If you own an iOS or Android device and enjoy playing mobile games on your way to work or school, you have most likely stumbled across Temple Run at one point. This addictive touch-screen game is now getting its first major revamp since its 2011 release: Tempe Run 2, which will reach Google Play on January 24th, following the recent release of the iOS version.
Been put off using AirDroid thanks to the rather odd invite system the developer had going on? Now's your chance to see what all the fuss is about - the invite system is no more and a beta release of version 2 is at your fingertips.
It's not just Apple that garners some attention in the smartphone world these days. Samsung, Apple's arch nemesis also receives more than its fair share of enquiring eyes these days, with the flagship Galaxy S III and Galaxy Note II currently forming a formidable partnership in the high street. With that in mind, any new iteration of either phone is bound to receive plenty of attention.
I’ve lately been writing a lot about data backup solutions. Of course, they’re extremely important, since that’s necessary to protect your data and secure your personal information. No matter what platform or device you’re using, there are always backup applications and solutions available that would help you achieve the said purposes. Android, just like the rest, has no shortage of such apps, some of which are advanced enough to perform backups at the very basic level, copying complete partition images of your device to a safe location for future recoveries (nandroid backups, anyone?). Even just yesterday, we brought to you a backup solution that could save everything to a desktop PC – both Windows and Linux – without requiring root access, unlike the most famous backup tools.
The turn of the year always brings with it new found excitement about the potential hardware and software that we are likely see introduced from the likes of Apple, Samsung and Google. It also marks the start of the countdown to events like Apple's WWDC and Google's I/O conference, both of which take place in the Bay Area at the Moscone Center. We won't find out exactly what both companies have in store for us during their respective events, but early reports are suggesting Google could be planning on announcing information and technical specifications of two new Nexus branded devices.
One of the great advantages of using Android over, say iOS, is the ability to use home screen alternatives, otherwise known as custom launchers. They take all manner of forms, and offer a range of features, with some going for sheer features, while others seek to alter the general look and feel of an Android smartphone or tablet. In the case of the Bazooka Launcher, aesthetics are very much the order of the day.
Android has no shortage of apps and tools for a variety of purposes, and it might not be incorrect to say that the platform from Google, just like Apple’s iOS, can now boast “there’s an app for that” without being able to prove it. As a matter of fact, there are certain facets where Android has apps that iOS couldn’t even dream of – or at least the way how these apps function. Want some examples? How about keyboards? Android has plenty of very capable contenders, whereas in iOS, you cannot modify that unless you’re jailbroken. Then, how about replacement messaging application? Go SMS Pro has been a favorite among Android users for a long time now, and then certain manufacturers (like Sony & HTC) have their own custom messaging apps that are pretty useful and aesthetically pleasing. You don’t get that on iOS, and it’s unlikely that you ever would.
Ingenious modders have turned LG's Optimus G into a fully fledged Nexus 7, complete with a broken LTE chip, and have released the mod into the wild.
Despite the defiant claims of the major smartphone companies that they're not copying each other (despite litigation finding evidence to the contrary), there's little doubt that the market's handsets - by and large - tend to follow the trends of one another. One feature that seems to have unfortunately died out, is the once-popular BlackBerry / Nokia LED notification light. Particularly useful if you find even the vibrating alert to be a tad obtrusive, it allows your device to communicate a notification without any sound whatsoever. While the OEMs appear to be neglecting a feature many of us would like to see return, the commendable work of those over at XDA-Developers has lead to something of a solution in the form of ButtonLED, which turns your hardware button into a makeshift notification light.
Over the last few years, many device makers have been flirting with the idea of rolling out flexible displays on its handheld devices, but no other company has been most outspoken about it than Samsung. At the Consumer Electronic Show, the company showed off its new generation of bendable displays, which have a huge potential for changing the traditional form factor of smartphones.
