Fire Emblem: Heroes for Android is rolling out now!

There will be no work getting done today.

One of the more engaging strategy franchises to ever exist is heading to Android today! Fire Emblem: Heroes is a mobile-first Fire Emblem game, and the second mobile phone game Nintendo has ever made. Not familiar with Fire Emblem? Here, let Nintendo explain it:

The long-running hit Fire Emblem series comprises strategy/role-playing games with deep tactical elements and depth that increases with every move you make. As you progress through the story, you will meet and bid farewell to many allies.

Alright, so that didn’t actually tell you much. Basically, Fire Emblem: Heroes is a strategy game where you build a squad of heroes to complete quests and challenges in the story mode, and when you’re convinced your squad is the best you can fight against other squads online. The Fire Emblem series has always had a fantastic focus on artwork surrounding the game, but the gameplay itself usually has a more retro look and feel to it.

Nintendo is rolling out Fire Emblem: Heroes today, but it’s not yet available to everyone. If you head to the Play Store you’ll either see the Pre-Register screen, or you’ll be prompted to download the game and start your adventure. Enjoy!

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Best Math Apps for Kids

• Best Overall
• Best for Preschool
• Best for Elementary School
• Best for Fundamentals

Best overall

Math games, Mathematics

See at Play Store

While many of the math apps available are specifically directed towards a certain age group, Math games, Mathematics aims to help you sharpen your mental math skills with timed math games that steadily ups the difficulty as you show improvement. They cover addition, subtraction, multiplication and division, exponentials, and plenty more. Everything is offered up in a way that is fun and easy to learn and use — but it’s definitely an app for kids who have already learned the basics.

Everything offered up in the app is part of a game, which often makes math much more palatable for kids. There are sixteen different levels that can be unlocked and each one covers a different set of math skills. If a younger child is playing you can set them at a lower level to make sure they can understand what is going on.

There is also a study mode, specifically for multiplication. Not only can your child practice their multiplication tables, but there is also an exam mode to simulate a test. Multiplication is often where many kids stumble with math, and extra practice can make sure the facts are cemented into their little brains.

Bottom line: Math games, Mathematics aims to make math fun and help your child to learn and master different concepts of mathematics.

One more thing: This app is available in 7 different languages, which makes it awesome for those who don’t speak or read English.

Why Math games is the Best

Math games combines tricks for mastering math with fun games that help your child master a variety of mathematical concepts

The charm of Math games, Mathematics is that it delivers a solid all-around tool that can be used by children just learning to add all the way up through Elementary school. The app features four ways to learn; Workout, Multiplication Table, Math Tricks and Manual. Each of these sections works together to teach your child the rules of math, easy ways to solve problems, and then delivers the problems themselves.

The Workouts begin with addition and move through different functions all the way up and through finding percentages. Each concept is it’s own mini-game, making it perfect for kids who need practice in order to get the processes down. Parents who are concerned about their children’s progress will also find graphs that chart progression and how well each mathematical concept is being grasped.

In Multiplication tables, your child is able to both practice and test to show their knowledge of multiplication. This goes from 2 up to 12, making sure that this concept is solid. If they are having issues getting their tables down, or even with addition, then you’ll want to check out the Math Tricks section.

Math Tricks shows off clever ways of getting the correct answer without confusing yourself. It shows you exactly how to find the answer, with a diagram of an equation. This is particularly helpful for students who are having issues grasping how to solve certain problems. There are tricks for addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division.

Best for Preschool

Preschool Math Games for Kids

See at Play Store

When your child is in Preschool learning their numbers and letters, they are building the foundation for their entire education. The importance of math can’t be overstated, so if you’re looking for a good game for your preschooler to have fun with math, this is definitely the one to check out.

Preschool Math Games for Kids is exactly what it sounds like. It’s games cover reading and recognizing numbers, properly forming numbers by tracing them on the screen, addition and subtraction, plus plenty more to boot. It was made specifically with this age range in mind, and it’s absolutely free to play.

Bottom line: Preschool Math Games for Kids is a great way for your little tyke to continue learning math in a fun way that lets them enjoy what they are learning.

One more thing: The art style here is very bubbly, bright, and kid friendly, making it fun and engaging for children to play with math.

Best for Elementary school

Math Run

See at Play Store

Math Run is perfect for kids who need something bright, fun and engaging to keep them interested in learning math. You play as one of four cute fuzzy animals running down a path and dodging to grab coins. However, every so often you’ll run into math quizzes which must be correctly answered in order to continue on your quest.

When you get started you’ll be playing a baby panda, and learning basic arithmetic. As your child rocks through the first few levels they’ll start to unlock the other four animals they can play as. Each one has it’s own math speciality for them to master by gaming.

Bottom line: With addition, subtraction, multiplication and division, Math Run reinforces the concepts that students are learning by getting them to play a game.

One more thing: Math Run is in line with Common Core standards, making it an excellent way to reinforce what kids are learning in the classroom.

Best for Fundamentals

Math Training for Kids

See at Play Store

Not everyone picks up new concepts at the same speed, and some of us definitely needed some extra help as kids. If your child needs to work on their fundamentals in a way that is still fun, then Math Training for Kids may be a great option to check out. It separates the problems by concept, as well as letting you choose between easy, medium, and difficult questions.

Each set of levels gives you a time limit and a number of lives. Each time a question is correctly answered, it resurrects a flower, and if incorrect you lose a life. It’s got a fun, simple design that focuses more on the math than anything else. It does still deliver a bright format to grab the eyes of the child in your life.

Bottom line: Math Training for Kids focuses on giving kids goals in a game in order to master each basic mathematical concept.

One more thing: Parents, you can check the statistics to see what concepts your child is working on. This also includes how long they played, and their number of correctly answered questions.

Best overall

Math games, Mathematics

See at Play Store

While many of the math apps available are specifically directed towards a certain age group, Math games, Mathematics aims to help you sharpen your mental math skills with timed math games that steadily ups the difficulty as you show improvement. They cover addition, subtraction, multiplication and division, exponentials, and plenty more. Everything is offered up in a way that is fun and easy to learn and use — but it’s definitely an app for kids who have already learned the basics.

Everything offered up in the app is part of a game, which often makes math much more palatable for kids. There are sixteen different levels that can be unlocked and each one covers a different set of math skills. If a younger child is playing you can set them at a lower level to make sure they can understand what is going on.

There is also a study mode, specifically for multiplication. Not only can your child practice their multiplication tables, but there is also an exam mode to simulate a test. Multiplication is often where many kids stumble with math, and extra practice can make sure the facts are cemented into their little brains.

Bottom line: Math games, Mathematics aims to make math fun and help your child to learn and master different concepts of mathematics.

One more thing: This app is available in 7 different languages, which makes it awesome for those who don’t speak or read English.

Amazon Echo 101: The basics of Alexa

Amazon Alexa and Echo are one in the same, right? Sort of. Not really. But yes and no. Let’s break down what’s what in the hottest little AI we’ve seen since HAL.

There really is no escaping Amazon Echo. Or Amazon Alexa. Or both. And that actually highlights the confusion some folks have experienced — especially folks who aren’t totally immersed in this newfangled Internet thing. There’s a good chance that if you’re reading this, you’re pretty well-versed in Alexa and Echo and know the difference between the two.

But there’s also a pretty good chance that you know someone who isn’t.

So let’s take a few minutes and break it down. Here’s everything you need to know — insofar as the basics are concerned — about Amazon Alexa and Amazon Echo.

And when you’re ready to buy, you can find all three (naturally) at Amazon.

Amazon Echo

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NVIDIA Shield Android TV: Should I buy the new Shield Controller?

Sometimes the answers are easy.

This is one of those times. If you have a previous generation NVIDIA Shield TV you totally should buy the new controller. And the reasons are so compelling, I can’t think of any use case where you might want to stick to the old controller.

NVIDIA did something that’s either crazy or awesome (or a bit of both) with the Shield TV. They offer a new model that’s smaller and better looking than the original, but the software that comes with it is also getting pushed to everyone who ever bought one. All the software, including the upcoming debut of Google Assistant for Android TV. That’s a good reason to get a new controller even if you never plan to play a single game with it.

The new controller is your gateway to Google Assistant.

The way Assistant will work for the Shield TV centers around the new controller. The microphone can be left in an always-listening state so whenever it hears you say OK Google it goes into an active listening mode and tries to figure out what you said and what it needs to do about it. This is the same way Google Home works. Always listening means it’s listening for just the trigger before it does more than monitor the sounds it hears. Once Google Assistant is activated and working the sounds are then processed through the Assistant AI.

The newly revamped controller can stay running and always listening for 14 days between charges. Think of it as a Google Home that’s not plugged in, except for 2 hours every fortnight. And it’s about half the cost of a Google Home, so if you have a Shield TV it’s kind of crazy to not go with it.

What about games‽

If you use your Shield controller to play games, whether you’re playing Android games or playing PC games through your Shield TV, you’ll like the upgrade here.

The layout hasn’t changed. Dual thumbsticks, a D-pad on the left and the four buttons every controller needs on the right are there in just about the same place as you’re used to. The new thumbsticks are grippy instead of smooth, the D-Pad is “clickier” and the A B X Y buttons aren’t as mushy. The R2 L2 triggers are reworked. And the new body design makes them all more responsive because your hand is slightly repositioned.

It looks funky, but the jagged geodesic pattern isn’t jagged at all and feels great when you’re holding it.

The Shield controller is built like a bit of a hybrid between the Xbox controller and PlayStation 4 controller. It takes the Xbox controller shape and has the PS4’s slimmer but deeper “grips.” You get a controller that’s easy to hold with three fingers on each side (fingers on bumpers at all times is the only way to play!) without the weird batwing feel because it’s shaped like that sweet Xbox controller.

I liked the design of the original so much I use it on my PC for gaming, too. The new model may look like they ruined everything and made a jagged uncomfortable mess with the new geodesic texture but you’ll change your mind as soon as you start using it.

I plan on picking up another controller so I can use one with my PC as soon as the GeForce PC suite is updated with full support, which should be very soon.

See at Amazon

Samsung Galaxy Tab S3: What’s the story so far?

Samsung isn’t expected to use Mobile World Congress to launch its latest flagship smartphones, but that doesn’t mean the South Korean tech giant will be keeping quiet at the show.

In fact, it appears it will be doing quite the opposite with rumours speculating the company will unveil its latest iPad rival – the Galaxy Tab S3. Here is everything we know and have heard so far.

• Samsung Galaxy S8 rumours

Samsung Galaxy Tab S3: Release date

The Samsung Galaxy Tab S3 was originally rumoured to launch at IFA 2016 but since nothing appeared, all eyes are now on Mobile World Congress, taking place in Barcelona at the end of February.

Samsung has scheduled a press conference for Sunday 26 February and many reports suggest this is where the new iPad rival will debut. The show has been the platform for the company’s new flagship smartphones in recent years, but reports claim the S8 and S8 Plus will be unveiled at their own event in April instead this year leaving the stage clear for the Tab S3.

• How to watch the Samsung press conference at MWC 2017

Samsung

Samsung Galaxy Tab S3: Design

There haven’t been any leaks surrounding the Samsung Galaxy Tab S3’s design as yet, but we’d expect it to follow in a similar path to its predecessor.

No doubt there will be some changes here and there, but expect a premium design with an all-metal body like the Apple iPad. The Galaxy Tab S2 featured lovely rounded corners, a slim build, rear camera lens in the centre at the top and a fingerprint sensor within the home button on the front of the device.

The invite for the Samsung’s MWC press conference seems to place an emphasis on the home button of a device, though it is not clear why at the moment. The Samsung Galaxy S8 is expected to lose the home button altogether, as well as slim down on the bezels surrounding the screen so hopefully the Tab S3 will take on board the latter even if it retains the home button.

• Samsung Galaxy Tab S2 review

Samsung Galaxy Tab S3: Display

The Samsung Galaxy Tab S3 is reported to be coming with a 9.7-inch display with a 2048 x 1536 pixel resolution. Sam Mobile has also claimed there will two versions of the device in terms of screen size, though it has not been detailed what size this will be.

The Galaxy Tab S2 offered a 9.7-inch display and an 8-inch display so the same is expected for the new device and we would also expect to see the Super AMOLED technology on board again.

Samsung Galaxy Tab S3: Hardware

According to a GFXBench report, the Samsung Galaxy Tab S3 will feature the Qualcomm Snapdragon 820 processor with 4GB of RAM. A Weibo report contradicts this however, suggesting the Tab S3 will feature Samsung’s own Exynos 7420 chipset, again with 4GB of RAM. Samsung used Exynos for the Tab S2 but it is not clear whether it will do the same for the new device.

The Weibo report also claims there will be Universal Flash Storage 2.0 on board the Galaxy Tab S3 for quicker file and app access, as well as a fingerprint scanner and USB Type-C. No rumours have indicated whether the 3.5mm headphone jack will remain but as the Galaxy S8 smartphone is expected to retain it, it is likely the tablet will do.

In terms of storage, rumours claim there will be 32GB internal memory on board the Tab S3 and there are also expected to be Wi-Fi and LTE versions of the device too.

The Tab S3 is also reported to be coming with a 12-megapixel rear camera, which will hopefully be the same as the camera offered on the S7 and S7 edge smartphones. This would provide great results for those wanting to take images with their tablet. Another report from Japanese news site Naver has also claimed the rear camera will be 12-megaixels, while the front camera is reported to be 5-megapixels.

Samsung Galaxy Tab S3: Software

According to the GFXBench report, the Samsung Galaxy Tab S3 will launch with Android 7.0 Nougat straight out of the box. The software will no doubt feature Samsung’s TouchWiz interface on top, and it will likely sport several new features compared to the Galaxy Tab S2.

What these features will be remains to be seen for now, but we’d expect the software to be more refined and some useful functions added.

Samsung Galaxy Tab S3: Conclusion

Rumours are still a little thin on the ground in relation to what the Galaxy Tab S3 might look like, though we are starting to get a strong indication as to what hardware it might offer.

As with all succeeding devices, improvements in processing speed, battery life, design and performance are all expected so many of the rumoured specs don’t come as too much of a surprise.

Of course nothing is official as yet, but we expect to hear more rumours and see more leaks over the coming weeks. As always, we will update this feature as we do so keep checking back for the latest.

Nintendo will charge less for Switch online gaming than Xbox or PlayStation

As part of the Nintendo Switch preview days, the Japanese company revealed that it will be launching a similar subscription service to Xbox Live Gold and PlayStation Plus.

Like those rivals, you will need to subscribe to Nintendo’s version to play online, multiplayer games on the Switch, something that the firm has never insisted on before.

The good news though is that it is likely to be much cheaper for a Nintendo online membership.

• Nintendo Switch preview: Return of the king?
• 5 Nintendo Switch games to pre-order first, and one well worth the wait
• Nintendo Switch: Release date, price, specs and everything you need to know

Nintendo president Tatsumi Kimishima revealed to Asian news site Nikkei that an annual subscription for the Nintendo Switch will cost between 2,000 and 3,000 yen, that roughly equates to between £14 and £21. Even if you round them up to between £20 and £25 a year, that’s cheap.

A PlayStation Plus annual subscription is around £40, the same as a sub to Xbox Live Gold when paid yearly.

The only main difference is that both PlayStation Plus and Xbox Live Gold include several free, often full-price games each month for subscribers to keep for the duration of their membership. Nintendo also plans to award members with a free game per month, but it will only offer virtual console titles from its vast back catalogue.

In addition, it was stated during the preview events that the free Nintendo games will only be active for a month at a time.

Kimishima also told Nikkei that the Switch might one day be virtual reality compatible, but that would require a system that could be played comfortably for a considerable while: “If we are able to resolve the issues with playing [VR] comfortably for long hours, we will support it in one form or another,” he said.

The Nintendo Switch will be available globally from 3 March. It is priced at £280 in the UK and some pre-order stock is available.

Classic racing series ‘GTR’ will return in 2018

It’s taken more than a decade, but GTR 2, the game rightly lauded as one of the best racing sims ever, is getting a sequel.

The game’s existence was announced via the Race Department forums (spotted by Eurogamer), and will launch next year for PC, PlayStation 4 and Xbox One. While GTR 2 shot for accurate simulation, though, developer SimBim Studios UK is shooting for a broader audience with GTR 3.

Chris Speed, the CEO of SimBim’s parent company Sector3, said the game will be a “proper simulation” but “needs to appeal to both sides” to succeed on consoles. Speed pointed to recent F1 games as an example of a way to appeal to the “hardcore racer” and the “casual gamer.”

GTR 3 is only a few months into development and is being built on the Unreal 4 engine. Speed confirmed to Race Department that the game would feature a day-night cycle, dynamic weather and vehicle damage. Weather will affect the way cars drive, too: Dynamic water movement will allow rain to pool organically, which will lead to aquaplaning and other handling quirks.

Sector3 has been fairly experimental in recent years, toying with free-to-play models with RaceRoom, but with this game at least, it appears to be going for a more traditional release. Speed said that GTR 3 will not have RaceRoom’s always-online requirement, which heavily implies it won’t be free-to-play.

There are a lot of pieces left to put in place for Sector3 and SimBin. There’s no publisher attached to the project; the FIA GT Championship that the GTR series licensed no longer exists; and the team that will build the game has yet to form. But knowing that a sequel to GTR 2 is at least in the works will please a lot of racing sim fans. Although the game isn’t planned for release until 2018, Sector3 hopes to have a playable build within six months, so we should hear more about the game this year.

Via: Eurogamer

Pixel’s fingerprint gestures come to the Nexus 5X

Google’s Pixel has an Android feature that enables you to swipe down on your phone’s fingerprint sensor to open your notifications. The option made its debut with the Pixel, leaving Nexus owners wondering when they’d be able to join the party. Now, 9to5Google is reporting that the latest version of Android 7.1.2 OTA brings the feature to the Nexus 5X. As the build has yet to make it to the Nexus 6P, it’s unclear if it, too, will receive the same treatment, but it’s easy to hope for.

It’s a source of some consternation, since the Nexus 5X and 6P use the same fingerprint sensor that you’d find on the Pixel. An earlier report on the site explained that the devices used significantly different firmware — enough to make it hard work on Google’s behalf to bring the feature across. Now that the option is available on the 5X, you can activate it by going to the Moves menu in the settings pane.

Source: 9to5Google

Quirky Wii U game ‘Project Giant Robot’ has been cancelled

The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild will be the last Nintendo-made game for the Wii U after all. If you were holding onto hope that the quirky Project Giant Robot would still grace the system, it was in vain. As Polygon reports, the build-your-own battle-bot demo has been scrapped and won’t see the light of day. A representative said that the decision was made “after considering our overall product and development strategy.”

Considering that Nintendo showed the game off to press exactly once back in 2014 and it hasn’t been seen since, this probably shouldn’t come a much of a surprise. When we got a chance to check it out, Anthony Agnello said that it felt incredibly shallow and would seem out of place even in mini-game collections like Nintendo Land and Wii Play.

“Even if it were just a mini-game attached to a larger collection, Miyamoto’s Project Giant Robot experiment would feel thin. Funny, as quickly silly as a round of Duck Hunt, but thin.”

Maybe this isn’t too tragic a loss then.

Source: Polygon

United Airlines Partners With Apple and IBM to ‘Redefine the Way Work Gets Done’ Using 50K iOS Devices

A new collaboration between Apple, IBM, and United Airlines was announced today, with the companies joining together to bring “a robust suite of enterprise iOS apps” to United’s flight attendants and gate agents as a means to make the customer’s flying experience smoother. In total, Apple and United Airlines have issued over 50,000 iPhones, iPads, and Apple Watches to front-line employees of United, and the airline intends to use resources from Apple and IBM to deliver app-based tools and services at a faster and more consistent pace.

United is seeking the opinion of its employees to figure out which features it should focus on in the apps being built for workers. According to a top executive in charge of United’s technology division speaking with Business Insider, flight attendants and gate agents met with Apple and IBM in Cupertino last week, helping to start work on an app that will allow flight attendants “to communicate maintenance items discovered on the plane back to the maintenance teams.”

“United Airlines is committed to delivering positive traveler experiences that begin with front line engagements during all points of the passenger journey – from check-in to departure to destination,” said Dee Waddell, Global Managing Director, Travel & Transportation Industries, IBM. “This enhanced strategy with mobile solutions from IBM and Apple allows United Airlines employees to tap into the right information at the right time to instantaneously address the needs that matter most to passengers.”

The new deal with United Airlines is the latest evolution in the partnership between Apple and IBM, which began in 2014 with the purpose of creating transformative mobile apps for the enterprise sector. In regards to its reason for joining Apple and IBM, United’s CIO Linda Jojo said, “we wanted to have the best devices in the hands of our employees.”

Apple and IBM’s partnership has included travel-related apps in the past, including one that let flight attendants sell seat upgrades, food, beverages, and merchandise to passengers with the ease of Apple Pay. The app, called Ancillary Sale, also remembered individual passenger preferences, so flight attendants could recommend items on current flights based on the purchases a user made on previous flights.

One of United’s new apps is said to provide flight attendants with information on which passengers have connecting flights so they can better help customers find their gates upon arrival. Another will allow customer service agents more mobility to move about the concourse to help customers, instead of being tied to a single location.

Tags: IBM, United Airlines
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