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One last set of Droid DNA renders confirms earlier leaks

Nope, not done with the Droid DNA yet this morning. Our pals at @evleaks let loose another pair of renders of the coming Verizon smartphone, and this is the one I've been waiting for. The rear shot confirms the design is the same as in thepics we showed you back in October, and you can just make out the little holes to the left of the rear camera lens (even rez'd out here). It'll be interesting to see how much that camera housing sticks out from the body of the phone as well.
And it all line up with evleaks' other shots as well. It's safe to say this is it, folks.

We'll see you at Tuesday's launch in New York!

Source: @evleaks

Via: One last set of Droid DNA renders confirms earlier leaks

Apple and HTC settle patent suit

Agreement ends current lawsuits; license covers current and future patents for 10 years

Apple and HTC this evening in a joint statement announced they've settled their patent dispute and have agreed to a 10-year licenseof current and future patents.
Terms of the deal were not disclosed.
Here's the joint statement, released by HTC and Apple:

TAIPEI, Taiwan and CUPERTINO, CaliforniaNovember 10, 2012HTC and Apple have reached a global settlement that includes the dismissal of all current lawsuits and a ten-year license agreement. The license extends to current and future patents held by both parties. The terms of the settlement are confidential.
HTC is pleased to have resolved its dispute with Apple, so HTC can focus on innovation instead of litigation, said Peter Chou, CEO of HTC.
We are glad to have reached a settlement with HTC, said Tim Cook, CEO of Apple. We will continue to stay laser focused on product innovation.

The licensing deal covers all of HTC's products, company spokesman Jeff Gordon told Android Central this evening, which includes Android as well as its current Windows Phone stable. Gordon also said that "we do not expect this license agreement to have an adverse material impact on the financials of the company."
The two companies this year became embroiled in a suit over the method links were displayed to the user, whichultimately led to a temporary ban on the HTC One X for AT&T and its Sprint counterpart, the HTC EVO 4G LTE. That took some of the wind of the sails for those two devices, at least in the smartphone world, even though the EVO 4G LTE only missed its scheduled launch date by a week, and the HTC One X never really disappeared from store shelves.
The good news for end-users here is that the agreement, at least how it's described in the short statement, should keep HTC out of Apple's crosshairs for the next decade. That doesn't change the fact that HTC's still got some serious work ahead of it

Via: Apple and HTC settle patent suit

Apps of the Week: Need for Speed Most Wanted, Storage Analyser, Nexus Revamped LWP and more!

Apps of the Week

On this, the eve of the new Nexus, we have another set of great app picks for you. Spend a few bucks on some great games, pick up a couple of free productivity apps and take a look back at something retro with an old-school live wallpaper done right. So take a look, this is an all-star lineup you have to see.

Oh, and can you spot how many Nexuses there are in this post?

Alex Dobie - Need for Speed Most Wanted

Need For Speed Most Wanted

EA's Need for Speed: Most Wanted launched on Google Play in the past week or so, bringing a console-quality racer to Android devices. For the uninitiated, Need for Speed: Most Wanted is a street racing title by EA, in the vein of earlier NFS games and Criterion's Burnout series. There's a campaign-style single player mode, where you can race up to 35 different real-world cars across a variety of different locales. Steering is controlled by tilting your device, and actually works pretty well. As for the game itself, it's a spin on the classic racing genre, with a Burnout-style nitrous meter that fills proportional to your disregard for road safety. And as well as other racers, you'll need to watch out for traffic, police and the occasional road blocks that show up.

NFS's polished gameplay is matched by its gorgeous graphics. If you've got a high-end Tegra 3 or Exynos Quad device, you're in for a visual treat, with highly detailed vehicles and environments, as well as spectacular particle and reflection effects. It's a shining example of the kind of game experience that can be had on an Android device

Need for Speed: Most Wanted is available on Google Play for 4.79 in the UK, or $6.99 in the U.S.

Download: Need For Speed Most Wanted ($6.99)

Sean Brunett - Storage Analyser

Storage Analyser

Sometimes an app comes along that performs one function really well and thats the case with Storage Analyser. I install lots of apps on my devices and I put a lot of content on them. Due to this, I often find myself browsing my file managers to find out what is taking up the most space. This app automates that process and displays what is hogging your space. You can then delve deeper into the folders to find out the largest files within those and consequently what to delete. You can sort by size, name, date or number of files within a folder. This is a really handy and simple app. Highly recommended for anyone who likes to keep track of what specifically is taking up space on your devices. Oh, and in case youre wondering, it is spelled correctly. Silly Brits!

Download: Storage Analyser (Free)

Scott Young - Nexus Revamped Live Wallpaper

Nexus Revamped Live Wallpaper

The Nexus One was my first Android device. That being said, its Nexus live wallpaper holds a place near and dear to my heart. So when I stumbled upon the Nexus Revamped live wallpaper, it definitely piqued my interest. As you would imagine, it includes the "normal" Nexus wallpaper along with its Google colors. Besides the included preset colors, you can customize the colors of the particles or lines (whatever you'd like to call them) and you can choose from 12 different background images as well. However if you'd like your own custom image, that requires an upgrade to Nexus Revamped Pro for $1.53. More customization options include how the particles appear, their physics, reactions, and of course performance options so as you don't bog down your device (or its battery.) That being said, if you like the style of the original Nexus live wallpaper, but not the color scheme, then Nexus Revamped might be for you.

Download: Nexus Revamped Live Wallpaper (Free)

Jerry Hildenbrand - Oscura

Oscura

Oscura is a dark platform-style game, done in a style much like LIMBO for consoles or the PC. There once was a lighthouse, and it kept the "dark creatures" of the world at bay. But the lighthouse has exploded, and now the light is scattered across the world as crystal shards. Your job is to collect these shards, and bring some semblance of order back. The game itself is in silhouette, and downright beautiful.

As you progress, things become harder and harder. At first, you'll have to simply jump over enemies and obstacles, but soon enough you start getting pursued and things get a bit more hairy. The controls are simple -- hold to run, tap to jump, slide to enact the slow-time ability. The game progresses Angry Birds style, where you clear one area before going to the next. It's extremely fun, and available on devices running Gingerbread or higher.

Download: Oscura ($0.99)

Simon Sage - Superbrothers: Sword & Sworcery EP

Superbrothers: Sword & Sworcery EP

There were a lot of great games included in this batch of Humble Bundle for Android, but I think the most highly-anticipated one is Superbrothers: Sword & Sworcery EP. Though it has a lot of the conventions of point-and-click adventure games, it's the blocky, abstract art style and bizarre modern twist on generic fantasy plotlines that make Superbros a really unique experience. It also helps that the incredibly awesome soundtrack is included in Humble Bundle order, not to mention that anything you pay goes to an exceptionally good cause. It's still in beta, so there are a few display inconsistencies, but overall the core of the game is full intact.

Download: Superbrothers: Sword & Sworcery EP (Pay what you want)

Chris Parsons - Tumblr

Tumblr

If you're looking for a pretty cool spot to do some blogging, Tumblr is a great option. Over the past little while, they've been slowly revamping their Android app to make it better and the latest update added a whole slew of new features and improvements. If you checked it out before but deemed it pretty dreadful to use on a daily basis, give it another look -- you may be pleasantly surprised. If you're new to the app, now is a great time to jump in because the bumpy road of their app building process appears to be over and things are running smoother than ever before.

Download: Tumblr (Free)

Andrew Martonik - World of Goo

World of Goo

Heres another staple if youre looking for a great brain teaser or puzzle game. World of Goo has won numerous game awards from different publications, and after playing a few levels you can see why. The graphics and animations are very smooth and the music tracks fit the game well. The gameplay goes from simple to nearly impossible in a flash -- this one youll have to put some serious time into if you plan on beating it with high scores. Worth the $4.99 youll pay for the full version if youre looking for a fun, challenging game.

Download: World of Goo (Free); Paid ($4.99)

Richard Devine - Ghostbusters: Paranormal Blast

Ghostbusters: Paranormal Blast

Who ya gonna call? That's right, the Ghostbusters. Augmented reality has been one of those technologies that's never really grabbed me. That is, until i found this game in Google Play. Ghostbusters: Paranormal Blast puts you in the shoes of a new recruit at the famous ghost hunters. But, instead of some make believe place, the ghosts you need to go get are overlayed onto a map of your local area. Then, when you go fight, those ghoulies will appear in front of you using your devices camera. Then, you zap, kapow and gersplat them, contain within a ghost trap and head on home.

There's different levels of difficulty, and points and stuff to gain. But, the main reason you'll want this game? The Stay Puft Marshmallow Man.

Download: Ghostbusters: Paranormal Blast ($1.99)

Via: Apps of the Week: Need for Speed Most Wanted, Storage Analyser, Nexus Revamped LWP and more!

LG Escape review

LG Express.

While the LG Escape isnt brand new, nor was its release back in September exactly hotly anticipated, we here at Android Central are nothing if not thorough, and we believe that everyone should have all facts before they throw down some sawbucks on a new phone. Here, well take a brief look at LGs entry-level device and how the $50 Escape fares against the rest of AT&Ts portfolio, just in time for the holiday season.

For $50, LG has created an entry-level device that delivers top-shelf performance and style. The Escape is nimble and blazes on AT&T's LTE network. The Escape's display isn't quite full HD but nevertheless looks quite remarkable.	The Escape's battery life was just average, and the camera is truly disappointing. For $50 more, you could buy one of the best Android devices on the market today, the HTC One X.

In terms of bang for your buck, you can't really do much better than the LG Escape. It's got super-fast performance, blazing LTE speeds, and a style that takes its cues from LG's current superstar, the Optimus G. But at that price, LG had to make some sacrifices, and the camera will leave you wanting more. If you are serious about sticking to budget, there really isn't a better option on AT&T this holiday season.

Inside this review	More info
Hardware review Software review Camera tests Wrap-up	LG Escapespecs

The one-take walkthrough

LG Escape hardware

LG Escape

Physically speaking, the Escape is a $50 version of the Optimus G;all of the subtle touches of LGs latest device strategy are in place here, but theyre done so on a much tighter budget. The Escapes trim is of a textured finish, similar to its flagship cousins, that makes losing your grip of the device no fault of the Escapes. The Escapes rear shares the crystallized texture of the Optimus G, though this backplate is removable and comes in the form of a designed plastic rather than glasswork. Pry it open and youll find your microSD and SIM card slots, along with a 2,150 mAh battery, capable of squeezing just around a full days worth of usage out of the device. I took the Escape off of the charger at 7 a.m. every day and never found myself searching for a plug until at least 9 p.m. that evening.

LG escape.

The Escape packs a lot into a relatively thin and light profileat just .37 inches thick and weighing 4.5 ounces, this device escapes the curse of thick and heavy entry level phones. Most impressive among these components is the IPS display- at 4.5 inches with a qHD 960x540 resolution, this screen is so much more than sufficient, offering excellent color reproduction, viewing angles, and contrast. Its nowhere near the full HD display on the Optimus G, but again, its hard to fault at $50.

LG escape.

What keeps the Escape ticking is a 1.2 GHz dual-core Snapdragon S4 processor, similar (though underclocked) to what we see on Motorolas RAZR HD line as well as the Galaxy S 3. Coupled with a full gig of RAM, the Escape is no slouch, and consistently puts up some impressive benchmark totals. In real-world usage, I never managed to find a way to slow the Escape down, despite how much I tried. The Escape performs with some serious oomph, though dont get greedy and expect flagship-level performance. Youll find some stutters along the way during a graphically-robust game here and there, but for the most part, the Escape can handle whatever you throw at it.

LG escape.

Adding to the Escapes pleasurable user experience is its LTE capabilitiesthanks to AT&Ts seriously impressive network, youll reach some mind-blowing speeds. Here in New York City, I consistently pulled 15-20 Mbps down, and with upload speeds falling between 8 and 12 Mbps. Weve officially entered LTE for everyone territorygone are the days of high speeds being restricted to high price tags.

Software

LG escape.

After having used the Optimus G, the Intuition, and now the Escape, I can say that LG has made a conscious effort to create a uniform, consistent user experience across its portfolio. Thats a good thing, and it shows that LG has realized that the smartphone game has become more than a spec war. LG is creating an identity for itself, and has made the Optimus UI as identifiable as its TouchWiz and Sense competitors.

But creating an identity is only the first stepto stay relevant, LG must commit to the upgrade process. As of right now, all three of its major devices ship with Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich, which has become painfully stale and outdated. LGs UI does its best to spruce things up, but it can only do so much. Fret notICS is still fast and smooth, but once youve tasted the sweetness of Jelly Bean, its hard to go back.

Just like on the Optimus G and Intuition, the Escape is packed to the brim with LGs custom touches. The skin here is light and eye-catching, with a focus on color, cartoonish icons, and dramatic transitions. At first glance you might even mistake it for TouchWiz, though LG fans will quickly point out how bloated Samsungs UI has become.

LG escape.

What youll be most interested in here is the Escapes NFC capabilities, along with Quick Memo and Smart Share. The latter apps have become staples of LGs UI, and really do add quite a big of functionality to the companys devices. Smart Share is your typical media sharing service, beaming your photos, videos, media between all DLNA-certified devices in your home. Quick Memo is LGs super-useful S-Memo knock off, which allows you to draw directly on your display with the simultaneous press of the volume up and down keys. If youve used Quick Memo on the Optimus G, youll notice that the only thing missing here is the ability to keep your notes on the screen while navigating around your device. Ill chalk this up to the Escapes limited horsepower. Quick Memo is most capable on the Intuition thanks to LGs Rubberdiem pen, though it does just fine without it on the Escape.

LG Escape camera

LG escape.

Youll find the biggest and most obvious side-effects of the Escapes budget-friendly pricetag in the devices photographs. The 5 MP rear camera, the device's sole shooter, retains most of the Optimus Gs goodies, including Cheese Shot (say cheese and the camera will snap) and a plethora of settings and filters, though it lacks the flagships raw quality. Auto-focus is slower than average here, and the results are soft and at times washed-out. The optics here just cannot compete with what were seeing on todays flagships, but this is a trend were beginning to get used to: budget-friendly phones may now include bigger and better processors and displays , but cameras are still the corners that are most often cut.

LG escape camera

The bottom line

LG escape.

Lets keep this succinct: if youre an AT&T customer with $50 to burn, the Escape must not be overlooked. Its main competition is the Samsung Rugby Smart, but that devices rugged exterior is meant for a niche and not the mainstream. Sure, you could go for a last-gen device that has dropped in price, but HTC Vivid and Samsung Captivate Glide are downright dinosaurs. And while the LG Nitro offers a better display, its dated UI is not nearly as refined as the Escapes.

Now, if you can somehow double that $50, your options open up dramatically. The Xperia TL and the HTC One X are both available for $100 and run circles around the Escape in terms of both hardware and software. But wouldnt we all love to just pick another $50 off the money tree?

The Escape offers solid performance and a great display for an unbeatable price. At $50 youll have to sacrifice a stellar camera, mind-blowing battery life, and full HD detail, but for a pocket full of extra spending cash, these are sacrifices Id be more than willing to make.