Google’s Titan and Wing projects join Google X

As Google continues to rearrange things within the larger Alphabet organization that was formed earlier this year, two of their drone projects have recently been merged into Astro Teller’s Google X division. The projects include Project Titan and Project Wing, both of which are described as “robotics” ventures, though both are focused on drone devices albeit for different purposes.

Project Titan came into existence after Google acquired Titan Aerospace a couple years ago. Titan Aerospace makes solar-powered high-altitude drones that could be used to provide high-speed Internet access. Project Titan has been developed in parallel to Google’s Project Loon. Whether Titan is an internal competitor or will be used to complement Project Loon is unclear, but both projects achieve the same end by different means.

Project Wing is Google’s attempt to create low-altitude drone devices that could be used for delivery purposes. Wing is basically Google’s answer to Amazon’s attempts to create a drone delivery service.

According to sources, Project Wing will become part of Project Titan and Project Titan will shift from being part of Google to being part of Google X. The merger of the two projects is based on the idea that both are part of Google’s foray into robotics and drones, efforts originally launched by Andy Rubin with the purchase of Boston Dynamics.

Both Project Wing and Project Titan have not fully morphed into something commercially viable for Google, which may be why they are shifting over to Google X. The skunkworks type lab is where Google tends to house their “moonshot” type projects until they are closer to maturity, like their Life Sciences company or the rumored self-driving car project that is supposedly poised to become its own Alphabet subsidiary.

source: SlashGear

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Asphalt 8: Airborne update brings new game mode and cars to the title

If you’re a fan of Gameloft’s latest racing title Asphalt 8: Airborne, you’ll be glad to hear that the award-winning development studio has just released a rather substantial update for it. In addition to bringing a new location and a new race mode to the game, this upgrade also bundles a plethora of new cars, including the brand new Lamborghini Egoista and the Renault Sport R.S. 01.

Here’s a full list of everything that’s new:

• New Location: Enter Area 51, this world’s most top-secret racing facility. Look out while flying; you’re not alone in the sky!
• R&D Series: Two speed machines will be revealed via R&D! Stack up amazing & exclusive rewards, while test-driving those beasts to the max, to make them yours
• 15 New Cars: Alongside the Lamborghini Egoista, the Lamborghini Asterion, Renault Sport R.S. 01, Nissan Skyline GT-R (R34) & 11 other sports cars will be revealed. Look for each one, coming out over the next days & weeks.
• New Game Mode: Make the switch in the brand-new Tag Racing mode!. Experience the thrill of racing with 3 different cars in 1 single race!
• Holiday tracks: Feel a cold rush as you streak across 3 winter-themed tracks!

Click here to view the embedded video.

To install the update on your smartphone or tablet, simply open up the Play Store, toggle the hamburger menu by swiping in from the left-hand side of the screen, select ‘My Apps’ and click on Asphalt 8: Airborne, then tap the update button. Alternatively, you can hit the link below to initiate the download on your handset from the Web.

Play Store Download Link

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[Deal] Get over 90 courses from Stone River Academy for 92% off

Some of the deals that pass through the ranks here at AndroidGuys are focused on improving your life through various courses. These courses can lead to new career opportunities, and which in turn, could lead you to the perfect job that you’ve always been looking for. Today’s deal is no different.

The Stone River Academy is a set of  90+ courses with over 2,000 hours of online learning content. Within these courses you will be able to learn everything and anything you want about web/mobile programming, web design, and more. What makes this Lifetime Subscription to the Stone River Academy stand apart from the rest is how often new courses are being added.

Every month, two to five courses are added to the already expansive library of courses designed to teach you what you want, when you want, and at your own pace. You won’t need to try and keep up with the class, whether for better or worse, and can move at your own speed when your schedule allows it.

• Access to all current & future content; over 90 courses, 2000+ hours and counting
• All level courses available on web & mobile programming, web design, game app creation, 3D-animation & more
• Instruction for using Bootstrap, Unity 3D, Java, Python, MySQL, node.js, CSS & more
• Skills for advancing your career or learning a hobby

Normally priced at almost $1,500, you can head over to the AndroidGuys Deals page and grab this deal for 92% off at only $109. That’s a crazy amount of savings for the sheer volume of courses that are included with the Lifetime Subscription to the Stone River Academy.

Drop us a line and let us know if these kind of deals pique your interest, and if you decided to treat yo’self to this great deal from AndroidGuys and StackCommerce.

You can find this, and many other great tech bargains through our Deals page. Backed by StackCommerce, there are daily promos, giveaways, freebies, and much more!

AndroidGuys Deals: Stone River Academy: Lifetime Subscription

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Newegg’s best-selling unlocked Android phones (December 21)

Not many people know this, but Newegg is a pretty solid destination for finding discounts and deals on unlocked smartphones. Yep, you can shop from a number of models that you might not see from another retailer or carrier. For instance, you can purchase a couple of Asus and ZTE devices that’s offered elsewhere.

Interestingly enough, the top selling unlocked Android smartphone right now is the Sony Xperia Z1, and older phone from a few generations back. Moreover, the Galaxy Note 3, from two years ago, is in the top ten, too.

The benefit of an unlocked smartphone, for those who aren’t aware, is that it can be used on a variety of wireless service providers. Moreover, going this route ensures you don’t have to worry about contracts or long-term obligations. Want to hop from T-Mobile to AT&T or vice-versa? That’s no problem when you’re using an unlocked GSM phone.

We’ve gathered up the 10 best-selling unlocked Android smartphones from Newegg so you can get a sense for what’s available. Indeed, you’ll see a nice mix of big-name vendors and devices from other, scrappy players. Note that we’ve omitted color variations; you might find other colors available. Yes, you’ll also find some iPhones in the mix, too, but that’s not our bag.

So, the next time you need to replace your existing phone, consider scooping up one of these. It’s often a heck of a lot cheaper than going through your carrier in the long run.

1. Sony Xperia Z1 16GB – $461 (Save $278)
2. Asus Zenfone 2 Laser 32GB – $199 (Save $50)
3. Asus Zenfone 2 64GB – $299
4. Motorola Nexus 6 32GB – $369
5. Samsung Galaxy Note 5 32GB – $650 (Save $650)
6. ZTE Axon Pro 64GB – $450
7. Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge 32GB – $669 (Save $730)
8. Samsung Galaxy Alpha 32GB – $309 (Save $294)
9. Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge 32GB – $560 (Save $540)
10. Samsung Galaxy Note 3 32GB RAM – $448 (Save $394)

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‘Saturday Night Live’ created the perfect ‘hoverboard’ ad

If Amazon’s push to throw out unsafe hoverboards wasn’t enough of a wakeup call for you, this Saturday Night Live sketch might make you think twice about picking one up. The gadgets, which exploded in popularity this year, also have a tendency to, well, catch fire. Airlines have already banned them, and US officials are also looking into how safe they are. The big problem seems to be cheap batteries used by some hoverboard manufacturers. If you’re looking to get one, just be sure to do your research.

Source: SNL