Rovio flings the Angry Birds Stella Pop! bubble shooter on to the Play Store
The Angry Birds franchise is one that just runs and runs, with no end in sight to the amount of punishment dished out to the dastardly piggies by the fearsome birds. This time, Rovio is dipping into the bubble shooter genre, with the return of Stella and her friends in Angry Birds Stella Pop! We have more details, a gallery, press release, video and download link after the break.
As you can see from the gallery below, Stella Pop! takes you firmly into bubble shooting territory. The aim of the game is to use the ubiquitous slingshot to fling coloured bubbles to pop the matching bubbles up top to topple the nasty piggies. The big baddie is called the Bad Princess and you will chase her through the various levels. If you would like to join Stella and her friends in their quest to pop bubbles and torment pigs, all you have to do is click the Google Play Store link below or just scan the QR code with your mobile device. It should be noted that Angry Birds Stella Pop! is free to install, but there are In-App-Purchases available. bubble-shooting
Click here to view the embedded video.
Full Press Release:
Thursday 12th March 2015– Stella and her friends are back like you’ve never seen them before in Angry Birds Stella POP! – Rovio Entertainment’s latest addition to the wildly popular Birds & Piggies family of games and the flock’s first foray into the bubble shooter genre.
Angry Birds Stella POP! brings a twist to bubble shooting gameplay, where gamers strategically fling bubbles to match and pop them, saving critters, toppling piggies and earning power-ups. In each level, gamers live through the distinctive personalities of the feisty bird Stella and her friends the artistic Willow, mischievous Poppy, scientific genius Dahlia and young daredevil Luca. In Stella POP! each bird is endowed with a unique superpower, and together they work as a team to burst the Piggies’ bubbles – and confront Stella’s old purple friend and nemesis, the “Bad Princess” Gale.
“We’re so pleased to take Angry Birds Stella POP! globally!,” says Heini Kaihu, Head of Studio at Rovio. “If you love bubble shooters, you will absolutely love Angry Birds Stella POP! Marrying an old-school bubble-popping gameplay mechanic with the Angry Birds Stella world and cast of memorable characters, Stella POP! is its own, very colourful bird of a different feather.”
“We’re proud to share Angry Birds Stella POP! with fans worldwide today. Since we soft launched in Canada, we have been receiving great feedback. Fans are super engaged popping bubbles and toppling piggies,” said Teemu Hämäläinen, Production Director. “This is Stella’s second standalone game and fans will love joining in on her journey with her pals.”
“Stella’s crew and the rest of the Angry Birds have always appealed to a broad mix of gamers, and this latest quest invites fans of casual and challenging puzzles alike to enjoy the wild and quirky Angry Birds Stella in a new light,” add Blanca Juti, Chief Brand Officer at Rovio.
Source: Rovio
Come comment on this article: Rovio flings the Angry Birds Stella Pop! bubble shooter on to the Play Store
Rovio flings the Angry Birds Stella Pop! bubble shooter on to the Play Store
The Angry Birds franchise is one that just runs and runs, with no end in sight to the amount of punishment dished out to the dastardly piggies by the fearsome birds. This time, Rovio is dipping into the bubble shooter genre, with the return of Stella and her friends in Angry Birds Stella Pop! We have more details, a gallery, press release, video and download link after the break.
As you can see from the gallery below, Stella Pop! takes you firmly into bubble shooting territory. The aim of the game is to use the ubiquitous slingshot to fling coloured bubbles to pop the matching bubbles up top to topple the nasty piggies. The big baddie is called the Bad Princess and you will chase her through the various levels. If you would like to join Stella and her friends in their quest to pop bubbles and torment pigs, all you have to do is click the Google Play Store link below or just scan the QR code with your mobile device. It should be noted that Angry Birds Stella Pop! is free to install, but there are In-App-Purchases available. bubble-shooting
Click here to view the embedded video.
Full Press Release:
Thursday 12th March 2015– Stella and her friends are back like you’ve never seen them before in Angry Birds Stella POP! – Rovio Entertainment’s latest addition to the wildly popular Birds & Piggies family of games and the flock’s first foray into the bubble shooter genre.
Angry Birds Stella POP! brings a twist to bubble shooting gameplay, where gamers strategically fling bubbles to match and pop them, saving critters, toppling piggies and earning power-ups. In each level, gamers live through the distinctive personalities of the feisty bird Stella and her friends the artistic Willow, mischievous Poppy, scientific genius Dahlia and young daredevil Luca. In Stella POP! each bird is endowed with a unique superpower, and together they work as a team to burst the Piggies’ bubbles – and confront Stella’s old purple friend and nemesis, the “Bad Princess” Gale.
“We’re so pleased to take Angry Birds Stella POP! globally!,” says Heini Kaihu, Head of Studio at Rovio. “If you love bubble shooters, you will absolutely love Angry Birds Stella POP! Marrying an old-school bubble-popping gameplay mechanic with the Angry Birds Stella world and cast of memorable characters, Stella POP! is its own, very colourful bird of a different feather.”
“We’re proud to share Angry Birds Stella POP! with fans worldwide today. Since we soft launched in Canada, we have been receiving great feedback. Fans are super engaged popping bubbles and toppling piggies,” said Teemu Hämäläinen, Production Director. “This is Stella’s second standalone game and fans will love joining in on her journey with her pals.”
“Stella’s crew and the rest of the Angry Birds have always appealed to a broad mix of gamers, and this latest quest invites fans of casual and challenging puzzles alike to enjoy the wild and quirky Angry Birds Stella in a new light,” add Blanca Juti, Chief Brand Officer at Rovio.
Source: Rovio
Come comment on this article: Rovio flings the Angry Birds Stella Pop! bubble shooter on to the Play Store
Stanford sees thousands of signups for ResearchKit-powered study
Stanford University says that over 11,000 people have signed up for their cardiovascular study created using Apple’s ResearchKit medical research platform.
Released on earlier this week following Apple’s “Spring Forward” event, MyHeart Counts allows users to participate in a study on cardiovascular health. Getting this many people to sign up for that kind of study would normally take much longer, according to Bloomberg:
“To get 10,000 people enrolled in a medical study normally, it would take a year and 50 medical centers around the country,” said Alan Yeung, medical director of Stanford Cardiovascular Health. “That’s the power of the phone.”
While ResearchKit could prove a boon to medical research efforts, some are worried about the potential flaws. Some think that it might not be as useful, thanks to problems like inaccurate data logging.
“Just collecting lots of information about people — who may or may not have a particular disease, and may or may not represent the typical patient — could just add noise and distraction,” said Lisa Schwartz, professor at the Dartmouth Institute for Health Policy and Clinical Practice, in an e-mail. “Bias times a million is still bias.”
We’ll need to wait until more apps built with ResearchKit appear before we can make these kinds of judgments. Though five apps built using the platform have already been released, they were developed in partnerships between Apple and medical research facilities. Most developers won’t get their hands on ResearchKit until it launches next month.
Source: Bloomberg
Galaxy S6 Active specs leak, include 3,500 mAh battery
Samsung Galaxy S5 Active
For the Galaxy S6 (and the S6 Edge), Samsung sacrificed function for style. The compact and lightweight device features no waterproofing, a feature that has been present on the previous generation of the Galaxy S series. For fans of durable devices, a better choice may be the Galaxy S6 Active, whose specs have just been outed by SamMobile.
Citing trusted sources, the website claims the Galaxy S6 Active’s spec sheet will be very similar to the Galaxy S6’, including the same 5.1 Quad HD AMOLED display, 14-nm Exynos processor, 3GB of RAM, and 32GB of (presumably non-expandable) storage. There are some predictable differences when it comes to the size of the device – the rugged S6 Active will supposedly be 73.6 x 146.9 x 8.8 mm, compared to the 70.5 x 143.4 x 6.8 mm of the Galaxy S6. Even so, these dimensions are nothing to scoff at, especially given the benefits they enable.
A pleasant surprise is the battery capacity, which will reportedly go up to 3,500 mAh, from just 2,550 mAh on the Galaxy S6. Presumably, the rugged body of the S6 Active gave Samsung’s designers more room for a bigger battery, but the 1,000 mAh is a massive jump nonetheless.
The phone’s code number suggests that AT&T will get first dibs on it, just like with the S5 Active last year. There’s no information on the design of the Galaxy S6 Active, and we’re curious to see if and how Samsung integrates the sleek metallic frame of the regular edition into the Active’s design. The Galaxy S5 Active is definitely a robust device, but its design is polarizing to say the least.
Last year, the Active version trailed the Galaxy S5 by three months, so there’s a solid chance the Galaxy S6 Active will come out sometime in April-May. The massive battery in particular could be a compelling reason to pick it up over the Galaxy S6, don’t you think?
UK report says GCHQ spying wasn’t illegal, but lacked transparency
UK data surveillance programs, including the bulk collection of data from ISPs, have been declared legal by a parliamentary committee. However, it also found them “overly complicated” and lacking in transparency. The report from the Intelligence and Security Committee (ISC) probed GCHQ initiatives that tapped massive amounts of emails and other private “upstream” data, often in conjunction with the NSA’s PRISM program. The extent of the UK’s involvement in that program was revealed by whistleblower Edward Snowden in 2013.
The committee declared that “we are satisfied that the UK’s intelligence and security Agencies do not seek to circumvent the law.” But it immediately qualified that by saying “however, that legal framework has developed piecemeal, and is unnecessarily complicated. We have serious concerns about the resulting lack of transparency, which is not in the public interest.”
Despite that slapdown, the finding contradicts a court decision that found the program flat-out “unlawful.” That decision carried some legal teeth, even allowing you to fill out a form and find out if the GCHQ ever spied on you using NSA data. However, the parliamentary committee declared that:
Our Inquiry has shown that the Agencies do not have the legal authority, the resources, the technical capability, or the desire to intercept every communication of British citizens, or of the internet as a whole: GCHQ are not reading the emails of everyone in the UK.
The report went on further to say that bulk collection programs “operate on a very small percentage” of internet users, from whom only “a certain amount of material is being collected.” Ironically, however, the actual percentages of users and data requested was redacted in the final document, meaning the public can’t tell what “very small” means, exactly. The report added that targeting an individual in the UK still requires a warrant “signed by a Secretary of State.”
In the end, the government said that data collection activities in the UK were still on shaky ground. It recommended the development of a “new, transparent legal framework” — likely to fend off further unfriendly court decisions. But it also emphasized the need for the spying, saying “we do not subscribe to the point of view voiced by some of our witnesses that it is preferable to let some terrorist attacks happen rather than to allow any form of bulk interception. “
Filed under: Internet
Moto E LTE available on Verizon for $99
Barely a few weeks after the launch of Motorola’s second generation Moto E, Verizon Wireless has listed its LTE variant for sale on its website. Priced at $99 with contract and $199 without contract, this ultra-budget device is indeed a sweet deal for those who don’t want to compromise in the specs department.
Speaking of specification, the new Moto E LTE features a 4.5-inch qHD display and a 64-bit Snapdragon 410 processor clocked at 1.2 GHz coupled with 1 GB of RAM. In the imaging department, the handset sports a 5-megapixel rear camera and a VGA resolution front-facing camera. The smartphone promises to provide a good power back-up with its 2,390 mAh battery.
According to reports, Verizon’s prepaid customers who are planning to buy the Moto E LTE will get unlimited talk, text, and 1GB of data for $45 a month.
The 3G version of the Moto E is already being offered for $99 by Sprint, Boost and Virgin mobile.
Source: GSMArena
The post Moto E LTE available on Verizon for $99 appeared first on AndroidGuys.
Hey, Samsung, make this “Avengers Edition” Galaxy S6 concept real
Okay, stop throwing your money at the screen for a second: this is not a real product, as far as we can tell. But if this concept would ever become a real thing, Samsung would definitely have a summer blockbuster on its hands.
The “Avengers Edition” Galaxy S6 concept comes to us courtesy of Korean blogger Jang Yunseong, but the actual source seems to be Korean forum Seeko. While the blogger claims on Twitter than Samsung is “considering” making something like this, there’s absolutely zero guarantee that will ever happen. With that said, Samsung should totally make this a reality. It has the marketing budget to match Marvel’s profits off the Avengers franchise. And the phones would look totally awesome. So, Samsung, just do it. You know you want to.
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Iron Man is, of course, present. But not Robert Downey Jr. Is it because he is involved with a competing Android flagship? Who knows…
Which one would you pick? It’s Black Widow for me.
The VAIO Phone launches in Japan for $420 off-contract
Many of us are familiar with the VAIO brand name from the time that it was part of Sony. Those days are gone however, and now VAIO is mostly owned by Japan Industrial Partners. As such, VAIO is now creating its own designs and competing against Sony in its home market, Japan. VAIO has just launched its first smartphone, the imaginatively named VAIO Phone in collaboration with the Japanese carrier, b-mobile.
As you can see from the images, the VAIO Phone is not pushing smartphone design to new heights. Possibly the best thing you can say about it is that it seems inoffensive. One good thing is that the handset runs Android 5.0 Lollipop at launch and is said to be a mostly stock experience. The VAIO Phone will cost around 4,000 Yen ($33) per month over a two-year contract from b-mobile that snags you unlimited data. The off-contract price is 51,000 yen which equates to around $420.
Specifications:
- Android 5.0 Lollipop
- 5-Inch IPS display with 720 x 1280 resolution
- Quad-Core Processor clocked at 1.2GHz
- 2GB RAM
- 16GB Internal Storage
- MicroSD card support (up to 64GB)
- 13MP Rear-facing camera
- 5MP Front-facing camera
- Supports 3G bands 2100/800 MHz & LTE 2000/1800/800MHz
- 2,500mAh battery
- Dimensions: 71.3 x 141.5 x 7.95mm
- Weight: 130 grams
Source: b-mobile
Come comment on this article: The VAIO Phone launches in Japan for $420 off-contract
Latest Network+ update lets you edit call settings while connected to 4G
Microsoft has just released an update for its Network+ app for its Windows Phone Lumia devices. The 3.0.0.11 update adds a small but useful feature. It now allows users to edit their call settings when they are on a 4G network.
The BBC is creating a TV drama based on ‘Grand Theft Auto’
As part of an initiative to get the UK into coding, the BBC is creating a new TV show based on Rockstar’s best-selling game series Grand Theft Auto. Not much is known about the show; the BBC simply states that a “new BBC Two drama based on Grand Theft Auto” is on its way. A release date for the show hasn’t been nailed down yet, but the related “Make it Digital” campaign kicks off this fall. It’s unclear what elements from the games will make their way over to TV. Will we see Tommy Verceti cruising Vice City, Niko Bellic cracking skulls in Liberty City or perhaps just something loosely based on the concept? Who knows, but it seems safe to say that some sort of car theft will be involved.
The BBC’s “Make it Digital” campaign is mainly targeted at 11-to-12-year-olds (who are too young to legally buy the games in the UK), but also includes an element that aims to create 5,000 trainee positions for unemployed teens and generally improve the country’s tech literacy. We’ve reached out to the BBC for more information on the Grand Theft Auto project, and will update this article accordingly.
Filed under: Gaming
Source: BBC Media Centre
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