On Gear Live: Circuit Breaker: The Tech Newsletter that Elevates Your Gadget Game

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Angry Birds Space is now available to download!

Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Games, iPad Apps, New Apps, Videos, $0.99,

Hey, all you Angry Birds lovers out there. We know that it's been a while since a new version has dropped, and that you've probably moved on to Draw Something, but it's time for you to take a another look, because Angry Birds Space is now available on multiple platforms. Space? Yes. The confines of the gravitational pull of the Earth no longer apply here, so your birds can get their space physics on while trying to destroy evil pigs. Here are the links to grab your copy:

Hit us with your thoughts in the comments. Oh, and if you're wondering what the heck the birds are doing in space in the first place, the video above should do a fine job at explaining that one.


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Zynga acquires OMGPOP, picks up Draw Something and other social games

Draw Something Zynga

For those on the go, iPhone and Android smartphones have been a lifesaver for mobile entertainment and keeping in contact with friends on the go. Once in a while, an app comes along that even uses your social network as the basis for an entertainment experience with something so addicting that even its competitors are threatened by it.

We’re taking about the game Draw Something, made by OMGPOP. It climbed its way to the top of the App Store and Android App Market and stayed there, out growing Zynga’s Words with Friends in popularity. Zynga wasn’t having any of this, so only one option remained—Zynga acquired Draw Something for a rumored $180 million, plus another $30 million for employee retention payouts, in an insanely smart move. Zynga is also acquiring a portfolio of over 35 social games aside from Draw Something, and the takeover is effective immediately. Current OMGPOP CEO Dan Porter is now Vice President and General Manager of Zynga New York.

Read More | Yahoo! Finance

Samsung Galaxy S II Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich update available

ice cream sandwich android

Android 4.0 (Ice Cream Sandwich) is finally available for Samsung Galaxy S II owners. However, to upgrade to Ice Cream Sandwich, you must upgrade KIES to the latest version. Some of the upgrade improvements are the obvious platform changes and better multitasking between apps.

As with all changes, some cautionary procedures are required. We recommend that you back up your device first, as there is a possibility of losing some content. Also, some apps may not be fully compatible with ICS, so just know that going in. Lastly, before proceeding with the update, make sure you have enough free space on your device. Good luck, we know that plenty of you Galaxy S II users have been waiting for this one.

Read More | Samsung

Google Play unites all Google services under one umbrella

These days, many people have multiple cloud-connected devices. A smartphone, a tablet, a computer or two...the list goes on. The trouble is getting all these items to sync and communicate with each other. Apple's been trying to solve that for its own devices with iCloud, and now Google die-hards are in luck as well. Google has combined all of its various online stores and marketplaces (Google Music, Android Market, Google eBookstore, etc.) into one service called Google Play.

To kick off Google Play, Google is offering select full albums at 25 cents each, movie rentals at 99 cents, popular apps at 49 cents, and many books for $2.99 in its “7 Days to Play” sale. Apart from the sale, Google Play offers Google users to store up to 20,000 songs for free and allows them to access their music remotely from the cloud. For those that just can’t wait to get to the nearest RedBox, you’re also able to download new releases via Google Play. You also have the option to rent thousands of moives and HD titles at your leisure. And don’t forget that you can browse the largest selection of eBooks. The video above explains it all.

Read More | Google

HTC One V entry-level smartphone details

For those of you that might be put off by the smartness of your smartphone, fret not. HTC has a phone for you in the One V. It’s an entry-level phone that features the highlights of HTC’s flagship models, but at the price that's far more affordable. The phone is packed with features such as Ice Cream Sandwich, HTC Sense 4.0, HTC’s new ImageChip software paired with a 5-megapixel rear camera, and Beats Audio as icing on the cake. The phones only foreseeable flaw is the paltry 4 GB of storage, but that can be fixed by adding a microSD card The phone is said to be powered by a 1GHz single-core affair buffered by 512MB RAM.


Bleeding Edge TV 438: Sony Xperia ion Android 4.0 smartphone

We give you a first look at the upcoming Sony Xperia ion, the first Sony 4G LTE smartphone, in this episode. The Xperia ion features a 4.55-inch high definition touchscreen display, 12 megapixel camera, and a 1.5 GHz dual core processor, and brushed aluminum metal backing. It can shoot 1080p video with the rear camera, and 720p video using the camera up front. The phone will ship with Google Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich, and is also Playstation-certified, which means you can play Playstation games right on the phone, or on your TV with the dock. Hit the video for the full scoop on the Xperia ion! This video was recorded at CES 2012.

Big thank you to GoToMeeting for sponsoring Bleeding Edge TV. GoToMeeting provides rich, super-simple collaborative virtual meetings - be sure to check them out!


HTC One X featuring Beats Audio set to hit AT&T stores

HTC One X smartphone

AT&T will finally be graced with a phone featuring Beats Audio by Dr. Dre. The HTC One X is set to hit store selves within a few months. The phone features a 4.7-inch Super AMOLED 720p high definition display, alongside an 8-megapixel camera and running HTC’s Sense 4 running atop Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich. The superphone is powered by a dual-core 1.5GHz Snapdragon S4 processor. The only downside to the AT&T version of the smartphone is that it is a dual-core processor rather than a quad-core. United States buyer will be losing two cores to accommodate for a 4G LTE radio. But hey, we’re not complaining. For those in want of the quad-core model, you can always import one from Europe, we guess.

Click to continue reading HTC One X featuring Beats Audio set to hit AT&T stores


HTC One S: Dual core, unibody enclosure, awesome camera

The HTC One S, looks just like any other average phone on the market at first glance. It doesn’t feature the screen real estate that would make your plasma blush, or screaming specs to that blow your computer outta the water. Instead, what HTC has accomplished is that they've created a phone that meets anyone’s mobile needs. The phone features a 4.3-inch Super AMOLED display with a new 1.5GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 (MSM8260A.) The HTC One S will be running Ice Cream Sandwich paired with the newest version of Sense UI, making it one of the still few smartphones to run Android 4.0.  Alongside the new processor, HTC has also beefed up its camera and software; the phone sports an 8 megapixel f/2.0 autofocus lens and HTC’s ImageChip. With the new improvements you’ll be able to shoot your videos in 1080p and simultaneously take snap shots. Lastly, and this is a cool one, the body is actually made by a plasma-heated micro arc oxidation process that results in a unidoby aluminum frame with a nice ceramic finish and helps this phone achieve its 7.9mm thinness. Throw in Beats Audio, and you've got hat amounts to a very capable smartphones in the One S. Expect this one to hit T-Mobile soon.

Check out a video that HTC put together of the One S after the break.

Click to continue reading HTC One S: Dual core, unibody enclosure, awesome camera


Bleeding Edge TV 431: Vonage Mobile vs. Skype

We compare the new Vonage Mobile free calling and free texting app against the Skype app for iOS and Android in this episode. Both Vonage and Skype offer apps for smartphones that enable you to communicate with others using voice or text for free, yet the apps also have some key differences. For example, Vonage Mobile uses your existing contacts and address book, rather than requiring you to set up a new username, get a new phone number, and set up a whole new buddy list like Skype requires you to do. Also, Vonage Mobile doesn't require you to set up an account with them to pay for any off-network minutes like Skype, instead you just add your minutes right from the App Store or Android Market! Another big difference is that Skype offers video chat, while Vonage Mobile is strictly for free phone calls and free texts in its current form. Check out the video for the full comparison and rundown!

Big thank you to MozyPro and JackThreads for sponsoring the show - be sure to check them out! MozyPro provides simple, automatic, and secure data backup. As for JackThreads, we've got exclusive invite codes that give you $5 to use towards anything you'd like on the site.


Bleeding Edge TV 429: Vonage Mobile review

We give you a look at Vonage Mobile and explain how you can win one of twenty $25 iTunes gift cards in this episode! Vonage Mobile allows you to make free phone calls to other users of the app (which is currently available for iOS and Android.) In addition, you can also send free text messages as well to other users of the app, cross platform. Even better, you can call any phone number, the rate is much lower than what your mobile carrier would charge, and is even 30% less than what Skype would charge you as well.

The app works over both Wi-Fi and cell service (3G and 4G) and it uses your existing contacts and address book, rather than requiring you to set up a new username, get a new phone number, etc. Even cooler, you don't need a Vonage account to pay for your calls - instead, you just add your minutes right from the App Store or Android Market! As we said, the video also explain how you can win one of the 20 $25 iTunes gift cards we will be giving away as well!

Big thank you to MozyPro and JackThreads for sponsoring the show - be sure to check them out! MozyPro provides simple, automatic, and secure data backup. As for JackThreads, we've got exclusive invite codes that give you $5 to use towards anything you'd like on the site.


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