Gameloft unloads two more titles onto Android, Fantasy Town and NFL Pro 2012

Gameloft has released two additional titles onto the Android Market in the past few days aside from Modern Combat 3: Fallen Nation. Both of these new games, called Fantasy Town andNFL Pro 2012, are available as free downloads on the Android Market.

Both of these games sit on the opposite ends of the gaming spectrum when it comes to the type of game both of these new titles are. While one is obviously a football game, the other is a Sim City style of games based in a fantasy themes.
Fantasy Town

In Fantasy Town you will be in charge of building your village just like any other type of Sim City game. However it doesn't end there as you are also able to guide your villagers to uncovering buried treasure, farming exotic plants, talk to villager and accept/complete their quests for rewards and you will also have to make sure to keep your population happy. There are also mini-games you can play to take a break from building and managing everything where you will battle it out with monsters.



Fantasy Town is sort of a blend between a Sim City game and a RPG title with all the fantasy themed creatures involved. For those of you who enjoy these types of games, you can nabFantasy Town off the Android Market for free and it comes with optional in-game purchases.
NFL Pro 2012

Jumping over to the other end of the spectrum, Gameloft has also recently released a new football game called NFL Pro 2012. Features some pretty impressive visuals, this new game comes complete with 32 officially licensed NFL teams to choose and over 2,000 officially licensed players from the NFL. This time around they have also used motion capture technology, similar to what Distinctive Developments do with their sports games, to bring a lot more realism to the game.



NFL Pro 2012 Features:

- The Entire NFL: Thanks to the official NFL and NFL Players License, you can choose to play and manage any of the 32 NFL teams with over 2,000 real players.
- Unlock more content: Play matches to earn points you can use to unlock new stadiums, playbooks, stat boosts and much more.
- Visuals: Thanks to motion capture technology, enjoy stunning graphics and an impressive level of detailed player animations that include running, tackling, celebrating touchdowns and more.
- The improved AI promises a challenging game every time. You can also take on the advanced AI if you think you’re ready for the greatest challenge.
- Choose from over 200 plays to beat your opponents or use the Playbook Editor to create your own tactics to outwit the opposition.
- An assistant to help you make the right choices depending on time left, team skills and more!
- Get all the news about your favorite teams thanks to the official NFL RSS feed integrated into directly into the game!

If you enjoy playing football games on your Android device this new title from Gameloft might be another one to check out. It is also available as a free download off the Android Market.

Developer Website: Gameloft

Android Market Link: Fantasy Town | NFL Pro 2012

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Verizon System Shows HTC Fireball, Details Unknown

If a Verizon inventory screens are to be believed (and they usually are quite trustworthy), a new 4G LTE device is coming our way courtesy of HTC. The HTC Fireball has appeared in the carrier’s computer system without even the slightest hint as to what it could be. The best we can do is speculate on the Fireball’s model number ADR6410L, which falls between the ADR6425 and ADR6400. With consideration to this fact, it is possible that the Fireball will be a mid-range device with hardware that falls between the range of those two devices. Otherwise we can gain little info other than the assumption that Verizon plans to release the device sometime in the future.
[via DroidLife]

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Galaxy Nexus Experiencing Signal Problems? Verizon Looking into a Fix

We’ve received more than a few tips that users are experiencing signal issues with the Samsung Galaxy Nexus. I can’t personally verify the claims — I have yet to take my Nexus outside of a 4G zone – but based on a recent tweet from Verizon’s support account it does appear that something isn’t quite right. Users are reporting familiar sounding 4G issues, such as poor handling of the switch between 3G and 4G mode (toggling airplane mode tends to fix this) and lower-than-expected reception strength. Verizon says it is investigating the problem and developing a software update to address the problems, but a release timeframe is unknown. Our best guess is to expect any signal-enhancing tweaks to come bundled as part of the Android 4.0.3 update planned to arrive on Nexus handsets in the coming weeks.
[via DroidLife]

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HTC Elite flagship phone rumored for AT&T in April

If you’re still drooling over early leaks for the HTC Edge and HTC Ville, prepare to shift your desire to another device entirely. BGR quotes anonymous insiders saying that the HTC Elite, an EVO/Titan-style flagship device for the company, will launch in April of 2012 on AT&T. “Elite” may be a codename for the device, with “HTC Congressional” serving as the final release name. The senator from Taiwan has the floor.

The source didn’t have any specification information for the Elite, though they did mention a 4.7-inch LTE Window Phone for AT&T set to debut in February. If the Elite is indeed a flagship, it would have a large 720p screen, possibly Super AMOLED, and either a dual-core or quad-core processor of at least 1.2Ghz. Beats Audio is almost a given for a high-end HTC Android phone, and the Elite would probably be the first phone in the US to receive HTC Sense UI 4, the comapny’s Ice Cream Sandwich version of its Android customized build. If it’s coming to AT&T at a high price point, LTE seems probable.
All this is speculation at the moment, but HTC’s business trends indicate a Sensation-style headline platform is due for 2012, and this could be it. The Elite may find its way to other markets under similar branding – indeed, the HTC Edge could be the very same device, since AT&T has a habit of renaming phones for their network to give the illusion of exclusivity (see the LG Nitro HD, AKA the Optimus LTE). BGR also reports that HTC will be releasing fewer total phones in 2012, focusing on better individual products in the wake of some depressing earnings reports and bleak Q1 2012 forecasts.

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Nexus Tablet? Eric Schmidt teases official Google-branded slate

The Nexus line of smartphones has been coveted by Android fans for its “pure Google” experience, eschewing carrier and manufacturer customization in favor of the latest clean build on Android. But if you want a pure version of Android in the tablet form factor, you’re largely limited to the original Motorola XOOM. Speaking with an Italian newspaper, Google chairman Eric Schmidt said that the company is planning to release a tablet within the next six months to directly compete against the iPad.

Schmidt’s precise words were, “In the next six months we plan to market a tablet of the highest quality.” Note, dear reader, that this is not a confirmation on a Nexus Tablet, but Google has specifically promoted devices which stayed within the pure Google experience before. The Nexus One, Nexus S and the Galaxy Nexus have all been given web advertising campaigns spearheaded by Google, and the Motorola XOOM (the developer device for Android Honeycomb) continues to receive timely updates, Nexus-style. Whether a new Ice Cream Sandwich tablet would join the Nexus ranks as a developer device, or simply enjoy more informal Google support like the original DROID, is up in the air.

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Cricket announces Huawei Mercury smartphone

Cricket has announced the launch of the Huawei Mercury, a new Android smartphone that promises to be its most powerful yet. The Mercury sports a 4-inch display and is powered by a 1.4GHz processor.
The Mercury is a variant of the Huawei Honor, and Cricket is the first carrier in the U.S. to release a version of it. The Mercury's display is a 4-inch, FWVGA (480 x 854 pixel) touchscreen unit, and the 1.4GHz processor is a single-core chip. There is an 8 megapixel camera on the back complete with autofocus, flash, and HD video capabilities, while a VGA camera on the front provides video chat capabilities. The Mercury supports stereo Bluetooth streaming of audio, and can act as a mobile hotspot for up to 5 devices simultaneously.
Cricket does not clarify which version of Android is found on the Mercury, but the Honor launched with Android 2.3.5 Gingerbread, so we will assume that the Mercury has a similar Gingerbread build on it. Cricket says the Mercury will be available today for $249.99, and can be used on Cricket's $55 per month unlimited plans.

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Glu Mobile ID Packs Launch on Select Sprint Devices

Glu Mobile, a leading global publisher of Social Mobile games, today announced a new way for Sprint customers to access the diverse offering of Glu games with a couple simple clicks. Part of Sprint ID, a service that downloads apps, widgets, wallpapers and other content related to a person's interest at the push of a couple buttons, the Glu ID packs allow users convenient access to many of their favorite Glu games - including top titles: Gun Bros, Bug Village, Contract Killer, Guitar Hero and Deer Hunter Challenge.
Owners of select Sprint devices such as the LG Optimus S (TM), Motorola PHOTON(TM) 4G, and Sanyo Zio(TM), Samsung Galaxy S(TM) II Epic(TM) Touch 4G , and Samsung Galaxy Tab(TM) will be able to choose Glu ID packs for instant access to high-quality Social Mobile games for any audience. Glu ID packs include family-friendly, casual and hardcore shooter games - all with stunning graphics and exciting gameplay.
"Glu is excited to partner with Sprint to provide our audiences with a convenient and accessible way to play their favorite Glu games, while also discovering more of our diverse offerings," said Mike DeLaet, vice president of sales and marketing at Glu.
Available Glu ID packs are:
* Guitar Hero & More: Download this ID pack and prepare to rock out to Guitar Hero 5 and Guitar Hero Warriors of Rock. As an intermission, check out the 10 additional Glu games available in this ID pack.
* Deer Hunter & More: This ID pack is a bulls-eye for shooting fanatics with Deer Hunter Challenge, Deer Hunter 3D and Deer Hunter African Safari. Waiting to reload? This ID pack includes a dozen more Glu games to test your skills.
* Free Glu Games: Thirteen Glu games at your fingertips for the best price: FREE! This ID pack features top franchises like Guitar Hero and Deer Hunter.
All three ID packs feature Glu top shooter games, Gun Bros and Contract Killer.
Glu ID packs are free to download with an Everything Data plan from Sprint. Users can download up to four additional ID packs onto their device, in addition to Glu. To see all Sprint ID packs, visit www.sprint.com/sprintid.
About Glu Mobile
Glu Mobile (NASDAQ: GLUU) is a leading global developer and publisher of Social Mobile games for smartphone and tablet devices. Glu's unique technology platform enables its titles to be accessible to a broad audience of consumers all over the world - supporting iOS, Android, Windows Phone, Google Chrome and beyond. Glu is focused on bringing the best in social, freemium, cross-platform mobile gaming experiences to the mass market. Founded in 2001, Glu is headquartered in San Francisco and has major offices in Kirkland, Washington, Brazil, Canada, China, Russia and the UK. Glu is focused on creating compelling original IP and also partners with leading entertainment brands including Activision, Atari, Caesar's and Fox. Consumers can find high-quality entertainment created exclusively for their mobile devices wherever they see the 'g' character logo or at www.glu.com. For live updates, please follow Glu via Twitter at www.twitter.com/glumobile or become a Glu fan at Facebook.com/glumobile.

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Google+ Pages get multiple admins, new notifications and more

In what looks to be the last major feature push before the Christmas period, the Google team has today announced a number of new updates for Google+, delivering multi-admin controls, new notifications and +1 analytics.
After listening to user feedback after the public launch of Pages (which saw us reinstate our The Next Web account), Google now allows brands and businesses to nominate up to 50 named managers as administrators for a page — perfect for companies with large marketing and social media teams that previously needed to share login credentials.

Also dropping is a new notification flow that delivers all of the activity on a page, giving admins the chance to keep an eye on conversations, messages and shares of their content.
In an effort to provide managers with a better idea of how Google+ users are interacting with page content, Google has combined counts of users that have engaged with a page, whether it be a +1 or the addition of a page to a circle.

To demonstrate the new features, Google has posted a new video which describes each of the new features and how to add them:

With additional page controls, Google has taken a step closer to providing users with access to features similar to Facebook Pages. Google says this is just the start of its page updates, we will of course notify you of them as they roll out.

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Verizon-bound Galaxy Tab 7.7 Passes the FCC

The Samsung Galaxy Tab 7.7 looked ready for a Verizon release after an appearance in the carrier’s inventory system, and looks even more primed for an LTE launch after a trip to the FCC. The Honeycomb-laden tablet was spotted getting its 4G radio and CDMA bands checked out by the federal entity, clearing the slimline slate for a US release. The Galaxy Tab 7.7 features a 1280 x 800 Super AMOLED display, dual-core 1.4GHz processor, and measures in at a mere 7.89mm thick. It could gain a few millimeters thanks to the addition of LTE, but the difference should be marginal at best. There is no indication of when we could actually see the Galaxy Tab 7.7 launch on Verizon.
[via The Verge]

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