Boost halves rate plans for MetroPCS and Cricket defectors
Boost Mobile wants to do for prepaid customers what its parent brand, Sprint, is doing for its competition. Today sees the carrier kicking off a limited time Slash Your Payment in Half promotion.
MetroPCS and Cricket subscribers who port their number over to Boost Mobile before July 20 can save between $20 and $30 on their monthly rate plans. MetroPCS customers, for instance, can receive 2.5GB of data for $20 per month, which amounts to extra data at half the price.
Under the new plan Cricket customers who currently get 10GB of data for $60 per month can receive the same amount of data for $30 per month.
Just a heads up, there are a few things to note as it pertains to the deal. For starters, customers have to port in an existing MetroPCS or Cricket phone number. New Boost subscribers are not eligible to choose this option without doing so.
The half-priced rate plans are only around for twelve months after which Boost will adjust the account. According to the prepaid carrier, it will select the option with a comparable amount of data.
The post Boost halves rate plans for MetroPCS and Cricket defectors appeared first on AndroidGuys.
5 Android apps you shouldn’t miss this week! – Android Apps Weekly
Sponsored by: Galaxy Universal Remote
[Price: $3.99]
The Galaxy Universal Remote app is one of the better remote apps available on the Play Store. It uses a device’s built-in IR blaster to control your TV, set top box, media streamer, and even your camera if you have a supported DSLR. It features a smooth, easy-to-use interface with a bucket load of supported devices and you can get a device supported upon request. There is also Android Wear support so you can control all of these devices using your smartwatch as well! The only caveat is you’ll need a phone with an IR blaster.
In this week’s episode we’re going to round up all the Android gaming stuff that happened at E3. Hold on to your hats, there was quite a bit!
- Zynga announced a new strategy game called Dawn of Titans and let me tell you, this game looks impressive! It features some really good graphics and some decent mechanics that should equal up to a fun time. We don’t have a release date yet and here’s hoping Zynga doesn’t wreck it with ridiculously bad in-app purchases.
- Square Enix fans in particular have a lot to be excited about because the company not only announced a Final Fantasy 7 remake for the PS4, but that Final Fantasy 7 was coming to mobile. The iOS version is due out sometime this year and Android will be along eventually.
- While we’re on the topic of Square Enix, they also announced Kingdom Hearts Unchained Key for mobile. It takes place during the same stretch of story as the more recent Kingdom Hearts games and has a lot of the same mechanics even if the graphics don’t look as good as console versions.
- Square Enix also included an announcement for Lara Croft Go, which will be an action adventure puzzle game along the same vein as Hitman Go but during the announcement, they also alluded to some Monument Valley style elements like a more calm experience. We don’t have a release date for this one either but it looks fun.
- DotEmu has announced that they’ll be porting the classic 2006 PC game Titan Quest to Android later this year. For those who don’t know, Titan Quest is a fighting game where you play historically significant figures as you battle evil mythological creatures. It should be out sometime this year.
- EA has announced that they’ll be releasing a build-harvest game called Minion’s Paradise. This will likely coincide with the release of the Minions movie that’s due out in theaters next month. If you’ve played Ice Age Village or Nemo’s Reef, you pretty much know what’s going on with this title.
- Along with that, EA announced a card collecting RPG called Star Wars: Galaxy of Heroes. As with any card collecting game, you’ll be collecting cards of iconic characters, ships, etc from all of the movies and you’ll be using them to make your deck stronger. It’s slated to be released later this year.
- Bethesda had quite a year at E3 for mobile devices as well. They announced that they’ll be bringing a simulation game called Fallout Shelter where you’ll get to control people’s lives, build various places like gyms and bars, and otherwise manage the lives of some people Fallout style. It’s out on iOS now with an Android version coming eventually.
- Bethesda also announced a card collecting game called The Elder Scrolls: Legends that is also due out sometime this year. If you’ve played Hearthstone, then you pretty much know what this game is about. It’s a similar premise but it takes place in the Elder Scrolls universe instead of the Warcraft universe.
- Telltale Games, makers of the popular Walking Dead series games have announced The Walking Dead: Michonne. This covers the story of Michonne from issue 126 through 139 of the comic book series which hasn’t been covered in any of the other games. This one is coming to mobile but also to console and PC so you can play it wherever.
- Starbreeze Studios has announced that it will be bringing the Payday franchise to Android. For those who don’t know, Payday is a moderately popular first person shooter that was originally launched back in 2011 for PC and the Playstation 3. They’re working on developing a mobile friendly version of it and we have no idea when it’ll be out.
- A new Torchlight game was also announced this week called Torchlight Mobile. This is an action RPG title similar to Diablo and the Torchlight franchise has done well on PC in the past. We don’t have a release date but it is coming sometime this year.
- Gameloft had a busy E3 as they announced a few games, but most notably Siegefall. Seigefall is, for lack of a better term, a Clash of Clans clone. It has some decent graphics, heroes, and a much longer campaign mode. It uses gems to upgrade stuff faster using in-app purchases if you want to.
- Back to EA for a moment. They showed off their upcoming FIFA 2016 title which we anticipate will be as popular as the 2015 and 2014 variants. It has some decent graphics and controls. It will most likely be free with in-app purchases similar to their earlier titles. Be prepared for that this summer.
For more information, you can find links to all of these stories in our E3 master list where we round up all the videos and news from E3 this last week! Since I do make this on Thursday, there’s likely some smaller announcements that I didn’t get to in the video so it’s worth checking out.
Now let’s get to some regular headlines from the last week:
- LastPass had a security breach this last week that prompted the company to encourage everyone to change their master passwords. We understand that it wasn’t a major breach with no important information getting leaked and that the password change is a precaution.
- A new Humble Bundle was released this last week. It features eight games with more coming soon. If you pay the minimum $1, you will get four of the games and if you beat the average, you’ll get every game available in the bundle. As usual, it’s a great way to give to charity and try out some new games!
- In an effort to promote its new family friendly section, the Google Play Store is now offering a free app of the day. Unfortunately, it’s only in the family friendly selection of applications which only affects those who use that section, but it’s still a pretty fun little promotion.
- We’ve known for a while now that Cortana is coming to Android but we didn’t know when. Microsoft has announced that a beta version will be showing up this July. We’ll have more details when they become available.
- In our last headline this week, YouTube will be taking on Twitch with its YouTube Gaming platform which is set to release this summer. Some folks at Ars Technica got to take a look at it early and it seems to look pretty nice. We’ll know more when it gets released this summer.
For even more headlines, app updates, and new releases, don’t forget to check out this week’s newsletter. There we’ll have all the content we didn’t have time for here. If you want, you can sign up with your email and get all of this stuff sent straight to your email inbox every single Friday.
Check out our Android Apps Weekly newsletter!
Moments
[Price: Free]
Moments is a new application from Facebook that is kind of a direct response to Google Photos. Using the service, you can backup all of your photos to one place and then you can share them to Facebook, Instagram, or Facebook Messenger. You can sync multiple photos, use the photo search feature, and even save photos other people send to you. It doesn’t quite have the power of Google Photos, but it’s a fun option for those who primarily use Instagram or Facebook.
Shoot
[Price: Free with in-app purchases]
Shoot is an app by BitTorrent that allows you to share files between Android devices. Here’s how it works. The device with the file will create a QR code. The other device will scan it and then the connection will be made and the file will download. It’s very easy to use and to understand once you get in there and actually use the app. It’s also totally free to use but beware of those release day bugs!
CloudPlayer by doubleTwist
[Price: Free with in-app purchases]
CloudPlayer by doubleTwist is a new music player that does something quite unique. It can connect to your cloud storage accounts such as Dropbox, Google Drive, and more and play any music stored there. This essentially turns your cloud storage into your music player in a way that few apps have been able to accomplish. It also enjoys AirPlay and Chromecast support, a 10-band EQ, and Material Design.
Portal by Pushbullet
[Price: Free]
Portal is another file transfer application but this one was developed by Pushbullet. This aims to simplify the process of transferring files from your computer to your Android device and back again. It allows you to transfer multiple files and even entire folders at once. You can include photos, videos, documents, and more. The only caveat is that you’ll need a device running Android 5.0 or later in order to use this app.
Adobe Photoshop Mix, Shape CC, Brush CC, and Color CC
[Price: Free]
This week Adobe released not one, but four applications to the Play Store. They include Photoshop Mix, Shape CC, Brush CC, and Color CC. Photoshop Mix is a light photo editing application with a slew of editing options, Shape CC allows you to take images of things and turn them into vector graphics, Brush CC turns images into brushes for later use, and Color CC helps you determine what color things are in photos. These are all potentially useful tools that are all free to use in the Play Store right now.
Wrap up
If we missed any great Android apps or games news, let us know in the comments! Have a great weekend everyone.
FEMA recruits Google, Microsoft for new disaster initiative program
Homeland Security’s Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) announced a new program, Tech Corps. Beyond rescue operations, food, clothes, and shelter, people need access to Internet to find their loved ones in the event of a disaster. FEMA aims to accomplish this and much more with Tech Corps.
FEMA has brought on a handful of big-name companies, such as Google, Microsoft, Intel, and Cisco Systems. The goal is that these companies will provide volunteers with the appropriate skills to accomplish the goals of Tech Corps. Not only that, but by partnering with Tech Corps, these companies are also agreeing to train others that are willing to help with the needs of Tech Corps.
Senator Ron Wyden, who first proposed the new initiative, said:
“Tech Corps harnesses a deep well of technical expertise and private-sector manpower to make sure every resource is available immediately when disaster strikes. Information technology is often critical to saving lives, and this program ensures that red tape won’t stand in the way of volunteer experts who can stand up temporary cell networks and Wi-Fi solutions that are so important in disaster areas. I’m hopeful today’s partners are the first of many to sign up to work hand-in-hand with emergency responders to help craft more resilient and effective responses to future disasters.”
While natural disasters are a horrible thing, they’re a fact of life. But, with something like the Tech Corps program, victims may not have to go days or even weeks without knowing where a loved one is. Not only that, but with temporary cell networks available in the event of an emergency, it might just make the search and rescue process a bit easier than it has been before.
As Senator Wyden said, in our day and age, “technology is often critical to saving lives.” And hopefully the Tech Corps is able to help with just that.
Come comment on this article: FEMA recruits Google, Microsoft for new disaster initiative program
From adorable to appalling: The week of E3 that was
E3 is one of the most exciting events of the year. There are plenty of announcements from Microsoft, Sony, Ubisoft, EA and many other companies. Behind the scenes, though, the power of the brands is out in full force, featuring life-size product placements that make you feel like you’re in another world. And yes, that includes zombies.
JXE Streams: Talking ‘No Man’s Sky’ with Hello Games
Another E3 has come and gone. This one was particularly spectacular. We got to play Volume with Mike Bithell. We got to talk about Yooka-Laylee with legendary Rare composer Grant Kirkhope. We even got to bask in the announcements of seriously unlikely sequels like Shenmue 3 while simultaneously reveling in brand new games like ReCore. E3 2015 was amazing, but we’re not done! We have one more developer stream in store for you. Join us on Twitch.tv/Joystiq at 12PM ET/9AM PT while we discuss No Man’s Sky with Hello Games.
Tune in right here to this post or to Engadget.com/gaming starting at 12PM ET/9AM PT. Want a chance to talk with the team at Hello Games about their new sci-fi epic? Then watch at Twitch.tv/Joystiq! How do you build a game with a procedurally generated universe full of thousands upon thousands of unique worlds? Let’s find out together.
JXE Streams will also be on the air starting at 3:30PM ET/12:30PM PT to wrap up E3 2015 and usher in the weekend!
[All games are streamed at 720p via OBS.]
Blackberry to possibly enter Android arena with the “Prague”
Do you remember Blackberry? You know, the once uber-popular device manufacturer that has since fallen from the minds of most consumers. Well, they have been trying to become prevalent again for some time now and their latest attempt is to release an Android powered device dubbed the Prague. What? Yes, that is correct. Instead of running on their Blackberry 10 OS, the Prague would be a low-end device running on Googles popular OS that will cater to emerging markets.
“… a Reuters report has added credence to what we discussed in our podcast months ago, with claims that BlackBerry will offer an Android-powered device alongside its BB10 offerings.“
This is all speculation, of course, as Blackberry has not officially announced Prague nor that it would be running on Android. The rumors started from a report that N4BB received a few weeks ago and they are convinced that the device will release sometime in August. As with most rumors, we won’t know what specs the device will have nor if it will even be powered by Android until we receive an official announcement from Blackberry. Here is hoping that the rumors are true though, as Blackberry is known for making very secure devices and in this modern age of hacking, it would be nice to have such a device, running on Android.
Source
The post Blackberry to possibly enter Android arena with the “Prague” appeared first on AndroidGuys.
Amazon releases Cloud Drive SDK for better app integration
Amazon has released the Cloud Drive SDK so developers can integrate the platform into their apps. Amazon’s Cloud Drive is an excellent cloud storage solution, but a big hurdle has been that apps aren’t able to easily take advantage of the service like they can with, say, Dropbox or Drive.
Amazon notes that four apps have already taken advantage of the Cloud Drive SDK, albeit three of the four are from a single developer. Keep in mind that the Cloud Drive SDK isn’t a standalone development kit. It’s actually bundled in with Amazon’s Mobile App kit.
If Amazon has piqued your interest, just head on over to the source link below for the SDK.
source: Amazon
Come comment on this article: Amazon releases Cloud Drive SDK for better app integration
Samsung’s Galaxy J5 and J7 with front-facing LED now official
Samsung has officially revealed its new line-up of the Galaxy smartphones in China, with, for the first time, a front-facing LED flash to brighten up those selfies in low-light conditions. The smartphones’ specs were previously leaked through the Chinese certification authority TENNA and their UI was revealed through Samsung’s user manuals. The two devices will be available starting this week in China, however no information was provided about their international launch.
The J5 and J7 feature a 5MP wide-angle front-facing camera with a single front-facing LED flash. The back camera has a 13MP sensor with an aperture of f/1.9. Other specs that the two smartphones have in common include 1.5GB of RAM, 16GB of internal storage, a microSD card slot, dual-SIM card slot, and LTE connectivity. Both the J5 and J7 run Android 5.1 Lollipop out of the box with a similar UI as the one found on the Galaxy S6 and S6 Edge. The devices are a direct response to HTC’s Desire EYE, Sony Xperia C4, and the Asus ZenFone Selfie which all have high res front-facing camera with front-facing flash.
The J5 features a 5-inch HD display, a 64-bit quad-core Snapdragon 410 processor, a 2600 mAh battery, and is priced at 1,398 CNY (~$225).
The J7 features a slightly spacious 5.5-inch HD display, with a snapper 64-bit octa-core Snapdragon 615 processor, and a larger 3000 mAh battery, priced at 1,798 CNY (~$289).
The J5 and J7 are mid-range smartphones aimed at younger customers (“selfie generation”) , looking to take high quality selfies no matter the lighting conditions.
Via: SamMobile
Come comment on this article: Samsung’s Galaxy J5 and J7 with front-facing LED now official
A video game as metaphor: How a Twitter freakout inspired ‘Adr1ft’
It feels like a lifetime ago, but early 2013 was a really strange time for video games. In the lead-up to Microsoft debuting the Xbox One that May, the mood was incredibly tense. Rumors were flying that the then-unnanounced console would require a constant connection to the internet in an effort to thwart used-game sales. Redmond’s refusal to comment wasn’t helping the situation, either. Enter Adam Orth.
Back then, he was the creative director for Microsoft’s gaming division. When he tweeted rather indignantly that he didn’t “get the drama” of having an always-online console April of that year, saying the reaction didn’t go over well would be a massive understatement. “Sometimes the electricity goes out. I will not buy a vacuum cleaner,” he continued.
“The internet totally erupted,” he says. “I got death threats.” He resigned from his post shortly thereafter and set his Twitter account to private. Adr1ft is his way of coming to terms with that situation. In the game, you play as the lone survivor of a wrecked space station that’s floating above Earth. Oxygen is constantly leaking out of your spacesuit and every pulse of your thrusters to move around consumes it.
“The destroyed space station is a metaphor for my life at the time,” he says. “This isolation is that I felt entirely alone. Instead of talking about it, I just made a game about it.”
Orth tells me that he’s always been fascinated by space games. The seed for Adr1ft was in the back of his mind for a bit but it wasn’t until his Twitter incident that he had a eureka moment. “It went from something that would be really cool to do, to something I had to do,” Orth says. “It took over my life.”
He quit Microsoft that April, and says that the entire game, universe and story were complete that July; his first prototype took a week to build. But making the game wasn’t exactly therapeutic — at least not at first — because he says that developing games isn’t an immediate act. Meaning, even after a day’s work you won’t necessarily have a video game to play.
“I don’t really think of it as a cathartic experience, but as more of a creative experience simply because about a week after the thing with Twitter happened, I knew what was going on,” he says.
“The destroyed space station is a metaphor for my life at the time,” Orth says.
Surprisingly enough, Redmond has been very supportive of the game. “Microsoft was never bad to me. Ever. I was bad to them,” he says. “[It was] my mistake.”
Every piece of narrative in Adr1ft comes from Orth’s life in some way, he says. And the game isn’t just about him, he’s brought in the experiences of others to build the story out as well. For example, the medical officer on the ill-fated space station? He’s an addict whose old cravings aren’t helped by the fact that he’s having a hard time with sobriety. The mission’s been going on for far too long and the bottle is looking more and more attractive as a way to cope. He also lied to get his job. His entire narrative arc is him telling an Alcoholics Anonymous group about how hard he’s trying to stay on the wagon.
Given that a bad judgment call combined with a one-to-millions communication platform led to Orth leaving a job at one of the biggest tech companies on the planet, you’d think that he’d be bitter or angry. Or even that some of those emotions would’ve made their way into the game. That isn’t the case as everything is pretty calm. Well, until you start running out of oxygen that is.
“There’s no male power fantasy here,” he says. “It’s not a heroic save-the-world story, it’s ‘save yourself.’”
Filed under: Gaming, Home Entertainment, HD, Microsoft
Apple pulls the original iPad Mini, its last non-Retina iOS device
Pour one out for the OG iPad Mini, as Apple has just removed it from its website and online store, 9to5Mac reports. It proved Apple could effectively build a smaller tablet, though its low-resolution (1024 by 768) display doesn’t hold a candle to the sharp Retina screens we’re used to today. And with the iPad Mini 2 at $299 (and no shortage of deals available), there simply wasn’t any room for the older tablet on the market. Now Apple is only promoting the iPad Mini 2 and 3 online. And given the $100 price difference between those two tablets, as well as the fact that they sport the same hardware (aside from Touch ID on the iPad Mini 3), we recommend snapping up the iPad Mini 2 for now. By dumping the original iPad Mini, Apple now has a fully 64-bit lineup of iPads, which should make life easier for developers moving forward.
[Photo credit:Noah Berger/Bloomberg via Getty Images]
Filed under: Tablets, Mobile, Apple
Via: 9to5Mac
Source: Apple
AIVAnet 