Google Play Games updated to version 2.0.11, introduces Game Profiles, Quests and Level Ups [APK Download]
The Google Play Games update that we have been waiting for is finally here. After announcing plenty of new additions into Google Play Services 4.0 at Google I/O just a few weeks ago, we’ve been waiting to see exactly what the changes to Play Games, including Game Profiles, Quests and lots more, would look like as a finished product. Just when we thought this week’s Update Wednesday was over, we got a notification that Google Play Games updated to version 2.0.11, and it’s a good one.
Particular noticeable are the new Game Profiles which give an overview of how much XP you have and how much you need to get to the next level. You will likely have earned some XP already and your Profile will show you a nice breakdown of how your points were earned and in what genre of game. There are a whole number of new settings associated with these new features, many of which control the notifications you can get when you level up or receive requests through Google Play Games.
Overall, the app has been cleaned up and streamlined a lot, with game and suggestion cards getting an upgrade as well. If you spot something else new about the updated app, let us know in the comments. The update should be rolling out already, but if you’re anxious to try out the latest Google Play Games, we’ve got the APK available for download below:
Google Play Games version 2.0.11 APK
Let us know what your favourite thing about the new Google Play Games is in the comments below.
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The post Google Play Games updated to version 2.0.11, introduces Game Profiles, Quests and Level Ups [APK Download] appeared first on AndroidSPIN.
EU ruling allows Apple to trademark its store layouts
Love or hate them, it’s hard to argue that Apple’s retail stores aren’t highly distinctive. That’s what the EU’s highest court thought when it overruled a German verdict and said that Apple’s store design could be registered as a trademark in Europe. Though Apple holds a store trademark granted last year by the USPTO, Germany’s patent office rejected it, despite admitting that the retail layout was “an essential aspect of (its) business.” The Court of Justice of the EU disagreed, saying that “an integral collection of lines, curves and shapes” (in Apple’s stores) fulfill all the criteria for a trademark. It noted that Apple’s stores “depart significantly” from others in the same sector, a requirement for such protection. Meanwhile, Apple may be planning changes to its stores anyway, having just hired ex-Burberry CEO Angela Ahrendts as head of retail. For now, though, you’re less likely to walk into a store like this in Europe.
Via: Tech.eu
Source: EU Court of Justice (PDF)
Gmail for Android adds a faster way to attach Google Drive files
Attaching Drive files on Gmail is easy enough even on Android phones and tablets, but we doubt anybody would complain if Google wants to make it even easier. The new Gmail refresh for Android comes with an “Insert from Drive” option on the right-hand pull-down menu. That’s definitely a lot quicker to access than the traditional Drive icon hidden among the undoubtedly numerous apps in your list, which shows up after clicking “Attach file.” Plus, in case the email’s recipients can’t see the file you’ve chosen (say, if it’s marked private or if it’s only shared to a select group of people), you can access its settings from within the app before you send an email. As a bonus, the updated Gmail app’s To: and CC/BCC: suggestions are now not only more comprehensive, but also show up much faster than before. Just don’t feel hurried to choose recipients because of this change, lest you end up blasting the entire office an embarrassing email.
Filed under: Cellphones, Tablets, Mobile, Google
Source: Gmail (Google+), Google Play
Report Claims iPhone 6 Will Feature New Dynamic Haptic Feedback Technology
Apple’s iPhone 6 will feature a new haptic feedback technology when it ships later this year, claims Chinese mobile phone information site Laoyaoba (Google Translate, via GforGames).
iPhone 6 render by Tomas Moyano and Nicolas Aichino
Citing inside sources, the report claims that Apple will ship the iPhone 6 with a tactile feedback linear motor, which can allow the user to feel subtle vibrations depending on different app scenarios and even on specific areas of the touch screen. The report also notes that this new haptic feedback motor will cost twice or three times as much as the $0.60 vibration motor found in the iPhone 5s.
Apple has expressed interest in haptic technology in the past, filing a patent on the subject in 2009. That patent discussed the idea of allowing users to “feel out” the different elements on a web page with haptic feedback, noting that the lack of such a technology was a disadvantage for the iPhone’s multi-touch screen.
The iPhone 6 is expected to launch in September in two sizes of 4.7-inches and 5.5-inches. Aside from a larger display, the device is also expected to include a faster quad-core 64-bit A8 processor, and a thinner design with curved edges like that of the fifth-generation iPod touch. Both iPhone 6 models are also expected to receive an improved camera, which will come in the form of optical image stabilization for the 5.5-inch model and a new lens module for the smaller 4.7-inch phone.
Apple Opening Retail Store in Edinburgh, Scotland Soon [Mac Blog]
Apple this morning unveiled an artistic multi-colored barrier around its forthcoming location in Edinburgh, Scotland, signaling that it will soon open its first store in the country’s capital city, reports the Edinburgh Evening News (via ifoAppleStore).
The store will be located on the historic Princes Street, with inside sources saying that the location’s opening is “imminent.” Based on the similar patterns of the Madrid Apple Store before its opening, ifoAppleStore‘s Gary Allen believes that the location could open on August 2nd.
The Princes Street store will also join Apple’s other locations in the Scotland, which include the existing Braehead store and the company’s Buchanan Street location in Glasgow. The new location will also be Apple’s 38th in the United Kingdom since the company first opened a shop on London’s Regent Street in 2004.
TiVo’s Summer 2014 update makes it even easier to find something to watch
Despite arriving nearly a year after the TiVo Roamio launched, this update looks to be one worth waiting for. To address the age old problem of choosing what to watch, TiVo has two new features that make that much easier. The first is a new third column added to the My Shows view that makes it possible to browse recorded shows by category (movies, kids, sports, etc). You can easily choose which categories are shown — who watches kids shows anyway? — and in what order, or revert to your old ways completely (check the demo video embedded after the break to get a feel for how it works). The other new feature is in the same vein, bringing on-demand and web app options to the traditional guide and giving us flashbacks of Windows Media Center’s similar option. TiVo Premiere owners will also be very happy with their version of the update since it adds the aforementioned new features but doesn’t stop there. As Zatz Not Funny points out, users are reporting much needed speed improvements with an “updated, modern design” that brings it closer to the Roamio experience.
What isn’t here yet is the long awaited update allowing Android devices to utilize the roaming feature of the Roamio, so for now iOS continues to be the only platform that can stream content from a TiVo. Owners should feel free to force an connection to TiVo right away, but be aware that like all TiVo updates, this is a phased roll out and not immediately available to everyone.
Filed under: Home Entertainment, HD
Via: Zatz Not Funny
Source: TiVo Service Update
UK details new laws to retain users’ internet and phone activity
Remember when the EU was told by the European Court of Justice that its policy of requiring telecom companies to record everyone’s web and phone activity was illegal? As expected, David Cameron has announced that he’ll pass emergency legislation that’ll restore this requirement, at least in the UK. The action has been taken since telecoms networks and ISPs were about to begin deleting the data, which the government believes will harm serious criminal investigations into sexual exploitation and counter-terrorism. The law, however, is designed to expire in 2016, offering a two-year window in which to properly debate and create a new policy in this area — part of which will involve the creation of an independent oversight panel to monitor privacy infringements.
Filed under: Internet
Source: GOV.uk
Apple Now Allowed to Trademark Apple Store Layout in Europe [Mac Blog]
Apple is now allowed to register the layout of its retail stores as a trademark in Europe following a ruling by the European Court of Justice, reports The Wall Street Journal.
The EU’s top court said Thursday that Apple’s flagship stores fulfilled the three criteria for a trade mark: they constitute a sign; they can be represented in a graphic; and they can distinguish the goods or services sold by one company from those of another
The company was originally awarded a trademark for its store design in the U.S. last year, and has been actively trying to extend it to the rest of the world ever since. Prior to the ruling, Germany’s patent office ruled that the particular layout of a shop cannot be qualified as a trademark, which Apple then challenged.
Currently, Apple has a total of 425 retail stores worldwide. 89 of those retail locations are spread out across Europe, and are found in countries including the United Kingdom, France, Italy, Germany, Switzerland, Sweden, and the Netherlands.
Apple Sold 2 Million Apple TVs Last Year in US, Trailing Behind Chromecast and Roku
Google’s Chromecast and the Roku were the two highest-selling streaming media devices in the U.S. last year as the Apple TV fell to third place, according to new data from Parks Associates (via GigaOM).
Both Google and Roku sold an estimated 3.8 million streaming media devices last year, with Apple selling just over 2 million Apple TVs. To date, Apple has sold over 20 million Apple TVs worldwide since launching the streaming device in 2007, while Roku has sold 8 million devices since its first media box in 2008.
A Parks Associates report last year noted that 14% of U.S. broadband households were using streaming media devices. The study also stated that 37% of those surveyed households used a Roku device while 24% used an Apple TV, making the Roku the most used set-top box in the U.S.
Recent rumors have suggested that Apple is working on a next-generation Apple TV, which may feature a streaming TV service through a partnership with Comcast and other cable-box like capabilities. Some reports have also speculated that a new Apple TV may include enhanced gaming capabilities, utilizing iOS gaming controllers and an App Store ecosystem to provide a console-like experience.
NYT: Chinese hackers targeted top-secret US employee files
The New York Times is reporting that Chinese hackers penetrated a US government network, likely going after the files of thousands of workers who applied for top-secret security clearances. The hackers accessed the Office of Personnel Management databases in March before they were detected and blocked, though there’s no word on how deep the breech went. Officials did say, however, that they hadn’t “identified any loss of personally identifiable information.” Though the hacking originated in China, it’s not clear if the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) or other government spy agencies were responsible. The FBI recently took the unusual step of charging PLA officials (who aren’t likely to be tried) because of several brazen attacks. Still, the Chinese have their own beefs against US spies, who are clearly pretty good at hacking too.
Filed under: Internet
Source: NYT
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