Popular MOBA game Vainglory comes to Android with a closed beta
Mobile game developer Super Evil Megacorp has announced today that it is launching a closed beta for Vainglory, its popular MOBA game that launched on iOS late last year.
Google’s planned MVNO will reportedly only work with the Nexus 6
Though details are still light concerning Google’s planned MVNO ambitions, a new report out of The Wall Street Journal claims that the company’s recently-confirmed foray into providing cellular service may only support Nexus 6 devices.
‘Mobile audio has to improve’
While screen display densities and technologies are approaching ludicrous levels, many phones and tablets still provide lackluster audio at best.
It’s like trying to enjoy a movie with half your senses tied behind your head. But is home theater quality sound possible on mobile? Bob Borchers, chief marketing officer at Dolby Laboratories, writing on LinkedIn:
Some people think that mobile devices are doomed to have lousy audio because of their small speakers and the fact that so many people listen with inexpensive earbuds. But great audio is possible on mobile devices. We can even implement Dolby Atmos, our technology that can place and move sounds anywhere around you, including overhead, on mobile devices.
Borcher’s name may sound familiar — he worked at Apple during the birth of the iPhone and was featured in many of the original iPhone video tours. What he describes might also sound familiar — we all of us remember the first time we leapt out of our seats when something moved behind us, or lost ourselves to a room filled with score and effects.
Yes, many people have high-end headphones to help with that on mobile, but with bigger, better displays comes the opportunity to share what we’re watching with those around us, and it’s hard to share what we’re listening to as well if it’s stuck in just our ears.
If Apple could reproduce Atmos-like sound on a future iPhone or iPad, I’d buy 9.1 of them.
Oracle bundles adware with new Mac Java installer
If you want to keep adware off your Mac, it’d be a good idea to avoid installing Java, according to a new report.
If you strive to keep your Mac free of adware, a new warning suggests that you may want to forgo installing Java all together. Apparently Oracle, which makes Java, is now bundling the Ask toolbar adware with the installer, hijacking some Mac users’ web browsers in the process.
Ed Bott at ZDNet reports that Oracle is bundling the Ask toolbar with its Java 8 Update 40 software for Mac. It’s a new change to the Mac Java installer, though PC users have had to put up with this crap for years.
The unwelcome Ask extension shows up as part of the installer if a Mac user downloads Java 8 Update 40 for the Mac. In my tests on a Mac running that latest release of OS X, the installer added an app to the current browser, Chrome version 41. (In a separate test, I installed Java using the latest version of Safari, where it behaved in a similar fashion.)
Getting rid of the Ask toolbar is fairly straightforward, but as Bott points out, it’s something that will intimidate less sophisticated Mac users.
Bottom line: Unless you absolutely need Java on your Mac, don’t bother with it. And if you have to, get ready to de-adware your Mac in the process.
Shazam taking a look at expanding app beyond music
Shazam’s chief executive Rich Riley announced during MWC 2015 that the company is ready to “expand the universe of what you can Shazam.” The statement refers to plans by the company to add the ability to scan physical objects and provide users with additional information. For example, a user could use their smartphone to “Shazam” a cereal box at the store and get additional nutritional information.
To make this happen, Shazam secured new investments of $30 million from “several unidentified billionaires and financial institutions in January.” With these new funds, Shazam plans to hire new employees and enter into new partnerships with publishers and content producers.
Despite being around for a relatively long time and consistently one of the most popular apps with users, Shazam has remained a private company. According Riley this gives the company more flexibility when raising funds like this most recent round.
No timeline was disclosed as to the release of this new feature for Shazam.
source: Reuters
Come comment on this article: Shazam taking a look at expanding app beyond music
Acer adds new Intel Core i3-powered Chromebox to its CXI lineup
Acer has announced some brand new Chromeboxes in its CXI lineup, including a relatively powerful box with an Intel Core i3 processor inside. The CXI-i34GKM sports a 4th generation i3 4030u CPU, which is a dual-core processor that’s specialized in low-power consumption and speedy performance.
It’s rare to see powerful chips inside of Chromebooks or Chromeboxes, and while this i3 isn’t top of the line, it’s one of the better performing processors you’ll find in a Chrome device. It’s capable of pushing both 2k and 4k displays and is equipped with 4 GB of RAM and a 16 GB solid state drive, plus all the typical radios and connections that you’re used to.
This box was designed primarily for small business and educational use where you don’t need a ton of horsepower to do daily tasks. Basic web browsing and document editing will be no problem for the set of specs this thing comes with, and since it’ll launch at around the sub-400 dollar price point, it’s perfect for the market it’s aimed at.
source: Acer
Come comment on this article: Acer adds new Intel Core i3-powered Chromebox to its CXI lineup
Blood & Glory: Immortals makes its way to the Google Play Store
Blood & Glory: Immortals, the immersive action-RPG from Glu, has just launched in the Google Play Store for free. Immortals pins you up against vengeful Gods like Zeus, Hades and Ares who are trying to destroy the Roman Republic and defend themselves from humankind.
Just like the first two Blood & Glory games (which both made a couple of our “Best Games” lists from last year), you’ll fight other characters using the classic swipe and slash style mechanics. The controls are very easy to get used to, and, just like other games from Glu, the graphics are great. Here is the full list of features Blood & Glory: Immortals brings to the table:
- Choose from 3 RPG heroes with unique skills – Play as the Gladiator, Warlock or Barbaress! Each has unique abilities and combat skills for you to battle against the gods’ minions.
- Immersive RPG single-player campaign – Explore the ancient Roman and Greek Empires as you discover new lands, master new skills and combat the gods’ wrath. Traverse amazing environments, battle unique enemies and experience beautiful effects that bring the Ancient world to life!
- Equip unique RPG weapons & armor – Find, earn, and win a bounty of tiered weapons and armor for your hero! Collect sets to receive powerful skill buffs and bonuses!
- Unrivaled combat system – Master fast-paced combat skills with fluid, intuitive controls that anyone can pick up and play!
- Manage a guild and dominate events – Create and manage your own guild of heroes to rule the leaderboards and level up. Lead your teammates to victory in live combat events and earn Olympian rewards from your battles!
If you’re interested in picking up Blood & Glory: Immortals, you can find it in the Play Store for free. Even though there are a few in-app purchases ranging from $.99 to $99.99 per item, it’s very easy to enjoy this game without the need to spend some extra cash. To download the game, follow the Play Store link below.
How to update your Facebook status with Siri
Take the work out of status updates with Siri for iPhone and iPad
Most of us know how to manually update our Facebook statuses with the Facebook app, but did you know you can also have Siri do it for you? As long as you’re signed into Facebook in the Settings app, all you have to do is ask!
How to post a Facebook Status update with Siri for iPhone and iPad
- Press and hold your Home button to activate Siri.
- Say something like “Update my Facebook status”.
- Tell Siri what you’d like your Facebook status to say.
- Confirm by tapping Post or by saying Yes when Siri asks if you’re ready to post.
Wankband charges gizmos with a flick of the wrist
PornHub thinks it has a sexier solution for the age old problem of a gadget running out of juice prematurely, and the secret is in the (hairy) palm of your hand. Say hello to the Wankband: a wearable that straps on to your forearm, capturing the energy from a spot of self-love and using it to charge basically anything via USB. You see, inside the band resides a weighted ball that travels up and down in a tube with a flick of the wrist, and from there the kinetic energy’s stored until your gizmo — or sex toy — of choice needs a charge.
Then, once both you and the wearable have had your fill, simply plug a USB cable into the side of the device and charge away. Want in on the action? You can sign up to be a beta-tester on the skin-flick purveyor’s (safe for work) website right now. America’s first digital brothel might be out of business, but we’re sure you can find plenty of other “charging” motivations to suffice.
Filed under: Wearables, Mobile
Via: Ad Week
Source: PornHub (SFW)
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