Ben's Blog World: January 2012

Tuesday, January 31, 2012

Samsung Galaxy Note Aims to Harmonize Phones With Tablets

Samsung's new Galaxy Note Android phone, which will feature one of the largest screens on a smartphone to date, will hit shelves on Feb.19. With a 5.3-inch screen as well as a stylus, the Galaxy Note is billed as a hybrid tablet and smartphone device.

Source: http://www.technewsworld.com/rsstory/74311.html

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Steam mobile beta now open to all, still of questionable utility

If you were dismayed to find yourself waiting in the queue for a beta invite after downloading the mobile Steam client the other day, fret no more -- the trial is now open to all who desire entry. Of course, it's still really just a companion to the desktop shop and not a must-have mobile gaming market. We're sure some of you have more friends on Steam than you do in meatspace, though, so being able to chat with fellow gaming addicts or purchase the latest DLC pack for Arkham City while on the go might be the greatest thing to ever happen to you.

Steam mobile beta now open to all, still of questionable utility originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 31 Jan 2012 15:35:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/01/31/steam-mobile-beta-now-open-to-all/

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Free Android Wallpaper of the day - Hvar streets

Today's Free Android Wallpaper comes to us from member Jan Van Assche, who uploaded this shot of the brick streets in Hvar, Croatia.

Lindsay Lohan
Eva Mendes
Julianne Hough

Hands on with the Crimson cases, sticker skins, and edgings for iPhone

Hands on with the Crimson cases, sticker skins, and edgings for iPhone
Crimson makes some colorful, sparkly cases, skins, and edgings for the iPhone, and I know this because while at Macworld 2012, I noticed a couple people sporting them around the antennas of their iPhone 4 and iPhone 4S's. This is what drew me towards Crimson's booth.

Complete iMore coverage of Macworld 2012 Crimson makes some colorful, sparkly cases, skins, and edgings for the iPhone, and I know this because while at Macworld 2012, I noticed a couple people sporting them around the antennas of their iPhone 4 and iPhone 4S’s. This is what drew me towards Crimson’s booth.

Crimson offers many options for adding personality and protection to your iPhone. Currently available is the Aluminum Frame Case and six different types of screen protectors. In the near future, Crimson will be offering skins for the backs and antennas of the iPhone 4 and iPhone 4S. Most of these skins are colorful and sparkly, but there will also be options that are more subtle and “manly”.

While visiting their booth, I picked up a purple skin for the back of my iPhone 4S and a purple Aluminum Frame case. I may be enjoying my sparkly skin, but I’ll admit to not being a huge fan of the case. The nubby corners are a turn off and add quite a bit of bulk to the overall size of my iPhone. If the corners were small and rounded, I may actually consider using it regularly.

Variable – Amazon Store link

AnnaLynne McCord
Kate Beckinsale

Barnes & Noble Declares Wimpy War on Amazon Publishing [Books]

Click here to read Barnes & Noble Declares Wimpy War on Amazon Publishing

Some people still buy books—and even buy them in paper format. So Barnes & Noble's decision to block books published by Amazon is fightin' words! But how much does it matter, and who's getting hurt? More »

Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/xbAfQjIa6Pw/barnes--noble-declares-wimpy-war-on-amazon-publishing

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Microsoft's Misunderstood 'Avoid-Ghetto' Tech

Earlier this month, Microsoft applied for a patent related to a technology that would highlight areas of high crime and route people around them. Folks seemed to get upset because areas like this tend to struggling due to a lack of revenue, and this would route people who might otherwise shop there to other safer and likely more lucrative areas. While true, I think it comes down to choice.

Source: http://www.technewsworld.com/rsstory/74287.html

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Late night poll: What version of Android are you running?

We know what Google tells us about the number of devices on each platform. We can also read server logs and get a pretty good idea of the versions of Android hitting the site. But what better way to find out what versions of Android you guys are running than to ask? We're not interested in the minor version numbers, just the platform version in general. If you use more than one device, just answer for the one you use most to visit Android Central.

Honeycomb is my choice. What's yours? Answer in the poll.

Marisa Miller
Cat Power
Moon Bloodgood

HTC Ville caught on video, shows new HTC Sense on Ice Cream Sandwich

Behold, the HTC Ville, seen here with Android 4.0.1 Ice Cream Sandwich and HTC Sense Version 4.0.

The Ville (that's more than likely still a codename, which has been around since early November) appears to be done in the usual HTC fashion -- a rounded-off rectangle with a mix of soft-touch and metal. We can't help but be reminded of the HTC Desire and, of course, the Nexus One, but it's also pretty reminiscent of the newer Sensation as well.

It's a pretty extensive video walkthrough. The first thing that stands out is the 4.3-inch screen at qHD resolution, with a front-facing VGA camera up top. Then there's the fact that it has just three capacitive buttons below the screen -- back, home and menu -- exactly like the LG Spectrum. While the Spectrum's still running Gingerbread, we opined that the removal of the search button was to make way for the search integration in the ICS UI. We're not seeing quite the same search bar in this latest version of HTC Sense, but it still lines up. An interesting note -- what you see here doesn't quite match up with a render that leaked back in November, when it had four capacitive buttons. Figure it's easier to change a render than a device, so we'll expect three buttons when it gets official.

Other specs seen in the walkthrough include a 1.5GHz dual-core processor, 1GB of RAM, an 8-megapixel camera, with Beats audio thrown in for good measure. The Sense dock has given way to a more traditional Android dock -- here we see icons for the phone dialer, e-mail, app drawer, text messaging and camera, and there are app icons for Fruit Ninja and Antivirus, among a slew of other third-party apps in the app drawer.

We're kind of starting to salivate over the Ville (figure we'll get to see it at Mobile World Congress in a few weeks), but, man, it's tough to go back to a qHD display once you've tasted 720p. We'll just have to see.

Source: Youtube; via HTC-Hub (translated);
More in our HTC Ville forums; Thanks, Bruno!

Eliza Dushku
Adriana Lima

Green Charge: an app that helps your EV talk to you (video)

The maker of PlugShare is determined to satisfy your EV needs with a new app that'll feed the data from your Leaf or Volt straight to your iOS device. GreenCharge monitors your battery data, charging speed, efficiency of recent journeys and environmental impact and keeps it to hand in handy graphical form. You can chart your price-per-mile (compared to using petrol) and monitor your environmental impact -- sending all this data to your friends over Facebook or Twitter. If you're considering dropping some cash on an EV but don't trust the salesman, sync it up to a demonstration vehicle and it'll give you the deep dish without any fluff. You'll be able to pick it up from the App store today for $10 (equal to three days gas, but then you did just save $1,000 on your new Volt) and if you're not convinced, we've got a cornucopia of treats to whet your appetite after the break.

Continue reading Green Charge: an app that helps your EV talk to you (video)

Green Charge: an app that helps your EV talk to you (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 31 Jan 2012 03:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/01/31/green-charge-an-app-that-helps-your-ev-talk-to-you-video/

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Droid RAZR MAXX Announced

Verizon announced a new DROID RAZR that is available on January 26th. I have often commented that I wished manufacturers would stop with the thin obsession, and focus on battery life, and they finally listened to me. OK, so probably not to me, but still, I like this change. The RAZR MAXX is only 8.99 [...]

Source: http://the-gadgeteer.com/2012/01/26/droid-razr-maxx-announced/

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Listia app now available on the Android Market - Trade your old stuff, for new stuff

Have a garage full of stuff you never see any more? How about a closet full of clothes that no longer interests you? Have you thought about ways to get rid of it all but give up after a while and just never do it? If you answered yes to any of those questions, you may want to have a look at Listia. They've released their new app in the Android Market and if you're looking to trade your old stuff possibly for new stuff, the app can help you do it:

List any item directly from your Android phone
Search, browse and discover items others are giving away
Keep tabs on your favorite listings, as well as the most popular items up for grabs
Get live alerts and reminders for items on your watch list
Review seller profiles before you buy
Bid and win the things you want!
Find listings close to you, in over 3,000 global cities

Listia works on a credits system, meaning any action you take -- can earn you credits. You sign up, that's 400 credits. You post an item that's 100 credits. There is no cash involved, so unlike eBay or Craigslist list you never have to worry abt losing out on actual money. You can hit the break to download the app and check out the service, or if you're looking for more info just hit the source link.

Source: Listia

Bar Refaeli
Malin Akerman
Mila Kunis

Third-party Steam applications disappearing from the Android Market

Android Central

The official Steam for Android application hasn't been with us all that long, but an air of controversy already surrounds its arrival. Almost all of the third-party Steam applications have disappeared from the Android Market.

If Valve happens to be involved in some way, the odd part is that the Steam API is publicly available for use. Seems a tad suspicious though.

If you're using a third-party Steam application and you like it, it's probably not a good idea to uninstall it anytime soon. (Or at the very least pull it from your system for a backup.) No word yet on whether or not any of these applications will re-appear elsewhere, so for the time being it looks like the official app is all we got.

Source: Droid Gamers

Olivia Wilde
Megan Fox

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