FDP 021: E3!
What happens when you inject an Android publication into one of the biggest gaming expos of the year? Well, they look at the future of Android gaming – while getting really distracted in the process. But that is just par for the course in this week’s FDP as our guys on the floor – Josh, Lanh, Andrew, and Darcy – talk about everything from Star Wars: Battlefront, VR platforms, YouTube Gaming, and all of the mobile gaming goodness they could pack into three whole days at the Los Angeles Convention Center.
It was a wonderful time at E3 and we can’t wait to share with you our experiences, so hit that play button and listen to this FDP!
The FDP by Android Authority – discussing hot topics in Android every week.
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Recorded on June 18, 2015 – Hosted and Produced by Joshua Vergara
Microsoft sends mixed signals about free Windows 10 upgrades
Microsoft has managed to confuse us (again) about its Windows 10 upgrade policy. Last week, it said Insider Program preview users would “receive the Windows 10 final release build and remain activated.” While testing the buggy preview hasn’t been easy, the offer sounded too good to be true since it meant that virtually anyone could get a free copy. However, yesterday Microsoft quietly removed the “remain activated” part of the article and clarified that only owners of a genuine Windows 7 or 8.1 copy would get the next version for free when it arrives on July 29th.
@ZacB_ @joebelfiore Yes, as long as running a prerelease build connected with registered MSA: http://t.co/vlaGyfwzbr
– Gabriel Aul (@GabeAul) June 21, 2015
To make things even murkier, Microsoft’s Gabriel Aul later said that Windows 10 insiders would remain activated when the final release arrives, as long as they had an associated MIcrosoft account. We think that means that previewers who don’t have a valid Windows 7/8.1 copy will still get a “legit” copy that can be updated, but not a valid license. In other words, you can have the software for personal use, but don’t try to use it commercially. This jibes with previous Microsoft statements that it would provide a “mechanism” for all users to get a free copy, pirates included.
Assuming our guess is accurate, it’s not clear whether Microsoft has actually changed its upgrade policy or just made an error on the original post. We do know, however, that It would have been nice if it had updated it with some kind of explanation, rather than just slipping in new wording and leaving it up to the internet to guess.
House of Grudge is a new “escape-the-room” game coming to Android soon
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Escape rooms are all the rage these days. Whether in physical form or video game format, they are great fun for people of all ages and backgrounds. The latest game in this genre, which adds the element of horror, is House of Grudge, made by Korean studio Gameday Inc. Adopting a similar game style to a point and click adventure game, House of Grudge will see you sifting through rooms to gather the right clues and objects to get you out of the room, all while an underlying story develops in the background.
Describing why House of Grudge is different to other escape genre games, Gameday chief producer Bongsaeng Kim says, “We added horror to the elements of escape genre, such as combine, dismantle, puzzle and trick, so we think players can meet with a new experience. And we all put a lot of hard work into the graphics and sounds for uprush of fear.” The jury’s still out on whether the scares will be genuine or not, but we’d love to find out. Unfortunately, House of Grudge is only out on iOS right now, but Gameday says an Android version is due out in future, and will likely cost $2.99 USD.
What do you think about House of Grudge? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.
The post House of Grudge is a new “escape-the-room” game coming to Android soon appeared first on AndroidSPIN.
Sony’s 1TB PS4 is official
Sony and Microsoft had a ton of games to show off at E3 this year, so we didn’t see much in terms of hardware announcements. Microsoft had already unveiled a 1TB Xbox One and today, we’re finally seeing the same move from Sony. On its European blog, the company revealed that its new “Ultimate Player Edition” PS4 with double storage will debut across Europe on July 15th. There’s no word on a wider release just yet, but given it’s already popped up in an FCC filing, a US announcement seems almost inevitable.
A new 1TB console isn’t the only announcement to come out of Sonyland this morning though. The company has also updated its not-so-hot PlayStation app for iOS and Android with a couple of nifty features. The first is the ability to enter PSN gift cards and promotional codes, so you no longer have to power on your PS4 to redeem them. The second is the ability to display comments on your phone or tablet while you’re broadcasting from the console — perhaps a simpler way to keep your streaming setup neat and tidy.
Nice update for PlayStation app on iOS and Android improves PlayStation Store browsing experience and more. Give it a shot!
– PlayStation (@PlayStation) June 22, 2015
Source: PlayStation Blog
Motorola Moto G 2015 gets its first candid sighting, sporting a new look
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Motorola seems to be keeping its 2015 line-up firmly under wraps with not so much as a credible rumour surrounding its devices in the past few months. We’re expecting an annual update to all its major devices, the Moto X, G, E and 360, and today it seems we’ve got our first real leak regarding any of them, the Motorola Moto G 2015. The leak details a number of pictures which shows the front and back of the device, which you can see below:
As many Motorola fans will see, the 3rd generation Moto G appears to be quite a different device to its predecessors – the only real difference between the 1st and 2nd Moto G was the size. Where the Motorola logo used to adorn the back of the device, there is now a strip of plastic that looks like it should house LG-esque volume and power buttons, but nothing is there. Perhaps that indent does signify a power button, but it’s difficult to tell from just these photos.
The front of the device, however, has the unmistakable Motorola tester’s logo (which probably isn’t a good thing to have visible) and a speaker grille on the bottom edge, presumably accompanied by one at the top. The Moto G, which apparently has a model number of XT1543, runs Android 5.1.1, which is expected. The list of specs is also a small bump over last year’s list, with a Snapdragon 410, 13MP rear camera and 5MP front camera headlining the improvements. 1GB RAM, 8GB storage and a microSD slot round out the available specs in this leak.
If we’re honest, nothing about the specs is surprising, however we’re interested to see what the device ends up looking like when it is announced later this year. What do you think about the Motorola Moto G 2015? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.
Source: Google+ via Android Police
The post Motorola Moto G 2015 gets its first candid sighting, sporting a new look appeared first on AndroidSPIN.
Sony’s amazingly thin Android TV sets to be released in July
If any manufacturer has stood by Google for their smart TV endeavors, we have to say it is definitely Sony. They were leading the Google TV race back in the day, and this year they have invested all their smart TV efforts on Android TV. It’s awesome to see such an important TV maker back our favorite platform, but it’s even more exciting when we see they are bringing us some of the most stunning televisions around.
Yes, we are talking about those amazingly thin 4K TV sets we checked out at CES 2015. That thing was only 4.9 mm at its thinnest point (which is pretty much most of the panel). It’s truly insane when you witness such thinness in person. Just to put it in perspective, most modern smartphones can’t get that thin. The only one I can think of that is as thin as these TVs is the Oppo R5.
We were all going nuts after learning these TV sets would arrive in May, but that month came and went with no news about these TV sets. Today we are glad to tell you we are finally learning about price and availability. Though they did miss their launch goal, Sony managed to get the X900C 4K Ultra HD TV all ready for a July 2015 release, while the X910C version will be hitting store shelves “this summer”.
The X900C will come in two iterations, with size being the only differentiation. One will measure 55 inches, while the larger one will have a 65-inch display. These will cost $2,499 and $3999, accordingly. Meanwhile the massive 75-inch X910C 4K Ultra HD TV will cost a whopping $5499. Retailers like Sony, Amazon and Best Buy will be the first to carry them, and pre-sales are said to begin today.
So there you have it, guys! I can almost see myself marveling over these TVs at the store, because I am not spending that much on a TV. They are pricey, but they offer one hell of an experience. Not to mention, these things are gorgeous. It will definitely take your living room to a whole other level. Are any of you buying one?
Apple says it will pay artists during Music’s free trials (updated)
Taylor Swift has a lot of clout in the streaming music world, it seems. Just hours after the singer railed against Apple for declining to pay royalties during Music’s 3-month trials, Apple’s Eddy Cue has promised that his company will pay musicians “even during [the] customer’s free trial period.” That includes indie artists, he says. It’s not clear what prompted the apparent change of heart (beyond the obvious public relations problem), but it wasn’t hard to see turnaround as a possibility. Apple has been positioning Music as a sort of anti-Spotify that courts the artists who don’t like the streaming status quo, such as Swift — it wasn’t going to succeed if those same performers jumped ship, whatever the reason.
Update: Cue tells Recode that Swift’s letter, and pressure from other artists, prompted the change. He reached out to Tim Cook to make the change, and told Swift herself about the new policy. As for how Apple is compensating artists during trials? Cue isn’t divulging the exact rate, but he says that it’s a per-stream payout rather than the usual revenue percentage. About the only thing up in the air is whether or not Swift and indie labels will offer their full catalogs to Apple Music. If you ask Cue, it’s simply too soon to know.
#AppleMusic will pay artist for streaming, even during customer’s free trial period
– Eddy Cue (@cue) June 22, 2015
We hear you @taylorswift13 and indie artists. Love, Apple
– Eddy Cue (@cue) June 22, 2015
Source: Eddy Cue (Twitter 1), (2)
Arctic drone is tough enough to monitor icy waters
Sure, there are already drones out there that can take a bruising, but can they survive the brutally cold Arctic Ocean? Laval University’s Argo drone can. The newly developed robotic submersible can reach depths of 6,560 feet as it collects data about organisms in bitterly cold waters, and its laser scanning system helps it avoid ice whenever it returns to the surface to transmit data. Not that Argo needs to poke its head above the water very often — it can run for up to four years at a time. The machine is still in testing at the moment. If everything goes well, however, the drone will be tracking the biological effects of climate change within a matter of months.
[Image credits: AP Photo/John McConnico (top), Claudie Marec/Laval University (bottom)]
Via: Techno-Science.net (translated)
Source: Laval University (translated)
Deal: Nexus Player only $64.78 on Amazon
The Nexus Player led Android TV into the battle for your living room. It’s Google’s very own Android TV device. Is it perfect? You can read our Nexus Player review and find out the device definitely has its quirks. There are now better options out there, that’s for sure. Especially at that $100 price range, but today’s deal makes the Nexus Player much more enticing for people looking to join the Android TV party.
Amazon is selling the Nexus Player for only $64.78, almost a$35 discount over the original price. To make matters even better, the popular online retailer is also giving Nexus Player customers not only regular Prime shipping for free, but you can even opt to get one-day shipping at no extra charge (of course, assuming you are a Prime member).
It can’t really get much better than this deal, if you ask me. We have seen Amazon hold some pretty good deals on the Nexus Player recently, but this is the best we have seen. You should definitely jump on it if you are looking for a basic Android TV device. We are not sure how long this price will stick around, so you should definitely act fast.
Who’s buying?!
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Apple Reverses Course, Will Pay Artists During Apple Music Free Trial
Apple’s Eddy Cue posted on twitter:
#AppleMusic will pay artist for streaming, even during customer’s free trial period
— Eddy Cue (@cue) June 22, 2015
We hear you @taylorswift13 and indie artists. Love, Apple
— Eddy Cue (@cue) June 22, 2015
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