Minecraft: Pocket Edition gets major update with new features in tow
Minecraft: Pocket Edition has just received a major update on Android, bringing with it a slew of awesome features in attempt to further close the gap between the desktop and mobile versions of the game. Mojang just last week gave us all the details of what to expect in this new version.
A myriad of new creatures have been added to the game, boats can now contain two passengers, and you can now fish for food.
What’s even more exciting is that Mojang is now letting you customize your skin beyond the default Steve skin, which is something you’ve been able to do in the desktop version for years now. Mojang will be offering packs of 20 skins for $1. Starting out, they’ll offer two bundles–the City Folk and Town Folk bundle.
Beyond all the new features, Mojang made sure to get some bug fixes out of the way to further improve the game’s performance and playability.
If you haven’t gotten the new update yet, be sure to scan the QR code down below or hit the download link directly under it.
Come comment on this article: Minecraft: Pocket Edition gets major update with new features in tow
ZTE’s flagship Nubia Z9 is coming to the U.S. later this year
ZTE has just announced that it’s bringing the flagship Nubia Z9, which was first announced back in May, to the United States sometime in Q3 of this year. The phone will be available in three models, ranging from $564 to $725. The ‘Exclusive Edition’ (most expensive) will come with 4GB of RAM, 64GB of storage and a fingerprint scanner, the ‘Classic Edition’ (least expensive) will have 3GB of RAM and 32GB of storage, and the ‘Elite Edition’ features just about the same specs as the Exclusive Edition, aside from the omission of the fingerprint scanner.
When the ZTE Nubia Z9 was first announced, it not only caught headlines for its high-end specifications, but also for its interesting implementation of a fingerprint sensor which is found on the side of the device. As you can tell from the photo above, the smartphone also features extremely thin side bezels, measuring just .8mm thin. Because of the thin borders, this allows ZTE to add in a few nifty hand gestures. ZTE explains:
By adopting nubia’s Frame interactive Technology (FiT), the nubia Z9 allows users to control their phones by using grip and gesture based controls, such as touching the edge of the screen. For instance, users can quickly launch the camera feature by simply turning the phone sideways and placing four fingertips on the edge of the screen or take a one-handed selfie by squeezing the handset without touching any buttons. With FiT technology, users will reduce the average smartphone process to 2.7 steps as compared to traditional smartphones. In addition, the nubia Z9’s new ergonomic design makes it easier to hold the phone and less likely to drop it.
ZTE’s fierce competition in the U.S.
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The phone’s other specs include a 5.2-inch Full HD display, a Snapdragon 810 processor, a 2900mAh battery and a 16MP rear-facing camera with optical image stabilization. The phone also ships with Android 5.0 Lollipop. ZTE says all three models will be available in Black and Gold color options in Q3 through select retailers and at nubia.cn.
It will certainly be interesting to see just how well the Nubia Z9 does in the U.S., mainly because of its high price tag. Of course, the phone does offer some pretty great specifications, but the phone’s expensive price will also pit it up against major players in the U.S. like Samsung, HTC and LG. With that said, would you be more inclined to purchase a device like this, or would you rather go with a more mainstream product like the Galaxy S6 or G4?
Microdia 512GB microSD arriving this July, priced at $1000
Back during MWC Sandisk unveiled a 200GB microSD card with an estimated price tag of $400. While 200GB is a ton of storage space, it seems that Microdia has one-upped Sandisk with an even larger solution.
The new Microdia Xtra Elite 512GB microSD card will play nicely in any device that supports the SDXC format, meaning most newer smartphones that offer microSD expansion. Of course, such a huge amount of space doesn’t come cheaply, packing a whopping $1000 price tag that makes the Sandisk 200GB card seem affordable.
Obviously Microdia isn’t aiming this card at everyday smartphone users, even if the card will technically work in devices like the LG G4. Instead, the Xtra Elite microSD card is aimed at professional photographers for storage of photos and video. The card uses Secure Digital 4.0 and an ultra high speed data bus that delivers transfer rates of 300 MBps, the kind of speed that professionals will appreciate. For those of us everyday users, 512GB (or even 200GB) cards are far from affordable at this point but their arrival will only further drive down the costs of smaller sizes like 32GB, 64GB, and 128GB. And as time marches on, even the price tags of the 200 and 512GB cards will eventually drop down to affordable rates.
For those that do have an interest in a 512GB card, regardless of the cost, you’ll be able to get your hands on it this July.
Star Wars: Uprising will fight its way to the Google Play Store this fall
Lucasfilm and Disney have just announced that they’re teaming up with video game publisher Kabam to bring a new Star Wars game to Android this fall. Entitled Star Wars: Uprising, the new role playing game takes place after Episode VI: Return of the Jedi and before Episode VII: The Force Awakens, following the fall of Darth Vader and Emperor Palpatine.
Players will get to create and customize unique characters, go on missions, develop skills and collect gear, all while building up a powerful crew and cartel to fight in large-scale sector-wide battles. The game will take place in the Anoat Sector in Hoth and Cloud City, which follows the Battle of Endor and the death of the Emperor. Kabam explains:
Players will learn hundreds of abilities and collect iconic Star Wars gear to create their own takes on the next generation of heroes: Smuggler, Bounty Hunter, Rebel Guerilla, Diplomat, Gambler or something completely unique.
Players interested in the game can visit the official Star Wars: Uprising website, where they can pre-register and vote on exclusive in-game rewards that will be gifted to all who pre-register. A beta version of the game will also be made available in select regions within the coming weeks.
Photos of Samsung Galaxy Tab S2 leak and show a beautiful tablet
Samsung released a set of high-end tablets, Galaxy Tab S line, in 2014 which set the bar for all other Android tablets. Not only did the tablet have an incredibly thin design with high-end specs to match, but it also had a Super AMOLED display in which no other tablet could match the color range or contrast ratio of the S line. Quite simply, the Tab S was a hit, in both 8″ and 10″ versions. I would argue that Samsung shot itself in the foot by offering way too many tablets last year, which confused consumers, and most don’t even know the Tab S even existed.
Now that the Tab S has been out for about a year now, we are anticipating the next generation to be released soon. Photos have leaked onto a foreign website, and if the pictures are of the actual Galaxy Tab S2, we are going to in for quite a treat. Samsung appears to have done away with those ugly dimples(they were functional for grip), and went with a smooth back which makes the device look like an enlarged version of the Galaxy S6. The photos also show two clips in the back of the device for clicking in a keyboard case or just simple protective cover.
The Samsung Galaxy Tab S2 is rumored to come with a QHD display with Super AMOLED, 3GB of RAM, an Exynos processor, 16GB of internal memory, an 8-megapixel camera, and it is supposed to be the slimmest tablet ever created by Samsung at a super thin 5.4mm. One major downside in owning the Tab S(I have both sizes, 8″ and 10″) is the battery life. The Tab S gets maybe 5-7 hours of on screen time which just isn’t that great for a tablet. If Samsung does release the Tab S2 and it is 5.4mm, I sure hope they optimize battery life to be more efficient.
The post Photos of Samsung Galaxy Tab S2 leak and show a beautiful tablet appeared first on AndroidGuys.
Minecraft Pocket Edition scores a major update
Minecraft Pocket Edition has been updated to version 0.11, which adds features such as boats, fishing, and purchasable character skins, all of which are found already in the desktop and console variants of the game. When it comes to character skins, there is a free selection available, and you can import skin files from your photos gallery, too.
The game is now available in multiple languages, as well. You can change your world from creative to survival and back, rename it, and so forth.
The Minecraft Pocket Edition update is available on Google Play, the App Store, and on Windows Phone.
Source: PocketGamer
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King brings its first word-based game AphaBetty Saga to Android
The developers behind the wildly popular game Candy Crush Saga and its spinoff Candy Crush Soda Saga has delivered its latest mobile game. Available in Google Play Store now, AlphaBetty Saga relies more on player wits than in its other titles.
“AlphaBetty Saga sets players off on a bold new quest as Betty, a young mouse living in the 1930s, follows her grandfather, Professor Alpha, and his loyal assistant, Barney, to discover lost words to complete the “Encyclopedia of Everything”. “
The word-based game tasks players with creating words by connecting to adjacent letters. As you traverse through more than 140 levels you’ll touch down in three locations: London, Egypt, and New York.
Indeed, you’ll also find familiar King features such as boosters, leaderboards, and sync to Facebook. If you’re a fan of casual games that can be picked up and dropped at a moment’s notice, this one will likely speak to you.
To keep things fresh and replay value high the game includes five different modes of playing.
- Scoring: Simply create words and achieve the target score
- Cheese Falls: Bring cheese chunks down to the bottom of the game board
to collect them - Bubble Pop: Include a letter inside a bubble in a word to make it pop
- Word Frenzy: Create and collect the target number of words containing
the target number of letters - Cheddar Spreader: Spread the cheese under multiple tiles on the board
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5.2-inch ZTE Nubia Z9 Borderless Smartphone announced for US market
ZTE just let the wraps off the Nubia Z9, a very neat 5.2″ device with absolutely no borders on the sides. And they have not just done this for aesthetics, there is a bunch of functionality built-in to make use of the ability to make inputs on the screen from the edge of the phone. Very clever ZTE. It looks like the Samsung S6 Edge may have been 1up’d here.
ZTE is dubbing this functionality as Frame interactive Technology (FiT). They have implemented a multitude of gestures and shortcuts, claiming “With FiT technology, users will reduce the average smartphone process to 2.7 steps as compared to traditional smartphones.”
Here’s some of things you can do with FiT:
- Unlock the phone with your grip.
- Scroll through the screen by swiping on the edge.
- Launch the camera by turning the phone sideways.
- Take a selfie by squeezing the phone.
- Gripping the phone twice has recognition to tell which hand (left or right) is holding it and shrink the screen appropriately for one-handed use.
ZTE is playing in the US market with this one, stating that the Nubia Z9 will be available in Q3 of 2015 (black and gold colors).
Base specs for the Nubia Z9 are a modest 5.2″ 1080P display, Qualcomm Snapdragon 810 SoC, 16 MP (OIS) rear and 8 MP front cameras, 2900 mAh battery, and Android 5.0. Interestingly, there are going to be three tiers to this phone, at different prices. The Classic base model will have 3 GB of RAM and 32 GB of storage at $564, the Elite model will have 4 GB of RAM and 64 GB of storage at $645, and the Exclusive model will be an Elite with an added fingerprint sensor at $725.
This is certainly an impressive (and dare I say, innovative) offering by an unfamiliar brand in the US.
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Video Review: A Look at Speck’s Cases for iPhone 6 and 6 Plus [iOS Blog]
In today’s review, we’re talking a look at iPhone 6 Plus cases from Speck, a well-known accessory company that sells its products in dozens of retail stores. Speck has been in the case-making business for many years now and it offers several iconic cases like the CandyShell and the MightyShell.
All of Speck’s cases provide a reasonable compromise between protection and thickness. They can keep an iPhone safe from wear, tear, and minor drops, and don’t add a lot of bulk to Apple’s ultrathin devices.
The CandyShell Grip, the first case we looked at, has a hard shell with soft rubber grips on the outside to make it easy to hold. It comes in two variations: with a faceplate for the front of the phone, and without. The CandyShell Grip comes in several colors and is priced at $39.95 to $49.95 (with face plate).
Speck’s MightyShell, the second case we looked at, is similar to the CandyShell but is more durable with three layers of rubber for better protection. It also comes in multiple colors and in two versions, with a faceplate ($69.95) and without ($54.95).
Speck also makes a CandyShell Card case that’s able to hold credit cards and cash ($39.95). It’s exactly like a CandyShell, but it’s a bit thicker with the wallet portion. Finally, we looked at the CandyShell Inked, which is a CandyShell ($44.95) that includes unique, super colorful designs.
Speck’s iPhone 6 Plus cases can be purchased from the Speck website, and many of them are also available from Amazon.com at a lower price. Speck also sells the same cases for the iPhone 6 at slightly lower prices.
MacRumors received no compensation for this video review.
Airbnb rolls out a pricing recommendation tool for hosts
If you try to book a hotel room in San Diego in September, you can probably get one for around $200-300 a night. If you try to do the same in mid-July during Comic-Con? You’ll likely have to cough up close to $1000 a night, and that’s if you can get a room at all. If you’re an Airbnb host, it’d behoove you to know about these sorts of surges in demand, so you can price your room appropriately. Today, Airbnb has rolled out a tool called Price Tips that’ll let you do just that. It utilizes Airbnb’s own machine learning tool called Aerosolve that’ll suggest room pricing based on the demand for rooms, its location, travel trends, the listing type and so forth.
In an example shown at the company’s own developer conference in San Francisco (seen in the GIF above), if your pricing is too high, the calendar dates will be red, prompting you to drop your listing price so that your place is more likely to get booked. According to Mike Curtis, Airbnb’s VP of engineering, pricing is one of the biggest issues for hosts to get right. But they’ve found that if it’s priced within five percent of the suggested price, it’s about four times likely to get booked. And if you want to gift someone an Airbnb stay? Well good news: Airbnb has also unveiled the ability to give and redeem gift cards starting today.
Filed under: Internet
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