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For all of our enthusiastic, driven, motivated and committed developers in the Android community, your eyes might perk up at this. Google is planning to host a $100K Developer's Challenge Contest for their modular mobile smart-device, Project Ara. At the second day of the Project Ara developers’ conference which just kicked off this week, they announced the developers’ challenge. It will kick off in May and Google plans to run it through September. The grand prize will be $100,000 USD.

Official rules have not been posted yet, but here's a quote with the known details,

In addition to the first prize cash payout, Google says the top two runners-up will receive all expense paid trips for a small team of two or three people to a future Ara devcon along with hardware supplied by Google to be used to continue development of their concept. Google says the official rules will include both subjective and objective criteria, including the likelihood that the module can be employed in daily use and whether it is unique to the platform. Other criteria will include factors like novelty of the proposal, the quality and elegance of the tech implementation, the scale of the module’s impact, and potential for commercialization.

To participate, developers will have to submit an abstract describing their proposed project and a hardware loan agreement. Google, in partnership with Toshiba, will provide a free package that includes a Unipro bridge and field-programmable gate arrays. Developers will be responsible for creating their own drivers and any apps needed for testing.

Sound off if you plan on jumping in on this opportunity.

Source: TalkAndroid

It seems that Google may not be the only company looking to create even cheaper mobile handsets. According to some new intel, Motorola may be planning to offer a new device which is actually cheaper than their already very affordable Moto G. According to docs from the Brazilian version of the FCC, Moto registered three devices using Motorola XT 102(x) name variations: XT 1021, XT 1022 and XT 1025 specifically.

One is a high-end device, one is a mid-tier device, and the other is a budget-friendly device. The source of this intel speculates that the cheapest version of this new Motorola phone could have a street price that is less than $150. This would make it even more affordable than the Moto G. Some specs were leaked of the lowest end of these devices. Here's a quote with the details,

Thanks to Brazilian-based Tecnoblog, we have learned that three new Motorola handset models have passed through Anatel — Brazil’s equivalent of the FCC: the XT 1021, XT 1022 and XT 1025. All three models are basically said to be the same device but with the first having just a single SIM slot, the second with dual-SIM and the third with both dual-SIM and a digital TV tuner. It’s interesting to note that this isn’t the first evidence of the new Motorola XT 102(x) series, as the XT 1021 actually passed through the FCC a little over a month ago, rocking AT&T-friendly 3G capabilities.

So what exactly can we expect from the Motorola XT 102(x)? If Tecnoblog’s leaked details prove correct, this could be a very modest entry-level handset. Specifically the phone is said to offer a 1.2Ghz dual-core CPU, 1GB RAM, a 4.3-inch display, 4GB storage and a 1900 mAh battery. Reportedly the handset will also offer Android 4.4 KitKat out of the box.

What do you guys think? Do you think this downward pressure on mobile device pricing will eventually bring costs for all smartphones down?

Source: AndroidAuthority

Unconfirmed reports indicated that Google may be planning to bring forth a sub-$100 Nexus smartphone sometime this year. The device will be designed for a mid-range category, yet will be extra affordable, sporting a MediaTek processor. So far, there has been no indication as to which manufacturer Google plans to have build this ultra-affordable smartphone.

The intel also doesn't specify any feature details regarding the device. It is highly likely that Google will offer a new Nexus 5 or perhaps a Nexus 6 smartphone. Which numeric moniker Google might give this rumored cheap Nexus phone remains a mystery. Perhaps we will know more at the yearly developers conference in late June, but we wouldn't bet on that.

We will keep you posted with more details if anything comes up.

Source: BGR

Do you ever miss the days of classic RPGs on the PC? Do you have fond memories of the Baldur's Gate series from Black Isle Studios and wish you could relive some of that gaming magic? Even if you haven't played the Baldur's Gate D&D games on the PC, if you are a fan of that style of fantasy gaming, then you owe it to yourself to check out the newest thing to come to Android. Baldur's Gate Enhanced Edition is now available for Android and can be found on the Google Play Store for $9.99. The price is a bit steep compared to the typical app/game for Android, but that price is really a bargain for the 100+ hours (including sidequests) of fun you will get from this immense and enjoyable game.

This isn't just a straight port of the game either. The "Enhanced Edition" moniker serves it well. Free-roam zooming, high-resolution fonts, and other UI tweaks breathe fresh life into the 16 year old game. On top of that, the Baldur's Gate Enhanced Edition includes the two expansion packs (Tales of the Sword Coast and The Black Pits) built-in, and there is new content (some of which requires in-app purchase). Even if you never try out any of this extra paid content, you will be hard pressed to find a more enjoyable RPG experience on Android.

Here's a quote from the Google Play Store with a full game description,

The dawn is especially cruel this morning...
For as long as you can remember, your view of the world has been limited to the heavily fortified walls of Candlekeep. Your foster father, Gorion, has done everything in his power to protect you and keep you out of harm’s way.

All of that is about to change. Forced to leave your home under mysterious circumstances, you find yourself drawn into a conflict that has the Sword Coast on the brink of war. An iron shortage of unknown origin threatens to plunge the city of Baldur’s Gate into conflict with Amn. Meanwhile, there is something else at work, far more sinister than you can even begin to fathom...

Since its release in 1998, this classic saga of mystery, intrigue, and adventure has set the standard for Dungeons & Dragons™ computer roleplaying games. Customize your hero’s traits and abilities, recruit a party of brave allies, and explore the far corners of the Sword Coast in your search for adventure, profit… and the truth.

Baldur's Gate: Enhanced Edition contains the original 60-hour epic, as well as the following expansions:
* Tales of the Sword Coast: Explore the fabled Durlag’s Tower and more locations from the original Baldur’s Gate expansion.
* The Black Pits: You have been captured and forced to fight in Baeloth’s marvelous arena. A myriad of monsters await, as well as countless other adventurers who face the same fate. Maim, murder, and maul your way to freedom… if you can!
* Discover countless improvements we’ve made to the original game, including high-resolution fonts, an improved interface, dynamic zooming, and more!

Baldur's Gate: Enhanced Edition also offers the following premium content available for purchase:
* Brothers Lost: Lend your aid to Rasaad yn Bashir, the Sun Soul monk, as he scours the Cloud Peaks in search of his lost brother.
* Neera and the Red Wizards: Save the wild mage Neera from the cruel machinations of Thay’s dreaded Red Wizards.
* Path of the Bloodied: Join the blackguard Dorn Il-Khan in taking revenge against those who betrayed him in Luskan.
* Gallery of Heroes: Reimagine your character with eleven never-before-seen character portraits from acclaimed Icewind Dale artist Jason Manley!
* New professionally recorded voice sets to choose from to further customize your character.

Source: Google Play Store

After some expensive marketing mis-steps, it looks like HTC is getting serious about fixing their image. Several reports indicate they just hired Paul Golden on a temporary contract. Paul Golden was the Chief Marketing Officer for Samsung and was one of the spear-heads for the massively successful "Next Big Thing" ad campaign which saw Samsung poking fun at their competition (especially Apple).

This is a major coup for HTC. If Golden can work his magic for HTC, then we might finally see the company rise to prominence once again. It certainly will be nice to see a third player in the smartphone world with the power to take on the Samsung-Apple duopoly.

Paul Golden will be directly advising chairperson Cher Wang. The question is... will it be "too little too late", or "just in the nick of time"?

Source: Bloomberg

If you are a Verizon LG G2 owner you may want to snap up the Verizon Software Upgrade Assistant PC Tool. This will allow you to upgrade your G2 to Android KitKat. This update is build VS98024A. Verizon has yet to offer a full changelog, but if you guys find one, please post it in this thread.

To get this update should be pretty easy actually. You just need to hook up your LG G2 to your Windows PC through the USB port. A prompt should pop-up asking you to install the PC Tool automatically. After that you just need to follow the prompts which will eventually lead you to tasty KitKat treat for your device.

Sound off and let us know how it works out for you.

It looks like Verizon is trying to "wring" more profit out of their Motorola Droid line. They just announced two 16GB versions of the device which are basically just new color variants. One comes in a glossy red shell, while the other is kevlar black with chrome accents.

Here's a quote with a few more of the details,

Looking at the DROID MAXX as your next smartphone? Good news: the device is now available in two new colors – High Gloss Red and Black with Chrome Accents. And it comes with Android 4.4 KitKat, so users get the latest features right from the start.

Both new color models of the DROID MAXX 16GB by Motorola are available online starting today for $99.99 with a new two-year activation and will be available in Verizon Wireless stores beginning April 22. The Verizon Edge program is also available for eligible customers who want to upgrade, and MORE Everything is available for customers who want to add the new smartphone and share data on the nation’s largest and most reliable 4G LTE network.

Here's the VZW source link with more info: DROID MAXX - 4G LTE

If you get bored easily then you will probably quickly find yourself bored with the UI of that shiny new phone you just purchased. No worries, you can quickly give your device a fresh look by installing a custom launcher and some custom icons. The "Focus" icon pack by developer "Kevin3328" will give your device that new feeling that you are after. This set of icons is designed to appear as if they are rendered in the lens of a focused camera. Just imagine staring at your favorite app icons through the view finder of a DSLR. This is what you get with the focus icons. Each icon includes a thick, circular, raised border. The logo of the icon pops off the background and cast a light shadow. These icons really appear to hover over your screen. You will need to be running a custom launcher such as Nova, Apex, ADW, Smart, Action, or any other launcher that utilizes the app filter system.

The icon pack includes a comprehensive dashboard which will make applying these icons a breeze. It also includes a custom wallpaper gallery with 5 unique wallpapers, icon mask which allows every app icon in your drawer to be themed, 325 hand themed app icons, and more. This icon pack will only set you back a cool $1.50. Head to the Play link below for the download.

Via Play Store