Play ‘Evolve’ free this weekend on Xbox One and PC
Wondering what to do with your three day weekend? Turtle Rock Studios is hoping you’ll (re)visit its co-op shooter Evolve, courtesy of a few days of free access on Xbox One and PC. Even if you already own it, it may be time to knock the dust off because besides the flood of players, it’s unlocking all the DLC for you to try, and just permanently unlocked a new monster, the Meteor Goliath. Thanks to its 4-on-1, primarily multiplayer setup, having a strong base of online players is key, and this is one way to try and refresh the ranks. The free preview is already under way, wrapping up on the 7th, at 11:59PM PT on Xbox One, and at 10AM PT on PC.
Filed under:
Gaming, HD, Microsoft
Source:
Evolve Blog
Tags: 2K, Evolve, hdpostcross, microsoft, PC, TurtleRockStudios, XboxOne
Google has added system-wide device translation using Google Translate to Android Marshmallow
Google has made language translation a little easier in Android, but it’ll only be functional for devices running 6.0 and up. Android Marshmallow’s contextual selection menu allows apps to add functionality, and Google has updated their Translate app to join in on the fun. You’ll be able to directly translate text on your device without having to go into the actual Translate app, which is a huge time saver.
Apps being able to add contextual actions is a pretty big deal and one of the cooler new features of Android 6.0. Hopefully Google brings some new functionality into this with their other apps, and we’ll probably see tons of third-party apps take advantage of this once Marshmallow starts rolling out to devices later this year.
source: Zachary Kew-Denniss (Google+)
via: Android Police
Come comment on this article: Google has added system-wide device translation using Google Translate to Android Marshmallow
Google improving searches for health information and diseases
Last February Google launched a new feature in its search engine that showed relevant health information when people searched for certain conditions or diseases. The feature has been fairly popular up to this point, so Google is expanding it with tons of new health information, plus some extra features.
The updated results will include around 900 more conditions, which is double what the feature started with. Results will show symptoms, treatments, and more. The interface for results has been tweaked, too, so searching for a disease’s symptoms will take you directly to the symptoms tab. There’s also a button for downloading a PDF of information about what you’re looking at so you’ll have something to take to the doctor on your next visit.
Google is teaming up with doctors and professionals to make sure this information is updated and accurate, and they’re in the process of getting the results localized into different languages besides just English.
source: Inside Search
Come comment on this article: Google improving searches for health information and diseases
You can get Alcatel’s latest smartphone, the Alcatel Pop Star, with a denim back cover
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There are many materials that are good for a smartphone’s back cover, but denim isn’t one that immediately springs to mind. Nevertheless, the option is now available thanks to the Alcatel Pop Star, the latest smartphone from Alcatel OneTouch which is presumably trying to outdo Motorola in number of customization choices. There are also a whole number of other choices including leather, wood, and something called plastic. Weird. Naturally, we’d choose denim, because what else would help you achieve the dream of wearing triple denim?
On a more serious note, the Alcatel Pop Star is kind of an average device – more of a mid-range device, the Pop Star has a 5-inch 720p display, quad core processor, 1GB RAM, 8MP rear camera and runs Android Lollipop. It’s clear then that the Pop Star’s primary selling point is its customization, though that can go a long way with the fashion crowd who are looking for a device like this. We’re not sure how much the Pop Star will end up costing, or when it will be released, but I’m sure we’ll all end up sleeping better now that we know there’s a smartphone which has denim on its back.
What do you think about the Alcatel Pop Star? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.
Source: Phandroid
The post You can get Alcatel’s latest smartphone, the Alcatel Pop Star, with a denim back cover appeared first on AndroidSPIN.
Google reportedly plans to re-enter mainland China through the Google Play Store
Google has been completely absent from China since the year 2010, but that might be changing sometime soon. According to a recent report from The Information, Google soon expects to return to mainland China to sell mobile services. More specifically, with approval from the Chinese government, the company hopes to distribute a special China version of the Google Play Store application for Android smartphones in the country, according to people familiar with the plan.
Google supposedly already has partnerships in place with Chinese companies to help architect and run the China version of the Play Store locally. Additionally, the company is also preparing to announce support for a new version of Android Wear for smartwatches in China. Google could plan to re-enter China as early as this fall, the report states.
Related: Does Google need to return to China? It’s complicated.
As part of this big push back in to China, Google is expected to offer new incentives to OEMs to upgrade their mobile devices to the latest version of Android. Simply put, if more Android smartphones are running the latest software and have a similar experience overall, this will make the platform much more attractive to both application developers and consumers alike.
According to one person familiar with the matter:
As more Chinese app developers look to extend their apps beyond China’s borders and more non-Chinese app makers try to tap the Chinese market, Google wants to ensure all the apps work well across Android devices globally. Thus, hardware partners that will distribute Android Wear or Google Play in China will need to adhere to certain global compatibility standards.
Google wants to make money through Android, and China is the place to do it
Seeing as how the vast majority of Android devices in China have no Google services installed whatsoever, bringing Google services along with the Play Store, albeit a stripped-down version, to Android devices in the country would be considered a huge win for Android as a whole. Google wants to make money through Android, and China is the place to do it.
If this comes into fruition, Google says that it will follow local laws and block applications that the Chinese government deems unacceptable. To many, this might look like a back-tracking on Google’s part, especially following the company’s bold stance on the subject back in 2010. The Chinese smartphone market is growing tremendously, and Android is a huge player in that space. There are tons of great Chinese phone makers that have gained popularity as of late, and Google needs to be on good terms in this region if it wants to make even bigger bucks.
Pebble Time for Android version 3.4 update brings actionable calendar events and more
If you happen to own a Pebble Time smartwatch, there should be a pretty substantial update rolling out to the companion Android app as we speak. The headline feature in this version 3.4 update brings users the ability to take action on incoming calendar events or on existing events in your timeline. From your watch, you’ll now be able to accept, decline, cancel and more.
The Pebble team has also brought a new look and feel to the app, with a more streamlined layout, simpler menus, easier access to watchfaces and more. If you’re interested, here’s the full changelog for the version 3.4 update:
- New look and feel: Enjoy a streamlined layout, simpler menus, and easier access to watchfaces, apps, and notifications settings.
- Do more with Calendar events: Act on incoming calendar invites (accept, decline, cancel, etc.) or on existing events in your timeline.
- Incoming calls not appearing on your watch in time? This update fixes it
- Better notification handling when a lot are left on a paired device’s lock screen.
- Bug fixes and stability improvements to version 3.3.0.
Don’t miss: Pebble Time review
Be sure to head to the Play Store link below to download the latest version.
Here’s our first look at Gameloft’s upcoming MMORPG, Order & Chaos 2: Redemption
Just last month, Gameloft announced its plans to bring a new MMORPG to mobile devices called Order & Chaos 2: Redemption. Back then we didn’t have much more than a teaser trailer and a simple game description, but now the video game developer has released a new video that details what we can expect from the new title. Specifically, two new features that will be present in the game are shown off in the video: solo dungeons and instant quests.
For starters, solo dungeons are meant for players who don’t have any other group members or are pressed on time. This will allow players to get the full dungeon experience and rewards when they only have a few minutes to play, or are lacking a full group. There will be four solo dungeons available at launch, and Gameloft says more will be added in the future. The rewards you’ll receive in solo dungeons will vary, but you can still expect to get crucial items for crafting gear, gold and more. To enter solo dungeons, you can use dream fragments, which will replenish every day.
There’s also a new feature coming to the game called instant quests, which will save you time by allowing you to skip through dialogue with NPCs to receive a quest. Instant quests will be automatically triggered when you enter a region associated with a particular quest. Rewards will be automatically awarded after completing an instant quest, so you won’t need to circle back to a quest giver when you’re done. Instant quests don’t particularly replace regular quests, but they do offer a different way for players to interact with the world.
The game is slated for release sometime later this year, but unfortunately we don’t have a specific date yet. We’ll be sure to update you as we learn more. If you’d like to pre-register for Order & Chaos 2: Redemption, follow the link below to get the details.
Sony Xperia Z5 Premium hands-on and first look
The race to next generation displays is certainly heating up and while most companies still offer either Full HD or Quad HD panels, Sony has sought to steal the IFA 2015 show with its new Xperia Z5 Premium.
Featuring many of the same specs as the rest of the Xperia Z5 family, the Z5 Premium stands out as it sports the world’s first Ultra HD smartphone panel but is the next-generation resolution enough to make the Xperia Z5 Premium, the phone you have to buy? Let’s find out in our hands on first look.
See also: Sony Xperia Z5 Premium officially announced: what you need to know
The Xperia Z5 Premium looks and feels like most other Sony devices and shares the same updated design language as the other members of the Xperia Z5 family. That means we’ve got a tweaked build including rounded corners and the redesigned larger power button, which sits on the right and incorporates a fingerprint sensor.
A key feature of Sony’s Xperia line-up over the past few iterations has been IP certification, with the Xperia range known for its dust and waterproofing. The Xperia Z5 Premium continues in the same mould with IP68 certification meaning it is dust proof and resistant to water for up to 30 minutes and up to 1.5 meters underwater.
The Xperia Z5 Premium is certainly a large device by Sony standards but it can be forgiven thanks to the incredible display. This is what sets the handset apart from the rest and the 5.5-inch Ultra HD 4K panel offers an eye-watering 806 pixels per inch density. As the first smartphone with a 4K display, Sony has certainly stolen a march on its rivals and the display itself is gorgeous, with amazingly crisp text, images and videos.
A problem many people identify with UHD (or even QHD) resolution is a lack of suitable content and Sony aims to fix this by working with partners to develop content. Until content is widely available (which hopefully won’t be too long), Sony has also incorporated the upscaling technology from its TV lineup and the Xperia Z5 Premium will be able to upscale your Full HD content to make full use of the 4K display.
What good is an awesome display if you don’t have the hardware to match it? Obviously, not a lot but Sony has given the Xperia Z5 Premium every chance of succeeding. Under the hood, the handset is powered by a 1.9GHz octa-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 810 processor paired with 3GB RAM and an Adreno 430 GPU. Some of you may have concerns about the high resolution screen slowing the rest of the handset down but thankfully, we haven’t noticed any performance-related issues (although we’ll give you our final word in the review later in the year).
Aside from the powerful internals, the Xperia Z5 Premium also comes with a specs list that is certainly worthy of a flagship device. The components include 32GB internal storage that can be expanded by up to 200GB using a microSD, NFC, the usual array of connectivity options and the one-touch fingerprint sensor, which certainly performs well enough in our first tests.
You may be forgiven for thinking the display is the standout feature on the Xperia Z5 Premium and while you are certainly right, Sony also wants to let you produce amazing content of your own to watch on that display. On the back, the Xperia Z5 Premium features a next-generation 23MP Exmor RS sensor with super fast autofocus and Sony claim the camera can focus on a subject in just 0.3 seconds.
Related: Here’s what the Sony Xperia Z5 Premium camera can do
The camera itself has a 23mm wide angle f/2.0 G Lens, which should mean impressive camera shots and thanks to 4K video recording, you’ll be able to record native 4K content with the camera and then watch it back on that excellent display. On the front, the Xperia Z5 Premium has a 5MP camera, which is on par with most current smartphones.
Of course, it’s difficult to tell just how good the camera is in a first look but we’ll go into a lot more detail in the upcoming review. Sony has traditionally provided camera modules to several of its rivals and quite often, the Xperia range has produced less than stellar shots compared to other devices using the same sensor. With the new camera, Sony has finally delivered its first meaningful update to Xperia smartphone cameras since the Xperia Z1 and with the company’s Alpha camera range capturing excellent photos, maybe its smartphone cameras will finally live up to their promise.
On the software front, the Xperia Z5 Premium runs Android 5.1 Lollipop with Sony’s Xperia UI on top. If you’re familiar with past Sony devices, you’ll be right at home here. It doesn’t stray to far away from a vanilla build of Android, but does come with a few of Sony’s software enhancements like Small Apps and built-in Playstation integration.
A key problem and criticism of Ultra HD (and even Quad HD) displays is the supposed effect on battery life that comes from having to power all those pixels. Having only just had hands on with the Xperia Z5 Premium, it’s obviously too early to tell whether the large 3430 mAh battery will be big enough to deliver Sony’s claims of 2 days’ battery life from a single charge but we will definitely be testing this in the full review. Does it live up to Sony’s claims? We shall see!
There you have it; the display wars have heated up another notch and Sony is at the head of the pack with the world’s first 4K smartphone. The Xperia Z5 Premium is without a doubt one of the stars of IFA 2015 and while Sony is yet to reveal exact US pricing or availability, it has said the handset will start going on sale around the world in November. One thing is for sure; for the Xperia Z5 Premium, you can definitely expect to pay a premium price.
What do you think of the world’s first 4K smartphone and Sony’s new Xperia design language and feature set? Let us know your views in the comments below guys and don’t forget to check out all our IFA 2015 coverage!
Sony Xperia Z5 Compact Premium is reportedly a Japan-only variant with 1080p display
Earlier this week Sony unveiled the new Xperia Z5 series to the world, introducing three new models, the Z5, Z5 Premium, and Z5 Compact. All three handsets offer several key improvements over the Z3 and Z4 series, and their arrival is easy the biggest news of IFA 2015. However, what you might not know is that Sony actually has a fourth Xperia Z5 family member on the way, at least according to the China-based tech site CnBeta.com.
Japanese carrier NTT DoCoMo reportedly has a special variant of the Xperia Z5 Compact on the way, dubbed the Z5 Compact Premium. This model is said to offer the same Snapdragon 810 processor and overall looks over the Compact, but trades in the 2GB RAM for 4GB, and the 720p display for a 4.6-inch 1080p display. The battery is also upgraded to 2900 mAh. Interestingly enough, that means this model has even more RAM than the Xperia Z5 Premium, which seems like an odd choice.
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While we have reached out to NTT DoCoMo to see if we can get an official confirmation, we aren’t 100% sure of the accuracy of this report at this time. In many ways this sounds more like a wish list than anything, and so there is at least a possibility that this could be a faked advert seen in the image above. That said, Sony is no stranger to releasing better variants of their existing flagships.
After all, the Sony Xperia Z4 (aka Z3+) was criticized for not offering enough differences from the Z3, keeping the same looks, camera and 1080p display. And yet, shortly after, Sony would announce the Z4v for Verizon with a QHD display, making us wonder why Sony didn’t release the Z4 with a QHD display right off the bat. If reports of the Sony Xperia Z5 Compact Premium really are legit, we can’t help but feel the same here. The Z5 Compact is an impressive phone, but a 4.6-inch 1080p display and 4GB RAM would have really taken its “wow” factor to a whole new level.
What do you think, surprised that Sony would prepare a Z5 Compact Premium so soon after launching the Z5 Compact? Let us know your thoughts in the comments.
‘Halo,’ ‘Surgeon Simulator’ devs join the War Child game jam
War Child, a London-based charity that aims to improve the lives of children affected by war, is collaborating with influential developers to create a collection of games titled HELP: Real War is Not a Game. Participating developers include 343 Industries (Halo 5: Guardians), Bossa Studios (Surgeon Simulator), Creative Assembly (Alien: Isolation), Team 17 (Worms) and Hinterland (The Long Dark), all of which will participate in a six-day game jam organized by War Child. This means the studios will have just six days to create the games for HELP, and the full compilation will be sold digitally in late March 2016. Proceeds will go toward funding War Child’s efforts in global conflict zones.
War Child has done something like this before. In 1995, it collaborated with a handful of popular musicians for the Help album, which raised more than £1.5 million for the charity’s efforts. That album featured Oasis, Radiohead, Portishead, Blur, The Stone Roses, Sinead O’Connor and other famous artists, and it led to a handful of follow-up releases.
“Now, two decades on, a star-studded line-up of game developers have announced their intention to follow in those musicians’ footsteps by uniting in a unique ‘studio game jam’ designed to help fund War Child’s ongoing activities in conflict-affected countries,” War Child writes.
For HELP: Real War is Not a Game, Unreal, Gamemaker and Unity are all providing tools to participating developers on a no-cost and royalty-free basis.
In July, War Child released Duty of Care: Protecting Children in War, an evocative Call of Duty-style video that highlights the trials facing children in war zones.
Via:
GamesIndustry
Source:
War Child
Tags: CallOfDuty, charity, children, hdpostcross, help, helprealwarisnotagame, Warchild
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