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Great deal: Samsung Galaxy S III, free activation, $10 Google Wallet credit for $179

Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Smartphones, Google, Hot Deals,

Samsung Galaxy S III

The Samsung Galaxy S III is the new smartphone darling of the world (see our Galaxy S III review,) and we've already found a great deal on the device that typically sells for $199 with two-year contract. Why not save yourself $20, gain $10 in Google Wallet credit, and get it all shipped to you for free with no activation fee? Yep--this one won't last long, but if you're looking to pick up the Galaxy Nexus III, there's no reason not to consider this option.

Read More | LogicBuy

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Ouya Android-based indie game console takes Kickstarter by storm

Ouya game console

 

Are you bored and tired of the big players in the video game space failing to innovate in truly meaningful ways? Then you'll wanna meet Ouya, the Android-powered game console that will cost just $99 with a controller that connects to your television set just like your Wii U, Xbox 360, and PS3 does. The difference? Anyone can develop games for the Ouya console, and there's no huge financial barrier to entry. That means more indie quality indie games, likely much less cheaper than you'd find on other home game consoles. The product is designed by Yves Behar and team, the same folks who dreamed up the designs for the One Laptop Per Child OLPC computer and Jawbone Jambox. On the inside it's powered by Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich with a quad-core Tegra 3 processor, 1 GB RAM, and 8 GB of built-in storage. It also packs 1080p output over HDMI, Wi-Fi, and Bluetooth connectivity.

Interested? You can head over to the Ouya Kickstarter page to pre-order one now. This could turn out to be a very big deal. Check out a video explaining the project after the break.

Click to continue reading Ouya Android-based indie game console takes Kickstarter by storm

Read More | Ouya

Google begins Android 4.1 Jelly Bean rollout

Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Smartphones, Google, Handhelds, Software,

Android 4.1 Jelly Bean

Google's Android 4.1 Jelly Bean mobile operating system was officially unveiled at Google I/O 2012 just a couple of weeks ago, and it looks pretty fantastic. If you've been hoping to get your hands on it and your the owner of a Samsung Galaxy Nexus HSPA+ smartphone, it's time for you to rejoice--the Jelly Bean rollout has begun for you! Do note that this refers to Galaxy Nexus devices that run on AT&T and T-Mobile networks. Owners of the Verizon Wireless Galaxy Nexus will have to wait a bit longer. The Nexus 7 tablet, Nexus S, and Motorola Xoom are next on the list to receive Android 4.1 goodness.

Anyone start playing with Jelly Bean yet? Feel free to sound off in the comments.


Twitter 4.3 for iOS and Android brings expanded tweets and more

Twitter for iPhone 4.3

Today Twitter for iPhone 4.3 was released on the App Store, a major update to the official Twitter client that brings with it the ability to view enhanced and expended tweets right in the app. Here's a rundown of the features:

  • Expanded Tweets -- when you view Tweet details containing links to partner websites, you can now see content previews, view images, play videos, and more (rolling out gradually)
  • Enhanced experience around selected events with the bets Tweets and photos from those involved
  • Push notifications for Tweets -- choose to receive notifications from people you follow any time they tweet or retweet
  • Ambient notifications -- enables you to see brief non-interruptive notifications in the status bar while you're using the app
  • Improvements to search autocomplete for users
  • Discover -- now indicates when new stories are available for you to view
  • Tappable avatars take you directly to user profiles
  • Performance improvements
  • Support for password entry in app when experiencing authentication issues
  • Support for the Hungarian language
  • Icon (image at right) features the new Twitter bird!

You can download the new Twitter for iPhone and iPad now, completely free.


Samsung Galaxy S III review

Samsung Galaxy S III review

The Samsung Galaxy S III is more than just another Android device launch. Arguably, this is the first phone of 2012 that has the right mix of hardware and software that make it a worthy upgrade from any other device. For Samsung, it's the new company flagship device for the year, much more so than the Samsung Galaxy Nexus (which is a fantastic phone in its own right.)

This is the device that Samsung has always wanted to make. Based on the latest publicly-available version of Android, Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich (yeah, we know 4.1 Jelly Bean is right around the corner,) Samsung has built its own custom Android apps to run on the device to bring exlusive features to its handset. We're talking about S Voice, S Beam, S Memo, Direct Call, Smart Stay, and more. Purchasers in the US and Canada even get 50 GB of Dropbox storage for free (Verizon and AT&T buyers not included, sadly.)

That's a lot to take in, and ultimately the question is, does the Galaxy S III live up to the hype? Join us in our full Samsung Galaxy S III review as we answer that very question.

Click to continue reading Samsung Galaxy S III review


Next Amazon Kindle Fire to get 1280 x 800 display

Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Handhelds, Rumors,

Kindle Fire II

Amazon is readying the successor to the Kindle Fire tablet, and AllThingsD is reporting that the device will have a nice, crisp, high-resolution display when it arrives. The display resolution will purportedly be boosted to 1280 x 800. This is the same display resolution (and possibly even the same panels) you'll find in the Google Nexus 7 tablet as well. Interestingly, this means that the Kindle Fire aspect ratio will change, as the current model has a 1.71 ratio while a 1280 x 800 display is 1.60.

Read More | AllThingsD

Samsung Galaxy S III unboxing gallery

Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Cell Phones, Features, Galleries,

Samsung Galaxy S III lock screen

The Verizon verison of the Samsung Galaxy S III smartphone goes on sale on July 10th, but we were able to snag our unit a few days early. We're actively working on a full Samsung Galaxy S III review, and as normal, we're kicking things off with a bunch of photos. Go ahead and check out our Samsung Galaxy S III unboxing gallery to get a look at both the LTE smartphone, as well as everything else included in the box, and stay tuned for the review early next week.

Gallery:


Archos Carbon 97 tablet: 9.7-inch display, Android 4.0, $249.99

Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Google, Handhelds,

Archos Carbon 97 tablet

Archos has announced the Carbon 97, a new, 9.7-inch tablet that ships running Android 4.0  Ice Cream Sandwich. The IPS display has a resolution of 1024 x 768, and it packs a 1 GHz ARM processor and 1 GB RAM on the inside. You get front- and rear-facing cameras and 16 GB of storage space (which you can expand with a microSD card, if you'd like.) The most surprising part of this, though, is the fact that the Archos Carbon 97 will sell for just $249.99. To put that in perspective, that's the price you'd pay for a Nexus 7 tablet, and the Carbon 97 has a much larger display. You'll be able to pick one up later this month.

Read More | BusinessWire

Samsung Galaxy S III on sale at Verizon on July 10th

Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Smartphones, Google, Handhelds,

Verizon Samsung Galaxy S III July 10

While other carriers have released on-sale dates for the Samsung Galaxy S III, Verizon hasn't given any specifics until now. Those waiting for the Galaxy S III to hit big red can now mark the calendar for July 10th, just a week from today. One nice thing about the smartphone on Verizon's network is that it supports its 4G LTE network, so you get all that speedy goodness for the same $199.99 that you'd pay on competing carriers.

Read More | MarketWatch

Watch this: Google I/O 2012 keynote - Day 1

Google I/O 2012 Day 1 keynote

Google made a bunch of announcements at the Google I/O 2012 keynote on day one. Android 4.1 Jelly Bean. Google Glass Explorer Edition. The Nexus 7 tablet. The Nexus Q. That's not even the whole of it. We're sure you've read all about it, but nothing beats watching the introduction for yourself. Now you can, as Google has released the day 1 keynote on YouTube. Check it out after the break.

Click to continue reading Watch this: Google I/O 2012 keynote - Day 1


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