Android 2.2 (FroYo) on HTC Evo 4G: Impressions and Benchmarks

I’ve been playing around with Android 2.2 on my HTC Evo 4G (Sprint) since last night. It’s pretty impressive so far — everything is snappier, the web browser is faster and has Flash, and there are some nice UI changes (love the ones in Gmail!).

To measure the performance gain, I used GreeneComputing’s Linpack for Android. I tested the Evo 4G before and after the installation of Android 2.2. For comparisons sake, I included the results of a Motorola Droid X running Android 2.1. The results (higher is better) were pretty nuts:

  • Evo 4G (Android 2.1): 4.355 MFLOPs
  • Droid X (Android 2.1): 8.239 MFLOPs
  • Evo 4G (Android 2.2): 37.593

As you can see, FroYo adds a pretty significant boost to performance. While real-world results will not be nine times faster, the speed boost is obvious. I’m going to write more detailed impressions of FroYo on the HTC Evo 4G later this week. Of course I might just sell the phone because the CSRs at Sprint are incompetent…but that’s another story.

RIM Security Too Good, BlackBerry Banned in United Arab Emirates

The Telecommunications Regulatory Authority of the United Arab Emirates has issued a ban on RIM BlackBerry phones and service starting October 11, 2010. Here’s the skinny:

The TRA confirmed today that Blackberry Messenger, Blackberry E-mail and Blackberry Web-browsing services in the UAE will be suspended as of October 11th 2010. The suspension is a result of the failure of ongoing attempts, dating back to 2007, to bring Blackberry services in the UAE in line with UAE telecommunications regulations.

From what I understand, RIM is being penalized because its security is too advanced for the TRA. The agency likes to keep close tabs on UAE citizens and appears unable to hack RIM’s BlackBerry Enterprise Service (BES) and BlackBerry Internet Service (BIS). I find the whole matter hilarious (you know, in that nerd way). RIM is going to miss out on one of the world’s burgeoning economies because it’s too good. Mobile handset makers that are less capable and/or secure have a huge opportunity in the UAE because of RIM’s competence.

Perhaps the TRA should recommend iPhone 4’s to everyone and get AT&T to provide service. If things get out of hand, blocking frisky communications is only a “death grip” away. I kid, I kid. You know I love the iPhone 4.

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Sony Announces PlayStation Network Summer Sale

Sony has announced its PlayStation Network Summer Sale. There are a bunch of discounted goodies in the mix. Check out the list and let me know if you plan on picking anything up. Perhaps one of the games can be designated for an RPad.tv Invitational if enough of us buy it. Remember, the prices are good until August 9, 2010.

PS3
Fat Princess – $7.49 sale; $14.99 reg.
PixelJunk Shooter – $4.99 sale; $9.99 reg.
Groovin’ Blocks – $4.99 sale; $9.99 reg.
Madden NFL Arcade – $7.49 sale; $14.99 reg.
Wakeboarding HD – $7.49 sale; $14.99 reg.

PSP
The Eye of Judgment Legends – $14.99 sale; $29.99 reg.
echoshift – $7.49 sale; $14.99 reg.
Patchwork Heroes – $4.99 sale; $9.99 reg.
Grand Theft Auto Chinatown Wars – $14.99 sale; $29.99 reg.
Lunar Silver Star Harmony – $14.99 sale; $29.99 reg.

minis
Tetris – $4.99 sale; $9.99 reg.
Dracula Undead Awakenings – $2.49 sale; $4.99 reg.
Monsters Probably Stole My Princess – $2.49 sale; $4.99 reg.
Zombie Tycoon – $2.49 sale; $4.99 reg.
Bloons – $1.49 sale; $2.99 reg.

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EA Create Announcement Video

Here’s a video of Electronic Arts’ Create, a recently announced title that blends gameplay and game design. A lot of people are comparing it to Sony’s LittleBigPlanet. Certainly there are similarities, but Create appears to have enough features that differentiate it from Media Molecule’s award-winning game. Furthermore, it has the benefit of being a multiplatform title.

Check out the trailer and let me know what you think (please!). Will Create be able to reach a broader market than LittleBigPlanet thanks to being multiplatform and geared towards younger gamers? Will it be the media darling that LittleBigPlanet was? Are any of you interested in this game or games like it?

NBA Jam Gets Manute Bol and Spud Webb

As if having the legendary Detlef Schrempf wasn’t enough, EA Sports has revealed that the late Manute Bol and the diminutive Spud Webb will be featured in the NBA Jam remake. This downloadable game brings back the old-school gameplay of the original and modernizes it with motion controls. I checked out NBA Jam for Shacknews during E3 2010 and mentioned some of the NBA legends featured in the game:

The game also features NBA legend Detlef Schrempf…as well as Earvin “Magic” Johnson, Larry Bird, Dennis Rodman, James Worthy, Hakeem Olajuwon, Clyde Drexler, and Kevin McHale.

Sorry…just wanted to quote myself. More importantly, creative director Trey Smith told ESPN’s Jon Robinson:

I’m able to confirm are Bird, Magic, Hakeem Olajuwon, Dennis Rodman, James Worthy, Kevin McHale, Detlef Schrempf, Spud Webb and Manute Bol. Manute was such a special guy and did so much humanitarian work. When he died, that really broke our heart. It was important for us to get him in the game, and he’s such a great shot blocker in the game, which is so important in “Jam.” We’re very honored to have him in the game.

That’s cool that the devs put Bol in the game as a tribute. He should have an alternate lion costume as a bonus. Dude did kill a lion after all.

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Do Your Political Beliefs Impact Your Videogame Shopping?

I recently watched this interesting video about a woman that’s boycotting Target due to a political contribution made by the company. According to Game Politics, Target donated $150,000 to MN Forward. Here’s the deal:

The contribution to MN Forward is also being used to run ads for Republican Gubernatorial Tom Emmer, who, according to CBS News, opposes same-sex marriage, angering another whole segment of consumers.

The site also noted that Best Buy contributed $100,000 to MN Forward as well. These are two massive retailers. I’m sure that most of you have purchased games, electronics, etc. at Best Buy and/or Target. Would you still buy games from these stores if they donated to a political cause you oppose? Do your political beliefs outweigh the convenience and prices offered by these companies? I’m curious to hear your thoughts on the matter. (And no, this article wasn’t written to guilt you into buying more from my Amazon links.)

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Coffee Talk #191: Will Mice Become Niche Gamer Products?

So I’m still thinking about Apple’s Magic Trackpad (way more than I ought to). It’s more than that though. I’m thinking about the evolution of input methods. Games started with Pong paddles, moved onto joysticks, which gave way to gamepads, which are currently being overshadowed by the dawn of motion controls. Phones had rotary dials, eventually started using digital keys, and now use touchscreens.

Welcome to Coffee Talk! Let’s start off the day by discussing whatever is on your (nerd chic) mind. Every morning I’ll kick off a discussion and I’m counting on you to participate in it. If you’re not feelin’ my topic, feel free to start a chat with your fellow readers and see where it takes you. Whether you’re talking about videogames, Lady Gaga being so forthcoming about her cocaine use, Lance Berkman (really?!?), or if electric cars will take off this time around, Coffee Talk is the place to do it.

So I’m still thinking about Apple’s Magic Trackpad (way more than I ought to). It’s more than that though. I’m thinking about the evolution of input methods. Games started with Pong paddles, moved onto joysticks, which gave way to gamepads, which are currently being overshadowed by the dawn of motion controls. Phones had rotary dials, eventually started using digital keys, and now use touchscreens.

What’s fascinating about personal computers is that the input method hasn’t really changed in more than 25 years. The vast majority of users out there still use a keyboard and mouse to interact with their computer. This just seems ridiculous to me. Mice are mostly inefficient and certainly dated. Whether it’s the Magic Trackpad or some other device, I can’t wait until the mouse is displaced as the most common input device.

Having said that, I still think that mice are the best choice for PC gaming. Will mice eventually becoming niche products that are purchased mainly by gamers? Will mice become the minority by the end of this decade? Or are people to comfortable and familiar with them? To paraphrase Johnny 5, I want your thoughts on “input”!

Sony to Overtake Microsoft in the Near Future?

A good number of my gaming industry colleagues believe that it’s only a matter of time before the global installed based of the Sony PlayStation 3 overtakes that of the Microsoft Xbox 360. I lean that way myself, but don’t want to make any predictions (I’ll leave that to Pachter). With that in mind, I was surprised by the number crunching and gathering done by Industry Gamers. The race is way closer than I thought it was. Check it out:

The respective global installed bases for the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 are showing 41.7 million units sold for Microsoft and 38.1 million for Sony. That’s a difference of just 3.6 million units on a worldwide basis, and considering that Microsoft got a full 1-year head start with the Xbox 360, it shows how strong Sony has come on of late.

It shows that Sony is doing something very right, or that Microsoft is doing something wrong and failed to really capitalize on its early jump on the next-gen market. Numerous analysts have said that PS3 could pass Xbox 360 in the years ahead, and if this PS3 sales pace keeps up, and if Microsoft doesn’t jump start its business with Kinect this holiday, then we could easily see it happening. Over the last fiscal year, 10.3 million Xbox 360 consoles were sold, but Sony shifted 14.3 million PS3 units.

Q4 2010 will be extremely interesting. Will Microsoft be able to snag new customers with Kinect? Will Sony be able to do the same with Move? Will Sony be able to maintain its momentum? Under optimum conditions, there’s a chance that Sony will be able to close the gap by the end of the year — something I didn’t think was possible until 2011.

Most importantly, I want to know what you think of these numbers. How do you think things will play out in 2010? Leave your predictions in the comments section (please)! You can even give yourself a two-million unit margin of error like Michael Pachter.

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Unlocked iPhone 4 Available in Canada and Mexico…FML

In a move that’s fantastic for our neighbors to the north and south (and sucks for me!), Apple is selling the iPhone 4 unlocked in Canada and Mexico. The unlocked Canadian version has common knowledge for weeks, but the Mexican version is new news. Not only does Mexico have the better version of Coke, it also has the superior version of the iPhone 4.

Yay for Canada and Mexico…. Yes, I’m in the bitter barn right now. Visiting my Zoe in Vancouver or taking a long weekend in Cabo would be fun…but I should save the money for a new computer. (Jokingly) FML.

Apple’s Magic Trackpad Hinting at Mac OS’ Multi-Touch Future?

I’ve been thinking a lot about the Apple Magic Trackpad lately. You might think it’s crazy (Ric Ocasek!) to spend time thinking about an input peripheral, but I think the Magic Trackpad is more than that. I’m positive that the device is a gateway to Mac OS’ multi-touch future.

Think about it for a few minutes (Ha! Now I have you thinking about input devices. Win.) Apple has done a ton with multi-touch on the iPhone, iPod Touch, and iPad. I think the company is going to go even heavier on touch features with Mac OS. Sure, there are lots of multi-touch gestures that are currently supported, but I think that Apple will design future operating systems with multi-touch in mind from the start. Obviously a touchscreen 27″ iMac would be ridiculous, but controlling a huge screen with a Magic Trackpad totally works.

There are a few reasons Apple would do this. First of all, it realizes that mice are archaic and inefficient. More importantly, it keeps with its “walled garden” approach. By having a familiar touch experience on iPhone, iPad, iPod, and Mac products, Apple makes it harder for its customers to leave for competing products.

I’m pretty sure I’m right about Mac OS going way heavier with touch in the near future. I just need Microsoft’s Steve Ballmer to dismiss it, then I’d be 100-percent sure I’m right. What do you think of my postulations on Mac OS’ multi-touch future? Am I spot on? Am I crazy?