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Friday, August 30, 2013

How to Root Galaxy Mega 6 3 I9200 I9205 on Android 4 2 2 Jelly Bean Firmware

Announced in April 2013, Samsung Galaxy Mega 6.3 is now available for purchase in several countries in the world. The Samsung Galaxy Mega 6.3 - as in a 6.3" screen, comes with 3G (GT-I9200) and LTE (GT-I9205) version that runs on Android 4.2.2 Jelly Bean.

Followed by the market rollout, XDA-Developers member VCore has released root method for both I9200 and I9205 version of Galaxy Mega 6.3.

Samsung Galaxy Mega 6.3 users who wish to root their devices, may follow our step-by-step guide.

Disclaimer: Rooting voids the warranty of your device. We and the developer of this rooting procedures shall not be held responsible if any undesirable outcomes may happen to your device. use of this root guide is solely at your own risk!

Pre-requisites
1. Install USB Driver for Samsung Galaxy Mega 6.3 on the computer.
2. Enable USB Debugging Mode on the phone by navigating to Settings >> Developer Options.
3. Make a backup of all your important data before following the guide.
4. The Galaxy Mega 6.3 should be factory unlocked and not locked to any particular carrier.
5. Ensure the battery of the phone is charged more than 80 per cent.
6. The Root Package file works only on Samsung Galaxy Mega 6.3. Applying these to any incorrect variant might brick the device. Verify the model number of the Galaxy Mega 6.3 by navigating to Settings >> About Phone.

File Required
1. Root Package for Galaxy Mega 6.3 (vcoreroot-v2.tar)
2. Odin 3.07

Steps to Root Galaxy Mega 6.3 Running on Android 4.2.2 Jelly Bean Firmware
Step 1: Extract Odin 3.07 file using winrar/7zip/winzip or any other extracting tool.
Step 2: Switch off the Galaxy Mega 6.3. Then boot the device into Download Mode by pressing and holding Volume Down, Home and Power buttons together until a construction Android robot icon with a warning triangle appears on screen. Now press the Volume Up button to enter Download Mode.
Step 3: Launch Odin on the computer as an Administrator.
Step 4: Connect the Galaxy Mega 6.3 to the computer using USB cable while it is in the Download Mode. Wait until Odin detects the device. When the device is connected successfully, the ID: COM box will turn blue with the COM port number. Additionally, the successful connected will be indicated by a message saying Added.
Note: If the Added message does not appear, then try re-install USB drivers or changing the port on the computer.
Step 5: In Odin, click the PDA button and select the vcoreroot-v2.tar file.
Step 6: Verify that Auto Reboot and F.Reset Time checkboxes are selected in Odin. Also, ensure the Re-Partition option in Odin is not selected.
Step 7: Double-check and click Start in Odin. The installation process will now begin.
Step 8: Once the installation process is completed, your phone will restart and soon you will see a PASS message with green background in the left-most box at the very top of the Odin. You can now unplug the USB cable to disconnect your device from computer.

Samsung Galaxy Mega 6.3 running on Android 4.2.2 Jelly Bean firmware is now rooted successfully. You can now install any app that requires root permission. Verify the root status of the device by downloading Root Checker app from Google Play Store.

Thanks to all fellas at XDA who first tried out this rooting technique. This method was originally posted via XDA-Developers original thread.
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How To Install Custom Rom On Wildfire S

This is my last tutorial article that discusses about HTC Wildfire S. In this tutorial, will be explained more how to install the Custom ROM. In two discussions on Wildfire S (WFS) before, namely about how to Unlock Bootloader and Root WFS. Now is the time on how to optimize this Smartphone. So Internal Storage can much relieved, and UI look more awesome.

There are some Custom ROM recommended by some of Developer. Among Cynogenmod and Jikantaru XE ROM. But I will not explain all the ROM but only Jikantaru ROM XE. You can consider from the cool side of the UI as well as some optimization features. Okay before I guided step by step, it may be helps if i show results of Installing Custom ROMs Jikantaru XE ROM first. Android is good

jikantaru for htc wildfirejikantaru rom for wildfirejikantaru rom download

In this tutorial I assume that all of you has already made ​​the two previous stages, the Unlock Bootloader and Root HTC Wildfire S. So, no need to prepare a lot of things anymore. you just need Only required file JikantaruROM XE Custom ROM.

READ FIRST

  • To do this tutorial you must have root your phone, read how to root htc wildfire s
  • You must have Unlock the Bootloader
  • It should be noted before installing custom ROM, it will be better make nandroid backup ( bakcup the ROM Default first.) Just in case if you want to revert to the original ROM.
  • Okay, time to start the ROM installation phase.

DOWNLOAD JIKANTARU : Download here

Tutorial Install Jikantaru Rom On Wildfire S

  1. Keep in mind, in order to install this Custom ROM, requires a memory partition. There are many ways you can do. Most use "Mini Tool Partition." But I think it is less effective and according to some sources sometimes partitions using this tool can be lost so that the application installed on the SD card can be error. In these applications base on Windows, whereas Android is Linux. So in my opinion is safer to use CWM Recovery that also base on Linux, partitions is more easily, quickly, and accurately. If you want to use SD or memory capacity, choose a good quality.
  2. How to make partition: first go into HBOOT by
    turn off your phone, remove the battery and reinsert it. Press the Volume Down button followed by Power (Volume Down + Power).
  3. Once logged in HBOOT. Pick parts that go into CWM Recovery Recovery.
  4. Once inside the CWM Recovery. Choose Wipe Data / factory reset.
    install jikantaru on wildfire
  5. After completion select Wipe cache partition.
  6. Select the Advanced tab.
  7. In this section, select Wipe Dalvik, then Format SD card. Format SD card to make it really clean so could be perfect partition. Partitioning can be done in many ways. It is up to use which method.
    cwm install jikantaru
  8. After the SD card Format process completed, its partition time. Since I use 2 GB SD capacity. Then I will make partition into two (2). The first partition to EXT2 format applications, the second partition for storage, let the rest for cache memory.
  9. Choose Partition SD Card, then I fill the first 500MB partition, then select o.
  10. After partitioning is completed next install the downloaded ROM. Copy the ROM by going to mounts and storage. after the drive appear, copy the ROM file into the partition that you have made. then Unmount back.
  11. The last step select Install zip from SDCARD. Select the copied ROM file and wait.
  12. Once the process is complete, do the boot. Congratulations you have successfully installed a custom ROM.

Ok, that for tutorial today on How install Custom rom on HTC Wildfire s, which is this time use jikantaru ROM. i hope it helps you. please comment if you want to ask me.
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Thursday, August 29, 2013

Android 4 1 Update For Samsung Galaxy Tab 2 7 0 Release

There is a new android update for another Samsung Device. Today samsung has started the release of android 4.1 update for samsung Galaxy tab 2 7.0 (GT-P3100) Model. So For you that maybe expected the android 4.1.2 update for galaxy s3 or 4.1 for galaxy s2 dont be disappointed because samsung will release those update soon. just be patient, and stay up to date with this blog to get the update news. Ok now lets back to the main topic, i will discuss more about galaxy tab 2 GT-P3100 update to android 4.1.1.Android is good

The Samsung Galaxy Tab 2 7.0 is an entry-level Android - Tablet. However, the tablet plays hardly in any role, and is also less and less attention from its manufacturer. The reason is quite simple, the overwhelming competition from the Nexus 7 and from their own home through the 10th Nexus And a different model from the South Koreans would make this difficult to create curiosity, the Samsung GALAXY Note 10.1.

Unfortunately The Samsung GALAXY Tab 2 7.0 Android 4.1.1 Update time is only for Vodafone branded model, this update starts today in Germany, Italy, Greece, Spain, Romania and Slovenia. Other countries will follow. However, we know from experience that the "free" Android tablets will also soon receive the update.

android 4.1 update for samsung galaxy tab 2

Whether this tablet will come but also receive the update to Android 4.2 or not, i still doubt for it. But with Samsung, you never know.
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Samsung Galaxy Fame review

The Samsung Galaxy Fame is a phone that comes with a celebrity name, but certainly no celebrity price tag. Available SIM-free and unlocked from around £180/US$200 and free on UK contracts starting as low as £10 per month, the Samsung Galaxy Fame will certainly not drain your bank balance.


It is unsurprising that Samsung has the most prolific smartphone sales figures. With Galaxy devices as numerous as stars in the night sky spanning every corner of the market, from the highest end Samsung Galaxy S4 and announced Samsung Galaxy S4 Active, the super-sized Samsung Galaxy Note 2 right through to the ageing Samsung Galaxy S3 before hitting the lowest ends with the Samsung Galaxy Fame and the Samsung Galaxy Young.

This puts it square in contention with the Samsung Galaxy Young, the ageing Samsung Galaxy Ace and Samsung Galaxy Y, as well as the newer LG Optimus L3 2 and Nokia Lumia 520.

Samsung has clearly got a design ethos in mind, one that has been apparent since the Galaxy S3. The Samsung Galaxy S3 was far curvier than its predecessor, with its successor following very much in its footsteps.
With the Samsung Galaxy brand all very much in line, the Samsung Galaxy Fame is positioned at the very bottom, alongside the Samsung Galaxy Young. With vital statistics sitting at 113.2 x 61.6 x 11.6mm (4.46 x 2.43 x 0.46) in size and 120.6g (4.25oz) in weight, Samsung has created a handset that sits very comfortably in the hand, if a little heavier than expected.

Clues to the smaller price tag are certainly evident from the off, the smaller 3.5-inch screen with a 320 x 480 HVGA resolution and plastic body being the biggest clues. That said, Samsung has been a fan of using plastics on its devices since the off, with its appearance on its flagship smartphones always being a talking point. On the Samsung Galaxy Fame, the plastic feel fits the phone.

Sticking with the design of the Samsung Galaxy S3, the Samsung Galaxy Fame comes in two colours, our review model coming in white, with blue also being available. A faux metallic band surrounds the bezel, which is noticeably thicker than on premium handsets. The curved back wraps tightly round the back of the Fame, offering a reassuringly snug fit.

As with every modern smartphone, the screen dominates proceedings. The aforementioned HVGA resolution was always going to be a bit of a worry, but its diminutive size goes some way to helping.

Thankfully, the resolution doesnt greatly hinder the phone, since Samsungs screen tech keeping things vivid and a lot brighter than expected.

Elsewhere on the front of the Samsung Galaxy Fame is the traditional Home button, sandwiched between the Menu and Return soft keys. At the opposite end is a metallic speaker, the VGA front-facing camera and a couple of sensors.

Underneath this, Samsung has powered the Galaxy Fame with a single core 1GHz processor, as well as 512MB of RAM. These sit alongside a VGA front-facing camera, 5MP rear snapper (with flash) and 4GB of internal storage, of which a mere 1.95GB is free.

Externally, the Samsung Galaxy Fame comes with the standard micro USB port at the bottom, sat alongside the microphone, with the 3.5mm headphone jack at the top.

Unsurprisingly, the volume rocker is on the left and the Power/Lock button is directly opposite, on the right-hand side. Being such a small phone, every inch of the screen - as well as every button - was easy to hit one-handed, which is ideal for the younger generation that Samsung seems to be aiming the Galaxy Fame at.

Behind the wrap-around back cover, which sits reassuringly tightly to the back of the Fame, the 1300mAh battery sits over the SIM slot. Thankfully, as with all Samsung Galaxy devices, the Samsung Galaxy Fame also comes equipped with a microSD slot, which even more thankfully is hot-swappable.

The Samsung Galaxy Fame shapes up to be an interesting prospect. The budget market has become increasingly packed with Android phones, with last years flagship devices slipping down the price scales to sit alongside newly launched tech. The question is, will the Samsung Galaxy Fame live forever? Or will it crash into the ground while learning to fly?

Interface


Since the very first Samsung Galaxy phones, such as the Samsung Galaxy Portal, the Korean firm has been creating and tweaking its TouchWiz overlay. Samsung has fitted the Samsung Galaxy Fame with Android 4.1.2, treating you to the sweet sugary goodness of Jelly Bean, if not in its latest iteration.

The 1GHz of power underneath the Samsung Galaxy Fames hood is almost instantly noticeable from the lock screen. The usefulness of being able to have three apps that can be launched directly from here is somewhat subdued when it takes a couple of seconds to load the camera.

Which apps you choose to launch are customisable, but by default are ChatOn - Samsungs answer to BBM and iMessage - as well as the Google Now search engine and the Camera. Dont go expecting any fancy lock screen animations, such as a ripple, either.

The lack of power wasnt so noticeable once we got past the lock screen. The Samsung Galaxy Fame seemed to flow a lot better. There was a definite hesitation, but nothing frustrating.

TouchWiz has been built to be an intuitive interface, and it succeeds. Everything is simple to use, with Samsung providing some helpful little tips when you first use the Galaxy Fame. The biggest let down of the phone is one that seems to have appeared on a lot of lower-end handsets - namely the lack of an auto brightness feature. We really cant figure this one out.

The dock can only handle three apps alongside the app drawer launcher, given the smaller stature of the screen. This frustration is somewhat alleviated with the ability to create folders and put them in the dock. When creating folders you cant drag icons onto one another, rather you have to long-press and tap folders instead.

Throughout the phone, Samsungs tweaks are evident, no more so than with the widgets. The weather clock widget available on the Samsung Galaxy Fame is a very smart affair, reflecting the time and weather conditions based on your location.

Apps and widgets can be accessed via the phones app drawer on the bottom-right, with long-presses dragging them over onto one of the home screens, and up to seven available. Samsung has also kindly given us the option to hide apps within the app drawer, so apps that cant be removed can at least be hidden.

One of the key features of any Android experience, emulated on later iOS versions, is the notifications bar.

Swiping the bar down gives access to the notifications screen, complete with the quick settings that Samsung has put in every TouchWiz iteration.

There are a lot more options available than you may previously have been used to, and as we mentioned before, it moves across every time you open the bar. We could list all the available power saving options, but needless to say they cover GPS and Wi-Fi, as well as the mobile data and an interesting setting known as Blocking Mode.

Blocking Mode disables notifications, including calls from people who arent on a set list. It can also be set to a timer, making it ideal for when youre asleep.

Elsewhere in the Samsung Galaxy Fame notifications bar is a brightness toggle, as well as the very smartly laid out clock and date in the top-left, opposite access to the phones settings.

The Android Jelly Bean experience with swiping away notifications and expanding notifications is also present, making it easy to dismiss the spam emails or a Facebook message that you "dont want" when youre at work.

In all, the Samsung Galaxy Fames interface is a pretty standard Samsung affair. Anybody used to playing with one of the Korean firms handsets will feel immediately at home. TouchWiz isnt without its faults, but it is right up there with the best, with the Samsung Galaxy Fames biggest flaw being the single-core heart beating at the centre.

Contacts and Calling


Samsungs tweaks extend into the Contacts and Phone apps. This is neither a good nor a bad thing. The intuitive ability to phone or message contacts by side-swiping directly from the contacts list is a big bonus.

Contacts


The Contacts app is little more than a very plain list of contacts. Its by no means an attractive app, but it certainly is very functional. Android has the ability to pull in all your contacts from a variety of different social accounts.

The two main ones we foresee being of interest - Facebook and Google - are both there, with Samsung continually omitting Twitter. Thankfully, downloading the app from the Play Store resolves this issue.

Each contact is adorned with a profile picture, taken from either the Google assigned one or their Facebook profile picture. The contact list also shows you which accounts are linked to each contact.

Opening up the contact provides that persons details. A tiny low-res picture sits to the left, leaving a massive gap on the right. This is very disappointing, since the gap is left solely for Google+ updates (for those who have Google+ contacts). This area could be far better used for Facebook or Twitter updates, or a higher resolution image.

Unfortunately, Samsungs TouchWiz interface has suffered in comparison to other handsets, notably HTCs offerings, since there is very little social integration within the contacts app. As we mentioned, there are no social updates other than from Google+ (we actually had to think of conversation starters), and merging contacts from multiple accounts had so be done manually.

We could, and have, bemoaned Samsungs contact list for being a bit poorer than other offerings. In reality, it is little more than a very functional app based on the fantastic stock Android offering. This means that your list of contacts can be sorted into groups, have favourites or widgets, or go so far as assigning different contacts their own individual ringtone and vibration pattern.

Calling


In order to keep its title as a smartphone, the Samsung Galaxy Fame needs to make phone calls. Thankfully, unlike higher-level processors and better cameras, this is a feature that Samsung hasnt omitted to keep costs down.

Call quality was as we expected - nothing mind-blowing, but perfectly reasonable. With no second microphone to speak of, there was no super fancy noise reduction, but that wasnt a hindrance, because all of our contacts were able to hear us well, except in very windy conditions, or with a lot of traffic nearby.

Calling options are also out in force, with the ability to make a second call, access the keypad, put the call on speaker or mute, transfer the call to a bluetooth headset, or end the call all together. Nothing special there, but we are still glad to see them.

Samsungs biggest winner here is the set of post-calling options. All too often we have made a call and then forgotten to mention something, or have said "Ill text you the details". The Koreans must have known this, because for a second after the call has ended, there are quick buttons to recall, video call or text that contact. It may be a small feature, but Samsung phones really benefit from it.

Within the Phone app, a large white T9 dialler greets you. Continuing Samsungs functional theme, there is very little to say about the looks. Thankfully, smart dialling is on offer - typing 323 bringing up both Dad, as well as any contacts with 323 within the phone number.

While many people would consider it a staple of the smartphone diet, its inclusion on the Samsung Galaxy Fame is well received given that it doesnt appear on iOS or Windows handsets such as the Nokia Lumia 520.

With the inclusion of a front-facing camera, the Samsung Galaxy Fame is also able to support video calls. These can be made normally, although wed suggest that the majority of conversations will take place over apps such as Skype.

Messaging


With the feature phones of old relying on a very heavy mix of SMS and calls, smart handsets such as the Samsung Galaxy Fame rely more on IM and email services such as Facebook Messenger, WhatsApp and Gmail.

If we start with the SMS app, again this is another functional and unattractive app. This is highly disappointing, because LG has shown on the Optimus L3 2 just how nice the app can look. The blue and yellow bubbles can be changed, as can the background. Its a bit of a shame that one of the others isnt set by default, since we dont see many people actively searching these changes out.

One useful feature of the SMS app is the ability to change the text size by using the volume keys, which is ideal for older users. Given that we see the Samsung Galaxy Fame being heavily targeted and used by much younger audiences, this feature may prove to be a little redundant.

Group messaging is also very easy. For this, selecting the small icon that looks a little like the contacts icon brings up your contacts list, meaning you can choose to text multiple people, even from your list of favourites and recently contacted people.

Because SMS is slowly being replaced by alternate messaging apps, such as WhatsApp, BBM and iMessage, Samsung is keen to get in on the action. WhatsApp is proving to be very popular across multiple operating systems, and is thankfully available on the Samsung Galaxy Fame. BBM has been announced for iOS and Android phones, though Apples iMessage is unavailable on devices other than iOS-powered ones.

Samsung has also provided its own option, dubbed ChatON. While having all the right ingredients to prove a successful IM app, the large amount of other OEM devices and other IM services, coupled with the lack of contacts we found, make ChatON a little disappointing.

Google Talk has also been replaced with Google Hangouts, its newly branded instant messaging and video calling service. This service links in with your Google accounts, making it easier to find contacts who are online and available to message. There is also a dedicated Google+ Messenger app, which is highly confusing.

In order to type all the messages, you need a decent keyboard. We cant put our finger on the exact reasons why, but we found that the Samsung Galaxy Fame keyboard was a little sub-par for what we hoped. The smaller screen makes the whole keyboard a little cramped, and the autocorrect feature is hardly the best weve ever seen.

Samsungs offering does give you continuous input (the Korean firms answer to Swype) and we were also impressed with the ability to swipe the entire keyboard to the side in order to switch between different keyboard inputs - its a slightly easier option than finding the tiny button in the corner.

One of the major bonuses of the Samsung Galaxy Fames screen size is that it means you can use the keyboard one-handed. Unfortunately, the compromise is that it makes it slightly more squashed, which given the poorer autocorrect meant we had to type a lot slower.

On the flip-side, weve commented before that on 4-inch screened phones, landscape typing can be a little more difficult, given the size. The smaller screen on the Samsung Galaxy Fame is the complete opposite, with the screen size being nigh on perfect for two-handed landscape typing.

Email


Email is also well catered for on the Samsung Galaxy Fame, in much the same way that it is on every Android phone on the market. Google has created Gmail and Email apps that are very functional and very easy to use.

The newly updated Gmail app is a far cleaner and more attractive option than before, and is still highly usable. The new colours make it brighter, and it comes packed with all the features that you can get from the desktop version.

The update also throws in contacts pictures, making the whole app feel clean and well put together. Labelling and archiving emails also shows just how intuitive the Gmail app is.

For other email accounts besides Gmail, the stock Android Email app is available, and is very easy to set up. Pop in your account information and the necessary details are all drawn in automatically. On the odd occasion, you may need to manually input POP or IMAP settings.

Inside the app is just about everything you could wish for from an Email client, including an aggregated inbox to handle multiple accounts.

Internet


As with every Android Jelly Bean device since the Google Nexus 7 tablet, the Samsung Galaxy Fame comes with both Google Chrome and a stock internet browser. Weve said it before, and we can say it again, that both browsers are pretty much identical, with the stock Android browser having come on in leaps and bounds since its inception.

Unsurprisingly there is no 4G LTE chip in the Samsung Galaxy Fame. Yes you heard that right. Shame really. Well, not really, because the 1GHz internal chip is able to cope with 3G speeds, but the speeds of 4G would still be hampered by the slower clock speed.

The 1GHz internals really do seem to slow the whole internet experience down, more so than we have seen on other, identically specced handsets. The LG Optimus L5 2, for example, has the same size chipset yet provided a much smoother experience.

The screen was also a problem when it came to using the Samsung Galaxy Fame. 3.5 inches is just not sufficient for anything other than very basic use, such as light reading on a mobile site, or checking up on your teams scores on a sports site.

When surfing the net (do they still say that?), wed recommend the standard internet app for once, even though the Chrome app ties in a lot better across multiple devices and platforms.

That said, both browsers can pull in your saved Google bookmarks if you sign in with your Google account, and both browsers offer incognito browsing too.

Its a real shame that we couldnt find a way of getting text reflow to work on the Samsung Galaxy Fame - all the methods we could think of, such as a double-tap on the screen, didnt work. There was a certain level of zooming that worked, but the text didnt reflow itself.

A useful feature of the native browser is offline viewing. This is useful to an extent, because pages are saved as images. While functional, this means that there is no ability to open links within the page, even when your data connection returns.

Standard Android options present on the Samsung Galaxy Fame include the ability to select text easily, by long-pressing on an area of text. This brings up two sliders, marking the beginning and end of highlighted text. These can be adjusted so you can select as much or as little text as needed, then tap again to copy the words youve highlighted to the clipboard, to be pasted into another app.
 
Elsewhere in the settings there are varying toggles, such as the useful ability to turn off image loading and disable plug-ins, which is ideal for those on restrictive data plans. Settings also highlights the security features on offer, such as password management and location features.

The internet experience on the Samsung Galaxy Fame is generally very poor. It might just have been our review handset, but we found Chrome almost unusable, as every page we went to load just gave us a black screen. Speeds over Wi-Fi and 3G connections were generally acceptable, although for serious web browsing, the Samsung Galaxy Fame is definitely not the phone for you.

Camera


For a phone that comes in significantly cheaper than some of its higher-end rivals - such as the Samsung Galaxy Ace 2, Huawei Ascend G510, Sony Xperia J and LG Optimus L5 2 - the Samsung Galaxy Fame also packs in a 5MP rear-facing sensor, complete with a front-facing camera that was notably omitted on the latter of the aforementioned rivals.

Being able to launch the camera from the lock screen initially seems to be a major bonus, one that seems to be making its way over to many smartphone operating systems and interfaces. The lack of internal grunt is a major problem, however. We swiped to unlock to the camera, and were given the home screen, leading us to believe that we hadnt opened the camera, but then a second later the camera opened.

This is a really frustrating problem. Weve seen that it takes a few seconds on other smartphones, but it really did seem to take an age to load the camera app. That funny cat pose, babys first steps and that pretty butterfly will have long gone before you even get the camera to focus.

The lack of a dedicated shutter button for the camera app is also an annoyance, but one that we have come to accept, since it is so often omitted on smartphone cameras. We were very happy to find that customisable autofocus points can be selected by tapping on the screen, and we found that the volume rocker can double up as a zoom changer.

There isnt a massive level of zoom available on the Samsung Galaxy Fame - it just goes up to 2x. We know that a digital zoom is hardly worth having anyway, because it reduces the image resolution, but for those who like to use it, only zooming in to 2x is really poor.

In terms of features, the Samsung Galaxy Fame camera has just about all you would expect - a flash, image size, geotagging, three colour effects (black and white, sepia and negative), scene modes, ISO, white balance and a timer.

Generally we found that these features arent of much use on phone cameras, tending to be for the more serious photographer - someone very unlikely to use the Samsung Galaxy Fame.

Samsung does provide different shooting modes, such as Single Shot, Panorama, Share Shot and Smile Shot. We see the Single Shot being the one youll most frequently use, because Share Shot shares your photos via Wi-Fi direct connections (something that is only really prevalent on other Samsung Galaxy devices), and Smile Shot is dedicated for portrait pictures.

Video


As with just about every smartphone these days, the Video app here is just a continuation of the camera app. The Samsung Galaxy Fame therefore includes the same black and white, sepia and negative effects alongside white balance and exposure adjustments.


Samsung has also provided the Galaxy Fame with the ability to limit video sizing for MMS, fitting in with the idea that the video isnt designed for the big screen, but more for messaging to friends. That becomes even clearer when you find out that the video recording is limited to VGA resolution (640 x 480).

In all, the video app is very lacking. Given that we see the Samsung Galaxy Fame in the mitts of the younger generation, being used at high school to record the days nonsense, we highly doubt that any other features would have been used anyway.

Media


Looking at the Samsung Galaxy Fame, it is immediately obvious that media consumption was not at the fore of the designers minds. The smaller screen being too small, with a lower resolution, makes it a poor choice for watching anything other than short YouTube clips.

Plus the tiny 1.95GB of storage available after Android and others have taken up a chunk of the 4GB memory is uninspiring, though it can be expanded via the phones micro SD card slot or cloud storage via the Dropbox app.

Music

 

The Music app is again another basic affair, with some of Samsungs touches popping up. The most notable special touch is the Music Square. This is a very peculiar piece of tech, one that we have seen before in other phones but that we have very high reservations about nevertheless. In simple terms, the Samsung Galaxy Fame will sort your music by its mood, so that you can select the appropriate square to match the way youre feeling, and have the phone play songs to match.

Load up the music player and you are greeted with a rather fancy stock Android player. This also brings up a little bar in the notifications area, as it has on Samsung Galaxy phones for years. From here you can play/pause and skip tracks.

There is also a widget to accompany it, which again we were glad to see. Our only slight disappointment was the inability to control it all directly from the lock screen. Within the Samsung Galaxy Fames music player are the usual shuffle, skip and repeat functions.

The music player also offers equaliser settings that have been put into a Sound Alive screen, which includes quite a long list of settings, such as Pop, Rock, Jazz through to Virtual 7.1 and Concert Hall. Theres even a custom setting, should you really feel the need to go to town with it.

Video

 

When it comes to video, we were a little shocked to find that the Samsung Galaxy Fame didnt wish to play our test video. Weve found on a few of the lower end handsets that we are greeted with a warning on the desktop showing that the phone might not be able to play the video, but until now they have all managed it anyway.

Thankfully there is the option to convert it, however the estimated conversion time of the 90 minute video was around an hour. We left the video to convert, but in its new WMV format, the Samsung Galaxy Fame was still unable to play the file.

Samsung claims that the Galaxy Fame can play MPEG4, 3GPP, MKV and WebM file types, yet our test video was originally in MP4 format.

The video player itself is a basic affair, offering play, pause and manual selection of timing placements. Dont expect to see pop-up play on the Samsung Galaxy Fame, although with a screen that small were not entirely surprised or bothered.

Radio and photos

 

Samsung has equipped the Galaxy Fame with an FM radio, however. We found that it had some trouble picking up some of the stations that we expected it to, which was a little disheartening. The app itself is well designed, again being perfectly functional.

The Gallery app is again another functional app. Tiles show each folder, with the Samsung Galaxy Fame able to pull in our Picasa/Google+ photo albums, though not our Facebook shots. Editing photos taken on the Samsung Galaxy Fame is, unfortunately, not possible.

Battery, connectivity, maps and apps


Battery life

 

When we were told that the Samsung Galaxy Fame was only being graced with a 1300mAh battery, we scoffed a little. Dealing with flagship phones with massive screens must have left us with the idea that massive batteries were the in thing.

In truth, with a tiny screen and a lower clocked processor, 1300mAh is more than sufficient. We did find ourselves leaving the screen on maximum brightness most of the time, because the lack of an auto brightness feature meant that we forgot to turn it down.

With the small screen and the low powered processor, the whole use of the phone is geared towards stretching out a longer battery life. Media consumption and game playing were kept to a minimum as the Samsung Galaxy Fame struggled to cope with anything too strenuous, although it coped admirably with our need to update social media accounts and send messages to all of our friends.

Elsewhere, Samsungs TouchWiz interface means that quick settings are in the notifications bar, enabling you to disable and enable Wi-Fi, GPS, Bluetooth and other such battery draining settings at will.

Connectivity

 

When it comes to connectivity, the Samsung Galaxy Fame comes packed with everything that you could imagine a phone at the bottom end of the market would.

3G/HSUPA is supported to HSDPA 7.2Mbps and HSUPA 5.76Mbps, along with Wi-Fi a/b/g/n, NFC, Bluetooth with A2DP support and GPS/GLONASS.

Wi-Fi Direct, which has already been available across Samsung Galaxy phones for a while, is also available.
For those who are unaware of what GLONASS is, its a Russian developed, slightly less accurate location system, that weve heard is necessary to avoid import taxes to Russia. It does mean that location tracking is even faster.

Connection to a PC is done via the supplied micro USB cable, with file transfer available via mass storage or via digital camera software. Mass storage is the easiest, so you can hook up the Samsung Galaxy Fame as a standard USB storage device for dragging and dropping files. On the Galaxy Fame, Samsung has provided a file manager, meaning that any files you put onto it are easily located.

Samsung also has its proprietary Kies software, should you want a desktop manager for your Galaxy Fame.

Apps

 

With the Google Play Store pushing Apple further than ever, and holding off the Windows app store too, apps are very easy to get hold of on the Samsung Galaxy Fame. Usefully, games and apps in the Store are viewable by Top Free, Top Paid, Top Grossing, Top New Free and Top New Paid groups, helping to filter out the excess rubbish.

Pre-installed apps are kept to a minimum, with Samsungs Game and Apps hubs on offer alongside the standard Google offerings in the way of Google+, Hangouts, Gmail, Google Play, Play Music and YouTube, and alongside the Mapping apps such as Maps, Local and Navigation.

The Samsung Galaxy Fame comes with very little in the way of S-inspired apps that have made themselves famous on larger, more powerful Samsung Galaxy handsets. So theres no S Translate, S Travel, S Suggest or S Voice, but there is the S Planner, which is a fancy name for a calendar app.

Facebook also comes pre-installed, making it easier to set the Samsung Galaxy Fame up from the very start. Twitter, however, must be located and downloaded from the Google Play Store.

Dropbox is also included, in order to help relieve the stress on the tiny 1.95GB of storage available from the 4GB that is initially stated.

Samsungs Game and Apps hubs are just more app stores, really. Weve seen OEMs input their own stores onto phones before, but we have yet to see a massive point in any of them, because the Google Play Store is so well populated.

Maps

 

As you have heard it all before, we wont go into much detail with regards to the Google Maps app. If youve used the desktop version, youll have a fairly good understanding of how the app works and what it can do.

Being possibly the most well-known Google product, after its search function, Google Maps was always going to get a lot of love and attention. As with every iteration on every device, the application is absolutely superb, if hampered by the really poor processor.

GPS lock on was rather snappy, aided by the GLONASS system.

Google Maps also includes Navigation software. Weve always been impressed by Googles effort here, not least because its free. There are other sat nav apps available from the Google Play Store, of course, but when youre in a spot of bother, Google will easily sort you out.

One feature we are fond of is that it taps into traffic data, and can tell you how long your route is set to take in those conditions. This means if you pull to the side of the road - were safe drivers - you can easily reroute. Wed have liked active rerouting, but for a free app were not arguing.

Verdict


The Samsung Galaxy Fame is another Galaxy handset designed to sit towards the bottom of the range, competing in the challenging budget smartphone market. This leaves it to play against the likes of the LG Optimus L3 2, the Nokia Lumia 520 and Samsungs other offering, the Samsung Galaxy Young.

As the song goes, we looked, and now were going to tell you what we saw. Given time though, we really dont see the Samsung Galaxy Fame making us forget the rest.

Pros

 

If we see it, we like it. Were talking about microSD card support. We put it in our "we liked" section a lot, but that is purely because it is omitted from so many modern smartphones. Having support for microSD cards really boosts the internal storage, of which the Samsung Galaxy Fame has very little.

We also like the TouchWiz interface. It has got a lot better since its early days, increasing to become a highly usable and intuitive UI. It gives Android Jelly Bean a really nice feel, being simple enough for novices, yet with enough features to satisfy more seasoned users too.
 
The design is also very nice. It sits nicely in the hand, is easy to use one-handed, and fits very well into the existing Samsung Galaxy range, being very much the baby brother to the flagship phones. The plastic feel suits the Samsung Galaxy Fame too, given the much smaller price tag.

NFC is also making its way onto the lower-end phones, so it is nice to see that the Samsung Galaxy Fame is another handset that includes it even at the low end cost.

Cons

 

Our biggest bugbear is the processor. Weve used phones with a single-core 1GHz processor before, and it wasnt too long ago that they were gracing the likes of the HTC Desire or the Samsung Galaxy S.

They have since popped up in the cheaper devices and been fine, yet the Samsung Galaxy Fame really seems to suffer. Loading the camera app from the lock screen is the biggest culprit, with it taking more than a few seconds to kick into gear.

The tiny screen is also a problem. It is low resolution, has no auto brightness feature, and results in a tiny keyboard. This made it very fiddly to use, and the autocorrect function is not really up to the standard we have come to expect from a modern smartphone.

The camera is also really poor. The 5MP sensor takes decent enough photos in the right lighting conditions, but on a bright sunny day, light areas lose a lot of detail. Video recording is also really poor, with the 640 x 480 VGA resolution not enough for filming anything of note.

Final verdict

 

The Samsung Galaxy Fame is not a phone that will live forever, and it hasnt quite learned to fly. It is clear from the very outset that Samsung has used the ingredients to create a lower-end smartphone, such as the smaller internal chipset, the smaller screen and the low internal storage.

In doing so the Samsung Galaxy Fame, in a continuation of the Samsung Galaxy ranges design, feels a little underpowered. The feel of the Samsung Galaxy Fame, with the TouchWiz interface and external design, is reminiscent of the Samsung Galaxy S3 and Samsung Galaxy S3 Mini, and makes you want to see it as a more expensive handset.

The smaller chipset generally nipped along fairly well when swiping between home screens, but when waking up to the camera or loading slightly larger apps, the Samsung Galaxy Fame struggled really quite noticeably, to the point where we were feeling rather frustrated.

We can see the Samsung Galaxy Fame selling a fair few units, especially given its super low price tag, and we dont see that as a bad thing, given that the majority of users will likely be young, and wanting a way of connecting to Facebook, but for anything more substantial, the handset really struggles.
Read more »

Should you be scared of Prism

Back when AOL was the worlds biggest internet service provider, conspiracy theorists claimed that the whole thing was a front for the CIA or the FBI: every message you sent or GIF that you patiently downloaded would be logged by the Feds, and if you used certain keywords youd find black helicopters hovering over your house.


It looks like they had the right idea - and, if anything, they massively underestimated the security services ambitions.

According to separate reports by the Washington Post and The Guardian, a programme called PRISM is pulling "audio, video, photographs, emails, documents and connection logs" from AOL, Google, Yahoo, Facebook, PalTalk (its a video chat service), YouTube, Skype and Apple, with DropBox "coming soon".
Facebook, Google, Microsoft, Apple and Yahoo have all flatly denied giving the US government access to their users data, but then they would, wouldnt they? It certainly casts the Xbox Ones always-on microphone in a very different light.

Is it tinfoil hat time, or is something genuinely frightening going on?

Should you buy shares in Bacofoil?

Lets assume that the Prism story isnt an elaborate attempt to troll the media, and that the leaked presentation The Washington Post based its story on is genuine. Are the tech firms telling the truth, or choosing their words carefully?

Apple told CNBC that it doesnt let any government agency have "direct access" to its servers. Facebook similarly says theres no "direct access". Yahoo uses the D-word too, and Microsoft denies participation in any "voluntary" national security programme.

Direct? Voluntary? What about indirect and compulsory? The Washington Post reports that the scheme was created under the Protect America Act in 2007 to do exactly what civil libertarians feared the CAA would do: give the government "a green light to seek indiscriminate access to domestic communications".

Dont worry, America! The Director of National Intelligence, James Clapper, told the Associated Press that the articles are "misleading" and that the surveillance is only for foreigners, not Americans. The Washington Post begs to differ, noting that "Prism searches are reportedly "designed to produce at least 51 per cent confidence in a targets foreignness" — the lowest conceivable standard. PRISM training materials reportedly instruct users that if searches happen to turn up the private information of Americans, its nothing to worry about.

Prism clearly exists and peoples data is clearly being intercepted - and if GCHQ isnt doing something similar in the UK, then Ill be amazed if some of the Prism stuff doesnt make its way to the British security services. The big question is, should we be worried about it?

The worry isnt that potential terrorists online activities are being tracked: its whether the rest of us, the non-terrorists, are being adequately protected. The security services have enormously powerful tools at their disposal - if you havent read about Palantir or Riot before, prepare to be scared silly - and ordinary people need equally powerful legislation to ensure those tools arent misused.

The tech may be new, but the questions it raises arent: as Juvenal asked in the first or second century, who watches the watchmen?

Next: Read the latest news from the smartphone world.
Read more »

Wednesday, August 28, 2013

70 best free iPad games 2013

So youve got an iPad and have come to the dawning realisation that youve gotno cash left to buy any games for it.

Have no fear, because the App Store offers plenty of iPad gaming goodness for the (unintentional or otherwise) skinflint. Our pick of the 70 best free iPad games is listed below.


Note that apps marked "universal" will also work on an iPhone or iPod touch, scaling down controls and graphics accordingly.

1. Dumb Ways to Die (universal)

 

Based on a Webby Award winning video, Dumb Ways to Die lets you try and save those adorable characters from dying in rather dumb ways. From having private parts eaten under water and being hit by a train to having your head explode while out in space, developer Metro Trains Melbourne has created a rather fun, sometimes strange game.

2. PewPew (universal)

 

"Expect retro graphics and megatons of enemies," says the developer about this twin-stick shooter, adding: "Dont expect a story". With its vector graphics and Robotronish air, PewPew brings to mind Geometry Wars and Infinity Field, but without a price tag. Despite being free, PewPew nonetheless boasts five modes of shooty goodness.

3. Flockwork

 

It turns out if youre a sheep that thinks the grass is greener, you should check out the other side of the fence first. In Flockwork, wooly heroes make a break for freedom, but end up immersed in a kind of ruminant hell. Your task: help the sheep escape by way of finger gymnastics and fast reactions.

4. Cliffed: Norms World XL (universal)

 

This race-to-the-bottom vertical platform game lacks depth but Cliffed is fun for a quick high-score blast. Use the chunky controls to make your guy dash left or right to avoid rocks and leap down holes. If the screen catches up with him, its game over.

5. Air Hockey Gold

 

Air hockey games work much better on the iPad than the iPhone, simply due to the iPads larger screen. Air Hockey Gold isnt the only free game of this type, but it was the one that felt best during testing, and the two-player mode works nicely.

6. Jetpack Joyride (universal)

 

Endless game Jetpack Joyride is a witty, polished take on the iCopter format, with one-thumb controls dictating the heros attempts to avoid death that comes increasingly rapidly from the side of the screen. The real gems here are the power-ups, including the amusing Profit Bird (depicted), which isnt at all a swipe at Angry Birds and Tiny Wings.

7. Real Racing 3

 

Here at TechRadar, we love a good racing game, and Real Racing 3 is a real treat on an iPad. The stunning visuals on a larger iPad screen allows for a much better mobile gaming experience than you would expect - and for free! Though there are in-app purchases for upgrades and boosters, you still get a lot of tracks and cars without any purchases.

8. Escape - Norms World XL (universal)

 

IUGOs puzzler Escape has you swiping to make your silhouette leap between circles, which vanish when you leave them. The idea is to jump on every circle, whereupon you move to the next level. in-app purchases are available for tougher levels and two-player modes.

9. Frotz (universal)

 

Although it works on an iPhone, Frotz isnt great on the smaller screen. But on the iPad, with its larger keyboard, the interactive fiction player is a revelation. It uses the Z-Machine format, and you can download a selection of freely available text adventures (including the original Zork) using the app, or upload your own files to the app via FTP.

10. QatQi (universal)

 

QatQi starts off a bit like Scrabble in the dark, until you figure out that youre really immersed in a kind of Roguelike mash-up. So although the aim is to make crosswords from a selection of letters, youre also tasked with exploring dungeons to find score-boosting stars and special tiles.

11. Harbor Master HD

 

This game might look like Flight Control in the drink, but the gameplay mechanics are subtly different. As with Firemints effort, Harbor Master is a line-drawing game, this time with you drawing paths so boats can dock. However, once theyve unloaded, they must leave the screen or sometimes visit another dock, ensuring things rapidly become complex and frantic.

12. Tiny Tower (universal) 

 

Tiny people in a tiny skyscraper need you to feed then tiny sushi and do other tiny tasks. Things can, inevitably, be sped up by not-so-tiny IAP cash infusions, but if youre a patient sort, and keen on micromanagement games, Tiny Tower is a charming, enjoyable title that will eat many tiny moments out of your day.

13. Crimson: Steam Pirates 

 

This turn-based strategy game comes complete with an engaging story and a healthy dollop of yo-ho-ho. You command pirate ships, setting their courses and then watching the action unfold. Crimson: Steam Pirates gives you eight free voyages and further adventures can be bought via IAP.

14. Labyrinth 2 HD Lite

 

Another demo for a paid-for title, Labyrinth 2 HD Lite is definitely worth downloading if you dont have the full game. Its the digital equivalent of tilt-based marble games, but with crazy designs. You get a small selection of mazes here, but theyre playable and varied, and theres always a high-score to beat.

15. Frisbee Forever (universal) 

 

With almost limitless possibilities in videogames, its amazing how many are drab grey and brown affairs. Frisbee Forever is therefore a breath of fresh air with its almost eye-searing vibrance. The sense of fun continues through to the gameplay, which is all about steering a frisbee to collect stars strewn along winding paths. Initially, you explore a fairground, but soon youre soaring above the wild west and sandy bays.

16. Pocket Legends (universal)

 

Many free iPhone OS MMOs are dreary text-based affairs, so its nice to see Spacetime Studios creating something a bit more ambitious with Pocket Legends, providing us with an iOS-specific 3D world populated by the usual motley collection of fantasy characters. As always with MMOs, the game demands you invest plenty of time to get anything out of it.

17. Solitaire Ace

 

After a few hands of Klondike, we actually ended up preferring this free app to several of the iPad solitaire apps with hefty price tags. Solitaire Ace might be simple (no undo, only one theme, just three solitaire variations), but its fast and responsive, with intuitive controls and extremely clear cards.

18. Tilt to Live HD

 

The basic aim of Tilt to Live is simple: avoid the red dots, either by cunning dodging and weaving or by triggering explosive devices in the arena. The game stands apart from similar releases due to its polish and sense of humour. You get the basic mode for free, and others can be unlocked by in-app purchase.

19. Flow Free (universal)

 

Flows quite sneaky. It looks simple enough, tasking you with connecting like-coloured blobs via pathways that cannot cross. And indeed it is at first, despite you also having to fill the entire board to proceed. But once youre on larger grids, trying to figure out snaking pathways, your ears will be shooting steam.

20. 10 Pin Shuffle (Bowling) Lite (universal)

 

Were big fans of 10 Pin Shuffle, a universal app that combines ten-pin bowling and shuffleboard. Of that titles three game modes, the best one is included here in 10 Pin Shuffle Lite, for free. Called 10 Pin Poker, it adds a card game to the mix. Get a spare or strike and youre given one or two cards, respectively. At the end of the tenth frame, whoever has the best hand wins.

21. Pilgrims Punch-Out (universal)

 

Become a 1980s NES-style Scott Pilgrim in Pilgrims Punch-Out, a movie tie-in that isnt at all a massive rip-off of (sorry, tribute to) Nintendo classic Punch-Out!! Decent controls enable you to fight your way to glory, and although the games over pretty quickly, theres always a high-score to beat.

22. Fowlplay HD

 

If you ever wanted to poop on someones head from above, Fowlplay HD is the game for you. Taking on the role of a pigeon that should really cut back on fibre, you zoom around a stylised forest that appears to be populated by refugees from Minigore. Aim your deposits at their heads, avoid the trees, and grab any power-ups that come your way.

23. To-Fu 2 (universal)

 

Theres a touch of Angry Birds about To-Fu 2, at least if the birds were covered in something yucky that glued them to any walls they collided with. Said stickiness is the name of the game here, getting the squidgy hero to levels end rather than impaling him on the literally strewn spikes.

24. Choice of the Dragon (universal)

 

Its not the most interesting-looking game in the world, but luckily the magic of Choice of the Dragon is in its witty prose. Playing as a multiple-choice text adventure, akin to an extremely stripped-back RPG, this game is an amusing romp that perhaps lacks replay value, but youll enjoy it while it lasts.

25. Lux Touch (universal)

 

There are several Lux games on the App Store, but the original is now free and works very nicely on the iPad. Essentially, this is Risk, and while the computer AI isnt terribly bright, Lux Touch should nonetheless keep fans of the original board game quiet for a short while.

26. New York 3D Rollercoaster Rush HD Free

 

In all, 25 of the full games tracks are on offer in New York 3D Rollercoaster Rush HD Free. The games a simple arcade title: tilt your iPad to control the coasters speed, aiming to keep it on the track, and take risks to ensure the crazy riders have a great time (and, presumably, give the health-and-safety guy a heart attack).

27. iLifeGame (universal)

 

John Horton Conways famous Game of Life cellular automaton exists for practically every platform, and this simple iOS version, iLifeGame, gets things right with clear graphics, the ability to draw your own starting points, and a small collection of predefined patterns.

28. Pukk HD

 

Given that its another Pong clone, Pukk HD isnt the best game to play if youve no friends, because the single-player mode is extremely dull. However, with another player, it becomes an exciting battle of digital tennis - and it looks a lot nicer than Tap Blaster HD, too.

29. Grim Joggers Freestyle (universal) 

 

When we think of extreme sports, jogging isnt the first that comes to mind, although it might be now weve experienced Grim Joggers Freestyle. The games essentially Canabalt, but instead of one guy leaping across grey rooftops, you get a string of joggers trying desperately to survive in a surreal alien world.

30. Pilot Winds (universal) 

 

With Tiny Wings having spent a large amount of time troubling the App Store charts, were surprised it took so long to make it to the iPad. All along, Pilot Winds was the next best thing, and its still free. Instead of a fat bird sliding down hills, youre a daredevil penguin skier, and while the games inspiration is clear, it has plenty of tricks of its own.

31. Drop7 Free (universal)

 

Drop7 is one of the finest puzzle games on iOS. You drop numbered discs into a grid, and if the number matches the number of discs in its column or row, it vanishes. Grey discs are destroyed by twice removing discs next to them. Three modes are on offer, each demanding a different strategy. And now the games owned by Zynga, its free, with only the occasional unobtrusive advert.

32. TinkerBox

 

Myriad physics puzzlers exist for iOS, but most are twitch-oriented games where you fling objects around, and repeat with slight variation until you succeed. TinkerBox is different, because it demands you carefully consider the task at hand and then construct machines and tools using engineering concepts. Its great for educating kids and also perfect for anyone who used to love the likes of Meccano.

33. Trainyard Express (universal)

 

Trainyard Express is a puzzle game which tasks you with getting trains to stations by laying track. It starts simple, but the logic puzzles soon test you, with colour theory and other complications. In all, you get 60 puzzles, and theres no overlap with the apps commercial sibling Trainyard.

34. X-Baseball (universal)

 

As the saying goes, there are few American sports that cant be improved by the impending threat of a banana, and thats X-Baseball. Hit balls! Hit bananas thrown by fans! Also, hit annoying birds flying overhead! Just dont not hit, otherwise your game will soon be over. Its just like the real thing!

35. Paper Toss: World Tour HD

 

The original Paper Toss was pretty dry and throwaway, but in dumping the wastebasket in absurd surroundings (within a volcanic pool, in the desert, by the Taj Mahal), it gets a second wind as Paper Toss: World Tour HD and is a far more satisfying flick-based arcade game.

36. NinJump - HD

 

NinJump is a quickfire one-thumb game which has your ninja rapidly climbing, leaping between two endless towers. As he leaps, he knocks obstacles from the air, dispatching killer squirrels, deadly birds and throwing stars lobbed by enemy ninjas. Simple, addictive fun.

37. Chucks Challenge (universal)

 

Chucks Challenge has a long pedigree, being heavily based on ancient Atari Lynx game Chips Challenge. The idea is to use your brain and swiping skills to solve tile-oriented puzzles, keeping your strange purple-haired avatar alive. For no money, you get 25 puzzles, but more are available to buy.

38. Parsec (universal)

 

On playing Parsec, we had to check a couple of times that it was free, because its one of the best shooters on the App Store. The game boasts retro-style neon visuals, slick touch controls, and an exciting 20-level time-attack structure that begs you to regularly attempt to beat your high score.

39. Yolk Em (universal)

 

Yolk Em gives you a shooter game unlike any other on the iPad. Its part augmented reality, part alien shooter, part eggs. Confused? We were at first. But no matter, it is interesting enough to at least give it a go, all you got to do is print out some targets, aim your iPad at it using the camera and yolk some aliens! Itll be great to keep your kids entertained on those rainy days.

40. BIT.TRIP Beat Blitz (universal)

 

The love-child of Pong and a drug-fuelled hallucination, BIT.TRIP Beat Blitz has you deflecting hundreds of balls, in time to crunchy industrial-style dance beats. This is dazzling and pure but demanding arcade gaming, with long, tough levels. Miss too many beats and youre plunged into Nether, a soulless black-and-white realm where you must chain multiple beats to escape from.

41. Triple Town (universal)

 

In Triple Town, you have to think many moves ahead to succeed. Its a match game where trios of things combine to make other things, thereby giving you more space on the board to evolve your town. At times surreal, Triple Town is also brain-bending and thoroughly addictive. Free moves slowly replenish, but you can also unlock unlimited moves via IAP.

42. Pinball HD Collection

 

If youre a fan of spanging a metal ball about, Gameproms iPad pinball tables are as good as they come. Pinball HD Collection is the freemium incarnation of the companys output, and you get the simple but playable Wild West entirely for free. Yee-haw!

43. Temple Run (universal)

 

There are many endless running games for the iPad, but this is the only one where youre being chased by deadly evil demon monkeys. But then you did nick a priceless trinket from a temple. Tsk! The tilty swipey gameplays perhaps a tad tiring after a while of holding up an iPad, but Temple Run is great in short bursts on the larger screen.

44. Candy Train (universal)

 

Leaves on the line? Pfft! Here, youre more likely to find candy and giant cherries. Not that such hazards stop the little train—but broken tracks will. Your job is therefore to plan out a route for the cartoon chuffer, until your brain seizes up and your Candy Train journey comes to a sticky end.

45. Bejeweled Blitz (universal)

 

Bejeweled Blitz is the online incarnation of PopCaps hugely popular gem-swap game, and it looks fab on the iPads screen. As a freemium title, theres a whiff of IAP (either grind or buy coins to unlock power-ups, or youve no chance of topping the high-score tables), but youll still be addicted all the same.

46. Magnetic Shaving Derby (universal)

 

"Use the magnet to attract the razor to shave the face!" explains Magnetic Shaving Derby, presumably having first hidden any safety instructions from view. The result is an experience best described as completely bonkers, with a side order of "dont try this at home, kids, unless you enjoy the site of blood".

47. Fairway Solitaire HD

 

Fairway Solitaire HD is a perfect example of what happens when you marry simple gameplay with a bit of character. On its own, the basic card system would be fine: unlock face-down cards by selecting those one higher or lower than the current one in the draw pile. But the addition of golf scoring and a crazed gopher out for blood turns this into a surprisingly enjoyable and original title. You get nine courses for free.

48. X-Motorcycle (universal)

 

X-Motorcycle happily offers two video game cliches for the price of none: the speeding hero (this time on a motorbike), who cannot slow down, and inexplicably giant fruit that appears to be an immensely important currency. The result is a fast, playable game reminiscent of old-school thrills filtered down to their essence and squirted into your iPad.

49. Orbit1

 

One thumb per person and one glowing neon ship is the premise behind Orbit1. You grab points, aim to destroy your opponents, and just hope someone doesnt flip out, grab the iPad and fling it out of the window in a huff.

50. Zen Pinball (universal)

 

More pinball! This ones a bit less realistic than Gameproms efforts, but Zen Pinball is very pretty, with a bright and exciting free table, Sorcerers Lair. Further tables are available via IAP, including some Marvel-themed and surprisingly great Star Wars efforts, but the sole freebie should have pinball addicts happily sated for a while.

51. Word Solitaire HD

 

With a game called Word Solitaire, you might expect a kind of solitaire game that has you form words rather than use standard cards. And thats exactly what you get here - sorry, anyone waiting for a huge surprise. However, this is not a bad thing, because Word Solitaire HD is a relaxing, entertaining title.

52. Royal Revolt (universal)

 

In Royal Revolt the king is dead and his siblings have stolen his kingdom while the prince was at school. Unfortunately for them, he was studying magic and is now out for revenge. The game itself is a real-time-strategy effort with some seriously cute and well-animated graphics.

53. Letterpress (universal)

 

Who knew you could have such fun with a five-by-five grid of letters? In Letterpress, you play friends via Game Center, making words to colour lettered squares. Surround any and theyre out of reach from your friends tally. Cue: word-tug-o-war, last-minute reversals of fortune, and arguments about whether qat is a real word or not. (It is.)

54. Snuggle Truck HD

 

This one had a dubious start, initially named Smuggle Truck and featuring immigrants being smuggled across the US border. One swift rejection by Apple later and the game swapped immigrants for cuddly toys, which is significantly funnier anyway. The trials-oriented gameplay isnt bad either.

55. Frisbee Forever 2 (universal)

 

As noted elsewhere in this list, we love Frisbee Forever. This sequel is essentially more of the same: fling your plastic disc away, guide it through hoops, collect stars, and make it to the finish line. What makes Frisbee Forever 2 really stand out is the lush locations you get to fly through, including ancient ruins and beautiful snowy hillsides.

56. Gridrunner Free (universal)

 

Gridrunner Free has the look of a lost 1980s arcade game, with hints of Caterpillar and Space Invaders. But this is really a thoroughly modern affair, with perfect touch controls and bullet-hell-style gameplay, albeit bullet-hell in the video game equivalent of a shoebox. Oh, and you only get one life in survival mode, making every game a frantic bid to stay alive. (More modes can be unlocked via the 69p In-App Purchase.)

57. Hero Academy (universal)

 

Theres a point in chess where you sometimes wish your knight would just give your opponents bishop a thoroughly good trampling. Sadly, few chess games do such things (the ancient Battlechess being an exception), but Hero Academy takes the idea and runs with it. On specially designed boards, wizards attack knights, and demons defend their turf against samurais. Its an engaging turn-based effort with plenty of depth.

58. Rinth Island (universal)

 

Rinth Island is what would happen if you propped block-shifter Soko-Ban up against a wall and wrapped it around a tube. The puzzles soon become notoriously devious, as you figure out how to reach each tubes summit, but its novelty factor combined with great design will ensure you stick around.

59. Outwitters (universal)

 

Another chessish two-player effort, Outwitters has teams of angry sea creatures battling to the death, first helpfully arming them with surprisingly dangerous weapons. (It turns out crabs eschew claws when theyve a mortar cannon to hand.) Unlike Hero Academy, Outwitters has a fog of war, meaning units cannot see any further than they can move. This makes the game tougher to master but perhaps more rewarding on doing so.

60. Shadow Era (universal)

 

Proving that great ideas never die, Shadow Era brings trading cards to life on the iPad. What you lose in not being able to smell the ink and manually shuffle the deck, you gain in not being able to lose the cards or have them eaten by the dog. Its all very swords-and-fantasy oriented, and just like in real life you can also buy extra cards if you feel the need.

61. Blendoku (universal)

 

A game about blending colours, which doesnt feature an Old English Sheepdog barely avoiding tipping paint everywhere? Missed opportunity! Still, what youre left with in Blendoku is a beautifully minimal game that tasks you with putting coloured squares in order. It starts off simple, but the level design will soon have you sobbing into your crayons.

62. Into the Dead (universal)

 

You know, if infinite zombies were running towards us, wed leg it in the opposite direction. Not so in Into the Dead, where you battle on until your inevitable and bloody demise. The games oddly dream-like (well, nightmare-like), and perseverance rewards you with new weapons, such as a noisy chainsaw. VVRRRMMM! (Splutch!)

63: Score! World Goals (universal)

 

Score! takes the basic premise of a million path-drawing games and wraps it around classic footie goals. The combination works really well, with you attempting to recreate the balls path in the best goals the worlds ever seen. Failure results in a baying crowd and, frequently, improbable goalkeeping heroics.

64. Lost Treasures of Infocom (universal)

 

"You are standing in an open field west of a white house." If youre of a certain age, youre already downloading Lost Treasures of Infocom, which gives you classic text adventure Zork entirely for free. IAP enables you to buy further titles by Infocom, the masters of interactive fiction, and they all work wonderfully on the iPad.

65. Groove Coaster Zero (universal)

 

Rhythm action games are rarely complex, but Groove Coaster Zero out-simples its rivals by only demanding you use a thumb to tap, press, swipe or rub, responding to on-screen symbols. In the meantime, beats are drummed into your ears as your eyes are hurled around a breakneck disco-neon roller-coaster. Groovy!

66. Frankenword (universal)

 

Take two words that havent previously met, introduce them via a cunning overlap, and youve another iPad word game that stands out from the crowd. Warning device plus mammal with armour? Alarmadillo, of course. Its probably not in your dictionary, but it should be on your iPad, because Frankenword is ace.

67. Super Monsters Ate My Condo (universal)

 

The original Monsters Ate My Condo was like Jenga and a match-three game shoved into a blender with a massive dollop of crazy. Super Monsters Ate My Condo is a semi-sequel which takes a time-attack approach, shoe-horning the bizarre tower-building/floor-matching/monster-feeding into a tiny amount of time, breaking your brain in the process.

68. RAD Soldiers (universal)

 

Tactical war-games tend to work well on a touchscreen device, and RAD Soldiers is no exception. The turn-based action has you take on chums or the single-player mode, and the cartoon styling gives a palatable face to leaving an enemy soldier as a pair of smoking boots. Just watch out for the IAP.

69. Cubed Rally Redline (universal)

 

Argh! Thats pretty much what youll be yelling on a regular basis on playing this endless racer. Cubed Rally Redline shouldnt be difficult. You can go left or right on five clearly defined lanes, and theres a time brake for going all slow-motion, Matrix-style, to weave through tricky gaps; but youll still be smashing into cows, dinosaurs and bridges before you know it.

70. Vectrex (universal)

 

In the distant past (well, the 1980s), there was an excellent console called the Vectrex, which had a vector-based iPad-sized screen. In the Vectrex app, its been beautifully recreated on the iPad. The Asteroids-Like Minestorm is entirely free, but further games are available to buy via IAP.
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Red HTC One goes on sale in the UK

A ‘Glamour Red’ HTC One has gone on sale in the UK, with retailer Phones 4u exclusively offering the brightly hued handset.


Formally unveiled last month, the red HTC One joins the original black and silver toned renditions of the Samsung Galaxy S4 rival and features the same high-end array of specs just in a new, more vibrant brushed aluminium shell.

“Phones 4u has a proven track record of securing colour handsets exclusives for our customers and we’re extremely excited to be working with HTC to offer them this exclusive opportunity to own the HTC One in Red,” Scott Hooton, CCO at Phones 4u said in announcing the UK exclusive last month.

Philip Blair, President of EMEA at HTC added: “The new HTC One in Glamour Red showcases the power of our flagship model in a colour that demands attention, whilst maintaining the high standard set for sophisticated design and build quality.”

Offering the eye-catching phone on a variety of networks and tariffs, Phones 4u has confirmed that the red HTC One will be available on EE, Vodafone, T-Mobile, and Orange.

Available for free on a £38 per month, two year contract, the red HTC One will come paired with 2GB of monthly data, unlimited calls and unlimited texts.

A true powerhouse of the smartphone scene, the HTC One runs a 4.7-inch, 1080p Full HD display alongside a speedy 1.7GHz quad-core CPU and Google’s Android Jelly Bean OS. With a 4-UltraPixel rear-mounted camera, the HTC One specs sheet is rounded off by the HTC Sense 5.0 UI and a second, 2-megapixel snapper up front.
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Galaxy Note New Features On Android 4 1

During the Android 4.1 update for the Samsung Galaxy S III is distributed in Poland and in Korea, the rest of the world is still waiting for the android 4.1 udpate for Galaxy Note. Starting today is Swedens turn for s3 update. But with the Samsung Galaxy note the update for android 4.1 seems to be rather slow
You can read my previously post about galaxy note android 4.1 update news


the Vietnamese forum Tinhte.vn now get the update to Android 4.1 for the Samsung Galaxy Note. Sure, there might be a (good) fake, but is Tinhte.vn in the past very often noticed the leaks of unreleased devices. and many of the leaks is really proven and become true. In this respect should agree the information and the Samsung Galaxy Note GT-N7000 gets shipped with many new features:

Galaxy Note Android 4.1 new Features

  • The system is clearly superfluous, one is almost on a level with the Samsung Galaxy II
  • Large parts of the UX Nature of Galaxy S III and grade II to find their way on the Galaxy Note
  • Many functions that were first shown at the Galaxy S III coming to the Galaxy Note: Stay Smart, Direct Call, Smart Alert ...
  • The photo gallery of the Galaxy Note II comes on the first Galaxy Note
  • Many additional features of the S-Pen
  • There are also supplied directly screenshots and details of the alleged JellyBean updates to the Galaxy Note. (Click to enlarge)


Galaxy Note New Lockscreen


GalaxyNote android 4.1 lockscreen

Although it greatly surprised that Samsung even supposed to bring the Galaxy Note II Background to the first Galaxy Note, the lockscreen is greatly expanded. The most interesting thing here: Popup note will also enable the lockscreen with writing notes.

New Homescreen

GalaxyNote JB Homescreen

Also, the Galaxy Note will get Android 4.1 later with two home screen modes: Once the "classic" Basic mode and the Easy mode, which is to facilitate the operation.


Galaxy Note Appdrawer

GalaxyNote JB appdrawer
Application Drawer 3 showing the same as the SIII & Note II: the grid to sort by the users themselves, in a grid in alphabetical order, and the list in alphabetical order. Shortcut of the application can be hidden but not removed completely. Also menu allows quick access to the Play Store to find support.


Notification bar and Smartstay

GalaxyNote JB Notification SmartStay

  • Notification Bar is also similar update on the SIII and Note II with a variety of settings can be turned off directly in the Notification bar. Notifications in the Notification bar is also flexible and interactive than ICS.
  • Smart Stay (Tracking the users eye to hold the screen does not turn off when the user is looking at the screen). This function is can be set in the menu Settings -> Display. In this menu can also enable the automatic changing screen colors match the image display to save battery. Android is good




Movement control and blocking mode

GalaxyNote JB Motion

The motion detection function (Motion):
Direct Call function (call directly when putting up the ear while looking at your contacts, messages, etc.), Smart Alert (Notify missed events just hold the camera up), Double tap to top (double tap to the top of the machine to move to the top of the list), Palm touch to mute / pause (laid hand on the screen to mute, pause the movie) ... was added. These functions are installed in the menu Settings-> Motion


call options, volume, and Internet telephony

GalaxyNote JB Internettelefonie



Pop-play and browser popup

GalaxyNote JB PopUp Browser
Firstly, the video player is floating in the known pop-play in size to the other and in my opinion even more interesting, it seems to be a pop-up browser. Open the browser in a second small window seems permanently to have extremely interesting.



The new Gallery of the Samsung Galaxy Note II

GalaxyNote JB Galery

Tizen and HTML5 based, faster and fancier - and actually the Galaxy Note II reserved. Super!


S Note Feature on Galaxy Note

GalaxyNote JB SNote

  • S Memo was officially put into the museum. Still on the screen as you click the icon, just get message "This application has all its life cycle and to introduce alternative application is S Note".
  • S Note has been upgraded quite a lot. Now you can record the pen strokes for later playback as animation.
  • Allows applications to insert symbols, clip art comes to makes notes easier and more efficient.
  • Function: In this upgrade, just put pen to close the screen with the pen icon appears on the screen immediately. Previously this effect turned off in S-pen setting but now the default is always on.
  • It will also be possible to record his drawing as a video.


CONCLUSION: For a Fake this full story is too complicated and too good. In the right places to find the information provider. Unfortunately, the source changed the name of the software and the ROM is not yet available for download, you will have to be patient. But it is absolutely amazing how the Samsung Galaxy Note and updated here to update brings - more than many would have ever expected.
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Tuesday, August 27, 2013

25 iPad mini tips and tricks

Part of the iPad minis appeal is its simplicity -- just switch it on and go -- but theres plemty more to explore if you dig a little deeper.
Whether youve treated yourself to a new iPad mini or came across one underneath the Christmas tree, you should find these tricks and tools useful in helping you get more out of Apples latest tablet. Many of these tips can also be applied to other devices running iOS, including the iPad minis bigger brother.



1. Sync Facebook contacts and events

Sign into the worlds biggest social network from the Facebook page in Settings and you have the option to import events and birthdays into the Calendar app, and your friends details into Contacts. Youll also be able to post status updates from the Notification Centre.

2. Accents and special characters

Tap and hold on any keyboard letter to bring up accents and other variations.

3. Turn off Sent from my iPad

By default the iPad mini appends Sent from my iPad to the end of your emails. Deactivate this via Mail, Contacts, Calendars in Settings, or tap the Signature option to clear or change the message.

4. Audio equalizer

The iPad mini includes a variety of audio equalizer settings for changing the sound of your music. You can find it on the Music screen in Settings.

5. Take a screenshot

Snap whatevers on your screen by pressing the Sleep/Wake button and Home button together.

6. Start the countdown

Hidden away in the Clock app is a Timer feature you might not know about -- youll find it handy whenever you need an accurate countdown.

7. Switch search engines

Tap Safari in Settings to change the default search engine when you run queries within the browser or from the Spotlight Search screen.

8. Turn your iPad mini into a Kindle

The iPad minis smaller size makes it perfect for catching up on your reading. If your ebook collection is locked away on your Kindle, install Amazons iPad Kindle app to get at all your literature.

9. Add a keyboard

Typing for extended periods of time can be a struggle on the iPad mini. If youre composing a lengthy email, or your next novel, invest in a compact Bluetooth keyboard -- youll find a wide selection online.

10. Reset your iPad mini

A reset is like a PC reboot and can fix numerous errors and crashes without losing your apps and data. Press and hold the Sleep/Wake button and the Home button together for at least 10 seconds until you see the Apple logo appear.

11. Make your own wallpaper

You can load any image in your Photo Stream as a background via Brightness & Wallpaper in Settings. Set your source image as 1,024x768 pixels for a perfect fit.

12. App folders

If youre new to iOS you might not know you can create folders of apps. Tap and hold on an app then drag it on top of another one to create a folder. Tap, hold and drag other apps to move them to the same location. Folders can be a useful alternative to having to swipe through multiple home screens.

13. Dock apps

The dock at the bottom of the home screen has four apps by default but you can have up to six -- tap and hold an app, then drag it down to the dock.

14. Experiment with Siri

Siri is Apples voice-operated assistant tool and you can call it into action by pressing and holding the Home button. Try asking Siri when your next meeting is or how to get home, or tell it to queue up all the blues music on your iPad mini.

15. Share via Twitter

Sign into Twitter via the Settings app and you can share all kinds of content from all kinds of apps straight to your profile, as well as tweet from the Notification Centre.

16. Read websites offline

Choose Add to Reading List from the share button in Safari (to the left of the URL bar) and you can cache websites for offline reading (in the garden or on a plane, perhaps).

17. Attachment options

Tap and hold an attachment file in Mail and youll be shown all the installed apps that can open it.

18. Mute or lock

The switch above the volume controls can mute your iPad mini or lock it to the current orientation (landscape or portrait). Head to the General page in Settings to change its function. Another way of muting your iPad mini is to hold the volume down button for a couple of seconds.

19. Bring back alerts

iOS now eschews pop-up windows in favour of a more discreet, Android-style notifications bar. To bring pop-up alerts back for a certain app -- Gmail, for example -- head to Notifications in Settings. Tap the app name and switch the alert style from Banners to Alerts.

20. Pin websites to the home screen

In Safari tap the share button, and from there you can pin any link to the home screen for easy access.

21. Zoom

If youre having difficulty picking something out on screen, head to the Accessibility page from the General tab of Settings. Turn Zoom on and you can double tap three fingers in any app to zoom in; then drag three fingers to pan around.

22. Multi-task

Double tap on the Home button to bring up recently used apps. Swipe right to see more apps, or left to see music/podcast controls and volume and brightness sliders.

23. Use your iPad mini as a picture frame

Turn your little iPad into a picture frame by tapping the flowerpot icon on the lock screen. To change the picture slideshow settings, visit Picture Frame in Settings.

24. Protect your data

You may have put a lock code on your iPad mini, but you can also tell the device to erase all of its data if the code is incorrectly entered 10 times in a row. The Erase Data option is on the Passcode Lock menu under General in Settings. Probably not recommended for those with children.

25. Find your iPad mini

Use Find My iPad to locate your tablet if its stolen or simply lost under a sofa. Youll need to activate the feature via the iCloud screen in Settings, then head to www.icloud.com to check the location of your device. You can make your iPad mini play a sound or even erase all of its data remotely. An active data or Wi-Fi connection will be required for the mini to be able to report its location.
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