Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas Hits the U.S. App Store [iOS Blog]
Rockstar Games’ Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas is now available for download in the App Store, after being announced back in late November. First introduced back in 2004 for the PlayStation 2, GTA: San Andreas was the third 3-D game in the series.
GTA: San Andreas is an open-world game that encompasses the fictional areas of Los Santos, San Fierro, Las Venturas, and the areas in between (which have been based on areas in San Francisco, Nevada, and Los Angeles). The game includes remastered graphics with enhanced shadows, a larger draw distance, and a richer color palette, along with enhanced character and car models.
Like other Rockstar games released for iOS, GTA: San Andreas has been redesigned to incorporate touch controls and it also includes support for iOS 7 game controllers.
Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas features:
– Remastered, high-resolution graphics built specifically for mobile including lighting enhancements, an enriched color palette and improved character models.– Enhanced for the iPhone 5 series and iPad 4th Gen and above with dynamic detailed shadows and real-time environmental reflections.
– Physical controller support for all Made-for-iOS controllers.
– Cloud save support for playing across all your iOS devices for Rockstar Social Club Members.
– Dual analog stick controls for full camera and movement control.
– Three different control schemes and customizable controls with contextual options to display buttons only when you need them.
Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas can be downloaded from the App Store for $6.99. [Direct Link]
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South Korean court rules against Samsung, won’t ban iPhone and iPad
The latest development in Apple and Samsung’s patent battle is a new court ruling in the latter’s home country, and it’s going against Samsung. The Washington Post and Reuters report that in a case covering three Samsung patents, and Apple products including the iPhone 4s, iPhone 5 and iPad 2 Judge Shim Woo-yong ruled against a sales ban and threw out Samsung’s request for damages. The Post reports the patents cover things like multitasking, message notifications and how a device can display multiple messages from the same sender. This follows a ruling from late last year in the same court, where Apple was found in violation and ordered to pay Samsung $35,000 in damages, while Samsung was ordered to pay about $24,000 for its own patent overstepping. Samsung is of course considering an appeal of this latest ruling, ensuring that these two deep-pocketed tech giants will keep tying up courts around the world for the foreseeable future.
Filed under: Mobile, Apple, Samsung
Source: Reuters, The Washington Post
Halfbrick Studios’ New Game, Colossatron, Launches On Android December 19th
Halfbrick Studios should be a familiar name to most of you Android gamers; the Australian developer was behind the massive mobile hit Fruit Ninja and has been teasing their latest game, Colossatron, since we first heard of it at EB Expo in Sydney. Today, Halfbrick have announced that Colossatron will be released on Android and iOS on December 19th and has made a new teaser trailer to accompany it. Check it out:
In the game, you will take control of Colossatron, a giant robot snake as you reap havoc upon the city of Metronia.The game will feature a campaign as you try to flatten the peaceful city which will include various boss fights as well.
From the progression screenshots that Halfbrick have been circulating, the art style of the game is extremely impressive and it looks like it will be a great romp come the 19th of December. No word about how much it’s going to cost, but like Fruit Ninja, we’d expect there to be a free version with ads and a paid ad-free version.
Are you interested in picking up Colossatron when it comes out in a week’s time? Let us know what you think about the game.
Source: Halfbrick Blog
[Download] Google Search 3.1.24 that Sees Slight Changes to Homescreen Icons
Google continues to update their apps this week, and now we have Google Search reaching version 3.1.24. Nothing huge was changed in this version, mainly just changes to the icons on your homescreen. If you have a tablet, the persistent search bar would overlap your homescreen icons, but that is all fixed now. They also tweaked the settings icon when adding widgets or icons to your homescreen to fit the KitKat look. Other than that, I’m sure we have the traditional bug fixes and performance enhancements.
Android Police did what they do best, and did an apk teardown and found that some of the code suggest that Google Now will work better on pin-pointing apps or contacts you are requesting it to bring up. Always nice when Google Now gets improved, so if you haven’t received the update through the Play Store yet, hit the link below to grab the apk. Let us know how it runs.
Source: Android Police
Daily Roundup: SteamOS release, holiday gift guide for the geek, Z Ultra Google Play edition and more!
You might say the day is never really done in consumer technology news. Your workday, however, hopefully draws to a close at some point. This is the Daily Roundup on Engadget, a quick peek back at the top headlines for the past 24 hours — all handpicked by the editors here at the site. Click on through the break, and enjoy.
SteamOS available December 13th
Valve announced today that its gaming operating system, SteamOS, will be available to both individuals and hardware manufacturers on December 13th. Click the link for more details.
Holiday gift guide for ultimate geek
Welcome to Engadget’s final holiday gift guide — for the geek who has everything. Here is where you’ll find the perfect present suggestions for every tinkerer and hardcore nerd in your life.
Android Device Manager on Google Play
At last, Android Device Manager has hit the Play store today, making it more convenient than ever to command and control handsets from afar. Follow the link for more info.
Sony Z Ultra Google Play edition hands-on
Engadget’s Brad Molen goes hands-on with the Google Play edition of Sony’s 6.4-inch Xperia Z Ultra. This $650 handset remains identical to the original model, with the exception of a few new camera features, courtesy of Android 4.4 KitKat. Click the link for pics and details.
Walmart to Sell iPhone 5c for $27, iPhone 5s for $127 Beginning Friday [iOS Blog]
Walmart will begin a holiday sale on Friday that will see the retailer drop price of Apple’s iPhone to just $27 with a two-year contract, reports the Los Angeles Times. Though the iPhone 5c is priced at $99 in the App Store, Walmart and other retailers have been selling the phone at a discount since shortly after its September launch.
Walmart initially sold the iPhone for $79, but back in October, the company dropped the price on the iPhone 5c to just $45, undercutting other retailers pricing schemes. During Black Friday, Walmart offered an even better deal, providing a $75 gift card along with an iPhone 5c purchased for $45.
Holiday price drops on electronics are not unusual, but iPhone 5c pricing has been aggressive since the launch of the phone. Apple has reportedly even reduced production of the iPhone 5c due to more than adequate stock. While the iPhone 5s was constrained at launch and for many weeks afterwards, supplies of the iPhone 5c have remained plentiful.
Walmart will also be discounting the iPhone 5s to $127 on contract, a significant discount from the standard $199 price, and offering a $50 gift card with the purchase of a $299 16 GB original iPad mini.
Walmart’s sale will begin on Friday, December 13 at 8 AM and last until December 24.
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Engadget HD Podcast 378 – 12.11.13
While Ben digs into his holiday movie archive and Richard warms himself by a virtual yuletide fire, HD news continues to pour forth. The Xbox One received some post-launch updates, Dolby demoed some tech you might not have thought you needed, Google’s Chromecast added more apps to its streaming quiver and Netflix announced a director for its Daredevil series. Add to that, an extensive review of Must See HDTV and some disappointing fantasy football stats, and you’ve got another informative episode of the HD Podcast, patiently waiting for you at the streaming links below.
Hosts: Ben Drawbaugh, Richard Lawler
Producer: Jon Turi
Hear the podcast:
06:39 – Xbox One’s first post-launch update tackles multiplayer and SmartGlass issues
10:41 – Xbox One self-publishing begins in early 2014 with a big list of devs onboard
14:14 – LG’s AllJoyn support will let you control Smart TVs from any device
15:24 – LG, Sharp, Qualcomm and others team up to make your house even smarter
18:47 – Dolby demos new imaging tech that pushes more light to your television
21:31 – NimbleTV launches in New York City, streams paid TV starting at $4 per month
26:38 – Google rumored to launch its own TV set-top box under the Nexus brand next year
36:06 – HiSense unveils Android-powered H6 Smart TVs and Pulse PRO set-top box
38:28 – Android 4.4.1 shows signs that mirroring to Chromecast is coming soon
42:02 – Google Chromecast adds 10 new apps to its streaming arsenal
45:03 – Plex multimedia app gets a new UI to match iOS 7
46:43 – Verizon’s FiOS Mobile app adds Encore, Starz and more for live-streaming anywhere
48:31 – Reelhouse offers expanded bonus materials for digital Warner Bros. movies
50:08 – Netflix’s Daredevil TV show will be led by Cabin in The Woods director Drew Goddard
52:41 – Award-winning Netflix original series House of Cards returns on Valentine’s Day 2014 with a second season
57:46 – Must See HDTV (December 9th – 15th)
Get the podcast:
[iTunes] Subscribe to the Podcast directly in iTunes (MP3).
[RSS – AAC] Enhanced feed, subscribe to this with iTunes.
[RSS – MP3] Add the Engadget HD Podcast feed to your RSS aggregator.
[Zune] Subscribe to the Podcast directly in the Zune Marketplace.
Google updates Keep web app, goes overboard with the Santa references
Santa Tracker has clearly made its mark on Google — things in Mountain View are beginning to look a lot like Christmas. But then, it’s probably much too difficult to resist the urge to sprinkle in a few references to Kris Kringle in a post detailing updates to your list-making app. And surely many a holiday gift giver will be pleased with the tweaks to the Web version of Keep, including full-color notes, text scaling, new fonts and the ability to rearrange lists. Search has also been improved and Google’s brought over a navigation drawer for switching between archived and active notes. Now Merry Christmas to all and so on and so forth.
Filed under: Internet, Software, Google
Source: Google+, Google Play
Facebook brings auto-playing videos to mobile devices and the web
We’d heard about Facebook experimenting with auto-playing videos in its news feeds on mobile (see it in action after the break), but now the change is rolling out widely no matter where you’re wasting time from. TechCrunch confirmed the new feature (recently added to the changelog on iOS) is coming to all mobile users, and today learned it’s expanding on the desktop as well. Now, Facebook’s feeds are more like Vine and especially Instagram, particularly the latter since sound remains muted until the videos are actually clicked. Of course, this is about more than just adding a few extra views to the counter, as it could lead to autoplaying video ads in the feed, which have been rumored for quite some time and are expected to launch next year.
Filed under: Internet, Mobile, Facebook
Source: Facebook (iTunes), TechCrunch
Geofencing to Unlock Vehicle Functions Detailed in New Apple Patent Application
In November, Apple filed a new patent application [PDF] with the European Patent Office describing a system using an in-car accessory with an iOS device to set up geofences to activate various vehicle functions as a user approaches a vehicle.
According to the 15-claim application, which specifically describes “Accessory control with geo-fencing”, the accessory (which may or may not be built-in to the car itself) would transmit a signal to a linked mobile device, allowing the device to monitor the location of a vehicle. When the mobile device (and the user) are close enough to the car, the mobile device would transmit a second signal to the accessory within the car, allowing it to trigger functions like door unlocking, defrosting, heating, trunk opening, seat warming, and more.
The first signal can identify a current or future location of the vehicle. The mobile phone can generate one or more virtual geofences based at least in part on the location of the vehicle as determined from the first signal. For example, a geofence can be defined as a circular boundary centered on the vehicle’s location, the radius being equal to a pre-defined distance. The mobile phone can repeatedly estimate its own location.
Upon detecting that the mobile phone has crossed a geofence (e.g., generally or in a particular direction), the mobile phone can generate and transmit a second signal to the vehicle. The accessory can control or coordinate control of one or more vehicle functions in response to receipt of the second signal.
Apple notes that geofences can be made in shapes that parallel vehicle components for very specific in-app functions. For example, a geofence could be tied specifically to a trunk or a door, with the mobile device able to identify the absolute-location boundaries of each individual geofence. With such accurate geofencing, a car’s trunk could be opened as a user approaches, for groceries or bags to be put away, while the car doors stay locked until later approached.
Geofences can also function on time, with features like a car’s heating system able to be activated when a mobile device estimates that an owner is “five minutes away and approaching the vehicle.”
Like Apple’s iBeacons, which are designed to transmit specific location information to mobile devices, Apple’s vehicle accessory system would potentially send signals over Bluetooth LE to activate various functions within the car. Apple also suggests Wi-Fi and cellular hardware could also be included in order for the accessory to communicate with mobile devices when owners are located far from their cars.
Along with serving as a possible expansion of the use of Apple’s iBeacon technology, the geofencing system described in the patent could also be a future expansion of Apple’s iOS in the Car initiative, which is designed to provide enhanced iOS integration in automobiles.
The first hints of iOS in the Car have been bundled into the new 2014 Honda Civic, allowing users to access HondaLink apps for iOS to connect to an iPhone 5 or later. Apple’s ultimate goal for iOS in the Car is far more advanced, however, with iOS built-in to in-dash systems.
The patent, which lists former Apple employee Sylvain Louboutin as the inventor, appears to have been filed solely in Europe.
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