GameStick brings a new Android game console to your TV, fits inside its own controller

OUYA likely won't be the only Android-based game console in town this spring. PlayJam is going beyond its smart TV roots to build the GameStick, a TV-based system that fits into a shell not much bigger than a typical flash drive -- it's small enough that the finished version should stow inside its own Bluetooth gamepad and draw power from the HDMI port, like Roku's Streaming Stick. The Jelly Beansystem's dual-core Amlogic processor isn't as powerful as the Tegra 3 in the OUYA, but it should also lead to a slightly more tempting $79 price. PlayJam's remaining challenge is the familiar one of reaching a crowdfunding target: the company says it needs $100,000 to go through its last development hurdles and ship the production GameStick in April. If the firm makes its goal, however, the low-cost gaming world will be delightfully crowded this year.

[Source: Engadget]

Sony outlines Jelly Bean update schedule for 2012 Xperia smartphones

Sony's chimed in with an update regarding Jelly Bean upgrades for its 2012 Xperia models, and the Xperia T, TX and V are right on time, set to receive Android 4.1 beginning in February and March. Xperia P, J and Go owners will see Google's latest confection-themed OS land on their devices starting at the end of March, while those who call the Xperia S, SL, Ion and Acro S their daily drivers will receive the update in the weeks after. Unfortunately for the Xperia U, Miro, Tipo, and Sola, Hirai and Co. have seen fit to keep the hardware on a steady diet of Ice Cream Sandwich.

[Source: Engadget]

Tumblr Android app update brings tablet support, new 'following screen'

Tumblr users have been managing their online repositories via mobile apps for a while now, but that software has been tailored specifically for smartphones thus far. The latest version of the blogging service's Android app has changed that, however, finally adding support for tablets, as well as a new "following screen" and tweaked design. Unfortunately for iPad users, you're still stuck in iPhone / iPodview, as Tumblr hasn't gotten 'round to releasing a slate-supporting update for iOS yet. It's strange that such optimization was omitted from the recently launched native app, but for now, both platforms have exclusives to boast about -- tablet support for Android, and Tumblr's Photoset app for iOS.

[Source: Engadget]

BBC promises iPlayer and Media Player for Android will get better... soon

The BBC's Android efforts have, for several reasons, trailed its iOS offerings. Most notably iPlayer and Media Player have been stuck with low-quality, non-adaptive streams and a stripped down feature set. The national broadcaster is promising to fix that in the near future, however. The changes wont be happening all at once, but iPlayer head David Price promises that big improvements are coming to its Android offerings. One major upgrade will be to the playback experience by offering not just higher-resolution streams, but various levels of video clarity based on device capabilities, screen size and data speeds.

[Source: Engadget]

Facebook for Android 2.0 arrives with much faster load times, in-feed photo browsing

Facebook users running Android have been clamoring for speed updates, and it looks like they'll at least get some of what they desire today. A version 2.0 revamp moves partly to native code and is purportedly twice as fast at loading the Timeline and photos, on top of simply being faster to start. The upgrade also lets us quickly flip through photos without having to shift attention away from the news feed. Google Play isn't yet carrying Facebook 2.0 as of this writing, but it's promised within hours -- check the source link at the right time and you may get a speed kick that many have been craving for months.

[Source: Engadget]

Amazon updates Flow for Android with text recognition and group scanning

Amazon's augmented reality app for bargain hunters on-the-go, Flow, just got a bit handier with the recent addition of deeper search functionality. Released initially on iOS in November of 2011 and subsequently made available to Android usersthis past July, the app allows users to browse and compare prices in Amazon's inventory by scanning items in brick-and-mortar shops. And now, with this latest Android-only update, users will also be able to incorporate text, URLs and phone numbers into their image queries, as well as scan and receive data on a slew of items in one pass. It's live now on Google Play, so hit up the source below to get your download started.

[Source: Engadget]

Android 4.2 App Verification Service tested, found no substitute for full anti-malware tools

Google's App Verification Service is a quiet addition to Android 4.2, but potentially game-changing: it promises malware checks for any installable Android app, whether it comes from a Bouncer-verified Google Play or a website lurking in the shadows. NC State University Associate Professior Xuxian Jiang doesn't want to simply accept the claim at face value, though. He just pitted the service against 10 anti-malware apps to gauge its effectiveness at stopping a wide range of rogue code. The short summary? Don't quit your day job, Google. Among 1,260 samples, the App Verification Service caught 193 instances, or 15.32 percent -- well below the 50 percent of its closest challenger, and nowhere near the perfect scores of two apps. According to the professor, Google's shortcoming mostly comes from a relatively skin-deep routine that checks the SHA-1 value and install package name, not underlying code that's tougher to change. Android malware isn't a serious enough issue for us to be worried at present, but nor would we lean on the App Verification Service as our only safety net.

[Source: Engadget]

Android 4.1 Jelly Bean rollout begins for Droid RAZR HD, RAZR Maxx HD

All it took was two months and a weekend. True to its word from this past Friday, Verizon's begun rolling out the much anticipated Android 4.1 update to both the Droid RAZR HD and Droid RAZR Maxx HD. As our tips box can attest, OTA update notifications are slowly, but surely hitting users' devices, bringing with it Project Butter, Google Now and ISIS enhancements. But don't fret if you're not seeing anything just yet -- Big Red's noted that Jelly Bean will arrive "in phases," so you'll have to practice some patience. Or continue to mash that system update button. Your choice.

[Source: Engadget]

Facebook Messenger allows sign-ups with just a name and phone number on Android devices

Facebook Messenger might as well be as ubiquitous as SMS text messaging for some, but there's a catch to getting everyone to agree: despite there being over a billion Facebook users, not everyone is able (or willing) to fire up a social networking profile to get started. Some of the Android users among us won't have to go through that trouble as of today. An imminent update to the Facebook Messenger app will let anyone sign up using just their name and a phone number; any initial friends will come directly from the newcomer's own mobile contact list. The rollout is currently focusing on Australia, India, Indonesia, South Africa and Venezuela, but should spread to the rest of the world in short order. iOS users are also in line to get the update, although the timetable is less definite. Whatever the platform, Facebook is clearly eager to give those seemingly few holdouts from its service an easy way to test the waters -- and possibly save on their messaging rates in the process.

[Source: Engadget]

Gmail 4.2.1 for Android adds easier resizing, swipe features and more

That leaked Gmail APK we peeked at a month or so ago turned out to be right on the money. Google has just released version 4.2.1 of the Gmail app for Android, which does indeed add pinch-to-zoom on individual messages and swipe (left or right) to delete or archive. There are a couple of features we didn't see in the initial leak though, which are the ability to "auto-fit" a message to your phone's screen and a new thumbnail view of attached images -- you can then tap a thumbnail for a swipeable gallery. If still pictures aren't your bag, it's finally possible to attach phone-captured videos to an email as well. This version of Gmail is only available for phones with Android 4.0 or higher however, so older devices might be out of luck. If your device qualifies, you can download the new version of Gmail right now from the Google Play store.

[Source: Engadget]

Xbox SmartGlass for Android updated with official 7-inch tablet support

Microsoft brought its SmartGlass Xbox 360 second screen app to Android last month, however official support was limited to smartphones. While many found that sideloading got the app running on their other devices, an update today has officially added support for tablets of the 7-inch variety. There's also fixes for specific crashes tied to the achievements and settings screens, but not much else. If you've been waiting to bring your Nexus 7 along as GPS in Forza Horizon or control tracks in Dance Central 3, hit the source link to install the app straight from Google Play.

[Source: Engadget]

Sharp Cocorobo vacuum gets new Android app, lets you control it from afar

Perhaps in response to iRobot's recent Wireless Command Center, Sharp has introduced a new Android app that lets you remotely control the company's little Cocorobo while you're out of the house. You can map out your floor plan so that it'll know what objects to avoid, specify cleaning patterns and even receive carpet-view photos so you can admire the robot vacuum's handiwork. If you attach an optional Navi controller to its USB port, you can even use the app to control other Sharp devices like televisions, air conditioning systems and LED lights. Sharp also introduced a smaller version of the Cocorobo, the RX-V60, which measures about 4.7cm less than the original. Designed to fit in tighter spaces, the RX-V60 will be available in Japan for 75,000 yen ($900) starting December 13th. Check out the video after the break to peek at the new smartphone app and miniaturized vacuum 'bot.

[Source: Engadget]