Apps of the Day: Open Sea and Screencast Video Recorder

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Another apps of the day entry for you guys today. While we aren’t really dabbling into the halloween-themed apps out there, always feel free to suggest any you’ve been using or will be using in the coming days. With that said, there are demo versions of each app we feature so give them a try and see if they are worth your money. Go!

Open Sea – Our friends at The Pixelerz have opened our eyes to a new game they’re touting. It’s a unique game called Open Sea, a beautiful action game that tips its hat to a certain religious story and its associated characters. “Mo” parts the sea to help the folks get across (see where I’m going with this one?). “Jess” helps you walk on water and you are also joined by “Abe,” “the Lovers” and “El.” Even “Noah’s NoNo” is here to help keep some animals afloat. Stay away from this one if you’re sensitive about religion, but even with references to Christian stories it’s still quite a fun and good looking game. There’s a free version with 8 different levels but the paid version gets you 50+ missions with 5 different heroes to use along the way. [Market]

Screencast Video Recorder – As there are few apps of this genre, there can never be enough. The genre I’m speaking of is screen recording software. While a couple of other options exist, Media Solutions is touting smooth framerate and ease of use as reasons why you should pay $5 for their product. The interface looks great and the only negative we can think of is that you need root (but so do other applications that provide this functionality). They have a 24 hour refund policy as they understand 15 minutes is not enough and a demo version will help you see if it works well on your phone. Unfortunately, Tegra 2 devices are not supported here. Find the demo version in the Android market at the link ahead and see if it works before buying it. [Market]

Stay tuned for Modern Combat 3′s Android release date

Modern Combat 3

Today Gameloft finally released the highly-anticipated Modern Combat 3. For iOS devices only. The Android version is still coming soon, and Gameloft says we should stay tuned for the release date. If you need some more MC3 content to tide you over while you wait on this game, you might want to check out the new video trailer and blog post. The iOS version is selling for $6.99, so expect similar pricing in the Android Market.

P.S. I know we have around 30k iOS devices that visit this site, so let us know what you think about the game if you already installed it.

Nokia’s Elop says customization will be Android’s downfall

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Stephen Elop of Nokia has never been shy when it comes to how he feels about Android. To put it simply, he doesn’t like the little green guy. When faced with record lows and an uncertain future, he pushed Nokia towards Microsoft. But why? Nokia could have taken their impressive hardware and blossoming designs  and added any sort of custom user experience they wanted. All while still giving users access to one of the most impressive app markets and competitive ecosystems out there.

In a recent interview with the Verge’s Thomas Ricker, Elop spoke out on the customization of Android and how aftermarket UIs are what’s bringing the platform down.

In terms of (Windows Phone) doesn’t allow for the Sense UI or whatever, I would suggest that one of the biggest challenges facing that particular ecosystem is the fact that there is more and more of that going on. And when I go into the store and look at what that brand was supposed to stand for, I’m not quite seeing it — it’s just unclear what the standard is for the user experience.Stephen ElopNokia

The customization of Android is certainly a two-way street. In some cases, it really tarnishes the Android name and leads to delayed updates due to manufacturer and carrier changes. But those deep levels of customization are also where Android really shines. Companies like HTC have set themselves apart by using Sense and all of the special features that come with it. Motorola is constantly working to improve their custom UI, and so is Samsung. Both are far better now, causing some people to steer towards the Galaxy S II just for the extras that TouchWiz brings to the table.

And besides, secondary UIs could be in for a major change once ICS is made available. Take Honeycomb for example. Manufacturers have added custom software and apps to Honeycomb tablets, but the main UI has never strayed too far from the stock experience. If a similar approach is taken with Ice Cream Sandwich, then update delays could become a thing of the past.

It’s a shame to think what Nokia could have done with Android. Can you even imagine Ice Cream Sandwich on the gorgeous Nokia N9? If you ever change your mind, Stephen, I know at least one person who will give you a second chance.

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Plum HTC EVO 3D finally available from Amazon for as little as $50

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If you’re planning to purchase the HTC EVO 3D and think black is simply too plain for you, Amazon Wireless is now offering a plum colored variant of HTC’s first 3D capable handset. We first learned of the Plum HTC EVO 3D nearly two months ago when rumors were going around that the phone would be available from Best Buy. Time passed, but the plum phone never materialized. We’re not sure if Best Buy still has plans to launch the Plum HTC EVO 3D, but we suggest you go ahead and buy it from Amazon Wireless.

Those of you signing up for a new two-year contract or who are eligible for a full upgrade will only need to pay $50 for the Plum HTC EVO 3D. It may not be the best deal around, but it sure beats the $199 price tag Sprint currently has on the original black EVO 3D.

There’s no denying that the HTC EVO 3D is a good phone. Now that it’s available in white, plum and black, it just makes your purchase decision slightly tougher. We know how most of you feel about the HTC Rhyme and its color. Is a plum EVO 3D a phone only for women? Would any of you guys be interested in a purple device to simply stand out a bit more from the crowd?

Move over Gorilla Glass, Lotus Glass is Corning’s new pride and joy

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Corning Gorilla Glass has quickly become the standard in durable smartphone displays. There are other types of fortified glass out there, but Gorilla Glass has practically become a household name. It’s currently being used in hundreds of products by manufacturers all over the world. Unfortunately, Gorilla Glass isn’t for everyone. Not because of pricing or availability, but because of the technical limitations. That’s where Lotus Glass comes in.

Lotus Glass is a new type of fortified glass from Corning that will be used in high resolution LCD and OLED displays. With more “thermal and dimensional stability” than Gorilla glass, Lotus Glass will be more flexible to design needs and should help prevent display imperfections.

The process of manufacturing a high resolution display, like a smartphone for example, requires intense temperature changes. These changes in temperature can put a lot of stress on the glass being used, and in some cases, cause imperfections. Lotus Glass has a higher annealing point than Gorilla Glass, meaning “more heat is required for the material to relax internal stresses and forces.”

Better heat endurance with added design flexibility means Gorilla Glass may become a thing of the past. Lotus Glass has already gone into production, but Corning won’t reveal if any manufacturers have signed on to use it yet. Could the Galaxy Nexus be one of the first? It seems unlikely at this point, but Samsung did say they are using fortified glass. Just not Gorilla. We’ll be keeping an eye out for more on Lotus Glass in the months to come.

DROID RAZR Accessory Pricing Revealed

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Wondering how much you’ll need to spend on the accessories you want for the DROID RAZR alongside the cost for the phone itself? Our friends at Droid-Life have gotten their hands on price sheet for everything you can expect to see flaunting next to one of the thinnest smartphones in America. We’ve got the Lapdock 100 for $200, the Lapdock 500 for $300 and HDMI docks for $60 and $100. Take a look at the full breakdown in the photo above.

Motorola Mobility Ships 4.8 Million Smartphones, 100,000 Tablets in Q3’11

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Motorola Mobility posted their third quarter financial results and they probably couldn’t be happier about where they are. Highlights of their release include the fact that they shipped 11.6 million devices this quarter, 4.8 million of which were smartphones and 100,000 of which were tablets.

All of that combined to help Motorola rake in $3.3 billion, up 11% from Q3’10. They still lost $32 million but the trend seems to be moving toward a profitable future for Motorola and everything should go even better for them following an approval of the acquisition proposal with Google. Read on for full financial results.

Third Quarter Financial Highlights

Net revenues of $3.3 billion, up 11 percent from third quarter 2010
Non-GAAP net earnings of $0.12 per share compared to net earnings of $0.13 per share in third quarter 2010; GAAP net loss of $0.11 per share compared to net loss of $0.12 per share in third quarter 2010
Mobile Devices revenues of $2.4 billion, up 20 percent from third quarter 2010; Non-GAAP operating loss of $15 million; GAAP operating loss of $41 million
Shipped 11.6 million mobile devices, including 4.8 million smartphones
Home revenues of $825 million, down 10 percent from third quarter 2010; Non-GAAP operating earnings of $77 million; GAAP operating earnings of $54 million

Motorola Mobility Holdings, Inc. (NYSE: MMI) today reported net revenues of $3.3 billion in the third quarter of 2011, up 11 percent from the third quarter of 2010. The GAAP net loss in the third quarter of 2011 was $32 million, or $0.11 per share, compared to a net loss of $34 million, or $0.12 per share, in the third quarter of 2010. On a non-GAAP basis, the net earnings in the third quarter of 2011 were $35 million, or $0.12 per share, compared to net earnings of $38 million, or $0.13 per share, in the third quarter of 2010.

Total cash at the end of the quarter was $3.3 billion and includes cash, cash equivalents and cash deposits. Operating cash flow was $25 million for the quarter.

Details on non-GAAP adjustments and the use of non-GAAP measures are included later in this press release and in the financial tables.

“Our third quarter revenues in Mobile Devices increased by 20 percent, driven by continued strong growth in international markets. With the recent launch of our iconic Motorola RAZR™, we now have several 4G LTE devices in our portfolio. Our Home business is creating innovative solutions for our customers, taking leadership in the transition to all-IP networks, and delivering solid levels of profitability,” said Sanjay Jha, chairman and chief executive officer, Motorola Mobility. “We are also excited about the proposed merger with Google and continue to make progress to close this transaction.”

Operating Results

Mobile Devices net revenues in the third quarter were $2.4 billion, up 20 percent compared with the year-ago quarter. The GAAP operating loss was $41 million compared to an operating loss of $43 million in the year-ago quarter. The non-GAAP operating loss was $15 million compared to operating earnings of $3 million in the year-ago quarter. The company shipped a total of 11.6 million mobile devices, including 4.8 million smartphones and approximately 100,000 Motorola XOOM™ tablets. In the third quarter of 2010, the company shipped 9.1 million mobile devices, including 3.8 million smartphones.

Mobile Devices highlights:

Announced global launch of the iconic, ultra-thin RAZR smartphone, featuring sculpted glass face, diamond-cut aluminum accents, KEVLAR® fiber and vibrant 4.3-inch super AMOLED Advanced display.
Announced award-winning Motorola ATRIX™ 2, offering enhanced entertainment experiences with dual-core processor, full 1080p video capture and free app for music and pictures.
Unveiled MOTOACTV™, the new lightweight, wearable fitness performance tracker and smart music player rolled into one. Sync MOTOACTV with your PC so you can check out the music you perform to best, or track your workouts over extended time periods, set goals and even create workout competitions with your friends via the MOTOACTV Web Portal.
Shipped DROID BIONIC™, combining dual-core 1 GHz processor, 1 GB of RAM, 4.3-inch qHD display and webtop application with 4G LTE speeds.
Rolled out 4G LTE upgrade to existing Motorola XOOM customers to enhance the tablet experience with faster speeds and connections, and announced the Motorola XOOM Family Edition tablet, preloaded with family-friendly software including KidZone by Zoodles and MotoPack by Motorola.

Home segment net revenues in the third quarter were $825 million, down 10 percent compared with the year-ago quarter. GAAP operating earnings were $54 million, compared to $49 million in the year-ago quarter. Non-GAAP operating earnings were $77 million, the same as in the year-ago quarter. Set-top shipments were down 3 percent compared to the year-ago quarter.

Home highlights:

4Home software platform chosen to power Verizon’s new Home Monitoring and Control service in North America for the smart, digital home.
Introduced family of advanced video processing technologies to drive bandwidth efficiency and video quality in the European market, including the SE-6000 video encoder and the ST-6000 transcoder.
Expanded Internet Protocol (IP) growth and leadership in Russia, extending IPTV set-top rollout with leading telecom provider, Vimpelcom Ltd.
Selected by Henan Cable to deliver Video On Demand and Network Digital Video Recording services to its 3.6 million subscribers in China, using M3 Media Server family.

Merger Update

On Aug. 15, 2011, Motorola Mobility Holdings, Inc. and Google Inc. announced a definitive agreement for Google to acquire Motorola Mobility. The transaction was unanimously approved by the boards of directors of both companies and is subject to customary closing conditions, including various regulatory approvals, and the approval of Motorola Mobility’s stockholders. Motorola Mobility will hold a special meeting of stockholders on Nov. 17, 2011, to seek stockholder approval of the proposed merger with Google. The record date for determining the stockholders entitled to vote at the meeting is Oct. 11, 2011.

Antitrust clearances will be required in the U.S., by the European Commission, and in Canada, China, Israel, Russia, Taiwan and Turkey. Regulatory filings have been submitted to the appropriate regulatory body in each of these jurisdictions. In the U.S., Motorola Mobility and Google have each received a Request for Additional Information and Documentary Material (commonly referred to as a “second request”) from the Department of Justice.

Subject to the satisfaction of customary closing conditions, including antitrust clearance, the transaction is expected to close by the end of 2011 or early 2012. The failure to meet the closing conditions or other factors outside of our control could delay the transaction or prevent the companies from completing the merger.

Third quarter 2011 GAAP results include approximately $18 million of expenses attributable to the planned merger. These costs are included in Other Charges on the income statement. Third quarter results presented on a non-GAAP basis exclude these expenses.

For more information on the proposed merger, please visit http://investors.motorola.com

Amazon Now Selling the Purple HTC EVO 3D for $50 & $100

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After a period of exclusivity at Best Buy, the purple version of HTC’s EVO 3D is now available from Amazon. It’s really not much different from the black and white versions. It all still has glasses-free 3D, a 1.2GHz dual-core Snapdragon processor, 1GB of RAM, a 4.3 inch qHD display, an dual 5 megapixel rear cameras for 3D content capturing, Android 2.3 and more.

We normally wouldn’t care to post news about availability of different colored phones that have already been available from other retailers, but Amazon always has an edge with pricing and they’ve managed to get this thing down to $50 for anyone interested in a new account or line and $100 for existing customers. Click here to get started.

Verizon drops Galaxy Nexus exclusivity tag, UK sets November 17 launch date

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Like many great phones before it, the Galaxy Nexus is proving a bit difficult to nail down in the weeks leading up to its launch.

Just last night Verizon put up a page allowing Galaxy Nexus hopefuls to sign up to be the first to know when they could have the privilege of purchasing the newest of superphones. While that page didn’t mention anything about exclusivity, there was a banner ad running on Verizon’s site that proudly stated, “Galaxy Nexus Exclusively from Verizon.” The ad is still there today, but it has been stripped of the “Exclusively from Verizon” text.

Whether that means the Galaxy Nexus won’t have exclusivity on Verizon in the US for a time or if it simply means that it won’t have exclusivity globally remains unknown. We’re also still without a Verizon release date; our only evidence points to November 10.

However, we do now have what seems to be a hard date for the Galaxy Nexus to launch in the UK. Yesterday we reported November 16 as the release date based on the third party retailer “Phones4U,” but it turns out that was off by just a hair. Both Amazon UK and, subsequently, Samsung themselves gave November 17 as the official UK launch date at an event today in London. A worldwide launch will follow.

So where does that leave us? Does Verizon have a 7-day exclusive? If so why did they pull the exclusivity tag? I guess the one sure thing we have is that by November 17 at least some of us will have the Galaxy Nexus in hand, and I’m sure we can all agree that day can’t get here soon enough.

Samsung Confirms November 17th Date for European Galaxy Nexus

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We’ve been circling a few different November dates for the Galaxy Nexus’ arrival, but Samsung has confirmed which one is correct. The device will ship in Europe starting on November 17th, Samsung has officially mentioned. Word of this was dropped during an unrelated event they’re holding, the Samsung Galaxy Note World Tour. There’s still room for Verizon’s version to launch before then, but let’s not get ahead of ourselves. We’re just happy it won’t be too long before folks the world over are able to purchase one of these. [Twitter via Droid-Life]