AC editors’ apps of the week: WiFiMapper, Atomas, OneBusAway and more
It’s Appday Sunday and that means we’re back with more of our favorites to share. Every week we bring a handful of great apps to the table and share them with everyone. Sometimes they are new apps, sometimes old standards, but every time they are apps we love to use.
Give these a look and then take a minute to tell us all about the apps you are using and love so we can give them a try. We all find some of our favorites right in the comments on these posts!
Alex Dobie — WifiMapper
Finding reliable, non-terrible public Wi-Fi can be a challenge. Whether you’re traveling abroad without a roaming data package, or just looking to save a few megabytes on your cellular plan at a coffee shop, WifiMapper by OpenSignal is a fantastic guide to tracking down Wi-Fi hotspots that don’t suck. The main app view shows you open hotspots nearby, along with their estimated location and signal strength, and details of whether it’s paid or free.
You can also scroll around and see hotspots further afield, complete with the same data, as collected by OpenSignal. And there’s also a neat filter system for narrowing down different types of hotspots. While it’s not an app I use every day, it’s one that’s extremely useful when I really need it.
Download: WifiMapper (free)
Ara Wagoner — DC All Access
DC is awesome, and if you watch the DC All Access series on their YouTube channel, like me, you’ve no doubt been hearing a lot about their new app. I downloaded the app this week to see what the fuss was about, and I’m keeping it in my app drawer for the foreseeable future because not only will it give me the latest info on what the hell is going on in Rebirth, but it gives me plenty of stickers, gifs, and DC ’emoji’ with which to express my shock, joy, and rage at the changes. You can even decide how many stickers you want taking up space on your phone by starting with the basics and then downloading (not buying – just downloading) extra packs from the DC gallery.
And since these stickers are sent to your other apps through the Share menu, you can save them to Google Drive for use on your computer! Win-win!
Download: DC All Access (Free)
Andrew Martonik — OneBusAway
OneBusAway is the app I use for transit information around Seattle, and this week it received an absolutely massive Material Design interface update that’s worth making note of. For so long I reluctantly used its tired interface so I could have access to the great data it had, but that’s no longer the case — the new design is beautiful.
The new layout makes it even easier to see upcoming busses/trains/streetcars at every stop, how they’re doing in terms of on-time performance and where they’re going. You can still set favorite routes and stops, as well as search for specific routes and stops or just look at recent stops you’ve used. The wealth of transit data on offer is really wonderful if you need to make it around a city without a car.
OneBusAway isn’t expansive in its available regions like some bigger apps, but it works in the following areas: Atlanta; Rogue Valley, Oregon; San Diego; Seattle/Tacoma/Puget Sound, Washington; Tampa Bay, Florida; Washington, D.C.; and York Region Transit, Ontario. If you have an opportunity to use it one of these places, I can’t recommend it enough.
Download: OneBusAway (Free)
Russell Holly — S Health
Since I’m already using a Galaxy S7 and a Gear S2, I figure why not give more of my data over to Samsung and actually give their health and fitness app a try. S Health is surprisingly good, active as a full meal breakdown tool, a step counter, a heartrate health monitor, and a sleep tracker all at once for me. I’m barely scratching the surface of what this app is capable of, and the only thing I’ve found that it doesn’t do well so far is to give me a good idea of how many calories I’m burning as I sweat to death shooting hundreds of virtual arrows in Holopoint on the HTC Vive.
Download: S Health (Free)
Jen Karner — Atomas
I really like puzzle games. Games that make me think strategically, or plan out future moves. So when I found Atomas, a game that is based on combining elements to create bigger elements I was intrigued. The game is deceptively simple. All you need to do is combine similar elements in groups of two to get to the next tier. But as you’ll quickly realize grouping atoms becomes difficult quite quickly, especially if you aren’t paying attention. If you have too many atoms on your screen, the game will end.
Atomas encourages you to think critically when placing your atoms, and occasionally throws you boosts which will help clean out your screen so it isn’t game over. On top of the classic mode, you can also play a timed game. There are also upgrades that you can grab after you’ve unlocked them by playing in classic mode. It’s ridiculously fun, and a great way to burn time while traveling or waiting for your appointments.
Download: Atomas (Free)
Jerry Hildenbrand — Bitmoji
What’s more annoying that a message filled with emojis? When the message has one giant obnoxious emoji sticker!
That’s where Bitmoji comes into the picture. You can create a stylized avatar of yourself and choose from a pile of different poses, backgrounds and words of inspiration. Once you have created your masterpiece of emoji terror, you can share it with just about any app that will let you attach a .png file, or you can save them to your phone so you have them ready when needed.
The app is free, but you can spend real money to buy new theme packs that include even more stickers.
Download: Bitmoji (Free with in-app purchases)
Best gaming controllers for the Amazon Fire TV
Gaming on your Amazon Fire TV? You have more controller options than you might think.
Looking to invite friends over for a multiplayer session on your Amazon Fire TV but not sure what controllers are compatible with it?
No worries. We’ve broken out a list of some of your best controller options for the Amazon Fire TV — and chances are you may already own something that’s compatible without knowing.
- Amazon Fire TV Gaming Controller
- Xbox 360 Wired Controller
- DualShock 4 Bluetooth Controller (for PS4)
- SteelSeries Stratus XL
- Logitech Gamepad F310
Amazon Fire TV Gaming Controller
An obvious but necessary inclusion on this list, if you enjoy the gaming controller that came with your Amazon Fire TV Gaming Edition, you can buy extra controllers from — where else — Amazon.
The Amazon Fire TV controller connects via Bluetooth and has a number of features specifically designed to get the most out of your Amazon Fire TV box. For starters, it includes a built-in microphone, which gives you full access to Alexa features and allows you to search for games, movies, music, and more information, using only your voice.
The controllers also feature a headphone jack, so you can fully immerse yourself in a movie or game without bothering the people around you.
The Amazon Fire TV controller takes two AA batteries, so you should stock up on those if you plan on becoming a heavy gamer.
See at Amazon
Xbox 360 Wired Controller
The wired version of the Xbox 360 controller works nearly flawlessly with the Amazon Fire TV. Simply plug in the controller to the USB port on the back of your Amazon Fire TV and you’re good to go.
Looking to attach more than one USB controller? It’s as simple as first plugging in a USB hub then plugging in up to four controllers. If you’ve got a couple plugged in, you’ll even notice the player indicator lights will light up properly — a small but reassuring feature.
There’s a whole bunch of [third-party controllers that work with the Amazon Fire](, including the wireless versions of the Xbox 360 controllers, but the reason why we’re not recommending the wireless variant is because you’ll also need to own Microsoft’s Xbox 360 Wireless Receiver for Windows.
If you happen to already have a few of the wireless Xbox 360 controllers around, the dongle receiver may be the better option. If you don’t, the wired variety are your best bet, as you won’t have to worry about batteries or connectivity issues.
See on Amazon
DualShock 4 Bluetooth Controller (for PS4)
The DualShock controller has been an industry standard and trailblazer since first being introduced for the original PlayStation back in 1998. While the technology inside the controller has improved, the overall design has remained largely unchanged and it’s clear to see why — it’s incredibly comfortable to hold.
Sony’s DualShock 4 Bluetooth Controller is a great option that’s compatible with your Amazon Fire TV. It’s quick to pair — simply go into the Amazon Fire TV’s Bluetooth controller settings, then hold down the Share and PS button on the DualShock controller to start the pairing.
The DualShock 4 controller is a surprisingly versatile controller; beyond using it with your PS4 and Amazon Fire TV, it’s also compatible with Windows for PC gaming.
See at Amazon
SteelSeries Stratus XL
The SteelSeries Stratus XL is a great controller that works for gaming on your Windows PC, Android phone, and Amazon Fire TV. SteelSeries has basically taken the best features from the DualShock and Xbox 360 controllers and combined them to create the Stratus XL.
It connects via Bluetooth and plays for up to 40 hours on two AA batteries. It’s got nearly perfect weight to it and has been designed to fit comfortably in your hands for marathon gaming sessions.
Starting at over $60, the price might give you pause, but you really can’t go wrong with this versatile, comfortable controller.
See at Amazon
Logitech Gamepad F310
If you’re looking for a cheaper USB controller option, the Gamepad F310 from Logitech is a good choice.
It features the same analog stick layout as the DualShock and a cord that should be long enough to reach from the Amazon Fire TV to the couch. This one is also plug-and-play, meaning you shouldn’t have to worry about setting things up.
And since this is a cheaper option, starting at $19.99, you could stock up on a couple of them, along with a decent USB hub and always be prepared for some multiplayer action.
See at Amazon
What’s your preferred third-party controller?
Do you have a favorite gaming controller that didn’t make our list? Tell us about it in the comments!
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Google reportedly ships its first non-Nexus phone this year
You might not have to wait long to see whether or not rumors of Google having more say over phone designs are true. Sources speaking to the Telegraph claim that Google will release a smartphone with tighter controls over “design, manufacturing and software” before the end of the year. The details of the phone aren’t available, but this wouldn’t be a Nexus from the sound of it — those are shaped more by third parties that maintain at least some of their influence. The Pixel C tablet might (might) offer an inkling of what to expect.
Google didn’t comment on the rumor for the newspaper. With that said, its leadership hasn’t been shy about wanting to take the reins. CEO Sundar Pichai recently said that Google would be more “opinionated” about designs. The issue may simply be a matter of how far Mountain View wants to go. Is it willing to risk alienating Android’s hardware partners with a phone designed largely in-house, or would this be more about making a bigger mark on the Nexus program? One thing’s certain: if the rumor is at all accurate, Google’s hardware strategy will never be the same.
Source: The Telegraph
See the unusual way cancer cells spread
In many ways, the biggest problem with fighting cancer is containing it: you may kill the main tumor site, but there’s a real chance that it’ll spread and reemerge as a threat. At last, though, scientists have a better understanding of how that migration happens. British researchers have learned that cancer cells invoke an unusual survival mechanism when they start to float through the body. Proteins on the cell surface (integrins) switch from their usual role, adhesion, to internal signalling that has the rest of the cell protect itself against death. The cancer is steeling itself for the journey, in other words.
The findings could prompt a major change in how doctors treat at least some forms of cancer. Current treatments targeting those proteins try to block the adhesion — it may be smarter to prevent those proteins from entering the cell, stopping the trip entirely. Much more research is necessary to make that happen (studies have revolved around zebrafish so far, for example), but there’s already hope of stopping tumors in their tracks.
Via: Wired
Source: QMUL, Nature
Remove rust stains from kitchen knives with vinegar – CNET
Enlarge Image
Get rid of this rust with a little vinegar magic.
Taylor Martin/CNET
Kitchen knives are easily one of the most abused pieces of equipment in the kitchen, not only because they’re put through a lot of hard work, but also because the vast majority of people don’t properly care for their kitchen knives.
What I mean by that is, many people don’t treat their knives with any special care. They throw them in the dishwasher, toss them in a drawer with all the other utensils and don’t keep them properly sharpened.
I’m easily one of the worst offenders, as demonstrated by the picture to the right. And if you’re anything like me, you probably have a few knives with rust stains that you simply can’t remove. However, a tip from the OnePotChefShow YouTube channel can be the quickest and easiest way to remove rust from your cutlery.
How to remove rust spots from cutlery
You only need three things to quickly remove rust spots from your knives: white vinegar, a tall cup and a scrub sponge.
Once you’ve gathered your materials, the rest is very easy and will only take a few minutes per knife.
- Fill the glass with enough white vinegar to submerge the entire blade of the knife.
- Place the knife in the vinegar and let it sit for at least five minutes.
- Remove the knife from the vinegar and use the sponge to scrub away the rust.
To see it in action, below is the original video from OnePotChefShow.
Enlarge Image
All clean!
Taylor Martin/CNET
Some rust stains on my knives simply wiped away, while some were more difficult and required quite a bit of scrubbing. But this is definitely the easiest way to remove rust from knives that I’ve come across.
I will say that I struggled to find a cup large enough to fully submerge some of my larger knives. It may not work for all knives, but if the handle is all metal, you can simply flip the knife around to work on rust near the heel of the blade. Just be careful when removing the knife, as the sharp end will be pointing upwards.
Ideally, this should work for just about any of your metal kitchen utensils. And it’s likely the rust will come back over time, especially if you run the knives through the dishwasher. Hand washing and a coating of oil every few months will help fight — but not definitively prevent — future rust stains.
Best accessories for Toshiba Chromebook 2
Customize your Toshiba Chromebook 2 with these great accessories!
So you’ve got yourself a Toshiba Chromebook 2 and want to know how you can make it your own.
Don’t worry, we’ve done the searching for you and we know just what you’ll need, so you can deck it out with all the best accessories.
- Skinit vinyl skins
- iPearl mCover hard shell case
- Toshiba dynadock universal docking station
- JETech Bluetooth mouse
- Sound Intone headphones
- Logitech multimedia speakers
- Evecase briefcase bag
Skinit vinyl skins
A vinyl skin is a great way to decorate your Chromebook 2 and protect it from scratches. Skinit offers hundreds of skins with designs ranging from Hello Kitty to your college alma mater, classics paintings to abstract art starting at around $30. You can also customize a skin with your own photos or artwork.
The skins are a breeze to install and just as easy to remove, with no residue left behind, so you can change it up as often as you like. They take into account the Chromebook 2’s indicator lights and ports so you always have access to what you need.
See at Skinit
iPearl mCover hard shell case
To protect your Chromebook 2 from bumps or drops you’ll need a hard shell case, and iPearl’s offering is just right. It’s designed specifically for the Chromebook 2, is available in nine colors, and is priced around $20.
The translucent polycarbonate material is shatter-proof and it covers every corner. It’s also designed not to interfere with the heat vents at the bottom, to prevent your laptop overheating, and retractable feet at the rear bottom of the case make typing at a desk ergonomic and comfortable.
See at Amazon
Toshiba dynadock universal docking station
The dynadock will turn your Chromebook 2 into a multi-tasking, multi-media machine. If you can’t live without adding screens and having a massive variety of ports and options, this is the accessory you need. You can buy it directly from Toshiba for about $166.
You’ll be able to connect two additional HD displays for movies and gaming, along with added surround sound capabilities. It has six USB 2.0 ports and two USB 3.0 ports, so you’ll never run out of ways to plug in your other devices, whether it’s for fast data transfer or connecting to a printer.
See at Amazon
JETech Bluetooth mouse
Sometimes you just need a mouse to get the job (or the game) done. This Bluetooth mouse from JETech pairs with your Chromebook 2 to give you the portability of a laptop and the feel of a desktop — all for about $17.
The design is slim and ambidextrous. It clicks quietly and with precision, thanks to the high-definition optical sensor, and holds the connection to your Chromebook 2 wherever you are. All it takes is one AA battery, which will power the mouse for up to one year before needing to be replaced.
See at Amazon
Sound Intone headphones
Block out the noise around you with headphones from Sound Intone. You’ll be able to focus on your music or hear every piece of dialogue from your favorite show on your morning commute. The built-in microphone also lets you talk away during video calls.
The on-ear design is comfortable, with padding that isn’t overly bulky. The headphones also conveniently fold up for easy storage when you’re on the move. Sound Intone makes them completely adjustable so that anyone can wear them and they come in at around $18.
See at Amazon
Logitech multimedia speakers
Everyone needs to get a little loud from time to time, and so does your Chromebook 2. Unleash those movie and game soundtracks with gusto by adding Logitech’s multimedia speakers for about $23.
You’re able to plug in two devices, such as your phone and your laptop, and the speakers will play from both sources at the same time. If you want to switch to headphones , just plug into the headphone jack into the front of the right speaker and you’re good to go.
See at Amazon
Evecase briefcase bag
Easily take your Chromebook 2 everywhere you go with this briefcase bag from Evecase. Your laptop will fit snug inside (even with a skin or hard case on it) and be protected from bumps and jostles while you’re travelling or just getting from one place to another on a busy day.
It comes with a mousepad and a smaller pouch that snaps onto the bag that’s designed to hold your phone, your mouse, a USB or two, or a charging cable. You can get yours in one of four different colors for around $22.
See at Amazon
So wise to accessorize
Have you found some stellar accessories that you and your Chromebook 2 just can’t be without? We want to know about them! Tell us all the details in the comments!
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Chrome exploit makes life easier for video pirates
Media giants insist on copy protection systems in browsers to prevent bootleggers from copying video streams, but these anti-piracy measures aren’t foolproof. Security researchers have found a flaw in Chrome (and any Chromium-based browser) that circumvents Google’s Widevine digital rights management. As the system doesn’t check to make sure that decrypted video is playing only in the browser, it’s possible to capture that video right as it’s passed to the browser’s media player. With the right software, you’d only need to hit play to start copying a Netflix movie.
The investigators aren’t saying exactly how the technique works until and unless there’s a patch. However, they describe it as relatively simple. It has likely been around ever since Google implemented Widevine in Chrome, they add.
How much Google can do about it is another matter. The company tells Wired that it’s looking closely at the exploit, but that Chromium’s open source nature means that anyone could “create their own versions” of the software that either use different copy protection or modify how it works. Also, it’s not certain that this is a Google-specific problem. Firefox and Opera use Widevine, so it’s possible that they might behave the same way. There’s no guarantee that other anti-copying systems (like those used by Apple’s Safari or Microsoft’s Edge) are safe, either. Still, Google may need to close this hole as best it can if it wants to maintain the media industry’s trust.
Via: Wired
Source: Ben-Gurion University (YouTube)
South Korea hopes traffic signs will cut phone distractions
Cities have tried a number of exotic solutions to get phone-toting pedestrians to focus on where they’re going (or at least, out of the way). However, Seoul thinks there’s a simpler answer: traffic signs. The South Korean capital is testing signs that warn smartphone owners in five accident-prone areas (such as City Hall or Gangnam Station) about the perils of distracted walking. In theory, those periodic reminders will have you looking up more often and spare you from smacking into a car.
Whether or not the trial expands will depend on the effectiveness of the signs, and there’s no certainty that they’ll work. The whole problem is that people are buried in their screens — will they look up for long enough to notice, let alone care? It’s hard to imagine Seoul officials giving up on the idea quickly, though. While smartphones are popular in many places, South Korea is particularly obsessed given that both LG and Samsung call the country home. Even a cursory reminder to pay attention may have a tangible effect.
Via: TechCrunch
Source: Seoul Metropolitan Government
Super Stacker is a kids’ block-stacking game that’s missing the big crash (review)
As kids, most of us played a game, be it with branded blocks or whatever items we had lying around, where each player would take a turn adding another block onto the previous one. This would create a growing tower, balanced by the skill of the stacking players.
Turns would be taken, and higher the tower would become. The tension would build, and at some point a mistake in placement would be made…and down the tower would come in a grand and loud crash.
That was the big payoff; it mostly didn’t matter who won, but it was the buildup and inevitable crash that made it fun.
Well, you can get most of those feelings in Super Stacker, an Android game you can get completely free in the Play Store. Super Stacker brings back that buildup and tension from your childhood game to your portable device. It’s a pretty simple game that lets you pick it up, play for a few rounds, and completely forget about it until next time. Which is exactly it’s point in life.
You begin with a rotating table/surface, with a large square block floating above it. The table/surface rotates while the block sites stationary. You place the block by tapping on the screen. Then the table (with the newly placed block) switches rotation direction (clockwise to counter-clockwise), and another block of the same size appears above, awaiting your tap. You repeat this process, and as you go up in tower size, the blocks get increasingly smaller, passing a Jenga-size block, onto extremely skinny sticks. In terms of controls, I would consider the game “good”, but we’re talking about repeated tapping here, so it would probably be pretty hard to get that wrong.
The idea is to continue the balance of the tower as it grows ever-higher with each block
you place. This of course gets more and more difficult as the tower grows and your next block gets even skinnier.
The game does attempt to help you; as each block passes over the top block on the tower below it, it flashes white; this indicates that if you tap the screen now the block will drop in exactly the same orientation as the one below it, with of course maximizes the stability of the tower at that point.
You would think one could find a rhythm and line up most blocks pretty easily, but the game does a good job with geometry, speed, and rotation to mess with you. Also, the visuals and sound well-done for a game of this type: clean and unobtrusive. Other than the blocks, the only other major visual is your score high and center, which equals the number of blocks successfully stacked (my high score is 41, btw).
The game does have a negative in my opinion, but it’s a big one. During a physical version of this type of game (and as I stated earlier), most of the fun is in the simply buildup of tension and anticipation as the tower gets taller, and closer to it’s ultimate demise. The big payoff is when that fatal mistake is made, and the big, loud, messy crash brings the game to a definite and satisfying end.
With Super Stacker, this climax is completely missed. When the top block is set askew, instead of a grand cacophony of crashing blocks,
The top one tips over.
The screen freezers.
The universal “replay” symbol appears.
And that’s it. You really feel left hanging with that kind of ending, and it’s one that takes you from feeling “Hey this is pretty fun!” to “Really? That’s it? Hmph.”. To me that’s the crux of this game, and if the developer can create a couple of random crash scenes to provide, this game’s value goes way, way up.
AIVAnet 