Avoid the cats and collect the cherries with Bertie Bird (App Review)

There are plenty of Flappy Bird copy cats out there, ever since the release of the addicting tapping game. There are even more spin-offs of the game, which take on the basic concept of Flappy Bird and try to do something new and different with it. Few games have been met with the popularity that consumed the game, but that doesn’t mean people aren’t still trying.

Setup

In order to get up and running with Bertie, there’s not too much set up that’s involved. After you first install the game, you will be asked to log in to Google Play Games so that you can compete against the other Bertie’s around the world. Other than that, you hit Play, and get to flapping. There is also a quick splash screen that tells you to “Tap to Flap” and has arrows pointing up and down. These arrows are there to let you know that you have to stay in sight, or the games over.

Gameplay

That brings us to Bertie Bird. The basic concept of Bertie Bird is to continue tapping the screen moving your way throughout the level, but there’s a couple of twists added to Bertie Bird. While you’re trying to keep Bertie airborne, there are cherries that you need to collect. It would be too easy to just try to collect as many cherries as you can in one level.

This is where the second hazard comes into play for Bertie. You must avoid cats flying airplanes and bouncing on really high pogo-sticks, while flying across the country-side. There are some planes that occupy various lanes that Bertie will need to avoid. However, there are also other planes that fly downwards across a section that are trying to knock Bertie out of the sky.

Once you’ve been knocked out of the sky by the cats, you are greeted with a screen that shows you the distance you went, as well as the number of cherries that were collected. One more observation to make note of in regards to this screen, is that those cherries are converted into “Poo’s”. The poo’s are basically your score for each game, or the distance. However, there are also combo’s that can be gained by collecting cherries consecutively, so try and flap your way to the top of the leaderboard.

Speaking of leaderboards, recently the folks behind Bertie Bird added Google Leaderboard compatibility, so you can compete with other players around the world. There are also some achievements that you can reach throughout your travels with Bertie Bird.

What We Like

• Addictive tendencies
• Fun to try and collect cherries
• Snarkiness of collecting “Poo’s”

What We Didn’t Like

• No way to remove ads from popping up in between games
• Font and color choice make it a little difficult to read everything
• Upgrades menu is a bit confusing

All in all, Bertie Bird is pretty close to the same level as Flappy Bird was. Mainly because of the added obstacles that the developers have placed in Bertie’s way. If you’re interested in trying out Bertie Bird for yourself, check out the Play Store widget below, and grab it for free. There is a paid version for $0.99 which is mainly just to support the developers, with no real changes to the game. If you’ve already played Bertie Bird before, drop us a comment with your top score.

The post Avoid the cats and collect the cherries with Bertie Bird (App Review) appeared first on AndroidGuys.

Do you have Stagefright? Zimperium releases detection tool.

“Stagefright” is the world on everyone’s lips right now. And it’s understandable why. After a private security company based out of Tel Aviv named Zimperium released data on a “Unicorn” of a security exploit, the rumors were flying. It’s said the exploit can affect up to 1 billion devices.

Stagefright is an exploit found in the Android operating system. Theoretically, someone can send an MMS to a phone, and even if it’s not opened can exploit the system that helps Android process video files. This occurs because some Android messaging apps download video files as soon as they arrive on the phone so they’re ready for viewing as soon as they’re opened.

“libStageFright”, which is the vulnerable mechanism dates all the back to Android 2.2 Froyo so it’s on almost every Android phone, tablet and other device still in use. Froyo is so old that Google doesn’t even track how many people are on a version earlier than it. But now the security company that found the exploit is releasing a tool to see if your device is at risk.

Google and OEMs like Samsung are working fast to get the hole patched. Google has recently released patches to Nexus devices like the Nexus 5 and Nexus 6, and patches have already been pushed by Samsung on Sprint and AT&T for their flagship phones. It seems that Stagefright won’t be an issue for too much longer, but those on older and mid-tier devices who rarely get updates may continue to be at risk. If you’d like to protect yourself now instead of waiting on your phone’s manufacturer to push an update, try downloading either Chomp or Textra. The company that owns both messaging apps pushed an update that should stop the exploit.

Source: Zimperium

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Drone can stay in the air for two days to spot fish poachers

Fishing companies might soon launch drones to keep an eye out for poachers and hunt for specific types of fish. Aerovel has begun manufacturing its Flexrotor drones with the fishing industry in mind. These $200,000 UAVs can take off and touch down vertically using their two-bladed propellers, so they need very little space and can launch from a boat. They can also fly vertically like a helicopter and stay aloft for up to two days, monitoring fisheries from the sky and sending back videos captured from its vantage point. While Aerovel is focusing on building drones for commercial purposes at this point, the company actually signed a contract with the Navy back in 2012 to develop the Flexrotor for maritime surveillance. The aircraft has flown numerous test flights since then, one of which you can watch below the fold.

Filed under:
Misc

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Source:
Puget Sound Business Journal

Tags: aerovel, drone, flexrotor

The Pebble Time Steel is beautiful, but probably not worth $249

Pebble already had a hit on its hands with the unveiling of the Time, its next-generation color smartwatch. But it was the introduction of the Time Steel a week later that propelled its crowdfunding campaign to the top of the charts, making it the most-funded Kickstarter campaign to date. And it’s no wonder: The Steel has a much more premium design, with an all-metal build that comes in silver, black and gold finishes. I’ve had a chance to play around with the new Time Steel, and while I think it’s an improvement over its plastic predecessor, its $249 asking price is still a little too rich for my blood.Slideshow-309907

Just as last year’s Pebble Steel was a sleeker version of the original Pebble, so it goes with the Time and Time Steel. While the Time might seem a little toy-like with its polycarbonate shell and silicone bands, the Time Steel’s stainless steel housing and leather straps make it look more grown-up. It still falls short of being a luxurious fashion-forward timepiece, but the design is simple and discreet enough that it won’t look out of place at a fancy dinner party.

The most obvious design difference is the Time Steel’s watch face. While the plastic model has a rather thick stainless steel border, the Time Steel has a really skinny one — almost half the width, in fact. As a result, the black bezel surrounding the watch’s 1.25-inch display is amplified. This gives the Time Steel the illusion of a larger display, especially if you opt for a watch face with a black background. Of course, I would’ve liked a thinner border and more usable screen space, but as most Pebble apps are made for that screen size, it’s a conceit I’m willing to forgive.

Aside from just looks, the Time Steel also feels nicer; I definitely prefer the sensation of metal and leather on my skin rather than the Time’s plastic and silicone. The housing is a hair (1mm) thicker than the Time, but that’s okay; that extra thickness actually contributes to the premium feel. As on the Time, the underside has a slight bend to match the curvature of the wrist. Even the metal buttons feel better, complete with a textured surface that adds to the watch’s finesse. While the Time’s plastic buttons felt a bit squishy when pressed, the ones on the Time Steel are easier to push down, with a more satisfying click.

In addition to leather, the Time Steel also comes with a metal link bracelet, but as of this writing it was unavailable. Pebble apparently experienced an “availability issue” with them and will deliver the metal bracelets to Kickstarter backers in a later shipment. It’s worth noting, however, that while Kickstarter backers of the Time Steel will get both leather and metal straps for $249, retail customers will only be able to get the leather version for the same price. In retail, the metal bracelet will be sold as a separate accessory for $50 more.

As for the rest of the Time Steel, well, it’s the same as with the Time. The color e-paper display appears lackluster compared to brighter OLED panels — although you can turn the backlight on in low light — but it outperforms the latter under direct sunlight. E-paper also offers a couple of other advantages: The time is always on without having to flick your wrist, and the battery life is outstanding. In fact, the Time Steel promises up to 10 days of use instead of the Time’s seven (perhaps that’s why it’s 1mm thicker).

Like the Time, he underside of the Steel includes a couple of metal pins that work as either charging connectors or a smart accessory port for upcoming “smartstraps” that add extra features like GPS and NFC. The watch is also water-resistant up to 30 meters; has a microphone for voice commands; and is compatible with any standard 22mm strap. And of course, it also has that new Timeline software that lets you navigate through notifications, events, news and reminders in chronological order.

In sum, the Pebble Time Steel is a clear upgrade over the Time with its higher-end materials, refined design and longer battery life. But I’m still struggling with its $249 price point, especially as it won’t include the metal link bracelet when it comes to retail. For about $100 more, you could get either the LG Watch Urbane or an entry-level Apple Watch, both of which are considerably more stylish and functional. For $200, you could get a nice ASUS ZenWatch and last year’s Moto 360 is practically a steal at $150. I thought the Time was expensive at $199 and I definitely think the Time Steel is overpriced at $249, especially compared to its rivals.

Filed under:
Wearables, Mobile

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Tags: engadgetirl, hands-on, irl, mobilepostcross, pebble, pebbletimesteel, smartwatch

How real spacesuits differ from movie versions

The Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum’s curator Cathleen Lewis and conservator Lisa Young answered a number of questions from the public via a Reddit AMA session yesterday. The topic? Spacesuits. They recently raised over $600,000 on Kickstarter for the conservation of Neil Armstrong’s Apollo 11 suit, and now they’ve begun promoting the project. One of the most interesting tidbits they dropped is the difference between real spacesuits and movie props. The biggest inaccuracy for Lewis is the size of most movie versions’ helmets: turns out Hollywood merely exaggerates them to get a clear view of the actors’ faces. “If you look at actual Apollo bubble helmets and photographs of astronauts wearing them, you will see that they are actually tightly fitting,” Lewis answered the user who asked about movie inaccuracies. “The diameter of the helmets is about 12 inches. No one with claustrophobia would be able to get beyond the initial helmet fit.”

In addition, when somebody asked her what would happen if something punctures a spacesuit while in use, she told the user to forget everything he’s seen in sci-fi movies or books. Apparently, they have over 20 layers of materials with a very, very tough outer one, and a small puncture wouldn’t cause an astronaut’s death. The flesh immediately underneath the puncture will swell, she explained, effectively stoppering the hole. Yes, it could be “extremely painful,” but the wearer will ultimately live, provided nothing worse happens. Note that it’s very hard to pierce a NASA spacesuit anyway, since it’s designed to resist tears and is tough enough “to stop a meteoroid traveling at high speed.”

Lewis also clarified that the ISS crew’s suits are more complicated than the ones used during the Apollo era. They’re now modular, zipperless and can fit all astronauts, though they also have more components and are more difficult to put on. As for the project itself, she said the conservation team will be documenting the deterioration of Armstrong’s suit, 3D scanning it and making the digital version available on 3d.si.edu. The space garment itself will be put out for display on the 50th anniversary of the moon landing in 2019. After that, it will become part of a new Smithsonian exhibit in 2020, along with the Apollo 11 Command Module, parts of the Saturn V engine that launched the mission to space and Alan Shepard’s suit.

PS: NASA has decided on the design of its Z-2 spacesuit project with help from an online poll. It’s Tron-esque and rather odd — you can check out its pics right here.

[Image credit: thebadastronomer/Flickr]

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Science

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Via:
Kickstarter

Source:
Reddit

Tags: ama, nasa, NeilArmstrong, reddit, redditama, smithsonian, space