After popular demand we are extending the offer to get a FREE Lloyd Pin worth $4.95 with every T-shirt order. We are so thrilled about the little guy -- we want you all to have one.
Also, a BIG thanks to the community for helping support Android Central -- all profits go directly to creating better content and community tools for you all.
What do YOU think of Lloyd? Let's hear it in the comments.
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Poker fans will be happy to hear that EA has launched World Series Poker on Android today. Texas hold'em, Omaha, and lots of stats and social features are available.
Any poker players in the house interested in giving this a shot? It's free, so all you've got to lose are your chips.
Download: World Series Poker
We're back from a week away, and we've got a lot to catch up on. The Samsung Galaxy S III has finally been released (in Europe anyway), the EVO 4G LTE has finally shipped and will hit store shelves this weekend (plus Phil finally got his review done), Intel-powered phones are making the rounds, plus a slew of your e-mails and voicemails.
So join Phil and the gang -- and, of course, the chat room -- live tonight at 2 a.m. GMT / 9 p.m. EST / 6 p.m. PST for the live broadcast. You should be there. You will be there. You must be there. After all, you are what makes it the Greatest Android Podcast in the World.
Not at a computer? Pick up the free UStream Viewer from the Android Market [link] and search for Android Central a little before the show (it won't appear until we go live). We'll see you there! AndroidCentral.com/live
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Hey! You! Faithful reader Central Android! Tonight you will be a faithful observer Central Android and listener as the best Android Podcast in the world returns once again. It ' since a few weeks we have last meeting, if we ' ve got a lot to cover, including the launch (and our review) of HTC a s. We ' ll preview what we ' re waiting for Samsung ' s event in London next week. In addition, more e-mails and voice messages.
Come therefore this evening to 2 am in the morning STB / 9 p.m. EDT / 6 p.m. PDT / we get because of this. We ' ll see you at AndroidCentral.com/live!
Over the past year, HTC has taken to the road to promote its products across Europe. And for its latest series of smartphones, it's taking things to the next level, launching a worldwide tour to allow fans to go hands-on with its new HTC One line-up.
In a post on its official blog, the manufacturer reveals that it plans to visit "dozens of cities" across the globe, including the major cities you see in the image above. If last year's roadshows are any indication, this year's tour should be a great opportunity for regular people (as opposed to snooty press types like ourselves) to get an early look at the One X, One S and maybe even the One V. No specific dates are mentioned, but according to today's blog post, the tour is planned for "the next several weeks."
HTC's also asking fans to suggest more destinations to add to its line-up, so if you're not anywhere near the nine cities that've already been announced, there's still time make yourself heard.
Source: HTC Blog
The Android Central Podcast is your weekly peek into the world of Android, where we break down the news that really matters, and explain what's just a bunch of hype. Plus, we answer your e-mails and voicemails. You don't want to miss it. Check out the Android Central Podcast.
It's good to be home.
Don't get me wrong. Mobile World Congress is a blast. That we get to work for a week in Barcelona, Spain, is but one perk of this job, and certainly not one that should be taken for granted. As always, it's great to see old friends and make a few new ones, too. And to top it all off, we had great weather this year. (The past two had been cold, wet and relatively miserable, especially for those of us from Florida.)
Oh, and we got to see the next generation of smartphones. So, yeah, there's that, too.
And with that, a few thoughts on the far side of MWC ...
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With Mobile World Congress behind us, and all of the wildness dying down, we are left wondering what your favorite thing was from this years event. With tons and tons of new phones announced, innovative ideas flowing, and news beyond what we could comprehend it was a wild few days. Was it the Samsung Galaxy Beam, HTC's new line of phones, or the Carrier IQ information they announced?
Hit the break with us and check out some of our very own favorites, and be sure to sound off in the comments and let us know what your favorite was!
Hello, friends. It's been far too long. Several weeks, in fact, since the last proper edition of the Greatest Android Podcast in the world, thanks to a little thing called Mobile World Congress. Tonight, we rectify that.
What's on tap? We'll pick up any MWC stragglers, wade into the birth of Google Play, maybe talk a bit about the latest privacy brouhaha -- plus, more of your e-mails and voicemails.
So join Phil and the gang -- and, of course, the chat room -- live tonight at 2 a.m. GMT / 9 p.m. EST / 6 p.m. PST for the live broadcast. You should be there. You will be there. You must be there. After all, you are what makes it the Greatest Android Podcast in the World.
Not at a computer? Pick up the free UStream Viewer from the Android Market [link] and search for Android Central a little before the show (it won't appear until we go live).
Things are winding down in Barcelona, the fellows are enjoying some of the local delicacies and getting ready for the trip home. But just because Mobile World Congress is finishing up doesn't mean they didn't work their collective tails off today, making the final sweep of the show to make sure no stone was left unturned, no device left un-handled, and no hors d'oeuvre was left uneaten. We're thorough like that. While Phil and the gang pack up their belongings, hit the break with me and see what they found today.
One of the highlights yesterday in Barcelona was Eric Schmidt's keynote address. Schmidt always entertains, and as former CEO and current chairman at Google we're usually listening when he speaks. At Mobile World Congress this year, Schmidt was focused on one thing -- the digital divide. We did get to see a nifty demonstration of Chrome for Android Beta from Android Product Director Hugo Barra, but for the most part it's an hour of hearing Schmidt's thoughts on how to bring connectivity to areas of the world that don't have it, and why that matters.
It's worth a look. There's no hidden gems about Jellybean or some secret-stealth project the folks at Mountain View might be working on, but it's a look at what drives Schmidt, and in turn Google, to go forward. You can find it embedded after the break.
Source: Google Youtube channel
Youtube link for mobile viewing
You didn't think we'd go an entire show without seeing some dancing Android robots, did ya? Intel had few at its booth.
And, no. We didn't dance.
Fastest Android Phone more >>Just in case you haven't had enough Android hardware from Mobile Conference 2012, even little ol' ViewSonic had some stuff to show off. Along with demonstrating some of their stuff announced at CES, ViewSonic had a new tablet called the E100. Beyond its 9.1 mm profile and a decent 9.1-inch 1024 x 768 display, there's a single core 1 GHz processor under the hood. So, a bit underwhelming, yeah? Well, the Wi-Fi model will be retailing for $399, so it's got that much going for it. The E100 will be landing around late March, with a 3G version launching shortly thereafter.
Following that, ViewSonic announced an even cheaper lower-end tablet called the E70. It's aiming for 150 Euros (which undercuts even the Kindle Fire and BlackBerry PlayBook) when it lands in Europe come Q2. The 7-inch device is also running Android 4.0 ICS on a modest single-core 1 GHz processor. ViewSonic implemented some light customizations on top of Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich, but it doesn't look like much more than the SPB shell. It still supports 1080p video output through HDMI, despite the low-end specs. It includes both micro and mini USB slots, which is kind of neat. The mini slot can be used for USB host functions (like popping in a thumb drive if you've got an adapter).
Youtube link for mobile viewing
HTC held one of the biggest events at Mobile World Congress this year when they introduced the One series. It's not hard to understand, they certainly look good, and from what we've seen they blow us away with speed and usability. Even Sense has been trimmed and now looks, and in our opinion runs, much better. I think most Android fans are looking forward to seeing them be released.
What most of us didn't get to see was the presentation and show they put on in Barcelona. We missed them demo the .7 second shutter on the new camera hardware. We missed when Peter Chou told us about the new way they are integrating Beats Audio. And the info about micro-arc oxidation would have been great to sit in on. That's why we're pumped to see that HTC has posted a five-minute video with highlights of their event.
It's not as fun as being there, but it will have to do. And it makes us want to see these phones on the shelves even more.
Fastest Android Phone more >>
The long awaited OS 2.0 update for the BlackBerry Playbook brought with it a whole host of opportunities for new apps. Now that repackaged Android applications are compatible with the PlayBook, and being accepted into BlackBerry App World, some well known names are starting to appear in the listings.
One such name is Dolphin Browser HD. A highly respected Android replacement browser appearing on the BlackBerry Playbook. Impressive. Despite being a phone browser, Dolphin is absolutely superb on the PlayBook and many already prefer it to the stock browser. Quickly -- although not surprisingly -- it has become one of the top 25 free apps in the App World catalogue.
Everything is rosy then yes? Well, no, not quite. The submission to App World wasn't made by MoboTap, the developers of Dolphin. The submission was made by Handster, a third party store owned by Opera. Someone else doing the work on the behalf of the developers -- a win surely? Turns out MoboTap were blissfully unaware that Handster had repackaged and submitted Dolphin to the App World for approval. Handster had already put out a statement prior to the OS 2.0 launch that they were to be uploading apps on behalf of developers.
A spokesman for MoboTap told Engadget that; "We do not condone Handster submitting our Dolphin Browser app to BlackBerry's App World for us and are currently working to take it down and assure Handster will not submit our app for us again. We will assess developing for BlackBerry when the time is right."
Even though Dolphin is a free application in the Android Market, the question still remains over why Handster are submitting an application to BlackBerry App World without permission. A quick search finds a pretty big selection of apps that Handster have submitted -- albeit a lot of them aren't that good -- including paid applications.
In any case, it seems that MoboTap are doing everything they can to remove Dolphin Browser HD from App World. Questions have been raised, but more importantly we're hoping that there aren't any Android developers being taken advantage of.
Source: Engadget
We know you love to keep up to date on all the latest and greatest Android news, and that is why you are here, right? Well as you know some of the Android Central folks have made the long trek to Barcelona to bring you all of the latest updates as they come pouring in from Mobile World Congress. While we will be posting as much as we possibly can on the blogs, following them on other social networks can give you a sneak peak of what's to come, and some extra behind the scenes action. Whether you prefer Twitter or Google+, give these guys a follow, or a circle, and let's get ready for the mayhem to take place.
Of course, keep it locked here for all of our coverage of MWC 2012. Let the madness begin.
Everyone likes different music, so some of you out there probably won't find anything contained within that will whet your appetite. Personally, I love rock music. If there's guitars involved there's a good chance i'll give it a try. It's a pretty diverse category with so much different -- and killer -- music to offer.
As more and more people get smartphones, we're starting to see musicians use apps as a new way to reach their fans. Everyone (well nearly everyone) uses Facebook, Twitter, Google+ to keep up with their idols. But what about an app? Like all apps the offerings vary in quality, but a lot offer some really nice features for fans to take advantage of.
What we don't seem to have is just an RSS reader with a smattering of pictures and tour dates. Video catalogues, music clips, even notifications are all available from some of the biggest and best in the world of rock. We've picked out a selection of apps to get you started which you'll find linked below.
If there's any that you guys feel deserve a mention, shout out in the comments and we'll build the list up. Lets rock!
Welcome to Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, Spain. This is the annual event in which we'll see some of the newest phones from the world's top manufacturers, as well as app developers. The event is in its last year at the Fira de Barcelona -- in 2013 it moves to the nearby (and newer) Gran Via facility.
We're live in Barcelona all week, bringing you all the announcements as they happen, along with hands-on coverage of all the new Android phones, tablets and apps. We're expecting big things from HTC, Sony, LG and others. Plus there's always a bunch of cool stuff that we might not get to see in the States. So keep it locked to AC in the days ahead for all the latest developments as they happen! If you can't wait that long, be sure to check out our MWC preview article.
A quick reminder that for those of you in the United States, Barcelona is between 6 and 9 hours ahead, depending on your time zone. Your best bet? Wake up early and keep your eyes glued t this page. (Sponsored by copious amounts of tapas, cervezas and smartphones.)
Here's a quick look back at what we've seen in the past year or so at Mobile World Congress:
In addition to all things Android, we'll be lending a hand for our sister sites, CrackBerry.com, WPCentral, iMore and webOSNation, so be sure to check them as well. Events kick off on Sunday, Feb. 26, and run all week. Be sure to bookmark this page for the latest Android news.
Greetings, boys and girls, from beautiful Barcelona, Spain! We're live at Mobile World Congress. That is, we will be live starting Sunday afternoon (U.S.) time when things get going -- namely Huawei, HTC and and Sony, among others. Mobile World Congress officially kicks off Monday morning at the Fire de Barcelona -- the lovely venue you see before you here (as shot from atop the renovated Arenas de Barcelona).
A quick reminder that for those of you in the United States, Barcelona is between 6 and 9 hours ahead, depending on your time zone. Your best bet? Wake up early and keep your eyes glued to our Official Mobile World Congress 2012 Page™. (Sponsored by copious amounts of tapas, cervezas and smartphones.) Also be sure to check our our comprehensive Mobile World Congress Preview for a look at everything we now (and everything we think we know) is coming this week.
Thanks for coming along for the ride, and stay tuned for Greatest Android Coverage in the World -- from Mobile World Congress!
Phil, Simon, and Alex have splashed down in Barcelona and are ready to assault Mobile World Congress 2012, Mobile Nations style, and bring you back absolutely everything Android, Windows Phone, BlackBerry, (and even iPhone and iPad if they can find it!). Listen in!
