Angry Birds 2 has reached 10 million downloads in less than a week
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It’s not exactly surprising, but Angry Birds 2 has reached 10 million downloads in less than a week after its July 29th launch. It’s likely been helped along by the fact that this version of the game is free-to-play (with in-app purchases of course), but to have reached that mark in such a short time is still nothing short of impressive. Rovio shared the fact with the world on its Twitter account earlier today:
Woop!! Thanks for playing! #AngryBirds2 
pic.twitter.com/jJPGKQJLyV
— Angry Birds (@AngryBirds) August 2, 2015
In case you’re a bit behind the times, Rovio has just launched their official sequel to the original Angry Birds. Not much has change besides slight tweaks to the art style and the payment model, but for fans of the series, that’s enough to warrant a download. Now the real question is who’s still going to be playing in a month or two.
What do you think about Angry Birds 2 reaching 10 million downloads so quickly? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.
The post Angry Birds 2 has reached 10 million downloads in less than a week appeared first on AndroidSPIN.
Shooting Stars is a new collaboration from Noodlecake Studios and Bloodirony
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Noodlecake Games are a staple when it comes to great Android games, and their latest collaborative effort with Bloodirony is no different. The name of the game is Shooting Stars, which sees you fighting all manner of enemies in waves before facing off with an alien boss disguised as a celebrity. Defeating five bosses will culminate in a final boss fight who Noodlecake says “might be the greatest internet badass of all time” – my bets on the guy who sings Chocolate Rain (I’m joking, by the way). Check out the positively psychedelic trailer to find out what this actually looks like in game form:
Shooting Stars offers two game modes: Card Hunt and Daily Challenge – Card Hunt is the more standard mode that sees everything randomized on each playthrough, whereas Daily Challenge is a daily standardized level for everyone playing Shooting Stars to really show off how good you are at the game. The full list of features listed on the Google Play Store includes:
- over 20 “celebrity” bosses
- challenge your friends in a global and daily highscore battle
- collect up to 50 amazing ultimate attacks and superfoods
* stack superfoods for ultimate destruction - two different game modes
- 16 beautiful collectible cards
- roguelike elements
- thrilling soundtrack with stunning sound effects
- weird and funny satire on pop culture
- every game will be totally different
- ride a freakin’ hoverboard
- Achievements & Leaderboards
- Rainbow Unicorn Approved
Also, to celebrate Gamescom and GDC Europe, Shooting Stars will be offered for $0.99 USD for two weeks, after which it will go back to its regular price of $2.99 USD. If that sounds like the type of game you could get into today, hit the Play Store link below:
Google Play: Shooting Stars
The post Shooting Stars is a new collaboration from Noodlecake Studios and Bloodirony appeared first on AndroidSPIN.
Turing Phone can now be reserved – are you getting one?
Turing Robotics Industries knows they are catering to a niche market, but they don’t quite know how much interest there is for their Turing Phone just yet. The company may have missed the expected July 31st pre-order date, but they are making up for it by allowing you to reserve a phone.
In essence, it’s pretty much just the company’s way of finding out how many people are interested in buying a Turing Phone, likely to estimate production. You give them your information, but have no commitment to buy a Turing Phone when it is finally released. And since there is no contract, they also don’t have a need to sell you a phone if they don’t have one for you.
The reservation process is very simple. Just choose a color option (beowulf, pharaoh or cardinal) and a storage option (16, 64 or 128 GB), and then give them your information. That’s it!
Just in case you don’t know the Turing Phone, it’s a secure handset that is strong both inside and out. The device comes with water protection, a strong body made of liquidmetal and pretty good specs.
Turing Phone specs
- Android 5.0 Lollipop
- 5.5-inch 1080p display
- 2.5 GHz quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 801 processor
- 3 GB of RAM
- 16/64/128 GB of internal storage
- 13 MP rear-facing camera
- 8 MP front-facing camera
- 3000 mAh battery
Those are specifications you don’t often find in rugged, security-focused smartphones. We spent some time with it and can tell you the phone is pretty snappy. The UI may not be ideal for Android purists, as it is very heavily modified, but the phone takes care of business, and it looks good doing so.
Of course, the Turing Phone is not cheap. The 16 GB version will cost $610 USD, while 64 GB and 128 GB versions will be priced at $740 and $870, respectively. This goes right in line with other high-end smartphones in the market, yet the Turing Phone’s specs are not on par with those. Those interested in this device want it for other reasons, though, and the phone has enough power to function well.
So what do you guys say? Are any of you interested in buying the Turing Phone?
Samsung’s Galaxy Note 5 should be an evolutionary upgrade
Still wondering what Samsung is going to unveil at its August 13th event? Well-known tipster Evan Blass (aka @evleaks) might have just removed what few doubts are left. He not only posted official-looking snapshots of both the Galaxy Note 5 and its curvier S6 Edge+ sibling, but revealed purported specs for the Note 5. From all indications, at least the Note 5 is going to be more of a refinement (at least, in terms of hardware) of the Note 4 than a revolution. You’re still looking at a 5.7-inch quad HD display, a 16-megapixel rear camera and 32GB of built-in storage. The biggest changes are the Galaxy S6’s octa-core processor, a bump to 4GB of RAM, a 5-megapixel front cam… and, unfortunately for some, the removal of the microSD card slot.
There are no new details for the bigger Edge, although it’s expected to be little more than an upsized version of the unusually-shaped phone you already know. At this point, the only big questions left are the software and release date. At least the Note 5 is poised to ship with Android 5.1, but Samsung usually has a few extra pen-oriented features up its sleeve. And while it’s likely that the new gigantophone will be unveiled sooner than many people expected, it’s not certain how soon you’ll get one in your hands.
Rains->Pours. Samsung Noble (SM-N920/self-reported): Exynos 7420 SoC (4×2.1GHz+4×1.5GHz), 5.66″ 2560×1440, 4GB/32GB, 16MP/5MP, 5.1.1, no SD.
— Evan Blass (@evleaks) August 1, 2015
Filed under:
Cellphones, Mobile, Samsung
Via:
SamMobile
Source:
Evan Blass (Twitter 1), (2)
Tags: android, android5.1, galaxynote5, galaxys6edgeplus, mobilepostcross, samsung, smartphone
Build your own smart, modular speaker with SparkBlocks
You’ve seen modular controllers and even modular phones, but here’s a new twist: a modular speaker system. Meet SparkBlocks, a crowdfunded audio system that’s just as elaborate (or simple) as you want it to be. The basic unit is little more than a portable speaker with a 4-hour battery, but you can attach components that turn it into much more, including a media hub. Hook up a SmartBlook and you get a tiny touchscreen computer that can answer phone calls, get alerts and download apps. Other add-ons will boost audio quality, charge your phone, clip on to your bike and even light up your camping trip.
It’s an ambitious project, and it won’t necessarily be cheap depending on how much you want. You need to spend at least $89 (normally $119) for the core block, and you’re realistically looking at $199 or more for ‘full’ kits with Bluetooth, extra battery capacity and better sound. You can even drop $1,300 to create a 5.1-channel surround sound unit. If the SparkBlocks technology ships as planned in April 2016, though, it could save you the trouble of hunting down a small audio system that meets your needs — you’ll just build it yourself.
Filed under:
Home Entertainment, Peripherals, HD
Source:
Kickstarter
Tags: audio, crowdfunding, hdpostcross, kickstarter, sparkaudio, sparkblocks, speaker, video, wireless, wirelessspeakers
Android Auto gets Audiobooks.com app, but it’s not that great
Audio books are hugely popular amongst drivers because it allows people to listen to their favorite book while driving. What otherwise would normally be a huge time waste suddenly becomes more productive. With Android Auto becoming more available it should be no surprise that Audiobooks.com has created an app to work with it.
Unfortunately reports are coming in that it isn’t that great yet. There is no Google Wallet support, no PayPal, or anything else in the phone app. However they do say browsing titles is easy to do and there is a fair amount of free content for you to try without needing an account. You can also search all the free books directly in Android Auto.
Once you login on your phone you can receive 1 free credit a month for $14.95, which you can then put towards a book or get a book totally free each month if it’s under $15. Once you download a book you can plug your phone in and listen through Android Auto with your car speakers.
Playback is said to be decent with a play/pause button, and 30-second forward and reverse buttons, however nothing else. The bad news is the forward and reverse buttons are said to be too skinny/small and not look like what you would expect them to look like. Although not totally Audiobooks.com’s fault as Android Auto does not have standardized buttons between apps.
If you are one of the small few with an Android Auto car, feel free to try Audiobooks.com’s app and tell us your thoughts.
Source: Android Central
Come comment on this article: Android Auto gets Audiobooks.com app, but it’s not that great
ES File Explorer updated with Material Design UI
File managers are necessary, even if we may not use them all the times. You need to keep those files organized and move them around from time to time; might as well do it in a nice Material Design interface. Popular ES File Explorer File Manager has been updated with Matias Duarte’s design language for Android.
The UI now offers a clean and simple perspective of what used to be a cluttered experience. The black and gray hues have been replaced with white and blue colors, and a floating action button has been added to the lower-right corner. In addition, the developer has removed the lower bar and placed all options on top.
#gallery-1
margin: auto;
#gallery-1 .gallery-item
float: left;
margin-top: 10px;
text-align: center;
width: 33%;
#gallery-1 img
border: 2px solid #cfcfcf;
#gallery-1 .gallery-caption
margin-left: 0;
/* see gallery_shortcode() in wp-includes/media.php */
The latest update brings the app to version 4.0, but design seems to be the main improvement. There’s likely your usual set of bug fixes and performance improvements, as well. As it goes with all updates, this one is now showing up for everyone just yet. But keep it tuned to the Google Play Store and your update should come in due time. If you want it now, you can get the APK file here.
For now, let us know what you think of this upgrade? Are you a fan? Do you prefer the older interface?
AIVAnet 