You guys may have noticed the small banner in our side bar for the MobileAppShowdown to be held at CES 2011 in Las Vegas. What you may not know yet is that yours truly (yes, thats me) will be one of the honored judges of this event along with a number of other respected members of the technology world and the Android community. So please spread the word and let’s make this an amazingly successful event.
As you probably already know, Mobile App Showdown offers 10 developers a chance to showcase their Android, Blackberry, iPhone, Palm OS, or Windows Phone 7 apps live on the CES stage. In addition to show coverage, developers also get vetted and reviewed by a panel of 11 esteemed mobile review publishers. That’s some pretty sweet exposure baby.
Three of you could be entered for FREE:
To kick off the event, three app developers will get their Mobile App Showdown entry fee waived through the Twittersphere.
So what do you have to do to get FREE entry?
Create a blog post with an app description, download link and why they deserve to be in Mobile App Showdown;
Tweet the following: “Pls RT: @netshelter pick [your app] for #mobileshowdown [then add your blog post link]”
Get friends to retweet the above
Is It that simple? …..Almost…..
You must also be available to present the app onstage at CES, and you’re application has to be in the appstore by Q2 2011.
If you want to know more information about this competition and the MobileAppShowdown event including the rules you must abide by, be sure to head over to the mobileappshowdown site.
Firstly let me begin by congratulating HyperBees for getting a 39% sales boost by adding OpenFeint into their game. It’s always great to hear of Android success stories such as ones detailed in the press release below, anything to encourage further growth on the platform.
Now, to the new game list:
Flick Kick Football – $0.99
Another Flick Kick game. This one is perhaps my favorite that has been released so far.
Cows Don’t Fly - £1.49 ($2.37)
A vertical scrolling platformers aren’t exactly hard to come by, but this looks to rely on a more momentum based swinging mechanic.
Abduction! 2 – £1.95 ($3.13)
I’ve always found the Abduction games a little simple, but you can’t deny that this colorful vertical platformer is addictive.
Dot 3(TM) – £0.79 ($1.26)
The 3rd Dot (TM) game and oddly the first one that has a fee.
JellyBalls – £0.99 ($1.59)
Another puzzle color matching game, but it shows a lot more style than most of the other available.
DynamoKid Touch – €0.99 ($1.36)
A very stylish looking endless runner with a few twists. This might well be my pick of this bunch.
Bonecruncher Soccer – $1.99
A soccer/football version of Backbreaker and a dollar cheaper, looks to be about as fun too.
Pocket Racing – £1.49 ($2.39) (Free lite version available)
An overhead racer that is rather simple, but it is fun to challenge ghosts
Egggz – $2.95 (Free lite version available)
The most expensive game here might also be the simplest, check out the free demo first.
Chopper Control – FREE
Tap the screen to keep in the air. Not unique, but very free.
Happy Island – FREE
A social Facebook game on Android, if you’re into these then now you can take your addiction with you!
I for one look forward to spending some time with DynamoKid Touch, Flick Kick Football and Bonecruncher Soccer over the next few weeks. Do any of you plan on picking some of these new games up? Let us know in the comments and throw in your OpenFeint user names.
Full press release from Aurora Feint follows
Android Game Developer, HyperBees, Sees 39% Increase in Sales After Integrating OpenFeint
Launches Third Wave of Hit Games for Android Platform with Hit Titles from PikPok, HyperBees, and Orange Pixel
Burlingame, CA – November 2, 2010 – Launched just six weeks ago on Android, OpenFeint brought several hit games to the Market, driving titles like Fruit Ninja and MiniSquadron to the top of the paid charts. While great for new games, OpenFeint also benefits existing Android titles, like Speedx 3D from Android publisher HyperBees, which experienced a 39% increase in sales post integration. This week, OpenFeint launches its third wave of hit games for Android, including hit titles Flick Kick: Football (PikPok), Dynamo Kid (Orange Pixel), Abduction! (Psym Mobile), Happy Island (CrowdStar) and Prism 3D (HyerBees).
“We expected there to be some uptick in sales when we re-launched Speedx 3D with OpenFeint, but the end result was truly amazing. Following the update we recorded a 39% increase in Speedx 3D sales and a 9% increase in sales across other titles,” said Tom Mleko of HyerBees. “OpenFeint has been a great partner for Android and we look forward to what they have in store for the future.”
The third wave of Android games from OpenFeint launches this week and will include Flick Kick Football (PikPok), Dot 3(TM) (ustwo), Cows Don’t Fly, Prism 3D, and JellyBalls (HyperBees), Dynamo Kid (OrangePixel), Abduction! (Psym Mobile), Bonecruncher Soccer (Distinctive Developments), Pocket Racing (Measured Software), Egggz (SmartPix Games), Chopper Control (The Game Boss), and Happy Island (CrowdStar).
“OpenFeint also announced the upcoming release of version 1.1 of its Android product. The update will integrate Facebook Connect, making it even easier for Android gamers to find and play games with their friends.
“We’re seeing incredible growth on Android for new games and existing Android games relaunching with OpenFeint,” said Eros Resmini, VP of Marketing and Developer Relations at OpenFeint. “With Facebook Connect coming soon more and more players will discover the Feint gaming network. Developers clearly love the Feint gaming network – we’re already in 80 games and are adding new games every day.
Each launch game will be featured in the Feint Game Spotlight app, which is quickly becoming the preferred destination for Android gamers to discover and purchase high quality games. Developers interested in implementing OpenFeint in their games can learn more and download the free, open source SDK at OpenFeint.com/Developers. Players interested in discovering more OpenFeint enabled games can download Feint Spotlight from the Android Market.
About Aurora Feint, Inc:
Aurora Feint Inc’s software development kit, OpenFeint, allows game publishers to implement services which enable mobile social gaming. With over 45 million registered users and a presence on over 3,400 games, OpenFeint is the largest mobile social gaming ecosystem for iOS devices and Android. Aurora Feint is backed by DeNA Inc., Intel Capital, and The9.
Google and Android are trademarks of Google Inc. Use of these trademarks is subject to Google Permissions.
As you are no doubt aware, today is Election Day in the United States, and, considering the ideological controversies in the country, one of the most important congressional elections in years. We on GeekDad encourage all U.S. citizens who are registered to vote to make sure to go to the polls today, regardless of which candidates and ballot questions you plan to vote for (or against).
We also encourage all parents who are going to vote, if your kids are old enough to understand what you’re doing, to bring them to the polling place with you. It’s a unique opportunity for them to see citizens — and, more specifically, you — exercise their right to participate in government. It’s the sort of experience that can stick in their heads and help foster an interest in government and politics. I can speak from personal experience here: my parents took me with them to the voting booth pretty much every year when I was growing up. That, combined with other things they did, like simply talking about the news at the dinner table, definitely helped make me as fascinated by the political process as I am today.
I’m not suggesting that you take your kids out of school if they don’t have today off — as many districts do — but if you can manage to take them with you after school, it’s something to consider. But even if you choose not to bring your kids, go out and be a good citizen: vote!
Happy Halloween!!! October 31st is here, and in addition to all the trick of treating that will be taking place today it also means that the BlackBerry Style from Sprint is now on sale! We called around to a few Sprint stores yesterday and it looks like most have it in stock and ready to buy TODAY. If you’re getting one, drop us a comment and be sure to let us know how it goes and what your first impressions are.
You can check out my video first impressions and overview video of the Style above. My full review will be coming this week. I’ve actually been rocking the Style all weekend in Las Vegas (been getting a few weird glances though – maybe I should have grabbed the Steel Grey one instead of Royal Purple) but all in all have been really liking the phone. BlackBerry 6 is snappy on it, the camera has been taking good photos and the battery has been getting me through the day ok. If you’re a flip phone fan the Style is a no brainer — especially at Sprint’s attractive $99/2year contract pricing — and I could even see some non-flip phone fans getting won over by it too. It’s a nice little addition to the BlackBerry lineup.
CTIA is in full swing, and we’re learning lots of great information about loads of new devices. Motorola has already issued a press release giving additional information on their latest, and now, Sprint is expected to announce three new devices today – the Samsung Transform, Sanyo Zio, and the LG Optimus S.
We already know a bit about the Transform thanks to yesterday’s leaked user guide, including the fact that it appears to be running a stock Android UI, as well as customizable ID packs which can be purchased through the Sprint’s online store.
It’s been less than a month since OpenFeint, the leading cross platform social gaming network, had some of its most successful titles released on the Android Market to delighted finger swipers and touchscreen mashers everywhere. AuroaFeint, the company behind OpenFeint, announced today that 4 of the 8 launch titles reached the top 15 in the Android Market, with Fruit Ninja and MiniSquadron hitting the top 2 in less then 72 hours.
This week, the second round of OpenFeint Android games hits the Market, which includes Super K.O. Boxing 2, Flick Kick Rugby, Touch Racing Nitro, Penalty World Challenge 2010, Cestos 2: Party Time, SpeedX, Babo Crash Deluxe, Kamikaze Race, Brain Twister Lite, Color Cocktail Lite, Dot Dot, and SkyForce.
OpenFeint’s social gaming network is seeing its user base grow by over 160,000 new users daily, and just passed the 40 million mark overall. Continue after the break for the press release.
Today in Tech: News around the Web
Mark Zuckerberg donates $100 million to charity; former Nokia employees explain why the mobile company is in trouble; Netflix strikes a deal for more NBC content.
Probably one of the most feature-packed weather apps there is, BerryWeather gives you a ton of options and features right in the palm of your hand. Set multiple locations, see various forecasts, view animated radar maps, get weather advisories and even add a weather icon to your homescreen. BerryWeather keeps you in the loop and you’ll always know just what the temperture is or when the rain is on its way. BerryWeather sells regularly for $9.95 but today only you can grab it at 50% off for just $4.97 as part of our Deal of the Day.
The guys at Twinkler Software let me know that for today (Monday) only they are offering up a bundle of AddOnis and WiFi Hero at 40% off. The bundle usually sells for $11.98, but today until midnight you can grab it for just $7.19. These two great apps add some great functionality to your device giving you more control over common tasks.
AddOnis: AddOnis extends system functionality, enabling features missing from the system that make your device easier and more efficient to use by adding all of the choices you always wanted to your menu selections.
WiFi Hero: WiFi Hero automatically controls your WiFi Power Status to save power and make your battery last longer. WiFi Hero can automatically turn off or turn on WiFi power (on GSM or WCDMA netwoks only) based on your location, screen status (on/off) and charging status (on charger/off charger).
Contest: In addition to the sale, Twinkler Software is giving up 40 app bundles to CrackBerry readers – This means you can win both AddOnis and WiFi Hero. To enter, just leave a single comment on this post. Contest ends this Sunday at midnight PDT.
Incredible owners everywhere can now breath a sigh of relief that the Froyo fiasco is officially over. Verizon confirmed via Twitter that the Android 2.2 OTA update will begin rolling out today, August 27th, for the Droid Incredible. Now, Incredible owners can enjoy Flash 10.1, 720p video recording, significant performance increases, and all the other goodies that come associated with a healthy serving of Froyo.
Now, these updates don’t get pushed all at once, so it may take a few weeks for everyone to see their update. We are anxious to hear from those of you who have received the update, and specifically, where you live. So, if you’re rocking 2.2, please leave us a comment below!
Today only for App Friday, MomsWithApps is featuring MathGirl Number Garden as a free download until 8pm Pacific Time. Each Friday, they feature a family-friendly app to download to your portable device for free. Check them out each week!
This week’s app, MathGirl Number Garden, is a fun counting game that is more fun and more useful than it first seems. And with the added element of a beautiful garden that you can create and change, it’s great fun for kids of all ages. See our recent review for a complete description.
Watch out for MathGirl’s next app, MathGirl Addition House, in a few weeks.
Research In Motion and AT&T will be putting on a webinar today for all the BlackBerry deveopers out there looking to learn more about how to best make use of BlackBerry 6. Full details are below:
If you are reading this site, then you have at least some interest in Nokia. Thus, I highly recommend you head over to Twitter in about 5.5 hours to check out and send questions and comments to Niklas Savander (@NiklasatNokia). As stated on the Nokia Conversations site Mr. Savander, head of sales and marketing, is visiting New York and was asked to take part in this live Q&A hour on Twitter. It will run from 10-11 am Pacific Daylight Time/1-2 pm Eastern Daylight Time so start prepping your 140 character questions, I know I am.
Since it will be virtually impossible for Niklas to answer all of the questions on Twitter, he will take a few of the best ones and respond to them in a video that will be posted on the Nokia Conversations site. He won’t spend the entire time taking questions, but will also be sharing his thoughts on the mobile industry.
To prep for the Twitter Q&A you may want to check out the previous video between my buddy Phil and Mr. Savander.
Cincinnati Bell’s commitment to Android keeps on moving with their launch of the Samsung Behold II today. We couldn’t confirm many details outside of pricing, but that should do just as well to get your eyes squared on the device. Here’s the skinny on how much you’ll have to throw down for this one: For $129.99 (after a two-year equipment agreement and a $100 mail-in rebate) you can walk away from your local Cincinnati Bell store with the device today, or you can buy it outright for $229.99 (after a $100 mail-in rebate) if you’re a new customer with the carrier.
We can at least confirm that this phone will not come with any of that dreadful bloatware (and that includes that TouchWiz interface that everyone hates) that’s become such a fad these days: this is completely stock Android, folks. Cincinnati Bell got their Android ball rolling when they first introduced the Blaze (a device so popular with customers that they can’t keep it in stock!). Furthermore, the upcoming Motorola Milestone XT720 that we’ve been hearing about for so long is a major device that will help strengthen their lineup when it eventually launches, and the addition of the Samsung Behold II today re-enforces their continued (and very serious) effort to make Android the de facto operating system to provide their users with.
The Behold II can be found in retail locations starting today and is also available for purchase on Cincinnati Bell’s website where you can also find more information on the device.
As of today the first iDEN push-to-talk Android phone to come onto the market is now available at Boost Mobile retails stores. For the price of $299.99 you’ll get a pay as you go smartphone featuring a 3.1-inch touchscreen military grade hardware to combat the roughest elements and keep our little green robot safe. The i1 isn’t currently available online, so if you are looking to pick one up you’ll have to head to your local Boost Mobile retailer.
A new app is available that will make traveling abroad much easier. Universal Translator, by DLP Mobile, has made a revolutionary way to communicate in another country. In the past you would either have to have a human translator, or carry around one of those thick guides and flip though pages for every word. But wait, what if you’re stranded somewhere or a connecting flight is cancelled in a foreign country? Then what do you do?
Now you can break out your phone and talk like a native. Universal Translator allows you to speak in your home language and have the device translate, and speak what you’re saying in the language of the receiving person. Now asking where the train is, to get back home is not that complicated. Living in Arizona this is a big help for me where half of the population speaks Spanish. I might just have to give this app a run and see how it performs first hand. If you are multi lingual and have tried this app out let us know what you think.
If you’re been interested by all the buzz about the Samsung Vibrant, but for whatever reason are stuck with AT&T, have no fear. The sister device to Vibrant, Samsung’s Captivate, is now available from AT&T starting today.
While the Vibrant and Captivate aresimilar, there will be some slight differences between them due to their respective carrier’s choice as to what to include, but these differences will be fairly small and likely limited to native apps or services. Also, in case you need a reminder, AT&T does like to lock down Android devices from installing non-Market apps. Not sure which one you want? You can compare the two at our device page to see just how similar they are, so we recommend going to a store to get a feel for each device before you decide.
Captivate is selling for $199.99 with a new activation at ATT.com, or you can save yourself $50 bucks and go through AndroidSPIN’s Wirefly store.
I know after today’s sneak peek video of BlackBerry 6 by RIM, many of you are jonesing to get your hands on it! Until that happens, I think the next best thing one can have is a parity theme for your current device that provides a a little taste of BlackBerry 6 right now. Enter the Five Point Nine theme by WJD Designs.
Five Point Nine is essentially the same theme as WJDDesign’s previously #1 best selling OS6 theme. It had to undergo a few minor tweaks to keep the lawyers from a certain company happy, including a branding change, but it’s now back in the catalog available for sale. Five Point Nine is available for the BlackBerry Storms, Bold 9700/9650, Tour and Curve 8900 (running 5.0). It sells for $2.99.
Click on through to the Five Point Nine product page for full details, more screen captures and video. As for the new name Five Point Nine… well, that was all me. When Wayne relayed his re-branding dilemma to me that was the first name that popped into my head.
The 60 Day Fitness Challenge kicks off today! Read all about it below!!!
It’s July 1st, which means it’s time to kick off our 60 day BlackBerry Fitness Challenge!! If you haven’t heard what it’s all about yet, keep reading below for the full contest details. There are lots of prizes to be won, and a couple of different ways to participate. Let’s answer a couple of FAQs that popped up in response to our first post:
Do I need twitter to participate? No. There are essentially three ways to win. Two of them involve twitter (tweeting when you’re done your workout to #blackberryfitchallenge via the Gym Technik app) but the third contest is for the best improvement – the best before/after photos. These can be submitted via the Gym Technik app or via email (more details below). Also, we’re going to tie a forum thread to the contest (read below) which will offer up yet another way to participate and win prizes.
How do the before/after photos work? You’re doing this for yourself, so take LOTS of before photos (front, back, sides, etc.). Be sure that at least one of the photos has you holding your BlackBerry in front of you (or today’s newspaper), with the date clearly showing – that’s the one we need to see asap to know you’re in the event. You can take and submit your before photos anytime between now and July 15th. Of course, the sooner you do them, the more days you have to improve upon your physique for the challenge. At the end of the 60 days, you can choose whether or not you want to submit your final photos to be entered into final running of the best-improved contest. At that point, we’ll want to see all your before and after photos. So again, take lots of pics!!
OFFICIAL 60 Day Fitness Challenge Forum Thread (w/ bonus prizes): I know for me to succeed in this challenge, I’m going to want and need the support of others participating. To that end, I’ve set up the official 60 Day BlackBerry Fitness Challenge thread in the CrackBerry Forums. If you’re taking part in the event, be sure to hit the forum thread and say hello, tell us your goals, and keep in touch (we can fight the food cravings together!). When the 60 days are over, we’ll reward those actively taking part on the forum thread with some sweeet prizes.
So there you have it. It’s time to get it on. Full contest details are below. Commit. Take the before photos. Weigh yourself. Do your own measurements. Know where you’re starting at. Then let’s GIVVVER for 60 days. See ya at the beach!!
Dieter, Georga and Craig.. our own Randy, Paula and Simon of sorts!
If you tuned into the CrackBerry Idol audition videos we ran on the blogs here (check out parts I, II, III, IV and V) you already know the competition is heating up big time. We have a lot of talented individuals entered into the competition, each coming at the challenge with a unique perspective and a lot of passion. It’s stil anybody’s game.
Now that you have all seen the audition videos and know the competitors, it’s time to move onto Round 1 of CrackBerry Idol – the BlackBerry App review. Each contestant has prepared a fullout review of their app or game of choice, complete with video, screen caps/photos and write up. We have 24 reviews (Finza had to drop out of the competition – so not 25) in the queue and we’ll be posting 2 each day (taking Sundays off) until we’ve run them all on the blogs. We did a random draw for the order of post appearance (kind of crazy, but first up for the app review was also the first app for the audition posting order). Our CrackBerry Idol judges will give their feedback on each review in the first comment to each post, and the community can follow up with their thoughts.
Once all of the BlackBerry App Reviews have been run on the blogs, we’ll do a recap post accompanied with the community voting, so you can cast your vote for who you’d like to see advance into the next round. 10 contestants will move onto Round 2. Keep it locked to CrackBerry for more Idol fun. This is gonna rock!
Well the wait is over, the big event that we told you about last week is now here and has already started. Stay tuned to this post for the latest news from the event!
Check out the latest pictures from the event: (newest on top)
thanks to engadget for covering the event live
For more information on Android and the current Android mobile phones, check out our Android Guides
The SlingPlayer app for Android was released today. Meant for use with existing SlingPlayer boxes Slingbox Solo, Pro-HD, or Pro, the app lets you access all media that is available on the Slingbox. While the app is expensive by market standards at $29.99, it would clearly be of most benefit to those who put their Slingbox through a lot of use.
Extend your living room TV experience to your Android phone with SlingPlayer Mobile™ software. With a Slingbox* at home and SlingPlayer Mobile on your compatible phone, enjoy live or recorded TV over a 3G, 4G or Wi-Fi connection. If you like TV, it’s hard not to smile when you take control of your TV and DVR right from your Android phone’s stunning touchscreen interface. Flip through your local channels with the virtual remote control. Pause, fast-forward, rewind, and even schedule DVR recordings. Watch video on demand and even pay-per-view programs
SlingPlayer will work on almost any Android device. The system requirements are just a supported Android phone with 3G or 4G wireless service or Wi-Fi Internet connectivity, Android 1.5 or later, and network download speed of 150Kbps (or higher).
You can check out a video of the SlingPlayer in action on a HTC Evo.
If you have a Slingbox and want to give the companion player a try, here are the links for you.
We told you about teacher Todd Stowe’s previous project, working with his students to launch a camera into near orbit via weather balloon. Well, he’s about to do it again (on his own, as a test run), and this time we can all follow along:
There’s going to be a SPOT Personal Tracker in the capsule this time, along with the ham transmitter that was used on the last flight. The SPOT transmitter will send a position report to a website that anyone can access (unless you want it to be private, in which case, you can password protect it). Their site is at http://www.findmespot.com/en/. I’ve set up a site that is not password protected and can be found at http://share.findmespot.com/shared/faces/viewspots.jsp?glId=0cOWDl8uaZJOsXhkT8d291PzyCpag78kG. We will also have a ham transmitter that can be tracked at www.aprs.fi. You will have to enter my callsign on the aprs site. It is KJ4RSG-11. The SPOT transmitter will update every 10 minutes with latitude and longitude only. The aprs info will update every 30 seconds and include latitude and longitude plus altitude, direction and speed.
Todd’s experiment should be taking off Monday morning around 10:30am EDT, and once the camera returns, images will be available at www.TheTalon.SmugMug.com/misc/space. Good luck Todd!
ShapeWriter’s sent a notice to all of their customers stating that the app will be pulled off of the Android Market on June 20th (that’s today). While the day has yet to fully conclude in most parts of the world, ShapeWriter appears to still be in the market at the time of this posting.
User Notice: We plan to take ShapeWriter off the Android Market on June 20, 2010 for an indefinite period of time, If you have purchased or downloaded ShapeWriter Keyboard on your Android device, please update it to the latest Version 3.0.9 which will not expire as the previous versions do. We thank you for your interest and support.
They have not given a specific reason at this time, but signs are pointing to the company’s recent fortune of being acquired by Nuance – the folks behind the brilliant Natural Speaking software. We’ve contacted ShapeWriter for comment, but don’t be surprised if all we get out of it is a regurgitated statement.
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