Archives

Supercell’s third mobile game is expected to launch on iOS at some point in March and on Android sometime later, although the game is already available for download to Canadian and Australian iOS device users. According to Pocket Gamer, Boom Beach will offer an entirely different gaming experience than Clash of Clans. “We’ve made some risky choices,” Supercell CEO Ilkka Paananen told journalists. “There aren’t any clans in the game and the combat mechanic is different to Clash of Clans. We like to take risks. This is important to us.” Continue reading... Via BRG - Boy Genius Report

Google Glass's chances of being a big commercial hit aren't very good if it keeps losing fans left and right. Earlier this month we brought you the tale of Jeff Jarvis, the longtime Google fanboy who came out and admitted that he "*hates*" Google Glass so much that he feels "embarrassed" for ever having ordered one. Now CNET reports that Chris Barrett, another Google Glass early adopter who famously tried his luck at bringing Glass with him into a casino, has all but stopped wearing the headset because it regularly gave him pounding headaches. Continue reading... Via BRG - Boy Genius Report

HTC today posted a picture of two broken HTC phones in the shape of a heart, with the caption “if only broken hearts were this easy to fix.” Many are speculating that this signals a device repair service for HTC. HTC also mentioned that more information would be released on February 18, which is this coming Tuesday. Source: @HTC Come comment on this article: HTC teases repair service on Twitter Visit TalkAndroid for Android news, Android guides, and much more! News via TalkAndroid

According to reports out of Korea, Samsung CEO J.K. Shin met with Apple CEO Tim Cook last week. The subject matter was of course their ongoing intellectual property dispute. Reportedly nothing came out of the meeting and the companies will be heading right back to court in March. Should anyone be surprised by this outcome? Not really. Both companies want to and will hold their ground while waiting for the other to budge. And as we have seen before, that just does not happen. Mediation yields almost nothing positive, thus relying upon the court system. In the meantime, have a look at what Tim Cook had to say about Google and Android last week. Source: ZDNet Korea Vi…

Qualcomm has finally released a software development kit for their Toq smartwatch, allowing developers to create software for the currently rather limited device. There are a number of reasons why the Toq could be a great device if taken full advantage of. For example, the device uses a colorful Mirasol e-ink display, which is very visible in sunlight. Right now however, the device is limited by its lack of functionality. If you’re a developer you can head over to Qualcomm’s website and download the SDK. Using the kit you will be able to install, update and uninstall applets on the device. Source: Qualcomm Developer Network Come comment on this article: Qual…

Confirming his tweet from a few weeks ago, @evleaks has posted an image of the LG G Pad 8.3 with Verizon branding. On the front is Verizon’s logo and official 4G LTE icon. On the backside is again the same set of Verizon ‘stamps.’ This is identical to the Verizon branding found on the LG G2. By taking a look at the screen it seems like Verizon will have some bloatware added in. The Verizon Messaging app is present in the docking bay. While we don’t know when the LG G Pad 8.3 is heading to Big Red, it should be very soon as it has already passed through the FCC. LG G Pad 8.3 for Verizon. pic.twitter.com/0De4SuQLcq — @evleaks (@evleaks) February 14, 2014 …

The HTC USA Product Team took part in a Reddit Ask Me Anything today and provided some great news for consumers in North America that purchase future flagship devices. After a device is released, the team will continue to issue Android updates for at least two years. So this means that when the upcoming HTC M8 finally gets released, owners can expect updates for the next twenty-four months. Here’s why the company has decided to make the promise: To address an issue that’s top of mind for many folks here, we recently announced that we wouldn’t be updating the HTC One X and One X+ beyond Android 4.2. Without the support of our chip manufacturer Nvidia, it made a gl…

iPads are more than just toys and soon you'll be able to get even more real work done on them when Microsoft finally pushes its iOS version of Office out to Apple's popular tablet. ZDNet's Mary Jo Foley reports that Microsoft is still hard at work on its iPad version of Office and will launch it "sooner than most think." And here's the kicker: Foley thinks that the newly revamped touch-optimized version of Office could arrive on the iPad before it comes to Windows-based tablets. Continue reading... Via BRG - Boy Genius Report

Let's say you're a fan of role-playing games, but you can't find one aggressively offensive enough to suit your tastes. I might have the perfect game for you. South Park: The Stick of Truth is the first major retail release of a South Park branded console game since the Nintendo 64 and the original PlayStation were still the latest and greatest. The Stick of Truth is a full-featured RPG, complete with distinct classes to choose from, weapons to purchase, spells to cast, quests to complete and party members to meet along the way. Continue reading... Via BRG - Boy Genius Report

Everyone hates spoilers, but now that Netflix is releasing entire seasons of shows overnight, it's harder than ever to avoid them. Thankfully, Business Insider has drawn our attention to one mobile solution to the barrage of spoilers you can't escape online. Spoiler Shield syncs with your Facebook and Twitter feeds and then gives you the option to decide which spoilers you want filtered from view. The app already has a relatively comprehensive list of shows and sports teams, so you won't have to do any additional legwork. Posts that mention those shows or games will then be covered with a shield, but you can double tap a shielded tweet or Facebook post to reveal the messa…

Does Dexter Morgan spend his time submitting flamebait posts on 4Chan when he's not murdering people? That's the implication of a new study flagged by The Washington Post showing that people who frequently go online with sole purpose of antagonizing others just for the sake of starting conflicts are much more likely to exhibit sadistic and even psychopathic behavior in their offline lives. Continue reading... Via BRG - Boy Genius Report

The Emmy award-winning House of Cards has returned to Netflix just in time for a Valentine's Day marathon. House of Cards premiered on Netflix last February to rave reviews and critical acclaim, kicking off a year full of original programming for the subscription streaming service. Starting at 3am ET on February 14th, the second season became available for streaming, 13 new episodes following the trials and tribulations of Kevin Spacey's Frank Underwood and his less-than-reputable associates. If you do plan on binge watching the entire season this weekend, keep in mind that House of Cards has just been renewed for a third season — that means 360 some-odd days until a more…

If you’ve been putting off picking up a Galaxy Gear because of the high launch price, Best Buy might have the solution. As a Valentine’s Day-only special, Best Buy is selling the Gear for $149, half of the original $299 price. You won’t be able to pick up the grey or black colors, but any of the four colors qualify. We know the Galaxy Gear 2 is coming, we just don’t know when. This price drop could be part of an opportunity for Best Buy to clear out inventory of the new product, so if you always have to have the latest and greatest tech, this may not be such a great deal for you, but ff you’re just looking for a great discount, or possibly even a Valentine’s Day pr…

IDC’s latest numbers are in, and 2013 was a pretty big year for smartphones. For the first time ever, smartphone shipments passed 1 billion total phones, which is an incredible achievement. Android smartphones accounted for just shy of 800 million devices. Android and iOS were (obviously) the two major forces behind driving this growth, as both operating systems accounted for 93.8% of smartphone shipments total last year. For the fourth quarter, we saw some pretty positive growth, too. Android shipments grew 40.3% year-over year, second only to Windows Phone. However, in terms of pure numbers, Android shipping an incredible 226.1 million devices compared to Windows …

Over the past few years, Microsoft has managed to get their operating system on to giant coffee table like devices. After shifting the Surface name over to their tablet line of devices, the Windows coffee tables are now dubbed PixelSense devices. 3M and Ideum decided the world of computer powered coffee tables could use some variety and they are now preparing a couple Android powered devices for consumers. Two versions of the Platform Multitouch Coffee Table will be produced, a 32-inch and a 46-inch version. Both sport 1080p displays with up to 60 touch points, a 3.7GHz Intel Core i7 quad-core processor, 16GB of RAM and 500GB of storage. Even though they have some seri…

As we get closer to the launch of Nokia’s future Android smartphone, the leaks are coming fast. Now, thanks to @evleaks, we have a specs sheet. The Nokia X “Normandy” wil allegedly have a dual-core Snapdragon processor clocked at 1GHz, a 4-inch screen with WVGA resolution and 512MB of RAM. In addition, the handset will include 4GB of internal memory, a microSD card slot, 1500mAh battery and a 5MP back camera. The phone is expected to launch in a few weeks, on February 24, at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona. Source: @evleaks Come comment on this article: Nokia X “Normandy” full specs leaked ahead of launch Visit TalkAndroid for Android news, Andro…

Wireless carrier O2 Germany has added a new page to their web site teasing the Samsung Galaxy S5. The page gives potential buyers the opportunity to sign up to receive updates on the availability of Samsung’s forthcoming smartphone. The only clue about timing is an indication that consumers can learn more by the end of February. That is not surprising since the device appears to be scheduled for release at the company’s Unpacked 5 event on February 24th in conjunction with MWC 2014. Some sources have noted the web page uses an image of a smartphone dunked in water which could be an indication the new Galaxy S5 may be water resistant or even waterproof. source: O2 Ge…

Samsung is apparently interested in further improving the security of mobile devices that come with stylus support, such as the future Galaxy Note 4 smartphone, as well as the speed of launching certain applications, a new patent application discovered by Phone Arena reveals. Entitled “Mobile Device, and method for releasing lock of the mobile device via handwriting recognition,” the patent describes methods of unlocking the screen of a mobile device by using a handwritten signature instead of a lock pattern or a PIN code. Continue reading... Via BRG - Boy Genius Report

Recent research from analyst Benedict Evans reveals that in the fourth quarter last year, Apple shipped more “computers” than all of Microsoft's Windows partners combined. Evans counted as computers all smart devices sold by Apple including Macs, iPhones, iPod touches and iPads, which surpassed 80 million sold units during the period. Not only did the number surpass combined Windows PC sales for the period, but it almost matched the combined Windows and Windows Phone sales. Continue reading... Via BRG - Boy Genius Report

We still have no idea when Google Glass will become available to the general public but considering the $1,500 price tag for the current "Explorer" version, Google's connected eyewear will likely still be fairly pricey when the launch version debuts. Those looking to augment their reality but still have some money left over to live in said reality have a few upcoming options, and now Wired points us to yet another pair of connected glasses set to launch in the coming months. Continue reading... Via BRG - Boy Genius Report

The latest rumors indicate that Apple is working on a giant version of its iPad that will be tailored more toward education markets and perhaps business markets as well. But just because this so-called 'iPad Pro' will be more like a PC than Apple's traditional tablets, that doesn't mean that Apple will pull an all-out Windows 8 by giving users the option to switch between an OS X-style desktop view and an iOS-style mobile view. In fact, Apple executives have said repeatedly that trying to merge OS X and iOS would be a "waste of energy." Continue reading... Via BRG - Boy Genius Report

In addition to offering customers the chance of saving $50 on unreleased smartphones including the iPhone 6 and Galaxy S5, Best Buy has another smartphone and tablet sale bonanza for buyers looking to purchase a new on-contract handset next week or a new tablet in the following days, CNET reports. Continue reading... Via BRG - Boy Genius Report

Last week, Google announced the release of the Google Cast SDK, but developers weren’t allowed to release their Chromecast compatible apps until Google Play Services 4.2 was completely rolled out. If you remember, cloud.tv released an updated version of Dayframe with Chromecast compatibility, but had to pull it later in the day since Google didn’t want new apps to be released just yet. For whatever reason, they allowed AllCast to stay in the Play Store. Google just announced that the rollout is complete, thus the Google Play Services 4.2 SDK is now available. This new version of Google Play Services includes Google Cast APIs as well as updated Google Drive APIs. and mo…

According the Nvidia CEO Jen-Hsun Huang, Nvidia is not interested in normal smartphones and will instead focus their Tegra efforts on tablets and what is being dubbed “superphones”. Nvidia is mainly interested in devices that can take full advantage of the Tegra’s graphics capabilities such as gaming systems. Nvidia is also very interested in cars in which a demand for visual components are growing. Nvidia briefly entered the budget smartphone market with their Tegra 3, which was in a number of devices from companies like HTC, Lenovo and Motorola. The chip that came after the Tegra 3, the Tegra 4, was a disappointing product, and hence Nvidia lost their hold on the mar…

Plan on cozying up on the couch with that special someone for Valentine’s Day tomorrow? Well Google’s here to help set the mood with a new special feature added to Chromecast. When using the device to stream Google Play Music to your television, you can now display a fireplace on the TV while the music plays. To turn on the option, all you have to do is tap on the gear icon on the top right of Google Play Music on the web and click on “Labs.’ Click “enable” on the “Chromecast Fireplace Visualizer” and you’re good to go! Source: +Google Play Come comment on this article: Chromecast offers fireplace display option while casting Google Play Music for Valentine …