Amazon Has the HTC EVO Design 4G For Just $30
Amazon has just posted a good deal on the HTC EVO Design 4G the $100 4G phone from Sprint that takes a lot of cues from its big brother EVO 3D. They are asking for just $30 for the device. It’s not bad for a 4 inch qHD phone with a 1GHz processor and 4G radios inside. You also have Android 2.3 with HTC Sense on top. Take a look over at Amazon Wireless.
Motorola Confirms Devices to Get Ice Cream Sandwich, Starting With RAZR, Bionic and XOOM
Motorola has announced the first few devices to get Ice Cream Sandwich sometime down the line. The Motorola DROID BIONIC Motorola Droid RAZR and the Motorola XOOM will all be getting the upgrade. They’ll be confirming other devices within six weeks of the source’s release. We wholly expect all of their dual-core devices to get the upgrade but we can’t get too excited about all of that. It’ll be interesting to see how long it will take them to deliver upgrades for each device. [Twitter via Android & Me]
Edited article for accuracy.
HTC Releases Formal Statement Regarding DropBox Agreement
Not that we didn’t already know this, but HTC has formed a partnership with DropBox that will allow them to preinstall the cloud-enabled file sharing application on all of their future smartphones. Above all that, all HTC device owners will get 5GB of free storage, 3GB more than the standard. They didn’t clarify whether or not existing users would be getting the same deal, as well. We also don’t know when this begins, though their wording suggests it’ll be immediate. We’re reaching out for comment to clear all of it up. [Facebook]
DROID 2 Global and DROID Pro Now Receiving Gingerbread Upgrades
Continuing to prove that they don’t want to leave any of their customers in the dark, Verizon and Motorola have begun rolling out updates to Android 2.3 for both the Motorola Droid 2 Global and the Motorola DROID PRO We’re getting all the Gingerbread goodness you’ve come to know and expect as well as a few other changes, fixes and enhancements. There’s a lot to dig through so instead of pasting the list here we’ll just have you click this link for the DROID Pro and this link for the DROID 2 Global. There, you’ll also be able to find instructions on how to check for and download/install an update if you don’t already know how.
Halloween!
Halloween! (Free) by Schatzisoft
Available on iPhone, iPod Touch, iPad
If you’re looking for an all-in-one Halloween app, this is it. Kind of. Halloween! comes equipped with a bunch of features including a countdown to October 31st, scary sounds, creepy sound loops, costume ideas, and Halloween trivia, to name a few. Halloween ringtones and wallpapers are also part of the set, but you have to fork over $.99 to get them.
In fact, upgrading to the paid version of the app is a recurring theme that you’ll find throughout Halloween! The free version is pretty lightweight in that most of it is just a sampling of what you get if you pay, but to be fair it’s probably worth a dollar if getting spooky is your ultimate goal.
The “Halloween flashlight” seems pretty useless and the Costume Ideas section, while populated with a lot of ideas, is really just a set of pre-configured searches on Google Images. But if you plan on running a haunted house this All Hallows Eve, the sound loops alone are probably worth the download! Only a few are included with the free app, but they sound pretty good and pretty festive.
| Fun | Filed under Games but not really a “game”… |
| Sound & Graphics | Adequate |
| Controls | Ok |
| Replay Value | Once again… not a game! |
| Overall | Not bad, but you really need to pay $.99 to make full use of the app |
| App Name: | Halloween! (iTunes) |
| Version: | 1.3 |
| Price as of this writing: | Free.  |
| iTunes category: | Games |
| Available on: | iPhone, iPod Touch, iPad |
| Developer: | Schatzisoft |
| Device & iOS used for review: | ##DEVICE##, iOS ##XX## |
Zombie Life
Zombie Life (Free) by The PlayForge
Available on iPhone, iPod Touch, iPad
Zombie Life is one of those cute, cartoony, Sims-like games where your purpose is to live vicariously through your title character which, in this case, happens to be a zombie. Keep your zombie happy, free of decay, gainfully employed, and complete the “quests” that gradually become available, and you’ll get to unlock new occupations and wardrobes and whatnot that will make your little undead pal’s life that much more exciting.
This is a really well done game that proves The PlayForge has some top-level talent on their payroll, but in all honesty games like this bore me to tears! Is it because I’m almost 40 and this genre seems mostly aimed at gum-snapping teenagers? Yeah, probably.
But I will say this for Zombie Life: it’s funny. Not in a LOL kind of way, but more in a kind of way. The characters, the writing, the overall design… funny! And cute.
Now, why is a crotchety old man test-driving this particular game? Well… ‘cuz it’s Halloween time! Zombie Life isn’t necessarily a Halloween game in itself, but it seems appropriate for this time of year and there is also some Halloween-themed furniture available in the game for dressing up the little zombie’s crib.
So like I said, it’s a really good game if you’re into this kind of thing. It falls into the category of “freemium”, meaning that you’ll need to pony up some cash if you want to unlock certain items or speed things along, but you can still play and advance your zombie’s status if you’re patient and/or broke.
| Fun | Not for crusty old men |
| Sound & Graphics | Very pro |
| Controls | Easy |
| Replay Value | Do you really need to live a zombie’s life twice? |
| Overall | Slick and oozing creativity, but this game genre’s just too boring & repetitive for me |
| App Name: | Zombie Life (iTunes) |
| Version: | 1.0.2 |
| Price as of this writing: | Free. |
| iTunes category: | Games |
| Available on: | iPhone, iPod Touch, iPad |
| Developer: | The PlayForge |
| Device & iOS used for review: | iPhone 4, iOS 5.0 |
iPhone 4S delay caused Q3 smartphone slump
Smartphone sales in the third quarter slid for the first time in the US. According to Morgan Keegan analyst Tim McCourt, the slump may have been caused by the delay of the iPhone 4S launch. Effects on iPhone sales by consumers holding out for the next-gen device were expected, but the wait also affected Android, BlackBerry, and Windows Phone sales.
Instead of a summer launch, Apple presented the white iPhone 4 and delayed their iPhone 4S for fall. This along with rumors of an iPhone 5 have caused disappointing earnings results for Apple last quarter as customers waited for the major hardware update. But following the release of the iPhone 4S, the company is seeing a slingshot effect with record sales of the new handset.
However, Android sales also slid despite having several major new releases last quarter, which McCourt sees as a sign that many of the consumers holding out were waiting to switch to the new iPhone. He also believes that there may be over saturation of very high end smartphones and that carriers need to focus on offering more competitive plans, not just devices.
[via PC Mag]
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iPhone 4S delay caused Q3 smartphone slump is written by Rue Liu & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 - 2011, SlashGear. All right reserved.
T-Mobile’s HTC Radar 4G going on sale November 2
One of the first Windows Phone 7.5 Mango handsets, the HTC Radar 4G for T-Mobile will go on sale starting November 2. The smartphone will also be the the first Windows Phone handset to support T-Mobile’s HSPA+ network. The device is priced at $99.99 after a mail-in rebate along with a new two-year contract.
The HTC Radar 4G sports a 3.8-inch WVGA display on a white and silver unibody chassis, featuring a 1GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon processor, 512MB RAM, 8GB of internal storage, a VGA front-facing camera, and a 5-megapixel rear-facing camera that also boasts a 28mm f/2.2 aperture wide-angle lens with single LED flash. For more details and images of the device, make sure to check out our hands-on.
It’s the smaller of two upcoming HTC Windows Phone 7.5 Mango handsets that include the HTC Titan, which features a massive 4.7-inch display. Both phones were first unveiled at IFA 2011, and Microsoft has planned various events in five major US cities throughout the next two months to introduce the phones.
[via WinRumors]
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T-Mobile’s HTC Radar 4G going on sale November 2 is written by Rue Liu & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 - 2011, SlashGear. All right reserved.
Motorola Tablet hits FCC with scant details
Today the FCC has posted a listing as filed by Motorola for a tablet that should be on its way to USA markets inside the year. That’s generally what happens when a device from a big company such as Motorola hits the FCC in such a manner, and with what can only be described as a near blackout of details surrounding the tablet device in the FCC listing here, we must assume that its top secret nature was found to be important enough by Motorola and the FCC to keep it hidden. We know a piece of the FCC ID, that being IHDP56MJ3, the serial number KFLC140080, and that’s about it. Motorola was the first group to be chosen by Google to run the very first tablet-based Android system as a hero – are they up to some sweet designs once more?
Though the Motorola XOOMho, the original Honeycomb tablet that is, will now be tossed down into a pile of bones by your average Android super hater, it remains a powerful customer in our still-new-to-dual-core mobile landscape. By the end of the year though we’ll have quad (and penta) core devices thanks to NVIDIA and their Tegra 3 (Kal-El) project. What will Motorola do then? They need more tablets! Here’s a tablet right here, look like a more than 2-core processor toting possibility?
Again, we cannot say, but here it is nonetheless. Meanwhile since we’re speaking about Motorola and updates, note that Motorola today tweeted that they’d be “releasing devices for ICS [Ice Cream Sandwich] 6 weeks after Google releases the final version of it.” What does this mean? It means that they’ve been in communication with Google on the release date, they know it, and they’re keeping it all for themselves! I can’t believe the nerve! In all actuality though, this is good news, as generally it’s taken much longer for devices to be released with a new Android version after release in the past. They still release devices with Froyo, for goodness sake!
Ice Cream Sandwich penta-core tablet around the corner!
[via Twitter]
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Motorola Tablet hits FCC with scant details is written by Chris Burns & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 - 2011, SlashGear. All right reserved.
Apple rumored working on HDTV with iOS, Siri, and FaceTime
Apple has long been rumored to be working on its own HDTVs and the recent revelations from the Steve Jobs biography by Walter Isaacson has reignited that speculation. Analysts believe that Apple already has prototypes flowing through factories in China and that those HDTVs would be integrated with iOS, Siri, and FaceTime.
Ticonderoga Securities analyst Brian White issued a note to investors today, reiterating his previous belief that Apple’s HDTVs are already in early stage pilot and prototype production. White also noted that the hardware refresh for the current Apple TV set-top box may have been delayed due to plans related to the Apple HDTV, which could launch sometime in 2012.
“We believe the TV experience is in need of greater simplicity and innovation, providing Apple with opportunity to yet reinvent another product category and develop even closer ties with its customers,” wrote White.
Estimating that the LCD TV market would generate about $102 billion in 2012, White believes that the market has huge potential for Apple, which could dominate with its “unmatched aesthetics, expansive digital ecosystem and overall quality” as well as charge a premium price two to three times greater than competitors.
Additionally, White believes that Apple would not only use iOS and integrate Siri and FaceTime with the new HDTV, but that the company could also bring in iAds advertising and integrated App Store to allow developers to earn more revenue through apps developed specifically for the HDTV.
[via AppleInsider]
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Apple rumored working on HDTV with iOS, Siri, and FaceTime is written by Rue Liu & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 - 2011, SlashGear. All right reserved.