Google Play Gift cards finally make their way to India
Google has finally introduced the Google Play Gift cards to the Indian market. Starting today, you can purchase Google Play gift cards by walking into select Indian stores of Vijay Sales and Spice Hotspot in Mumbai, Pune, Delhi NCR, Hyderabad, Bengaluru, Kolkata & Jaipur.
Google has made it available in select Indian cities and stores as a start. To purchase a Google Play Gift card, simple walk-in to any of the select stores and ask for it at the cash counter. You can make the payment towards the Gift card using cash, card or any other form of payment accepted by the store.
Google Play Gift cards or Google Play prepaid vouchers can be used to purchase any type of digital content available in the Google Play Store. The Gift cards come in 3 denominations of ₹500 ($7.85), ₹1,000 ($15.7) and ₹1,500 ($23.54).
Google Play gift cards, which were originally launched in 2012 have been consumers favorite to purchase apps, games, books or movies etc. and even for in-app purchases. You can also gift them to friends or family or use it for yourself on your Android phone or tablet.
On purchasing the voucher you will find a code which can then be used in the Play Store to redeem for purchases. The Play Store gift cards will be especially useful in a country like India where most people prefer cash payments or pay by debit card for online purchases.
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Twitter update allows auto-play feature for videos
T
he fight for social media users attention has gotten more intense lately. Social networks like Facebook and now Twitter have been relentlessly attempting to gain some of the video space from the industry leader Youtube.
Today’s Twitter update introduces a more seamless video experience. It is now easier to enjoy videos on Twitter as native videos, Vines and GIFs will begin to play back automatically. So you can keep up with the action without missing a Tweet and get a better sense of what’s been shared instantly.
Previously on Twitter, in order to watch a video, you had to physically tap the video to enable it to play. Now once you tap the video, the video and sound will play automatically in an expanded view. Also, if you flip your device to landscape mode, the sound will also automatically turn on and expand the video to fill the screen.
Yes Twitter, this is a cool concept. Although I can imagine what your thinking (your being our lovely AndroidGuys readers), that you don’t really want to watch every video of your friends kids, or cats, doing backflips automatically.
Thankfully you still have ultimate control over the playback settings. You have the option to choose the previous click-to-play option or have videos autoplay only when you are connected to WiFi. If you are at a location with high data rates or have low bandwidth on your device, Twitter will automatically opt you out of autoplay and you will only see click-to-play option.
Who does this Update benefit?
Twitter and it’s advertisers of course. The logic behind it is simple, most people will not click to watch an ad, though if it plays automatically you are more likely to watch it.
Autoplay can be a useful feature to have for sure, although only in moderation. There have been multiple occurrences on Instagram where I have attempted to tap-to-play and inadvertently double tapped instead, causing me to like a post. So let’s be thankful we have been given more customization’s options this time around with the option to turn the feature off.
Updates began rolling out to everyone today on Twitter for iOS and Twitter.com with an Android version coming soon.
Tell us if you like the new auto-play feature by leaving a comment below!
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Google Maps update lets you know when your destination will close
Not everybody has a great sense of direction or knows all the ways. Google Maps help save the day by taking you to your preferred destinations without any hassle. But every once in a while, it so happens that we have to go to our favorite restaurant or any other place and imagine the dilemma when you reach there and find out that the place is closed.
Well, Google has addressed to this issue in their latest Google Maps update. From now on, whenever one asks for directions in the Google Maps, it shows if the place will be closed before your estimated arrival time. A simple pop-up notification informs you about the operational hours of the destination along with the estimated time of your arrival.
There is also an option to cancel the navigation in the notification or you can go ahead with it if you really want to be speed racer.
Another feature of this new update brings the ability for Google Maps to be able to use the data from car rental-related emails. It can be accessed under the “my events” section. And definitely, there the usual bug fixes.
Over the last few years navigation has become an important part of our travelling itinerary. Google has brought forth a lot of improvement to their maps app with the inclusion of features such as navigation sharing, real-time transit information and the upcoming offline maps features.
Check out the Play Store link below, and update your Google Maps right now! Share your experiences with us in the comments section below.
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SteelSeries announces The Stratus XL Wireless Gaming Controller for Windows and Android
SteelSeries announced the Stratus XL Wireless Gaming Controller at E3. The Stratus XL is Stratus’s bigger brother.
“Gamers now have the option to control their games effortlessly and wireless via Bluetooth® on PC, Android devices, Amazon Fire TV, Ouya and other micro-console systems. “
The controller is designed to connect via Bluetooth to a bunch of different devices. It is powered by AA batteries allowing for up to 40 hours of game play.
The Stratus XL Wireless Gaming Controller is equipped with Microsft’s XInput game controller API. XInput allows the Stratus XL to function perfectly as a console-like gaming controller on a PC. With the help of SteelSeries Engine software suite, users can tweak the controller’s joystick settings, sensitivity levels and even invert the axis.
In a physical aspect, the Stratus XL is styled to look like a regular console controller unlike the Stratus controller. Except, the D-pad is placed in the top left and the joysticks are both on the bottom. Other wise, you have a D-pad, two joysticks, four buttons (X, Y, A and B), and three menu type buttons on the front. Finally, two triggers and two shoulder buttons are placed on the back.
Priced at a hefty $59.99, SteelSeries hopes that the Stratus XL will create easy-to-use experiences and allows multi-screen experiences to actually happen.
Press Release
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Apple Yet to Contact Indie Publishers for Apple Music Streaming Rights [iOS Blog]
With exactly two weeks until the launch of Apple Music, details about the revenue sharing model for the streaming music service continue to emerge. Billboard reports that Apple has yet to contact independent music publishers about Apple Music, leading many indie labels to believe that the Cupertino-based company will soon send a bulk email to publishers with an opt-in contract attached.
Apple will reportedly offer indie music publishers a headline rate of 13.5% revenue, higher than the 12% it pays for iTunes Match and 10% it pays for iTunes Radio. Apple will pay indie labels slightly higher rates than the industry standard, contributing to Apple Music’s overall 71.5% revenue sharing, in return for making no royalty payments during the three-month free trial it will offer consumers.
“That free trial, with no payments being made to rights holders, precluded Apple from taking advantage of the statutory licenses that most interactive streaming services use. Under that statutory license, Apple must send notices of intent (NOIs) to publishers with a list of the songs they plan to use, and then make payment to publishers using a three-tier formula approved by the Copyright Royalty Board.”
The 13.5% headline rate is reportedly part of a larger payment formula that will be used to determine royalties paid to rights holders.
Apple Music was announced last week as an all-in-one streaming music service, live global radio station and social platform for artists to connect with fans. The subscription-based service will be available June 30 for $9.99 per month after a three-month free trial period for iPhone, iPad, iPod touch, Mac and PC. Apple TV and Android versions of the service will be available in the fall.
Apple Revokes Monster’s ‘Made for iPhone’ License Following Beats Lawsuit
Apple has suspended audio accessory maker Monster’s right to make licensed accessories for Apple devices following a lawsuit Monster filed against Apple-owned Beats Electronics in January, reports The Wall Street Journal.
Monster produces Lightning charging cables and headphones that are certified to work with Apple devices under Apple’s Made for iPhone (MFi) certification process, and it has done so since 2005. As of May 5, Apple is ending its agreement with Monster and will no longer allow the company to make MFi certified accessories.
Monster’s general counsel David Tognotti said Noreen Krall, Apple’s chief litigation counsel, told him that their agreement was being terminated, effective May 5, because the relationship between the two companies is no longer “mutually beneficial” in the wake of Monster’s lawsuit. According to Mr. Tognotti, Ms. Krall said the suit would “destroy the working relationship” between Apple and Monster.
Monster’s lawsuit accused Beats Electronics, Beats co-founders Jimmy Iovine and Dr. Dre, and HTC of conspiring to acquire Monster’s portion of Beats Electronics through a fraudulent deal. Well before Beats Electronics was bought by Apple, Monster designed and sold Beats by Dr. Dre headphones. That ended in 2011, after Beats sold 51 percent of the company to HTC and invoked a change of ownership clause in the Beats/Monster deal.
Beats Electronics later repurchased HTC’s stake in the company and convinced Monster CEO Noel Lee to sell a portion of his 5 percent stake as well. According to Lee, this was a “sham transaction” designed to exclude Monster from profits from Beats by Dre sales and later, profits from the Apple acquisition, which would have been more than $100 million had he retained his stake in the company.
With Apple ending its MFi agreement with Monster, Monster will be required to change its packaging and rework some products that use licensed technology. Apple is permitting Monster to continue to sell accessories through September, but the company is not allowed to produce new MFi-certified cables and headphones.
According to Monster, 900 of its more than 4,000 products produced since 2008 have been made under the MFi program, and the company has paid out more than $12 million in licensing fees since that date. Monster lawyer David Tognotti says the move is excessive and “shows a side of Apple that consumers don’t see very often.” “Apple can be a bully,” he said.
Square Enix announces Lara Croft Go for mobile devices at E3 2015
If you’re a fan of the Tomb Raider franchise or the popular mobile puzzler Hitman Go, you’re in for a nice surprise. During E3 2015, popular video game developer Square Enix announced a new game for smartphones and tablets called Lara Croft Go. It’s a puzzle adventure game that takes many visual and gameplay cues from Hitman Go, while also alluding to the calm atmosphere that’s present in ustwo’s Monument Valley.
A stark departure from the other action-packed Tom Raider titles we’re all used to, Lara Croft Go focuses greatly on visual effects and turn-based gameplay. Square Enix’s Hitman Go has proven itself worthy as a puzzler on mobile devices, so it wouldn’t surprise us in the slightest if this new title is a hit among mobile gamers – especially with the brand recognition that Tomb Raider has built up over the last few years.
The company didn’t announce a specific release date for the game (or device compatibility, for that matter), so we’ll have to wait for more details to trickle in throughout the coming weeks.
Kingdom Hearts Unchained Key is coming to mobile (trailer)
Square Enix is having a busy E3 but they did take the time to show off a new trailer for Kingdom Hearts Unchained Key. The game will be coming to mobile and it is part of the Keyblade War story detailed in Kingdom Hearts 3. The game is a port of a browser game that was previously only available in Japan. Today, it was announced that the game is not only coming to mobile, but also getting a Western release.
From the looks of the trailer, Kingdom Hearts Unchained Key will be a mixture between a hack-and-slash action RPG with turn-based battle mechanics. The graphics are 3D but they are a slight step down from the 3D rendered models we’re used to seeing in other recent Kingdom Hearts titles. The game is meant to be a good jumping in point for new players to the Kingdom Hearts series.
As per the norm, you’ll be fighting alongside various Disney characters, including Goofy, Daffy Duck, Aladdin, and more with characters from other Disney movie playing smaller roles. Characters from Square Enix’s famous Final Fantasy titles will also make cameo appearances. The game was directed and composed by Tetsuya Nomura and Yoko Shimomura who have worked on Kingdom Hearts titles before.
For the time being, we know only that Kingdom Hearts Unchained Key is coming. It’s slated for release in Japan in 2015 while the Western release date is still unknown right now. It’s exciting to see Square Enix bringing the Kingdom Hearts franchise to Android and we certainly hope it opens the doors for more. Let us know what you think in the comments!
Now, the Terminator will give you directions on Waze
In a bid to promote the latest Terminator movie, Arnold Schwarzenegger is lending his voice to traffic and navigation app, Waze, which helps drivers across the world to reach their destination without getting lost.
“From the first time I used Waze, I have wanted to lend my voice to it. The Terminator is the perfect machine to guide Wazers to their destinations. Every single day on social media fans ask me to record my movie lines, so now I get to bring this classic role and my charming Austrian accent into their cars,” said Schwarzenegger.
If you are a Waze user who wants to hear direction commands in the Governator’s voice, simply go to settings and choose Terminator Genisys from the menu.
Not only will the app give directions to user’s destinations and alert them if a T-1000 is spotted ahead, it will also notify them about movie theater locations showing Terminator Genisys on July 1st.
Come comment on this article: Now, the Terminator will give you directions on Waze
FBI investigating St. Louis Cardinals for hacking another team’s files
Sports teams employ questionable methods to gain an advantage over their opponents, but the FBI is looking into whether or not one team took to hacking. The Justice Department is investigating the St. Louis Cardinals for allegedly hacking into the Houston Astros’ network and accessing files containing player information. According to the New York Times, investigators discovered evidence that front-office personnel hacked into the Astros’ databases and looked at scouting reports, stats and info about potential trades. This is the first “known” incident of a pro sports franchise hacking another, as professional hackers, companies and groups operating in foreign countries are typically the culprits.
In a statement, the team says “it has fully cooperated with the investigation and will continue to do so. Given that this is an ongoing federal investigation, it is not appropriate for us to comment further.” The Astros have seen a remarkable turnaround after years of disappointing seasons. Before the upswing, a so-called Ground Control program for keeping tabs on players was compromised. During the subsequent investigation, FBI agents found a computer at a home where Cardinals’ officials lived was used to access the Astros’ network.
[Image credit: Doug Pensinger/Getty Images]
Filed under: Internet
Source: The New York Times, St. Louis Cardinals
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