Fenix pulled from Google Play after hitting Twitter token limit

Fenix, a popular third-party Twitter app for Android, has been pulled from the Google Play Store after hitting Twitter’s token limit. Token restrictions limit the number of users that a third-party Twitter app can have.

The official Fenix account announced the move on Twitter:

Unfortunately, starting from yesterday, Fenix cannot be used by any more new users (due to the infamous Twitter tokens limitation).

— Fenix (@fenix_app) April 25, 2016

The app has been removed from the Play Store, but current users can continue to use it with no issues.

— Fenix (@fenix_app) April 25, 2016

If you’re currently using the app, you’ll continue to be able to do so. You can also re-download Fenix from the “My apps & games” section in the Play Store if you need to.

Glympse bringing easy location sharing to the Samsung Gear S2

Location sharing company Glympse has announced a version of its app for the Samsung Gear S2 smartwatch. With the app, you will be able to easily share your location with just a couple of taps on your Gear S2.

In addition to location sharing, Glympse for Gear S2 will let you request a location from your friends that are using Glympse. You can also mark certain contacts as favorites, and view incoming Glympses right on your smartwatch. Glympse for the Gear S2 should be available in the Gear Store soon.

Glympse also recently collaborated with Samsung on the “Car Mode” in the Galaxy S7 and S7 edge to provide a better location sharing experience while driving.

Xiaomi CEO reveals Mi Band 2 and its LCD display, physical button

Chinese smartphone manufacturer Xiaomi, otherwise known as China’s Apple, is about to launch the second version of its very affordable wristband.

Called the Mi Band 2, it’s expected to be a follow-up to the Mi Band, Xiaomi’s original wristband that only costs £7.50. No – we didn’t forget to add a couple zeros. It doesn’t have a display nor nifty phone-enabled features, but you can use the MiBand to unlock a Mi phone without a password. It’ll also monitor your steps and sleeping habits, among other things.

Now, thanks to Lei Jun, Xiaomi’s founder and CEO, we know what the Mi Band 2 looks like, as he showed it off during a wearables conference in China via a photo posted to Weibo. The Mi Band 2 appears to feature both a LCD display and a physical button, and it should let you view your activity levels and heart rate. We’re only wondering if it’s just as cheap.

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Keep in mind Xiaomi in 2013 poached Hugo Barra from Google. He played a big role in Android and Nexus. Since then, Xiaomi has come up with several handset and wearables. It expected to officially unveil its new tracker alongside the 6.4-inch Mi Max and the latest version of MIUI on 10 May. The upcoming phone is thought to pack a Snapdragon 650.

#MIUI8 is coming soon on 10 May. Here’s a sneak preview of the new notification shade. Like it? https://t.co/kZyIAEw5gC

— Mi (@xiaomi) April 25, 2016

Gmail for Android adds Microsoft Exchange support for all devices

Google has updated Gmail for Android with support for Microsoft Exchange.

Stop wondering whether Gmail for Android already supported Exchange, because it did… but only on Nexus devices. The new update, which is available in the latest version of the app, expands the feature to all Android devices. More specifically, Exchange support covers mail, contacts, and calendar data in Android across all devices.

Exchange is known as a standard for work email, contacts, and calendar syncing: “Now, whether you’re on Google Apps or Exchange, you can use the Gmail app on any Android device to send and receive mail,” Google said.

By adding the functionality to the Gmail app for Android, businesses that use Exchange can now easily access their work email, contacts, and calendars on their Android devices, without needing to install an extra app just for work accounts. In addition to Exchange, Gmail for Android supports Outlook.com, Yahoo Mail, and other IMAP/POP accounts.

After installing the update, you should be able to add an Exchange account to Gmail simply by selecting “Add Account” from the settings menu, then choosing “Exchange” as the account type, and entering your information. We’re assuming employees will need to seek approval with their IT departments before using Gmail with Exchange.

Exchange support is expected to roll out over the next three days.

All your mail in one place. An update to the Android Gmail app is now rolling out with support for Exchange accounts pic.twitter.com/yV6zjI0e6U

— Gmail (@gmail) April 25, 2016

Creepy co-op game ‘Push Me Pull You’ comes to PS4 on May 3rd

Australian indie game developer House House announced on Monday that its highly anticipated (and cringe-inducing) sports game, Push Me Pull You, is finally being released for the PlayStation 4 on May 3rd. The game pits two pairs of opposing players in a weird, soccer-ish game where each team is joined at the waist. No, literally, each team operates both ends of a single torso or, as House House describes it, “you and your partner must use a shared body to wrap, writhe, and wrestle the ball into your half of the court.” Here, this new gameplay trailer might help explain.

Push Me Pull You was originally announced way back in 2014. However, after two additional years of development, it is finally being released at the start of next month. PlayStation 4 will be the first platform to get it, though Windows, Mac and Linux versions are reportedly also in the works.

Source: House House (Twitter)

Twitter lets you flag multiple abusive tweets in one report

Twitter has been continually improving the process for reporting abuse on the social channel, including simplifying the process a while back. The company is rolling out an update to the web, iOS and Android apps that will allow you to attach multiple tweets to the same abuse report. In other words, if there’s a string of harassment, you can give a lot more detail without having to file multiple complaints. Twitter says this will not only give it more info on a report, but will also help resolve issues faster.

Report abuse on Twitter more easily than ever. Find out how to protect yourself and others.https://t.co/1MEfTzkfFL

— Safety (@safety) April 25, 2016

Last April, the social network began using software to filter out tweets that show sings of abuse, including threats of violence, in addition to temporarily locking down those accounts. Twitter has been criticized for its rather soft treatment of trolls and those posting harassing content in the past, and rightfully so. The best way to combat abuse remains for us, the users, to report those statements directly. The company is trying to be more proactive, though, establishing a safety council earlier this year that’s charged with helping rid the platform of abusive statements and harassing behavior.

Source: Twitter

‘1666 Amsterdam’ is back in ‘Assassin’s Creed’ creator’s hands

Ubisoft and Patrice Désilets, the creative director of Assassin’s Creed and Assassin’s Creed 2, have reached an agreement that gives Désilets ownership of a mysterious original IP, 1666 Amsterdam. Désilets and Ubisoft have a rocky, winding history: Désilets is recognized as the creator of the studio’s most famous franchise, Assassin’s Creed, but he left the company in 2010.

Désilets joined THQ Montreal in 2011 where he started work on an original franchise that turned out to be 1666 Amsterdam. However, THQ famously went under in 2012 and sold off its assets in January 2013. The Montreal studio — complete with 1666, Désilets and all — was picked up by Ubisoft for $2.5 million. Désilets was right back where he started, but he didn’t stay long.

After firing Désilets, Ubisoft paused development on 1666 and in June 2013 Désilets sued the studio partially for the rights to the game. Today, Ubisoft gave Désilets the rights to 1666 Amsterdam and he withdrew his case.

“Putting aside our past differences, Patrice and I are above all interested in the creation of video games and the evolution of this medium of entertainment,” Ubisoft Montreal and Toronto CEO Yannis Mallat said. “This agreement is good news for everyone.”

Désilets said that, for now, he’ll continue working on Ancestors: The Humankind Odyssey, a AAA action-survival experience he’s developing with his own studio, Panache Digital Games.

“This is what matters most to me today: making the best games and showing the world the creative talent of Quebecers,” Désilets said. “I also wish every success to the Ubisoft teams.”

Friends, Ubi and I agreed, I got it back! 🙂 https://t.co/lKqj5enJth #1666Amsterdam pic.twitter.com/Z19MLwdgEY

— Patrice Desilets (@PatriceDez) April 25, 2016

Source: Panache Digital Games

It’s official: Charter owns Time Warner Cable

Charter Communications purchased Time Warner Cable in a deal estimated at $78 billion, and today the US Department of Justice and Federal Communications Commission gave the acquisition the green light. The companies agreed to the deal in May 2015, when it was estimated at $55 billion. The approval comes with a few caveats: The DoJ says Charter is not allowed to impede access to streaming content, for one. FCC chairman Tom Wheeler says Charter will not be allowed to impose data caps or charge usage-based prices, nor will it be able to charge interconnection fees.

“All three seven-year conditions will help consumers by benefitting [online video provider] competition,” Wheeler says. “The cumulative impact of these conditions will be to provide additional protection for new forms of video programming services offered over the Internet.”

Charter has been hunting Time Warner Cable since early 2014. Today’s approval also covers Charter’s purchase of Bright House Networks, a deal valued at $10.4 billion.

Via: Reuters

WSJ: Facebook working on dedicated camera and live video app

Does Facebook have a sharing problem? If it does, the social network is considering ways to increase the amount of stuff you post, especially pictures and videos. The Wall Street Journal reports that Mark Zuckerberg & Co. are working on a standalone camera app with the aim of helping you create and share more content. WSJ’s sources indicate that app has two prominent features: still photos and the ability to broadcast live video footage quickly. With the popularity of sharing via Snapchat, and Facebook’s on-going push for live video, it’s easy to see why the company would take a stab at a new app.

Of course, Facebook already has a number of apps for sharing photos and videos, including Instagram’s filter-covered snapshots and recently extended video clips. Sure, folks are still posting loads of stuff to the social channel daily, but reports indicate that original content like status updates and other personal sharing is on the decline. Facebook maintains the amount of sharing being done in your News Feed is at “similar to levels in prior years.”

The folks in Menlo Park have been continually adding reminders to inspire you to share more of that original stuff. Last spring, the “On This Day” feature rolled out to help you relive some of those (hopefully) happy memories to inspire you to post some new ones. Facebook has also taken note of the popularity of Snapchat’s features, nabbing face-swapping photo app MSQRD last month to boost its stable of photographic software.

WSJ’s sources say that there’s a chance this new app will never be released, but the move would make sense for Facebook, especially if sharing really is on the decline. Of course, if it doesn’t take hold, the company has no problem pulling it from app stores.

HTC Vive companion app now available for iOS users

If you’re an HTC Vive owner with an iPhone instead of an Android device, you won’t have to feel left out of the phone integration game anymore. The iOS version of the HTC Vive companion is now up for grabs on the App Store.

The self-titled “HTC Vive” software allows users to tap into some of the Vive’s more unique communications features, receiving calls, texts, and calendar reminders, all without leaving the comfort of your own little virtual world. Android users have been privy to these features since the Vive was released in early April, and HTC’s flagship VR product remains the only headset that offers these useful tools in the first place.

However, the iOS app itself was pushed live without every single feature its Android iteration offers. For instance, the ability to send preset responses to calls or texts is absent from the iOS release. It’s useful for iOS owners and is available now, but hopefully the app will be updated in the future to match the capabilities of its Android counterpart.

Source: The Verge