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The Blu Studio 7.0 is a budget-friendly 7-inch smartphone

Yeah, you can balk at the size all you want – you know we all did. There’s just something about a smartphone when it breaks the 6-inch barrier that makes it go from useful to weird – not quite a tablet, too big for a phone. But Florida-based outfit Blu wants to take that risk in putting out the Blu Studio 7.0, a huge 7-inch smartphone for the budget conscious.



The Blu Studio 7.0 is straight up huge – and it does try to leverage on the size by saying that there is more space to do everything from email, social media, to movies and videos. But it is probably the spec list that would deter me from buying one if ever. Under the hood there’s a 1.3Ghz dual core processor backstopped by a Mali 400 graphics chip and 1GB of RAM. This line alone tells you that there will be lag times during usage and performance, although probably not heavy lag. The 7-inch display doesn’t break the HD 720 barrier at 1024x600 (169ppi).


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Then there’s the rest of the specs, a 5MP/2MP camera combo, 8GB of storage, 3G connectivity and running on Android 4.4.2 Kitkat. You can see that the huge phone is targeted plainly at the lower market niches. But just because it has a big screen doesn’t mean it will sell. Or will it?


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You remember the Samsung Galaxy W, right? Of course you don’t. Well, it was Samsung’s attempt at the same gigantic form factor, with slightly better specs. But it ended up not doing well in the market – because people probably get weirded-out by the huge size. Be that as it may, the Blu Studio 7.0 is now available through Amazon for USD$149.99 unlocked.


SOURCE: Blu





Samsung to update Galaxy Note 4, Note Edge directly to Android 5.0.1

Well, great news for users of the Samsung Galaxy Note 4 and owners of the edgier Samsung Galaxy Edge – it looks like Samsung is going to skip the Android 5.0 Lollipop update and go directly to the most recent 5.0.1 update, if these leaked images are anything to go by.



If you are not familiar with Android 5.0.1, it is a small but important bug fix update to the initial Android 5.0 Lollipop launch that offers a number of bug fixes aimed at improving Google’s new operating system. These bugs were mostly discovered by Nexus users and are now dealt with in this small-ish but essential update. Samsung has recently updated the Samsung Galaxy S5 to Android 5.0.1, so it is logical to assume that the South Korean gadget giant would be concentrating on updating two of its premier phablets to the same version. Both devices will be likely to skip the Android 5.0 update, since we are already seeing builds for the devices running on Android 5.0.1. Check the images below.


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The Galaxy Note 4 has already been tested on Lollipop, we know that it runs quite well. If you want to check quickly for yourself, check out the video below for some hints about how Lollipop runs on the Note 4. As for the Note Edge, we all know that it’s virtually a sibling of the Galaxy Note 4, just with the rounded side screen.




The big question is when we will be seeing this update. Judging from the leaks, it might just be very, very soon. So hold on to your tempers, Note 4 and Note Edge users. We gather this will be a short wait for that update.


VIA: Sam Mobile





Baldurs Gate II Enhanced Edition makes its way to Android

Beamdog has done it again. The game developers have successfully ported and launched the sequel to one of the most popular classic computer RPGs of all time, Baldur's Gate II, in its enhanced and remastered form. Now gamers both old and new can get a chance to relive the good old days or forge new adventures using nothing more than the small but powerful computer hidden in their pockets. Of course, like in many games, a good adventure has a price to be paid.



Old school games, and by that we really mean older titles and not just new ones made to look old, can be a gold mine of experience for mobile gamers. These games bring depth and immersion in ways many newer smartphone games don't offer. A solid story line, sophisticated game mechanics, and a lineage that spans decades. That's what Beamdog and its ports bring to the Android table.


Like its predecessor, Baldur's Gate II takes place in the Forgotten Realms setting of the acclaimed Dungeons and Dragons game world (AD&D 2 to be exact). You take the role of the sire of the God of Murder, bred solely to die at the hands of heroes, fueling the god's return. But you were raised with love and were turned against your nature. Now it is up to you whether you will become the monster you were born to be or be the hero you were taught to be. It's nurture vs. nature, RPG style.




BG2EE, as gamers would call it, covers the main Shadows of Amn campaign. But it also includes expansions such as Throne of Bhaal and The Black Pits II all for free. The game does cost $9.99, which in mobile game standards is quite steep, but the quality and experience might very well be worth the price. Some might be surprised that there are in-app purchases, but these are really just for additional content, like extra companions and character portraits.


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Download: Baldur's Gate II on Google Play Store





Bit Dungeon II: Game to save your soul from eternal damnation

Games where you never die and just run endlessly through various locations can be a drag sometimes. You want to be challenged by something that might results in a virtual death where you have to start all over again. A sequel to a roguelike game may just be the thing for you if you feel up to facing permadeath. Welcome to Bit Dungeon II's world.



The developer right off the bat admits that he is inspired by such "classic" games like Zelda, Diablo and Dark Souls (a cheery bunch right?) And traces of those can be seen in this game where your aim is to rescue your loved one's soul from corrupted spirits who robbed her (or his?) grave in the "undead world of demons". And since the dungeons are randomly placed all over the landscape, every new game you play is different from the one you played before.


This game is no walk in a demonic park as you face Permadeath everytime you play. If you die, you have one chance to retrieve your soul from the exact place where you died. Failing to do so would really totally kill you and you have to start all over again in Level 1, no matter how far up you are already. Don't worry, you have various weapon types, including magic ones, to help you along the way. And you going up to the next level depends on what type of weapon you use. There are also randomly generated items, ugly-faced enemies, and giant dungeon bosses.


Now if you beat the game and you're a sucker for the same thing, then you can start over again but in a much stronger position, until you become a "god". Bit Dungeon II is available for download from the Google Play Store for $2.99.


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Make Your Own Heat Sink for the LG Optimus 4X HD

Optimus heatsink

It’s not a rare occurrence that performing a resource heavy task on your Android device (e.g. playing a game or multitasking heavily) results in the back of your device getting quite hot due to the heat being generated by the CPU. And without proper or adequate heat distribution, this heat will be most prominent at a certain area of your device’s rear. Strong heat is not the only downside of a hot CPU however, as it can also result in decreased performance due to throttling, less battery life, and a lower overall device longevity.


With this said, XDA Senior Member ottomanhero figured out a very clever way of remedying this issue on his LG Optimus 4X HD after noticing that playing games on this phone results in a certain part of the phone’s rear getting hot. He pinned this down to unequal distribution of heat behind the back cover, and decided to tape aluminum foil around the back to direct heat from the hot area to cooler areas.


After conducting tests with this homemade heat sink in place, ottomanhero found that he experienced much better and lower temperatures emitting from his device. There was also an issue with the device’s GPS signal being weakened as a result, but later resolved this with a new method. Ottomanhero has provided a picture that clearly shows this modification, and has also written a detailed tutorial teaching you how to do this yourself.


If you would like to give this a go, head over to the LG Optimus 4X HD homemade heat sink thread to get started.


The post Make Your Own Heat Sink for the LG Optimus 4X HD appeared first on xda-developers.


Sony adds AOSP support to all 2014 Qualcomm-based Xperia units

Sony is one of those manufacturers who seem to have found a groove in balancing their support for after-market software for their devices and continuing to encourage those who are part of the community who tweak the AOSP (Android Open Source Project) for their Sony devices. Because of this commitment, Sony has even now made AOSP support official for all Qualcomm-based Xperia devices released in 2014. Pretty nifty.



This means that AOSP support is now available for the Sony Xperia E3 and the Xperia T3, adding to the devices earlier supported – the Xperia M2 and the Xperia T2 Ultra. Sony also announced that they have updated the source code for the latter two units to give them stability improvements.




What does this mean? Well, if you’re not familiar with the AOSP community, then here it is – it means that the source code Sony is providing (as downloadable binaries) can now be used by developers and enthusiasts as a base for developing their own ROMs – that is, their version of Android.


Check out the AOSP announcement here at this link. Also, you can go directly to the download of the binaries here. If you want more information on Sony’s AOSP support, click here.


VIA: Xperia Blog





Google adds more countries for carrier billing and Play Card

Since a lot of people are expected to buy smartphones and tablets this coming Christmas season, it's important for Google to have as many payment options as possible for those who want to purchase apps and games. There is still a huge segment of the market that don't have credit cards, so other options should be available. The tech giant has added even more carriers and countries to their growing list where users can use their carrier and Google Play Cards to purchase digital content.



First off, carrier billing, where you can charge your Google Play Store purchases to your mobile carrier, is expanding to 7 more operators in various European countries. Telnor from Hungary, Orange Romania from Romania, and Turkcell from Turkey are now part of the countries and operators that Google is allowing to do carrier billing. The others to join this list are 02 from Czech Republic, TIM from Italy, Orange from Poland, and H3G from the UK. The latter countries already have other carriers that do operator billing as well.


Meanwhile, six more countries have been added to the list of privileged nations that can buy digital content by using Google Play Cards. Belgium, Denmark, Finland, Ireland, Norway and Sweden residents can purchase these cards at various convenience stores in order to buy all the apps, games, movies, books, and music that they can with the denomination they have on the cards (well, provided that those kind of content are available in their countries).


Belgium, Finland, and Ireland have denominations of 15, 25, and 50 Euros while Denmark, Norway, and Sweden get 150, 250, and 500 Krone/Krona cards. All in all, Google now has 28 countries with Google Play Cards, but there are no announced plans yet to add to that list.


VIA: Android Police (1,2)


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