Sega brings the boom with Sonic Dash 2: Sonic Boom
With over 140 million downloads since it made its debut last year, it’s safe to say that Sonic Dash has been a hit. If you’re unfamiliar with Sonic Dash, it’s an endless runner game that pays homage to the original Sonic the Hedgehog that made its debut on the Sega Genesis. Sega now looks to up the ante with the sequel Sonic Dash 2: Sonic Boom. With their new game Sega has introduced several new features.
SONIC DASH 2 FEATURES
- RACE with up to three characters in new Team Play mode! Swap runners mid-race to earn high scores
- UNLEASH new special powers – Amy’s Hammer, Knuckle’s Slam attack, Sonic’s even faster Dash, and more
- CONQUER new obstacles and Badniks
- DASH on new fast-paced tracks in and above the beautiful Sonic Boom world
- MASTER new Swing & Tilt gameplay with the super charged Enerbeam; tilt your device to swing the runner towards the rings and orbs
- COLLECT, evolve, and run with new magical Sprites
- EARN special prizes in new Events and Daily SEGA Challenges
What do you think? Are going to download it? Let us know in the comments below.
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Amazon Echo app gets updated, brings new capabilities to speaker
Amazon just pushed an update to its Echo application for its digital assistant speaker. The update brings new skills and some new jokes.
With the update of the Amazon Echo app comes new Garageio skills. If you own a smart garage controller made by Garageio, you can now program Alexa to have certain capabilities regarding the garage system. For example, Alexa will know if your garage is closed and if it’s not, Alexa will close it for you.
With the update, Alexa also has the capability to tell jokes pertaining to the current presidential debate. For example, you can ask Alexa to say a Donald Trump joke and it will do so. In addition, users will also be able to ask Alexa to play music from a selection of newly included artists on Amazon Prime Music. This should be a worthy update. Hit the link down below to download.
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Android Marshmallow update for the LG G3 and LG G4 are coming very soon
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When Android Lollipop was released late last year, LG was one of the first to release their software update to their then latest flagship, the LG G3. While that meant that the LG G3 wouldn’t get Android 5.1, it was still impressively fast for a manufacturer not called Google or Motorola. Although it remains unannounced, it looks like LG is about the repeat the feat with the Android Marshmallow update for the LG G3 and LG G4 as LG’s Korean support website has been updated already with instructions on how to update the device to Android 6.0 i.e. Android Marshmallow.
While that’s no real confirmation that the update is coming soon, the pages have since been taken down, which is a sure sign that they were prematurely posted. Naturally we’ll have to wait for the official announcement, but presumably it will be in the next week or two.
What do you think about the Android Marshmallow update for the LG G3 and LG G4? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.
Source: LG World via TalkAndroid
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Cortana won’t help you on Xbox One until next year
If you were hoping to experience Cortana’s most helpful version on your Xbox One this year, you might have to settle for her possible appearance in Halo 5 at the end of the month instead. The virtual assistant won’t make her full debut to owners of Microsoft’s latest console until early next year. Don’t fret though: Redmond spokesperson Larry “Major Nelson” Hryb says that the voice from Master Chief’s ear will be available to folks in the Xbox One’s Dashboard Preview Program later this fall. There’s a joke to be made about rampancy in this news — I’m almost sure of it.
Source: Major Nelson
Google adds replies to Chrome Web Store reviews
In an effort to encourage better communication between developers and the users of applications developed for the Chrome web browser, Google has added the ability for developers and users to post replies to feedback left on the Reviews tab. Ideally, users should leave bug reports and feature suggestions on the Support Tab. However, Google has noted that many users continue to use the Reviews tab for that purpose. Without a mechanism to respond to this feedback, users may get the impression their issues are never addressed.
Google is suggesting developers take steps to ensure they are monitoring the Reviews tab for feedback that needs a response. Developers also need to be careful to respond in a constructive manner regardless of whether the feedback is positive or negative. They should also notify users when issues have been addressed and thank users who are helping advocate for their apps.
Google reminds developers that their names and Google account information will be publicly available through the Reviews tab as a way to bring transparency to support efforts.
source: Chromium Blog
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Alphabet replaces Google’s ‘Don’t be evil’ with ‘Do the right thing’
Google has long used the phrase “Don’t be evil” as a sort of company motto, including it in the founder’s letter for its IPO in 2004, and at the top of its Code of Conduct. The Wall Street Journal noticed that as a part of today’s restructuring, Alphabet has exchanged that for something slightly more specific. The corporate code of conduct now entreats employees to “do the right thing – follow the law, act honorably, and treat each other with respect.” It is unknown at press time if that includes a required viewing of Spike Lee’s 1989 film. For Google employees specifically, the “Don’t be evil” phrasing is still in full effect, so it’s hard to see anything specifically changing as a result. Of course, some have mocked the giant for how close it does or does not stick to that adage, including when Steve Jobs reportedly called it “bullshit” in 2010. Of course, as the search giant worms its way into our photos, cars and even bodies, maybe being a little more specific about its intentions is a good thing.
[Image credit: Moviestore collection Ltd / Alamy]
Via: Wall Street Journal
Source: Alphabet
Peel uses Smart Remote app data to fall TV winners and losers
While more and more people are “cutting the cord” when it comes to what they watch on their televisions, the big networks are still trying to produce new shows in hopes of keeping viewers sticking with the classic television model. Even as they do that, technology is still creeping in and if not changing behavior, it can provide some unique insights. An example is the Peel Smart Remote app that can be used as a virtual remote control. Besides the functionality of the app, Peel is also collecting data that may reveal trends in viewership, like which new network shows are grabbing the interest of viewers.
In their latest analysis, Peel looked at data for new fall 2015 shows. In 2014 Peel accurately predicted 92% of the shows that would eventually be cut and which would be renewed for a second season, so their data seems to provide some good predictive capability.
In looking at this fall’s new shows, crime dramas are leading the way with Limitless, Rosewood and Blindspot all holding their audiences for at least 15 minutes at a strong clip. Following those were The Muppets and Grandfathered. If you are looking for a show to invest your time in with an expectation that it will be back for another season, these would all be good bets.
At the other end of the spectrum, the early forecast for Minority Report, Life in Pieces and The Player are not very good based on their inability to hold an audience.
The ability to hold an audience is only one bit of data Peel looks at it. They also analyze how many users “favorite” a show and how many set reminders for a show. For instance, Scream Queens did not hold their audience very well, but they were ranked second for fans setting the show as a favorite or setting a reminder, so there is still hope for a show like that.
The Smart Remote app from Peel is in use by 125 million users around the globe. Peel is able to collect data from users and uses that to personalize content recommendations along with providing aggregated data for analysis.
Check out the full press release from Peel below.
Peel Smart Remote App Data Shows Networks Have Less Than 15 Minutes to Grab Viewers
“Minority Report,” “Blood & Oil” and “Life in Pieces” among highly anticipated shows likely to be cancelled.
Mountain View, CA – October 2, 2015 – Peel, maker of the world’s leading smart remote app, Friday announced its predictions for winners and losers from among this year’s crop of new shows based on tune-out data from its 12 million monthly active US users.
In 2014, Peel was able to predict with 92% accuracy which Fall Premieres would land on the chopping block and which would survive for another season based on whether the shows held the attention of more than 70% of viewers for at least 15 minutes of the first episode.
Leading the crop of predicted 2015 successes is CBS’ detective drama “Limitless” with 73.8% of viewers remaining tuned in for at least 15 minutes of the premiere , followed by two more crime dramas: Fox’s ““Rosewood” with 73.3% and “Blindspot” with 72.5%. ABC’s “The Muppets” (72.2%) and Fox’s “Grandfathered” (70.2%) also appear destined for success.
Topping the list of new shows headed for quick cancellation were ABC’s “Blood & Oil,” which had only 60% of viewers still tuned in after 15 minutes, followed by Fox’s “Minority Report” (62.9%), CBS’ “Life in Pieces” (63.3%) and NBC’s “The Player” ( 65%).
The star-studded family comedy “Life in Pieces” suffered in part from very stiff competition in its time slot. Peel, which also tracks where viewers go when they defect from a show, found that 21.2% of of “Life in Pieces” viewers jumped to NBC’s “The Voice,” 7.9% to ABC’s “Dancing with the Stars” and 6.1% each to Fox’s “Gotham” and CW’s “Penn & Teller: Fool Us.” Likewise, NBC’s Wesley Snipes action series “The Player” suffered from airing opposite Shonda Rhimes’ “How to Get Away with Murder” on ABC, which grabbed 14.3% of channel switchers and “Thursday Night Football” on CBS, which stole another 10.7%.
“Tune-out data, along with other engagement metrics such as reminders set for next week’s episode, appear to be a much better indicator of success than the total number of viewers who tune in to a premiere,” said Peel CEO and cofounder Thiru Arunachalam, whose remote control app now has 125 million registered users globally. “Viewer retention and ‘likes’ signals the quality of a premiere episode rather than how much money was spent promoting it or what hit show led into it.”
“Life in Pieces, for example, was scored a winner based on Nielsen data showing 11.28 million viewers and a 2.6 rating in the 18-to-49 demographic, as it benefitted from the strong audience lead in from “Big Bang Theory”. “But the high rate of viewers tuning out and low level of reminders to watch told a very different story,” added Arunachalam.
One show that missed the 70% tuned-in cut-off, the Ryan Murphy horror comedy “Scream Queens” (66.5%) may have a chance of survival based on the other success factors tracked by Peel. It ranked second highest (17.7%) behind “Blindspot“ (18.1%) in the ratio of viewers choosing the show as a favorite or setting reminders to watch the following week’s episode, indicating it may have found a loyal niche audience.
Overall, the 20 2015 comedy and drama premieres that were analyzed averaged 67% of viewers remaining tuned-in after 15 minutes, about the same as 2014’s average of 68%. For more complete Fall premiere viewer data visit Peel’s blog [http://blog.peel.com/blog/peel-predicts-2015-fall-premieres-winners-losers/].
The Peel Smart Remote app, which turns Android or iOS smartphones and tablets into smart universal remotes, is used by 125 million people globally to control their TVs, set-top boxes and other home appliances. Viewers can also set calendar reminders, program their DVR and “favorite” a show, giving Peel access to unique data about TV preferences and viewing behavior. By examining its data, which is only held in aggregate and not personally identifiable, Peel is able to provide personalized content recommendations and target tune-in and brand advertising to video entertainment consumers.
About Peel
Peel was founded to redefine the home control experience by seamlessly connecting users via their mobile devices and social media with personalized TV, cable and streamed content recommendations. With more than 125 million registered users who have generated 135 billion remote commands, Peel is the recognized leader in intuitive program discovery, TV program interaction, and intelligent home room control. For more information, visit http://www.Peel.com.
Come comment on this article: Peel uses Smart Remote app data to fall TV winners and losers
Edward Snowden’s Twitter account generated 47 GB of notification emails
Edward Snowden created a Twitter account a few days ago, but he forgot to turn off email notifications that Twitter likes to send out. Well, it turns out when you’re one of the most popular men on the internet, this creates a ton of email.
Snowden was notified for every follow, favorite, retweet, and DM that he received, which generated about 47 GB of emails. That’s a lot of junk mail to wade through.
If there are any other huge celebrities without a Twitter account, keep this in mind if you ever make one.
source: Edward Snowden (Twitter)
via: Engadget
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TiVo exec explains Bolt strategy, Fire TV app and new Pro next year
When the TiVo Bolt was unveiled earlier this week, most of the questions (that weren’t about its odd shape) came from long-time enthusiasts wondering why it doesn’t cater to them? Many aren’t willing to downgrade from a Roamio Pro’s 6 tuners and 3TB storage just to add 4K and commercial skipping. Dave Zatz points out that today TiVo Chief Marketing Officer Ira Bahr has faced the company’s most dedicated fans in a thread on TiVo Community, and says not to worry. According to Bahr, “we already have a roadmap plan to bring you something you’ll like way better in 2016 (more on this shortly).” As I figured during our Bolt preview, this device is an attempt to connect with new users, among the millions of people buying streaming boxes as they use internet video services to replace or add to traditional TV. As far as the look of the Bolt, Bahr said “my view is that we have to look different.”
The posts also added detail on the yet-to-debut Fire TV app by explaining it will arrive next week, ready to work both in and out of the home. At launch it will only support recorded content, but that includes watching content while it’s still recording.
As far as TiVo’s future, Bahr says that TiVo will keep selling the current Pro until a new model is available, and a 4K capable Mini extender should arrive next year. Acknowledging TiVo’s lack of individual profiles or ability to setup and save app logins under one user ID, he said the company is looking at ways to address that. We’ve long wondered when TiVo would address some of the longest-standing issues with its platform, and along with new hardware maybe 2016 will really be the year?
TiVo CMO Ira Bahr:
As an overarching thought for this whole conversation I would emphasize what many of you have already inferred. And that is, that the Bolt product was not really designed for the TiVo enthusiast. So your lukewarm reaction is not unexpected. Bolt is low on Tuners, light on storage, doesn’t fit into your racks and really doesn’t offer this group much more than 4K and software features you figure we’ll roll-down anyway.
So this leads to “why the hell did you NOT design for the TiVo enthusiast?” First, we already have a roadmap plan to bring you something you’ll like way better in 2016 (more on this shortly). This product is on the already established 3 year product cycle which you’re used to. Second, there just aren’t enough of you to sustain the company’s retail business alone. If there were, I assure you we’d have a way different approach. TiVo is simply unable to build its business on the backs of its ever diminishing group of loyalists. We did 150,000 activations in our last fiscal year. Compare that to the millions of streamers out there, and the tens of millions of DVRS out there and you see that we’ve got a lot of ground to make up. In order to win for the the company, and for YOU, we need to expand our market. If we fail to do this, we’re not going to be able to do much of anything, We think we’ve got a plan for both the mass market AND for enthusiasts. So snuggle up with a warm multi-meter, walk through the answers and we’ll try to talk more when you’re done.
Via: Zatz Not Funny
Source: TiVo Community
Motorola announces which devices will be getting the Android Marshmallow update
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Motorola has had a pretty stellar reputation when it comes to rolling out software updates to its devices quickly, and we’re hoping that won’t be changing for this round of Android Marshmallow updates. Earlier today, Motorola detailed in a blog post exactly which devices are going to be updated to the latest version of Android, which included the following:
- 2015 Moto X Pure Edition (3rd gen)
- 2015 Moto X Style (3rd gen)
- 2015 Moto X Play
- 2015 Moto G (3rd gen)
- 2014 Moto X Pure Edition in the US (2nd gen)
- 2014 Moto X in Latin America, Europe and Asia2 (2nd gen)
- 2014 Moto G and Moto G with 4G LTE2 (2nd gen)
- DROID Turbo
- 2014 Moto MAXX
- 2014 Moto Turbo
- Nexus 6
Motorola does note that things could change and more or less devices could be updated, but you probably shouldn’t hold your breath as some carriers don’t even bother announcing which devices are being updated, let alone give us an incomplete list. We will note that there are some devices we’re surprised are missing, namely all Moto E devices, and carrier versions of the 2014 Moto X – the 2013 Moto X and 2013 Moto G are also missing, but we’re guessing they’ve fallen out of the 2 year window for support.
Motorola also noted in its blog post that it would be retiring a few apps, including Motorola Assist, Motorola Migrate, as well as the Chrome extension for Motorola Connect. If nothing else, Motorola touches on a poignant reason to get rid of these apps:
“Both of these products were valuable in their time but the world has moved on and they no longer add enough value to justify taking up space in your device.”
We’ll pay that. What do you think about Motorola’s Android Marshmallow update list? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.
Source: Motorola Blog via Android Police
The post Motorola announces which devices will be getting the Android Marshmallow update appeared first on AndroidSPIN.
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