Square Enix releases Final Fantasy Portal news and game hub
Square Enix has brought a selection of its classic Final Fantasy titles over to Android over the past few years, and there’s hopefully another one on the way too. If you’re a fan, you may want to check out the company’s new Final Fantasy Portal app, a hub for all of the latest information about the games and related books, music and merchandise.
As well as being a news source, the Portal app also acts as a hub for Square Enix’s games, allowing you to purchase new titles by linking through to the app store. There are also a couple of games to be played directly within the app, the “Triple Triad” card game and the original Final Fantasy (Potral version), which can only be launched through this app. However, the original Final Fantasy can only be downloaded for free for a limited time.
The Portal app also features a points system, which is simply a reward for logging in, reading through news and watching videos. These points can be exchanged for digital content, such as Final Fantasy wallpapers for your smartphone or cards for Triple Triad, which is a nice little extra for the fans.
The app is free to download from the Google Play Store and is compatible with smartphones running Android 4.0 or later.
LG trolls Samsung for not bringing the Note 5 to Europe
Ah Samsung; a week ago, the company’s biggest decision of the past few months was met with some interesting responses from customers as the Korean manufacturer decided not to bring its latest Galaxy Note 5 smartphone to Europe. Whether this works out to be a wise decision in the long run is unknown but as far LG is concerned, this is a priceless marketing opportunity that it can’t give up.
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In response to Samsung’s somewhat bizarre and strange decision, LG posted a tweet which basically implies they would never do what Samsung has done and instead promotes the LG G4, which is available throughout the world. For would-be Galaxy Note 5 users, the LG G4 doesn’t come with the S-Pen but it does have the removable battery and expandable storage that many have lauded Samsung for leaving out of its latest smartphone.
As much as LG’s marketing ploy may work, it’s unlikely to sway most of those thousands of customers who want Samsung to bring its latest Note to Europe (and I am certainly one of them). A petition has been launched to ask Samsung to bring the handset to Europe and if you want the Note 5 in Europe, be sure to go ahead and sign it (I know I have!).
Samsung won’t offer the Note 5 in Europe, but should it?
What do you think of LG’s marketing ploy? Does it persuade you to buy the LG G4 if the Note 5 doesn’t come to Europe? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below guys!
China gives its homegrown GPS rival another big push
Alibaba has teamed up with Norinco, a Chinese arms manufacturer, to roll out global positioning services using China’s homegrown alternative to GPS. The two companies have sunk roughly $310 million into a new joint venture that’ll harness Beidou’s navigation satellites to provide mapping data to local businesses. It’s another big step on the road to the country ending its reliance upon GPS, and comes two years after the service was opened up to heavy-duty transport vehicles and smartphones. It may not affect us outside of Asia-Pacific just yet, but with Beidou set to become available for all global users by 2020, it’s worth keeping an eye on how good this new-fangled offering turns out to be.
[Image Credit: ChinaFotoPress via Getty Images
Filed under:
Transportation, Science
Source:
Norinco
Tags: Alibaba, Beidou, Galileo, GLONASS, GPS, Navigation, Norinco
Sony’s latest SmartBand has a heart rate monitor
Sony has revealed the SmartBand 2, a new version of its original fitness tracker that brings a much-needed heart rate monitor. That was a notable omission from the first SmartBand, a device that’s mostly aimed at the sports set. In fact, the new model looks much the same as the original and keeps the same raison d’etre: it tracks your fitness levels and nearly everything else you do using the Lifelog app. While it lacks a screen, it can keep you abreast of your smartphone reminders via LED and vibration notifications.
It might be a tough sell, however. After all, there are smartwatches that do the same functions for not much more, and better fitness trackers for less. However, Sony’s pitching the SmartBand 2 as a device you can wear all the time that gives you copious data about your life. The Lifelog app can tell you where you were (and when) when you did certain activities — like taking photos, swimming, etc. It can then tie it all together in a chart that shows your heart rate, steps, and other parameters at a different times of day. It can also track your sleep, buzz if you leave your phone behind and more.
The tracker joins Sony’s other wearables with Lifelog functionality, including the SmartWatch and SmartBand Talk, which does have an e-paper screen. It’ll arrive sometime in December for around €119 ($130) in black, white, pink and indigo.
Source:
Sony
Tags: Fitness, FitnessTracker, SleepCycle, Smartband2, sony, video
EE TV’s getting new mobile features and on-demand apps
EE TV is a tough sell at the moment because, in exchange for the rudimentary set-top box, you have to sign up for both EE mobile and home broadband. Freeview DVR, multi-device streaming and some on-demand services are a nice bonus if you happen to be signed up for both anyway, but it’s hardly a reason to switch. EE seems to have recognised this, because today it’s announcing a software update which puts further emphasis on the mobile part. From August 25th, you’ll see a new section in the EE TV app called “My TV,” which personalises the guide by showing your favourite shows, channels and recordings. You’ll even be able to “Flick” your photos and videos to the TV Chromecast-style.
In a bid to streamline its mobile viewing experience, EE is also introducing a feature called “Fetch.” It’ll give you the ability to quickly select what’s currently on TV and watch it on your personal device, freeing up the living room for whoever is wrestling over the remote. It should work with both live TV and recordings too, ensuring your marathon session of The Great British Bake Off goes uninterrupted. For those moments when you are able to claim the TV, EE’s app will offer a “Companion Screen” area with a scrolling progress bar, playback and volume controls. It’ll also feature a recording shortcut and a sharing mode — for when you need to tell the world about a scathing cake assessment by Mary Berry.
The final perk is a new set of on-demand apps. The headliner is Mubi, a Netflix-style subscription service for classic and indie film lovers. It’ll be joined by a slew of international TV apps, including France 24, Cinefun TV and Brazil TV. They’re all nice additions, but surprisingly EE TV still doesn’t have access to Netflix, ITV Player and All4. The platform is hobbling forward, but even with these upgrades it remains a niche proposition.
Filed under:
Home Entertainment
Tags: DVR, EE, EETV, freeview, settopbox, streaming, VideoStreaming
WhatsApp for web is now iOS friendly
Facebook-owned chat messenger WhatsApp launched a web client earlier this year, but the QR code you need to scan to access it didn’t work for iOS devices. If you felt left out that time, update your app and check for “WhatsApp Web” in the Settings section, because the web client is now available for iOS users. Just go to web.whatsapp.com — you can now see the iPhone listed among its supported devices — and access “WhatsApp Web” on your iOS app’s Settings to scan the QR code that appears on your computer. Once that’s done, your conversations will sync, and you can start chatting on the web. Note, however, that the web client is just an extension of the mobile app, so it won’t work if your iPhone’s not connected to the internet.
[Image credit: Jan Persiel/Flickr]
Via:
VentureBeat
Source:
WhatsApp Web
Tags: app, facebook, ios, whatsapp
Final Fantasy 7 hits iOS, Android could be next
For many of us E3 2015 ended when Square Enix took the stage and announced Final Fantasy 7 was finally getting that HD remake we have been begging for many years. The same remake we were told time and again would never come. Nothing was going to beat this announcement! That still stands true for Final Fantasy 7 fans, but we did get another surprise from the RPG king – the original Final Fantasy 7 game was set to come to mobile.
Fast-forward a couple months and we find ourselves welcoming the most iconic Final Fantasy title to the mobile realms. The only bad news is it is not out for Android yet. Final Fantasy 7 has only been released for iOS so far. Why is this news piece even here? Well, for the same reason we even told you about this during the announcement. While the Android release hasn’t been 100% confirmed, Square Enix has been exceptional at bringing all its main titles to Android. Especially the ones which will make good money… and Final Fantasy 7 definitely will.
By the way, we don’t only say that because the game will sell like hot pancakes. This title is also significantly expensive! Final Fantasy 7 is priced at a whopping $19.99 on iTunes, a cost that is higher than Square Enix’s already unreasonable $15-$17 price points. They know many of us will pay that cash, though. That’s where they get us!
If you don’t know Final Fantasy 7 by now? You really have some catching up to do. This game influenced a whole generation and boomed the Final Fantasy franchise success to the skies. So far up even the lifestream couldn’t stop it. It happens to be my personal favorite game of all times, and I know many of you are with me on that one. This is why I am worried about how you will feel about the next bit of news.
Square Enix, what did you just do?!
First and foremost, let me apologize about the words I typed last time I wrote about Final Fantasy 7. I told you this would be the same Final Fantasy 7 title we saw in 1997, ported and unadulterated; I was wrong. Square Enix changed one thing… one thing that may ruin your whole gaming experience.
The game comes with integrated cheating functionality. For starters, there will be an option to level up all your characters and give them max stats. But then why would you even want random battles? Don’t you worry, you can turn those off too!
To be honest, this shocked me more than when I saw Sephiroth’s Masamune pierce through you-know-who (actually… not really, but you get me). The battle system and leveling up is such an important part of Final Fantasy titles! Their level of difficulty and time consumption are what drives us to push through these challenges and spend months playing a single game. Why would you take that away from us?
I understand that the story line is also a huge part of Final Fantasy 7. Furthermore, many of us have beat the game plenty times, so skipping through that whole grinding process may be a viable option. I just feel like the experience will be ruined for all new players. But then again, is this release even aimed at first-timers? It just upsets me that it’s now so easy to ruin the experience.
But hey, tell us your own thoughts on this release! Do you agree with me on the whole cheat pandemonium? Hopefully an Android release is around the corner. Not seeing Final Fantasy 7 hit our devices would be something else to rant about.
Alright, now you can go download the game on your iPad or iPhone, if you want!
Meizu will launch the MX5 in India on Wednesday, August 19
Meizu has just kicked off pre-registrations for its latest smartphone, the MX5, in India. The handset will launch in the region exclusively through Snapdeal on Wednesday, August 19 at 10:00 AM.
For those in need of a refresher on its specifications, the MX5 packs a 5.5-inch Full HD display, a MediaTek MT6795 SoC, 3GB of RAM a 20.7-megapixel rear-facing camera, a 5-megapixel front-facing shooter, dual-SIM compatibility and a 3,150mAh battery.
Unfortunately, we don’t have any information with regards to pricing for the handset as of yet. However, if you like the sound of the MX5, you’re based in India and would like to register your interested in the device — hit the source link below.
Source: Snapdeal
Come comment on this article: Meizu will launch the MX5 in India on Wednesday, August 19
Lenovo unveils the A2010 as India’s cheapest 4G smartphone
Lenovo has just unveiled its latest smartphone, the A2010 in India, which it’s marketing as the regions cheapest 4G-capable handset. The device will retail for just INR 4,990 ($76) when it launches on Thursday, September 3.
The A2010 packs a 4.5-inch touchscreen with a 854 x 480 resolution, a 1GHz MediaTek MT6735M 64-bit quad-core processor, 1GB of RAM, 8GB of expandable storage, dual-SIM compatibility and a 2,000mAh battery.
The China-based manufacturer’s most recent unveiling runs the latest build of Android 5.1 Lollipop straight out of box skinned with the same user interface that can be found on the Lenovo Vibe Z2 Pro.
If you’re based in India, like the sound of the Lenovo A2010 and would like to find out more about picking one up — hit the source link below.
Source: Indian Express
Come comment on this article: Lenovo unveils the A2010 as India’s cheapest 4G smartphone
Dropbox saves URLs you drag and drop on the web and PC
We’re sure you have your own methods for saving project resources, but if you rely on Dropbox heavily, then this latest update will help make the process a lot easier for you. The cloud service now saves URLs you drag and drop into the desktop app or the website itself — once they’re synced, just click ’em when you need ’em. You can keep all the URLs you need for a project or a research paper in one folder, for instance, so you can access them on any computer. The feature’s even more useful if you’re working on a team project, since members will be able to save and access each other’s sources regardless of their default browsers. Now nobody can use not being able to access the sources everybody else compiled as an excuse to not do their part.
[Image credit: Dropbox In 30 Minutes/Flickr]
Filed under:
Misc
Source:
Dropbox
Tags: cloud, dropbox
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