Amazon Free App of the Day: Flick Kick Football

Today Amazon is offering their usual and awesome “Free App of the Day” deal that has made them so popular as of late, although not with some developers. Today the free app is a fun and addicting game called Flick Kick Football (soccer in America). Flick Kick is a popular series from the developers Prodigy Design and they have like 4 great games available so check those all out.

The idea is simple and nothing new, it’s like playing Paper Toss or any of those other finger flicking games. I’ll just say Football since they are calling it Football but the popular term is Soccer around these parts. You can kick, curve, and fling the football from all over the field with the flick of your finger. My personal favorite is actually the Field Goal version of this game as I’m an NFL fan myself.

I’m sure you’ve seen or played these games in the past so I wont go on about explaining how they work as its pretty self explanatory and the picture above should help clear anything up. Now it may sound easy but trust me it gets harder as you go along. They add defenders you must shoot through and the distance gets farther and farther out and really gives players a challenge. Try not to miss when you get on fire and enjoy some multi-player because it has full multi-player support.
Free for today ONLY in the Amazon App Store so head over and download this fun and time wasting game.
[via Amazon]

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Google Videos App Hacked to allow root users to stream movies

This has been discussed more than a few times since we first found out the Google Videos App would not allow rooted users to watch rental movies on their devices. Just yesterday Google updated the video app to allow streaming and playback of rented movies on FroYo and Gingerbread devices too. We have good news for those rooted users though.

The developers over at SDX have been hard at work, we can now use a modded version of the app where they have removed the root check so all devices will be able to enjoy movie playback. This version should also work with all supported devices running Android 2.2 and above so those on older Android are also in luck.
As always make sure to backup or save the previous version just to be safe, otherwise uninstall and install the new modded APK and you are good to go. For the few not wanting to use the modded APK and have rooted devices and rented movies didn’t play, you can also go to the YouTube app and watch them through “rentals” in YouTube as Google has yet to implement the root check into it — just a tip! Head on to the source for more details.
Modded Video App Download
[via Droid-Life]

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Box.net updates Android cloud app with tablet support

The cloud storage choices are growing quickly out there and if you are a fan of the Box.net cloud platform that has been around for a while for sharing mobile data on the go using smartphones the app has been updated. The new version of the Box app has been updated and it now supports Android tablets. The app was only for Android phones before and this is the first time for tablet support.

The company said that its smartphone app for Android devices had been downloaded 100,000 times already. The service has a free trial offer and it guarantees 99.9% uptime. That means you won’t have to worry about the service being offline when you need it. Box offers contact management, the ability to share files securely, and the ability to sync files from the desktop.
The mobile access allows you to share documents with coworkers and friends on the go and it lets the user share folders and files with a simple tap. The app is available for iOS devices and the new update supports the Playbook tablet as well. It also has an online workspace for editing documents.
[via InformationWeek]

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News360 for Android Tablets 2.0 Update Hands-On [Video]

What we’re getting here today is the newest version of one of our favorite news apps, that being News360, one we called the App of the Week a few weeks ago, now in its second full version, version 2.0, one that introduces the social networking world into the tablet in a very large way for the iOS version and a soon to be large way for Android. The biggest change in the Android version of this application at the moment is the instant access to news videos. Right alongside tabs for your regular news feed at the awesome 360 view of images linking to news stories is a Videos tab that’ll allow you to check out the news in purely video form.

The interface for this application is fiddled with a bit, certainly no taking anything away from the amount of control you have over what News360 is calling their “reverse search” method of bringing content to the user. Much in the same way Google is attempting to connect people with the news in it’s “Sparks” interface in Google+, their new social networking site, News360 has you create your own categories in which they’ll supply you with news. Subject matter is all you really have to enter in if you like, and if you don’t want to do such a thing, you can follow the categories News360 already has prepared for you. All of this is prepared in several different ways, it being your choice in the end how you view the news through this diverse app for Android.

As far as the new web-based look at the app and the iOS version go, it’s a slightly different situation. Check out the images provided in the gallery below and you’ll see how social networking integration is just slightly above what it is in the Android app thus far. This slight advancement along with the fact that it’s still sort of rare to see a blog site such as Android Community in the mix are two updates we hope to see made in the next wave for Android tablets as well as handsets – Google Reader included!

Beyond that, this app is still a mightily magnificent vision for each of the main platforms, and yes, if you’ve got an HTML5-able web browser on any device (or so it seems,) you’re able to run the web-based version of News360, a force to be reckoned with all on its own.



Finally, remember that this app is [totally free on the Android Market] right this moment. Go grab it.
)

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Google Videos App Now Works on Gingerbread and Froyo Devices

Google’s Videos app was announced and released for the Motorola XOOM back at Google I/O in May, letting you rent and watch movies on the tablet, as well as on your computer. Watching it on your phone was promised, but the app wasn’t available. Until today that is. Videos has been updated in the Market and is now available for many Froyo and Gingerbread devices.

Google’s Videos app, released today for phones, lets you watch rented videos from the Android Market, as well as the videos you have on your phone. As you can see above the app is pretty sparse. There are two different screens, one displaying your rented movies and another showing the videos on your phone, with a link to the Movies section of the Android Market in the corner of both.
Renting works much the same as with tablets, and while we haven’t been able to confirm it, presumably downloading the movies will be prohibited on rooted phones as it was on rooted tablets. The work around for this has already been available on phones, which is to watch the movie on Youtube.
Watching, and sorting through your own videos in the app is a bit nicer than digging through the gallery where there are no labels though. Unfortunately, since I’m running the pre-beta version of CyanogenMod 7 for the Atrix, my videos aren’t playing with picture, but other than that the UI was a welcome improvement from the Gallery’s picture oriented design.
Whether the Movie renting feature is useful, we’ll leave up to you. The prices are a bit steep, especially with Netflix available now. If you aren’t up for renting movies, and don’t have another video playing app (outside the gallery), its a pretty handsome looking app without much else to get in the way of your video selection, but whether that’s worth the precious storage space on your phone is up to you.
[via Android Market]

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Games for Google+: Angry Birds and more coming soon

Whoa, out of no where today Google has just announced Games for Google+ and already the first to tip the chart is the all mighty Angry Birds. This is one of the next big steps for Google to integrate another level of socialization into Google+ to better compete with the likes of Facebook. From Angry Birds, Decks of Cards, Diamand Dash and more. These will all be available soon for Google+.

Today Google is set to start the rollout of games to the popular Google+ Project. While I’m still not seeing anything on my own page this news was just barely released so it should be showing up shortly. The image above shows where to look as it will be there anytime now. Google is aiming to make games in G+ just as fun as during real life.

That means giving you control over when you see games, how you play them and with whom you share your experiences. Games in Google+ are there when you want them and gone when you don’t.

I can see myself having a Gamers Circle any day now, right? We should be able to see game updates as well as invites and bragging all in our stream or selected circles. You’ll be able to easily share you high score, or how many times you’ve won. Bragging rights with who has the biggest farm coming soon to Google+ I can just imagine it already. I’ll be growing G+ farms and using Facebook for the soil. Google does mention for those not interested in games your streams will continue as usual and you wont be bothered so you can focus on what matters to you.

They have a decent list of games to start with from the developers that jumped aboard at the start and some of those include: Angry Birds, Bejeweled, Zynga Poker, Diamond Dash and a few mobsters type games like Crime City. This news just came out so be sure to keep checking here for updates as well as head over to Google+ to get started. I’m sure we will all be seeing plenty of invites over the next few weeks, that is for sure.
Update: A reader over at PCMag mentioned that in order to use Google+ Games the users must allow collection of some personal data by Google like G+ account information, email address, and even users in your circles. Here is the screenshot but we have no further details on that.

[via Google Blog]

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Gmail App Inverted with a Black Color Theme

In the world of Android we all love tweaking and hacking our devices so I figured I’d share this quick little theme with our readers. What we have here is another blacked out app theme but this time it’s for Gmail. What we have is the latest version 2.3.5 Gmail that has been inverted to be completely black and fits in nicely with the rest of Android, not to mention could help with battery life.

Last week I posted something very similar with the Google + App being treated with the same black theme and many users really enjoyed that. The developer does mention this should work for both rooted and non-rooted phones but I’d be careful if Gmail is your main email client as things could potentially have problems. Obviously doing a nandroid backup using something like Astro to backup Gmail and settings before continuing would probably be a good idea.
I have not tried this myself so I cannot guarantee how the process will go but from reading a few replies over at XDA most seem to be able to figure it out pretty easily and are enjoying their new Black Gmail client. I’d advise anyone wanting to try this to ask any questions in the forum first and make sure you know what you are doing and have any important settings or emails backed up just to be safe, but then you can always uninstall and just get the stock Gmail from the market if needed. Give it a try and feel free to report how it goes in the comment section below — Enjoy!
[via XDA Forums]

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NFL Fantasy Football 2011 App Now Available

I know plenty of you readers are just like me and have been sitting home wishing and hoping the NFL would just start already. The time has finally come, the lockout ended and things are starting to get back to normal. Today in the Android Market the official NFL Fantasy Football App was released and you can get it right here. Although I play plenty of Madden during the season, I find myself playing it even more during the off-season since there isn’t any football to watch. I’ve been going big the last few weeks with excitement.


FINALLY! They can get over all that other junk and get down to real business — and that is Football. For those that love fanstasy football the official NFL app is one of the best ways to keep track of everything. Managing your team doesn’t get any easier than with the NFL app especially while on the go or if you need to make a quick change at work (Who does that? I don’t).

The official NFL Fantasy app features include:
-Join or create a league
-Check live fantasy scoring
-Sit/Start and Add/Drop players
-Propose and accept trades
-Read up-to-the minute player news
-Manage teams in multiple leagues
If you used the NFL app last year you’ll quickly notice the 2011 version has some new user interface changes, plenty of custom icons and more. Being able to quickly join leagues and get everything set up sure is nice. I’ve already got two of my own, not counting the big league with my old work buddies where most likely I’ll be winning the cash prize this year. Trust me I’m going to win just like the Packers will — Go Green Bay!
[via Android Market]

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Facebook Rolls Out Changes to Chat, Other Experiments, Leads to Problems

Facebook made changes to the Facebook Chat sidebar feature, several users are reporting. Now, your favorite online friends appear in the top section of Chat, with a separate list titled “More Online Friends” underneath. This makes it easier to find the Facebook friends you chat with often, more quickly and more easily than before.
However, we’ve also seen reports of some users getting a mini News Feed in their Chat sidebar, too. In this case, the News Feed appears above your contacts. This appears to be more of an experimental rollout.
Previously, the Facebook Chat sidebar presented your friends to you as one big list, sorted alphabetically by name, not by relevance to you. For what it’s worth, this is the Chat sidebar I still have in my Facebook profile, which indicates that the update is still in the process of being deployed as we speak.
Those who have received the new Chat update are seeing the Chat sidebar split in two, with a section containing those friends you most recently chatted with at the top, then a split, followed by a “More Online Friends” section below. There, the rest of your online contacts are displayed.
But that’s not all!
Although there are fewer tips coming in about this one, it appears that some users are seeing a more experimental sidebar which includes a mini News Feed at the top. This News Feed shows recent updates from your friends and the Facebook Pages you follow.
This makes it seem like you have two News Feeds, which can feel a bit odd.

Others report seeing fixed Facebook headers (the blue bar at the top – it doesn’t move when you scroll).

Follow @alvito@alvito
Alvito Falcon

Facebook has new design changes today! The header does nt scroll. And more updates above the chat on the right hand side!

about 1 hour ago via UberSocial for BlackBerryReplyRetweetFavorite

Causing Problems?
It seems that the majority of these more oddball updates may be the result of “bucket” tests, where Facebook rolls out new features to a subset of its users, before deciding if or when it will roll those out to the rest of the install base.
The updates may also be the cause of the issues several people seem to be experiencing with the site this morning, which so far, include the inability to sign in, trouble using Facebook Connect, problems “liking” things, the inability to write on friends’ walls and the inability to post status updates.

Follow @leiran@leiran

"Sorry, unable to update your status. Try again in a few minutes." #FacebookFAIL

54 minutes ago via webReplyRetweetFavorite

Follow @Gamylander87@Gamylander87
Francesco Gaminara

Today FB has decided that i can't "like" a thing :/ #FaceBookFail

about 1 hour ago via webReplyRetweetFavorite

Follow @cherrrrryBOMB@cherrrrryBOMB
madame Leto.

i've written 2 statuses that now i want to delete but facebook won't let me fml. #facebookfail

58 minutes ago via webReplyRetweetFavorite

Follow @SpearsMarketing@SpearsMarketing
Seth Spears

What's wrong with #facebook today, questions won't work, database errors, all kinds of problems! #facebookfail

about 1 hour ago via webReplyRetweetFavorite

Follow @jshallow01@jshallow01
J Shallow-Miller

FB is not letting me post on walls & repond to posts. ugh! #facebookfail

24 minutes ago via webReplyRetweetFavorite

We’ve reached out to Facebook PR for a comment and will update if we hear back.

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Supersonic Released In The Android Market – Get Your Adrenaline Fix

Supersonic was released onto the Android Market a few days ago and looks like a good time waster for those looking to get their speed fix. Gameplay is simple. You’re placed into a tunnel of light where you speed through a course filled with a techno soundtrack, gaining speed boosts, all while using your phone’s accelerometer to maneuver in and out of obstacles. Not as easy as it sounds, trust me.

Speaking of speed, the game does share some eerie similarities to another Android favorite, Speedx 3D with the only difference being the higher amount of polish and eye candy Supersonic has over the competition. Of course, this graphical flare will come at the cost of performance for some older devices so keep that in mind. The developer shouldn’t suffer in Market ratings because of it. So if you have a newer device and cat like reflexes you can download Supersonic for free in the Android Market right now.
[Market Link]

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GameFly to launch unlimited game download service this fall

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GameFly announced on Wednesday it will soon offer a new service called “Unlimited PC Play” that will allow gamers to download an unlimited amount of games to their Windows or Mac computer. Much like Netflix’s business model, GameFly will provide instant access to more than 8,000 rental discs or more than 1,500 instant downloads for a monthly fee. The service will require a desktop client that will include news, a feed of HD trailers and screen shots of the latest games. GameFly also said there will be a social component that will allow gamers to interact with one another in real-time. A closed beta will begin on September 8th for current GameFly subscribers and a public launch will occur during the holiday season. Read on for the full press release.

GameFly Subscribers Will Have Access to Free PC Games
Digital Client Will Be The One-Stop Shop for Casual and Hardcore Gamers Alike
LOS ANGELES, Aug. 9, 2011 /PRNewswire/ — GameFly, Inc., the #1 online video game rental subscription service will be launching a new digital client, the one-stop shop for gamers, this holiday season. The biggest bonus for active GameFly subscribers will be the addition of free “Unlimited PC Play” which allows them to download and play as many Windows/Mac games as they want, from a large and ever-growing collection of titles. Gamers will have unprecedented flexibility in how they want to consume games, whether it is renting discs by mail from a library of over 8,000 titles, downloading any of the more than 1,500 Windows/Mac games for sale, pre-ordering new console and PC releases or buying used games – all managed via the desktop client. Casual to hardcore gamers can get all of their gaming information with up-to-the-minute news, a live feed and archive of HD trailers, videos, and screenshots, and a robust social component for real-time discussions of what’s hot and what’s not. In addition, users will be able to manage their entire library of games across all gaming platforms, as well as create custom libraries to share.
“We’re thrilled to bring digital to the gaming consumer in a meaningful way, as no other service or retailer brings physical and digital gaming together like GameFly,” said Sean Spector, GameFly co-founder and SVP of Business Development and Content. “With a library of over 9,500 titles from over 300 first- and third-party publishers, GameFly members have the ultimate choice of how, what, when and where they game.”
GameFly will launch their closed beta at a Los Angeles event on September 8, 2011, exclusively for GameFly members. All attendees will walk away with beta codes for themselves and a friend. Gaming enthusiasts not in the Los Angeles area who want to gain access to the private beta can visit www.gamefly.com/beta. The digital client will launch publicly during the holidays, but for a sneak peak now, see the teaser trailer here –www.youtube.com/gamefly.

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Copy Angry Birds progress to multiple devices without root & for free

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What I have for you today is a little treat for all you Angry Birds fanatics out there. I know there is plenty of you. Even if you don’t admit it we know you play it while your bored at work, daily. I’ve looked into this myself and didn’t know it was possible, but we now have a way to backup your game saves and progress on all 3 versions of Angry Birds. Regular version, seasons, and Rio. So now keep your progress on your G1, Thunderbolt, and on your Motorola Xoom (or whatever devices you own) so you never have to replay all the levels unless you want to of course.

This story along with most good things for android, comes from a user at XDA. He has done all the research for us and has all the details as well as full instructions. I’ll post them below for your viewing pleasure as well as link you to his post. This is a way to backup your game saves for Angry Birds without being rooted. So you don’t have to use titanium backup or something like that, just a simple app from the Android Market. Below is a list of all 3 apps, the first two are from the same developer and hopefully he is making an all-in-1 next. Search for these in the Android Market:
angrybirdsbackup
angrybirdsbackup (seasons)
Rio backup
Instructions:
1) Install whichever app you need on both devices.
2) Complete ONE level on the new device (do NOT skip this step or you won’t be able to complete the process successfully) and then create a backup to your device using the app.
3) Install the same app on the old device and create a backup for the same game on the old device with all the game saves. Now you have backups of current progress of the same game on both devices and you need to get the old to the new.
4) Use a file explorer (I like ES File Explorer best out of all of them but some prefer Astro… either will work for this DIY) to locate the folder that was created on the new device which will be named the same as the backup app. Within that folder you will find two files which I think are .bkp or something similar. One is scores and one is something else. You want to delete those two files from the new phone and then copy the same two files from the old phone and place them in the same location on the new phone.
5) Back out, launch the angrybirdsbackup app that you installed and select restore.
Done.
Now you are ready to go, launch the game of choice and enjoy all your progress and saves. If you start the app and the progress is not there try the guide again and make sure you follow the steps completely. Now start gathering those eggs and enjoy your flying birds.
[via XDA Forums]
 

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New in the Market: Snap, Style, and Share with Snapbucket by Photobucket

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Photo editing apps are starting to get a little crowded, but Photobucket thinks they have something unique with the new Snapbucket app that just became available in the Android Market. Snapbucket is a separate app and complements the currently offered Photobucket app.
With Snapbucket, users can snap a photo and apply various filters, vignettes, and frames to it. You can immediately share your edited photos on Facebook, Twitter, or your Photobucket albums. You can even create your own filter sets.

Some of the cool features you get with Snapbucket are:
* “Retro,” “Lomo,” “Sunrise,” and “’70s” – just a few of the awesome sets you can use to style your photos.
* Over 9500 combinations of sets are available, many more than Instagram, Hipstamatic, Vignette or PicPlz!
* Choose from individual filters, effects, vignettes, and frames to style your photos your way.
* Create YOUR OWN unique filter sets and brag about them to friends.
* Show off your stylin’ skills by sharing with friends to Photobucket, Facebook, or Twitter.
* Unlock new effects the more you use Snapbucket, and get filters that’ll make your friends green with envy!
* We’ll always keep your original photo safe on Photobucket, so don’t worry – go crazy with styling!
Your original and edited photos will be stored in your Photobucket account. Photobucket is hoping that unlimited storage on the go will sway customers from competing apps to Snapbucket, not to mention there is already about 100 million Photobucket users.

Snapbucket is available now in the Android Market and is free. For the QR code please see our apps database or to go directly to the market, please hit the source link.

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Google I/O Official App – Go Get it Now!

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Are you going to Google I/O next week? Well then, you need the official Android app for the conference. Even if you’re not attending, and want to follow the happenings, it is a good app to have. Google I/O, in case you were not aware for some strange reason, is Google’s sold-out developer conference being held on May 10th and 11th, and is jam packed with sessions and speakers.


The app allows you to look at the schedule, see detailed session and speaker info, and see the conference map.

You can also star sessions and Sandbox companies so that you can organize your schedule and refer back to the companies you’re interested in.
The app has a Bulletin section that gives you official updates during the conference so you can keep up with all the news, and also a realtime stream that shows tweets about the conference.

The app also lets you create and manage notes using Catch, and has a search feature so that you can quickly find what you’re looking for.
Remember, Android Community will be covering Google I/O live, so be sure to set up camp here next week as we feature all the breaking news from the conference.
 

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Verizon Wireless Launching Official Pirates App

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Verizon Wireless has teamed up with Disney to bring you the official Pirates Of The Caribbean: On Stranger Tides app. This app will carry exclusive Disney content from the upcoming theatrical release of the movie with the same name. The Pirates Of The Caribbean: On Stranger Tides app will feature character bios, character stills, movie artwork, local show times and allow integration with social networking sites Facebook and Twitter.
The app will also stream live starting at 8:45pm PST from the world premiere of the movie in Anaheim California on May 7th. Verizon Wireless and Disney will also make the mobile game: Pirates Of The Caribbean: Master Of The Seas, available to Verizon Android users from May 17th to June 14th.
The highly interactive Master of The Seas game allows players to customize pirates and their ships, engage in battles and embark on quests.
Hopefully the pirate advocates won’t try to get this game pulled off the market.
 

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Two fanboy fire starters: Android market share and free apps, and there relevance to you

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We reported a little while ago about two things that are stirring up quite a ruckus in the digital world: The Android Market now has more free apps than its iOS counterpart, and that for the first time in a LONG time Android market share actually decreased slightly. As an Android user what does this mean for you?

More Free Apps:
Anyone with half a brain knows that companies will play to their strong points. When the App Store had 10 times the amount of apps as The Market, Apple was quick to point it out (for proof, look at the press release of the iPad 2 and their comparison to Honeycomb). Now that Apple is losing ground (and quickly) in the number of apps, Apple likes to point out that people are happier with the quality of their apps (this, ironically coming before their announcement that they’re going to start “cleansing” the app store of “crappy” apps). While it’s no surprise that the App Store generally wins the award in the quality department, how much does that matter? Do you care if you get a slightly more polished game when you have to pay for it. Or does a slightly less perfect, free alternative suffice? A lot of iOS users were annoyed when they found out that Angry Birds was free on Android, but they had to pay .99 to get it for their iPhone (I can even recall a friend saying “why the heck can’t I have an app filled free version? They don’t bother me”). I think this is where the debate stems from, and where I think Android pulls away. Angry Birds looks just as good on my Evo as it does as my iTouch, and it actually plays slightly smoother on my Evo than it does on my iTouch. Some people may argue “well, not everyone can afford an Evo.” Well, people shouldn’t compare the iPhone to a cheap, $50 Android phone. That’s rather biased, don’t you think? When put up to the Android devices that compare with the iPhone, my experiences tell me that the games look just as good and play the same (and yes, games look better on a Super AMOLED screen than they do on a retina display). So if you take that out of the equation all you have let is options. You have the OPTION on Android to get an ad-free version for a price, or an ad filled version that’s free. Also, something a lot of people don’t realize, if you turn off mobile data and/or wifi you won’t get ads. So you can even get an ad free version without paying. Cool, huh? iOS developers know that a lot of buyers in that market will pay for their games so they don’t even offer an ad free version most of the time. The fundamental debate: Android has options, Apple is more polished but with a “take it as we give it” mentality. I personally prefer the Android approach, how about you?
The other thing that people are having a cow about is that Android market share went down for the first time in nearly 2 years. It fell from 53% to 50%. All I have to say is, are you kidding me???? Why is this a big deal? Yeah, Apple supporters will likely rejoice at the idea that Android has plateaued, but if you think that you aren’t looking at things past the numbers. Now is the first time we’re seeing Verizon’s iPhone have an impact on Android. Did it dent the market share? Absolutely. Did people assume it would do so? Absolutely. Does this mean Apple will catch up now and Android will slip? Absolutely not. Look, Apple went up 9% and Android went down 3%. EVEN IF all of those 3% users jumped ship to the iPhone it wouldn’t account for another 6%. More than likely that 6% (and possibly more) came from the RIM users jumping ship like they’re on the Titanic and the fact that there are a lot of people who held out on smart phones waiting for the iPhone on Verizon. The Army decided that it was going to use Android for it’s units. Android is becoming more and more business friendly. And there’s that whole Honeycomb Table market that hasn’t even begun (who really thought that the XOOM was going to be super successful at that price?). Android has not stopped growing. Trust me, this war has many battles yet to be fought.
 

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No Android Apps or Flash Support for Blackberry 7

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Most of us remember the hype surrounding RIM’s BlackBerry Playbook and how it’s QNX OS would allow users to load Android apps for use on the tablet. I know how excited some of my developer friends were about this possible new prospect. Given the similarities between Android’s Dalvik VM and RIM’s Java based system it seemed like an easy transition. However, the Playbook was eventually released without the touted Android capabilities to many people’s dismay.
Fast forward to today where RIM announced the details of their new BlackBerry 7 OS and although many hoped it would offer some core features from the QNX operating system (Android app compatibility?) – it fell short. RIM officially confirmed today that there will be no Android apps (or even Flash for that matter) on the new soon to be released BlackBerry 7 OS update.
However, Android apps aren’t entirely off the table just yet. According to RIM’s vice president of handheld software product management, Andrew Bocking, the new QNX OS may soon come to handhelds, the only problem is they will need to feature a dual-core processor which RIM doesn’t offer at the moment. He did mention they are hard at work on a more portable cellphone version of the OS and although nowhere near ready you can expect to hear more about it later this year.
What do you guys think at the possibility of a BlackBerry phone running Android apps? Is this something you would be interested in? Or will it be shunned like an Android red-headed step child?
 

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Angry Birds RIO gets an update next week

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Rovio has reported on their Facebook page that Angry Birds is getting an update this week. The update, whatever comes after “Jungle Escape,” will unlock some sweet new features including “marmoset mauling action” and it’ll have many “juicy secrets” to discover. The update is being released a little later than expected, much to the chagrin of gamers who have been chomping at the bit and complaining about it’s slipped release date. But they can rejoice that it will be followed by three more chapters of the Angry Birds Rio game to be released on or about July, October, and November of 2011.

Squawk! Hold on to your hats, people: the first update for Angry Birds Rio lands next week!,” said it’s Facebook Page. “Get ready for more marmoset-mauling action and more juicy secrets to discover. Did you already find all the Golden Pineapples and Bananas?

The first chapter, released back in March, was called Smuggler’s Den and introduced gamers to the bird characters Blu and Jewel from the 20th Century Fox film RIO. Blu is a rare Macaw who lives in a bookstore in Minnesota. When scientists learn there’s another Macaw spotted in South America that’s female, Blu gets sent down south to meet her and let nature take it’s course. But both are kidnapped by poachers seeking to make a fortune on the rare birds.

The game is a natural spin off of Angry Birds, as our poultry are kidnapped along with Blu and Jewel and not only escape, but they will seek vengeance in classic Angry Birds fashion on poachers who have captured their rare brethren! Chapter Two, Jungle Escape will take the next step as gamers will get exposed to new environments and set pieces from the film, and there may also be a dreaded Black Bird, ready to wreck any smuggler’s day. There’s also another new Boomerang Bird who will loop back around just when you think you’ve missed the mark. And as with Chapter one, Gamers can also collect golden fruit, area trophies, and three star bonuses hidden like juicy little Easter eggs all over the game.

Angry Birds Rio Jungle Attack will be available at the Amazon App Store for Android starting next week – with your everyday average Android Marketplace release surely soon to follow.

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Quick Look at Today’s Free Amazon App: Super Dynamite Fishing

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If you love to hunt this game is for you. Yes, I said hunt. Try this game and you’ll see why. Its a fun, fairly addictive fishing game. Yet your objective is to use unconventional means to catch the fish. You basically take control of the games character, which from the looks of him, he’s a poor good ol’ boy, sportin’ a trucker hat, overalls and a five o’clock shadow. Due to his lack of money he goes in to fishing to get paid. Any other normal fishing game you’d take your pole and cast in to the waters and see what you can pull out. Not this game. Here you visit the weapon shop and buy the required equipment, as in dynamite and shotguns so you can get out on that river and murder some fish, and even possibly find some buried treasure. Also as you rack up the cash, you can gradually upgrade your boat, five different styles. From a shower tub which you start with to a river boat, a viking ship, a battleship, and my personal favorite, The Nautilus from 20,000 Leauges Under The Sea.

The features, and fun comic strip style animation will have you passing the time, playing this game. The slaughtering of fish, dealing with the other characters, the love of your little lady Rose, achievements, and more, make this game quite enjoyable. Finally, you’ll see when it come to navigating the waters in your vessel, you’ll use the phones accelerometer to move along as you swipe your finger to toss the dynamite in to the schools of defenseless fish.
This game is brought to us by Handy Games, and all day today can be had free in the Amazon App Store, where it is normally, $0.99.

 

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BlackBerry PlayBook to get Video Chat and Facebook apps in May

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Who's going to get the very first "tablet-optimized" Facebook app? Why, it's RIM and the PlayBook! The Canadian company has today revealed it's bringing a native Facebook app to its 7-inch, QNX-based slate, which will also be joined by a new Video Chat application. The latter will be available to download on May 3rd, with an over-the-air update dishing it out to current PlayBook owners. Its functionality will be no different from what we've come to expect from such clients -- both voice and video calls will be available anywhere you can find a a WiFi connection. As to the Facebook app, it's coming some time later in the month, and will let you view and add your friends, share photos and videos "seamlessly," access Facebook Chat, and view and interact with the news Feed. Both should be getting extensive demos at BlackBerry World, which is taking place this week, and we'll be sure to have a gander and report our findings. Skip past the break for the full press releases.

 

 

 

 

May 2, 2011

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

RIM Announces New Video Chat Application for the BlackBerry
PlayBook Tablet

Allows BlackBerry PlayBook users to easily share special moments with friends and family

Waterloo, ON - Research In Motion (RIM) (NASDAQ: RIMM; TSX: RIM) today announced the availability of the BlackBerry® PlayBook™ Video Chat application - an easy and fun way for friends and family to place and receive video calls between BlackBerry® PlayBook™ tablets over an internet connected Wi-Fi® network.

"BlackBerry is a renowned mobile communication solution for connecting users to the people and information that matter most throughout their day," said Tom Goguen, VP, Collaboration and Social Networking at Research In Motion (RIM). "With the BlackBerry PlayBook Video Chat application we are excited to be enabling our customers to share important moments and events with family and friends via video calls. With the BlackBerry PlayBook's high-resolution video cameras and stunning display, a Video Chat call is the next best thing to being there."

Key features of the PlayBook Video Chat application include:

• One-Click Video and Voice over Wi-Fi Calls - with just one click users can make a call from their Video Chat contact list, log of recent calls or simply by entering the BBID email address of the person they want to call.
• Incoming Call Notifications - users will receive a notification pop-up when a new video call comes in, allowing them to accept the call as either a video or voice call, or decline the call. For those quiet moments - such as when while watching a movie or playing a game -users will also have the ability to simply set the "Do Not Disturb" option and the BlackBerry PlayBook will automatically ignore all incoming calls.
• Powerful In-Call Functions - by using the picture-in-picture function users can easily preview their own video image prior to placing the call in order to see what will be displayed on the other end. They can also easily switch cameras from front to rear so their friends can see what they are seeing, and for private moments users can mute/unmute audio or make or take calls using voice only.
• Friends List - BlackBerry PlayBook Video Chat comes complete with a Friends List for maintaining your favorite contacts. A picture can easily be added to a contact to personalize the entry and a Call Log makes it simple to keep track of received and missed calls.

The BlackBerry PlayBook Video Chat application will be showcased this week at BlackBerry World 2011 (www.blackberryworld.com) in Orlando FL. It is expected to be available on May 3 and will be distributed to existing BlackBerry PlayBook customers through an over-the-air software update and will also be available on BlackBerry App World™.

 

 

 

 

May 2, 2011

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

RIM Announces New Facebook App for BlackBerry PlayBook

Waterloo, ON - Following on the success of the Facebook for BlackBerry® smartphones app, Research In Motion (RIM) (NASDAQ: RIMM; TSX: RIM) today announced Facebook for BlackBerry® PlayBook™ -- a new app that delivers popular features of Facebook, optimized for the 7" high resolution, multi-touch LCD display of the BlackBerry PlayBook tablet.

"There are over 30 million users of our Facebook for BlackBerry smartphones app who are staying in touch with their social network while on the go," said Tom Goguen, VP, Collaboration and Social Networking at Research In Motion, "Now with Facebook for BlackBerry PlayBook we can also offer customers highly engaging social experiences optimized for the PlayBook including the ability to share FaceBook pictures and videos with friends and family on an HDTV."

Facebook for BlackBerry PlayBook offers users a highly engaging experience by integrating popular features and functionality of Facebook including:

• View and add Friends - Users can interact with friends quickly and easily: find friends by scanning the new grid view of their profile pictures; search for and add new friends and manage new friend requests; browse their profiles, photos and videos; view and interact with wall posts; view key information on profiles and pages; and view, comment and 'like' photos on profiles and pages.
• Enjoy seamless photo and video viewing - Facebook for BlackBerry PlayBook makes it easy to upload photos from the BlackBerry PlayBook Picture Library, tag friends in photos, view comments, tags and likes. The BlackBerry PlayBook can also be connected to an HD TV to display photos and videos at a whole new level in full 1080p HD.
• Connect with friends using Facebook Chat - On the BlackBerry PlayBook screen, users can enjoy side-by-side viewing of online contacts and active conversations. Notifications of new Chat messages are displayed on the Notifications Bar, so users can quickly and easily read and respond to new Chat messages while browsing friends' profiles, viewing their pictures or reading their status updates.
• View and interact with the News Feed - Users will be able to browse highlights such as photo uploads and status updates and seamlessly view links in the BlackBerry PlayBook browser. They will also be able to "Comment" and "Like" to discuss and show appreciation for friends' content, as well as publish a status update or upload a photo from the status publisher accessible from their Profile or from within the News Feed.

The Facebook for BlackBerry PlayBook application will be showcased this week at BlackBerry World 2011 (www.blackberryworld.com) in Orlando, FL and is expected to be available on BlackBerry App World™ in May.

 

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