Batman will become a Telltale episodic game series in 2016
Back to the Future, Jurassic Park, Game of Thrones – those are just some of the shows/movies that Telltale has transformed into episodic adventure games over the years. They certainly have become the king of transforming games, movies, and other media into successful episodes and they don’t seem to be stopping anytime soon. The latest entity to make its way into Telltale’s episodic format? Batman.
See also: 70 best Android games
The new series is expected to debut in 2016 on Android, alongside consoles, computer, and other mobile platforms. The dark knight has certainly taken on many different forms and personas over the years, with various comic series, movie series, and even game series depicting Bruce Wayne’s alter ego in different ways. What is TellTale’s Batman going to look like? That’s a good question, though not much has been revealed in the way of details.
For what it’s worth, here’s what Telltale Game’s CEO Kevin Bruner had to say about the new collaboration:
At Telltale, we’ve been honored to bring our unique approach to interactive storytelling to some of the biggest entertainment franchises in the world, and we’re excited to announce that we’ll soon be exploring what it means to be Batman in an all-new series starting next year. This iteration of Batman will give fans a first-hand opportunity to dive deeper into the complex life and mind of Bruce Wayne, the duality of his own identity, and the struggle of responsibility in saving a city overcome with corruption and villainy.
So what do you think, excited to see Batman get the TellTale-treatment? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.
Play Store will now let you split payments between Google Play credit and other payment methods
Have you ever had a Google Play credit, wanted to buy something with it, but were short just a few cents, so you were forced to use a credit card or some other avenue of payment? It’s quite frustrating, but it looks like Google might be making things easier with a new split payments feature.
This new feature is rolling out slowly, but it will allow users to split a payment for an item by applying the Play Store balance to purchase, and paying for the difference through some other payment avenue, such as your credit card or PayPal.
It’s an optional feature, meaning you can uncheck the box at the payment if you’re not interested in using up that Play Store balance. I personally haven’t seen it on any of my devices or via the computer, but there are reports of a handful of users getting access to this new split payments feature.
If it’s rolled out for you already, be sure to let us know in the comments below.
via: Android Police
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Cricket Wireless discounts ZTE, LG, and Samsung budget smartphones for this holiday season
Cricket Wireless today announced discounts on budget Android smartphones from ZTE, LG, and Samsung for the holiday season. The AT&T pre-paid subsidiary will run these discounts through January 7, 2016.
The subsidiary traditionally offers its discounts through mail-in rebates, but this time around, any price cuts will be applied instantaneously. The three smartphones Cricket Wireless is discounting are as follows:
These budget Android smartphones have an original price tag of $29.99, $99.99, and $149.99, respectively, but are discounted at $9.99, $29.99, and $49.99, in that order.
Once again, keep in mind that these deals start today and will last through January 7, 2016, so you have a little over a month to take advantage of this new promotion from Cricket Wireless.
Anyone interested?
source: Cricket Wireless
Come comment on this article: Cricket Wireless discounts ZTE, LG, and Samsung budget smartphones for this holiday season
IDC predicts a global slowdown in the growth of smartphone shipments
With 2015 nearing the end, predictions for the 2016 year have begun. Unlike years past, IDC is predicting a global slowdown in the growth of smartphone shipments.
According to the report, IDC predicts a 9.8% slowdown in growth. Let’s just be clear that smartphone sales are still predicted to reach an all-time height, however, the growth may not surpass that of recent years. It’s believed that the slowdown is due to two reasons. The major reason being China, the largest market for smartphones on the planet. Researches are convinced that nearly all who want a smartphone in China have purchased one. That leaves only the people waiting to upgrade to their next device remaining.
The other reason being that most high-end smartphones purchased these days are capable of lasting 2 years if not more without the need to be replaced. This trend is attracting manufacturer’s to focus on the lower-end markets such as ones in Africa and some in the Middle East. However, because high-end smartphones makeup the majority of worldwide shipments, the overall growth may come to a slowing. Analysts predict 2016 will be the year we begin to see this take place. IDC is predicting that the increased holiday weekend sales and low-end markets will try to replace the loss of high-end smartphone purchases going forward. This is a noteworthy concept and it’ll be interesting to see how the market plays out. Feel free to leave your forecast for the 2016 year in the comments down below.
Source: WSJ
Come comment on this article: IDC predicts a global slowdown in the growth of smartphone shipments
Bluestacks 2 gets an official release with improved app player and multi-tasking
Bluestacks has released version 2 of their popular Android app player for desktop computers. This update brings multi-tasking and some other serious improvements, including the ability to set location, shake the screen, and adjust volume like a physical Android device, which was lacking in previous versions.
The multi-tasking is the biggest addition, as you’ll now be able to hop back and forth between tasks just like you would in a set of web browser tabs. You can do multiple things without losing progress in a game, or continue using an app while another one downloads. This is something that you take for granted on your Android phone or tablet, but this is a first for Bluestacks.
You can grab the newly updated version below.
source: Bluestacks
Click here to view the embedded video.
Come comment on this article: Bluestacks 2 gets an official release with improved app player and multi-tasking
Deal Alert: Grab a Nexus 7 2013 for $110 from Groupon
If you didn’t quite get your fill of gadget shopping done last weekend then you might be interested in Groupon’s latest deal for the Nexus 7 2013. The tablet can be yours for just $109.99, a saving worth $89.01 or 45 percent, and it comes with free 2 day shipping.
Despite its age, the Nexus 7 2013 still offers up plenty of suitable hardware for your essential tablet needs. The 7-inch display packs in a dense 1920×1200 resolution and 323 PPI, which is combined with a 1.5GHz quad-core Snapdragon S4 Pro SoC and 2GB of RAM. The device also features a 5 megapixel rear camera and 1.2 megapixel front facing sensor. Although the tablet’s Android Jelly Bean OS is a little older, it comes with the ability to setup kid-friendly profiles, making this an inexpensive option for the young’uns.
See also: Nexus 7 (2013) review (video)
As part of the deal, you can also grab an optional folio case for just $5 more. The case is available in your choice of blue, green, orange or pink colors. The Groupon website states that there is only a limited time left to grab the deal, but doesn’t say exactly when it ends. If you want one, it might be best to act fast.
Toshiba, Fujitsu and Vaio could merge their PC divisions
The PC business as we know it is dying, and whenever an industry reaches this point in its life, it has to team up with the other survivors to avoid oblivion. To that end, Nikkei Asian Review believes that Toshiba, Fujitsu and Vaio, Sony’s spun out computing division, are considering merging their PC divisions together. The move would create a desktop, laptop and tablet-manufacturing supergroup that controlled more than 30 percent of Japan’s market — making it bigger than Lenovo, the current local champion. The paper believes that Vaio would be the name that survives, absorbing its rivals into its existing operations.
Source: Nikkei Asian Review
Marshmallow update “coming soon” to Xiaomi Mi 4 and Mi Note
Xiaomi’s MIUI operation manager took to Weibo to announce the company’s plans for the Marshmallow update.
For now, Xiaomi only confirmed that its two current flagships, the Mi 4 and the Mi Note, will be upgraded to Marshmallow, sometime “soon.” Xiaomi will initially release the update in a beta program, with a wider release to follow. The update could be launched as soon as next week.
According to the Weibo post, Xiaomi will keep the current MIUI version number (MIUI 7), suggesting that the user-facing changes coming with Marshmallow will be limited. MIUI 7 was launched in August 2015 and is based on Android 5.1.
Somehow ironically, a Windows 10 build for the Xiaomi Mi 4 was released earlier this week. It looks like Microsoft was able to bring the most recent Windows version to Xiaomi’s flagship faster than Google’s Android.
See also: Android 6.0 Marshmallow updates roundup – December 4, 2015
No info yet on the other devices in Xiaomi’s range, including the just announced Xiaomi Redmi Note 3.
As for the much anticipated Xiaomi Mi 5, the top-of-the-range device is currently expected to launch in January, with a release from February 2015. Xiaomi’s CEO Lei Jun promises the device will be totally worth the wait.
Tesco puts more vinyl on supermarket shelves
Vinyl’s recent resurgence shows no sign of slowing down. In the UK, Tesco has decided to back the format by stocking 20 records in 40 of its supermarkets. These include Coldplay’s new album A Head Full Of Dreams, the soundtrack from Guardians of the Galaxy and classic releases such as Nirvana’s Nevermind and The Beatles’ Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band. It follows a smaller trial earlier this year when Tesco stocked Iron Maiden’s The Book Of Souls in 55 of its biggest Tesco Extra stores.
Source: Tesco
Scientific community approves human gene editing studies
Human gene editing research is extremely controversial due to numerous ethical, moral and legal reasons that some groups would prefer to see it banned outright. Those who do want it to move forward can breathe easily for now, though, as the leaders of a summit held by the US National Academies of Sciences and Medicine, the Chinese Academy of Sciences and the United Kingdom’s Royal Society have decided to support human gene editing research. The scientists are even OK with modifying eggs, sperm and embryos (collectively called germline cells), so long as the edited cells stay in the lab and aren’t used to induce pregnancies. In other words, creating designer babies is a no-no. We’ll bet that means the NIH will uphold the ban on funding studies that deal with embryo engineering.
Source: ScienceNews
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