PlayStation Suite has just gotten a step closer to becoming more relevant. Sony will be opening a beta version of the PlayStation Suite SDK, which will improve the lack-luster variety of games available. Now that Sony is in charge of its mobile department, the company is set to make some major improvements. And [...]]]>

PlayStation Suite has just gotten a step closer to becoming more relevant. Sony will be opening a beta version of the PlayStation Suite SDK, which will improve the lack-luster variety of games available. Now that Sony is in charge of its mobile department, the company is set to make some major improvements. And considering Sony’s past, gaming will definitely be in mind.

The Suite’s beta SDK will open up next month. There is already a beta SDK available, but it was only available to select content developers in the US, UK and Japan. This SDK beta will expand its horizons to the rest of the world, allowing more developers to create original content for PlayStation Certified devices once the official product is released.

The final SDK is set to be released “later this year” at a cost of $99. After that, we will start seeing more games coming to PlayStation Suite, leaving Crash Bandicoot in the past, again. Both major and small game developers will be able to take advantage of this, so we are expecting to see some good games coming. Especially since there is a probability that the PS Vita will also be able to access such content.

The most exciting part is the idea that we could be starting to see some much better games drop on Android. Currently, the Android Market has very few “console quality” games, while many devices could handle PSP and PS2 content. If Sony managed to get some PSP (or even PS Vita) games in there, the tables would turn very quickly.

Now let’s just hope that some good developers take part in this.  Do you think this project will become a success? Could it grow enough to compete with Tegra Zone and GameCommand?

We have to give props to Sony for releasing an alpha Android 4.0 ROM for testing last December, and the Japanese manufacturer has just given us a bit more ice cream sandwich goodness. Today, Sony has released the beta version of this ROM, meaning that the update is just a bit closer to reaching Sony’s Xperia [...]]]>

We have to give props to Sony for releasing an alpha Android 4.0 ROM for testing last December, and the Japanese manufacturer has just given us a bit more ice cream sandwich goodness. Today, Sony has released the beta version of this ROM, meaning that the update is just a bit closer to reaching Sony’s Xperia devices.

This update comes with much more functionality than its predecessor, but it still lacks very important features. Added features include activated GSM modem, FM radio, updated UI, beefed up lock screen and a quick dialer. Being able to access GSM networks is probably the most important, as those that use this ROM will now be able to make calls which, you know, is what a phone is meant to do.

There are important features that are lacking, though, since Sony is still waiting for approval in order to activate them. Such include WiFi and Bluetooth connectivity, as well as access to Google Apps including the Android market. Hopefully Google will give them the okay soon, and Android 4.0 will be in the wild before too long.

This ROM is aimed at developers, as Sony does not intend this incomplete ROM to be used as a daily driver. Regardless, it could be fun for the more adventurous Android user to check out what Ice Cream Sandwich will be like on Sony hardware. If you happen to be the proud owner of an Xperia Arc S, Neo V or Ray, this ROM is available for your flashing needs (not the regular Arc and Neo).

Needless to say that there is a risk of bricking your device, so be careful if you want to try this as no one takes responsibility if something bad happens, and you might be left on your own. With the disclaimer out of the way, you can go ahead try this one out if you need your Ice Cream Sandwich fix.

In order to test the ROM, users have to unlock the bootloader with Sony’s official tool, have the latest software version (4.0.2.A.0.42) and follow the instructions at Sony’s developer blog. Check out the demo video to see how this Android 4.0 beta ROM looks, and let’s hope the final version comes soon.

Are any of you trying this? Let us know how your experience goes in the comments.

Nearly 200 of you responded when we gave away 50 beta keys to Star Legends, the sci-fi MMORPG from Spacetime Studios, makers of Pocket Legends. Star Legends is currently in a limited Beta for Verizon customers, but non-Verizon customers can get in on the action [...]]]> Update: All keys have been distributed. Thanks for entering, everyone!

Nearly 200 of you responded when we gave away 50 beta keys to Star Legends, the sci-fi MMORPG from Spacetime Studios, makers of Pocket Legends. Star Legends is currently in a limited Beta for Verizon customers, but non-Verizon customers can get in on the action using keys that Spacetime Studios has been sending to blogs for giveaways/game promotion.

A nice little surprise  from the Spacetime Studios folks hit our inbox yesterday, and we now have a whopping 65 more keys to give away to our readers.  The same rules hold as last time; all you have to do is leave a comment below to be eligible to win one of the codes. You must leave your email address in the email field to be eligible to win.

The official deadline to enter is 9pm central time tonight, and winners will be notified by the end of the day on Friday.

And in case you missed it last time, check out the following video to get a sense of Star Legends.

The guys and gals behind the popular keyboard just pushed [...]]]> If you have over-sized fingers like me, you’re probably a big fan of Swype. For those of us who like the alternative keyboard, Swype is really a life saver. That’s why I’m happy to tell you that it is now getting even better.

The guys and gals behind the popular keyboard just pushed out version 3.0 of Swype Beta. Although the page seems to be down right now, you can get the app here once they get everything in order. This new version of Swype brings a handful of new features, like Predictive Tap and a horizontal word suggestion bar.

But most importantly, Swype now supports Honeycomb devices. Which you can even change the position of now. As you can see in the video below, you can place the Swype keyboard on the left, center or right of your tablet. While not the most mind-blowing feature ever, I bet some people out there will find it useful. This new version of Swype also adds support for a few more resolution sizes. Which now includes: HVGA, WVGA, FWVGA, QVGA, WQVGA, WSVGA and qHD.

What say you, is this update enough to make you a Swype believer? Or will you stay a stock keyboard kind of guy? Or maybe you use another alternative keyboard? Let us know in the comments. Meanwhile, you can watch these overdramatic and funky demo videos from Swype and get your stroke and poke on.

The game is still [...]]]> GUN BROS MULTIPLAYER Glu Mobile PLAY QR POWERED BY APPAWARE

If you need a new Android game to check out, go download the Gun Bros beta right now. The developer Glu Games has silently become one of my favorite game studios and I’ve been patiently waiting for this dual-stick shooter ever since it was released on iOS a couple months back.

The game is still in beta so make sure to leave your feedback so Glu can keep improving the game. Make sure to visit the forums at the official Gun Bros website or hit up the Gun Bros Facebook page.

The basic premise (and it is going to sound odd) is that some malevolent pigs have stolen the eggs from a flock of (reasonably [...]]]> Angry Birds for those few that aren’t familiar is one of the top selling games for Apple’s iPhone and iPad and is about to wing its way onto the Android Market.

The basic premise (and it is going to sound odd) is that some malevolent pigs have stolen the eggs from a flock of (reasonably upset) birds who are now out to get their eggs back. Armed with a slingshot and a variety of birds that offer different attack styles you launch the birds at the pigs fortresses in an effort to knock them down and kill the pigs.

As bizarre as that sounds the gameplay is really addictive and the visuals in all of the versions that I have seen are absolutely fantastic so this is a real feather in Android’s cap (I swear that’s the last bird allusion).

If you want to get in on the beta the word from Rovio is that they are going to distribute it starting this Friday to anyone signed up for their mailing list which can be found at android.angrybirds.com.

Update: As a result of the huge response to the news of the upcoming beta release Rovio has decided to just release the Angry Birds Lite beta into the Market on Friday.

As of the writing, I’ve spent just a few minutes with the [...]]]> A few months back, we reported that Trillian was going to release an Android version of their popular instant messaging application. The nearly two month wait is now over, as Trillian has just announced the availability of its first public beta release.

As of the writing, I’ve spent just a few minutes with the Trillian Beta, and though there are some UI pieces I’m not too fond of, so far I’m fairly impressed with the application overall and how easy it was to get it all set up (even though I didn’t have an account prior to today).

Those interested in downloading the beta to test it out for yourself should click on this download link from your Android phone.  To learn more about Trillian’s beta before installing, head over to the Cerulean Studios blog.

Trillian requires Android 1.6 or above, so a heavy majority of users should be able to use it. As always, if you decide to try Trillian out, please let us know what you think about it in the comments. Also, expect a full review later on after we’ve had some time to play around with Trillian.