Hulu Plus comes to seven Android tabs with shiny new UI

March 30th, 2012, 00:27 Posted By: wraggster

First, lets get the short list out of the way. If you're not the proud owner of a Transformer Prime,Transformer, Xoom, XYBoard 10.1, Thrive, Iconia or G-Slate then chances are Hulu Plus coming to Honeycomb and ICS slates doesn't do you much good. (Hopefully Hulu will get the app ready for Samsung's bottomless well of tablets soon.) Then again, maybe this is one more reason to consider picking up the Google-powered devices. The newly tablet-friendly app comes with an appropriate redesign, including large tiles and show pages packed with info and options. Content is organized into individually scrollable horizontal "trays" that make navigating clips and shows simple, without a lot of jumping back and forth between separate menus and pages. There's even long press shortcuts -- simply tap and hold on a show's icon and the next episode will automatically play. To see it in action check out the quick video after the break, then head over to the Google Play store to download it yourself.
http://www.engadget.com/2012/03/29/h...-shiny-new-ui/

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Apple May Need To Rethink 4G Claims (and Pay Refunds) In More Countries

March 29th, 2012, 23:57 Posted By: wraggster

After the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) won a battle with Apple after alleging the Cupertino-based company was misleading customers about its third-generation iPad, authorities in other countries are now assessing the compatibility of the new iPad with local 4G LTE networks to see if their customers should deserve refunds too. The UK's Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) confirmed on Tuesday that it is investigating complaints of Apple's misleading '4G' claim, while Sweden and Denmark are also reportedly considering investigations, after agencies within both countries received 'several complaints' from customers about 4G connectivity. Even though these countries carry broad LTE coverage, the new iPad isn't supported on any of those networks.
http://apple.slashdot.org/story/12/0...more-countries

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Nokia to sell Lumia in China

March 29th, 2012, 23:42 Posted By: wraggster

Set to launch Lumia 800C with China Telecom from April, 610 from second quarter.
This is a pretty big deal for Nokia, which needs to get a foothold in the world's biggest mobile market - and one which is rapidly turning towards smartphones.
Fact is, Android is already very popular in China, while the launch of iPhone caused riots. Meanwhile local OEMs like ZTE and Huawei also have serios designs on the market.
And just a few days ago app analytics firm Flurry said China leads the world for Android and iOS smartphone and tablet activations with 24 per cent of the market.
Nokia will be hoping the pull of Windows can help it grab consumer attention. It will sell the Lumia for 3,599 yuan, or about $570.

http://www.mobile-ent.biz/news/read/...n-china/017578

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Half of all American homes have at least one Apple product

March 29th, 2012, 23:40 Posted By: wraggster

And a quarter plan to invest in more in the next year.
Apple is the tablet leader and it also has a firm grasp in the smartphone, PC, and music world too, particularly in the US, according to findings from CNBC.
Over 55 million American homes have at least one iPhone, iPad, iPod and Mac, while one in ten that are absent from the group plan to join it within the year.
The average household has 1.6 Apple devices and almost one-quarter are set to buy at least one more in the next year.
Meanwhile, Apple buyers are mostly young male college graduates. Money is also a factor, with 28 per cent of those earning under $30,000 a year owning an Apple device, compared to 77 per cent for those pocketing over $75,000.
Jay Campbell, a VP of Hart Research Associates, says: "It's a fantastic business model — the more of our products you own, the more likely you are to buy more. Planned obsolescence has always been a part of the technology industries sales model, but Apple has taken it to a whole new level."

http://www.mobile-ent.biz/news/read/...product/017581

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The Problem with Android

March 29th, 2012, 00:42 Posted By: wraggster

Some of you have noticed that we don't cover Android games as often as iPhone games on this site. We've definitely noticed that you've noticed. But the lack of Android games on this site isn't for lack of will or some sort of bias - I myself own a lovely HTC Desire HD. There just aren't as many good Android exclusives. The new, promising titles I find on the Google Play store (née Android Marketplace) are very often reheated ports from iPhone games that were popular last year.Things are getting better, and quickly - Google's marketplace refurb is a massive improvement on the atrocity that haunted us for most of last year, and the company seems to be taking a keener interest in curating its offerings too. But there still remains something of an imbalance.There are multiple reasons for this, none of which are that Eurogamer hates Android phones and the people who use them. The first problem is that iPhone is, unfortunately, really pretty cool. At least, so it is seen among developers and the mainstream press. While Android may have gobbled up a vast share of the marketplace by allowing any number of handset manufacturers to adopt it, the very fact that it is on multiple platforms makes it harder for Google to articulate the sort of convincing brand allure that makes Apple's products synonymous with technological lust.Another World, one of the many games to hit both Android and iOS.

Personally, I find Apple products and the entire circus surrounding them somewhat irksome, and I have cultivated a maniacal, possibly irrational loathing for the company's stance as arbiters of both taste and morality (remember Jobs' "freedom from porn" gaff?). Nonetheless, it's been a pretty effective strategy: the kids love iPhones. The newspapers love iPhones. Meanwhile, by virtue of Android's ubiquity and translucency as an operating system, most people who have an Android device probably don't even know it. Ubiquity, it turns out, is just not terribly sexy.But devs aren't simply fickle followers of fashion - there are real development challenges when it comes to Android, too. Apple may release a new device each year, the requirements may change slightly, and devs may have to reissue their software with greater resolutions if they want to take advantage of new technology. But that's nothing compared to the slew of handsets that Android developers have to deal with, says Andrew Smith of Spilt Milk Studios, co-creator, along with Nicoll Hunt, of the ace cross-platform title Hard Lines."I don't know how many new devices enter into the Android market every year - probably 50 or something ridiculous like that," he says. "From a development point of view, the scope of your project to cover all those screen resolutions, different processor powers and aspect ratios of the screen - it's a complete nightmare. So while it's open and free and cheaper to develop for Android, it's a lot more complicated."By cheaper, Smith means the SDK and hardware - the cut Android and Apple take of your profits is much the same. But how you choose to deal with the plethora of screen resolutions can easily rack up the development overheads for Android."We employ a company called Jackal to do our ports and we do a profit-share with them," explains Smith. "I look at whatever share we make as money that's been made through a route I otherwise wouldn't have been able to pursue, simply due to having to focus with small teams."It's a thorny issue even for large developers like Aplix, the makers of Zeemote, an analogue controller for Android that resembles the Wii nunchuk."We've developed a Quickstart App to deal with some of the fragmentation problems," says Paul Su, senior director of research and development. "We try a bunch of different connection methods behind the scenes so it's all automatic for the user."That's not a great choice for a small studio: divide your profits, develop bespoke software or spend ages porting the game to a gazillion different Android handsets yourself. It's why so many games arrive late on Android or not at all. And when they do get there, how easy is it for them to turn a buck? For a long while Android's marketplace was an impenetrable bog, wont to suck great games into its bubbling slop, never to be seen again. This was, in part due to an awkward interface that made it difficult to find good games, but also some missteps in policy too."They had some issues originally trying to deal with piracy and their return policy," says Su. "You could get a game, play it for a while, then you return it for a full refund." Obviously this wasn't such great news for prospective Android developers.Su points out that this has all improved a great deal - the returns policy has been amended and the marketplace is no longer a blasphemy against UX design. Android's curation is enthusiastic, too, and the content is given the best opportunity to shine with videos and user reviews and reports on the latest updates. But it will still take a while for the stigma to dissipate among developers, and then a further while for their games to appear in great numbers. Payment hiccups, of the kind reported earlier this month, don't help confidence. Also, while Android's editors and algorithms do a great job of picking out high-ranked apps, there's still no obvious avenue for devs with zero cache to make their game visible on the marketplace.And then there's the issue of which marketplace you're talking about: "With iOS you have just Apple to go to - one conduit to push your game," says Smith. "That's the best way of getting your game noticed and interest built. With Android, who do you go to? There's Google's marketplace, and Sony has one for the Xperia Play and Nokia has Ovi. You try to hit them all, but that's obviously going to take more time."It's not an easy nut to crack either. As Smith points out, one of the strengths of Android is that multiple platform holders can use it, so a degree of fragmentation is unavoidable. The best thing Google can do is address the developer's concerns - and most of the time that means simple tools and more support.Hard Lines made the jump from iOS to Android, but it's a jump that can prove costly.

There are advantages to Android development though. Aside from the relatively cheap hardware, the fact that Android is such an open platform allows for much quicker iteration. "I can release an update and it'll be out in an hour rather than days - that's fantastic," says Smith.Android's relative openness is the reason that Zeemote is able to exist at all: "[We target Android] mainly because of Apple's policy about Bluetooth and what controllers they allow on iOS," says Su. "We are working on that and we hope to be on iOS soon. But right now Android has a very open marketplace and large installed base.""And there's probably more space on Android for the kind of community building that you see in PC indie games, compared to iOS," says Smith. "I've found it quite difficult, despite being fairly media friendly, to engage with fans in any meaningful way, but I'm pretty sure Android's open enough that you can find solutions."So, it's not all bleak. The Google Play store will no doubt improve further, tools may be released that ease the burden of porting, and devs may be lured in by Android's low hardware costs as the lustre of Apple's technology fades. But until that time, we'll do our best to cover what's new and interesting on the platform - and you can always let us knowwhat great Android games we should be talking about. If that doesn't satiate your appetites, perhaps try to think of each iPhone App of the Day as a preview of the great Android games you'll be playing in six months time. Small consolation, I know - I own one, too.

http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/20...m-with-android

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Dark Meadow: The Pact free on iOS tonight, Android next month [update]

March 29th, 2012, 00:31 Posted By: wraggster

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Android 4.0.4 rears its head again, this time over at AOSP

March 29th, 2012, 00:28 Posted By: wraggster

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Apple products now in over half of American homes

March 29th, 2012, 00:26 Posted By: wraggster

Survey finds that the average household has 1.6 Apple devices
[h=3]Apple[/h]Established in 1976, Apple is a multinational corporation (corporate headquarters based in California)...

www.apple.com


Apple's new iPad is off to a red hot start and it's yet another sign of people's insatiable desire for Apple products. According to CNBC's All-America Economic survey, 51 percent of US households now own at least one Apple device - that's 55 million homes which may have an iPad, iPhone, iPod Touch, Mac or Macbook.
While the average household has 1.6 Apple devices, the survey noted that most Americans who own one Apple product tend to own three, and almost one-quarter of those surveyed plan to buy one more Apple device in the next year. It's a testament to the brand loyalty that Apple has generated.
"It's a fantastic business model - the more of our products you own, the more likely you are to buy more," said Jay Campbell, vice president of Hart Research Associates, which conducted the CNBC survey along with Bill McInturff. "Planned obsolescence has always been a part of the technology industries sales model, but Apple has taken it to a whole new level."
http://www.gamesindustry.biz/article...american-homes

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Temple Run hits Android

March 29th, 2012, 00:21 Posted By: wraggster

Temple Run, Imangi Studios' running game that has been downloaded more than 45 million times on iOS, is now available for Android.
The Washington-based studio confirms in a press release thatTemple Run is available now as a free download from Google Play, the new name for Google's download store following a thorough rebranding of its online services including Android Market.
First released for iOS last August as a paid download, Imangi made the game free to play, supported by microtransactions, and revenues rose fivefold as a result. Like many App Store successes it has been a target of cloners; the strikingly similar Temple Jump, developed by Anton Sinelnkov, creator of the likes of Plant Vs Zombie and Angry Ninja Birds, was pulled by Apple last month.

http://www.edge-online.com/news/temple-run-hits-android

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Australian Consumer Watchdog Sues Apple Over iPad Marketing

March 29th, 2012, 00:00 Posted By: wraggster

Australia's competition regulator will today take iconic technology giant Apple to court for advertising its new iPad tablet as featuring '4G' speeds — which are not supported on Australian telecommunications networks. One of the key features of the new iPad is support for 4G speeds, however, the 4G speeds which the new iPad supports will not be available in Australia, with Apple's technical specifications page only listing it as supporting the 700Mhz and 2100Mhz spectrum bands, neither of which are being used by Australian telcos to provide 4G services. The case may be a bit shaky, though, as Apple does state in the fine print: '4G LTE is supported only on AT&T and Verizon networks in the US; and on Bell, Rogers and Telus networks in Canada. Data plans sold separately. See your carrier for details.

http://apple.slashdot.org/story/12/0...ipad-marketing

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New iPad battery charge confusion

March 28th, 2012, 23:42 Posted By: wraggster

Apple has defended the way that the third-generation iPad displays battery charge information following the discovery that the tablet reports the battery full while still charging the battery.
"I noticed that the power meter indicated that the iPad AC charger was still continuing to deliver close to the full 10 watt recharging power long after the screen indicator showed that the battery was 100% charged." said DisplayMate chief Ray Soneira.
Soneira noted that the time the iPad kept charging was over an hour if the tablet was powered off and over two hours if it was powered up. That said, Soneira pointed out that the iPad would keep running for over 10 hours - Apple's stated run-top - if unplugged based on the "100% charged" indicator.
However if allowing the iPad to fully charge, running time was extended to 11.6 hours according to Soneira's testing.
The issue was made less clear by Apple's remark that the iPad battery could be damaged by continuing to charge after the battery indicated it was full, according to an Apple quote on CNBC helpfully dumbed down with a demonstration involving glasses of juice.
Understandably this resulted in a good deal of concern given how easy it is to leave a device connected to a computer overnight and so on. Likely the comment provided to CNBC was either an off-the-cuff remark or, as discussed later, simply misconstrued.
Apple later clarified to AllThingsD: "That circuitry is designed so you can keep your device plugged in as long as you would like," adding that it was a feature "that’s always been in iOS."
In fact it's a feature that's always been in any Lithium-based battery chemistry charging circuit in countless millions of devices well before Apple came to the market. If any device failed to stop charging such batteries then the result would be dangerous over heating and fires.
To look at Apple's initial remark another way, it is actually true that charging lithium-chemistry batteries completely actually does somewhat reduce the life time of the battery in the long run.
Notebook manufacturers have had various ways of dealing with this including only charging to ninety something per cent, while informing the user of that, or offering the user the choice in battery management software such as Lenovo's ThinkVantage Power Manager.
It seems Apple's strategy is to charge the battery fully if plugged in, but tell the user the battery is fully charged somewhat near the optimum 90 per cent mark. Armed with this knowledge, third-generation iPad owners can make their own decision.
If they want the longest running time, leave the device plugged in. If they want the lowest long-term degradation of the battery then it's better to unplug it when the indicator shows full.

http://www.pcr-online.biz/news/read/...nfusion/028137

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Google Maps 6.5 beefs up navigation features

March 28th, 2012, 23:39 Posted By: wraggster

Google unveiled Google Maps 6.5 for Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich, sporting an updated navigation screen as the firm announced that Maps had provided navigation instructions for trips totaling 50 billion kilometres.
The Google Maps application is formally called Google Maps with Navigation and a great deal of smartphone owners use the application as a personal GPS navigator. So much so that such Maps navigated trips were the equivalent of 130,000 trips to the moon, Google said.
The Navigation feature has always been something of an afterthought but with the new Google Maps 6.5 it seems Google has paid much greater attention to the UI, making is easier to enter destinations and choose from recent locations.
Sadly the new version is limited to devices running Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich, which still isn't that many devices given how slowly handset manufacturers and mobile operators have been at providing over-the-air updates to Google's latest and greatest mobile OS.
Those that have Android 4.0 will most likely be using a modern superphone such as the Galaxy Nexus. Playing to the crowd, Google also unveiled higher resolution map tiles which made for a "crisper, less cluttered map that is easier to read," Google said.
Maps 6.5 also beefs up support for public transport and allows users to specify their preference for modes of transport including buses and subways. Google recently added London to the list of 475 cities with transit directions and timetables that are available for trip planning in Google Maps.
Google Maps 6.5 is available on Google Play (formerly the Android Marketplace) for Android 4.0+ devices.

http://www.pcr-online.biz/news/read/...eatures/028141

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Top 100 iPad news publishers make $70k a day

March 28th, 2012, 23:37 Posted By: wraggster

News apps account for seven per cent of the top 200 highest grossing apps.
The stats, from research firm Distimo, will be positive news for news giants that hope/pray tablets can become a digital medium they can actually make money from.
Apple launched Newsstand back in October as a new feature for iOS 5. It collects in one place digital versions of magazines and newspapers optimised for iOS devices, and then displays them in one 'Newsstand' icon on the iOS home screen.
The top grossing applications include The Daily, NY Times for iPad and The New Yorker Magazine.
Other key findings from the Distimo Report include:
* The US has been eclipsed by China as the largest market for free apps. During February 2012, daily downloads in the top 300 most popular free apps in China exceeded 1.1m, against 1m for the US

http://www.mobile-ent.biz/news/read/...k-a-day/017562

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Apple: There are no problems with new iPad battery

March 28th, 2012, 23:35 Posted By: wraggster

Tablet leader dismisses customer power complaints.
One week ago, Apple customers complained about the new iPad – or FriPad – overheating so much they that could cook their breakfast on it.
Now, they have also started grumbling about the way the tablet holds its battery charge, claiming it isn't fully charged when it says it is.
However, Apple has bitten back to assure that the new iPad is completely charged before it reaches 100 per cent, though it will discharge slightly at 100 per cent if it remains plugged in, in order to offer optimum power.
Speaking to AllThingsD, Michael Tchao, VP, Apple, says: "That circuitry is designed so you can keep your device plugged in as long as you would like. It’s a great feature that’s always been in iOS."
Tchao goes on to confirm that new iPad users can expect to receive ten hours worth of battery power no matter where the tablet is in the charged/discharge cycle.

http://www.mobile-ent.biz/news/read/...battery/017563

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Almost a third of the world's tech-savvy consumers want a new iPad

March 28th, 2012, 23:28 Posted By: wraggster

While nearly a quarter will go for a reduced iPad 2.
According to Fortune, Baird Equity Research claims 29 per cent of 'tech savvy' consumers around the world plan to buy a new iPad within the next three months, while 22 per cent will favour a discounted iPad 2.
Additionally, 24 per cent of Americans plan to acquire the new Apple tablet, and 15 per cent will go for its predecessor.
48 per cent of existing iPad owners also plan to buy a new iPad, while 35 per cent of that number already possess an iPad 2, which was released just one year ago.
Retina Display was the top reason consumers plan to upgrade with 28 per cent, followed by the quad-core processor at 26 per cent and LTE with 17 per cent.
Interestingly, when the 'tech savvy' bunch were asked whether they understood what LTE – next generation mobile broadband that stands for Long Term Evolution – is, 59 per cent said no, with some answers including 3G tech, Long Telecom Exposure and operator-owned tech.

http://www.mobile-ent.biz/news/read/...ew-ipad/017564

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Theme Park queuing app wins O2 NFC app award

March 28th, 2012, 23:26 Posted By: wraggster

Team Rollercoaster shares top spot with Team Blue Butterfly's ‘Tap-to-wi-fi’ app.
O2's Isobar Create London event at the weekend promised cash and marketing support to developers with cool contactless ideas.
The UK operator teamed up with digital communications agency Isobar to launch the UK competition.
Team Rollercoaster won funding from BlueVia for an app that uses NFC to help theme park visitors pay for and secure their place in a queue for a ride, as well as offering other features to enjoy while they move along the line.
Team Blue Butterfly bagged the £10k fund from Proxama for an app that uses NFC to allow people to tap for wi-fi in bars, cafes, hotels, airports etc.
Another award went to London BBDG, whose supermarket-shopping app scans products from the supermarket shelf for easy check-out and more. The team won an all-expenses-paid trip to BlackBerry Jam 10 conference in Orlando.

http://www.mobile-ent.biz/news/read/...p-award/017572

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Samsung ships 5m Galaxy Notes in five months

March 28th, 2012, 23:23 Posted By: wraggster

China, Spain and France highlighted as the highest overseas adopters.
Samsung has now shipped five million units of the 5.3 inch Galaxy Note 'phablet' in five months. It hit one million after two months on the market.
The Korean firm says that China, Spain and France contribute the largest share of purchases in its overseas markets, while sales were on the rise in Germany, Hong Kong and Taiwan.
Korea was responsible for the majority of the device's success however, accounting for 67 per cent of worldwide shipments.
Last month, Samsung's flagship Galaxy S II phonereached sales of 20 million in ten months so it seems the Note has some catching up to do based on that figure.

http://www.mobile-ent.biz/news/read/...-months/017575

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Apple patents ejectable SIM card tray as nano-SIM battle rages on

March 28th, 2012, 00:09 Posted By: wraggster

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Coby's budget-minded Ice Cream Sandwich tablets go on sale

March 27th, 2012, 23:43 Posted By: wraggster

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iPad Wi-Fi model cleared for sale in China

March 27th, 2012, 23:39 Posted By: wraggster

Developers take note: iPad is about to get an even bigger audience
A Wi-Fi version of Apple's new iPad has finally been cleared for sale in mainland China, according to a report by AllThingsD. The China Quality Certification Center has granted the model the Complusory Certification needed in the region. This follows Apple CEO Tim Cook's visit to China to work with partners and government officials.
The company hasn't announced the launch date for the new iPad in China yet, but the market is Apple's second largest in the world. According to 2011 IDC estimates, the iPad holds a 70 percent market share for tablets in the region.
Apple is still fighting a legal battle with Chinese tech company Proview over the iPad trademark. Hejun Vanguard Group, a consultant for Proview's creditors, said it's willing to pursue the case for "five, ten years or even longer."
"We will see how long the biggest company in the world can exploit the law and intellectual property rights in China," it said to Reuters.

http://www.gamesindustry.biz/article...-sale-in-china

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