Web apps are about to integrate a whole lot more deeply in Android

Why it matters to you

Web apps are about to get a lot more easy to use and interact with on Android.

Web apps and Android apps are getting closer and closer in terms of user experience and on Thursday, Google announced the next stage in furthering that process. How? By integrating Progressive Web Apps more deeply into Android through App shortcuts that will show up in the phone’s app drawer.

In 2015, Google first started bringing web apps to Android through a Chrome for Android update — which allowed developers to create a prompt for users to add shortcuts to web apps to the home screen. Those shortcuts, however, certainly didn’t act the same as other Android apps. With these new updates, Google is trying to remedy that. The new Chrome for Android features will be rolling out to users over the next few weeks.

More: Users of iOS can now control Chromecast from their iPhone’s lock screen

“In 2015, we added a new feature to Chrome for Android that allows developers to prompt users to add their site to the Home screen for fast and convenient access,” said Google in a blog post. “That feature uses an Android shortcut, which means that web apps don’t show up throughout Android in the same way as installed native apps.”

Apart from appearing in the phone’s app drawer, web apps will also now be able to get incoming notifications from other apps and when you long-press one of those notifications, you will get the same notification controls that you get from normal Android apps — rather than the notification controls for Google Chrome.

A new menu item will also show up for Google Chrome for Android, allowing users to more easily add web apps to the home screen. Soon, you will be able to just tap on the Chrome menu, then tap a button that says “Add to Home screen.”

It will be interesting to see how web apps and Android apps merge over the next few years — and just how similar they become.

Google’s latest Live Case designs inspired by a New York City Ballet performance

Why it matters to you

Are you a big fan of the New York City Ballet? Google has a Live Case for your phone that you’ll flip for.

Google’s Live Cases allow you to add personal photos to a phone case, as well as opt for maps of your favorite locations. But the search giant also periodically partners with artists and companies to offer themed cases. The latest collaboration ties into designs worn by the New York City Ballet for “The Times are Racing.”

Opening Ceremony, a New York fashion firm, is behind the costumes of the performance, and the firm has also partnered with Google to release the same designs on Live Cases. These cases are only compatible with Google’s Pixel, Pixel XL, Nexus 5X, and Nexus 6P.

More: Discover new recipes and fine-tune your search results via the Google app

“The designs for this ballet also inspired Opening Ceremony’s Spring 2017 ready-to-wear collection,” according to the Google Live Case website. “To extend the creative collaboration, Opening Ceremony partnered with Google to bring the eight storybook prints from the runway to Live Case for a limited time.”

Opening Ceremony says the designs are influenced by the following words: Defy, fight, protest, act, unite, and change. The words embody “what it means to be American.

There are eight designs to choose from, but there are six more from Opening Ceremony that were added earlier. The cases are $40 and are available now for the four aforementioned smartphones. There’s also an accompanying wallpaper you can access via the Live Case app.

More: Google’s two Android Wear smartwatches will launch in February

Live Cases also have an NFC button on the back that you can toggle to activate a specific function — this can be set in the app, and functions can range from setting an app shortcut to toggling the flashlight.

Charge your phone faster with this Senro Fast Charging Stand, now 58 percent off

Never wait hours for a full charge again when you invest in a quick charging device. It’s not too difficult to find quick mobile chargers, but it is hard to find ones that won’t destroy your device. Cheaper models easily overheat, often wrecking both the charger and your phone. Instead, look for ones that have been thoroughly reviewed and tested to withstand excess power transfer and heat such as this Seneo Fast Charger 2 Coils QI Wireless Charging Stand, currently discounted 58 percent on Amazon.

More: 15 Great Wireless Chargers To Free Yourself From Cables

The Seneo Wireless Charging Stand fully charges your phone in about two hours, which is 1.4 times faster than standard wireless charging pads. It features built-in overvoltage, under voltage, and short circuit protection to ensure your mobile phone and the charger both heat up to only safe levels. Best of all, you will never have to search for cords and clutter or desk or nightstand area with messy cables.

The four-ounce charger allows you to place your phone either vertically or horizontally to enjoy the benefits of a speedier charge. Conveniently, and different from AC charging, you can also use the phone while it is charging on the Seneo pad. The stand makes for the perfect phone holder to sit back and watch movies from your mobile device. You can also play music, make calls, or send messages without interrupting the charge. It’s designed with a curved bottom to provides a solid foundation for curved phones and decrease damage from accidental phone drops.

The charging stand has an intelligent LED indicator that displays the safety status of charging. The indicator lights up blue for two seconds when it connects to the power and then turns and stays green while charging your phone.

This model is compatible with the Galaxy 7S, Galaxy 7S Edge, Galaxy 6 Edge+, Galaxy Note, and other models using a QC 2.0 adapter.

The Seneo Fast Charger 2 Coils QI Wireless Charging Stand normally retails for $50 but is currently on sale for $21 on Amazon, giving you a 58 percent or $29 discount.

The LG G6 looks shiny and tall in this leaked shot

Will there be anything left to show of the LG G6 when it’s announced later this month?

The LG G6 hasn’t been shy in showing itself before its official announcement later this month at MWC. We’ve seen how the phone will be made of metal and have very slim bezels, and we’re heard that it will be water resistant and eschew modularity.

Now we’re seeing a live shot of the phone from the rear, exposing its familiar dual camera setup and rear home button, while giving us an indication of how tall it will actually be. While the form factor of the 5.7-inch flagship won’t stray too far from traditional handset, its will reportedly have a 2:1 (or 18:9) aspect ratio, giving the QHD screen slightly more vertical space than most Android devices.

Other than that, we can see from the photo that the (blue? black?) metal reflects a fair amount of light, and that it may be prone to some serious smudging — so stock up on microfiber cloths if you’re planning on ordering one when it goes on sale, likely in early March.

What do you think of the LG G6 from what you’ve seen so far? Let us know in the comments!

Fire Emblem: Heroes on Android — Everything you need to know

Fire Emblem: Heroes is out on Android! Here’s everything you need to know!

Fire Emblem: Heroes represents Nintendo’s first foray into developing games for Android (if you ignore last year’s Miimoto app), and is the eighth title in the Fire Emblem franchise to be released on North American shores.

Whether you’re new to the franchise and want to know what the hubbub is about, or you’re a hardcore fan of the series, we’ve tried to answer the questions you may have before you dive right in.

What is Fire Emblem?

Fire Emblem is a turn-based strategy RPG franchise developed by Japanese game developer Intelligent Systems, and published by Nintendo. Since the first game launched in 1990 on the Famicom system it has garnered a huge following in Japan, with the following five sequels exclusively released in Japan. North America got its first official look at the series in 2003, with Fire Emblem for the Game Boy Advance. Before that, Nintendo fans were introduced to two characters from the series — Marth and Roy — in Super Smash Bros. Melee.

What’s the story in Fire Emblem: Heroes?

The story in Fire Emblem: Heroes centers around two kingdoms: The Emblian Empire and the Askran Kingdom. The game follows two siblings from the Askran Kingdom — Prince Alfonse and Princess Sharena — as they work to summon an army of heroes to do battle with the Emblian Empire who wish to rule all the worlds. You play as one of those siblings, but these characters don’t really appear in the game. The main action comes from the heroes you summon — a mix of brand-new characters designed by acclaimed artist Yusuke Kozaki as well as numerous characters from across the entire Fire Emblem series.

Gameplay takes place on maps optimized for mobile, with touch and drag controls to move your heroes around the battlefield. Everything is turn-based, so you really need to take your time and consider your heroes’ weapons and strengths before throwing them into battle. In previous games, there was a “classic” mode that meant if a hero dies in battle, they were lost from your party for good. But you won’t have to worry about that here.

If you’re a hardcore fan of the Fire Emblem series, you’ll want to know that while this game certainly exists in the same universe, with the ability to summon your favorite characters from previous games to your army, but appears to be more of a tangential game in the series in terms of pushing the overall story forward.

Beyond the main story mode, there’s also a Training Tower for working on your battle strategies while earning rewards and experience for your allies. The Hero Battles mode features battle scenarios which are only available for a limited time and allow you to add the opposing heroes to your army if you defeat them.

Is the game free?

Yes, Fire Emblem: Heroes is a free-to-play game, however there are stamina meters that need to recharge before you can head into battle, which require orbs which you can either earn for free or pay for with in-app purchases.

You will also need an internet connection to play this game, even when you’re playing the purely offline modes.

I love the Fire Emblem series! Is it just like the other games?

By all accounts Fire Emblem: Heroes is a faithful entry in the series, featuring the fantastic characters and artwork that fans adore. The familiar weapon triangle battle mechanics (think Rock, Paper, Scissors) is here as well, so it should be easy to jump right back into the action. Of course, the game has been optimized for mobile in some good ways — touch controls — along with that dreaded free-to-play model that’ll tempt you to pay for orbs to recharge your stamina faster. Overall, Fire Emblem: Heroes might feel like the light version of the console games you’re more familiar with.

Fortunately, Nintendo is planning to release the next full game in the Fire Emblem series in 2018 on the new Nintendo Switch console, along with Fire Emblem Echoes: Shadows of Valenctia for the Nintendo 3DS, a reimagined version of the 1992 Famicom exclusive Fire Emblem Gaiden, scheduled for release in May 2017.

With that in mind, Fire Emblem: Heroes should be more than enough to tide you over until then.

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Facebook Friends Day: What is it and how do those cheesy videos work?

Friends Day is a thing, apparently.

On Thursday, Facebook users from around the globe checked their profiles and saw a notification that wished them “Happy Friends Day”, and it came along with an automatically-created video that celebrated the occasion. Some of you may be wondering what in the world Friends Day is and whether it’s a legit holiday, and if it is, when it is, what it’s about, and what are those friends videos Facebook is serving up.

Well, Pocket-lint did a little digging to find out all the details for you.

Pocket-lint/Facebook

Facebook: What is Friends Day?

Facebook deemed “Friends Day” a holiday to be celebrated every year. It’s unclear how the day first came about, as well as what it’s actually meant to help with or intended for, but Facebook itself has been celebrating the day for the past two years.  In 2015, CEO Mark Zuckerberg explained it as thus:

“Friends Day is a day to celebrate friends. It’s also Facebook’s birthday, but today isn’t about celebrating us. It’s about friendship. […] Friendship isn’t a distraction from the meaningful things in life. Friendship is what gives meaning to our lives. […] Let’s turn today into a day to celebrate a friend. #friendsday“

Facebook: When is Friends Day?

Friends Day occurs on 4 February, which also happens to be the date Facebook was founded in 2004. Note that Friends Day is different from the official “International Friendship Day”, recognised by the United Nations, and is marked as 30 July.

Facebook: What happens on Friends Day?

Two days before Friends day, on 2 February, Facebook began celebrating the holiday early by serving up a video to the nearly two billion people who log in each day. The video shows a dancing, animated person made up pictures of the user and his or her friends. It therefore appears like Facebook changed the date to its so-called Friends Day without explanation.

Pocket-lint/Facebook

Facebook: When will Friends Day videos be ready?

If you don’t want to wait to see your Friends Day video, choose one of these options:

• Go to facebook.com/friendsday
• Click Watch Yours on a Friends Day video that has been shared by a friend

Facebook: How do Friends Day videos work?

Normally, you just wait for Facebook to serve it up. You’ll get a notification letting you know when it’s ready, and you may also see it at the top of your News Feed, but it’ll only be visible to you unless you share it with others. When you get the notification, tap or click on it. You will then see a new page, where you will be able to watch a full-screen version of the video. You’ll also see options to share it.

Facebook: Can you edit Friends Day videos?

When you tap or click on the notification to watch the video, you’ll be offered the chance to edit or share it. Select Edit. From there, choose your photo and the photos you want to see in the Friends Day video. Once done, you will be asked to share it to your Timeline.

Facebook: Is there an example of a Friends Day video?

You can see an example here.

Want to know more?

Check out Facebook’s Help Center for more details.

New LG G6 photo leak shows off phone’s shiny back, dual cameras

Ahead of the LG G6’s unveiling, a new photo of the device has leaked.

The above photo – purportedly of the LG G6 – was posted by Business Insider, which obtained it from an unnamed source. It seems to verify a few credible rumours floating around about the upcoming device, including that it will feature a dual-camera setup and fingerprint sensor on the rear. We can also see an iPhone 7-like Jet Black colour on the LG G6, as the phone’s back looks especially shiny in the leak.

Other than the polished design, there isn’t too much more to decipher from the leak. We should know more soon, as LG is slated to hold a press conference on 26 February in Barcelona. That’s a day before the Mobile World Congress trade show kicks off in the city. LG’s phone will likely debut there and is also expected to sport a unibody design, USB-C connector, and a 5.7-inch screen with a 18:9 aspect ratio.

Check out Pocket-lint’s rumour round-up for more leaks:

• LG G6: What’s the story so far?

Is Apple making its own chips for Macs so it can eventually ditch Intel?

Apple seems to be actively lessening its reliance on Intel chips.

According to Bloomberg, Apple is designing its own A-series ARM-based chips, even though Intel processors have powered Apple’s Mac lineup for more than a decade. The company isn’t going to dump Intel chips right away, but by all indications, it at least wants to dip its toes into the water by developing its own silicon for MacBooks and iMacs. For now, this ARM-based chip is being built with one idea in mind.

In an attempt to save battery life, Apple reportedly wants to offload the Mac’s “Power Nap” feature from the main Intel processor. Power Nap lets Macs run software updates, sync to iCloud, and more — all while the computer sleeps. Some of these features require the Mac to be charging, however, but with a chip that requires less energy, Power Nap’s features could maybe one day work with just the Mac’s battery.

• Which MacBook is best for you? MacBook, MacBook Air or MacBook Pro?

It’s worth stressing Apple might want to ditch Intel altogether, too. Industry insiders have claimed that Apple wasn’t happy when Intel didn’t have Kaby Lake processors ready for the new MacBook Pro. Apple was forced to launch the machines running old microarchitecture. Also, maybe now, by developing its own silicon, it’s ready to better coordinate macOS and Mac releases like it does with iPhone/iOS.

Also, Apple has been investing a lot into its own series of chips for the last seven years, and it even designed an ARM-based chip – the T1 – for the MacBook Pro last autumn. (It controls the Touch Bar and Touch ID sensor.) Experimenting with ARM inside Macs seems like an obvious sign that Apple either wants to take more tasks away from the main Intel processor, or maybe even more closely combine iOS and MacOS.

We’ll know more this autumn, when Apple updates the MacBook Pro.

Researchers discover blood vessels in lab-grown mini-brains

Growing brains in laboratories was just the start for scientists. Next up is vasculature. By studying the naturally occurring capillaries discovered on the mini-brains, researchers from Brown University say that they will be able to conduct bigger investigations into things like strokes and concussions.

After some three days of culturing the mini-brains, the scientists discovered that a majority of the samples had developed on their own. After inspecting the “tangles of spaghetti,” the researchers found that said tangles had grown on their own and were comprised of the cells and proteins found in blood vessels, according to Eurekalert.

Naturally, there wasn’t any blood flowing through them but senior author of the study Diane Hoffman-Kim said she has a few ideas for how to make that happen. One would involve hooking a special device to provide circulation, called a microfluidic apparatus, to the mini-brains.

Should this all pan out, it could give scientists a better idea of how the brain and vascular system work and even spare the lives of a few test animals in the process. There are probably at least a few white mice that could get behind that idea.

Source: Eurekalert

The Wirecutter’s best deals: Save $40 on a Samsung Gear 360 camera

This post was done in partnership with The Wirecutter, a buyer’s guide to the best technology. When readers choose to buy The Wirecutter’s independently chosen editorial picks, they may earn affiliate commissions that support their work. Read their continuously updated list of deals here.

You may have already seen Engadget posting reviews from our friends at The Wirecutter. Now, from time to time, we’ll also be publishing their recommended deals on some of their top picks. Read on, and strike while the iron is hot — some of these sales could expire mighty soon.

Monoprice Premium 5.1-Ch. Home Theater System

Street price: $220; MSRP: $360; Deal price: $171

This is the best price we’ve seen on this budget surround-sound system from Monoprice. While it’s currently $185 from the Monoprice store, that doesn’t include the $40 shipping that they add on to the total cost. At $171, this is the best price we’ve seen by nearly $50, and it makes our budget pick even more affordable.

The Monoprice Premium 5.1-Ch. Home Theater System 10565 is our budget pick in our guide to the best budget surround-sound speaker system. Dennis Burger wrote, “Given that the Monoprice Premium 5.1-Ch. Home Theater System 10565 sounds (and even looks) like the Energy Take Classic 5.1 system in most respects, and sells for about $115 less, it’s a no-brainer as our low-priced alternative. In fact, during our blind listening panel, we were split in our preference for the sound of the Monoprice and Energy systems. The Monoprice system may not be quite as neutral and natural-sounding, but its subwoofer plays a little deeper and voices are a bit more pronounced. And although it may not win any awards for its looks, the system is compact enough that it won’t detract from most décor.”

Samsung Gear 360 Camera

Street price: $300; MSRP: $350; Deal price: $260

We’ve seen this Samsung Gear 360 drop down to $300 from $350, and January continues the trend of the price gradually dropping down to a new low of $260. It’s unclear whether or not this sub-$300 price will begin to be the new street price, but as of now, $260 is the best price we’ve seen and a nice $40 drop from the usual street price.

The Samsung Gear 360 is our Samsung owners pick in our guide to the best 360 degree camera. Jeff Carlson wrote, “The Samsung Gear 360 would have been our top pick if not for its limited compatibility—it works with only a handful of recent Samsung phones. The Gear 360 offers better image resolution than the Ricoh Theta S in a compact two-lens design that lets you change settings and shooting modes directly without a connected smartphone. A removable battery and memory mean you can swap in spares as needed, and the included tripod/handgrip is useful and well-designed.”

Pioneer SP-BS22-LR Bookshelf Speakers

Street price: $120; MSRP: $130; Deal price: $90

These speakers drop in price a few times each year, bouncing back up to between $120 and $130 each time. This deal is a bit different as it a Prime exclusive, so only Prime members (or those on a free trial) would qualify for the $90 pricing. Even so, this deal price (if you qualify) matches the best we’ve seen in the last year.

The Pioneer SP-BS22-LR Bookshelf Speakers are our budget pick for the best bookshelf speakers. Chris Heinonen said, “These speakers were part of Andrew Jones’ last series at Pioneer and sounded better than any of the other under-$200 speakers we tried. But our listening panel said they sounded less detailed compared to speakers in the $300+ range. They’re good for the money, but we recommend you upgrade if you can afford to.”

Refurbished Arris SURFboard SB6183

Street price: $90 (new); MSRP: $100 (new); Deal price: $50

This is a nice price for this refurb cable modem and matches the previous low we’ve seen for it. There’s an included 90 day warranty.

The Arris SURFboard 6183 is our top pick in our best cable modem guide. Patrick Austin and David Murphy write, “After researching nearly 100 cable modems over the past three years, we recommend the Arris SURFboard SB6183 for most people. It’s compatible with all the major cable ISPs in the US—including Comcast, Time Warner Cable, Cox, and Charter—and it supports the Internet speeds available to the vast majority of Americans. Our pick is popular and reliable, and it gives you the most flexibility for switching providers if you move somewhere else (or if you’re lucky enough to have multiple ISPs to choose from).”

Deals change all the time, and some of these may have expired. To see an updated list of current deals, please go to The Wirecutter.com.