Eric Abent

Author: Eric Abent

Verizon turns on 4G LTE in 29 new markets

By Eric Abent
on 20 Dec, 2012

We've been talking a lot about AT&T's aggressive 4G LTE roll out lately, but today it's Verizon's turn. The nation's largest carrier announced today that it has launched 4G LTE service in a whopping 29 markets, bringing the total number of LTE markets up to an absurd 470. At last check, AT&T had just under 200 markets where LTE service was up and running, so Verizon has quite a large lead on the other carriers in the US.

Samsung bests Nokia to become top smartphone brand for 2012

By Eric Abent
on 18 Dec, 2012

The competition to become the top smartphone brand is definitely cutthroat, and it's one that Nokia has dominated for the past 14 years. It looks like that'll all change soon, with Samsung poised to take that first place spot from Nokia to become the top smartphone brand in 2012. That's according to a new IHS iSuppli report, which claims that Samsung will account for 29% of all smartphone shipments by the end of the year.

Jelly Bean updates for Galaxy S II reportedly delayed

By Eric Abent
on 18 Dec, 2012

We've been talking a lot about Jelly Bean updates for the Samsung Galaxy S III lately, and all the while, the large number of Galaxy S II owners have been waiting patiently for news of their update. We've got some news to share with you today courtesy of the folks over at SamMobile, but unfortunately it isn't good. It would appear that the Jelly Bean update for the Galaxy S II won't arrive until sometime in 2013, so owners still have a bit of wait ahead of them.

AT&T keeps 4G LTE train rolling in Tucson, Green Bay

By Eric Abent
on 18 Dec, 2012

Look at AT&T go! It wasn't very long ago we last told you about AT&T's continued 4G LTE expansion, and now the carrier has given us more to report about today. AT&T has turned on 4G LTE service in five new markets across the US while expanding service in others, so it's going to be a good day for a lot of people as far as mobile data speeds are concerned.

ZTE Grand Era LTE flaunts its dual-mode LTE

By Eric Abent
on 18 Dec, 2012

ZTE today revealed its first dual-mode LTE smartphone in Hong Kong, the ZTE Grand Era LTE. This phone is billed to be part of the launch of China Mobile Hong Kong's first commercial converged TD-LTE / LTE FDD network, so it should end up being a pretty big deal over there. While dual-LTE is undoubtedly going to be the star of this show, there are some pretty solid specs to boost that functionality up.

Android Community Nightly: December 14th 2012

By Eric Abent
on 14 Dec, 2012

We've arrive at Friday evening once again, but before we dive into the weekend, here's the big Android news from the day. Today Motorola Atrix HD users received their long-awaited Jelly Bean update, as did Galaxy S III users on Verizon, so overall it was a pretty good day for those craving Jelly Bean. Speaking of Jelly Bean, Acer might be planning a new handset called the V360 running Google's latest version of the Android OS, and today we spotted an absurdly large 8.5-inch phone from Huawei.

Rovio cuts mobile game prices for winter sale

By Eric Abent
on 14 Dec, 2012

If you've been eyeing an HD version of one of Rovio's games but didn't want to shell out full price, then you'll be pleased to know that the company has dropped the prices on all of its games in a new winter sale. Of course, you can get the standard, ad-supported versions for free, but for some HD goodness, Rovio is now only charging $1. That isn't bad for an HD game, so it's time to stock up.

Second Avengers Initiative episode adds Captain America

By Eric Abent
on 14 Dec, 2012

The first episode of Avengers Initiative is still relatively young, but that isn't stopping about Marvel Games from talking about what will be going down in episode two. Today we're finding out that you'll be able to play as Captain America in episode two, though unfortunately we don't have a release date for the episode just yet. Still, the news that Captain America is featured in the next episode should be enough to get many players excited.

Cheezburger Network comes to Android with official app

By Eric Abent
on 14 Dec, 2012

Most of us are probably guilty of browsing sites like Cheezburger when we should be working, but now you can waste time on Cheezburger anytime, anywhere. That's thanks to the Cheezburger Network's new Android app, which went live on the Google Play Store today. With this app, you can check out those silly meme images the Internet has grown to love anytime the mood strikes. What more could one want?

Android Community Nightly: December 13th, 2012

By Eric Abent
on 13 Dec, 2012

Today started off with a bang, as PowerA and Gameloft decided to give away free MOGA controllers and copies of Modern Combat 4 to go along with them. Unsurprisingly, the traffic flooding PowerA's website forced the company to pull it off the web for a little while. A new 6.3-inch Galaxy Note III is rumored for reveal next year, with Last.fm announcing today that it will soon pull the plug on its free radio service. Three UK announced today that it will be offering the LG Nexus 4, while EE confirmed plans to roll out 4G LTE to 17 new markets in the UK.