For Sega and/or Sonic the Hedgehog fans, you will be happy to hear this interesting news: Sonic the Hedgehog 4: Episode II launches officially today for NVIDIA Tegra 3 devices. Here's a full press release below:

Sonic and his sidekick Tails have officially come to Android OS.

Sonic 4: Episode II on NVIDIA Tegra 3 officially launches today – with multiplayer co-op action and graphics-boosting optimizations in tow.

To properly welcome the hedgehog back to the world of gaming, Sega worked with NVIDIA to create an Android game with the kind of graphics chops usually found only on consoles. Sonic 4: Episode II shows off Sonic and Tail’s gold ring-catching skills with higher quality lighting, more polygons and complex textures – all made possible by the NVIDIA Tegra 3 quad-core processor, the world’s only 4-PLUS-1 mobile processor.

Let’s take a look at some side-by-side screenshots of Sonic 4: Episode II on a Tegra 3 device and on a non-Tegra device. You’ll notice the boosted graphics below on the right with a background that looks much more alive, as well as beautiful glow effects and additional background settings.

http://5601-blogs-nvidia-com.voxcdn....-1-500x150.jpg
http://5601-blogs-nvidia-com.voxcdn....-2-500x150.jpg


Play as Sonic or jump into multiplayer co-op action with your inimitable flying buddy Tails to deal some damage to Dr. Robotnik and save the world. Just connect to other Tegra devices via Bluetooth and you’ll be coop gaming in no time. And, when you’re ready to crank it up, you can hook up a wireless gaming controller and vanquish evil on a TV – for console-quality gaming wherever you are.

Grab Sonic 4: Episode II on your Tegra 3 device today on TegraZone.

By now, most of you have probably heard the newest rumors reported from The Wall Street Journal that Google plans to expand their Nexus program to a whole new level. When you bring everything together, their grand plan starts to come become clear, and the future of Android could be incredible for the consumer. Supposedly, their new focus will be to create a plethora of Nexus-style pure Google Android devices that will sell in the Google Play Store. Furthermore, according to the report, rather than cherry picking a single manufacturer, they will be working with five different manufacturers on multiple Nexus devices. Here's a breakdown of how things seem to be evolving:

1. Rumors begin to surface of a Google Branded Nexus Tablet.
2. Google begins selling unlocked Galaxy Nexus on the Google Play Store for only $400, opening the door for the concept of a carrier free, no-contract experience.
3. This newest rumor suggests that Google plans to expand this program to include a host of Google branded Nexus devices, including tablets and phones, that come from five different OEMs.
4. If this turns out to be true, Google finally finds a way to focus the Android ecosystem and offer a truly Google Android experience for consumers.

Now, obviously, there is some speculation thrown in here, but let's see how far down this rabbit hole we can go. Here's a list of benefits that become obvious: (Feel free to suggest any more I might have missed.)

• This will improve the consistency and accountability of the Android OS and reduce fragmentation. (Which has always been one of the biggest complaints against Android.)
• You can get a purely Google Android phone free of carrier bloatware and add-on UIs.
• Regular updates to the OS will come quicker and more reliably.
• By partnering up with multiple manufacturers for Nexus devices, it gives consumers more choice, but allows Google to control the quality and functionality of the product.
• The consumer will not be locked into a specific carrier or contract. This would force carriers to become more competitive with their pricing.
• The total cost of ownership could potentially be reduced, thus giving you the option to upgrade your phone every year, instead of every two years.
• The phones would be unlocked so the world of custom ROMS and mods would be wide-open for those so inclined. (This would make things easier for devs too.)

It's important to note that Google tried this before back in 2010, but of course, the carriers balked at this. It's not surprising because the carriers love to keep their customers locked into two-year agreements, and they would probably try to fight this tooth and nail. However, this time, Google has built enough of a brand following with Android, that they could pretty easily exert enough pressure to force this into reality. This would represent a major paradigm shift in the way Google... [Read More]

Just today, Samsung lost 6% of its total market stock valuation because a rumor over at DigiTimes suggests that Apple will cut its orders for chips and switch to using Japanese silicon maker Elpida. This amounted to a $10 Billion dollar dip in stock price, which is sure to make some investors unhappy. Here's a quote with some additional details,

The report stated that Apple orderd DRAM chips from Elpida's Hiroshima plant in Japan, occupying nearly half the total chip production capacity. And despite it not pointing out any specific sources, the rumor has hit Samsung stock hard.

The Korean company is currently the world’s biggest DRAM maker, but if the rumor proves true Apple might be moving to change that. Recently, US chip maker Micron was said to be looking into merging with Elpida, and a joint company could pose a real threat to Samsung.

"It looks like Apple doesn't want to see Samsung and hynix dominate the chip market. Apple wants to maintain its bargaining power by keeping Elpida running," an analyst at LIG Investment & Securities, Choi Do-yeon, said.

It's amazing how one small rumor can cause such a massive "butterfly effect." We will let you know if this rumor turns out to be true. It looks like there may be some big changes happening in the semi-conductor industry.

Source: PhoneArena

Recently Google began offering the Galaxy Nexus contract free on their Play Store and it seems that it was only the beginning. According to a report from The Wall Street Journal Google may have plans that could drastically effect how we buy future android devices. The report states that Google will be opening their Nexus program to multiple OEMs and that they plan to offer these new Android 5.0 devices on their play store by Thanksgiving this year. Not only will this comfort those worried that Google would show favoritism to Motorola, but it will also give their fans multiple options for carrier unlocked contract free devices. So far Google has yet to comment, but expect more details at their upcoming I/O conference. Until then, let us know what you think in the forums.

By eDogNights

Source: Phandroid

We've heard several rumors over the past few months about a potential Google Branded tablet. Most "rumint" pegs the new tablet to be an inexpensive 7-inch device, likely built by Asus, and designed to compete at the same pricing level as the Amazon Kindle Fire. Today's gathered intel suggests that Google may also be working with Samsung on a future higher-end branded tablet, and that it will likely be the first tablet to come with the "Nexus" name, even though it will be the second Google tablet. Here's a quote with a few more details,

This next generation Nexus tablet has been tipped today via Google’s source codes being worked on by Google and Samsung, kernel codes being shown off as working with Samsung’s Exynos processors. This tablet has been tipped as having a Exynos 5250 (Dual core A15) and Mali T-604 graphics clocked at up to 533mhz (codename: vithar). Tipster Rawat lets us know the following information as well, as discovered in his exploration of the codes at hand:

“From poking around the kernel commits, the device they’re working on together features an Exynos 5250 (Dual core A15), with Mali T-604 graphics clocked at up to 533mhz (codename: vithar). For reference, the Mali 400 found in Galaxy S II / Exynos 4210 is clocked at upto 266mhz. SGS III and Exynos 4412 feature a Mali 400 clocked higher, and _that_ GPU comes top of the smartphone benchmarks besting even the iPhone 4S, so this should be much better.” – Rawat

Hmmm... this looks intriguing. It's important to note, it is possible the previously rumored cheaper Google tablet may turn out to be false, and that this will be the real & only first Google Nexus tablet. We will keep you guys in the loop as we find out more.

Source: SlashGear

Just earlier we shared a promo video for the Asus hybrid phone-tablet-lapdock, and now we already have news of a PadFone 2. Apparently, Asus is very confident that their as-yet-to-be-released PadFone will be a success. In fact, they are so confident in it, that they are already planning the "sequel." Some new industry intel suggests that Asus is working on a PadFone 2, and that the second version will contain 4G compatibility. No other details have emerged, but we will keep your feelers out for any info we can find.

What do you guys think? Is this device going to be a hit?

Source: Padfone 2 already on the ASUS slate, will feature 4G

Asus just release their newest promo video for the upcoming PadFone phone-tablet-lapdock-combo. The video is somewhat raw. The last half of the video is a repeat of the first half without audio, but it's still a great way to show off the potentially innovative new device. Here's a partial spec recap:

• Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich
• Snapdragon S4 dual-core processor at 1.5GHz
• 4.3" Super AMOLED qHD display (the tablet features a 10.1" display, no word on resolution)
• 8MP rear shooter (featuring a 5-element f/2.2 lens)
• Stylus/Headset accessory
• Over 14,000mAh battery power between the pad, phone, and dock

What do you guys think of this device? Is it a game-changing must-have gadget, a flash-in-the-pan gimmick, or something in-between?

Source: TransformerForums

Samsung officially announced the launch of their Galaxy Tab 2 10.1 for the United States. The 16GB WiFi version of the device will be released on May 13 and will retail for $399.99. The tablet comes with a dual-core processor and Ice Cream Sandwich, amongst some other standout features.

Samsung Galaxy Tab 2™ 10.1 and 4.2 Galaxy Player™ to be available for purchase nationwide this weekend

Samsung Electronics America Inc., today announces that its newest additions to the Galaxy Family, Galaxy Tab 2™ 10.1 and Galaxy Player™ 4.2, will be available for purchase nationwide beginning Sunday, May 13.

The Galaxy Tab 2 10.1 will be available for $399.99 SRP, and the Player 4.2 will sell for $199.99 SRP. These complement the already available Galaxy Tab 2 7.0 and Galaxy Player 3.6.

Retailers carrying the devices include Amazon, Best Buy, hhgregg, Tiger Direct, WalMart, Office Depot and others. (Not all models available from all retailers).

For additional retail outlet availability, visit Samsung US | TVs ? Tablets ? Smartphones ? Cameras ? Laptops ? Refrigerators

Key highlights include

Samsung Galaxy Tab 2 10.1

Control, Watch and Share Your TV Content
· The perfect TV companion, use your Tab as a universal remote, multitask on the web while watching and wirelessly stream the live feed from your TV to your Tab.

Your Movies, Videos and Games Will Come Alive
· Everything’s more exciting on a bigger screen. Browse the web, explore over 450,000 apps from Google Play and Samsung Apps, and access thousands of TV shows and movies via WiFi.

Built to Power Your Entertainment
· A big 10.1″ entertainment machine The Galaxy Tab 2 10.1 is powered by Android™ 4.0, Ice Cream Sandwich, a dual-core processor with a microSD™ card slot and more.

Samsung Galaxy Player 4.2

Listen to your favorite music on the go
· Get instant access to your music with WiFi; as simple as drag and play.

Personalize your player. So many options to make it your own
· Discover a large collection of apps to customize your player.

One single device for all your entertainment needs
· The Galaxy Player 4.2 includes premium EA games. Experience seamless multimedia playback and much more!