Grand Theft Auto III coming to Android this fall

Ah, the simple joy of a city-spanning police chase culminating in a ramp jump over a train station, ending in a bullet-riddled fireball of fiberglass and steel. It’s a pleasure that’s been missing from the Android Market for far too long. But that will change this fall, when Rockstar ports the classic action game Grand Theft Auto III to Android phones and tablets.

Grand Theft Auto III hit the Playstation 2 ten years ago and became a smash hit almost overnight. While parents and teachers wrung their hands about the ultra-violent gameplay (at least by 2001 standards) game reviewers raved about its open-world environment and do-anything structure. GTA III basically invented the “sandbox” genre that’s become so popular over the last decade, and continues to sell millions of copies every time a new installment is released.
The Android version of Grand Theft Auto III will need some pretty powerful mobile hardware – even though the graphics are limited by today’s standards, those huge environments will test the processors and RAM of even the latest phones. The developer mentioned specific support for the Samsung Galaxy S II and Galaxy Tab 10.1, so you can expect that other top-of-the-line phones and tablets will also be featured. Of course, an iOS version will be forthcoming as well.
Android is seeing a positive renaissance when it comes to classic gaming. In addition to the vibrant emulation scene and new games like Minecraft, gaming staples like Duke Nukem and Leisure Suit Larry are headed onto Android phones and tablets soon. Like those games, Grand Theft Auto III will almost certainly be right at home in the “Mature” section of the Android Market.
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CyanogenMod Releases CM7 Alpha 1 For The HP TouchPad

Soon after HP started their TouchPad fire sale, a version of the device running Android 2.2 appeared on eBay and went on to sell for almost $700. Hopes for an Android port were high and the developer community swung into action offering a $2300 bounty for anyone who could load Android on the TouchPad. The CyanogenMod team, Android developers extraordinaire, did not disappoint and soon the news broke that they had managed to successfully get Android running on the TouchPad. Over the next few weeks the CM team made a number of tweaks to the various hardware and software components of the HP TouchPad, including GPU acceleration, Wi-Fi, Sound, Accelerometer, 3D Games, and video acceleration to ensure that CM7 worked smoothly.

And now, after a month of waiting, the CM team feel that it is time for the first alpha release of CM7 for the HP TouchPad. However, be warned, this is an early alpha release and intended for "those technically competent hobbyists and developers who are interested in testing an early development version and fully understand the risks of doing so may find interest in it". Although HP have indicated their "moral support" for the project, it is prudent to assume that installing CM7 onto your TouchPad will VOID your warranty.

If you are unsure of how CM7 will look on the TouchPad, have a look at Mr Chekov demoing some of its features:


The video shows him play around with the Bluetooth, Netflix, a bit of gaming, and in between he is interrupted by a few Skype calls. To my untrained eye CM7 seems to be running pretty well on the TouchPad, the screen appears responsive, the video is clear, and the audio is crisp. Indeed, the list of working components includes, touchscreen support, GPU acceleration, Bluetooth, dual-core processing, sound, accelerometer, camera, vibration, backlight, LED, softkeys, and Wi-Fi. However, most of these components are not functioning at 100% and there are app compatibility issues.

If you wish to report any bugs (and there are a lot), check out the list here:http://code.google.com/p/cmtouchpad/issues/list.

Finally, if all this is too much for you and you want to start over simply launch the WebOS Doctorand reset your device.

Head on over to the Rootzwiki thread to read the complete installation instructions and download the necessary files.

And remember folks "ETA's are a bad omen".

Source: Rootzwiki

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HTC Sensation 4G Powered by Bugs in Snapdragon Video

Phones Review Quickie: On seeing the video we have for your viewing consideration below, I simply had to post it as I haven’t seen anything quite like this footage before, although if you are somewhat freaked out by bugs and a such you might like to give this video a bit of a miss, but if you can take the sight of creepy crawlies then take a gander.
This strange way of charging a smartphone, in this case the HTC Sensation 4G, footage comes our way, and by way of QUALCOMMVlog, and shows numerous bugs powering the Snapdragon S3 Sensation 4G.
In said footage we see such creepy crawlies doing their stuff for Qualcomm as a tarantula, scorpion, praying mantis a numerous other insects all working what is called the “Bug Circus Generator,” and then the smartphone is used to fire a beetle from a cannon though a fire hoop.
Have to say it’s one ingenious way to tout the Snapdragon processor and I love the way the praying mantis kicks it all off with operating a unicycle. The praying mantis pops up again at the end and seems to point at the Snapdragon logo…very clever and entertaining.
Anyway head on down and mash that play button to check out this unusual bug circus powering up the HTC Sensation 4G, I’m sure you’ll be amazed…enjoy.
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AT&T says LTE phones won’t drain battery in a jiffy

You know the drill – if you do not do plenty of data access from online sources on your smartphone, then turning off its 3G or LTE radio would go a long way in preserving battery life. Needless to say, those running on 3G will use up less juice than on a LTE network, and if you drop the connection to just EDGE, it will offer even more mileage. AT&T has stepped forward to the plate, claiming that their LTE handsets will be easy on the battery when their LTE service rolls out. 

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Asus Eee Pad Transformer 2 ready to rock the UK

Are you on the lookout for the Asus Eee Pad Transformer 2? If you so happen to live across the pond, then you might be interested to know that this particular device is set to hit our friends in the UK this coming November 7th. While we know that Stateside, the price will remain the same as its predecessor, UK retailer Lambda-Tek already has set up a product page for the device, touting a price point of £537.85 for the slate.

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Samsung Galaxy W also known as the Samsung Exhibit II 4G

What you see above is the press shot of the Samsung Galaxy W, which is also known as the Samsung Exhibit II 4G. Those who feel that they prefer to refer to devices in terms of model numbers would be the SGH-T679. I guess T-Mobile has decided to call it the Samsung Exhibit II 4G, so we will stick to this for the rest of the post. It will most probably retail for $99, making it one of the cheaper HSPA+-capable smartphones in the country. You won’t find the Samsung Exhibit II 4G lacking in terms of processing power, considering it sports a 1.4GHz single-core processor, and accompanied by a 3.7″ WVGA display and a 5-megapixel camera.

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Apple Wins Injunction Against Samsung In Australia

It doesn’t look good for the Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 in the land down under. Justice Annabelle Bennett, read from a summary judgement text in Sydney Australia Thursday.  She said that she weighed both sides of this patent argument to see who would suffer more while the entire patent case is being prepared.
Bennett said she felt that if the Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 were to be released while the full patent case was being prepared the damage to Apple would be significant. She did weigh in on the other side suggesting that Samsung would suffer lost revenues if the Galaxy Tab 10.1 was pulled off the shelves.
More after the break
The balance of convenience is almost exactly the same however Bennett said in this case the balance of convenience falls in favor of Apple.
In the Australian patent case Samsung was willing to go back to the drawing board and eliminate certain features that Apple says they lay claim to, and release a whole new version of the Galaxy Tab 10.1 just for Australia.  Apple balked at that deal and pushed on in court.
Samsung released the following statement in regards to the judges ruling:

We are disappointed with this ruling and Samsung will be seeking legal advice on its options. Samsung will continue its legal proceeding against Apple’s claim in order to ensure our innovative products remain available to consumers.
This is a part of our ongoing legal proceeding against Apple’s claim. Samsung is also confident it can prove Apple’s violation of Samsung’s wireless technology patents through a cross claim filed on 16 September 2011 with the Federal Court of Australia, New South Wales.
Our wireless standard patents are essential for mobile business. We will continue to legally assert our intellectual property rights against those who violate Samsung’s patents and free ride on our technology.
source: ZDnet Australia

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Velocity Micro unveils new Cruz T408 and T410 tablets

Velocity Micro is extending its tablet offerings with a pair of new budget-priced Gingerbread models. The Cruz T408 and Cruz T410 are 8-inches and 10-inches respectively (natch), with built-in access to the Amazon App Store and WiFi Internet access. The tablets are available now starting at $239.

Both tablets share identical internals: a 1GHz Cortex processor, 512Mb of RAM, a front-facing camera and an extremely welcome capacitive touchscreen. The screens themselves are oddly mismatched: the 8-inch T408 will have a 4:3 screen, whereas the T410 goes for a full widescreen 16:9 experience. Resolutions weren’t announced, but I’d guess 8oo x 600 and 1280 x 720, respectively. There’s a surprising amount of built-in apps, including QuickOffice, Adobe Flash and the ever-popular Angry Birds. These being Gingerbread tablets, there’s no access to the Android Market or Google apps, but the Amazon App Store should have most people covered.
Check out the official video below – watch at 42 seconds for a familiar face.


Both tablets are shipping from Velocity Micro’s web store now, and you can probably expect them at retail locations soon. The Cruz T408 will retail for just $239, while the big brother T410 will cost $299. That might be a hard sell as the Amazon Kindle Fire release draws nearer, but some might prefer a more traditional Gingerbread tablet to Amazon’s super-customized loss-leader. And who knows – if Google releases the open source code for Ice Cream Sandwich as promised, these budget tablets could become platforms for custom ICS ROMs very quickly.
[via Android Central]

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Motorola Xoom 4G OTA update details

Those of you lucky enough to have received your Motorola Xoom back from the 4G LTE update, you should now have a few noticeable changes to your device. Either that or an OTA update will be hitting as soon as you power up. When the hardware update first started last month we saw reports on the OTA update, bringing the new Android Market to Honeycomb and more, and today Verizon has made it official and posted the update details and changelog information.

Users may be wondering what all was changed other than the addition of a 4G LTE radio inside the device, and now we have all the details. The Xoom 4G has been updated to Android 3.2.1 Honeycomb build version HLK75D. Although we aren’t seeing much the details (below) seem to mention the new market, market auto updates in the future for tablets, and as usual a few bug fixes. Apparently they’ve also addressed some connectivity issues so that is good. Hopefully 4G LTE will be stable, it works great on my Tab 10.1 LTE.

-Android Market has been updated.
-When toggling between Airplane Mode, you will no longer receive the following error message: “Wrong Operator: SIM card is from an unknown source.”
-After performing an (OTA) update, the Android Market shortcut on the homescreen works correctly.
-Android Books app updated.
-Android Market Terms and Condition text is now easier to read against background color.
-Android Market app now updates on its own.
They’ve also mentioned a few things for the web browser and security related things, then again like I mentioned above Motorola and Verizon are focusing on 3G/4G connectivity. They’ve fixed a few bugs that should keep data stalls to a minimum and keep 4G running strong. While Xoom users sadly can’t say they had the first 4G LTE Honeycomb tablet at least they finally do have LTE on board. I’ve not experienced the updated Xoom myself but I’ve been hearing good things from friends and members in the forum. Let us know how the updates running for you, we’d love to hear.

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