andriod
Latest
Chitika's March Tablet Update shows iPad usage share rising, still dominating competition
Chitika, the online advertising network, has released its latest Chikita Insights usage share data report for tablets for the March 2013 period. According to the company, based on US and Canadian tablet ad impressions running through the Chitika Ad Network, the iPad still overwhelmingly dominates web traffic on tablets, at 81.9 percent. In fact, the iPad has seen its first month-on-month growth in web traffic share since December, 2012, a 1.4 percent basis points increase since February. Chitika partially attributes this growth to Apple selling refurbished fourth-generation iPad and iPad minis at a discount beginning in mid-March, 2013. Android tablets unsurprisingly dominates what's left. The Kindle Fire comes in second at 7.1 percent, Samsung Galaxy Tablets third at 4.3 percent and Google Nexus tablets fourth at 1.7 percent. Interestingly, Microsoft's Surface tablet only took 0.4 percent of tablet web traffic and the defunct HP TouchPad took 0.1 percent. The full Chitika report is available on the company's website here.
Fractiv tells the tale of Project Offset, launches new website
The story of Project Offset doesn't have a happy ending (not yet, at least). Several years ago, Offset Software began developing Project Offset, a fantasy FPS built from the team's impressive, proprietary Offset engine. The technology was so impressive, in fact, that Intel bought the studio in early 2008 with the intention of using Project Offset to showcase its new Larrabee graphics tech. Things were looking good ... until Intel's corporate strategy changed and the company decided to abandon the project and disband the team two years later. Now Intel owns the Project Offset name as well as the Offset engine, putting the Offset team's new company, Fractiv, firmly back at square one. Former Offset Software founder and current head of Fractiv, Sam McGrath, tells the whole story to Big Download -- just make sure you've got your box of tissues handy. Looking forward, Fractiv has released Lane Splitter on the App Store, with an Android version also in the works. The company's next project, an action RPG with a Old West theme called The Gunsmith (pictured), is currently in development for iOS and Android, with PC and console versions "being considered." Read more about The Gunsmith and check out additional screens at Fractiv's new website.
Would-be iTunes competitor pending App Store approval
7digital, a UK-based online music store that offered the first DRM-free tracks from the four major music labels, has submitted an iPhone music store app to Apple, which is currently pending approval by Apple. The app, already available on Android and BlackBerry phones (it's the number one music app on the BlackBerry app store with 500,000 installs), offers an iPod and iTunes music service replacement. If approved, the 7digital app will compete directly with iTunes on iOS devices. Offering users the ability to browse, download and play music from the 7digital music store on their iOS device (over 3G or Wi-Fi), the 7digital app will sync users' downloaded music wirelessly to their computers, too - something iTunes does not currently offer. The tracks are offered in 328kbps high quality format and 7digital also plans to introduce a streaming service in the future, though, obviously this would require a further approval from Apple. According to 7digital's blog, they now offer "the most comprehensive mobile [music] offering on the market." That's a bold statement to make. Having just released their Android app as well as their recently announced, mobile-optimized, web-based, HTML5 forward compatible online music store (accessible on most smartphones as well as scaling for tablet computers, too), 7digital appears to have a certain Apple iTunes Music Store in their crosshairs (if not all digital music stores). To top it all off, 7digita has announced that there API is powering the music service on Toshiba's Folio 100 tablet as well as Samsung's Galaxy Tab music hub, which 7digital believes will be a "real contender" against the iPad. Although, if the Galaxy Tab's 7-inch screen is anything to go by, Steve Jobs doesn't seem to think it will be very successful. With Steve Jobs recently saying the iOS model isn't closed, but rather "integrated," will Apple approve an app that is in direct competition with its own iTunes Music Store? It's a tough one to call. Apple has allowed streaming apps like Pandora into the App Store, but to approve an app that would directly purchase and download music on an iOS device that's not from iTunes, that's the big question. We'll keep you posted on any further developments. [via theAppleBlog]
Keepin' it real fake: TESO LPAD runs 'MeGoo' or 'Andriod' on Moorestown
Chinese company TESO has an unrequited love for all things Apple. Not that it cares, we're sure it's doing just fine on the grey market with its KIRFy Cupertino crafts. But maybe it's time for this Shenzhen cloner to go mainstream with what's purported to be a 9.7-inch tablet running "MeGoo" (a MeeGo typo, certainly) or "Andriod2.2" (that'd be Froyo) OSes on a 14-mm thick LPAD powered by Intel's newest 1.9GHz Z600-series Moorestown processor. Of course, it's a hell of a lot easier to list specs on paper than it is to ship highly spec'd product. And given TESO's inability to correctly copy the names of its choosen operating systems onto a sheet of paper, what hope is there of it cloning the user experience of a class-leading tablet?
Customizing to your heart's content in Star Trek Online
When it comes to quantities of races in MMOs, Star Trek Online will probably have every other game beat. Not only does the official canon offer plenty of racial choices, but the level of person-by-person customization offers endless combinations.If you need some detailed examples of how all of this will work, look no further than the latest Ask Cryptic for Star Trek Online. In this edition of the venerable community-driven question and answer bonanza, the focus is firmly upon visual and statistic customization choices. Yep, that's right, not only will we be allowed to make a character with ridges and point ears -- we'll also be able to make them psychic or resistant to poisons as well.Want to make an android? Go for it, the creation process very much allows you to achieve it through visual, technical and story avenues. About the only limitation will be our imaginations and the classic Trek adherence to bipedal abundance.
T-Mobile G1 gets early user review
Oh sure, you've already read over our (and Ryan Block's) brief one-day impressions of T-Mobile's G1, but one lucky (lucky!) user over at AndroidCommunity has been able to handle one for more than just a few hours. As a precious gift to the world, he's penned a nice list of pros and cons along with a Q&A, and it seems that the "review" is actually growing with time. Right from the top, he notes that the G1 is like a "SideKick on massive steroids," albeit one with a minty fresh OS. Speaking of, he also states that the handset "doesn't run as smoothly as you would think," asserting that some of the applications "stuttered" upon opening. We're also told that it requires a reboot from time to time just to keep things humming along, but we're hoping all of these quirks are just part of the Rev. A rigamarole. It's glaringly obvious that the user adores Android (and the phone, too), but we can't help but hope these niggles he speaks of are addressed in short order.[Thanks, Oscar]
T-Mobile CEO hints at summer launch for 3G, Android handset in Q4
It's bordering on preposterous how long we've been teased about 3G connectivity from T-Mobile, but apparently, the madness will end this summer. According to CNET, company CEO Hamid Akhavan made mention at Mobile World Congress that T-Mobile would be rolling out 3G sometime during the warmest months of 2008 here in the US of A, but unfortunately, no concrete date was dished out. What he did say, however, was that it would prove to be the "best 3G network" in the nation, so yeah, there's that. As if that weren't enough to get T-Mob subscribers in a celebratory mood, the bigwig also hinted that a Google Android device would be unveiled on its network during Q4 of this year, but we're left to wonder exactly what regions will see it. [Via The Boy Genius Report, image courtesy of Flickr]
