GTA: San Andreas now available for (some) Windows Phones weeks late
Rockstar Games’ promise of an early January launch for Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas on Windows Phone devices may’ve been a bit off — the game just arrived on the Windows Phone store today, as spotted by CNET. The game carries a $7 price tag and works on a handful of WP8 devices (the HTC 8XT and Nokia Lumias 1520, 1320, 822, 820 and 810); it’s got the same touch-based, contextual controls that the iOS and Android versions employ. Should the Caricature Compton of Carl Johnson’s San Andreas entice you, you can snag it right here.
Filed under: Gaming, Software, Mobile, Microsoft, HTC, Nokia
Via: CNET
Source: Windows Phone Store
The NSA is reportedly scouring Angry Birds and other apps for user data
According to newly leaked information from Edward Snowden, the NSA can access data from Angry Birds and other apps to learn everything from your gender to your location. The Guardian, ProPublica and The New York Times reported on the extensive leaks; get ready for a ton of new details below.
Depending on how much information a user shares (and how much the app developer allows for), the NSA and the GCHQ in the UK can collect details such as smartphone identification codes, current location, age, gender and marital status. In the case of Angry Birds, ad platforms give the agencies access to much more data than the game alone provides. It’s not clear just what personal information is revealed through Rovio’s app, but considering the game has been downloaded more than 1.7 billion times, this is relevant news for anyone who enjoys apps on a smartphone.
The leaked documents don’t only raise flags about the safety of mobile apps; one report also shows that by simply updating your Android software, you’ve generated hundreds of lines of data about your phone’s history. Moreover, the leaks detail the NSA’s efforts to hack individual handsets, with methods boasting cheerful names like “Nosey Smurf.”
Of course, all these revelations beg the question: has extensive information-collecting been helpful in fighting terrorism? According to The New York Times, a 2009 analysis of US and UK cellphone data turned up millions of “callers of interest.” In other words, describing the vast amounts of data collected as “unwieldy” would be a gross understatement.
Filed under: Cellphones
Source: The Guardian, The New York Times, ProPublica
LG G Flex and LG Optimus F3Q coming to T-Mobile on Feb. 5
T-Mobile just announced that it has two new devices launching just in time for Valentine’s Day, the LG G Flex and LG Optimus F3Q. Both will be available Feb. 5 and can be pre-ordered now. The 4G LTE LG G Flex, which has a unique curved design, is even more curved than devices we’ve seen in the past like the Nexus S and Galaxy Nexus, and features a 6-inch OLED HD 1280 x 720 display, 2.3 GHz Quad Core Qualcomm Snapdragon 800 processor, 2GB RAM, 32 GB eMMC ROM, 13 MP rear-facing camera, 2.1 MP front-facing camera, 3500mAh battery and Android 4.2.2 Jelly Bean. As we’ve noted before, key features of this model are its curved display, curved battery, and a self healing back. It also offers a number of LG-exclusives such as KnockON, Slide Aside, Qslide Function, QuickTheater, and Dual Window. As for the LG Optimus F3Q, it’s designed for those that can’t live without a physical keyboard, which hopefully isn’t too many people anymore. The device comes with a 4-inch IPS TFT display and 5 MP camera, and also features some LG-exclusives, including QuickMemo(TM) and the QSlide function that allows users to float and use two apps over the main screen simultaneously.
T-Mobile notes that on its Simple Choice Plan, buyers will pay 24 equal monthly payments of $28 for the G Flex alongside their monthly voice, text and data charges, plus buyers get a 6-month Netflix membership.The Optimus F3Q will be $13 per month on the Simple Choice Plan. Hopefully, at least the LG G Flex gets an update to Android 4.4 KitKat soon, but if you’ve been looking for a new smartphone, be sure to check these out. T-Mobile
The post LG G Flex and LG Optimus F3Q coming to T-Mobile on Feb. 5 appeared first on AndroidGuys.
Red Nexus 5 Spotted in Retail Packaging
The red Nexus 5 first posed for the camera last week, but we weren’t quite sure if it was the real thing, or someone’s crafty Photoshop work. Today we get a new image of the Nexus 5 in its passion color. Only this time it shows up in the retail packaging, leading everyone to believe this red Nexus 5 actually exists.
One key bit of information the boys over at Android Police pointed out, is the fact that the same IMEI numbers show up in the photos. When looking up the number, the number is attached to an old Samsung phone, which seems a bit interesting, but the same number is on all of them, and who would go the extra mile to pull a prank off that extreme? Possibly these red Nexus 5 phones will show up just in time for Valentine’s Day. Seems to be a gimmick other companies have partaken in, but most likely not. These images were spotted in an LG warehouse in the UK, so they might not even reach the states. Let us know your thoughts about it.
Source: Android Police
Logitech Drops Price on ‘PowerShell’ iOS 7 Game Controller [iOS Blog]
Logitech has dropped the price on its PowerShell iOS 7 MFi game controller from $100 to $70, following a similar price drop on the SteelSeries gaming controller when it launched.
The form-fitting controller is made to plug into the Lightning port on a newer iOS device and features console-style controls including a directional pad, shoulder bumpers, and face buttons. It also allows for headphones to be connected through an included adapter, and also leaves the volume up/down buttons, ring/silent switch, and power/sleep button of an iOS device fully accessible.
Logitech’s controller includes a 1500 mAh battery which will charge an iOS device whiile it is plugged into the controller, and can also be charged simultaneously with a device through the controller’s micro-USB port.
Complaints about the high price tag of the MFi controllers and issues with build quality, could be causing poor sales of the devices, which is the likely impetus for the two price drops.
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iPhone Replaces Hotel Room Keys in New Pilot Program
Starwood Hotels & Resorts is implementing a new pilot program that will see two key hotel locations in Manhattan and Silicon Valley allowing guests to enter their rooms with their smartphones, reports The Wall Street Journal.
After installing the Starwood Preferred Guest (SGP) App, guests will receive a virtual key on their iPhone, which can then be used to unlock a door with a tap using Bluetooth 4.0. The newer Bluetooth specification, first introduced with the iPhone 4s, has been used in a similar way for many home locking products like the Lockitron and the August Smart Lock, but this is the first time it’s being used on a larger scale.
Starwood officials are betting that the technology will become the standard for hotels in the future, replacing traditional hotel check-in methods.
“We believe this will become the new standard for how people will want to enter a hotel,” says Frits van Paasschen, Starwood’s CEO. “It may be a novelty at first, but we think it will become table stakes for managing a hotel.”
Bluetooth 4.0 (or Bluetooth LE) is being utilized in a number of innovative ways. In addition to being installed in multiple different home locking products, it has also been used to replace traditional password logins on Macs through the Knock app and to deliver car diagnostics in the Automatic connected car device. Bluetooth 4.0 is also the driving technology behind Apple’s iBeacons, which are rapidly being implemented in retail stores and other locations across the world to deliver location-based notifications.
Two Starwood Aloft hotels, in Harlem, New York and Cupertino, California, will be updated with the Bluetooth 4.0 technology during the first quarter of 2014. Starwood has plans to roll out the system at all of its locations by the end of 2015 should the pilot program be successful.
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Apple’s App Store Usage Numbers Put iOS 7 Adoption at 80% [iOS Blog]
Following approximately four-and-a-half months of availability, iOS 7 is now installed on 80 percent of devices connected to the App Store, according to the newest numbers posted on Apple’s App Store support page for developers.
As iOS 7 adoption numbers grow, iOS 6 usage continues to drop, and the older operating system is now installed on just 17 percent of devices. Three percent of devices also continue use even older versions of iOS.
In early December, iOS 7 usage was at 74 percent, jumping to 78 percent later in December, while iOS 6 usage first declined to 22 percent and then to 18 percent.
Apple’s data, which comes directly from the App Store, represents the most accurate iOS 7 adoption information for developers.
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Third-Party Security Lock for New Mac Pro Now Available [Mac Blog]
Apple’s new Mac Pro is immaculately designed to waste as little space as possible, but for a multi-thousand dollar machine, many businesses and schools will look for a way to secure the machine so it isn’t easily stolen.
Some owners have built custom locking systems, while Apple uses an ethernet-based security cable at its Apple Retail Stores that doesn’t actually lock the device, but it does set off an alarm if someone tries to steal it.
For those uninterested in the “do-it-yourself” look, MacLocks.com has created a new security bracket that tucks inside the edges of the rear access panel, around the power cord, adding a more permanent security solution to the Mac Pro.
The new Mac Pro Lock Bracket with Security Cable Lock fits comfortably underneath the cylinder lid to offer complete protection of the device and its hardware components. By designing the Mac Pro Lock to fit the curvature of the new Mac Pro and the bracket plate to sit securely over the power cable the lid is now doubly locked into place. The bracket plate has an extended lip that will allow you to attach the included Security Cable Lock ensuring your Mac Pro workstation and all its impressive (and expensive) hardware are not going anywhere.
The Mac Pro Lock Security Bracket is available from MacLocks.com for $90.
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Nexus 5 might soon come in red
Currently, you can get the Nexus 5 in any color you want, so long as it’s black… or white. Those two options may have satisfied Henry Ford, but the modern consumer sometimes wants something a little racier. Twitter’s @artyomstar appears to have found a consignment of the smartphone clad in hot-rod red, something that’s sure to raise the hearts of anyone hoping to abandon monochrome devices. We can’t be certain, of course, but the images look a lot more real than the other leaks we’ve been sent, so let’s hope that LG and Google don’t make us wait too much longer before spilling the beans.
Filed under: Cellphones, Mobile, Google, LG
Via: Android Central
Source: Skazki (Twitter), (2), (3)
T-Mobile announces LG G Flex and Optimus F3Q, both coming February 5th
Welcome, LG G Flex — we’ve been expecting you. The curved smartphone has already been announced for T-Mobile, but we just didn’t have the exact pricing or availability. That information has finally come down the wires: The G Flex will be arriving at stores and online on February 5th. The total cost of the device will be $576 $672, although you can get it for nothing down and 24 monthly payments of $28 on the carrier’s Simple Choice plan. Additionally, anyone who grabs one will also get six free months of Netflix. (Update: T-Mobile originally mentioned $576 was the retail cost, but the math for monthly payments didn’t add up; we reached out to company reps who told us that this was a typo and is actually $672.)
Also announced with the G Flex today was the Optimus F3Q, an Android 4.1 Jelly Bean device that comes in misty blue and boasts a full physical QWERTY slideout keyboard. It offers a 4-inch IPS TFT display, 5MP rear camera, VGA front-facing cam, 2,460mAh battery, NFC, 1.2GHz dual-core Qualcomm MSM8930 processor, 1GB of RAM, 4GB internal storage, up to 32GB external storage via microSD and some of LG’s well-known features like QuickMemo and QuickSlide. The device retails for $312 at full price, or you can get it for 24 monthly payments of $13. You’ll also be able to pick one of these up alongside the G Flex on February 5th.
Filed under: Cellphones, Wireless, T-Mobile
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