Unable to find a suitor, Twitpic is shutting down on October 25th
It looked like Twitpic would live on after a trademark spat with Twitter. Last month, the photo-sharing service announced that it was shutting down, and then that it had been acquired. It seems that whatever deal was on the table went south as the service is really truly shutting down on October 25th. Founder Noah Everett took to the company’s blog to announce its ultimate fate, stating that “agreeable terms could not be met” after sifting through “a handful of potential acquirers.” Everett also said that while the announcement that Twitpic would stay active was premature, the company felt that is was important to let its users know it would keep on trucking as soon as it could. If you need to grab your images, you can get info on exporting data and snapshots here.
Filed under: Internet, Software
Via: TechCrunch
Source: Twitpic
Pixelmator Launching Full-Fledged Image Editing App for iPad Later This Year [iOS Blog]
Pixelmator today announced that it will be bringing a full-fledged version of its popular image editing app to the iPad, first showing it off at Apple’s special media event earlier today and giving more details on its blog.
Like the Mac version, Pixelmator for iPad is a layer-based image editor that allows users to edit images in a non-destructive fashion and create illustrations. The app features a painting engine with retouching tools for photos, a touch-optimized painting engine, and a number of effects for typography, shapes, and more. Pixelmator for iPad also is compatible with Photoshop documents and can work with Pixelmator for Mac through iCloud or through OS X Yosemite’s Handoff feature.
Pixelmator for iPad will sell for $4.99 when it launches later this year.
First Hands-On Impressions of New iPad Air 2: Ultra-Thin, Improved Display, Better Camera
After Apple introduced the new iPad Air 2 at its media event today, members of the press were invited to go hands-on with the new tablet. Several sites have now begun publishing their hands-on first impressions of the iPad Air 2, which we’ve gathered up below to provide an overall impression of the new device.
Image courtesy of Gizmodo
TechCrunch says that although the iPad Air 2’s resolution is the same as the iPad Air, the display looks better than the previous models. By combining screen components, Apple has made “things look a lot more touchable”. The effect is similar to that of the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus, which makes the display seem like a “high resolution mock-up, rather than an actual display you can interact with and change.”
Image courtesy of The Verge
Gizmodo notes that Apple shaving off .04 pounds and 1.4 mm from iPad Air makes the iPad Air 2 feel lighter than the smaller iPad mini 3 even though it’s a quarter of a pound heavier than Apple’s new 7.9-inch tablet.
Not only is it way, way thinner than the smaller iPad mini 3 — and this will sound crazy — but it feels lighter too. Even though it’s nearly a quarter of a pound heavier, the 6.1mm-thin chassis is so thin and easy to lift with a single hand that it makes the mini seem downright fat by comparison. I feel like I could hold it over my head in bed without any worry of smacking myself. Not something I can say about any other 10-inch tablet.
The Verge has similar thoughts on the iPad Air 2’s thinness, saying it feels like “there’s almost nothing left to take away” and that holding the device is like “you’re holding a screen and nothing more.” The Verge also noted that the new 8 MP camera is much improved over the iPad Air.
One thing is that is definitively better is the new camera, which is now 8 megapixels; it’s a lot faster and shots seemed a lot clearer, at least in Apple’s hectic demo room. Apple made a big deal out of this camera and the interesting apps people are building for the iPad that use the camera; we’ve fought it for years but tablet photography seems to be a thing now.
TechCrunch shares similar sentiments about the iPad Air 2’s camera, noting that the camera improvements are good enough to make some consider the tablet as a worthy camera choice.
The Verge also points out that the lack of a mute switch next to the volume rocker feels like a “casualty of thinness”, and that although users can mute the device by holding down the volume-down button or lock the orientation in Control Center, the lack of the mute switch makes both things less convenient.
Pre-orders for the new iPad Air 2 begin tomorrow, October 17, and will begin shipping next week. Prices for the iPad Air 2 begin at $499 for 16 GB with Wi-Fi.
OS X Yosemite Hits the Mac App Store, Available Immediately as a Free Download
Following today’s media event that focused on introducing new iPads and a new Retina iMac, Apple today released OS X Yosemite to the public after months of beta testing. OS X Yosemite is available from the Mac App Store as a free download for all eligible Macs. [Direct Link]
First introduced at WWDC in June, OS X Yosemite will do for the Mac what iOS 7 did for iOS devices. The new operating system introduces redesign that focuses on a flatter, more modern look that emphasizes translucency, smarter controls, and streamlined toolbars.
OS X Yosemite doesn’t just bring a fantastic new look to the Mac, it also includes several major features introduce unprecedented levels of integration between iOS and OS X. With Continuity features like Handoff, for example, users can begin a task on one device and finish it on another with a seamless transition. SMS relay features, meanwhile, will let Mac users answer calls from their iOS devices.
Other improvements include a “Today” view in Notification Center that integrates with third-party apps and an improved Spotlight search that pulls data from new sources. Several core apps have been updated with new features, with Safari gaining a revamped look and Mail gaining tools like Mail Drop, for handling large attachments, and Markup, for annotating images right within email messages.
Macs will need 2GB of RAM to run Yosemite, along with 8GB of storage. Snow Leopard must be installed for Mac App Store access, but the Yosemite software itself is available as a free download, much like Mavericks was last year.
From the minds of Avenged Sevenfold comes Hail to the King: Deathbat [New Game]
The band Avenged Sevenfold might ring a bell to some. They are a rock/metal band out of Huntington Beach California. They have been around for well over a decade. I have been listening to them since about 2004 myself. You may have heard a few of their songs on rock stations or from video games like Rock Band. Moving beyond the music and the inclusion of their music in games, they have now moved on to their own mobile game. entitled Hail to the King: Deathbat.
The title was created with the band and has been overseeing the of the production of the game for the last two years. The lead singer, M. Shadows, made the announcement today.
“After watching all of the members of this band play mobile games on tour over the years we decided to create one of our own. A game for our fans who love games as well. We decided to create this adventure with a nod to our favorite games growing up. No hand holding here, no fluff, just a hard, bad ass game that lets you discover the story of the Deathbat. How many of you out there can beat this game? Only time will tell. We are excited to share this story with you now.”
Hail to the King: Deathbat is an overhead style action RPG dungeon style crawler game that gets its roots from the Legend of Zelda, Gauntlet Legends and Diablo. The game focuses its efforts on the origin of the Deathbat, which is the bands logo and mascot. You will need to put your skills to the test through the dark underworld. The games musical score includes a slew of Avenged Sevenfold tracks from past albums and is the center piece of the game’s story line. All the rest of the music was also scored by the band in the immortal traditions of 8-bit gaming such as Castlevania.
The game is being offered at a flat $4.99. You won’t find the typical in-app purchase system that we traditionally see with other dungeon style crawlers. They do offer up a little extra in-game content for you to purchase, you can buy the ability to play the game as any of the Avenged Sevenfold band members. That option is more so for the fans then your average gamer and a pretty cool in-app purchase really. Everything else, like weapons and magical abilities are all earned in-game.
Hail to the King: Deathbat boasts 10-12 hours of gameplay in your standard modes, switch over to “Nightmare Mode” for another 10-12 hours of gameplay. Avenged Sevenfold is not just a local U.S. band, they have toured the globe a number of times. The band was keen to make sure there new game was also localized in 8 languages.
Regardless if you are a A7X fan or not, Hail to the King: Deathbat looks like a killer game. I’ll leave you all with one of my favorite songs, which is in the game, and a link to pick up the title below.
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The post From the minds of Avenged Sevenfold comes Hail to the King: Deathbat [New Game] appeared first on AndroidSPIN.
Next version of the Chromecast hits the FCC
If I have a nickel for everytime somebody complained that the Chromecast doesn’t have 5 GHz support. Well a new version of the Chromecast (model A4RH2G2-2A) has passed through the FCC, and it appears to support the 5 GHz band.
It’s not clear if there is anything else that will be upgraded. Hopefully support for DD 5.1 and DTS.
So when will Google announce this device? We have no idea, but let’s hope sooner rather than later since the holidays are approaching.
So what do you guys think? Is 5 GHz support enough to replace your current Chromecast? How else would you like to see the Chromecast upgraded?
source: FCC
via: Android Police
Come comment on this article: Next version of the Chromecast hits the FCC
Nearby Multiplayer comes to Google Play Games
With the latest Google Play Services update, Google has rolled out the ability to find nearby players in multiplayer games. This would work for both real-time multiplayer games as well as turn-based multiplayer games.
Developers are encouraged to hit up the source link below to learn more how multiplayer works.
source: Google Developers / +AndroidDevelopers
Come comment on this article: Nearby Multiplayer comes to Google Play Games
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