Noodlecake takes revenge on pirates with an unbeatable game
Piracy blights major and indie developers alike, so Noodlecake Studios decided to seek a little revenge on the thieves. The studio uploaded a modified, unbeatable version of its lasted title, Shooting Stars, to popular torrent sites and watched the drama unfold.
The modified version of Shooting Stars features an unbeatable boss at level 3, which doesn’t appear in the usual game. “Daft Premium” sends a wave of very high health bosses at the player, and has unlimited health himself should the player somehow make it that far. Upon death, pirates are greeted with a suggestion to buy the actual game.
The idea began after Noodlecake discovered that only 11 percent of Android users had actually purchased its Wayward Souls action-RPG, while the other 89 percent had pirated the game. Unfortunately, the company claims that piracy is much higher on Android that it is on iOS, so uploading a tweaked APK seemed like the right choice to have the most impact.
Despite the less than subtle hints, a cracked version of the store APK has already appeared online, to combat the unbeatable version of the game. Which is pretty disappointing, as Shooting Stars is on sale for just $0.99 right now, before it pops back up to its usual retail price of $2.99.
Noodlecake isn’t all that bitter about the piracy rate though, the company recognises that it probably didn’t lose out on many sales and views this little experiment as an advertising campaign as much as anything else. Still, it’s a pretty good way to get one back at the pirates.
Hillary Clinton to turn over her private email server
Hillary Clinton has decided to surrender the private email server she used during her time as Secretary of State to the Department of Justice. A few hours after the Intelligence Community Inspector General told Congress that some of her correspondences have now been classified as “top secret,” she has instructed her team to turn over not just the server, but also three back-up thumb drives containing over 30,000 emails. These are supposedly the same emails she already handed over to the government and the same ones slated to be released in 2016. It’s unclear whether anything will come out of investigating her old server, though, as she admitted to deleting personal messages and ultimately wiping it clean long ago.
Republicans have been demanding the server’s surrender for months, but Republican National Committee Chairman Reince Priebus wasn’t impressed with Clinton’s recent decision:
If Hillary Clinton believed in honesty and transparency, she would have turned over her secret server months ago to an independent arbiter, not as a last resort and to the Obama Justice Department. Of course, if she really cares about transparency, she would never have had a secret server in the first place.
Clinton spokesperson Nick Merrill, however, said that Hillary pledges to cooperate with the government’s security inquiry:
This past spring, Hillary Clinton asked the Department of State to publish the 55,000 pages of the work emails she provided to the Department last fall. As she has said, it is her hope that State and the other agencies involved in the review process will sort out as quickly as possible which emails are appropriate to release to the public, and that the release will be as timely and transparent as possible. In the meantime, her team has worked with the State Department to ensure her emails are stored in a safe and secure manner. She directed her team to give her email server that was used during her tenure as Secretary to the Department of Justice, as well as a thumb drive containing copies of her emails already provided to the State Department. She pledged to cooperate with the Government’s security inquiry, and if there are more questions, we will continue to address them.
While the thumb drives with the emails are already with the Justice Department, the parties involved are still working on the logistics of handing over the server itself.
[Image credit: Marc Nozell/Flickr]
Filed under:
Misc
Source:
ABC News, CNN, The Hill, NPR
Tags: email, government, hillaryclinton
HTC pulls the One M9+ from shelves in the Netherlands
It was only last month that HTC launched the up scaled variant of its flagship smartphone in Europe and now it’s being removed from the shelves of retail stores in the Netherlands as a result of its 4G LTE connectivity issues.
Independent retailer, Phone House, sent out the following bulletin to its stores: “At the request of HTC, we ask you to withdraw the HTC M9+ immediately from sale. We will let you know how to deal with this further in a few days.”
To provide some explanation for its decision to pull the handset, HTC published this official statement on its website: “We put the quality of its products and providing an optimal user experience first. In that context, [we] are currently investigating the One M9+.
So there you have it, folks. The One M9+ has been pulled from stores in the Netherlands. We currently don’t have any information as to whether any other countries will receive the same treatment, but if it’s an LTE issue, it’s more than likely they will.
Via: MobileCowboys
Come comment on this article: HTC pulls the One M9+ from shelves in the Netherlands
Skype for Business is coming to your mobile device
Two months after Microsoft launched Skype’s Business edition, which integrates into MS Office Calendar and allows for group messaging/video chats/calls for up to 250 people, the video conferencing company announced on Tuesday that a mobile version for both iOS and Android devices is in the works. The mobile app will feature a central dashboard from which the user can search for contacts, check for and RSVP to upcoming meetings and dig through past archived conversations. Additionally, actually contacting people will be easier thanks to larger onscreen buttons and a full-screen video chat option.
The apps aren’t ready quite yet though. Skype is currently recruiting businesses to participate in its preview program. Corporate IT managers can sign to eight employees (four for iOS, four for Android) up for the preview at www.skypepreview.com before August 17th. Once the apps actually go live “later this year,” users will need to have Lync 2013, on which this system is built, installed on their device in order to use them.
[Image Credit: shutterstock]
Filed under:
Internet, Mobile, Apple, Microsoft, Google
Source:
Microsoft Office Blog
Tags: android, apple, calendar, google, ios, messaging, microsoft, mobiledevice, mobilepostcross, office, skype, video, VideoConferencing
Focus: a complete gallery app that prioritizes ease of use, organization and security
Finding the right gallery app can be a hassle. There’s just so many options out there! I happen to be pretty happy with Google Photos, but if that service is not to your liking we will have to continue looking around. Today we would like to introduce you to a new gallery app that managed to catch our eye. It’s called Focus, and it was made by developer Francisco Franco (you will know him if you have been following the Nexus developer community).
We don’t tend to put many gallery apps on the spotlight, as most of them are just another in the bunch. This one happens to be especially outstanding, though. It is simple, yet very advanced and full of features. It will all be ready for you as soon as you install the app. Open Focus and you will be met by all your images – every single one in your device. No need to search around weird folders or move images around, and it’s especially awesome to see it’s also not a scrambled mess.
#gallery-1
margin: auto;
#gallery-1 .gallery-item
float: left;
margin-top: 10px;
text-align: center;
width: 25%;
#gallery-1 img
border: 2px solid #cfcfcf;
#gallery-1 .gallery-caption
margin-left: 0;
/* see gallery_shortcode() in wp-includes/media.php */
A big factor in this application is its organization features. Spend enough time labeling your photos and you will be able to find any image in a heart beat. Users can make their own tags, too (Art, Parties, Nature, etc.). In addition, all your homepage photos will be neatly organized by categories. Camera, Download, Facebook, Messenger and all other sources will have its labels. It’s super simple!
It’s possible to look into the photos’ exact details to find out the exact resolution, which phone the image was taken from and more. If those features weren’t enough, Focus also offers a swiping lock (so strangers can’t go looking at your images), dark mode and more.
Want in on the action? We have both good and bad news. The good news is this gallery app is free to download; the bad news is not all features are available without paying into the premium package. Getting the Premium features will cost $3.79 (or you could pay $10.89 if you really love the work the developer is doing and you would like to donate a little more).
This fee payment will grant you access to custom tags, collection control, dark theme, swipe lock, Muzei live wallpaper and any future premium features that may be included. I say the app is totally worth it, and with Google Photos support down the line, I am definitely signing up for the Premium version. Are you?
Twitter sees a big increase in account info requests
Law enforcement agencies are making social media part of more and more investigations these days, based on Twitter’s latest transparency report. Between January 1st and June 30th this year, the company saw a 52 percent increase in account information requests (affecting 78 percent more Twitter, Vine and Periscope users) compared to the second half of 2014. Majority (56 percent, to be precise) of those came from the US, followed by Japan, Turkey and the UK, and only 12 percent came from non-government parties. Out of the 4,363 total number of requests, the microblogging website complied and provided info for 58 percent of them.
In addition to more instances of account info scrutiny, the transparency report also revealed that the company received 26 percent more removal requests this period compared to June to December 2014. Twitter got 442 court orders and 561 more takedown requests from government agencies, most of which came from Turkey and Russia. Many of these notices were filed based on defamation and violation of personal rights, but Twitter filed legal objections when it could and tried not to comply with the ones that limit free speech.
The social network’s latest report also includes less interesting details like email privacy practices and trademark notices, which you can read on the same transparency portal. But if you’d rather get your hands on those juicy government takedown memos, you can check out Chilling Effects, where the company continues to upload them where the public can see. Just do a search for “Twitter,” and you’ll get quite a number of results.
Filed under:
Misc
Source:
Twitter (1), (2)
Tags: social, SocialNetworking, transparencyreport, twitter
Retailers’ Apple Pay rival is ready for testing, three years later
Merchant Customer Exchange is an alliance of several of the US’ biggest retailers and restaurants, including Wal-Mart and Target, aimed at bringing mobile payments under their own control — and not by tying themselves to a particular tech company. Public tests will finally start in Ohio in the coming weeks, according to the WSJ‘s sources. Crucially, or hilariously, the tests will start not long after MCX loses its exclusivity deal with retailers. That’s why some of them didn’t pick up Apple Pay when it launched.
Commitment to MCX isn’t particularly strong: Rite Aid said it was would start accepting Apple Pay, as well as Android Pay, starting August 15th. In April, Best Buy, one of MCX’s founding retailers, said it had plans to take Apple Pay later this year. CurrentC, as MCX plans to call it, links mobile payments to checking accounts, gift cards or private debit and credit cards directly, sidestepping credit card surcharges and fees. Old-school style, a code on your phone is scanned to pay. This could be important: some retailers, including Wal-Mart, haven’t installed the wireless terminals necessary to use either Apple or Google’s payment methods.
Filed under:
Internet
Source:
WSJ
Tags: applepay, bestbuy, currentc, MCE, MCX, mobilepayments, riteaid, target, walmart
eBay back to school deals: smartphones from Samsung, Sony and others at under $299!
Getting ready to go back to school? You probably need a new cellphone to stay connected and ease your way to success. Remember, smartphones are not always a distraction; these advanced little gadgets are also great research tools and knowledge machines. And if you don’t want to break the bank for a new handset, checking out the back to school deals on eBay would be the best idea. All these discounted phones cost under $299 off-contract.
Not bad at all, right?! I know I would recommend some of these to my friends, so let’s take a look at some of our favorite deals.
- Verizon Motorola Droid Ultra only $99.99
- AT&T Samsung Galaxy S5 only $249.99
- Verizon Samsung Galaxy S5 only $234.77
- Amazon Fire Phone only $139.99
- Verizon LG G3 for $219.95
- HTC Desire 816 only $149.99
- Verizon Moto X (XT1060) only $119.77
There’s plenty of other deals in eBay’s back to school page, but these just happen to be the ones that stood out to us. You can also look around the site to find other good deals. We really just wanted to pass on the good news and make sure you are in the loop.
Are any of you buying one of these handsets? Hit the comments and let us know!
Branto allows you to monitor your home, control your smart appliances and more
Branto has been in the making since late 2011. While we were geeking out over dual-core processors, these guys were already thinking about making what seems to be one of the most full-featured smart home products in existence. Branto really does it all, and now you can put your name to one of these devices by funding their Indiegogo campaign.
What is the Branto, and what can it do? This unique spherical gadget, made of aluminum and polymer, gives you full home remote presence, smart appliance control and security features. Let’s go through the features one by one.
Full remote presence and video conferencing
For starters, this is likely one of the most interesting video calling gadgets in existence. The camera inside the Branto can rotate 360 degrees, giving you a full view of the device’s surroundings. Just pull out your smartphone and connect to the product through the free Branto app. You will be able to access a video feed showing whatever is going on around to the smart accessory. One can easily swipe from side to side to look around the device.
Furthermore, the Branto happens to be a great video conferencing device. It can connect to a TV and grant full video call capabilities, or you can simply stay in touch by using the integrated speakers and microphones. It would be great for meetings you can’t actually attend!
This is all great for staying connected with home and work, but we must also be ready for when things get a little nasty. This is why the Branto comes with a full set of security features. The sphere will allow you to monitor your home for any suspicious activity… even when the sun sets and things get dark. This thing comes with night vision! In addition, it recognizes suspicious movement or noise, and then sends you video footage of the situation.
And because Branto has up to 12 hours of battery life (3000 mAh battery), as well as both WiFi and cellular data connectivity, you can use it wherever you want. Oh… it also works with Google Glass.
Controls smart appliances and TV
Branto wasn’t only made with security in mind; the company wanted you to be able to control all your smart appliances, and even your TV. The smart device has an IR blaster that will allow you to control any TV and some other home entertainment products.
In addition, because the Branto is connected to the internet, the user can also manage certain smart appliances, including the systems like the Philips Hue lights, Belkin WeMo accessories, Nest devices and more.
Music streaming
Of course, no smart device with speakers is complete without its audio streaming features. You can play your music using the Branto, and that cool light will even flash at the rhythm of your tunes.
The Branto Bit
This little IoT accessory will allow you to know when a certain door, window or drawer has been opened. It works via proximity sensors and will send you a notification whenever both parts of the system get too far apart for comfort.
Interested?
Are you in for this treat? I know it all sounds great, and if you want to sign up you will be looking to spend at least $279 for the Branto. This will get you one unit. And if you really want to go all out, you can pay $19 to upgrade to 32 GB of internal storage, or $39 for 64 GB. You can also pay as low as $19 to get a Branto Bit.
The good news is you won’t have to wait too long to get your Branto. Shipments are scheduled for December 2015. As of this post’s publishing, the Indiegogo campaign is just a hair away from reaching its $50,000 USD goal, but the project has 18 days to go.
Are any of you signing up?
Fund the Branto campaign on Indiegogo!
Wildcard launches a slick news app you might actually use
Here’s the evolution of mobile news reading in a nutshell: First there were browsers; then RSS readers; and eventually we saw a slew of news reading apps like Flipboard, Feedly and Nuzzle that aimed to make it easier to discover and read news. Now Wildcard, an iPhone app that previously tried to turn the entire internet into mobile-friendly cards, is stepping up the mobile news game with its latest version. Like the competition it also highlights breaking news based on your preferences, and it also takes into account what your Twitter friends share. But it has a few big advantages. It’s simply gorgeous, with an interface that feels perfectly suited to browsing on your phone; and it also features some helpful editorial curation. After testing, and giving up on, plenty of news apps over the years, Wildcard stands out for one reason: It actually makes me want to read more news. Slideshow-311827
At the core of the Wildcard experience is the notion of mobile cards, small blocks of information that are easy to browse on your phone. It’s something we first saw on Palm’s Web OS devices, but it’s also come back into fashion on Twitter, Pinterest and services like Google Now. While the original Wildcard app tried to tackle both mobile web browsing and commerce, the new version is now focused entirely on news. The company had developed an intriguing way to replicate mobile shopping with its earlier app, but according to Khoi Vinh, Wildcard’s VP of user experience, nobody was using it.
The Wildcard home screen is fairly simple: Featured stories up top, and a collection of recent stories below. For now, the app gives you curated news and also algorithmically determines stories that you might like. You can also connect it to your Twitter account to get even more personalized results. Tapping into a card either opens up the story in a mobile web browser view, or you can choose to view it as a stripped down card. For bigger stories, there are also collections of cards to help you contextualize the entire story.
For example, the card for Hillary Clinton’s recently announced college affordability plan has a card collection featuring a Bloomberg post at the top, as well as content from other outlets below. The editorial team has also added additional context for the story between some of the cards, and the app pulls in related tweets and stories at the bottom of the card collection. Altogether, Wildcard allows you to choose how deep you go into understanding a story. You could just browse the card summaries and interstitial snippets, or dive into each post for the fully story.
It’s sort of like a balance between the now defunct mobile news app Circa and a traditional news reader. You can also save cards for reading offline, similar to Instapaper or Pocket, or choose to receive notifications when there are updates to stories you’ve read.
“There are not many experiences that can give you satisfaction in the two minutes you’re waiting in line, as well as the two hours driving to the beach,” Wildcard CEO Jordan Cooper said.
https://player.vimeo.com/video/135979630
While its functionally useful, Wildcard’s design also makes it fun to use. The app teaches you how to use it with a slick onboarding tutorial, and simply moving around the app and tapping into cards has a polished feel. It’s clear that a lot of thought went into practically every design element of Wildcard (Vinh detailed his design process on his blog).
One thing I’ve learned after testing dozens of news apps is that they mostly come down to personal preference. Wildcard’s selection of news and slick interface appeals to my own aesthetic, as well as my disdain for being overloaded with a ton of stories to read. If you demand instant access to entire RSS feeds full of stories, there are plenty of other apps for that. But Wildcard proves you can build a solid news reading experience with some tasteful curation and solid design.
Filed under:
Mobile
Source:
Wildcard (iTunes)
Tags: apps, JordanCooper, KhoiVinh, mobilepostcross, news, Wildcard
AIVAnet 