Tinder adds verified profiles for people way out of your league
Just like Twitter and Facebook, Tinder is stepping into verified profiles for “notable public figures.” Those semi-celebrities will get a blue check mark on their profiles and, consequently, perhaps more attention than they’d like. Tinder announced last year that it was exploring verified profiles for celebrities, but it looks like the feature has taken a while to get up and runnnig. The company isn’t offering up any details on how people can sign up for verified profiles, but former CEO Sean Rad hinted that it might be best on your Facebook verification status. We’ll likely start hearing about the process from the Chosen Ones soon. Overall, it’s a pretty unsurprising move for Tinder, since it will help prevent imposters from posing as notable people. But it’ll be interesting to see how that little blue check mark starts affecting the service. Swipe right, and pray.
Filed under: Internet
Source: Tinder
Apple No Longer Signing iOS 8.3 for iPhone, iPad and iPod Touch [iOS Blog]
Apple is no longer signing the iOS 8.3 software update for all compatible iPhone, iPad and iPod touch devices, meaning that users can no longer downgrade to that version using iTunes. Apple is now only signing iOS 8.4 and later.
iPhone, iPad or iPod touch users that have jailbroken their device on iOS 8.3 should not worry about accidentally updating to iOS 8.4, as an untethered jailbreak is available for both software versions courtesy of Chinese tool TaiG.
Future ‘Dragon Age Inquisition’ add-ons are only for newer systems
You know that you need the latest game consoles (or a good PC) to get better graphics and special features, but it now looks like you’ll need them if you want to see a game’s extended storyline, too. BioWare has quietly posted word that “all future” downloadable content Dragon Age Inquisition will only be available for the PC, PlayStation 4 and Xbox One. There’s a save importer arriving this month that will transfer your progress if you buy both a new system and a fresh copy of Inquisition, but you’re otherwise stuck if you’ve poured all your energy into the role-playing title on a PS3 or Xbox 360.
The reduced support isn’t entirely surprising. BioWare has already said that it was troublesome to build the latest Dragon Age for five platforms (two of which are nearly a decade old), and add-ons certainly don’t help. Also, there’s a question of whether or not it’s worth the effort. It’s no secret that last-gen systems are far from top sellers, and numerous major publishers (including BioWare’s parent EA) are devoting virtually all their energy to games for modern hardware. While there’s no doubt that consistently offering DLC for old platforms would be ideal, it may be tough to justify the investment in a shrinking group of players who are both holding on to aging consoles and willing to buy expansions.
Filed under: Gaming
Source: Dragon Age
Showtime’s cable-free TV streaming is here
Eager to watch shows like Penny Dreadful or Ray Donovan without either subscribing to cable or buying the shows outright? You can, if you live in the US. Showtime has launched its promised stand-alone streaming service on Apple devices and Roku players for $11 per month, and you can also access it through either Hulu or PlayStation Vue. Sign up and you’ll have both on-demand access as well as live access to both East and West coast feeds, preventing your New York friends from spoiling the plot when you live in California. There’s no mention of when the dedicated Android, console and smart TV apps are coming. Still, you now have one more way to watch a premium TV channel after you’ve cut the cord.
Filed under: Home Entertainment, Internet, HD
Via: 9to5Mac
Source: Showtime Press Express
Apple Adds New ‘Apple Tested Cases’ Page to Online Store
As it works on introducing some major changes to the third-party accessory sections of its retail stores, Apple has launched a new section in its online store dedicated to “Apple Tested Cases.”
The new page is displayed alongside third-party iPhone and iPad cases and outlines the testing procedures for Apple-approved Made for iPhone/iPad (MFi) third-party cases that Apple sells both online and in its retail stores. Designed to reassure customers about the quality of the third-party accessories available from Apple, the site goes over several testing parameters that cases must meet, including design, camera, acoustics, sensors, and cellular and wireless.
We analyze how a case fits, so you can still access every button, port, and jack. And a series of drop tests tells us the design is strong enough for day-to-day use.
Each case must fit the iPhone or iPad exactly, leaving all ports and features accessible. The camera and flash must be unobstructed, cases can’t interfere with FaceTime, phone calls, or audio sound, and sensors for ambient light and Touch ID must work the same with the case on and off. Cellular, Wi-Fi, and NFC connectivity are also tested, with each case needing to meet Apple’s standards for signal quality.
Apple has long engaged in these testing procedures to make sure accessories are compliant with its MFi programs, but the launch of the “Apple Tested Cases” page marks the first time that Apple’s prominently shared its testing guidelines with the public.
The introduction of the page comes as Apple prepares to revamp the third-party accessory sections in many of its retail locations, cutting down on the number of accessories offered and packaging many of them in boxes that were co-designed by Apple to match the packaging of its own products.
Republic Wireless drops unlimited data in favor of Google-like refunds
Another unlimited mobile data option just bit the dust… although it’s not quite as bad as it sounds. Republic Wireless has switched from offering unlimited cellular data on its higher-priced phone tiers to a Refund Plan that shares more than a little in common with Google’s Project Fi. You start with a base $10 plan, and add data depending on how much you expect to use — you get money back, and pay $15 per extra gigabyte if you run over. The add-ons start at a modest $7.50 for 500MB and peak at $45 for 3GB, so you won’t pay much at all unless you regularly underestimate your needs.
The carrier is betting that you won’t mind the lack of unfettered service, since you’ll probably be paying less overall. As it explains to Recode, participants in a test run saved a typical $5 per month. However, the change also makes frequent data use considerably less attractive. You might end up paying extra if you regularly use over 2GB a month, and it just won’t be your cup of tea if you use 3GB or more. The plan makes a lot of sense if you spend most of your day on WiFi and only need basics like email when you’re out, but you’ll want to reevaluate things if you just have to stream music and movies wherever you go.
Filed under: Cellphones, Wireless, Mobile
Via: Recode
Source: Republic Wireless (1), (2)
‘Journey’ comes to PS4 on July 21st
With stunning visuals and gameplay to match, Journey quickly became a platform favorite on the PlayStation 3. Now, Sony is bringing that adventurous experience over to the PlayStation 4, as was announced last year. Better yet, if you already own a digital copy of the title, designed by thatgamecompany, you’ll be able to download and play the new version for free. Journey’s scheduled to hit the PS4 a couple weeks from today, on July 21st, so you may want to start clearing some space on that hard drive of yours.
Filed under: Gaming, Home Entertainment, HD, Sony
Source: PlayStation
PlayStation Now’s streaming app wants to be Netflix for games
PlayStation Now’s all-you-can-play game subscription service launched back in January on PlayStation 4, but the method for actually playing those games has been kind of a nightmare. Today’s news of a dedicated subscription app might change that. Before this, every time you wanted to stream a new game, you had to go through the PlayStation Store, sift through a handful of menus, pick something (much like you would to purchase a game) and then hope that it even launched the first try. A streaming app that minimizes menu fatigue and works along the lines of a Netflix or Hulu actually makes a lot of sense here.
“The current experience is a little bit transactional, it feels like, ‘Okay, I’ve gotta pop in and [then] back out [to play],’” Robert Stevenson of Gaikai, the outfit Sony bought for its streaming infrastructure, says. “You might join the subscription for a marquee title — God of War or something that you’ve never played and you want to go back and play it. Then there’s probably a dozen or two other games that you might like,” Stevenson says. “But actually finding and locating that content is a little tricky.”
The new application hopes to streamline the process. And perhaps what’s doing the brunt of the heavy lifting then is the simultaneously familiar and new interface. Codenamed Apollo, it takes cues from other streaming services in an effort to make it easier to find what you want to play among the current 125 or so games available for streaming. It’s dominated by rows of big, splashy images for each game and a minimal amount of clutter surrounding them. Take a look at the Batman: Arkham City screenshot below for an example.
“We built a new categorization for the games; the actual navigational paradigms are different, the product detail scene is different,” Stevenson says. Pick what you want to play and the bare essentials appear: a large image, user ratings and reviews. It looks a lot like Netflix. Stevenson says this reduced information density comes from some extensive user tests to learn what customers care about when they’re browsing digital catalogs and trying to figure out what they want to play next.
As the number of games on the subscription service grows, that kind of design and organization becomes much more important. Not only to help allay paralysis of choice, but for Sony to keep customers on the hook for between $15 and $20 per month. There’s a free 7-day trial for new subscribers if you want to check out the shiny UI first hand, and the app should be live by the time you’ve finished reading this post.
Banks in the U.K. Gearing Up for Apple Pay Launch as Santander Allows Customers to Register Cards
Apple Pay in the United Kingdom has yet to officially launch, but some banks are preparing for the upcoming release of the payments service and have begun allowing customers to register their cards for use with Apple Pay.
Several Santander customers on the MacRumors forums have been able to successfully add their cards to Passbook for use with Apple Pay, making the cards available on both their iPhones and their Apple Watches.
Customers registering their cards are also receiving confirmation emails from Santander, informing them that they’re now able to use Apple Pay. As of the time of writing, customers have not yet tested the Apple Pay service at a location that accepts Apple Pay. One customer was told the bank’s system is not live and that customers who were able to mistakenly register early would be de-registered, so it is not clear if the registered cards will be able to be used to make purchases.
Activating a Santander card with Apple Pay at this time requires U.K. users to set their region to U.S., add a card, and change their region back to U.K., at which point the card remains available in Passbook. It’s clearly a workaround, but a sign that banks are preparing to accept Apple Pay in the near future.
Other banks, like MBNA and Nationwide, are giving error messages like “Contact Card Issuer” and “Your Issuer Does Not Yet Offer Support.”
It is not clear exactly when Apple Pay will become officially available in the United Kingdom, but during its Worldwide Developers Conference, Apple said the payments service would launch in July. Recently released employee training documents have suggested the launch could come next week, on Tuesday, July 14. 250,000 merchants are expected to support Apple Pay in the U.K. when it is released.
Republic Wireless’ new plans will refund customers for unused data
Republic Wireless today announced its new Republic Refund plans that will refund customers for 4G data they don’t use on the following month’s phone bill. Republic began testing these new plans with over 2,000 customers back in April.
These new plans allow customers to save some money by estimating how much data they think they’ll use, then getting reimbursed for that amount at a later date. The MVNO estimates that if consumers don’t change how much data they currently use with the carrier, on average, 78% of customers will pay the same or less than what they’re currently paying.
The carrier’s new plans will be available for both new and existing customers, and current customers will be able to keep their current plans if they’d like. Here are the pricing tiers that come with the new plans:
- $17.50 per month – 500MB high-speed data
- $25 per month – 1GB of high-speed data
- $40 per month – 2GB of high-speed data
All of these plans include unlimited calling and texting, as well as unlimited Wi-Fi data. Additional gigabytes of 4G data can be purchased for $15/GB. It should be noted that according to CNET, Republic has dropped its unlimited data offering when it ushered in these new plans, which used to be available for $30 per month with unlimited 3G data. New customers will be prompted to sign up for one of these new plans when they sign up for service.
You can easily manage your data through the Republic Wireless app, which can be downloaded for free from the Google Play Store.
