Engadget Daily: Galaxy Alpha and Xperia Z3 reviews, the new ‘Smash Bros.’ and more!
Interested in upgrading to the Galaxy Alpha or Xperia Z3? You’ve come to the right place. Today, we take both handsets for a spin, journey through the historical roots of Assassin’s Creed: Unity, play a whole bunch of the new Smash Bros. for 3DS, and more. Read on for all our news highlights from the last 24 hours.
Filed under: Misc
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Google’s expanding its definition of ‘news’ by adding Reddit to search results
Seen a few new sources showing up in the “news” section of a Google search lately? It isn’t just you. Mountain View is pulling more websites into its news listings now including the likes of Reddit, as spotted by Search Engine Land. Google says that regardless of where it comes from, any content could show up under the “In the news” portion of a search — even videos, press releases and social media posts. Brin and Co. note that this is an effort to expand the voices possible to give users the answer they’re looking for online. Some examples Search Engine Land notes are the Yoast website-optimization blog popping up for “website maintenance” and the internet’s front page appearing in searches for “TSA” and “Dunkin’ Donuts.” From what we can tell, however, that stops once you do an actual search under the Google News tab — perfect if your definition of news is a bit stricter than Mountain View’s.
[Image credit: Shutterstock]
Source: Search Engine Land
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Darkness Reborn Closed Beta begins October 10th
I don’t know about all of you, but I love a good game. I also like being one of the first to try something new. So when I see or hear about a new beta coming out I tend to get excited about it. If you enjoy either if not both, then you should keep reading. Gamevil is going to be starting a closed beta for it’s newest game Darkness Reborn. Only those who are part of the Darkness Reborn community can get early access to the game.
Darkness Reborn is a game where you get to create your player and battle across an island in order to defeat a 2 headed dragon. The game to me looks like it will have a God Of War style gameplay. We’ll see when the game comes out. From what I know the game will feature.
-Competetive PvP
-Dungeons (That you can play with friends. Because who doesn’t like playing with friends. It just makes everything much more fun.)
Take a quick look at the teaser trailer and see if gets your blood flowing.
How do you get access & when does it start? Well that’s simple, just follow the link to the community below. All they ask of you is for some simple feedback.
1. Device Compatibility: Does it work well with your device? Does it crash? Are the controls working well?
2. Bug Reports: Any glitches you find simply report them.
3. Feedback: Let them know how they can improve the game. Is it running smooth?
Simple things like that is all they ask for. They even offer to give you EXCLUSIVE Closed Beta only rewards. The Closed Beta will start on Thursday, Oct. 9, 2014 at 11:00 AM PDT.
So what’s the harm in not trying it right? I know I am.
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The post Darkness Reborn Closed Beta begins October 10th appeared first on AndroidSPIN.
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Google Voice can now receive MMS from almost 100 North American carriers
If you use Google Voice for your text messages, you’re well adjusted to its biggest flaw: the service just doesn’t play nice with most carriers’ MMS settings. Today, that’s changing — Google says that the service now supports MMS from nearly 100 carriers in North America, including AT&T, Bell Canada, Rogers, Telus and more. Unfortunately, Mountain View wasn’t able to provide us with a full list of supported providers, but it’s definitely a step in the right direction. Now if only we could get the ability to send MMS messages, too.
Filed under: Cellphones, Google
Source: Google
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Nintendo’s 3DS software finally gets a new look with custom themes
You can replace your Nintendo 3DS’ outer hull anytime you want (provided you’re willing to buy a new system), but that system menu has always been that same void of transparent white space. Not anymore. The handheld’s latest update (much like the PS Vita’s from last week) gifts the 3DS with five basic color themes in red, blue, yellow, pink and black. Looking for something more complex? You’ll have to pay for it — the new theme shop sells character and pattern-based themes for $0.99-$1.99 a piece, including one that harkens back to Nintendo’s origins selling Hanafuda cards. Oh, and if you want to show off your redesigned 3DS, Nintendo’s thought of that too: pressing up / down while holding the Y button now takes a screenshot of the 3DS upper and lower screens, respectively.
Wahoo! Add a little Mario style to your #3DS Home Menu by downloading his theme in the Theme Shop. pic.twitter.com/3N8y5VsOSa
– Nintendo of America (@NintendoAmerica) October 7, 2014
Source: Nintendo Support
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iOS 8 Adoption Stagnates Just Two and a Half Weeks After Launch
After almost three weeks of availability, Apple’s iOS 8 operating system is now installed on 47 percent of devices, according to new numbers posted on Apple’s App Store support page for developers.
That marks a very slight increase in adoption over the past two weeks, as back on September 21, iOS 8 was installed on 46 percent of devices. 47 percent of iOS users continue to stick to iOS 7, possibly due to a number of bugs that have plagued the launch of iOS 8.
Just ahead of the launch of iOS 8, all HealthKit-enabled apps were pulled from the App Store due to a major HealthKit bug. A fix was quickly released, but the update, iOS 8.0.1, disabled the cellular service and Touch ID functionality on iPhone 6 and 6 Plus devices.
iOS 8.0.2 fixed the problems introduced with iOS 8.0.1 and brought several other bug fixes, but the publicity surrounding the iOS 8.0.1 issue may have discouraged some users from updating.
Along with the critical bug introduced with iOS 8.0.1, several other problems have come to light. An iCloud Drive issue with the “Reset All Settings” option causes iCloud Drive documents to be deleted from iCloud, and multiple users have experienced problems with Bluetooth. Furthermore, iOS 8 users have complained of other issues with the operating system, including slow wi-fi speeds and excessive battery drain.
Apple’s iOS 8 adoption numbers closely mirror data from Mixpanel, which also puts iOS 8 adoption at 47 percent. iOS 8’s adoption rate appears to be slower than iOS 7 adoption as Mixpanel’s numbers last year put iOS 7 adoption at 69.7 percent 20 days after launch.
Mixpanel iOS 8 adoption numbers, October 4 to October 7
In late September, Apple stopped signing iOS 7.1.2, making it impossible for iOS 8 users to downgrade back to a previous-generation operating system. The company is working to combat the issues facing iOS 8, however, simultaneously working on iOS 8.1, 8.2, and 8.3.
iOS 8.1, seeded to developers last week, fixes at least one major problem, repairing the Bluetooth pairing issue many users have been facing. The update also includes support for Apple Pay, which is expected to debut in October.
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Sound Off! What fitness apps keep you healthy?
Now that Apple has resolved issues with Healthkit, a ton of new apps are starting to support it. Fitness tracking and health monitoring are becoming huge features that device makers want to take advantage of, and even Google is getting into the game with its own initiative called Google Fit. Are you using a combination of swanky hardware and smooth looking apps to stay in shape? Head over to the Engadget forums and share your favorite health tracking apps.
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The Big Picture: NASA’s Orion capsule floats inside US Navy ship
It might take some time before space taxis become the real deal. Yet, that doesn’t take away from the fact they’re extraordinarily amazing in their current stage. One of the most well-known programs is, of course, NASA’s Orion capsule, which has been in development for a few years now. Obviously, putting Orion through its paces is key for the space administration. So, what you see above is a test model of the spacecraft while it floats inside the USS Anchorage, a US Navy ship. Reuters snapped the image after Orion was found during a recovery test near the Californian coast, as NASA prepares by simulating different scenarios ahead of the capsule’s first official unmanned launch.
[Image credit: Reuters/Mike Blake]
Filed under: Transportation, Science, Alt
Source: Reuters
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Virgin Mobile now selling $80 LG Tribute
LG’s latest budget friendly device is now available at Virgin Mobile. Introducing the LG Tribute, an Android powered device available for just $79.99 with prepaid plans. For an entry-level smartphone, the device comes with some decent specs.
It is running on Android 4.4.2, with a 4.5-inch WVGA (800×480) display, a 1.2GHz quad-core Snapdragon 400 processor, 1GB of RAM, 4GB of internal storage, 5-megapixel rear-facing camera with 1080p video recording, a microSD card slot and 4G LTE connectivity.
For $79.99 off-contract, this is a pretty excellent deal. The device is available right now at Virgin Mobile’s website, are you planning to get one? Let us know in the comment box below.
Source: Virgin Mobile
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The post Virgin Mobile now selling $80 LG Tribute appeared first on AndroidGuys.
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NHL preps for hockey season with redesigned apps
With the beginning of a new season a mere couple of days away, The National Hockey League is putting the final touches on how it’s going to deliver digital content to fans worldwide. Accordingly, NHL today released a redesigned version of its mobile app for iOS and Android, featuring an overhauled scoreboard view, more integration with social networks and the addition of real-time video/audio highlights. The NHL application, previously known as NHL GameCenter, also brings redesigned menus that let you view more stuff with less taps, such as breaking news or other popular stories.
NHL GameCenter Live, the league’s premium video-streaming service, has been updated too. Watching multiple camera angles is now an option, while the video player’s new sidebar will make sure you keep up with stats from other games as they’re happening.
Of note, the app doesn’t appear to be live on Google Play yet — but don’t worry, it should be arriving any moment.
Filed under: Misc, Software, HD, Mobile
Source: App Store, Google Play
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AIVAnet 