Twidroyd says new version of app that resolves Twitter ban will be available soon

Well that was fast. For those of you who are avid Twidroyd users and have not found an alternative Twitter app that you like better, Twidroyd might be available again sooner than we thought.
Pictured about is what Twidroyd tweeted less than an hour ago which confirms that a new version of the app will available in the Android Market for download. As for when exactly Twidroyd will be made available, we’ll just have to keep our eyes peeled.

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Twidroyd suspended by Twitter, citing policy violations

For those of you who might be having issues accessing your Twitter account via the Android app ‘Twidroyd’, here’s why:

Regardless of how you access Twitter, we are dedicated to making Twitter better, faster and more reliable for you. As part of this effort, we ask applications that work with Twitter to abide by a simple set of rules that we believe are in the interests of our users, and the health and vitality of the Twitter platform as a whole. We often take actions to enforce these rules.

We have suspended UberTwitter and twidroyd for violating our policies.
Every day, we suspend hundreds of applications that are in violation of our policies. Generally, these apps are used by a small number of users. We are taking the unusual step of sharing this with you because today’s suspension may affect a larger number of users.
We are committed to helping you continue to use Twitter during the disruption of these applications. You can download Twitter for Blackberry, Twitter for Android and other official Twitter apps here. You can also try our mobile web site or apps from other third-party developers.

Luckily, there are dozens of other Twitter apps that you can use on your Android device. My personal recommendation is Seesmic for Android. 

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Samsung releases Vibrant source code for Android 2.2

Samsung seems to be in a giving mode today; not only did they provide developers with the Froyo source code for the Epic 4G, they’ve also provided it for the Samsung Vibrant as well.
Remember, this is not an update that you can flash immediately to your Vibrant to have Froyo. This is more for developers looking to enhance their device or use their own vanilla Android versions.
Although most average users won’t be working with these files, it’s nice to know that Samsung is staying committed to Android and beginning to provide more updates for users. Plus, maybe some pretty sweet custom ROMs will come out of these source codes!

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Sony Ericsson Xperia Play in white exclusively at O2 in UK

O2 in the UK is getting the White Xperia Play exclusively, along with being the only carrier in the UK to offer the Xperia Play. This came by way of announcement over O2’s Twitter. No word on whether the Xperia Play will come in different color options when it gets to Verizon first, but I guess we’ll just have to wait and see.

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Fun at the Google Android Booth at Mobile World Congress 2011

There's really only one way to describe Google's Android booth -- and even "booth" doesn't do it justice, it's more like half a hall at Fira de Barcelona.

It's epic.

First off, to borrow the infamous line from Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer -- developers, developers, developers. Google had a couple dozen or so developers on hand to show off their apps -- a good many on the Motorola Xoom with Honeycomb. Some we saw at the Honeycomb event a couple weeks ago, others were new.

Dominating the joint was a giant Android robot, with a slide -- yeah, a slide -- snaking around it. More on that in a minute.

There were a couple of spots for passers-by to be Androidified -- that app that came out this week that turns your picture into an Android-type avatar.

And the smoothie bar -- yeah, there is a smoothie bar -- ¡Muy bien! You could get Cupcake, Donut, Froyo or Honeycomb flavors.

No, not done yet. Remember the showcase of Android phones back at Google IO in May 2010? It's now a train that stretches probably a good 50 feet or so, with just about any Android device you can think of on board. Stuff we've never seen, even.

Talk is cheap, though. Check out the photo gallery -- and more on that slide -- after the break.

                       Youtube link for mobile viewing

 

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Wired magazine for Android

We've already seen Android tablet apps for Sports Illustrated and a few other magazines. And another shining example of how print can and should publish in the digital mobile space is Wired magazine.

It's dynamic, it's colorful, it's animated (but not overly so) -- and it's the future of what periodicals can and should look like. We caught up with publisher Conde Nast at the Android Booth at Mobile World Congress. Check it out.

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Netgear unveils a pair of 42Mbps HSPA+ routers, and one for LTE

We're not sure how they feel in lands where fiber optic connections flow like wine, but in most of the developed world a up to 42 megabit per second internet connection feels mighty fine. Fine enough, in fact, that it can make sense to share it with your peers, and that's why Netgear's new MBR1310 and MBR2000 routers are here. They're quad-band DC-HSPA+ units that dole out that precious 3G data over 802.11n WiFi or via four 10/100 wired ethernet ports, with the MBR2000 adding ADSL2+ for a wired backup option. If you're lucky enough to be working with LTE in Europe, there's the MBR1517 as well, virtually identical to the model announced for Verizon but presumably with different carrier support. No word on when, where, or how much any of these fallback connectivity options will cost. PR after the break.

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Android App Review: Game Dev Story

I don’t know how it took me so long to discover Game Dev Story. Apparently it’s been big on the iPhone platform for a while, and snuck onto the Android Market about two months ago. I found it this week, downloaded it, and gave it a whirl. Read on for impressions.

If you’ve never heard of Game Dev Story, it’s very much what you might expect: A sim game that puts you in control of a game development company. You start out with just a few employees and small cash reserves, but by taking contracts and developing a few hit games you will steadily increase your capital and get your name out there. If your games are successful, as time passes you will be able to hire more skilled employees (and more of them), take on larger contracts, move to bigger offices, and release some truly blockbuster games. Eventually, you can even develop your own console, ensuring that you always have a license-free platform to develop for with a respectable marketshare. If your company’s fame is high enough, you’ll find your console in the largest percentage of homes.

The game development process is cleverly set up. It involves a series of choices shaping the style and quality of the game. First, you’ll choose the platform you’ll develop for: You can develop for PC, which has no licensing charges, or you can choose to develop for a console, but the first game you develop for a console will have licensing fees with it. New consoles come out periodically, and the newer the console the higher the licensing fees. Not surprisingly, each one is based off a real console (though names have been cleverly disguised), so knowing the styles of games successful on various consoles could benefit you here. Once you’ve selected your platform, you’ll choose a genre and theme, with more options becoming available as you level up your staff. Fantasy RPG? Check. Historical shooter? Check. (Less common variants are also available.) Once the overall premise is selected, you’ll choose someone to guide the project…this person writes the scenario, giving the project its initial values in “fun” and “creativity.” Development proceeds to alpha, where you choose someone to guide the graphics. Then to beta, where you choose someone to direct the sound. After the project is finished, debugging begins, and then the game is named, shipped, reviewed, and left to stand on its own merits. The game’s scores are determined by the stats of your staff. The higher a writer’s “scenario” skill, for example, the higher the game’s fun and creativity. You can also outsource any area that you are particularly weak in, or where you really want the game to excel, but it’ll cost ya.

Technically, the app is solid, but certainly not perfect. I have had it randomly lock up or close me a couple of times. There are occasional moments where the game seems like it might have been translated a little bit roughly in its development, as well. But aside from these little quirks, I have found it to be well worth the money. Inspiring a constant “one more game” feeling, it’s the first Android game that has kept me up into the wee hours of the morning.
If this sounds like something you’d enjoy, you can pick it up in our app database for about $2.50 (USD), and there’s also a free version that will let you play for two “years” to give you a taste.

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Will next week finally see Froyo on Galaxy S?

Finally, it appears that a Galaxy S Froyo rumor might turn out to be true. Earlier this month — about a week and a half ago — we heard a magic date: February 21 for the Epic 4G on Sprint. We’ve heard dates attached to this before, though, and so we took it about as seriously as one can after getting burned multiple times. Turns out that it was right. Android Central got its hand on some internal Sprint information, and yes, we can expect a Froyo update for the Epic 4G on February 21, which is next Monday. And that’s not the only device getting Froyo in the near future.

Just to be clear, if you are an Epic 4G owner, you might not get Froyo on Monday. Sprint is running a four-day roll-out, so you could get it any time between Monday and Thursday. But by Thursday the issue should be behind us.
There’s a bit of good news for owners of the Sanyo (Kyocera) Zio, too. Sprint plans an update to that handset, too. That could mean further good news for MetroPCS and Cricket customers who own the handset. That’s going to come on Monday and run through Friday.
So what’s next for Galaxy S and Froyo? In the original rumor we heard two additional items. There was one rumor that Verizon’s Fascinate would get the update on February 22. To this point I haven’t seen further word of that. There have been leaked ROMs, but nothing that suggests an official release next week. It still might come, but the lack of confirmation has me thinking that this is another misleading rumor.
But that’s not as bad as AT&T. In the original rumor we did see the Samsung Captivate running Froyo. On Wednesday it appeared that AT&T had dropped a Froyo update for the Captiave, only to pull it not long after. That could signal it’s close, I suppose, but that misses the point. That was a mean trick. I’m sure they didn’t mean it, but geeze, to roll out a Froyo update to an audience that has spent way too long waiting for it, only to pull it immediately, well, that stinks. And that’s all I have to say about that.

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