Movies Games and Tech

Call of Duty: Black Ops Zombies is coming to Android

Andrew Edney

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Aug 6, 2012

Call of Duty: Black Ops Zombies is coming to Android

Call of Duty: Black Ops Zombies the fan-favourite app based on the popular Zombies mode from Treyarch’s and Activision’s record-setting hit Call of Duty: Black Ops, is now coming to Android.

Adapted by Ideaworks Game Studio and distributed by Glu Mobile, Inc. in partnership with Activision, Call of Duty: Black Ops Zombies delivers heart-pounding maps: Kino Der Toten, Ascension, and Call of the Dead: Director’s Cut, as well as “Dead-Ops Arcade,” a 50-level zombie gauntlet that provides the ultimate undead challenge for fans of Call of Duty’s signature Zombie action. Gamers can play solo, or join a team of four players via Wi-Fi as they mow down hordes of zombies using a variety of weapons and perks only available in the Call of Duty zombie experience.

Call of Duty: Black Ops Zombies on Android is available exclusively for 30 days on Sony’s Xperia smart phones as well as Sony’s Xperia Play Optimised devices including the Xperia Play, with its dedicated gaming keypad, and the critically acclaimed Xperia S and Xperia Ion.

“We’re thrilled to partner with Glu Mobile and Ideaworks to bring the Call of Duty: Black Ops Zombies mobile experience to Android, and we couldn’t be more excited to launch first on Sony’s critically acclaimed line-up of Xperia devices,” says Greg Canessa, Vice President of Mobile Development, Activision Publishing, Inc.

“We’re delighted to bring the blockbuster Call of Duty franchise to Android smartphones and Xperia for the first time. And what better way to make this introduction than with the release of Call of Duty: Black Ops Zombies,” said Tim Harrison, Head of Content Marketing and Strategy at Sony Mobile. “There’s nothing else in this world or the underworld like Call of Duty. We can’t wait to unleash Zombies to our fans.”

Players can also opt to enhance their experience with the in-game CoD Point System, available in the single-player mode. With six tiers of in-app purchasing options to choose from, Zombies fans will be able to take the action to a new level by unlocking additional areas and securing better weapons in less time.

Developed by award-winning studio, Treyarch, and published by Activision Publishing, Call of Duty: Black Ops is rated PEGI 18 for Blood and Gore, Intense Violence and Strong Language. Call of Duty: Black Ops Zombies is adapted for Android by Ideaworks Game Studio and distributed by Glu Mobile.

For tips, tricks, and troubleshooting, be sure to check out the Black Ops Zombies Field Manual at http://www.callofduty.com/blackops/faq/androidzombies.

LaCie announces the RuggedKey portable drive

Andrew Edney

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Aug 6, 2012

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LaCie announces the RuggedKey portable drive

LaCie haved announced availability of the RuggedKey, the perfect solution to protect data from life’s stumbles. The RuggedKey is the latest addition to LaCie’s award-winning line of Rugged drives designed by Neil Poulton. From inclement weather to unauthorized access, the RuggedKey protects data from any threat.

The iconic orange bumper is back, this time to protect a USB key from heat, cold, and 100m drops. The RuggedKey is a great accessory for an adventure photographer who needs a way to keep his photos protected and accessible while on the road. If the key is dropped off a cliff or stepped on during a hike – no problem! The files are still intact. Furthermore, it’s IP-54 certified to resist damage from dust and water making it the best device for on-the-go data protection.

USB 3.0 continues to proliferate as the industry adopts the technology. The RuggedKey, with USB 3.0 speeds up to 150MB/s, is excellent for transferring files. Users can transfer an HD movie, 3,000 photos or a 5GB file in less than one minute. It is also backwards compatible with USB 2.0, making the key a fast and convenient device.

Wuala Secure Cloud Storage makes data on the RuggedKey easily accessible without compromising security. Wuala lets users keep one copy of their data on the key and one in the cloud. That way, if a user forgets the key at the office, they can still access the files via the cloud. And for the ultimate in security, AES 256-bit encryption prevents unauthorised file access to the key with password protection.

The LaCie RuggedKey comes in 16GB and 32GB capacities and will be available at Apple Retail and through LaCie Online Store and LaCie Resellers starting at the suggested retail price of £34.95 (VAT included).

Visit the LaCie RuggedKey product page for more information

Two Minute Review of the Cygnett TubeMap Case for the iPhone 4S

Andrew Edney

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Aug 6, 2012

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Two Minute Review of the Cygnett TubeMap Case for the iPhone 4S

Having a case for iPhone 4S is a good idea. The one time I went out without one happened to be the time I dropped it and the back shattered! I also travel in London a lot and so a case that also includes a London Underground Tube Map was something worth looking at.

Cygnett describes the TubeMap case as:

Ditch the A-Z when travelling in central London, with this scale Tube Map wrapped around your iPhone 4S or iPhone 4. The glossy, pocket-friendly case features all the city’s most famous Underground stations to plot your journey around The Capital, including Tottenham Court Road, Leicester Square, Oxford Circus and Covent Garden.

Who are Cygnett:

From their website:

Cygnett designs, develops and manufactures innovative digital accessories for the world’s most popular gadgets and technology. From cases and accessories for iPod, iPhone, iPad, smartphones and tablets to portable speakers, earphones, power products and laptop bags, Cygnett is celebrated as one of the world’s major digital accessories designers and manufacturers.

Our digital accessories and products shield and connect your digital world, letting you explore it with more peace of mind, shape it with more variety and choice, and share your moments, both big and small. Cygnett packaging is recyclable and partially biodegradable, because we believe the digital world should care for the physical one.

We love what we do. It shows in the quality materials we choose, the extensive range we offer and the extra effort we put into making products that you look forward to using every day. Modern, fresh and dedicated to inventive design, Cygnett goes the extra mile to make your digital experience enjoyable.

With offices on four continents, products in over 45,000 worldwide retail outlets and in more than 40 countries, Cygnett’s success is built largely on its ability to design and deliver quality digital accessories and products that tap into what you want – protection, fashion and function.

What’s in the Box?

The box contains the TubeMap case, a cloth and a screen protector.

A Closer Look

Final Thoughts

The packaging is clear so that you can actually see the case you are getting which is nice as I have previously found cases that don’t quite match the picture on the box!

Including a screen protector in the box was a good move as that is one less thing to have to buy! I found fitting the screen protector to be fairly easy and I didn’t end up with too many bubbles.

The case is very light so it really doesn’t add anything to the weight of the iPhone 4S.

The case also comes with a 2 year warranty so again a smart move by Cygnett.

The Tube map on the back of the case is easy to read and should help most people to get where they are going – especially at the moment when a lot more people are in the capital for the games (although it is important to note that it isn’t the Tube map for the whole of London, just the central part, but for most people that will be fine).

The cost of the TubeMap case for the iPhone 4S is £14.95 and is worth the money to provide protection for your expensive device! It’s also compatible with the the iPhone 4.

Visit the Cygnett website

BYOB Podcast Episode 94 Out Now

News
Tech

Andrew Edney

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Aug 6, 2012

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The guys over at the BYOB podcast have just released episode 94.

Here is what is included in this weeks show:

[box style=”rounded” border=”full”]This weeks BYOB Podcast is joined this week by John Wills and John Zadjler. We’ll discuss the Corsair 550D Case, Silex USB over IP, ASRock Z77 and Ivy Bridge 3570K, an Onkyo Receiver. John Wills new project and more Windows 8.[/box]

As usual you can listen to the show from here.

Far Cry 3 Co-op walkthrough video

Gaming
News

Andrew Edney

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Aug 5, 2012

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Back in June at E3 we brought you news of Far Cry 3. Now Ubisoft have posted a walkthrough video of co-op mode to keep us going until the September release date.

This is the description for the video:

Ditte, Game Designer on Far Cry 3 gives us exclusive insights on the co-op mode.
Rusher, Deadeye or Warrior what class will you pick to succeed as a team?

And here it is:

What do you think of the game? Is it one you are looking forward to? Let us know by leaving a comment below.

Visit the Far Cry 3 website to learn more

Review of the TP-LINK AV500 Gigabit Powerline Adapter Starter Kit

Andrew Edney

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Aug 5, 2012

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Review of the TP-LINK AV500 Gigabit Powerline Adapter Starter Kit

Back in May we told you that TP-LINK had announced a new Gigabit Powerline Apapter called the AV500. We have been using them for a few weeks and here is our review.

TP-LINK 500Mbps Gigabit Powerline Adapter TL-PA511 turns your existing powerline into a high speed network with no need for new wires or drilling. The twin pack design of TL-PA511KIT helps establish a powerline network initially. No configuration is required, simply plug your adapters into your power sockets and you can establish networking infrastructure in a flash. With a speed of up to 500Mbps, TL-PA511 transmits multiple HD streams and even 3D movies to every room, making it a great choice for an easy to build multimedia entertainment network.

With advanced HomePlug AV technology, TL-PA511 provides users with stable, high-speed data transfer rates of up to 500Mbps on a line length of up to 300 meters. Together with its built-in Qos and powerful AES encryption, the TL-PA511 is a great choice for a whole home solution to connect all network compatible devices–from computers and game consoles to set-top boxes for IPTV to printers and NAS hard drives.

Who are TP-LINK?

From their website:

TP-LINK is a global provider of SOHO&SMB networking products and the World’s No.1 provider of WLAN and Broadband CPE devices, with products available in over 120 countries to tens of millions customers. Committed to intensive R&D, efficient production and strict quality management, TP-LINK continues to provide award-winning networking products in Wireless, ADSL, Routers, Switches, IP Cameras, Powerline Adapters, Print Servers, Media Converters and Network Adapters for Global end-users.

Based on the confidence of tens of millions of customers, TP-LINK is now growing to become one of the most competitive providers of networking products with aspirations to become one of the top 3 networking brands in the world and striving for a larger global market share, while further advancing in the world of networking to better serve our most valued customers with products that make their lives easier.

Features

HomePlug AV standard compliant, high-speed data transfer rate of up to 500Mbps, ideal for HD video or 3D video streaming and online gaming
Mains Filter for better powerline communication performance
No new wires, use existing electrical wiring
Up to 300 meter range over a home’s electrical circuit for better performance through walls or across floors
Plug and Play, no new wires or configuration required
Patented Power-Saving Mode automatically reduces power consumption by up to 85%
128-bit AES encryption ensures that the network is safe simply by pressing a button on paired devices
Built-in QoS assures the quality of bandwidth sensitive applications such as voice, video and online games
Supports IGMP managed multicast IP transmission, optimizes IPTV streaming

Specifications

What’s in the box?

TL-PA511×2
RJ-45 Ethernet Cable ×2
Quick Installation Guide
Resource CD

A Closer Look

Celebrate London with London The Board Game

Andrew Edney

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Aug 5, 2012

0

Celebrate London with London The Board Game

This year is rather important to London and the UK – we had the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee, and we also have the 2012 Olympics. To celebrate that there are a number of items available to show the Pride of London including a stunning board game of the history of London.

Stunning board graphics feature a time track with 2000 years of London’s history (from the Romans to the Olympics!) as well as a hand-painted map with all of London’s most famous buildings.

The game is a collaboration with The Museum of London, home to the finest collection of London’s historical artefacts. The cards have pictures of all of the city’s most famous characters as well as its events and buildings.

The object of the game is to be the first player to reach the last step, which is The 2012 Olympic Games.

There are 60 cards in the game box, each with a different meaning and each containing historical facts, so it’s also a learning experience.

This is a family game for 2-6 players and is very simple to learn. It costs £24.99 and is a fun game to play, whether you know anything about London or not.

Celebrate London with Spots pop up cards

Andrew Edney

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Aug 5, 2012

1

Celebrate London with Spots pop up cards

This year is rather important to London and the UK – we had the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee, and we also have the 2012 Olympics. To celebrate that there are a number of items available to show the Pride of London including some very cool pop cards showcasing various London architectural landmarks including Big Ben, Tower Bridge, St Paul’s Cathedral and other iconic landmarks.

Paper Tango is a London-based company specialising in origami-inspired gifts and 3-dimensional greeting cards.

Choose your favourite spot from the range of 12 London Landmarks. Each design is intricately laser cut and hand folded to create a 3D pop-up miniature. Each card is packaged with a location map showing the nearest tube and above ground rail stations. Explore London and take away a unique souvenir of a memorable London spot!

The cards a £5.99 each, which isn’t much more than you can pay for a normal cards these days.

These cards certainly are unique and anyone receiving one will be very happy with it. In fact, they are the sort of cards that you buy two of, one to send and one to keep for yourself, that are that cool.

Check out the full range over at the Paper Tango website Celebrate London with Revell’s London Bus and Taxi model kits Celebrate London with Jubilee and London Souvenir Coasters

Greymail – What is it and what can you do about it?

Microsoft

Andrew Edney

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Aug 5, 2012

1

Greymail – What is it and what can you do about it?

A little while ago I was invited to a special event with Microsoft to talk about something known as Greymail. What’s that you may ask, and why is it important? Well read on to find out.

What is Greymail?

Greymail is the ever-growing amount of newsletters, deals and updates that fill your inbox. Sometimes you love it, sometimes you hate it. Here’s how greymail happens.

Defeating Greymail

Hotmail and now the new Outlook.com have built-in features to help you defeat Greymail, including sweeping, one-click filters, aliasing and much more.

I was a little dubious at first but then I gave it a try and it works very well.

For example, I receive a lot of emails on a daily basis and often I don’t get a chance to go through them for a while, sometimes for weeks. Now if you think that some of those emails are “daily” and are time relevant, for example daily newsletters, when I got back and work through my inbox an email from six weeks ago about some offer on that day is no longer important or useful to me. So I can use some of the features, such as sweep, to just “sweep” all those particular emails that I define (with a simple click or two) into my trash, leaving me only the latest and relevant versions.

There is even a fun game you can play on either your iPhone, Android, or Windows phone called Greymail inBoxer. This new augmented reality gaming experience from Hotmail. Virtual emails are falling from the sky in the physical space all around you.

Catch and sort as many emails as you can to play this unique and immersive game. It’s quite fun – why not give it a go?

What’s your inbox like?

You can see what which category you fall under by visiting this Microsoft site.

In my case, my inbox is a happy mess and I’m a Piler (check out the graphic at the start of this article). Which are you? Let us know by leaving a comment below.

So do you suffer from Greymail? If you so, like most of us, then you need to do something about it.

Learn more about Greymail and how to defeat it here

Game Review: The Amazing Spider-Man on the Xbox 360

Andrew Edney

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Aug 4, 2012

0

Game Review: The Amazing Spider-Man on the Xbox 360

It’s time for another game review, and this time its The Amazing Spider-Man from Activision.

This is how the game is described:

Harness Spider-Man’s powers with Manhattan as your playground! Set shortly after the events of Columbia Pictures’ new film, The Amazing Spider-Man throws New York City’s brand new hero back into free-roaming*, web-slinging action, as he protects the Big Apple from a deluge of unimaginable threats.

SPIDER-MAN’S TRIUMPHANT RETURN TO NEW YORK

Everybody’s favourite web-head is back in Manhattan with the return of the fan-favourite, free-roaming, web-slinging game play.

WEB RUSH: PLAYER CHOICE EVOLVED

Players use real-time navigational and combat choices to fight crime and pull off Spidey’s signature acrobatic moves like never before.

FIND OUT WHAT HAPPENS NEXT

Uncover the rest of Peter Parker’s untold story in the all-new epilogue story crafted by acclaimed Hollywood writer Seamus Kevin Fahey (Spartacus: Gods of the Arena, the re-imagined Battlestar Galactica).

PUSH SPIDER-MAN’S ABILITIES TO THE LIMIT

Face-off against re-imaginings of classic Marvel Super Villains as well as original, larger than life enemies – some of the biggest ever seen in a Spider-Man video game – while racing to save Manhattan.

*Free-Roam only supported in XBox 360 and Playstation 3 versions.

So the premise of the game is simple, you are Spider-Man and it’s your job to protect Manhattan from bad guys and all things not good!

There are three different levels you can play the game, so make sure that you pick the right one for you. Obviously you can go back and choose a harder level later (and you probably will want to).

The game starts off with quite a lengthy introduction – you pretty much do nothing but look around for a few minutes until “the incident” happens, then it’s time to don the old Spidey suit and get to work.

Depending on the level you are playing at, you get told exactly what to do, which to begin with is fine, but after a few minutes it kind of takes the fun out of it – so you will want to make sure those hints are not displayed!

It’s been a while since I played a Spider-Man game on the Xbox – in fact I would prefer not to think about how bad that game was!

Fortunately this game is a lot better. The graphics and sounds are good (although it’s a shame they didn’t get the actors from the film to voice their characters), and the free roaming element really makes this game worth playing. The biggest problem with games today that don’t have a free roaming element is that they are pretty much “walk over there, do something, carry on that way” and so on. It really takes the fun out, but not so here.

To be fair, the free roaming element really comes into it’s own once you are outside. When you are inside there really isn’t too many places to free roam!

One thing to note, the free roaming element to the game is only available on the Xbox and PlayStation versions of the game.

A lot of people have compared The Amazing Spider-Man to Batman Arkham City, and I can certainly see why that is. The free roaming and combat element certainly reminded me of Arkham, but there was something that wasn’t quite there for me.

Now don’t get me wrong, The Amazing Spider-Man is a fun game, and I enjoyed playing it, but I was hoping for something more. I think I was hoping for something along the lines of Arkham, but even better, and unfortunately that wasn’t to be. For example, the fighting in Spider-Man just isn’t quite as smooth.

There is an element to the game called Web Rush. What this does is slow the game down and allow Spidey to see where is can go to, and then go there. For example, there is one part where you need to quickly get up on a balcony and you use Web Rush to get you there. Trust me, it makes more sense when you play the game, but it’s fun.

During the course of the game you can collect comic book pages that you can then read. There are 700, yes 700 pages to collect, so that alone should keep you going for a while.

It’s not the hardest game to finish, and some of the missions become a little repetitive, but like I have said, it is a fun game, and you can always try at a harder level and even just play for the comic book pages.

One word of warning – this game is an epilogue to the film, so if you haven’t seen the film, and you want to see it, don’t play the game just yet otherwise you find out quite a bit!

Here is a short video of the game in action:

So overall, the game is fun and enjoyable, but it’s not the most in-depth game, and if you were hoping for the next Batman game, you may be a little disappointed. But don’t let that put you off, this is one to play and enjoy.

The Amazing Spider-Man is available now for the Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, Nintendo Wii, Nintendo DS and Nintendo 3DS.

Learn more about the game from the game website

Have you played The Amazing Spider-Man? What do you think of it? Let us know by leaving a comment below.

Plex is now available on your Samsung TV and Blu-ray player

Andrew Edney

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Aug 4, 2012

0

Plex is now available on your Samsung TV and Blu-ray player

Plex have announced via it’s blog that Samsung TV’s and Blu-ray players now have Plex on them!

This is what Plex say about compatibility:

Most 2010 and 2011 models with Smart Hub are supported (check the full list), and 2012 models will be supported before too long.

Have you got a Samsung TV or Blu-ray player and have now got Plex? Let us know by leaving a comment below.

App Update: Twitter app for iOS updated to version 4.3.2

Apple
News

Andrew Edney

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Aug 4, 2012

0

The official Twitter app for the iPhone and iPad has been updated to version 4.3.2.

What’s New in Version 4.3.2

– Improved pull to refresh in enhanced events experience
– Infinite scroll support in enhanced events experience

Download now from the Apple App Store

Drive Bender v.1.3.5.0 (Tomcat) for Windows Home Server 2011 available now

Andrew Edney

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Aug 4, 2012

0

Today saw an update to Drive Bender for Windows Home Server 2011 released, taking it to version v1.3.5.0, also known as the Tomcat release.

Release v1.3.5.0 release (2012-08-03)

– Bug fix: User security can have issues with some extended characters.
– Bug fix: Removing a user from the user security list could fail.
– Bug fix: The “file in use” detection could fail in some circumstances (resulting in a number of internal file conflict issues).
– Update: Health monitor scanning time has been improved.
– Update: Better handling of files moving between duplicated and non-duplicated folders.
– Bug fix: Under some conditions, creating a folder can fail.
– Bug fix: Fixed a number of reparse point issues.
– Added: Added additional reparse support. This is disabled by default, for more information, see http://support.drivebender.com/entries/21522563-folder-link-support.
– Update: Performance improvement when reading / writing large numbers of small files.
– Bug fix: The client duplication window can crash on occasions.
– Update: Much improved duplication feedback and the addition of duplication tools to improve management.
– Update: When a license expires, the pool no longer shuts down, it now switches to read-only mode after an hour.
– Update: Improved IO error handling and logging.
– Update: Duplication processing speed has been vastly improved on large folder.
– Bug fix: The release license request option now checks for the trial key before proceeding.
– Bug fix: Some special characters can per vent files being renamed.
– Update: All dashboards now support mouse scrolling.
– Update: The client interface is now faster loading and more responsive on low end systems.
– Added: Option to disable Windows AutoPlay for drive letter mount points.

For more information check out the Drive Bender website

What do you think of Drive Bender? Let us know by leaving a comment below.

Android App: Dragon Remote Microphone

Android
News

Andrew Edney

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Aug 3, 2012

0

Earlier this week we told you about Dragon NaturallySpeaking 12, and now there is a free app for Android that turns your device into a remote microphone for use with NaturallySpeaking 12.

Dragon Remote Microphone App for Android lets you turn your Android device into a wireless microphone for use with Dragon NaturallySpeaking version 12 over a WiFi network. Dragon Speech recognition for your PC will change how you work, communicate, create and live. Dragon NaturallySpeaking has been designed to turn your talk into text faster and more accurately than ever before. Just speak your mind to capture ideas, create content, cruise through email, search the Web, or control your PC.

The Android Remote Microphone will work on devices using OS 2.2 and higher (excluding Jellybean).

Download now from Google Play

MOVIES, GAMES AND TECHMOVIES, GAMES AND TECH

MOVIES, GAMES AND TECHFashion Trends and Culture

Call of Duty: Black Ops Zombies is coming to Android

LaCie announces the RuggedKey portable drive

Two Minute Review of the Cygnett TubeMap Case for the iPhone 4S

Who are Cygnett:

What’s in the Box?

A Closer Look

Final Thoughts

BYOB Podcast Episode 94 Out Now

Far Cry 3 Co-op walkthrough video

Review of the TP-LINK AV500 Gigabit Powerline Adapter Starter Kit

Who are TP-LINK?

Features

Specifications

What’s in the box?

A Closer Look

Celebrate London with London The Board Game

Celebrate London with Spots pop up cards

Greymail – What is it and what can you do about it?

What is Greymail?

Defeating Greymail

What’s your inbox like?

Game Review: The Amazing Spider-Man on the Xbox 360

Plex is now available on your Samsung TV and Blu-ray player

App Update: Twitter app for iOS updated to version 4.3.2

What’s New in Version 4.3.2

Drive Bender v.1.3.5.0 (Tomcat) for Windows Home Server 2011 available now

Release v1.3.5.0 release (2012-08-03)

Android App: Dragon Remote Microphone