‘Don’t Starve: Shipwrecked’ gets a PS4 release date
If you own a PlayStation 4 and have been patiently waiting to play Don’t Starve: Shipwrecked, then you’re in luck. The nautical-themed expansion will be released on August 2nd on the PSN store, with a 10 percent launch discount to boot. Though that August 2nd date is only a few weeks away, this marks a several month delay for the expansion. Shipwrecked was originally supposed to launch on Sony’s console sometime this spring.
The add-on has been available for PC since April, and was even on sale for $4.50 on Steam during its launch period. Shipwrecked features news characters, biomes to explore, food to cook, and sea monsters to fend off. The octopus-like Quacken seems quite deadly. You’ll also be going up against an active volcano and even mutinies. The emphasis here is on adapting Don’t Starve’s survival gameplay to a brighter, more colorful world filled with tropical islands.
Source: PS Blog
SpaceX wants two more landing pads for Falcon Heavy rocket
What’s better than watching one of SapceX’s Falcon 9 reusable rockets land? Watching three of them land. At the same time! Okay, that spectacle isn’t here quite yet, but Elon Musk’s rocket company is working on it: SpaceX recently announced that it’s seeking federal approval to build two additional landing pads at Cape Canaveral — giving it enough space to attempt a ground landing for a heavy rocket with two recoverable boosters.
Specifically, SpaceX wants the extra pads to run ground landing tests for the Falcon Heavy rocket, a new platform with three cores, each equivalent to a single Falcon 9. SpaceX is calling it the world’s most powerful operational rocket, and with the power to launch 54 metric tons into orbit, it just may be — but the company will need to get it off the ground first. Building the new platforms is one of the first steps to accomplishing that goal. The company says it may land the rocket at sea to start, however. Either way, we’ll be watching when the Falcon Heavy takes its first flight later this year.
Source: Orlando Sentinel, Twitter
Kepler space telescope spots two planets that might support life
After recovering from a shutdown scare back in April, NASA’s Kepler telescope continues its mission scoping out the stars for Earth-size planets orbiting other stars, crude criteria to find ones that might support life. The spacecraft just spotted four more exoplanets in a cluster around a foreign sun, two of which fit the bill to potentially contain living organisms.
All four planets are 20 percent to 50 percent larger than our own, suggesting a rocky surface, and orbit a red dwarf star called K2-72, which is 181 light years away from Earth in the Aquarius constellation. The two life-supporting contenders, K2-72c and K2-72e, appear to be in the “habitable zone” orbiting just far enough from their sun for liquid water to naturally exist, scientists said. The findings were among a report of 104 promising planets first announced in January but only recently published online.
While Kepler still spots exoplanets through a crude light meter, measuring the dip in brightness in distant stars when planets pass in front of them, the K2 mission reconfigured Kepler to spot dimmer stars like red dwarfs.
“An analogy would be to say that Kepler performed a demographic study, while the K2 mission focuses on the bright and nearby stars with different types of planets,” said K2 study leader Ian Crossfield in a NASA blog post. “The K2 mission allows us to increase the number of small, red stars by a factor of 20, significantly increasing the number of astronomical ‘movie stars’ that make the best systems for further study.”
Via: Space.com
Source: NASA blog
Kia brings Android Auto and Apple CarPlay to older cars
For many, the biggest problem with Android Auto or Apple CarPlay is getting it in the first place. Unless you buy a very recent car, you’re likely stuck buying an aftermarket head unit to drag your vehicle into the smartphone era. Kia thinks it can do better, though. It’s promising free updates to both Android Auto and CarPlay for a slew of vehicles that have either the UVO3 infotainment system or a compatible navigation system.
These aren’t limited to the youngest vehicles, either. Most of the updates (for the Optima, Optima Hybrid, Sedona and Soul EV) support 2015 model year cars, and you can upgrade standard Souls dating as far back as the 2014 model year. While some patches are limited to 2016 (Sorento) or 2017 (Forte, Sportage) models, Kia is still covering a pretty wide swath.
You’ll have to register at Kia’s MyUVO site to get a notification about the update, but you should hear about it before the end of July. And importantly, you can download it yourself when available — you won’t have to go to the dealership or otherwise wait to install it. Should Kia pull this off without a hitch, you won’t have to worry quite so much about buying an older ride.
Via: AppleInsider
Source: Kia
Microsoft’s earnings show its future is in the cloud
While Microsoft’s phone business remains in freefall, its cloud offerings are stronger than ever. For the fourth fiscal quarter of 2016, the company’s Intelligent Cloud (which covers all of its cloud services) revenue jumped seven percent compared to last year, reaching $6.7 billion. Its Azure Cloud, which competes directly against the almost ubiquitous Amazon Web Services, also continued its strong growth for the past year with more than double the revenue (102 percent growth) compared to last year.
But, as we saw for the last few quarters, Microsoft’s mobile business is going nowhere fast, falling another 71 percent from the previous year. That led to a four percent earnings decline for Microsoft’s More Personal Computing division. Otherwise, that group remains a strong area for Microsoft, with Surface revenue up 9 percent, Xbox Live monthly active users growing 33 percent (reaching over 49 million) and Windows non-Pro revenue to manufacturers growing 27 percent.
Microsoft’s overall revenue for the quarter came in at $20.6 billion, with profits of $3.1 billion. That’s down from the $22.1 billion in earnings the company reported a year ago. It’s also projecting that its annualized revenue run rate for cloud products (a calculation for the next year’s performance) will be more than $12.1 billion.
The earnings report is particularly interesting for Microsoft, as it’s the first since its $26 billion LinkedIn purchase. That was Microsoft’s largest deal ever, and despite making plenty of synergistic sense, many considered it a curious move for a company that’s trying to double-down on its productive relevance.
Source: Microsoft
The LG Action Cam LTE is available to South Korea today
The LG G5 has a lot of expensive “Friends.” The Korean manufacturer’s series of accessories meant to be used with the phone have included to date a VR headset, camera grip, 360 camera and Hi-Fi audio module. The latest to join the fold is the LG Action Cam LTE.
The camera is meant for rugged exploration, with IP67 water-proofing (as well as dust and sand) that means you can leave it under water up to one meter for 30 minutes and still use it afterward. With a Snapdragon 650 processor, 2GB RAM, 4GB of storage, and a 1/2.3-inch 123 MP wide angle camera, it’s as powerful as it is good for taking on the go.
If you’re the type to share the video you capture while out doing water stunts or rock climbing or something equally physical, the camera supports LTE and 3G so you can stream using YouTube Live or other streaming services. This way you can skip the whole uploading step and broadcast live, whatever it is that you’re doing.
The camera is coming out today in South Korea, but according to LG a release in other market will be announced in the “weeks to come.”
Via: 9To5Google
Apple Releases Safari 10 Developer Beta 3 for OS X Yosemite and El Capitan
Apple today released the third developer beta of Safari 10 for OS X Yosemite and OS X El Capitan users, allowing those who don’t yet want to install the macOS Sierra operating system to test out the upcoming Safari update.
The third Safari 10 beta for Yosemite and El Capitan can be downloaded from the Apple Developer Center or over-the-air through the Software Update mechanism in the Mac App Store for those who installed the first two Safari 10 betas.
As in previous betas, Safari 10 for Yosemite and El Capitan does not include all of the features that are available or will be available in macOS Sierra, like Apple Pay on the web and Picture in Picture support, but the Safari 10 functions listed below are available.
– Safari Extensions
– New Bookmarks sidebar, including double-click to focus in on a folder
– Redesigned Bookmarks and History views
– Site-specific zoom
– Improved AutoFill from your Contacts card
– Reader improvements
– HTML5 and legacy Plug-ins
– Allow reopening of recently closed tabs
– Back closing spawned tabs
– Improved ranking of Frequently Visited Sites
– Web Inspector Timelines Tab
– Debugging using Web Inspector
With OS X El Capitan, Safari 10 also supports the development of Safari App Extensions, allowing developers to start creating extensions that will eventually be sold through the Mac App Store. Also unique to El Capitan is Spotlight suggestions for Top Hits.
Safari 10 will be released this fall alongside macOS Sierra.
Tag: Safari
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Apple Stores Promoting Apple Pay With Bonus $5 iTunes Gift Cards
In Apple retail stores in the United Kingdom and the United States, Apple is running a promotion to encourage its customers to sign up for Apple Pay this week.
When making a purchase in store, Apple employees will ask customers if they would like to pay via Apple Pay. If a customer declines and does not have Apple Pay set up, employees will guide customers through the setup process to make the purchase and will offer a bonus $5 or £5 iTunes gift card for using Apple Pay as their payment method.
The $5 iTunes gift card is available for any purchase made in an Apple Store, whether purchasing an accessory, an Apple product, or an iTunes/Apple Store gift card. Should a customer need to return a product within the return period, the iTunes gift card will still be theirs to keep as a reward for having set up Apple Pay.
Apple’s promotion comes just as Apple Pay has expanded to its eighth country, France. Apple Pay is now available in the United States, the UK, China, Australia, Canada, Switzerland, Singapore, and France, with availability planned for Hong Kong and Spain later in 2016.
In the near future, Apple Pay will see a major expansion as it becomes available for purchases made on the web on iOS devices and Macs.
Related Roundup: Apple Pay
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Word Teaser is a new take on the classic word search game (review)
Intro
You may have played a mobile word search game or two, and they may have had their share of unique color schemes, game modes, and such. But I would like to take you through a truly new style of word search game: Word Teaser. From the developer GAMEDU, who also offers up to 20 other mobile games in all varieties, Word Teaser take the traditional word search, and adds several levels of variety that makes it a pretty fun game that offers a surprising amount of replay value.
Setup
Getting started is easy; just download from or the Play Store (or iTunes if you have an iOS device). Once done, you can sign in to Google Play Games if you so choose (though you don’t have to).
Once in the game, you go through a tutorial to guide you through the game’s rules:
- You have to find a word of a given length (the “target word”) within the puzzle presented.
- You build words by swiping across adjacent letters. The words you build may or may not be the target word, but they will help you discover the target word through a process of elimination.
- Words can be built using adjacent letters; adjacent being above, below, left, right or diagonal to the previous letter.
- The flow of the words can be forwards, backwards, up, down, a combination from first letter to last.
- There are three letter colors that are meant to be used as hints:
- Green letters exist in the target word in their exact position.
- Yellow letters exist in the target word, but are in the wrong position in the puzzle.
- Red letters do not exist in the target word.
- You are given a time limit for each puzzle to find the target word; usually around 60-90 seconds. If you fail in finding your word in time, the game is over.
Gameplay
Playing the game took a bit getting used to in the beginning, particularly using the color-coded hint system explained above. But with just a few minutes of repetition I had a good handle on it and found myself replaying for a good long while.
The game overall is for adults down to school-aged children. You start out looking for just three-letter words, and it takes a while to graduate to even 5-letter words. But please don’t take that to mean the game is easy: even once in the four-letter puzzles, I found myself scrambling to complete them before my time ran out.
Controls are smooth, perhaps a bit too much. Particularly on my phone, I found my finger going one letter too many and my word being rejected because of the added letter; causing several re-tries.
Graphics are a nice set of muted earth-tones, making the screen easy to look at for extended periods (this is an underused feature in games: more developers should spend less time trying to make their games stand out with bright color and more with good gameplay).
Music was rather bland; it sounds a bit elementary. But again it’s unobtrusive so it’s in no way a deal-breaker (and you can 
turn both the music and sound effects on & off, so there’s that).
There are several modes you can choose right from the beginning, without having to unlock them first:
- Solo (the ‘standard’ game version): You build up through the levels of increasing difficulty.
- Category: You can choose to find words from a specific topic (sports, flowers, cities, colors, etc).
- Multiplayer: You take on a friend! Each player has 3 puzzles; the winner is decided by who completes their 3 puzzles in the least amount of time.
Conclusion
I was genuinely surprised by the quality and replay value of Word Teaser. Puzzle games generally lost their appeal for me a while ago; so when I was asked to review this game, I didn’t expect a whole lot of fun from the exercise. Imagine my surprise when I found myself still playing this game almost an hour after downloading and opening it!
That really is the core of this review itself: give this game a try…..chances are you will find yourself still there playing it a whole lot later than you anticipated.
And it’s a game your school-age children would enjoy, as well, so it’s a win-win for family devices, to boot.
Download Word Teaser for Android here.
Download Word Teaser for iOS here.
HiGoing headphones review roundup and giveaway
Headphones can be an expensive purchase depending on what you’re looking for. I don’t know about you, but $100 to $200 headphones is out of my budget. Even if it was in my budget, I’m not sure I would go out and buy a pair without doing some extensive research, I mean it’s a big price when perhaps there are cheaper alternatives.
Many smaller companies offer headphones that not only look amazing but also have quality sound at a much more reasonable price. Often times they get overshadowed by big companies that have bigger budgets to showcase its products.
Fortunately, we live in the world of Amazon, which means smaller companies with smaller budgets have the opportunity to be seen. Operating with only an Amazon storefront means better visibility with less overhead; this allows those companies to compete with bigger brands. It also affords potential consumers easier comparative shopping with lots of reviews at their fingertips.
Today, I have two headphones to review from one of those companies: HiGoing. This brand has a couple of those quality headphones which are priced more in line with my tastes.
HiGoing Wireless Stereo Workout Headsets
HiGoing’s workout headphones are in-ear buds designed with intense workouts in mind. They have a two-foot-long tangle free cord that is not only strong and durable but also fits nicely into the included hardshell case. To ensure the right fit for your ears, you are provided with the traditional small, medium, and large ear tips.
The body of the of these headphones is built from a nice soft rubber with a matte finish. On the sides, it has beautiful brushed aluminium with HiGoing’s logo on it and a silver power button. I have to say it, though, the logo could use a little work.
On top of the right ear, there are two buttons that control volume and skip tracks which are quick to respond and easy to press. On the inside of the right ear’s body is the tiny microphone hole. The microphone quality is okay, but I wouldn’t rely on it as a daily talking device.
Finishing out the body are ear hooks that easily and comfortably fit around your ear. This is ideal for rigorous workout routines as you don’t want them falling out.
Inserting these in my ears for the first time, I thought it wasn’t going to be loud enough because it wasn’t deep in my ear. I’ve had this issue before with similar styles where you have to get it in the right position to get better volume. As it turns out, volume wasn’t an issue at all; they had plenty.
They have excellent battery life and take only a couple of hours to top off with a microUSB cord (included). At decent volume levels, around 70%, you can last 7-9 hours easily. The Bluetooth connects by just turning on the headphones and has a reach of around 30 feet.
Let’s face it, a good workout means one thing: sweat. Some of us sweat more than others, but none of us want that ruining our headphones. HiGoing’s headphones have an IPX4 rating, which means you can’t go swimming with them, buy it’s certainly protected from sweat.
Sound is where it really counts so let’s discuss how it stacks up. These headphones are a bit on the bass-y side. It doesn’t necessarily reach the level of distortion, though, so it’s no deal breaker. It’s more prevalent in some songs than others, so results will vary. The highs and mids are more on the transparent side. Overall, and considering $22 price tag, these are great workout headphones to buy.
You can buy HiGoing Wireless Stereo Workout Headsets in one of three different colors: Red/Gold, Black/Gray or Red/Gray.
Buy HiGoing’s workout headphones
New Bee
Yunyida’s New Bee headphones are sold exclusively on HiGoing’s Amazon page. These on-ear headphones are a nice bang-for-the-buck pair when it comes to Bluetooth headphones. They have a nice build that is smooth to the touch and features a matte finished soft rubber shell. The ear cups have a soft padding that is great for long term wear so you can avoid that soreness on the outer ear that some headphones leave you with.
These headphones have a foldable and adjustable headband for easy storage and easy fit. For extra comfort, they have padding at the top. The ear cups are connected to a swiveling piece at the bottom of the headband. This piece is made out of plastic that has a slight sheen to it without looking cheap. Since the ear cups swivel, it creates a better fit no matter who is wearing them.
On the side of the right ear cup, you’ll find four buttons that control power/phone call, two volume buttons that double as skip tracks, and play/pause. All the controls are easy to press, which is more than I can say for others I have used.
On the bottom of the right ear cup, you will find a USB port, 3.5mm jack, and a small hole for the microphone. I’m not gonna say the phone call quality was excellent, but it’s sufficient being that you probably won’t be using it primarily for this purpose.
New Bee’s Bluetooth connects quickly by turning on the headphones, and the light at the bottom of the headphones will flash blue and red. Listening range is typical of any other Bluetooth device, around 30 feet, and it works flawlessly for me.
Let’s discuss battery life. The company boasts that this 800mAh battery can do 45 hours of playback time, 60 hours of phone calls, and 180 days of standby time. I can’t attest to the phone calls time as I’m not sure I even talk on the phone 60 hours in a year, and it would have been wrong to hold on to these for 180 days before getting around to the review.
In the time I have had these, I’ve only charged once, and I didn’t fully charge them. I have listened to about 10 hours of music off and on and had roughly 30 minutes of talk time, and I’m still on the same charge. It may not go the full 45 hours, but feel confident in saying it will last plenty long enough for average users.
Since these headphones are foldable, they are compact and easy to take along with you. Thankfully, they come with a roomy clamshell hard case for protection in your bag. Inside this case are the instruction manual, microUSB cable, and a 3.5mm cord. While you certainly don’t always need a case it is nice to have one to protect investments.
Overall, New Bee has a sound that is full, with tight bass and transient mids and highs. It makes for incredible listening sessions, and for $35, these headphones are a steal.
Other features in the New Bee included NFC for quick and easy pairing and an app for tracking steps while wearing. You can buy New Bee headphones in one of three different colors: Red, Brown, or Black.
Buy New Bee headphones from Amazon
Giveaway
We’re giving you a chance to win a pair of headphones from Higoing and AndroidGuys. In fact, we’re helping to give out two pairs, one of each model. We’ll give away brown version of the on-ear and a black set of the in-ear units.
To enter simply leave a comment between now and 11:59PM PST Friday, July 22. Make sure that you do use a working email address for your account/comment so we can reach you there. It doesn’t get much easier! Unfortunately, we do have to limit the entries to those of you living in the United States.
You can learn more about HiGoing on Facebook and Twitter.
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