Six more games added to the Android Market’s 10 cent app sale
The 10 billion app download celebration for the Android Market is in its third day. As usual, there are ten more apps available for a dime each. This time, most of the apps available are games. There are six in all, which brings your potential total to $0.60 if you get all of them. All of these games have been ranked with four or more stars by the community. Even if you disagree with them you can’t go too wrong with something that is almost free.
Google Chrome gets free Angry Birds
Angry Birds have conquered a whole new platform – web browsers. Specifically, Google Chrome. The game was announced at Google I/O on May 11, 2011, and should be enough to make anyone who actually paid for Angry Birds cringe. That’s because on Chrome, the game is free. Yes, there are ads and you have to pay if you want to unlock and use the Mighty Eagle, but still. The fact that now anyone with a computer can play it for free is a blow to everyone who didn’t wait.
The Chrome version of Angry Birds even has a few special features…
Samsung Galaxy Player set for spring release
The Samsung Galaxy Player has finally gotten a release window. We can expect the device to be available in the United States sometime this spring. Samsung hasn’t revealed a price, but it would have to be competitive with the iPod Touch if it is to make any kind of impression in the marketplace.
Angry Birds Rio for Android only available through Amazon App Store
Angry Birds Rio is going to be the latest game in the insanely popular franchise. Angry Birds Rio was created to tie into the upcoming Twentieth Century Fox animated film Rio. In it, the angry birds are kidnapped and taken to Rio. Their goal is to rescue Blu and Jewel, who are characters in Rio. The game will release this month in app stores all over the world. However, the only way to download the Android version is through the Amazon App Store.
Malicious apps stole information from Android users
Windows Phone 7 isn’t the only operating system with its share of problems. Google recently had to remove unidentified applications from the official Android Market that were collecting user data. Google insists the hackers weren’t able to collect anything other than “unique codes which are used to identify mobile devices” and information that tells which version of Android the affected device was running. Android devices running Android 2.2.2 weren’t affected, but Google has taken measures to protect devices that are running previous versions of Android.
YouTube prepping a new project for consoles
YouTube may have a more significant presence on consoles in the future. The company is currently hiring a game console software engineer. The ideal candidate will be developing some kind of software program to be used in what YouTube is calling the “next generation game console.” This position requires extensive experience with the PS3, Wii or Xbox 360, in addition to having at least three years of experience programming games.
Rumor: Sony S1 is a PlayStation certified tablet
During CES 2011, Sony Computer Entertainment president and group CEO Kaz Hirai mentioned tablets when speaking about Sony’s future products. He didn’t go into specifics, but everyone knows a Sony tablet is inevitable. In order for the tablet to be a strong competitor, it has to harness all the entertainment properties Sony has at its disposal. A report from Engadget says Sony is working on a tablet that is codenamed S1. It’s expected to release in September 2011 for around $599.
AT&T partners with OpenFeint to expand its gaming audience
AT&T is trying to make its network much more appealing to the gaming populace. The carrier announced it will create its own gaming platform for Android devices using OpenFeint. One of the biggest features of the new network will allow gamers to play with each other across different operating systems. The OpenFeint Game Channel is expected to launch during the first quarter of 2011 in the Android Market.
The Kyocera Echo is the DS of the smartphone world
The nifty little device you see here is not a mock-up of a Nintendo smartphone. It is a brand new device called the Kyocera Echo. It was announced today as the first ever dual-screen Android smartphone. The Kyocera Echo will be released on Sprint in spring 2011 for $199.99. Of course, that is more than likely the subsidized price after agreeing to a two-year contract.
Kongregate Arcade is back in the Android Market
Kongregate Arcade had a short-lived existence in the Android Market. The same day it made it to market, Google pulled the app down. Kongregate later learned Google felt Kongregate Arcade was functioning like a competing app store. Despite the seemingly obvious differences between Kongregate Arcade and an app store, Kongregate was forced to retool the app to get it back on the Android Market.
