Pappy Tools

When you think of AOSP, we normally think of a stock Android ROM that’s built for devices such as Samsung’s Galaxy S line or a HTC Device, something that wasn’t given stock Android when it came off of the factory line. Most of you will know that basically those ROMs are built from the source code found in the Android Open Source Project, given the popularity in stock Android, these ROMs are becoming more and more common. On my One X, I run an AOSP based ROM and I love it, because Sense 4 was never my idea of a fun time.

It’s great that we can do this, and that talented developers out there are willing to spend the time to get our devices so well supported but, wouldn’t it be great if the device manufacturer gave us this choice anyway? Well, that’s exactly what Sony are now doing with the Xperia Z as they’ve deemed it worthy to spend the time on an AOSP build for the device.

Sony are adding the device to their git repo and developers will be able to compile an AOSP build together, it’s worth noting that this really is just meant for developers right now but, we wouldn’t be surprised if some enterprising folks were to bring together complete stock Android ROMs for users to download. Pretty much everything is working right now but, there are a few niggles that need to be worked out, such as NFC, but things like WiFi, Calls and the microSD card slot are all working.

This might not sound like anything too exciting but, when you think about it, it is good to see Sony embrace Android a little more than usual, they experimented with the Xperia S and the AOSP some time ago and they’ve been praised by Jean-Baptiste Queru – the project manager for AOSP – as being one of the most helpful and largest contributors to the AOSP out of all major OEMs. You can take a look at the build in action below:

Click here to view the embedded video.

Does the prospect of a stock build of Android make the Xperia Z seem more appealing to you?

[Source: Sony]

Cribbage Live app is a game for cribbage enthusiasts and card players who prefer playing online, chatting and competing with real players instead of playing with bots.
Instead of dazzling you with currently fashionable 3D graphics, this online Cribbage app offers a clean-cut and comfortable interface that is well suited for this traditional card game. Cribbage Live offers an authentic Cribbage experience in an online Cribbage club where you can chat, play and compete against other real players and fall in love with the game that’s still popular in many English speaking countries around the world.

Description: Cribbage is one of the oldest and the most enduring card games of skill, a game that is popular in English speaking countries around the world. Cribbage Live adds a bit of the high-tech to the traditional cribbage game through the use of online play and competition. You can compete against others – whether you have WiFi connection or slow connection – in single matches or tournaments. There’s integrated chat built-in and the traditional cribbage game that you might know and love is still underneath it all, just as you remember. Take a look at the video below for more info:

Click here to view the embedded video.

How it Works: To get started with Cribbage Live, you’ll have to go ahead and download the game from the Play Store. Once you’ve done that, you’ll need to go ahead and create an account, or log-in with an existing account to play online with others.

Once you have created an account, you’ll be able to see all of the available rooms to play in, start your own and see who else is playing around the world right now:

You’ll notice that there are games in the lobby that have the “$Ticket$” column filled with a certain value. The game will let you know what these tickets are:

When you’ve joined a lobby, you can get started playing Cribbage:

As the game goes on you’ll have to try harder to gain points:

If you’re unfamiliar with the rules of Cribbage, the game will let you know how to play:

It might take you some time to master the game, but once you have you’ll find Cribbage to be very rewarding and also a lot of fun. Being able to play against others is great and adds a nice addition to an already fun game. If you like the game but, aren’t too fond of ads, why not consider becoming a VIP member and purchasing some $Tickets?

Opinion: Cribbage Live is a game for card players who, instead of playing with bots, prefer playing, chatting and competing with real players. Although this classic card game might not dazzle you with full-fledged 3D graphics, it will work very well on your mobile device. Cribbage fans of the original game are going to have a lot of fun here and the ability to compete against other players around the world – it is a great way to reimagine the cribbage game for modern times. There’s a good sense of competition here and if you’re not careful you could find yourself playing around-the-clock.

Ratings

• Speed (4/5) – The game runs well and there are no connection issues when playing online, either over 3G or WiFi.
• Features (4/5) – This is essentially Cribbage but online, the added online competition add a nice modern twist to it.
• Theme (3/5) – Cribbage Live looks okay but, it could certainly look a lot better.
• Overall (4/5) – If you’re looking for something with a more relaxed pace but still with an online presence, then Cribbage Live might be a good option for you to try.

Pros

• Connecting to others makes the game feel a little more modern.
• Competition is a large part of gaming these days and playing against each other here will have you coming back for more.
• A more relaxed pace, compared to other Android games, might be perfect for many casual gamers.
• You don’t need to be connected by WiFi to play online, 3G is fine.

Cons

• Could use a fresh coat of paint.
• Might be too much of an “oldschool” game for the younger audience.

Conclusion: There’s a lot to love about a game that tries to revitalize these classic games with a modern touch, we’ve seen Cribbage games on pretty much every digital platform but, here you can play online as well. Competition is human instinct and getting a healthy dose of it, no matter what it is you’re doing, is good for the soul. This could be a great chance to get to grips with the game if you’ve never played it before and if you have fond memories playing the game then this will bring them all back. Cribbage Live is a game that has a nice, relaxing pace to it that you can play whenever and wherever, making it perfect for bite-sized gaming or longer sessions, on the go or at home. It’s certainly a game worth giving a try, follow the link below and see if you’re good at playing Cribbage.

Ultra Mobile are about to introduce a new calling plan. The plan seems to be aimed at people on a tight budget so if you’re one of those, trying to keep in touch with family and friends who live, work or travel abroad you may be happy to know that Ultra Mobile is bringing a plan out for you!

The new and rapidly growing company Ultra Mobile is to offer discounted access to T-Mobile’s network. It is also an MVNO (Mobile Virtual Network Operator), which means that it is a network that doesn’t own its own frequency, it essentially hitch-hikes another company. As GiffGaff does with O2 in the UK, Ultra Mobile will be sharing T-Mobile’s spectrum. For $19 a month you’ll get Unlimited Text Messages to 194 countries, 250 Voice Minutes ($1.25 towards International Calls) and 50MB of Data. Just as a comparison Simple Mobile offer a $25 plan that includes Unlimited International texts and Unlimited Local calls. However if you’re more of a texter than a caller, Ultra Mobile could be the best bet for you.

The data seems to be the only let down for this proposed plan, and may put some users off as 50MB in todays cell-phone world really isn’t a great deal. For those of you who are avid browsers, this may not be the plan for you. With this said however, Ultra Mobile are able to offer 4G speeds so Ultra Mobile users will not be suffering in anyway. The 19$ plan isn’t the only Ultra Mobile package you can purchase, but as a starting point I think this is a very good deal and am sure there will be quite a few taking up this offer.

If this doesn’t seem a package that can suit you, Ultra Mobile has a program on their website allowing you to input your usage habits, and then they can reccomend the best plan for you:

The plan is set to be available from tomorrow (24th April) and could make a great combo between what Nokia are teasing us with their Qwerty device and Ultra Mobile. However this seems a big move from Ultra Mobile, to put it into perspective Ultra Mobile was only founded in 2012, is based in Brooklyn, United States and has only around 50 employees. To offer a package like this could dramatically increase Ultra Mobiles user base and therefor force them to rapidly increase their staffing.

With Ultra Mobile set to use T-Mobiles structures, they can focus more on customers and keeping them happy. Small and upcoming carriers such as Ultra Mobile can greatly benefit day to day users like us.The more competition their is in sectors like this, the more likely users are to get better deals. Companies will constantly be battling one another for customers and this can only be a good thing.

Today’s Google I/O rumor is a Debbie Downer, but take it with a very small grain of salt. Google I/O is taking place next month, and unless you have been living under a rock, you know it’s the biggest stage of the year for Google. Naturally you would expect that a new version of their OS would be announced, even if it were a minor tweak. Everyone and their brother is expecting that Android 5.0 Key Lime Pie will be the chosen one, but a new rumor suggests that Google is pushing it back two to four months. The supposed reason is to give OEMs “breathing room” as in so many phones aren’t running Ice Cream Sandwich and/or Jelly Bean yet.

This sounds plausible, but this has been a problem since day one for Android so why would Google start caring about it now? It doesn’t make much sense to me, but a rumor is a rumor and some of them do come true.

The same source is reiterating what we reported over the weekend, which is that we will see an updated Nexus 4 with 32GB of storage and LTE. They believe the price point will be $349, and the current 16GB model will drop to $299. The 8GB model would likely be phased out or dropped to $249.

So what do you guys think? Is it possible that Google would not show an updated version of Android on their biggest stage? Do you think we will finally see an LTE version of the Nexus 4?

source: gadgetronica
via: phonearena

Come comment on this article: Rumor: Key Lime Pie won’t be ready for Google I/O?

When we think about AMD, we normally think of a company that makes some decent CPUs and some really quite powerful Graphics Cards for those that enjoy high-end gaming on their PCs. AMD are also powering the new PS4 and are said to be behind the next Xbox. PC users will think of AMD in one of two ways, Nvidia vs AMD or Intel vs AMD. AMD Chips have seen their gaming dominance shrink a little at the hands of Intel but, when it comes to Graphics Cards, AMD are still very much alive. It’s interesting then, to see that the age-old Nvidia vs AMD battle might well be going mobile, with AMD looking to get into the ARM game.

Nvidia have been pushing their Tegra line of ARM chips that combine a GeForce GPU for some time now and they’ve shown off a combination of ARM based chips with their Kepler GPU architecture that’s powering GeForce 600 graphics cards. AMD today announced a new low-power x86 chip, the G-Series X, which is to be an embedded chip. It’s pretty powerful in that in comes with four Jaguar cores – that will be in the PS4 – and a Radeon 8000 series GPU.

Of course, there’s nothing too interesting in yet another low-power x86 chip but, what is interesting is the little tidbit that AMD dropped when they announced this new chip:

“Ultimately, we’re going to have x86 and ARM in our product portfolio.”

AMD are getting ready to bring ARM-based chips to their product portfolio in with the A series of chips which will bring together ARM and AMD’s Radeon GPU together. Such a pairing could mean big things for the mobile market. While the Exynos and Qualcomm chips currently rule the roost, their graphics processors aren’t exactly household names – what’s a Mali? What’s an Adreno? Oh, Radeon, they make kick-ass graphics cards! That’s the sort of thing that could bring AMD big fame in the ARM market, being able to sell chips that bring the low-power benefits of ARM but, stunning graphics from the Radeon chip. It’d also give Nvidia something to think about.

What do you think? Can AMD become a big name in the mobile market, or is it too late for them?

[Source: Engadget]