AT&T rolls out July 1 security patch, Wi-Fi calling for Galaxy S7 and S7 edge

AT&T is rolling out updates for the Samsung Galaxy S7 and S7 edge, bringing the July 1 security patch to both phones. The update also adds Wi-Fi calling support and other features, and bumps the software version to MMB29M.

This is what’s included in the latest update for the Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 edge:

• Set up and Transfer
• Wi-Fi Calling
• IPME
• AMBS Phase 3

The update is rolling out now, and it could be a little while before you see it on your device. You can, however, always check for the update manually by heading to About device, Software update, then selecting Check for updates.

Thanks to Darin for the tip!

Best Android games with no in-app purchases

What are the best games with no in-app purchases?

There’s something refreshing and low-stress about playing a mobile game without in-app purchases. Knowing that you’re spending a couple of dollars to get an entire game that you can actually finish from beginning to end without being hounded to buy coins or gems or some other sort of in-app currency really makes the experience better.

(If you don’t mind some in-app purchases, you should check out our roundup of the best Android games of the year!)

Here are the best Android games without those pesky IAPs!

• Crashlands
• Leo’s Fortune
• Grand Theft Auto
• Dumb Ways to Die
• Super Hexagon
• Machinarium
• World of Goo
• Freja and the Sequel
• Five Nights at Freddy’s 4
• Prune

Crashlands

This futuristic, story-driven crafting RPG is big on laughs, thoughtful gameplay, and FUN. Honestly, watch the trailer: it might just be the greatest of all time.

You play as Flux Dabes, a space-trucker who becomes stranded on an alien planet thanks to a jerk of an alien criminal called Hewgodooko. As you try to survive on this alien world, a plan for world domination slowly rears its ugly head and you become embroiled in the race to save the planet, all while trying to just retrieve your missing cargo and get your job done.

The crafting element comes into play as you defeat local wildlife, using their parts to create weaponry, furniture, health packs, and tons more. There are upwards of 468 different recipes for you to try, including a stem cell pack for replenishing your health (not even joking).

If you love a great RPG, and love to laugh even more, then Crashlands should be on the top of your list. It’s worth the money. From a developer called Butterscotch Shenanigans, you really can’t expect anything less.

Download: Crashlands ($4.99)

Leo’s Fortune

Who doesn’t love an awesome platformer? Better yet, who doesn’t love an awesome platformer with incredible graphics? Nobody, silly. Leo’s Fortune is one of the most stunning platformers to ever grace Android.

You play as cute, mustachioed, green puffball Leopold on his quest to retrieve the gold that was so wrongfully stolen from him.

As you track down the cunning thief, you get to traverse gorgeous forests, barren deserts, pirate cities, and mountains, while solving physics-based puzzles and surviving terrible traps. As you follow the trail of gold, you unlock the mystery behind Leo’s stolen riches.

Once you beat the game, you can unlock Hardcore Mode, wherein you attempt to beat the entire game without dying. You can also compete with friends in speed runs.

If you’re into gorgeous-looking games with a fun story and consistently active gameplay, the award-winning Leo’s Fortune is totally for you.

Download: Leo’s Fortune ($4.99)

Grand Theft Auto

If you’re a console or PC fan of the Grand Theft Auto franchise, then why not extend your fandom to Android?

Rockstar Games has five great GTA titles for you to choose from and you really can’t go wrong with any of them. Play through Liberty City Stories, San Andreas, Vice City, GTA III, and Chinatown Wars and get your shoot-’em-up, blow-’em-up, car-stealing fix on mobile!

Chinatown is your classic top-down GTA, while the other three are the third-person-shooters we’ve all come to love. On that note, these games are NOT for kids. The Mature rating in the Google Play Store isn’t lying.

So, if you want full Grand Theft Auto games right on your phone, hit up the Google Play Store and go to town. Just remember that, since these are the full games you now and love, they will occupy a ton of space on your device.

Download: Grand Theft Auto ($4.99-$6.99)

Dumb Ways to Die

The title pretty much says it all, but whether it’s the way each character dies or just the characters that are dumb is up to you entirely.

This game will frustrate you to no end, but in a fun, quirky, and always-entertaining fashion. You get to play 15 goofy mini-games, hoping to unlock all the characters and the ridiculous music video that started it all.

You’ll have to contend with piranhas, snakes, platforms, bombs, and much more as you just try to keep some idiots alive (parents, you feel me?).

The best part of Dumb Ways to Die? It’s FREE! Better yet, it’s free and there aren’t any in-app purchases. Download it now and prepare to be frustrated but laughing all the way through!

Parents, take note that this game is rated T for Teen, since it does contain some crude humor and blood.

Download: Dumb Ways to Die (Free)

Super Hexagon

If you like a challenge, and I do mean an incredibly frustrating challenge, then give Super Hexagon a whirl and see just how patient you really are.

Gameplay is like every closing-door scene in an action movie where the opening gets smaller and smaller as the protagonists rush to escape, á la Indiana Jones.

Players have to navigate a triangle through a geometric maze of sorts that’s spinning and continually collapsing into itself. If you hit a wall, that’s the end; you have to start all over again.

The soundtrack is excellent and the three stages will keep you more than busy, especially as you unlock the near-impossible versions of each stage as you reach certain goals.

Download: Super Hexagon ($2.99)

Machinarium

Enter a world set in a beautifully rendered, futuristic steampunk dystopia, where you play as Josef the robot, on a quest to save his girlfriend.

You’ll have to solve a series of puzzles at each point in the game in order to advance to another part of the city, and you can even uncover easter egg back story scenes when you idle in certain areas.

As Josef, you tap items to solve the puzzles and brain teasers, but in an interesting twist on the genre, you can only tap whatever’s in Josef’s reach.

There is no dialogue and aside from the odd tutorial, everything is devoid of language. Instead, pictographic thought bubbles let you know what’s on Josef’s mind to help you work your way through the game.

If you like a great adventure game with a fun story and great graphics, Machinarium should be your dystopic go-to.

Download: Machinarium ($4.99)

World of Goo

One of the best puzzlers of all time is available for Android and should be on your device now. World of Goo lets you build all sorts of structures out of balls of goo, creating buildings, vehicles, and even giant tongues and zeppelins.

You get to play through four chapters and an epilogue, each containing multiple levels, which differ from each other in graphics and music, so everything feels fresh as you try and get your goo balls to the exit.

There’s even a bonus game within the game called World of Goo Corporation where in you endeavor to build the tallest tower you can, using the goo balls that you acquired throughout the game. You can compete with players from all around the world and the developer, 2D Boy, is constantly updating the height of the tallest tower and how many goo balls are being used.

This is a light and cheerful puzzler that’s head-scratchingly fun and addictive.

Download: World of Goo ($4.99)

Freja and the Sequel

If you’re into some out-there humor and a quirky interactive story game, Freja and the Sequel might be just what you’re looking for. It’s your classic point-and-click adventure turned upside down by “humor, horror, and surrealism.”

Freja, a computer nerd, is forced, at gunpoint, to develop a sequel to a popular video game and as she creates it, she becomes more absorbed in her work until reality itself comes into question and things start to get hella weird.

Throughout the game, you’ll meet weird characters while solving some pretty tough puzzles, all while being stalked by a shadowy creature that resembles Freja.

This is definitely not a game for kids, since it contains quite a bit of swearing, some horror elements, drug references, and some perverse humor.

If you’re looking for a break from the run-of-the-mill mobile games you’re used to, then check out Freja and the Sequel and prepare to be pleasantly weirded out.

Download: Freja and the Sequel (Free)

Five Nights at Freddy’s 4

The horror masterpiece Five Nights at Freddy’s is on Android and it’s ready to scare your pants off and back on and then off again. The fourth instalment of the wildly popular franchise is very involved and will keep you on your toes as you try not to be mauled by horribly disfigured animatronics come to life.

You play as a child whose role in the saga is only discovered at the end of the game. You must defend your bedroom from Freddy Fazbear, Chica, Bonnie, Foxy, and worse, as you just try to survive until morning.

You have to keep track of both bedroom doors, your bed behind you, and your closet, where Foxy likes to hide, jump out of, and murder you.

With just your flashlight to protect you, clench your butt through six in-game hours of torment and terror. If you startle easily, this isn’t the game for you.

Download: Five Nights at Freddy’s 4 ($2.99)

Prune

If you’ve just been playing the horror-fest that is Five Nights at Freddy’s 4, then you’ll need a palate cleanser of the relaxing variety. Enter: Prune. This isn’t your typical mobile game in a big way; this is a tribute to the beauty of trees and a calming lesson in the art of cultivation.

To start, you draw a line from the base, then your tree starts to sprout from that line. As time goes on, you have to trim certain branches off, which causes other parts of your tree to grow bigger and in other directions. At times, the sunlight will change and you’ll have to shape your tree so that its branches can touch the golden rays.

This is just about as soothing as it gets for mobile gaming, bringing nature and technology together in a beautifully synergistic experience. Bask in zen and find your inner horticulturist while you gently grow your precious tree, branch by branch.

If you’re looking for a calming experience to take you out of your world for a little while, then download Prune and chill out, man.

Download: Prune ($3.99)

Did we miss any great games devoid of IAPs?

Let us know if you’ve got any recommendations of your own in the comments below.

Microsoft Pix app uses AI to help you take better pictures on iPhone

Microsoft has launched a new app for iPhone that promises to help you take better pictures than you can with Apple’s already good camera app.

Called Microsoft Pix, the app, which is described as a “smarter camera app”, uses a number of “machine learning” techniques to work out the best picture you’ve taken and present that one to you instead. Not only will it choose the best out of a burst of photos, but it uses artificial intelligence to improve photos by adjusting camera settings and automatically enhancing your photos.

According to the company, Microsoft Pix is a bit like “having a pro photographer in your phone”, but in real terms, it works by using a number of different tricks, such as taking pictures before and after you press the shutter to help capture the moment, and it constantly analyses the scene to adjust for things like ISO and exposure. It also prioritises settings to ensure people look their best.

Microsoft Pix, which is free to download and use, offers automatic enhancements features that improve focus, colour, and exposure if the camera spots people in a photo. You can also compare the enhanced photos to the original. There’s even a feature similar Apple’s Live Photos, where you can create live images by stitching burst frames together into a single video.

Check out Microsoft Pix’s website to learn more about other features. The new app is now available in Apple’s App Store.

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Apple says it’s officially sold 1 billion iPhone models since 2007

Apple doesn’t want you to notice all those headlines about weak iPhone sales.

One day after posting its third quarter results, in which it revealed iPhone sales have continued to decline, Apple announced that it recently sold its one-billionth iPhone. Apple CEO Tim Cook said this about the major milestone:

“iPhone has become one of the most important, world-changing and successful products in history. It’s become more than a constant companion. iPhone is truly an essential part of our daily life and enables much of what we do throughout the day. Last week we passed another major milestone when we sold the billionth iPhone. We never set out to make the most, but we’ve always set out to make the best products that make a difference. Thank you to everyone at Apple for helping change the world every day.”

Despite this news, research firm Consumer Intelligence Research Partners said people are waiting longer to upgrade to the newest iPhone. Nearly half of iPhone owners now wait until their device is two years or older to upgrade. But in 2013, only 34 per cent of iPhone owners would wait.

This is clearly affecting Apple, as iPhone sales have been falling. It even led to the company posting its first quarterly revenue drop in 13 years last quarter. Then, on 26 July, Apple posted third quarter results, revealing that iPhones sales dipped again — 15 per cent from the year-ago quarter.

The iPhone debuted in 2007. Apple has released nine models of the device since then, and it will celebrate the 10th anniversary of the iPhone next year. It’s rumoured to have something significant planned for that year’s iPhone, including maybe a dramatic design change with a glass body, edge-to-edge display, among other things. It might even ditch the home button.

Paramount axes its exclusivity clauses with Sky TV

Paramount Studios has went back on its proposed exclusivity clauses with its Sky TV contract.

Last July, Paramount was a part of a group of movie studios including Disney, NBCUniversal and Sony that were warned about a potential breach in EU competition rules thanks to special clauses in their licensing contracts with UK broadcasting company Sky.

Paramount previously took actions to stop including special clauses that kept Sky from allowing customers outside the UK and Ireland to view Paramount’s movies online or by satellite, and promised in April to remove them from contracts fror the next five years. It also agreed to take no action on the current clauses in place. These alterations have been accpeted and are now legally binding. If Paramount happens to go back on the sanctions it has proposed, it will be fined up to 10 percent of its annual revenue.

The other studios are still involved in ongoing investigations.

Via: Ars Technica

Dolly the sheep’s clones are healthy, thank you

When Dolly the cloned sheep fell victim to premature aging, lung disease and osteoarthritis, that triggered many fears. Is cloning safe? Would her fellow clones also meet an early end? Apparently, you can relax. A University of Nottingham study shows that four of Dolly’s genomic clones (Daisy, Debbie, Denise and Dianna) are healthy, with no conditions that suggest they’re aging too quickly. Some showed early signs of osteoarthritis, but that’s normal for their advanced age. In short: cloning, if all goes well, is safe.

This doesn’t mean that the cloning floodgates are flinging wide open. As the New York Times observes, very few cloned embryos make it to adulthood. Many fail before they’re even born, and those that do frequently die while they’re very young. Also, the data isn’t going to eliminate ethical objections to cloning, especially for humans.

However, the findings might dispel some of the preconceptions that helped fuel blanket bans on cloning animals (or selling the meat from those animals) in countries like Australia and Canada. It shows that clones aren’t automatically defective — for scientists, the biggest challenge is refining the technique so that survival rates are comparable to what you’d normally see.

Via: New York Times, The Verge

Source: University of Nottingham, Nature

Tor confirms sexual harassment claims against former developer

Jacob Appelbaum isn’t going to get any sympathy from the Tor Project over allegations of sexual harassment. An internal investigation at Tor has determined that the claims against Appelbaum, who’s accused of humiliating and intimidating women, are accurate. This doesn’t mean that charges are forthcoming, but it makes Appelbaum’s own denials (he portrays this as a conspiracy to slander his name) less plausible. Appelbaum quit Tor in May, right as the harassment accusations were coming to light.

Appelbaum hasn’t commented on the results of the investigation so far, but a New York Times source says he’s preparing a response.

The investigation may also be useful for shedding light on broader problems within Tor, at least until very recently. Two community members also played a part in Appelbaum’s incidents, for example, and aren’t part of the flock any longer. Tor has already taken some dramatic steps to mend its image, including replacing its board and hiring new directors for administration and human resources, but it may learn a few extra lessons about creating a welcoming environment for women.

Source: New York Times