The Datawind name might not say much to those of you passionate about high-end gadgets, but the UK-based company has been behind the Indian government’s bold initiative of deploying Android-based tablets across the country’s millions of schools .
The 2011 dirt-cheap Aakash tablet was the result of the collaboration between Datawind and the Indian government, but unfortunately their noble endeavor hit more than a few nasty bumps on the road.
After numerous production issues and a bunch of delays and staggered releases, the Aakash failed to reach the hundreds of thousands of students it was planned to. It was back to the drawing board for Datawind, which understood that it had to up the ante a bit spec-wise.
Fortunately, the Indian authorities didn’t withdraw their support, and now the updated Aakash 2 is ready to debut. Before the tab will hit schools though, Datawind has decided to get the commercial versions out, also known as the UbiSlate tablets.

The UbiSlate 7Ri, 7R+, 7Ci, and 7C+ are the four newly unveiled slates, all sporting 7-inch screens and all ready to go on sale at unbelievably low prices. Though we don’t have many photos starring the four tabs, these shouldn’t look very different on the outside, and their innards will be similar as well.
All four gadgets are set to be powered by Cortex A8 1 GHz processors, which, despite being single-core, are a vast improvement over the first-edition Aakash. The model from 2011 only had a 366 MHz CPU, so the bump in raw power will be easily noticeable. Especially that the 256 MB of RAM have been also upgraded to 512 MB.
The displays all come with 800 x 480 pixels resolutions, but only the UbiSlate 7Ci and 7C+ will have capacitive panels (hence the “C” branding). The 7Ri and 7R+ will sport resistive screens, which, as you might know, aren’t very responsive to touch.
Aside from the processor bump, the new range of UbiSlate tablets comes with another major upgrade, this time in the software department. If the 7-incher from last year ran old raggedy Android 2.2 Froyo, the new gadgets are all ready to bring Ice Cream Sandwich goodness to India.

Other features include 4 GB of on-board storage, a VGA front-facing camera, G-Sensor, mini-USB, a microSD card slot for expanding the memory with an additional 32 GB, and Wi-Fi connectivity all-around. The 7R+ and 7C+ come with additional GPRS connectivity, and they should also be the tabs with the best battery life. Well, best is somewhat of a stretch, giving that Datawind predicts the slates to only be able to go for up to 3-4 hours on a single charge, while the 7Ri and 7Ci have a maximum of 3 hours of autonomy.
Datawind has failed to announce any exact release dates for the four 7-inchers, while in terms of pricing we know that the cheapest one will go for Rs. 2,999 ($55), and the most expensive one will be up for grabs for Rs. 4,999 ($90). We’re guessing the 7Ri will be the low-ender, while the 7C+ will be the high-ender. As for the 7R+ and 7Ci, these don’t have price tags attached to their names, but they will probably be made available for Rs. 3,999 ($73).
It remains to be seen which one of the four will also hit Indian schools as the Aakash 2, when will this actually reach students, and how many units will end up being used for educational purposes.

Source:AndroidAuthority

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With music recognition apps like Shazam, you are spared from Googling bits and pieces of lyric from a song you catch on TV or hear on the radio in the hope that it will lead to its full title and artist. Not just identifying the song, the app also lets you stream preview and even buy the song – if it’s available digitally.
It’s obvious that the magic-like features struck a chord with many, as Shazam recently reported that it has over 250,000 users. The app developers are now branching out Shazam to recognize TV shows and ads.
The next time you find yourself intrigued by a scene on the small screen, simply whip out Shazam and tag the show. You’ll instantly get information about the program, the actors and actresses (straight from IMDB), the latest tweets and headline news relating to it, and more. Naturally, you’ll also get a list of music that’s featured on the show.
Of the affinity that many have for the app, Shazam Chief Revenue Officer Doug Garland said that aside from the “amazing degree of utility”, users also “think it’s magical”. In the case of the added functionality, magic really means having the company’s many servers scan and fingerprint content from 160 channels in America on a real-time basis, which should result in a pretty complete database of TV programs for all your tagging needs.
If you haven’t already done so, check out the new functionality of Shazam app and let us know what you think of it in the comments below.

Source:AndroidAuthority

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Think of it as niche marketing for the Google app market. It’s called “Apps Focus” and it aims to be a curating of apps, helping users dig through the junk to get to the gems.

The patience level of the average user is fairly low, what with the speed of smart-phones and the Google Play store’s last interface update making it all the more snappy. So it stands to reason that a 15 minute jaunt down “app lane” is not always the fun adventure it may seem. Most people would like to find their app in 5 minutes or less, and just get to using it so they can become familiar. Enter Google and their nifty new solution: Apps Focus.
The current foray is Fashion and Style, and while it is probably out of the scope of most of our readers, it still manages to deliver to its niche audience. Bringing together good, and mostly new apps, in an easily discoverable way can only mean more traffic for the Play Store. Once word gets out, it could spell a big success for Android in general.
The only problem we foresee with this feature is that it may get too focused, meaning potential users may not find anything interesting in the collections presented. That being said, Apps Focus will surely evolve, and become something we can attribute to our daily ease of use. Repeat after me: Thank you Google!!!

As for developers, this could be a huge boost to them as well. Imagine putting months of work in, only to find your app on the front page (which is where AF is) and a bunch of downloads listed in your stats. This doesn’t mean less-than-stellar apps will vanish from the market, but it does mean those who produce quality apps, are more likely to make it into the spotlight with this feature.
To get access to Apps Focus,  just open the app up on your device and it should appear on the front page.


Source:AndroidAuthority

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Blood & Glory: Legend

Become a true gladiator and fight your way to the top with the Blood & Glory: Legend game for Android. Control a gladiator and fight different opponents in the arena. If you’re lucky, you might even have the chance to meet the emperor and fight him to avenge your family.
You will be fighting different opponents at every stage. You will face fast Amazon warriors, spearmen, and even terrifying giants that can squash you with one heavy blow. You can control your hero by swiping on the screen. Swipe to the direction to where you want to slash your weapon. You can also perform combos by performing a unique set of slashes. Aside from attacking, you can parry enemy attacks by swiping to the opposite direction of your opponent’s attack. You can also use your shield or dodge left and right to avoid getting hit.
The game has a shop that allows you to buy equipment. You can buy additional potions, buy powerful weapons, and upgrade your armor to withstand enemy blows. You can purchase items by using the coins earned after each battle or by using Glu points. The game allows you to buy additional coins and Glu points by using real currency.
Blood & Glory: Legend can be downloaded for free from the Google Play Store. Overall performance was very smooth and I did not encounter any lags or force close errors while testing the app. The realistic display also enhances the game, making you feel like a real champion in the arena.

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Espgaluda II

Do you still remember when you were a kid and you used to go to the arcade? What was your favorite game? One of my favorites was the arcade game where you controlled an aircraft with extreme firepower and you’d fight waves of planes and battle huge bosses. The Espgaluda II app allows you to relive the airplane-shooting arcade action game right on your Android phone.
There are two modes in this game: Smartphone and Arcade mode. The Smartphone mode lets you play the game that has been modified to use your smartphone’s capabilities. If you want the real arcade action, you can play the game in Arcade mode. The game allows you to choose three different characters. Each character has a unique set of abilities, such as one character having more firepower while another has more range.
Espgaluda II can be downloaded for about 6 dollars from the Google Play Store. You will also need a G-Gee account, an active Internet connection, and available space of about 540 MB before you can play this game. The game is fun and really looks like the game from your local arcade. But, it would be good if the game uses the whole portion of the phone’s screen.

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Horn

The Horn game is a third-person RPG game that lets you control the hero Horn, a blacksmith apprentice. One day, he woke up in the ruins of a mysterious land. Along the way, he faced weird monsters and later on discovered that they were once the people of the town. The world has been plagued with a curse, turning human beings into big monsters. You must set forth as Horn and save the people from this curse.
The game can be played by just tapping on the screen. You can move Horn by tapping anywhere on the ground. You can also interact with the objects around you by tapping on them. Swipe your fingers when you need to push yourself up a cliff or move through a narrow path.
Horn will also have to defeat monsters along the way. You can swipe your fingers to slash your enemies with your sword. You need to dodge enemy attacks by tapping the left and right arrows. Tap on the jump button to avoid attacks from the ground and swipe your fingers to attack while in midair.
This game is powered by the Unreal Engine that really enhances the graphics and makes the world of Horn more realistic. To be able to handle these graphics and animations, you can only play this game on a Tegra 2- or Tegra 3-powered device. This paid game is worth its price of about 7 dollars.

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Turbo Kids

Ready, set, go! Run fast to the finish line with the Turbo Kids game. This game is a simple side-scrolling racing game. Aside from running towards the finish line, you will also need to go through obstacles, collect power ups, and shoot your enemies to freeze them.
The game can be controlled by just tapping on the screen. Tap the left side of the screen to jump and tap the right side to shoot frozen bullets. The game allows you to choose a character with a unique character build. One character runs faster, while another one carries more bullets and recovers faster when hit.
The game lets you customize your character. You can upgrade its equipment to run faster or recover more quickly. You can also learn new skills, such as a double jump or a turbo boost. Gold and star points will be used to buy equipment and upgrades. If you want more coins or star points, you can purchase using real money within the game’s shop.
The ad-supported Turbo Kids game can be downloaded for free from the Google Play Store. Ads appear at the bottom of the screen, and sometimes, after a race. Although the app is ad-supported, you will not find any ad that will disturb you during a race..

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Beach Buggy Blitz

From the creators of Riptide GP and Shine Runner comes another epic racing game for Android. This time, you won’t be racing across the sea or the lake. Instead, you will be driving on a tropical island on a buggy with the Beach Buggy Blitz game on your Tegra-powered device.
The main objective of the game is to drive as far as you can and drive through the game’s infinite driving course. But, you need to make sure to make it to the checkpoint before time runs out. You will also find gold coins on the racing course. Collect those and use them to unlock power-ups or buy a new buggy. If you can’t wait for your coins to grow, you can buy additional coins by via the app’s shop using your real cash.
As of the moment, this game runs only on all devices equipped with Tegra 3 and on some devices with Tegra 2. You will also notice Tegra effects in the game such as motion blur, water splashes on the screen, real-time car shadows, and headlights when you enter the cave.
Beach Buggy Blitz can be downloaded for free from the Google Play Store.

Source: AndroidAuthority

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