Study answers lingering questions about Voyager 1 in interstellar space
Three years ago, the American Geophysical Union said the Voyager 1 probe left the solar system. NASA quickly said nope, hold your horses, we’re not there yet. Then, NASA announced a year later that yes, Voyager 1 really did make it. The debate still rages on in some pockets of the scientific community, but a new study out of the University of New Hampshire just pulled some solar wind out of detractors’ sails.
Via: The Register
Source: UNH
Minecraft: Story Mode Episode 1 review – a great game for the whole family
The Minecraft we all know and love isn’t all too story-heavy, but that’s not the case for this new game. Developed in partnership with Mojang, the game’s original publisher, Telltale Games recently released Minecraft: Story Mode to the Google Play Store, bringing what some would say is a much needed storyline to the vast Minecraft universe. Although not without its faults, Minecraft: Story Mode is one heck of a point-and-click title that we think both fans of Minecraft and those who are unfamiliar will love.
Story Mode is split into five episodes, the first two of which are already available for purchase from Google Play. Today we’re reviewing Episode 1, entitled The Order of the Stone. If you have any thoughts on this game, feel free to leave a comment at the bottom of the post. For now, though, here’s what you need to know about the first episode of Minecraft: Story Mode.
Related: 12 best games like Minecraft on Android
Story
Much like other games from this developer, the storyline is critical here. You play as a hero named Jesse who, with the help of his oddball friend group, must save the world from death and destruction. You do this by setting off on a journey to reunite the legendary Order of the Stone, a group of warriors who once slayed the terrifying Ender Dragon. Your journey will take you across the Overworld, through the Nether and to the End.
Without getting into too much detail about the story, I must say, I’m completely hooked. It’s an interesting premise, introducing an in-depth storyline to the Minecraft universe, which is something many folks have wanted for some time. It’s a tad slow to start, and will definitely take some patience to get through the first 10-15 minutes of the game. This is where you’re introduced to the main characters, where they live, and what events are taking place. I get it – the world of Minecraft doesn’t normally have a storyline, so it will take some time to introduce all of the characters and plot. Just be patient and it will get interesting.
If you’re familiar with other Telltale games such as The Wolf Among Us, Game of Thrones, The Walking Dead, or Tales from the Borderlands, you’re in for a big surprise with Story Mode. You won’t really find any violence, sex or murder in this title. It’s a family-friendly game with no questionable content whatsoever. For the majority of the game, you’ll need to focus on deciding who to back up in your friend group, which members to keep around, and thwarting off the occasional zombie or two.
The fact that Story Mode lacks a certain edginess that other Telltale games have flawlessly employed should by no means be considered a disappointing aspect of the game, but it’s still a fact that Telltale diehards will have to accept if they plan on enjoying this title.
For the first time ever in a Telltale game, you can choose the gender of the main character. Jesse (voiced by Patton Oswalt and Catherine Taber) can either be a boy or a girl, and you can even choose between three different ethnicities for each gender. There are a few other characters in the game that you’ll spend a significant amount of time with, including Axel, Olivia and Petra. There’s even has a little pet pig named Reuben who is extremely cute.
Not only does Patton Oswalt voice the main character, there are a ton of other notable voice actors in this game. Other characters in the game are voiced by Brian Posehn, Ashley Johnson, Scott Porter, Martha Plimpton, Corey Feldman, Paul Reubens and many more. It’s really fun to be introduced to a character and instantly recognize who’s doing the voice.
Gameplay
If you’ve ever played a Telltale game, you know exactly what to expect here. Minecraft: Story Mode is mostly a text-based, point-and-click title that requires quick responses to keep you on your toes. There are four main aspects of the game – narrative choices, short puzzles, quick time events using a series of swipes and taps, as well as exploring.
For the majority of the game, you’ll be watching the story unfold before your eyes. Every once in awhile you’ll need to make a quick decision before the time runs out, which can affect where the game goes next and which characters remember what. This style of gameplay is par for the course when it comes to Telltale games.
You’ll also need to complete short puzzles every once in awhile. Throughout the game you’ll pick up random elements and objects that will come in handy much later on. For instance, at one point you’ll pick up some sticks, rocks and string which will help you create a bow and arrow to get past one of the obstacles. This is a very small part of the game, but fun, nonetheless. Telltale has also thrown in a few elements that take advantage of Minecraft’s open world structure. In select portions of the game, you’ll get to explore the map by walking around, allowing you to pick up objects, search for lost items and more.
To break up the monotony of the point-and-click gameplay, there are also a handful of delightful sequences that require quick reflexes to get through. For instance, you’ll need to quickly swipe Jesse out of the way to avoid getting hit by monsters or tap repeatedly on the screen to avoid getting attacked by zombies.
Final thoughts
With a solid storyline, all-star cast and unique gameplay, Minecraft: Story Mode is one of the best titles Telltale Games has ever released. The best part? You don’t even need to be familiar with the Minecraft universe to enjoy it. Sure, it helps to know to general premise of Minecraft and what it’s all about, but I’m pretty sure everyone who plays Story Mode will enjoy it in one way or another.
Much like other Telltale games, Story Mode is comprised of five episodes in all. Each episode costs $4.99 a piece. If you know you’re going to purchase them all eventually, you can invest in a “season pass” and purchase episodes 2-5 for a flat fee of $14.99. I know this might seem a little steep for a mobile game, but I’d honestly say it’s worth the price. Plus, it doesn’t feature any in-app purchases, which is always a bonus.
You can download the first episode of Minecraft: Story Mode from the Google Play Store link below.
Download Minecraft: Story Mode from Google Play
What are your thoughts? Have you played Minecraft: Story Mode? Be sure to tell us what you think in the comment section below!
Looking to buy something unique and support the little guy? Check out Etsy.com
With the holiday season ready to kick into high gear, we are all going to be bombarded with advertisements as it is the time for the giving and receiving of presents. Some people are really difficult to shop for as they just have everything.
I took some time to look for a few presents for friends and family, as I like to get a head start, because presents really should have thought behind them. At least, that is what my mom taught me. Although my research started out to look for gifts for everyone but myself, that’s not how it ended.
In comes Etsy.com, founded in 2005, to save the day. Etsy.com is a marketplace for creative entrepreneurs who use their unique talents to create one of a kind items that you cannot find in mass market stores.
In order to test out the Etsy app and website, I browsed for unique items using the Android app, that I literally could not find anywhere else. There are thousands of items to browse – from gadgets, jewelry, vintage items, paintings and so much more. In the beginning it was a research project to see if it would be a good site to recommend to you, the readers, as an option for unique items related to Google and Android. At the end of my research I had made a few purchases, with lots more items to purchase later as gifts as Etsy really does have items you cannot get anywhere else.
The Etsy app connects you to the purchaser and takes care of making the entire transaction very “professional”. Once you make a purchase, using a credit card or Paypal, a receipt is sent to your email with packaging and shipping updates. In the case of the items I bought from individual sellers, I instantly received feedback from both of them instantly, which is something you don’t necessarily get anymore these days from larger marketplaces.
The first items I purchased were Android stickers made from real 22k gold, from JnM Vinyl Studio Inc. These stickers can be applied to any of my gadgets to give them a unique appearance. In addition to the Android stickers I also asked if JnM could could make custom Androidguys.com labels in which they literally replied to my request within minutes, stating customs labels would be roughly the same price as the production cut Android stickers ($6). Once I placed my order, the Etsy app notified me that JnM had shipped my labels from New York, and within three days, the stickers arrived in my mailbox all the way to San Diego, CA. The service was absolutely incredible and the product matched the service. If you have a small business or just want custom labels or stickers, check out the JnM shop at Etsy.com and you won’t be disappointed.
The second purchase I made was in honor of my chubby cat, Poi. She’s named Poi because she is a mash-up of all kinds of breeds of cats, and Poi is a Hawaiian dish made from smashing taro root. Not to digress too far from this story, but the dog I adopted later is suitably named Taro.
Poi arrived on my doorstep when I was vacationing in Maui as a stray skinny kitten. Just like any other kitten, she was bouncing off the walls once I fed her. In fact, she was such an active kitten I thought she had rabies or some other disease in my irrational mind. My love for animals runs deep and I had to buy Poi a plane ticket home because I absolutely fell in love with her. Eight years later, she is apart of my family and is no longer skinny.
I am not some crazy cat lady, but when I came across Pottery by Misurie, I instantly adored her work. Misunrie is based in North Carolina and she offers unique, hand-made pottery that caught my eye. I purchased a couple of mugs, one was a black mug with a cat face on it, and the other was a white mug with a super cute upside down black cat face. I also added a similar type bowl which will serve as Poi’s dinner bowl. Once the purchase was made, Misunrie contacted me and said, ” Thanks for your purchase, you must be a cat lover just like me!” Not only did I get lovely pottery, but I also got to connect with someone who has a love of cats just like me. My shipment came wrapped in multiple layers of bubble wrap, ensuring the high-quality items I purchased were protected from the hazards of shipping across the country. It has been quite a while since I have been really excited to get get a package.
In many cases, us writers get many items for free to review, but in these cases I couldn’t be happier to support the individual entrepreneurs like JnM and Misunrie. There are thousands of other entrepreneurs like JnM and Misunrie, but my bank account cannot afford to buy everything my eyes desire. I will be using Etsy to not only supprt the “little guy” but also will be making purchases to buy gifts for my friends and family. Check out Etsy.com by following this link. Or you can also download the Etsy app here from the Google Play Store. You won’t be disappointed.
The post Looking to buy something unique and support the little guy? Check out Etsy.com appeared first on AndroidGuys.
These 1-day Halloween deals are scary good!
Witches and creatures of the night roam our neighborhoods this evening, as do candy-hungry children looking to score sweet treats. But these little beasts won’t be the only ones in your front step; the AA Deals Store is also knocking on your door to offer you some scary good deals you simply can’t say no to.
Joining the awesome savings the AA Deals Store already offers is an extra 15% discount. You just have to apply coupon code “SCARY15” upon checkout. But you better hurry, as this additional discount will only be available today – Halloween. These offers include courses, drones and handy accessories.
Code Black Drone with HD camera
Brooms are good for flying around town, but they don’t come close to the performance modern drones can offer. And for $84.99 (plus the 15% discount), you really can’t complain about this Code Black Drone deal.
This guy will literally do flips for you. And there are both beginner and expert modes, so you don’t need to feel intimidated or go take flight classes. There’s also a mounted HD camera in there, so you can take all the amazing aerial footage you always wanted.
Snowflake Stealth Drone
Need something a bit more compact? The Snowflake Stealth Drone literally fits in the palm of your hand. You also get to pay a much lower $36.99 price, before factoring in the added discount. It’s super cute, as well as fast and fun!
Buy the Snowflake Stealth Drone
Bluetooth Beanie & Touch Gloves Bundle
Technology is evolving quickly and clothing has to keep up with it. For starters, I would like to request pants with bigger pockets that can fit those growing smartphones. This may be hard to accomplish, but at least we have cool beanies and gloves that are meant for smartphone use.
For starters, this beanie has a speaker and microphone. It connects to your smartphone via Bluetooth, so staying in touch is a breeze. Those who live in cold areas likely find it annoying to have to take off their gloves every time they are to use their smartphones. These gloves support touch screens, so this will no longer be an issue.
Factor in that you will only pay $39 (minus that 15% discount) and you have a winning deal!
Buy the Bluetooth Beanie and Touchscreen Gloves Bundle
KeySmart 2.0 Titanium Key Organizer
This little key organizer is actually pretty cool. It keeps all your keys together, a la Swiss Army knife. But we know you are probably wondering just how the heck this has anything to do with technology or Android.
Well, it doesn’t directly tie into Android, but as you can see in the video below, it’s actually possible to put a USB flash drive in there, keeping your data handy at all times! At under $30, this just might be the tool you need.
The Complete 2015 Learn to Code Bundle
A 94% discount (plus a 15% coupon) simply can’t be ignored. Especially when you can get a $1,036 course bundle for under $60! Aspiring coders will be especially fond of this deal, as these courses focus on teaching you web and mobile development for beginners.
Students will work with Python, Node, Ruby on Rails, PHP and more. Don’t know what these mean? You will soon!
Buy The Complete 2015 Learn to Code Bundle
Linux Learner Bundle
It’s dangerous to learn Linux alone, take this! But seriously, Linux can be a bit complicated and intimidating. But the Linux Learner Bundle teaches you all you need in order to navigate the operating system like a champ.
The courses go over the basics, as well as Linux servers, so you have enough content to study for days! All for $49 (plus the 15% discount), which is a great deal considering the bundle is valued at $502.
Researchers see evolution working faster than expected (in chickens)
The word “evolution” tends to conjure up images of early hominids dodging predators on the veldt as they inch — agonizingly slowly — toward modern humanity. Most of those popular images of evolution are steeped in antiquity because, well, evolution takes ages, right? Well, a study conducted by researchers at the University of Oxford involving the humble chicken suggests evolution doesn’t always take as long as you might think.
Source: University of Oxford
AIVAnet 