Cloud gaming on Android is going to get a shot of adrenaline later this year. Today at the GPU Technology Conference, NVIDIA CEO Jen-Hsun Huang announced that their new Kepler chip was the world’s first GPU for cloud computing and it would be powering Gaikai‘s multi-platform gaming service.

Gaikai’s open cloud gaming platform offers [...]]]>

Cloud gaming on Android is going to get a shot of adrenaline later this year. Today at the GPU Technology Conference, NVIDIA CEO Jen-Hsun Huang announced that their new Kepler chip was the world’s first GPU for cloud computing and it would be powering Gaikai‘s multi-platform gaming service.

Gaikai’s open cloud gaming platform offers a fully managed system that is optimized to deliver high-end video games and applications within seconds to all leading web browsers, operating systems, and devices. The Gaikai app is already available on Facebook and it will be coming to Android devices in the second half of this year.

Gaikai will work on on types of displays.

We have already seen other cloud gaming platforms like OnLive, but they suffered from lag and didn’t offer a wide variety of brand new games. Gaikai is focused on next-generation titles from the leading game developers and they say they have fixed the lag problem with the help of NVIDIA.

GeForce GRID will offer the same game experience as traditional consoles.

NVIDIA’s Kepler chip allows for virtualized GPUs so a single server can power thousands of low-latency remote displays. Gaikai has designed custom servers and distributed them in data centers across the globe, and they claim to offer the lowest latency, highest quality experiences possible.

To demonstrate the technology in action Gaikai showed off an upcoming game called Hawken that was running on the ASUS Transformer Prime. This first-person shooter mech game looked amazing and it easily topped anything we have ever seen on Android. The developer Adhesive Games says Hawken will be available on December 12th, but we expect Gaikai and other games should hit Android before then.

Right now we don’t have a release date for Gaikai on Android, but I highly suggest you play with their Facebook app for a quick demo. I just wasted a good 30 minutes playing Dead Rising 2, and I can’t wait for this service to come to Android devices. Check out Gaikai’s promo video below to get a feel of some of the other games that are already available to play.

Does this look like a service you would pay to play on Android?

Today’s rumor comes from a notably unreliable source, so take it with a pound of salt.

Digitimes is reporting this morning that Facebook and HTC are jointly working on a Facebook phone, to be released Q3 2012 at the earliest. While HTC has released the ChaCha and Salsa headsets, “Facebook” phones with a dedicated [...]]]>

Today’s rumor comes from a notably unreliable source, so take it with a pound of salt.

Digitimes is reporting this morning that Facebook and HTC are jointly working on a Facebook phone, to be released Q3 2012 at the earliest. While HTC has released the ChaCha and Salsa headsets, “Facebook” phones with a dedicated Facebook button, the current collaboration will likely result in a more deeply integrated product. Digitimes suggests that the device will have a platform exclusive to Facebook, which will grant HTC full access to the suite of Facebook functions.

While Android and Me readers tend to groan whenever we mention Facebook, the fact that Facebook has over 900 million worldwide users suggests that there is certainly a potential market for a Facebook-integrated device. While many of us have embraced the social age with our Facebook, Twitter, Google+, Instagram, and other social media accounts, many more out there solely rely on Facebook for their social networking needs.

If the rumor pans out, we should learn more details about the HTC Facebook phone in coming months. Any readers out there interested in a Facebook phone? What if it had the specs of the HTC One X? Can a true Facebook phone beat out the next Nexus phone, which has just been tipped for Samsung?

Mark Zuckerberg has just announced via Facebook that the world’s biggest social network has agreed to acquire the photo-sharing service Instagram, which has over 30 million users of its own. The deal is reported to be for a staggering $1 Billion, leaving the founders at Instagram dancing in the streets (we assume).

The service [...]]]>

Mark Zuckerberg has just announced via Facebook that the world’s biggest social network has agreed to acquire the photo-sharing service Instagram, which has over 30 million users of its own. The deal is reported to be for a staggering $1 Billion, leaving the founders at Instagram dancing in the streets (we assume).

The service will remain as it currently exists for now, though we expect to see tighter Facebook integration soon. For his part, Zuck says that they will largely leave Instagram in tact for the time being, and will look at bringing Instagram technology to other Facebook services.

Update: Instagram has posted on their blog about the acquisition. The founders report that the same Instagram you know and love will remain in tact post-acquisition.

Update 2: Mark Zuckerberg’s post can be found here.

We have news for Facebook users out there – especially if you tend to use it on the go. Recent reports are stating that the social network giant is going to start displaying advertisements to mobile users, coming May.

These will not be your normal ads, which normally occupy a clearly designated area. According [...]]]>

We have news for Facebook users out there – especially if you tend to use it on the go. Recent reports are stating that the social network giant is going to start displaying advertisements to mobile users, coming May.

These will not be your normal ads, which normally occupy a clearly designated area. According to the Financial Times, Facebook will take another route, using what they are calling “Featured Stories.” These advertisements will appear among the posts from your loved (or not so loved) ones, meaning that ads will simply look like another update in your News Feed.

It is unclear whether the ads will only be pushed toward users accessing the social network via a browser, or the app – though we assume that it would be simpler to apply this new method to the entirety of Facebook mobile. However, it doesn’t seem that this would drastically change things since it would just be a new occurrence in your News Feed.

We understand that Facebook is not a non-profit organization – they want their money. Can we blame them?

We are a bit torn. While it is a good way for advertising to not seem so disruptive, it is a bit annoying to see ads when expecting to see updates from friends and family.

What do you think about seeing ads in your News Feed? Would you mind them if they were implemented in a way that more clearly distinguished them as ads? Or do you pretty much hate the idea altogether?

While many of our readers have been worried about Facebook sharing too much information, others see that as a great feature. One of the latest ways of sharing your life with your family and friends is a feature called Facebook Timeline. It took a bit of time, but Facebook has just announced that [...]]]>

While many of our readers have been worried about Facebook sharing too much information, others see that as a great feature. One of the latest ways of sharing your life with your family and friends is a feature called Facebook Timeline. It took a bit of time, but Facebook has just announced that Timeline is available for Android as well as on their mobile site.

Facebook Timeline allows you to share your life with others, in a historical, sequential timeline. It collects all of your information since you opened your Facebook account and organizes it by year, showing all of your life quests in an organized way. After signing up for this feature, you can go ahead and edit the timeline as you please, including adding things from before there ever was a Facebook. You can take off posts, add posts, select which groups can see them and change the way things look around your Timeline.

This is all now available from your Android device, and can be accessed via the recently updated Facebook app. Simply update to version 1.8.1, and you will be able to access your Timeline with no problem (if you have signed up for it already).

Here are the other updates that come with version 1.8.1:

• Navigate anywhere, fast: Get to your groups, apps, pages, and settings with a single press
• Search and you will discover: Look through friends, subscribers, apps, and pages
• See your friends tags on pictures and zoom: New photo viewing experience
• Faster notifications: Get alerted in real time with new push notifications
• Games & Apps: Play games and access your favorite apps on the go
• Access to mobile timeline (If you already have a timeline)
• Access to friend lists and subscriptions

Go download the new version of Facebook to enjoy the new timeline feature. What do you guys think? Is Timeline a cool feature, or would you rather keep the course of your life away from the online community?

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You would think that the most popular Android app would be one of Google’s own, but a recent report from Nielsen shows that Facebook was the most used app in the U.S. during the last 30 days. Facebook was found to be the most active app among users 18-24 and 25-34, where it rack up [...]]]>

You would think that the most popular Android app would be one of Google’s own, but a recent report from Nielsen shows that Facebook was the most used app in the U.S. during the last 30 days. Facebook was found to be the most active app among users 18-24 and 25-34, where it rack up an amazing 80% usage.

When it comes to app stores, Google’s Android Market topped the charts with usage rates of 89-95%. This should come as no surprise since it comes pre-installed on most Android devices. Amazon’s Appstore, which debuted this year and must be manually installed, made a strong showing with usage rates of 14-24%.

The most popular game was Angry Birds, which ranked highest among the older age group. Usage rates by age were 22% for 18-24, 29% for 25-34, and 35% for 35-44. Zynga’s Words With Friends also ranked highly with usage rates of 21-25%.

Check out the chart below for the full break down. Which results are most surprising to you?

Today Facebook announced a major update for their Android app that focuses on speed. Photos and albums will be 2x faster, notifications will be highlighted up top, and the menu options have been moved to the right side of the screen. We haven’t seen the update available on the Android Market yet, but Facebook says it will [...]]]>

Today Facebook announced a major update for their Android app that focuses on speed. Photos and albums will be 2x faster, notifications will be highlighted up top, and the menu options have been moved to the right side of the screen. We haven’t seen the update available on the Android Market yet, but Facebook says it will be available soon, so be on the lookout.

Highlights of the new Facebook for Android include:

• Photos get better:  Photos and albums are up to two times faster than the previous Android app. It’s also easier to share photos, view comments and edit captions on the go.
• Messages on top:  Your messages and notifications are now at the top of your screen. You can respond to friends and stay updated without leaving the page you’re on.
• Menu on the side:  You can quickly access your News Feed, Groups, games and apps from the new left-hand menu. The features you use most are now at your fingertips.

After you download and install the new update, let us know what you think of the changes. Can you notice a big improvement in speed? What do you think of the interesting side menu?

BlackBerry has always been seriously lacking in app selection. More so than any other major platform out there. But there’s one app Berry users have been able to hold over Android and iOS users for years now. It’s called Socialscope, and it’s a networking powerhouse.

Socialscope is a one-stop shop for social networking. It features [...]]]>

BlackBerry has always been seriously lacking in app selection. More so than any other major platform out there. But there’s one app Berry users have been able to hold over Android and iOS users for years now. It’s called Socialscope, and it’s a networking powerhouse.

Socialscope is a one-stop shop for social networking. It features Twitter, Facebook and Foursquare integration for managing multiple networks within one app. There are similar apps available for Android right now, but Socialscope has a cult-like following. That could be due to the fact that it’s been in private alpha for years now, or because it’s a well designed app. Either way, both BlackBerry and Android users are scrambling to get their hands on a copy. There is, however, a new addition to the Android version of Socialscope that will have BlackBerry users asking what gives. Instagram support.

Instagram is a simple photo sharing app that’s currently only available for iOS. Users can take pictures, apply a faux-vintage filter and share online. Android users have long been pining for an Instagram client to call their own. An Instagram app for Android is supposedly in the works, but anyone who lands access to the early alpha of Socialscope for Android should be able to beat Instagram to the punch.

To sign up for the early alpha of Socialscope for Android, use the Google Docs-powered form here. Word of advice, don’t hold your breath. It’s probably going to be awhile.

If you haven’t completely moved to Google+, you’ve probably noticed all the changes Facebook has been working on lately. Feelings are mixed about these changes, but most people seem to dislike them. Well, we have one more addition to the repertoire, and this one actually seems to be a bit more exciting.

Facebook has [...]]]>

If you haven’t completely moved to Google+, you’ve probably noticed all the changes Facebook has been working on lately. Feelings are mixed about these changes, but most people seem to dislike them. Well, we have one more addition to the repertoire, and this one actually seems to be a bit more exciting.

Facebook has just announced Timeline. This feature takes all your information since the creation of your Facebook account and organizes it in an attractive timeline. This will allow you and your friends to go back and remember sweet old times with older images and general information. Whether you were studying hard in high school, partying it up in college or getting married in Hawaii, the Timeline will display it all.

There was no mention of Android compatibility on the way. (It is coming to iPhone soon, though). But we can assume Android will be getting Timeline soon enough. It is the most popular smartphone OS, after all. Timeline should be rolling out in the following weeks, so you’ll have to check it out on your computer until then.

Timeline is the most exciting new feature, but the rest seem alright too. Facebook also announced Spotify, Netflix and hulu integration. This means you can share what you’re listening to or watching. More services will be integrated in time. As you can see in the video below, one one feature will be similar to Nike+, allowing you to share where and when you take your daily jog.

We’ve heard many different opinions on this. One of the most popular is that Facebook is no longer as “intuitive” as it used to be. But we’d like to see what our readers think. Let us know how you feel about these changes in the comments section. Do you like Timeline? Do you like the integrations that were added? Would you rather get rid of that side bar (along with all the new changes)?

Though Facebook is widely considered to be the red-headed stepchild in the Android community now that Google has launched a social network of their own, the service continues to grow at a baffling rate. It now claims over 850 million users. Facebook’s Android application has been fairly uninspired and most updates to date have been [...]]]>

Though Facebook is widely considered to be the red-headed stepchild in the Android community now that Google has launched a social network of their own, the service continues to grow at a baffling rate. It now claims over 850 million users. Facebook’s Android application has been fairly uninspired and most updates to date have been a half-hearted attempt to mirror what was already in the iOS version. Personally, when I’ve felt the need to check what’s going on with my Facebook friends, I’ve more often been found using the mobile website rather than the Android app.

That might be about to change, as today’s update to version 1.7 brings some serious enhancements, not the least of which includes full support for Honeycomb tablets. (Though it doesn’t add a tablet-optimized UI). In addition to full Honeycomb support, Facebook 1.7 brings:

• Enhanced Privacy Controls
• Allows users to select which friends/groups to share their updates with
• Pull down on your newsfeed to automatically refresh
• Swipe left and right in photo albums
• Ability to tag your friends in pictures
• Enhanced UI, especially within individual profiles and the newsfeed
• Improvements to notifications and messages
• Various bug fixes and performance enhancements

Quite the slew of updates for the Facebook application. If you haven’t already, head over to the market and update your Facebook application to version 1.7. Let us know how you like the updates in the comments.

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