Grand Theft Auto 3 Goes on Sale for $3, Adds Galaxy Nexus Support

The fine folks at Rockstar are giving us a nice gift for the holidays. While this gift doesn’t come free it does come at a reduced price that we absolutely can’t be mad at. It’s the Android version of Grand Theft Auto 3, of course, and it can be had for just $10 until the 29th. The classic sandbox crime series got its 3D start with this game on the Playstation.

Fast forward to now and you can blow cars up and extort people for money on your smartphone. And for those on a Galaxy Nexus, you’ll finally be able to enjoy the game on the beautiful 4.65 inch HD display as they’ve added support for the phone with this update. Go ahead and grab the game from the Android Market here before Claude shows up at your doorstep. [via Droid-Life]

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Sensics 3D SmartGoggles concept brings Android on board

Head-mounted displays haven’t quite caught on yet, but they’re sure to be the breakthough product of 2007 2008 2010 sometime soon. Startup company Sensics wants to try a different approach than products currently on the market. Instead of releasing a pair of glasses as a simple screen for other devices, their SmartGoggles concept is a stand-alone unit, with a full version of Android on board.

“Goggles” might not be the best name for the device, not when a word like “helmet” is available. The creators are claiming full 3D capability (probably using a lenticular display like the Nintendo 3DS) and 360 degrees of visibility, probably incorporating some kind of motion sensor. While the concept is clearly aimed at gaming, there’s no mention of partners or titles. An indeterminate version of Android opens a lot of possibilities on that front, and the PR claims that the SmartGoggles can be used with outside video sources from phones, tablets, game consoles, computers and other devices. How exactly do you control them?
Check out the CG-tastic teaser video below:




Sensics isn’t the only one looking to expand Android into the wearable technology field. Rumors of an honest -to-goodness HUD glasses system from deep within the Google X development team broke last week. Though not much is known about the device, we hear that though it runs Android independently – no external device is required. Google co-founder Sergey Brin is said to be working closely on the “Google Goggles”.
Sensics will be attending CES, as will Android Community, so we’ll be sure to track them down and see if we can get some hands-on time with a real product.

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New Droid 4 Renders Give an All-angles View

With nearly every detail revealed we will likely run out of speculation long before its February release, but here is one more look at the Motorola Droid 4 from nearly any angle you could want. Will that QWERTY keyboard be worth the wait until February in light of Verizon’s current lineup of great 4G LTE Android handsets? Maybe…if they manage to ship it with Ice Cream Sandwich pre-installed.

[via DroidLife]

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Motorola Droid Tastes Ice Cream Sandwich

At what point will people stop trying to shoehorn new Android versions onto the original Motorola Droid? We applaud the effort and the if-it’s-possible-we-will-do-it spirit of the Android community, but will there really be any use in having Android 5.0 or maybe even 6.0 on a device that started showing its age when it never received an official Gingerbread port? In any case, here are the early workings of an Android 4.0 build for the classic Android handset (can we call it a classic now?).

This is a pre-alpha release based on Android 4.0.3 and CyanogenMod 9, and many of the features that would make the build useful aren’t quite working. Consider it a proof of concept for the moment, though we are sure the industrious developers behind it will eventually build it up into something a bit more usable. Just remember, folks: there is a reason the Droid isn’t getting these builds officially.
[via The Verge]

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German Court Leans in Favor of Samsung in Case of Galaxy Tab 10.1N

Apple’s case against the revised Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1N will likely not hold up, the judge reviewing the case has stated. In Judge Johanna Brueckner-Hofmann’s opinion, changes made to the Galaxy Tab design appear sufficient to comply with a court order banning the sale of the original device. The statement is not a final ruling, though a verdict is expected to be handed down shortly.

Judge Brueckner-Hofmann held trial in her Dusseldorf court in September, hearing Apple’s case that Samsung had copied their iPad design when creating the Galaxy Tab 10.1. An initial injunction banning the sale of the tablet was upheld, and Samsung released the Galaxy Tab 10.1N — a modified version of the tablet taking the court’s ruling into consideration — to avoid future legal troubles. Apple disagreed that the Galaxy Tab 10.N met the requirements laid out by the court and quickly filed a new suit. With these latest developments, it appears Samsung will soon be able to return to business as usual in Germany.
[via BGR]

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Samsung Announces Dual-SIM Galaxy Y Duos and Galaxy Y Pro Duos

Take the Samsung Galaxy Y and Galaxy Y Pro, slap on dual-SIM support, and you have the pair of handsets announced by the Korean manufacturer today. Just with the original lineup of Galaxy Y phones, the new handsets feature 830MHz processors, 3MP rear cameras, and VGA front-facing cameras. The Galaxy Y Pro Duos gets a 2.6-inch touchscreen with a QWERTY keyboard found below, a BlackBerry-esque staple of most handsets with the ‘pro’ label. The Galaxy Y Duos foregoes the keyboard for a 3.14-inch display.

Folks in Europe, Asia, South America, and Africa can expect to see the two new offerings in January, though pricing has not yet been announced. We fully expect the Galaxy Y Duos and Galaxy Y Pro Duos to make an appearance at CES in Las Vegas.
[press release]

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Kindle Fire: how to prevent automatic updates

Amazon’s latest update for the Kindle Fire is said to remove root access and disable the SuperOneClick root method – something that definitely upset a number of Kindle Fire users. The worst part is, Amazon doesn’t give you a choice when it comes to updating the tablet – they push it out automatically as long as you’re connected to WiFi.

Well, if you’re one of those people who would like to keep root access more than update your tablet, you’re in luck. The folks over at Gizmodo have come up with a solution to the problem: by using an app from the Android Market called DroidWall.
All you have to do is install the app on your tablet, set the mode to White list, and manually select which apps to give WiFi access to. In this case, you can give access to your email, browser, Netflix, Amazon Video on Demand etc. Hit apply, and that’s it. You should be able to re-enable WiFi and not receive automatic updates from Amazon anymore.

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Real Racing 2 Speeds Into The Android Market – Leaves Part 1 In The Dust

Electronic Arts has just released another arcade racing title in the Android Market with Real Racing 2. If you’re wondering why you never heard of part 1 well, that’s because it was only available for that other App Store until EA wised up. No matter. Real Racing 2 ups the ante from the previous version with absolutely insane visuals for Android devices, delivering ultra realistic environments and shiny car models. I mean, seriously — just look at those screenshots!

The game allows you to jump behind the wheel of 30 different high-performance cars in 15 different locations around the globe. Jump quickly into a 15 car race with Quick Race mode or take your time with circuit racing in Career Mode — however you decide to play, you’ll have a good time doing it. Full features include:

Test your racing prowess on a 16 car grid against highly skilled AI drivers.

• Select from 30 officially licensed cars including the 2010 Ford Shelby Mustang GT500, 2010 Nissan GT-R (R35), 2012 McLaren MP4-12C, and more!
• Work your way from rookie to pro in a robust Career Mode, offering 10 hours of racing enjoyment. Jump into a Quick Race for instant fun - or race against the clock in Time Trial Mode.
• Race in 15 beautiful locations, with 40 miles of highly detailed race tracks, speedways and city circuits - including twilight and night races.
• Touch or tilt to steer, as you experience state-of-the-art handling with customizable options that tailor to your personal driving style.
• Experience the intensity of head-to-head racing with 5 unique camera angles and breath-taking graphics powered by Firemint’s exclusive high performance Mint3D™ engine.

Keep in mind that while Real Racing 2 is free to download, unlocking the full version of the game comes through an in-app purchase. The only problem I encountered was the same one others in the Market had with the game’s 470MB resource failing to download. Also, the game isn’t compatible with a good amount of Android devices (even high-end ones like the Evo 3D). But if you guys want to give it a go for yourselves, buckle up and test drive Real Racing 2 for free right now in the Android Market. Remember — no texting while driving.
[Market Link]

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Improve your Android device’s display resolution

Ever wondered how you wished your Android-powered smartphone would have a higher pixel count for its display? Well, those who own a rooted Android smartphone, you can “force” the resolution of your handset’s display to be different compared to what it came with, thanks to an app known as LCD Resolution. Bear in mind that you are unable to cram in more pixels than the original count, as that would be impossible, but you can improve the resolution with this particular program. For best results, a high resolution display Android device would work best, such as the recently announced Samsung Galaxy Note, the HTC Rezound, or the Samsung Galaxy Nexus. I would presume that folks who mirror video from their smartphone to a HDTV will find this useful.

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