Author: Jared Peters

Google loves their info cards they introduced with Google Now, and they love giving you access to more information in your media, like what we’ve seen in the Sound Search widget in Jelly Bean. Well, if you’re a big movie watcher, Google’s implemented a nice little surprise for you.

Whenever you’re watching a movie and you’re curious about the actor on screen or the music playing in the movie at that moment, you can simply pause your video and a handful of info cards will pop up on screen to give you actor names, other movies the actors have been in, song names, etc. Tapping the actor’s face will even give you his (or her) full biography. Resuming the movie or show will cause the info cards to disappear until you pause again. Right now the info cards won’t show up on every single movie you watch, but Google says the list is quite large and they’re adding to it every day.

Sound interested? Just update to the latest Play Movies and TV app and start playing around with it. This will give you a great excuse to catch up on all those movies you’ve been itching to see.

source: Android Official Blog

Come comment on this article: Google adds info cards to Play Movies app

If you’re a Three customer in the UK, you’ll be pleased to know that Three‘s CEO Dave Dyson is excited about his company’s 4G LTE rollout, and vaguely discussed it during a quarterly earnings call yesterday. Unfortunately, he’s in “no rush for LTE,” and by that he means you shouldn’t actually expect it until later this year. Like, Q4 of this year. We know waiting is really, really hard to do, but hey, this is going to make a great Christmas present from your cellular provider.

He did also say that Three has no plans to charge their customers extra for LTE, so that’s another plus. According to Dyson, Three wants to see how competing companies set up their 4G before making any huge moves into the LTE space, so that’s a pretty sound decision. Better to do something right and take a bit longer the first time instead of rushing through it and putting out a bad product.

source: Mobile News

Come comment on this article: UK carrier Three to launch 4G LTE, just not before the end of the year

If you were a fan of the original Fieldrunners game, we’ve some great news for you. Fieldrunners 2 is definitely happening, and it’s definitely happening soon. The game is already on iOS, but it’s slated for an Android release in April. It’s currently in beta to get the minor kinks worked out to prepare for a full release.

Like any sequel, Fieldrunners 2 will have more features, levels, weapons, the whole nine yards. The campaign will have 20+ hours of gameplay by itself, so that’s definitely a time waster worth looking forward to. The developer is looking for beta testers with many different Android devices, so if you’re interested in possibly getting your hands on the game a bit early, hit the press release below to see how to get a spot on the testing team.

FIELDRUNNERS 2 COMING TO ANDROID IN APRIL!

Get a taste of the much anticipated tower defense sequel by signing up for the closed beta

CAMBRIDGE, MA – March 26, 2013 – SUBATOMIC STUDIOS is excited to announce that their hit tower defense game, Fieldrunners 2, will be coming to Android in April! Fans have been clamoring for the game since it launched on iOS last July, so Subatomic Studios is pleased to say the development is almost complete. Do you want to help Subatomic Studios launch the tower defense classic ahead of schedule? Sign up for the closed beta below!

Beta Testers Wanted!

Subatomic Studios is looking for a handful of Android owners to help test Fieldrunners 2 on a variety of Android devices. If you are interested in helping out the developers, please click the link below to access the beta sign up form. Beta builds will be emailed out to testers several days after they have filled out the form below.

Sign up for the beta here: https://docs.google.com/a/subatomicstudios.com/spreadsheet/viewform?formkey=dFROVC1ETG50V1ZIUnRqVVhHV2cxQ3c6MQ

Game Overview

Get ready to DEFEND THE WORLD! The biggest sequel in tower defense history is finally here: Fieldrunners 2 has arrived! From Subatomic Studios, creators of the award winning classic strategy game comes an all new adventure that was years in the making. Build epic mazes out of powerful weapons to defend the world from the invading fieldrunners!

Strategic-Action-Puzzle-Defense has never been this fun and addicting! Defend your world from the invasion by building winding paths out of imaginative, new weapons. Call in airstrikes and set explosive traps to hit the enemies where it hurts. Over 20 new levels span the grassiest fields, driest deserts, sparkling cities, and even an infernal volcano lair! Challenge your mind with the exciting new gameplay styles in Puzzle, Sudden Death, and Time Trial levels. Are you ready to stop the fieldrunners once and for all? Join the defense, now!

Key Features

• Pint sized invaders seeking revenge!

• A tower that launches bee hives!

• Tons of levels in a 20+ hour campaign!

• Revolutionary AI – each enemy creates a dynamic, realistic path through the battlefield!

• Gorgeous, hand painted, 2D graphics by award winning artists!

• 20 unique, upgradeable weapons!

• Custom load-outs let you pick the perfect weapons for each battle!

• Air strikes, mines and powerful items so you can strike with the precision of a surgeon!

• Time Trial, Sudden Death and Puzzle maps bring all new challenges to tower defense!

• Trenches, bridges and tunnels add new dimensions to gameplay!

• Collect all the Elite enemies to become the ultimate tower defense champion!

• A tower that turns enemies into barnyard animals!

About Subatomic Studios

Subatomic Studios, based in Cambridge, MA, is an award-winning independent developer of video games for handheld and mobile devices. Fieldrunners, the studio’s flagship game, combines gorgeous artwork with fine-tuned tower defense gameplay, allowing Subatomic Studios to captivate mobile gamers everywhere with a truly unique entertainment experience. Fieldrunners was first released for the iPhone and iPod Touch, followed by versions for the iPad, the PSP, the Nintendo DSi, BlackBerry, Android, Chrome Web Store, Roku, Gametree TV, and more! Fieldrunners 2, the studio’s second game, launched on July 19th for iPhone and iPod Touch, bringing revolutionary tower defense gameplay to a new generation! Fieldrunners 2 received an update that included in app purchases in October, followed by a free version in December, and a PC version in January.

Visit our home at www.subatomicstudios.com, join our Facebook Fan Page (http://www.facebook.com/Fieldrunners), and follow us on Twitter @Fieldrunners (http://twitter.com/#!/fieldrunners).

Come comment on this article: Fieldrunners 2 coming to Android in April

Gameloft has tried their hand at a few movie tie-in games before, including games for The Dark Knight Rises and The Amazing Spiderman. The latest teasing tweet from the big gaming company shows something that may be Iron Man with the message “warming up main core” alongside the date March 27th, 2013. With Iron Man 3 right around the corner in theaters, it’s a pretty safe bet we’re going to see an Iron Man game from Gameloft on the 27th.

Anybody excited to see Tony Stark brought to life on a mobile game? We’ll be sure to keep you updated as soon as we learn more.

source: Gameloft

Come comment on this article: Gameloft teases possible Iron Man game for March 27th

Despite rumors of hardware problems and delays for HTC’s One, it still looks like demand for the phone is insanely high. Early reports say the early responses to the phone are “fantastic” and preorders in the US have already hit “several hundred thousand.”

HTC is saying that demand for this phone is the greatest they’ve ever had for a phone, which is some positive news for a company that’s otherwise seen a rough, rough year. Hopefully these preorders get filled in the US pretty quickly, considering HTC said US phone supply shouldn’t be affected by their component restrictions.

source: Focus Taiwan

Come comment on this article: US HTC One hits “several hundred thousand” preorders

These numbers shouldn’t really surprise anyone, but a ton of people bought smart devices in 2012, according to IDC. They bought over 1 billion of those devices, actually. That includes, desktops, laptops, tablets, and smartphones. The leaders there were (obviously) Samsung and Apple, with Apple accounting for 20.3% and Samsung accounting for 21.2%. Pretty impressive for just two companies.

IDC also expects smartphone and tablet sales to surpass PC sales in 2013, which, considering how fast new phones and tabs seem to sell, isn’t all that surprising. They’re predicting PC sales will actually stall to no growth whatsoever by 2017. Four years is a long time, and things can change, but if the market continues on the trend it’s going now, I think that’s a very realistic result.

What do you guys think? Are you surprised that portable devices are eating into traditional PC market share? Do you think that’ll turn around in a year or two? Let us know in the comments. (more…)

We’ve seen some leaks lately regarding Google Babble, and we’ve seen many of those leaks debunked. This time, though, we’ve got a mock-up of Babble that actually looks believable. It was posted on a Dutch site called Skloink, so it’s not official from Google or anything, but it definitely looks like something we could actually see from Google in the future.

It takes on a very Google Plus-esque approach, which is something Google has been pushing hard for lately. There are also cards similar to what we see in Google Now and in the newer versions of the Play Store. So even though this isn’t definitely what Google Babble is going to look like, let’s hope Google sees this and takes notes. It looks like an extremely polished, extremely well done app.

source: Droid Life

via: Skloink

Come comment on this article: New (believable) Google Babble mock-up shows up

Chances are you’ve seen a few Google Doodles during your adventures on the internet. Google occasionally puts some artistic flair into their logo on their search page, and it’s generally some pretty cool stuff to see. Unfortunately, with our search widgets and Google Now and mobile browsers, we miss many of those doodles. Today, however, thanks to XDA member emprize, you can grab a neat widget that puts the doodle of the day right on your home screen, so you’ll never miss another iteration again.

It also functions as a full search app, complete with current doodle, and lets you view past doodles. Nothing fancy, but in this case, it doesn’t need to be. The developer has put up two versions of the app on the Play Store. One version is ad supported, while the paid version has no ads. This idea is definitely worth the small price he’s asking. Hit the links below to get your hands on the app.

Play Store Download Link (Free)

Play Store Download Link (Paid)

Come comment on this article: New widget puts the latest Google Doodle on your home screen

HTC is definitely making some waves with their advertising for the HTC One. We’ve already seen a short ad showing off BlinkFeed, and now we’re getting a look at BoomSound, which is the catchy name they use to describe the fantastic sounds the One is capable of producing. The clip demonstrates how phones without BoomSound are quiet and small sounding compared to the stereo speakers found on the HTC One. While the ad is only 1 minute long, I think HTC could have done a better job of putting the One in the spotlight earlier in the commercial for a more dramatic effect. But, then again, I’m not marketing expert. Check out the video below and let us know what you think.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Come comment on this article: HTC One shows off Boomsound in latest commercial

The HTC Myst (or Opera, depending on how far back you keep up with these phones) has recently come through the FCC, and it’s sporting four LTE bands that AT&T smartphones are generally seen with. Aside from that, the only other concrete details from this filing are dual-band WiFi antennas and Bluetooth 4.0. Nothing exciting, but at least we know the phone is more than just rumor. Of course, if the earlier rumors are true, the phone will have a dual-core Snapdragon S4 Plus clocked at 1.5 GHz under a 4.3 inch, 720p screen, as well as 1 GB of RAM and 16 GB of internal storage, but no SD card slot. There’s nothing here that’s going to excite the enthusiast chasing the cutting edge of technology, but I think it’s a safe bet that’s not going to be the primary demographic of this phone.

source: FCC

via: Engadget

Come comment on this article: HTC Myst slips through the FCC with AT&T LTE bands in tow

If you’ve been keeping an eye on T-Mobile’s new Uncarrier Value Plans that are are likely to be unveiled on the 26th, you’re in for a treat, as we’ve got a few more details about how the plans are going to work. Like with the other leaked info we’ve seen, unlimited talking and texting is the centerpiece of these plans, with different amounts of data being the part that you’re charged more for. The base plan starts at $60 with free 500 MB of data, or you can go up to 12 GB for $130 per month, tethering included. For $90 a month, you get unlimited talk, text, and data, but no tethering. The tethering plans can be added on individually to the unlimited plan in 500 MB, 2.5 GB, or 4.5 GB bundles.

They are also offering family plans rivaling those of the bigger wireless carriers, with $160 getting you unlimited everything for two phones. (Add $50 for each line after that for unlimited data) It’s fairly competitive pricing that’s sure to keep T-Mobile relevant in the near future.

We also have some info at how T-Mobile will be marketing these plans. They’re going to be pushing four big unservices they’re offering; uncongested, unbeatable, unlimited, and unrestricted. On paper, this all looks like a great idea, but as we all know they’re going to be dropping carrier subsidies on phones in the process of moving to these plans. It’s going to be interesting to see if the general public reacts positively to that kind of change.

source: Android Authority

Come comment on this article: T-Mobile Uncarrier Value Plans outed and detailed

Gameloft is one of the top developers for Android games, and this time it looks like they’re trying their hand (again) at updating the classic card game UNO on Android devices. It’s not as exciting as the explosions we’ve seen from them recently, but UNO hits a much broader audience. The new version will feature online multiplayer and cross-platform play with a side of Facebook integration, which is fairly standard for any successful casual game these days. Gameloft also apparently spent quite a bit of time getting the game polished up for mass consumption, so hopefully this one pans out better than their last attempt.

To build up some excitement, Gameloft released a short teaser demonstrating the game, but we don’t have any solid release date yet. Hit the link below to check out the video. You never know, you may become the world’s biggest UNO fan after this hits the Play Store.

source: Phandroid

Come comment on this article: Gameloft to bring UNO and Friends to Android

Verizon has been on fire with their updates lately. We’ve seen the Droid 4 and the Galaxy Nexus receive updates just this week, and the Droid RAZR HD looks to be joining that group. It’s not a major update like the other two phones, but hey, any kind of update is better than no update at all.

This update build 9.16.6 features a security fix, camera improvements, WiFi connectivity improvements, and a handful of other handy enhancements. Both the Droid RAZR HD and RAZR MAXX HD will be getting this update as soon as Verizon starts to roll it out OTA in the next week or two. Let us know in the comments if you get your hands on the update.

source: Verizon

Come comment on this article: Droid RAZR HD to receive new update with camera improvements and more

Huawei definitely looks to be making some noise in 2013 by blanketing the market with high-end and budget level phones. The latest leak today is of the Huawei Ascend G700, which has fairly similar specs and a model number to the Ascend G710, which was a leaked, 5-inch budget level device. The G700 will also reportedly sport a 5-inch, 720p display, as well as 2 GB of RAM and a MediaTek quad-core processor. Best of all, it’s slated to come in at just under $300. The big difference between the G700 and G710 appears to be the design, so Huawei may release the two to really try to grab up the entry level market. There’s also the possibility that only one device may see the light of day. It’s anybody’s guess at this point.

Unfortunately, the device is only coming to Chinese shores at first, but maybe if it sells well enough, we’ll see it come to other countries? It’d be great to see more quality, budget unlocked phones in the US.

source: evleaks

Come comment on this article: Huawei Ascend G700 pictures pop up online, shows a budget device headed for China

If you’ve been itching for a new game to play and happen to have a Tegra device, we’ve got a new game that’s going to consume hours of your free time for the next week or two. Ravensword: Shadowlands is a deep, engrossing RPG with a ton of features and polish. From an open 3D world to weapon and armor crafting to a lockpicking system, it’s a meticulously crafted game that is almost as if an Elder Scrolls game hit the mobile platform. And, if your phone or tablet sports a Tegra processor, you’re going to get even more graphical enhancements to make the game that much better.

The price tag is a little steep at $7, but with as many features as this game has, I’m sure your wallet can forgive you, just this once. And after spending over 300 hours in Skyrim, I think I’m definitely going to have to give this one a try. Who’s with me? Hit the break below to get your hands on the download.

Play Store Download Link

Come comment on this article: Ravensword: Shadowlands hits the Play Store, offers a rich 3D world to explore with Tegra enhancements

When Samsung unveiled the Galaxy S 4, they also mentioned a handful of accessories that would go on sale with it. The gamepad was officially shown and sparked quite a bit of interest, especially since it supported devices with up to 6.3 inch screens. If you’ve been keeping up at home, the Note III is rumored to sport a 6.3 inch screen. Anyway, Samsung didn’t give much details about the pricing of their gamepad, but today we’ve got some official news on preorders. Unfortunately, the gamepad will set you back $112.99, which is fairly expensive for a game controller, even one that cradles a 5 inch smartphone.

Personally, I’m sticking with my Power A MOGA controller. I’m generally pretty supportive of Samsung, but it’s hard to pay double for something just because it has a Samsung logo on the top. Anybody going to be preordering one of these?

source: MobileFun

via: Phone Arena

Come comment on this article: Samsung’s new Game Pad accessory up for preorder for only $113

Remember that awesome rumor about the Motorola X Phone’s customizable hardware we told you about less than 12 hours ago?! Well, turns out it was just a rumor. Sources close to the development of the X Phone have completely destroyed our high hopes debunked that rumor, saying it will be very unlikely for the X Phone to launch with customizable hardware.

But, there’s a silver lining to this. The X Phone isn’t the only device Motorola will ever launch again, so the same sources say there is a possibility that Moto will release a phone at some point in the future that does feature user customized hardware. Google wants Motorola devices to be more innovative, so hopefully we don’t see this idea scrapped before it’s tested in a few consumer devices.

source: Phone Arena

Come comment on this article: Motorola X Phone won’t have customizable hardware after all

Sometimes, a customer doesn’t want to go with one of the big name carriers like Sprint or Verizon. Smaller MNVOs are popular alternatives to the larger (usually contract-centric) carriers. Both options have their place with consumers, but in many situations, MNVOs don’t have a good enough device selection to sway as many costumers. Well, Sprint is looking to give them a hand with a new program that will allow MNVOs to modify certain Sprint handsets to resell to customers.

To start off, Sprint is using three handsets to kick off the program. The LG Optimus G, the LG Mach, and the Sprint Flash will be the first three devices to be offered, and all three devices do an excellent job of covering entry level phones up to high end phones. Sprint does also mention that other phones will eventually be added to the program.

The devices can also be loaded with Mobile ID and Mobile Zone, which are the generic versions of Sprint ID and Sprint Zone. Those aren’t major features, but it’s definitely an extra tool that will surely help some MNVOs push a few more phones. No word on exactly when any of these reference devices are going to hit shelves, but it’s definitely something to look forward to when deciding on your next carrier and device. Hit the press release below for the full details.

Sprint Introduces Custom Branded Device Program, Enabling MVNOs to Custom-Brand White-Label Android Phones

Come comment on this article: Sprint allowing MNVOs to sell modified Sprint Android handsets

Not too long ago, Droid 4 owners could take part in a small soak test for a possible Jelly Bean update. Well, about a week later, it looks like Verizon is ready to push out that Jelly Bean update to the masses starting tomorrow, March 19th. The update will begin rolling out in phases, but it’s definitely good news for Droid 4 owners.

The update will contain the regular Jelly Bean goodness, including Project Butter and Google Now, but it’ll also feature a handful of device specific fixes and improvements, such as improved data connection and removal of some preloaded apps. No complaints there. So keep an eye out for that notification tomorrow, and let us know in the comments if your device gets the update.

source: Verizon

Come comment on this article: Verizon Droid 4 to receive Jelly Bean update this week

Amazon’s App Store is celebrating a birthday this week. It’ll be two years on March 22nd since Amazon brought their little creation into this world, and what better way to celebrate than by discounting piles of apps and games? Amazon will be running sales on certain apps through this weekend, discounting some stuff over 50% off. And there’s still the famous Free App of the Day, like always, so you’ll have plenty to pick from.

Right now, there’s some pretty big apps like Angry Birds, Cut The Rope, and OfficeSuite Professional 7, all of which are at least 50% off. So if you frequently use the Amazon App Store or own a Kindle Fire, you’re probably going to pick up a few extra apps and games this week.

source: Amazon

Come comment on this article: Amazon’s App Store turns 2 this week, celebrates with app sales