chipset, the NOVO7 uses the MIPS-based XBurst processor called JZ4770, from the Chinese Ingenic Semiconductor. This chip runs at 1GHz and can handle 1080p video playback and 3D games with its Vivante GC860 GPU. Supposedly, this tech is very efficient with battery power and allows for 7 hours of browsing or 6 hours of 3D gameplay.

The tablet also has a 7" capacitive touchscreen, a USB 2.0 port, microHDMI ports, a 2MP rear camera, a front-facing camera and a microSD slot.

The NOVO7 tablet passed the Google Compatibility Test Suite certification. It will run pretty much all of Google’s services and can handle thousands of apps from the Android Market.

Remember about your BlackBerry freebies

RIM have a nice bundle of freebies for you on the App World. To make up for the outage a couple of months ago your Blackberry is about to get a little more crammed. You only have until the end of this month to get yours and there are a few that are certainly worth your attention!

Google Maps updated to 6.0

Google Maps 6.0 for Android was released last Tuesday with several enhancements, the most notable, airports and other public places. Users are able to search throughout floor plans too, which means a traveller can search for a coffee shop or the nearest toilet in an airport. Google Maps floor plans will grow when a user is zoomed-in fully on a building where mapping data is available. The differences between indoor and outdoor maps can be seen in the image to the right.
Indoor maps are currently available in selected locations in the U.S. and Japan. Click here to see the current list.

Maps will contain labels with store names, bathroom locations, ATM icons and airport gates, among other items. Google collaborated with the owners of the mapped venues in this first iteration of indoor maps. However, Google is making available a tool that any venue owner can use to upload floorplans for inclusion in the application’s database at http://maps.google.com/floorplans.

Google Maps 6.0 for Android will work on devices with version 2.1 and higher of the mobile operating system. At launch, the application includes floorplans for Tokyo’s Narita and 17 U.S. airports, including Atlanta Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport, Chicago’s O’Hare International Airport, San Francisco International Airport and George Bush Houston International Airport; stores of the retail chains Macy’s, Bloomingdales, Home Depot and Ikea; and malls including Mall of America, Times Square Mall in Mt. Vernon, Illinois, and Liberty Fair Mall in Martinsville, Virginia.

Posted by: Gareth