AC editors’ apps of the week: One More Line, Thingverse, Cool Circle watch face and more
Our weekly app picks
It’s Appday Sunday and that means we’re back with more of our favorites to share. Every week we bring a handful of great apps to the table and share them with everyone. Sometimes they are new apps, sometimes old standards, but every time they are apps we love to use.
Give these a look and then take a minute to tell us all about the apps you are using and love so we can give them a try. We all find some of our favorites right in the comments on these posts!
Reuters: Microsoft readying Cortana for Android
As well as bundling their virtual assistant Cortana into Windows 10, the latest report is that it will also be offered as a standalone app for iOS and Android.
Eric Horvitz, managing director of Microsoft Research, said:
“This kind of technology, which can read and understand email, will play a central role in the next roll out of Cortana, which we are working on now for the fall time frame”.
He did however decline to comment on any plans to take Cortana outside of the Window environment, but Reuters claim that this is exactly Microsoft’s roadmap.
What Microsoft seem to be doing, and this can be seen with their Office products, is capitalise on their software and make it universal across platforms – much how Windows started; it didn’t matter what hardware you were running, Windows worked on top of it. With Windows Phone taking a solid third in the smartphone market and no sign of them competing for second place, Microsoft can change their strategy to make these numbers work in their favour.
So it makes perfect sense for Cortana to come to Android, but the question remains – will anyone use it?
The post Reuters: Microsoft readying Cortana for Android appeared first on AndroidGuys.
Preview: Hands on with Battlefield: Hardline on Xbox One
Visceral Games (Dead Space, Dante’s Inferno) seek to put their mark on a beloved franchise with Battlefield: Hardline. Dropping the large-scale destruction and military themes of previous games, Battlefield: Hardline segues into high octane urban battles between cops and robbers.
Thanks to EA Access’ Xbox One exclusive trial period, we’ve been able to go hands on with Battlefield’s latest installment and all signs thus far seem positive.
Blood, sweat and bitcoin: Mining cryptocurrency with exercise
Even a company like Chaotic Moon, that has made headlines here for its odd, genre defying creations has to bow to the lure of trends every so often. Fitcoin (not to be confused with the several other apps of the same name) hops on the wearble and bitcoin bandwagon. It starts with any activity tracker that meets two requirements: an open API and an integrated heart rate monitor. For demonstration purposes the company chose a Mio. Then there’s an app that measures the activity tracked and converts it into an appropriate amount of bitcoin — in essence paying you to work out. Or, as the tag line puts it: Get ripped. Die mining.
The app, with its stark white and black animations is pretty aggressive. And so is the promo video above. But underneath all that raging testosterone is a sophisticated piece of software that uses an algorithm that mines slivers of bitcoin based on the intensity and duration of your activity. So, even if you don’t have time to run a marathon, you can bump up your earning power by plowing through some high-intensity interval runs.
The idea of earning money or even bitcoin for working out isn’t exactly new. But even for a proof of concept the Chaotic Moon take on it seems pretty polished. Of course, chances that this is going to become a shipping product are pretty slim. That’s not really the business this company is in. They just like to make cool shit.
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Filed under: Wearables
Angry Birds Stella POP! tips, hints, and cheats you need to know!
Angry Birds Stella POP! is a new match three game by Rovio that brings along your favorite Angry Birds characters. You’ll have to pop bubbles to get to the evil pigs and free different forest creatures. If you’ve ever played games like Bubble Witch Saga, you already know what you’re doing!
If you’re just getting started, these are our top tips, hints, and cheats to mastering Angry Birds Stella POP!
1. Aim high, like really high
Larger combos give you lots more points, so look for moves as high up as you can see on the screen. You should always favor higher up moves over ones that are lower to the bottom of the screen.
2. Swap out bubbles for better moves
Tapping on the bubble in the sling lets you swap the color for whatever is coming up next. This costs you nothing and doesn’t hurt your score. You can do it as often as you’d like so take advantage. It’s easy to forget and just focus on the bubble that you’re given, but training yourself to remember is worthwhile.
3. Try to end levels with lots of bubbles
End each level with as many unused bubbles in your slingshot pack as possible. You’ll get bonus points for them and it can easily rack up your star rating.
4. It’s all about the angles
Just like other bubble popping games such as Bubble Witch Saga, you’ll have to get good at calculating angles. Bouncing bubbles off the wall can get you combos that you couldn’t reach otherwise.
5. Wait for combos when you can
Sometimes it’s tempting to take a combo that’s right in front of you, but remember to watch for even bigger combo potential. For example, if you can create a combo in a move or two that will separate a huge chunk of the game board, be patient and work towards that instead.
6. Focus on bubbles, not smashing materials
Wood and other kinds of materials take a few bubble hits in order to break through them. Don’t become fixated on these things. Instead focus on make combos that disconnect sections of the board that contain those materials. You’ll save more bubbles in the long run, in turn increasing your score.
7. Don’t count on what you can’t see
Trying to match bubbles that are half off the screen is never a good idea. It’s a crapshoot and you don’t know what else it’s connected to. You’re better off focusing on what’s in your immediate viewing area.
8. Use rainbow bubbles to obtain streaks
Rainbow bubbles will connect with any color bubble to create a combo. Save them for when you are close to a Stella streak — which requires 6 combos in a row. You can also use rainbow bubbles to finish off a level if you only need one more bubble to create a combo.
9. How to get endless free lives in Stella POP
Just like countless other games, Stella POP allows you to turn time ahead in your Settings app. When you run out of lives, just turn time ahead about 2.5 hours and you’ll have 5 lives again.
Just remember to change it back when you’re done so iMessages don’t freak out on you.
10. Your tips, hints, and cheats for Angry Birds Stella POP!
If you’re working your way through Stella POP, be sure to let us know in the comments if you’ve come across any useful tips or tricks!
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More features and improvements found in leaked Windows 10 build 10036
People who have installed and used the leaked Windows 10 10036 build that found its way to the Internet on Saturday continue to discover new features and improvements. All of them are small but should be of interest to power users of the OS.
Yes, Battlefield Hardline has a drivable couch called ‘The American Dream’
People who have been trying out the Battlefield Hardline trial on EA Access on their Xbox One console have found that the first person shooter has a drivable couch called The American Dream on one of its multiplayer maps. No, we are not kidding.
Tesla promises to ‘end’ Model S range anxiety on March 19th
If you drive an electric car, you’re probably all too familiar with range anxiety — the fear that you’ll travel too far and find yourself stranded by the side of the road. Tesla drivers may not have to worry about that for much longer, however. The EV maker’s Elon Musk is teasing a media event on March 19th where the company will “end range anxiety” for Model S owners through an over-the-air software update.
That’s a pretty bold claim given that Tesla has largely relied on hardware upgrades to extend the mileage of its vehicles, and it’s not clear just what software tricks might be involved. This could mark the official rollout of the “torque sleep” update, which lets dual-motor models (the 85D and P85D) save energy when you’re not mashing the throttle. However, the implication is that all Model S cars will get the update — if so, that points to battery optimizations, a power-saving mode or smarter navigation. Whatever provides the boost, you won’t have to wait long to get the full scoop.
Tesla press conf at 9am on Thurs. About to end range anxiety … via OTA software update. Affects entire Model S fleet.
– Elon Musk (@elonmusk) March 15, 2015
Filed under: Transportation
Source: Elon Musk (Twitter)
Leaked images surface online showcasing the design of the Sony Xperia Cosmos
Renowned leaker @Upleaks took to his Twitter account earlier today to share not one, but two leaked images of an upcoming Sony Xperia-branded smartphone, which appears to be targeted at selfie enthusiasts.
Unfortunately, we don’t have much information about the device in question, other than that it’s dubbed the Xperia Cosmos, carries the model number E5306, packs a large front-facing camera with an LED flash, features a MediaTek MT6752 processor and ships running Lollipop.
That’s it, really. We expect to see an awful lot more of this smartphone over the course of the next few weeks, though, as these images suggest that the device has already entered internal testing, which means that an FCC filing is on the horizon very shortly.
Source: Twitter
Come comment on this article: Leaked images surface online showcasing the design of the Sony Xperia Cosmos
Pioneer’s AVH-4100NEX Android Auto/CarPlay head unit now shipping for $700
Dumb car stereos are about to truly get smart as the automotive solutions from Google and Apple hit the market.
The long wait for the first aftermarket head units that run Android Auto and Apple’s CarPlay is finally over. Pioneer is shipping its entry-level AVH-4100NEX unit for around $700.
AIVAnet 