PressReader for Android Brings the World’s Newspapers Into One Neat App [Video]

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We were given the ability to check out an unlimited account for an application and service called PressReader. It’s a newspaper portal that allows you to download the top papers from many of the world’s countries.

The service itself intrigued us – digital editions of hundreds of newspapers delivered daily to our cell phones? That’s a gold mine for news buffs. We weren’t sure how the application itself would rub us, though.

I came away with a very good taste in my mouth, thankfully. Newspaper content is presented as if they were fresh off the presses. You can zoom in on a section to start reading its text, but if that isn’t working out too well for you (on devices with smaller screens) you can jump into an individual article by clicking its title. A table of content viewer lets you jump from page to page or section to section with ease.

The best feature is its ability to play an article back using text-to-speech. Although I’m physically able to read, this is good for disabled and enabled folks alike. I’m sure there are more than a few of you lazy readers or busy bees out there who can’t sit down and read a paper every day, so this feature would be a godsend for anyone.

I didn’t like that you couldn’t specify download times for papers – 30 minutes or an hour after they’ve been released, for instance – but at least they give you the option to only pull papers down over WiFi. And you do have the option to disable automatic downloads for each invidivual paper you download.

On my Samsung EPIC 4G the application didn’t acknowledge my keyboard or the search button. It’s not too big of a deal as software-implemented input options are now standard on every Android device, but it was still a bit annoying.

Their all-you-can-eat plan starts at $29.99 per month that’ll let you get any newspaper, any time, any where. If you already read weekly editions of several popular titles, that already pays for itself.

You can also get a pay as you go plan for $.99 per download if you’re a more casual reader. Take a look at some of their other options at their website now. The application itself is free, so be sure to find it in the Android market if you do decide to take the plunge.

PressReader for Android Brings the World’s Newspapers Into One Neat App [Video]

This image has no alt text

We were given the ability to check out an unlimited account for an application and service called PressReader. It’s a newspaper portal that allows you to download the top papers from many of the world’s countries.

The service itself intrigued us – digital editions of hundreds of newspapers delivered daily to our cell phones? That’s a gold mine for news buffs. We weren’t sure how the application itself would rub us, though.

I came away with a very good taste in my mouth, thankfully. Newspaper content is presented as if they were fresh off the presses. You can zoom in on a section to start reading its text, but if that isn’t working out too well for you (on devices with smaller screens) you can jump into an individual article by clicking its title. A table of content viewer lets you jump from page to page or section to section with ease.

The best feature is its ability to play an article back using text-to-speech. Although I’m physically able to read, this is good for disabled and enabled folks alike. I’m sure there are more than a few of you lazy readers or busy bees out there who can’t sit down and read a paper every day, so this feature would be a godsend for anyone.

I didn’t like that you couldn’t specify download times for papers – 30 minutes or an hour after they’ve been released, for instance – but at least they give you the option to only pull papers down over WiFi. And you do have the option to disable automatic downloads for each invidivual paper you download.

On my Samsung EPIC 4G the application didn’t acknowledge my keyboard or the search button. It’s not too big of a deal as software-implemented input options are now standard on every Android device, but it was still a bit annoying.

Their all-you-can-eat plan starts at $29.99 per month that’ll let you get any newspaper, any time, any where. If you already read weekly editions of several popular titles, that already pays for itself.

You can also get a pay as you go plan for $.99 per download if you’re a more casual reader. Take a look at some of their other options at their website now. The application itself is free, so be sure to find it in the Android market if you do decide to take the plunge.

PressReader for Android Brings the World’s Newspapers Into One Neat App [Video]

This image has no alt text

We were given the ability to check out an unlimited account for an application and service called PressReader. It’s a newspaper portal that allows you to download the top papers from many of the world’s countries.

The service itself intrigued us – digital editions of hundreds of newspapers delivered daily to our cell phones? That’s a gold mine for news buffs. We weren’t sure how the application itself would rub us, though.

I came away with a very good taste in my mouth, thankfully. Newspaper content is presented as if they were fresh off the presses. You can zoom in on a section to start reading its text, but if that isn’t working out too well for you (on devices with smaller screens) you can jump into an individual article by clicking its title. A table of content viewer lets you jump from page to page or section to section with ease.

The best feature is its ability to play an article back using text-to-speech. Although I’m physically able to read, this is good for disabled and enabled folks alike. I’m sure there are more than a few of you lazy readers or busy bees out there who can’t sit down and read a paper every day, so this feature would be a godsend for anyone.

I didn’t like that you couldn’t specify download times for papers – 30 minutes or an hour after they’ve been released, for instance – but at least they give you the option to only pull papers down over WiFi. And you do have the option to disable automatic downloads for each invidivual paper you download.

On my Samsung EPIC 4G the application didn’t acknowledge my keyboard or the search button. It’s not too big of a deal as software-implemented input options are now standard on every Android device, but it was still a bit annoying.

Their all-you-can-eat plan starts at $29.99 per month that’ll let you get any newspaper, any time, any where. If you already read weekly editions of several popular titles, that already pays for itself.

You can also get a pay as you go plan for $.99 per download if you’re a more casual reader. Take a look at some of their other options at their website now. The application itself is free, so be sure to find it in the Android market if you do decide to take the plunge.

GameLoft Will Soon Be Using Unreal Engine 3 for Android Games

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GameLoft has just announced a licensing agreement they’ve signed with Epic Games to develop multiple games on their Unreal Engine 3. The deal includes four games to start: two of them will be released in 2011, while another two will come the year after that. Tucked away at the end of the press release is a mention of Android. We’re not sure exactly how many of those 4 games will come out and for which Android devices, but we imagine those deets will make their way out soon enough. [EuroDroid]

GameLoft Will Soon Be Using Unreal Engine 3 for Android Games

This image has no alt text

GameLoft has just announced a licensing agreement they’ve signed with Epic Games to develop multiple games on their Unreal Engine 3. The deal includes four games to start: two of them will be released in 2011, while another two will come the year after that. Tucked away at the end of the press release is a mention of Android. We’re not sure exactly how many of those 4 games will come out and for which Android devices, but we imagine those deets will make their way out soon enough. [EuroDroid]

GameLoft Will Soon Be Using Unreal Engine 3 for Android Games

This image has no alt text

GameLoft has just announced a licensing agreement they’ve signed with Epic Games to develop multiple games on their Unreal Engine 3. The deal includes four games to start: two of them will be released in 2011, while another two will come the year after that. Tucked away at the end of the press release is a mention of Android. We’re not sure exactly how many of those 4 games will come out and for which Android devices, but we imagine those deets will make their way out soon enough. [EuroDroid]

LG Committing to One-Level Upgrades (Minimum) For All Optimus Smartphones

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LG’s Kenneth Hong has gone on record saying that all of LG’s Optimus phones in 2011 and beyond will be getting at least one-level upgrades after their launch. (This means you can expect a Froyo device to get Gingerbread or a Gingerbread device to get Ice Cream whenever that debuts.) We have to take into consideration that LG would only be accountable for the unlocked/unbranded versions of their phones. Updates still have to go through each carrier ultimately, and unless there’s some clause in place, they have the right to deny it. (Or make their users experience excruciatingly long delays.) [A&M]

LG Committing to One-Level Upgrades (Minimum) For All Optimus Smartphones

This image has no alt text

LG’s Kenneth Hong has gone on record saying that all of LG’s Optimus phones in 2011 and beyond will be getting at least one-level upgrades after their launch. (This means you can expect a Froyo device to get Gingerbread or a Gingerbread device to get Ice Cream whenever that debuts.) We have to take into consideration that LG would only be accountable for the unlocked/unbranded versions of their phones. Updates still have to go through each carrier ultimately, and unless there’s some clause in place, they have the right to deny it. (Or make their users experience excruciatingly long delays.) [A&M]

LG Committing to One-Level Upgrades (Minimum) For All Optimus Smartphones

This image has no alt text

LG’s Kenneth Hong has gone on record saying that all of LG’s Optimus phones in 2011 and beyond will be getting at least one-level upgrades after their launch. (This means you can expect a Froyo device to get Gingerbread or a Gingerbread device to get Ice Cream whenever that debuts.) We have to take into consideration that LG would only be accountable for the unlocked/unbranded versions of their phones. Updates still have to go through each carrier ultimately, and unless there’s some clause in place, they have the right to deny it. (Or make their users experience excruciatingly long delays.) [A&M]

LG commits to offer at least a one-level upgrade for all Optimus smartphones

How do you know if your brand new Android phone will ever be updated? Google continues to push out a major new version of Android every six months, but there is no way of telling (and no guarantee) that your device will ever receive a newer firmware than what it came with out of the box.

History has shown us that the best selling Android phones are the most likely to get software updates while the flops get left behind. But how can a new user predict which models will sell well and thus get updates?

LG is hoping to address this problem with a new pledge that should offer some peace of mind to their customers. I spoke with their global communications director earlier this month in Barcelona and he told me that LG is committed to software updates for their Android phones.

LG is committed to providing a clear upgrade path for owners of its Optimus smartphones. Just as we’ve confirmed an upgrade to Gingerbread for Optimus One, our expectation is to be able to offer at minimum a one-level upgrade for all Optimus smartphones introduced by LG in 2011 and beyond.Kenneth HongDirector, Global Communications LG Electronics, Inc.

Carriers still control the software upgrades in the United States so this is not a flat-out guarantee, but it’s a step in the right direction and one we would hope that all handset makers would follow.

If a company like LG is committed to providing at least one software upgrade (while other handset makers have a shaky past), then I would be more likely to suggest LG to my friends and family when they consider their next smartphone purchase.

What do you think about LG’s promise? Would the offer of at least one software upgrade be enough to calm your fears that your new handset might be left behind? What type of commitment or guarantee do you think the carriers should offer when you sign a 2-year contract for a new smartphone?

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