Three big reasons you’ll want the new Google Play App
Google typically updates their Play Store several times each month, most of them being small and bringing little new features. As it’s turned out, however, Google has been hard at work to bring us a bounty of handy features.
While they’re not yet implemented for public use, snippets of code reveal that several new features are in the works. This hints at a larger, more prominent update in the works. So, here are three features that will have you on your toes:
Families and the Family Library
Similar to Apple’s ‘Family Sharing’, this allows you to buy and share content from the Play Store and then share it with friends and family.
Image courtesy androidpolice.com
Judging from these strings, we could assume for now that a family member who created the group has control of it as well, with the ability to do basic admin actions. There were also layout files that indicate that parents can set purchase restrictions for teens, but very little to hint at kiddies accounts as was previously rumored.
We could debate whether this feature was inspired by Apple’s iOS 8, but we all know that that might get heated really quickly.
NFC Card Support
Just in case it was too much effort to hold you card up to the camera to scan your number in, it appears that you will be able to add it in with NFC. Granted your card supports it, simply holding it against your phone will add the card to your account.
Image courtesy androidpolice.com
Sending Gifts
Something that we’ve also been wanting for a while, gifting, is also on the way. If you want to send a paid item to someone, it is likely you will be able to know. It’s not clear if this applies to just apps or if you’ll be able to gift books, music and movies as well.
Image courtesy androidpolice.com
Entering the recipients email, you can send a short message and your name (if you want). And if they’re rude and hurt your feelings, you can gift it someone else if they reject it.
You can head over here to download this pre-update version. What are your thoughts on this update?
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Report suggests the Samsung Galaxy S7 will be 10% cheaper than the Galaxy S6
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Samsung is in a very interesting situation – despite releasing multiple smartphones that are widely accepted to be some of the best, the company has been unable to reattain the dizzying heights it was able to with some of its previous devices. Many pundits suggest it is because the devices are too expensive, too premium, and to combat this, a report has suggested that the Samsung Galaxy S7 will be 10% cheaper than the Galaxy S6. This report comes courtesy of analyst Pan Jiutang, who has some credibility after correctly predicting that the Huawei Nexus 6P would have a Snapdragon 810 processor and not the Snapdragon 820.
Previous rumours have suggested that the Galaxy S7 will have a slew of new features including a 3D Touch pressure-sensitive display, magnesium alloy body, a special audio chip, and will be announced earlier than usual in January. While that all sounds fine and dandy, to be able to do that and still shave 10% off their usual asking price seems challenging, even for Samsung. It will be interesting to see if this comes to pass as profit margins for Android manufacturers have been dropping for some time – Samsung is one of the few still in the positive. For now.
What do you think about a 10% cheaper Samsung Galaxy S7? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.
Source: Weibo via G for Games
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SuperData: Japan spends more on mobile gaming than China
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Intuitively, given that China has a vastly larger population than Japan, you would expect that expenditure on mobile gaming wouldn’t even be comparable between the two Asian powerhouses. As it turns out, they are very comparable, and not in the order you might be expecting. According to a new report by SuperData, Japan spends more on mobile gaming than China despite having fewer players – the report says that Japan spent $6.2 billion on mobile gaming while China spent $5.2 billion.
When you consider that the world’s total mobile gaming revenue is $24.9 billion for 2015, it’s pretty clear that developers and publishers really need to pay attention to these markets if they hope to make the most of this growth. In fact, the whole Asian region surveyed (which included China, Japan and South Korea) amassed $14 billion together, making it 55% of the world’s mobile gaming revenue alone. And that’s before you consider the Asian regions that haven’t even been counted yet like India which is expected to triple its mobile gaming revenue by 2018. It’s going to be interesting to keep an eye on this space as the markets continue to become saturated.
What do you think about Japan spending more on mobile gaming than China? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.
Source: SuperData via Gamesindustry
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One of the world’s first personal computers is up for sale
Many people don’t know the history of the Kenbak-1 Digital Computer, but it’s considered to be the world’s first commercially available personal computer — and one is going up for sale in just a few minutes. John Blankenbaker introduced the $750 machine in 1971 — years ahead of the more well known Altair 8800 and Apple I, but after the Datapoint 2200 — hoping to sell it to schools as a way to introduce people to computer programming. It didn’t have a microprocessor at all, and contained only 256 bytes (you read that correctly) of RAM. No more than 50 units were ever made, although a few have been popping up for sale in the last few years. One recently sold for about $31k, and another model is going on sale via German auctioneer Breker within the hour. It’s certainly a piece of history, but if that’s a little too rich for your blood, then hide your credit card details and just read our Time Machines article to catch up on the history of this groundbreaking device.
Via: BBC
Source: Breker
Check out these sweet deals on drones from Gearbest.com
It’s November which means you better get started on your holiday shopping. Or you could just get yourself a present too.
Drone’s are all the rage these days as kids and adults of all ages are enjoying them for pleasure or using them for things like inspecting roofs. Most drones come with stabilizing features which make them super easy to fly – just be responsible and check the rules and regulations of your city before you go upsetting the local airlines.
WLtoys V686G 4CH 5.8G FPV Real Time Transmission 2.4G RC Quadcopter with 2.0MP Camera Headless Mode Auto – Return Function – LINK
The WLtoys Quadcopter comes with a full size remote and built-in 2MP camera for less than $80 with free shipping included. This drone is perfect for beginners. If you’re having trouble getting it to fly back, you just have to turn a key and it will automatically fly back to you with no questions asked. Click here to check it out at Gearbest.com.
JJRC H8 Mini Headless Mode 2.4G 4CH RC Quadcopter 6 Axis Gyro 3D Flip UFO One Key Return Aircraft –LINK
The JJRC Quadcopter is perfect for flying indoors as it is about the size of your hand. Even better than its size is its price. At less than $15 with free shipping included, this drone makes a perfect stocking stuffer for kids of any age. It only takes 45 minutes to charge and fly up to seven full minutes. Click here to learn more.
MJX X901 / X900 Mini 2.4G RC Hexacopter – LINK
The MJX X901 is simply my favorite because it costs less than $20 and has six freaking rotors. It also has a built-in LED light so you can fly it in the dark around your house. It takes about 40 minutes for a full charge, can fly up to 150m and lasts 5 full minutes. If you want to send me a present, please send me the MJX X901. Click here to learn more.
XK X500 2.4GHz RC Quadcopter with GPS Tracking – LINK
The XK X500 is more for the enthusiast. It doesn’t come cheap at $400, but it also comes loaded with features. it can fly for up to 30 minutes for a distance of up to 1000m! That’s almost half a mile away. Since it can fly so far, the XK X500 does have built-in GPS tracking , LED lights and a return home key just in case you have trouble navigating it back. Gearbest.com offers their 100% satisfaction guarantee on everything they sell, so check it out by clicking here.
The season of giving is upon us. Check out these drones and kick off your holiday season with something cool and fun. Gearbest.com offers free shipping with a 100% satisfaction guarantee.
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Huawei launches the G7 Plus with a 5.5-inch display and a slick design
Not to be outdone by HTC, Huawei has launched the G7 Plus with a high resolution 5.5-inch screen and a design that’s strikingly similar to a certain fruity competitor’s flagship phone. While the G7 Plus doesn’t completely look like an iPhone, it definitely does take some serious design inspiration from Apple. Not that it’s a bad thing, but it’s hard not to see it.
The hardware is solid, however, with Huawei packing in a 1080p display and a 13 megapixel camera. There’s an octa-core processor on board with 3 GB of RAM and 32 GB of internal storage with a microSD card slot. Huawei also managed to fit a fingerprint scanner into the back of the device, too.
The G7 Plus is priced aggressively at around $330, making for a very competitive package. It’ll ship with Android 5.1.
source: Gadgets 360
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Google is looking for ways to make their own chips, much like Apple
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It goes without saying that Google wants to beat Apple in the smartphone space. While it definitely does so in some areas – like adoption rate for instance – the ugly issue of fragmentation often rears its head. To try and combat this and control what hardware manufacturers are using, there are reports that Google is exploring the option of having a chip manufacturer make various smartphone components designed by Google itself, much like what Apple does with the Ax chips, which are manufactured by Samsung.
The story goes that Google had started discussions this fall (northern hemisphere) to potentially make a whole device in-house at Google – the benefit of this is obvious, with Google able to build a system that could be better integrated with Android. The obvious pitfall in this plan is finding the right manufacturer with most of the big manufacturers reluctant to surrender their competitive edge to Google – settling for a lower tier manufacturer might not be an option for Google if producing cutting edge devices is their intention. Of course, there are ways to do this – it’s possible that Google mandates that future Nexus manufacturers choose the components that Google specifies, though it will be interesting to see which manufacturer would be willing to play along with that plan.
What do you think about Google making their own hardware? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.
Source: The Information via The Verge
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Zero Reflex is a new fast-paced evasion game with psychedelic visuals
Zero Reflex is a new game that offers an extremely fast-paced evasion experience with some pretty crazy visuals and 60 challenges to play through. It’s a difficult experience, but everybody needs a good challenge every now and then, right?
There are 20 levels in the game with three difficulty modes, and a ramping difficulty that makes later levels more punishing. The developer is even offering a $10,000 bounty for the first player to complete the game, which is a move that’s bound to build up a quick player base.
If you’re interested, the game is free. Check out some screenshots and grab the download below.
LONDON, Nov. 6, 2015 /PRNewswire/ — Zero Reflex is a psychedelic evader which tests both your dexterity and your nerves in a fast-paced punishing environment that keeps pushing your limits. Circles, bullets, shurikens, rockets, saws and time — they’re all after you! Zero Reflex puts 60 challenges in front of you. You have no save points and no excuses! Be faster than a blink of the Eye!
The team behind the game is so confident in the difficulty of Zero Reflex that they are organizing a global Zero Reflex Contest. The first player to complete the whole game wins 10.000 USD, you can read more on the Contest rules HERE.
Features
- Minimalistic, clean design
- Action packed psychedelic levels
- The further you go the harder you are punished for your mistakes
- 3 game modes: Normal, Hard and Nightmare
- 60 challenges
Zero Reflex has 20 levels which differ in both design and mechanics. Each of the 20 levels changes its speed and amount of danger for the player depending weather played in Normal, Hard or Nightmare Mode. Try to survive for as long as possible by moving the pilot to avoid everything flying around you. Each level lasts for 30 seconds.
Game Mods
- Normal – you have three lives, after death you get sent back 1 level
- Hard – you have two lives, after death you get sent back 2 levels
- Nightmare – you have one life, after death you get sent back 3 levels
Platforms & Pricing
The game was released on November 5th 2015 on:
- Steam – PC, Linux, & Mac — http://store.steampowered.com/app/405650/
- App Store – iOS — http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/zero-reflex/id1003727635
- Google Play – Android — http://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.exordium.eyewillsurvivelite
- Windows Store – Windows Phone — https://www.microsoft.com/store/apps/9NBLGGH5Z9XS
Mobile: The US price for Zero Reflex is 2.99 USD and the EU price is 2.99 € for all platforms except Android where it will be available for free.
Desktop: the Steam price for Zero Reflex is 2.99 USD.
You can find more information on the game at the LINK.
Social channels: Facebook, Twitter, YouTube
Video – http://youtu.be/t_ATNC4MIvM
Photo – http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20151104/283874
Photo – http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20151104/283873
SOURCE Exordium Games
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Samsung offering two new accessory bundles with a smartphone purchase and Samsung Pay activation
If you’re thinking about buying a new Samsung phone over the holidays, Samsung is offering two new pricey bundles to tempt you. Both bundles are valued at about $349, and all you’ll have to do is buy a 2015 Samsung flagship and activate Samsung Pay.
Both bundles include a wireless charging pad and a fast charging battery pack, but one bundle includes a Swarovski crystal case for your phone and the other includes a Samsung Level On pair of headphones. That’s a pretty solid set of accessories to go with a new phone.
If you’re curious about the eligible phones, you can buy a Galaxy S6, Galaxy S6 Edge or its Plus variant, or a Galaxy Note 5. Once you buy the phone, you’ll have to activate a valid card on Samsung Pay, which will also net a $50 cash back rebate, too. Then you’ll just have to register with Samsung and they’ll get your accessory bundle set up.
Also, for anyone coming from an iPhone, you can trade in an old Apple smartphone for $100 in Play Store credit. Samsung’s really not pulling any punches to sell some phones over the holidays.
source: Samsung Promotions
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Syfy will premiere ‘The Expanse’ online before it hits cable
If enough time has passed for you to be comfortable calling the network “Syfy,” perhaps you’ll check out its new TV show. The Expanse is based on a popular series of novels by the same name, following a detective and a ship’s captain pursuing the case of a missing young woman before it uncovers a larger universe-spanning conspiracy (which is what usually happens). While its two-night TV premiere is planned for December 14th/15th, the first episode will hit streaming services later this month on November 23rd. Of course that includes Syfy.com, the Syfy Now app and On Demand, but also Hulu, Amazon, Google Play, Vudu, iTunes, Playstation, Xbox, Facebook, YouTube, Twitch, Wikia, IGN, IMDb, Good Reads, Crave Online and Roku. The only question now is whether or not it’s actually worth watching even for free — hopefully the trailer embedded after the break helps answer that one.
Source: Syfy
AIVAnet 