Live stream all NCAA March Madness games with official Android app

Jordan Kahn

With March Madness kicking off March 13, Android users now have an official app to follow as the 67 games take place between now and April 2. That free app released by Turner Sports Interactive packs a ton of features, including live radio of all games, social media streams for teams, a channel guide for TBS, CBS, TNT, and truTV, and the ability to track the live updated bracket during the tournament. You can also fill out an official NCAA Bracket Challenge bracket from within the app.

You can grab the free NCAA March Madness Live app from Google Play now. Turner is also offering a $3.99 in-app upgrade that will get you a live stream of all games, Final Four practices, and much more. Here’s what’s included in the upgraded version with a list of supported devices:

Read more

Instagram coming to Android soon: ‘In some ways, it’s better than our iOS app’

Jordan Kahn

Cofounder of the leading iOS photo-sharing app “Instagram” Kevin Systrom recently announced at SXSW (via TechCrunch) that the app has now reached over 27 million registered users. He also briefly teased the highly anticipated Android version of Instagram, which Systrom had an early build of running on his device at the show. The good news is, while we do not have a solid release date, Systrom said the company is taking its time to make sure the Android version is not just a scaled port of the iOS app:

“I don’t think it took us so long. We just had priorities. Had we tried to be both on Android and iPhone at the same time, it would’ve been tough to innovate in the way that we have”

Systrom also said the Android app is, “In some ways, it’s better than our iOS app. It’s crazy.” TechCrunch reported Instagram cofounder Mike Krieger said the Android team is “pretty impressed” with the app’s ability to differentiate itself from the iOS version. Unfortunately, the executives said the current build of the app was not ready for a full demo, which means we are likely still a few months out. We will keep you posted.
Read more

AT&T’s LTE network rolling out to 12 new areas starting next month

Jordan Kahn

AT&T made things official this morning for 12 new locations getting access to its LTE network starting in April. The press release does not give specifics for each location, but it said Cleveland would get access “soon” with the rollout for the other cities starting next month and stretching into the summer. Check out the full list of locations and AT&T’s press release after the break.
Read more

Sprint announces $19.99 ZTE Fury for March 11

Jordan Kahn

Today, Sprint announced the “ZTE Fury,” which is by all accounts a great Android alternative to the iPhone 3GS, and debuts for $20 on contract (after rebate) on March 11. The device is clearly an entry-level Android handset, but it packs some pretty decent specs with a 3.5-inch display, 1GHz Snapdragon processor, 4G of onboard memory, 5-megapixel camera with flash, and up to 8 hours talk time with a 1500 mAh battery. It can also act as a 3G hotspot and is marketed as a family-friendly device due to the press release mentioning Sprint’s Family Locator, Mobile Controls, and Drive First app. However, those services will each cost extra. For example: The Drive First service allows you to redirect incoming calls to voicemail when driving over 10 MPH for just $2 per month.

Sprint’s full press release is after the break.

Read more

Sony’s Music Unlimited Android app updated with offline playback

Jordan Kahn

In addition to the rollout of the paid streaming music service on its own PlayStation Vita handheld today, Sony also updated the Music Unlimited mobile app on Google Play. The update only brings one new feature: The ability to download and listen to playlists offline. To enable the new feature, “Go to My Library, choose Playlists, and press the options button (+) for the playlist you want to make available offline.” You can find the updated app on Google Play here. The separate tablet app has not received an update yet.
Read more

These Verizon phones will get Ice Cream Sandwich updates

Jordan Kahn

There are not many huge surprises on the list, but Verizon made things official for users wondering if their device will be getting an update to Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich. However, Verizon did not provide any specific dates for when the updates might be rolling out. If you are still in the dark about your device, head past the break to see if it made the cut.

Read more