Daily News Courier

RAZR M 4G LTE leaks out full details, has 4.3-inch qHD display

What we're seeing above are leaked images of the latest offering from Motorola and Verizon, the RAZR M 4G LTE. Coming out just ahead of Motorola's Sept. 5 event, the device seems like a logical progression from the original RAZR on Verizon, with a less distinguished camera hump and some familiar design features — like on-screen buttons — of recent Motorola devices. Other specs are as follows:

• 4.3-inch 540×960 (qHD) Super AMOLED display
• dual-core Snapdragon S4 processor
• 1GB of RAM
• 8MP rear camera, 3MP front camera
• Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich

We'll be following the story and let you know when we get more information, such as pricing and release dates, as soon as they become available. 

Source: Engadget

Juggernaut: Revenge of the Sovering hacks and slashes into Google Play

A great action-RPG by the name of Juggernaut: Revenge of the Sovering was ported to Android from iOS today. The free-to-play (with a side of in-app purchases) game pits fighters against a series of monsters in various fantasy-themed locales.

Players execute attacks and spells through different gestures and swipes, but timing is absolutely critical to getting them through an opponent's defenses. There are a bunch of gameplay mechanisms in place for dodging different kinds of attacks, including fast tapping and pattern recall. The standard RPG elements are there too, namely upgrading gear, leveling up, and picking new class abilities. There's even a bit of Farmville-style resource collection, depending on which areas of the fantasy world you have under your control. 

The animation and graphics are really fantastic, and the gameplay is really quite unique. Check out the trailer for a taste. Download link is above; aside from IAPs, the only real downside is that the game takes up 440 MB. 

Deal of the Day: Incipio SILICRYLIC DualPro SHINE Hard Shell Case w/ Silicone Core for Samsung Galaxy S3

The August 27 ShopAndroid.com Deal of the Day is the Incipio SILICRYLIC DualPro SHINE Hard Shell Case w/ Silicone Core for Samsung Galaxy S3. This case features a high quality polycarbonate plastic exterior embedded in a shock absorbing silicone core, offering sturdy protection without sacrificing style. The outer shell gives your device a unique shine complimented by either a black or gray skin underneath.

The Incipio DualPro SHINE Case is available for $22.95, 34% off today only. Backed by our 60-day return policy and fast shipping.

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Samsung officially unveils the Galaxy Player 5.8, pockets get ready to strain

While the world — including us — will continue to question how successful a PMP can be in todays smartphone world, Samsung has gone ahead and introduced a new one. Following leaked information on the device just over a week ago, Samsung has made the Galaxy Player 5.8 official. And yes, the 5.8 does stand for 5.8-inch. This thing is huge. It also shares more than a hint of the same design language as Samsung's current flagship smartphone, the Galaxy S 3. 

That 5.8-inch display has a 960×540 resolution, which sounds pretty poor in comparison to the company's smartphone displays, but to keep something such as the Galaxy Player affordable, compromises must be made. Like the phones however, the Galaxy Player 5.8 runs Android 4.0 and the latest version of Touchwiz. On-board storage is either 16GB or 32GB with the option to also add a microSD card to squeeze even more of your music and movies onto this thing.

There's also a front facing VGA camera, and a pretty sizeable 2500mAh battery powering the whole show. Without a cellular radio to drain it, battery life shouldn't be too terrible.

There are still details not confirmed, such as whether the rumored dual-core 1GHz processor is inside but given the accuracy thus far of the earlier leak, it isn't too hard to believe. And, there isn't a release schedule as yet. Given the timing of this announcement though, we wouldn't be at all surprised to see this behemoth gracing the Samsung booth at IFA 2012 when it kicks off later this week. 

Source: Samsung Tomorrow (Translated)

Weather HD now available on Android

One of the more popular weather apps on iOS, Weather HD, has finally come to Android. It provides all of the usual weather data you'd want — current temperature / humidity / precipitation / wind, 7-day forecasts and a few other customizable odds and ends. What's nice about Weather HD is the interface. It's the simplicity of gray and white text on a nicely animated background image, which changes with the current weather conditions, that really helps set this apart from some of the cluttered and busy weather apps. Unfortunately, Weather HD doesn't include a widget, though we'd expect it to soon if they want to stay competitive with the other popular weather apps out there.

Weather HD is available in the Google Play Store at the link above. It'll set you back 99 cents, or is free with advertisements.

Latest Dropbox beta adds 2-step verification

Many of us use Dropbox in varying capacities (see what I did there?), and when we do, we often use it as crucial backup storage for data that's important to us. If it wasn't important, we probably wouldn't bother backing it up now would we? If you take your security seriously, and by now we hope you all do, you should be jumping for joy that Dropbox has added 2-step verification sign in to its latest betas.

The latest Dropbox beta follows the same principle that Google's 2-step verification does. In order to access your account you need two things: 1) something you know — your password and 2) something you have — your phone. And there's really no reason not to take security into your own hands and add that second level in order to help prevent the worst from happening. If you haven't already, go pick up the Dropbox app from the Google Play Store at the link above, and if you're interested in setting up 2-step verification for your account, see us after the break for a better in-depth explanation

Source: Dropbox forums; via The Verge

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Hisense preparing sub-$100 Google TV box, promises to show it at IFA

The success of the Vizio Co-Star has proved that Google TV still has life in it, especially when the price is right. Jumping on the sub-$100 bandwagon now is Hisense, a Chinese OEM that has partnered with Google to produce a new budget Google TV set-top box. 

In a statement, Mickey Kim, Google TV parner manager said of the collaboration: 

Hisense adds even more innovation to the growing list of Google TV-powered devices available around the world. We're working closely with partners like Hisense to bring services from Google and multiple other providers to your TV with an experience tailored for the living room.

Better yet, the box is ready to be shown off to the world and is promised to be on display during next weeks IFA show in Berlin. Hopefully that means that unlike the Vizio offering, the Hisense box will ship in Europe. Android Central will be on the ground from the show all week, so keep it locked to the site and our IFA portal for all the best. 

Source: PC World

Here comes Hurricane Isaac: Charge ‘em if you got ‘em

Some 364 days ago, we talked a little bit about how your smartphone can help you prepare for natural disasters. (At least for the ones that you have time to prepare for.) That was Hurricane Irene. Now, we've got another I-storm (excuse the pun) headed for United States, with Isaac. (And, yes, more specifically, the Gulf Coast and your's truly.)

Here are some of the tips we brought you last year, updated with some new ones.

• Charge your phones. Now. Keep them charged. And once the storm starts, keep them off. You'll likely lose power at some point, and there's a good chance your local cell network will go down for a bit, even with generator backups.
• Spare batteries. If you got 'em, make sure they're charged, too. If you still have time to get some, do it.
• Car charger. Get one. Get a couple, actually.
• After the storm, text messages may work best. If the network's up, it's going to be clogged, and calls might not go through. Text messages have a much better chance.
• If you're worried about damage and don't have a traditional camera, use your phone to take a few pictures of your home and your belongings. It'll make insurance claims much easier, should it come to that.
• While you still have power and internet access, be it on your phone or broadbad, take advantage of features like instant uploading on Google+ Dropbox to make sure those pictures get somewhere that can't be destroyed by the storm. Better to be safe than sorry in that case.
• If you just have to use Instagram during a storm, don't use a damn filter. Folks wanna see what's happening, and filters don't help that.
• Use apps like Evernote to help keep track of your emergency supplies. 
• Before the storm, use those gas-finder apps to track down the cheapest petrol. That won't help you with the lines, but it may save you a few bucks.
• See if your phone can serve as an FM radio, if you don't have any others around. (That's not out of the question in 2012.
• Apps from FEMA and the Red Cross can help you find shelters and other emergency information.

Those are but a few ways your phone can get you through this. Have a tip you'd like to share? Let's hear 'em in the comments! And good luck, everyone. Stay safe.

Apps of the Week – Banana Republic, Bit.Trip Beat, Elixir 2 and more!

We've got a roundup of fine app picks for this week. Some shopping, a little productivity, a few games and some reading are all on the agenda. So on this Saturday night, kick up your feet, have a nice beverage of your choice and download some new apps, will ya?

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Mobile Nations 18: Apple vs. Samsung special verdict edition

Phil Nickinson of Android Central and Rene Ritchie of iMore talk Apple vs. Samsung and the U.S. court verdict that saw Apple awarded over $1 billion in damages. This is a Mobile Nations special!

• Our podcast feed: Audio | Video
• Download directly: Audio | Video
• Subscribe in iTunes: Audio | Video
• Subscribe in Zune

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