Join the Honor/Huawei community incentive program to win great prizes!

Be an active part of the Honor/Huawei community and earn some great prizes for your participation!

Some prizes are really hard to win — ever tried to win one of those arcade claw games? — and others are mercifully easy. This year, Huawei and Honor want to make it super easy to win a great set of prizes just for participating in the Android Central community!

How to win great prizes

Here’s how it works: each month, we’re going to select three winners from the Android Central community based on engagement with the Huawei / Honor forums. Doesn’t matter if it’s the Honor 8 or Huawei Mate 9 — if you’re active in the community, you’re entered to win.

The person with the most interaction wins the grand prize each month and the next two will receive runner-up prizes.

What do we mean by interaction? Post a lot! Start new threads! Reply to other people in a helpful and honest way. Be a vital member of the community!

A few things to keep in mind:

• Spamming the forums with low-quality posts will result in immediate disqualification from the program. You have to participate because you love Huawei/Honor!
• It doesn’t matter which Huawei or Honor forums you’re active in, as long as you’re active!
• Winners are immediately eligible again the following month. As long as you’re engaged, you can win!
• We’ll have prizes from June through November. This is a long-term program!
• Unfortunately, the program is for U.S. participants only. Sorry!

So what prizes can you win?

Thanks for asking!

List of prizes by month:

• June: 1x Huawei MediaPad M3; 2x Honor Band Z
• July: 1x Honor 6X; 2x Honor Band Z
• August: 1x Huawei MediaPad M3; 2x Honor Band Z
• September: 1x Huawei Watch 2; 2x Honor Band Z
• October: 1x Honor 6x; 2x Honor Band Z
• November: 1x Huawei Mate 9; 2x Honor Band Z
• December: 1x Huawei Watch 2; 2x Honor Band Z

The Huawei MediaPad M3 is a great all-rounded tablet with amazing build quality. The Honor 6X is a fantastic mid-range smartphone with a metal build and a dual camera setup. The Huawei Watch 2 is a rugged, powerful Android Wear 2.0 smartwatch with GPS and all-day battery. The Honor Band Z is a terrific little fitness tracker. And the Huawei Mate 9 is one of the best big phones you can buy! Altogether these are some of the best devices on the market, and they can be yours — free.

Ready to start?

Jump into the Huawei or Honor forums and show ’em what you got! We’ll contact the winners through the email in your forum profile, so make sure it’s up to date!

• Join the conversation in the Honor forums!
• Join the conversation in the Huawei forums!

These were the biggest VR games shown at E3 2017

These were the biggest announcements for the HTC Vive, Oculus Rift, and PSVR at E3 2017.

The leading video game show of the year, E3, is currently underway in Los Angeles. Various press conferences have already outlined upcoming projects among top publishers in the industry and virtual reality continues to be a growing trend. Despite VR having a reduced presence in comparison to last year’s show, owners of the HTC Vive, Oculus Rift and PSVR all have titles to look forward to. We’ve rounded up the biggest VR game announcements from E3 2017.

Read more at VRHeads.com

What color HTC U11 should you buy: Black, blue, silver, white or red?

You want the phone … now you just have to pick a color.

The HTC U11’s big design feature is its pristine curved glass back, which has a unique color infusing process to bake the colors into the glass rather than layering on top or underneath. It’s a look that you can’t get from any other glass-backed phone, and it means you may be taking extra care in choosing which color HTC U11 you want to buy.

We have great pictures of all five colors, and some things you may want to keep in mind when making a choice — read on.

HTC U11 in Brilliant Black

When you’re releasing a new phone, you pretty much have to offer a “safe” color — that’s Brilliant Black. It’s a pretty basic look, but you still get the shiny “deep” color embedded in the glass. When you turn the phone the colors do shift and give it a look of some deeper greens and blues, just not to the extremes that the other colors do.

Who is it for?

If you’re interested in the U11 but don’t want to go all out with one of the flashy colors, black is going to be the one to get. The glass still stands out, but it isn’t way out of line.

HTC U11 in Sapphire Blue

The “Sapphire Blue” U11 is one step above the black in terms of flash. The deep blue glass flows into color-matched blue metal on the side, and it really looks nice. When you tilt the phone the colors change to different shades of blue, and because it’s a bit lighter it also starts to pull in colors from around it.

Who is it for?

If the black U11 feels a bit boring for you, but you still don’t want to go flashy, the blue will be a good middle ground.

HTC U11 in Amazing Silver

This is where things start to get crazy. Depending on what angle you see it from, the “Amazing Silver” U11 can look like anything from shiny chrome all the way to deep blue. In a purely white room with no other colors around, the silver U11 is more of a very light blue — both the glass back and metal sides. But because of the extreme reflectivity, it pulls in colors from all around — it’s hardly ever the same color twice.

Who is it for?

If you want a super-interesting color that will stand out from every angle every single day, this is the one to get. So long as you’re okay with the “regular” view of it being a light blue base color, the silver U11 is a good choice.

HTC U11 in Ice White

The “Ice White” U11 is a pretty typical white glass and silver metal color scheme. The back has a very deep color that isn’t nearly as reflective as the other colors, and the color doesn’t shift as much. You get a pearlescent look and hints of pink from some angles, but the back stays very much “white” from most angles.

Who is it for?

There aren’t a lot of white glass phones available, so if you’ve been looking for something that’s beyond the standard black/gold/silver options, this is for you.

HTC U11 in Solar Red

It’s hard to explain the ridiculousness of the “Solar Red” U11. Nominally, it’s red. But when you tilt it off-axis, it turns a deep gold, orange or yellow depending on the angle. It’s an amazing effect that’s truly unique, even among the other U11 color options.

Who is it for?

The Solar Red color is absolutely for someone who wants to stand out. Not only are there so few red phones out there in general, but you won’t find another “red” phone out there that can change colors so dramatically.

Regional differences matter

As is always the case, you won’t necessarily be able to choose from all five colors in all regions around the world. Right at launch, HTC is primarily offering the black, blue and silver colors. White and red were not finalized until later on in the development of the U11, so they won’t be widely available for some time. Here’s the current breakdown of availability, as of mid-June:

• U.S.: Sapphire Blue, Brilliant Black, Amazing Silver (Amazon and htc.com only)
• Europe: Sapphire Blue, Brilliant Black, Amazing Silver, Ice White, Solar Red (coming soon)
• China: Sapphire Blue, Brilliant Black, Amazing Silver, Ice White, Solar Red (coming soon)
• Taiwan: Sapphire Blue, Brilliant Black, Amazing Silver, Ice White, Solar Red (coming soon)
• Australia: Brilliant Black, Amazing Silver (carrier/retailer dependent)

One thing you’ll notice is that the Solar Red model isn’t available anywhere right at launch — but expect it to head out to various regions soon. So if you have your heart set on red, be patient rather than settling for another color, because it is coming.

HTC U11

• HTC U11 review
• HTC U11 specs
• Manufacturing the U11: Behind the scenes
• Join our U11 forums
• HTC U11 vs Galaxy S8
• HTC U11 vs LG G6

Amazon
Sprint
HTC

Razer Blade Stealth gets a bigger display and awesome new gunmetal colour

Razer has unleashed a new version of its popular Blade Stealth laptop. The latest version has a bigger 13.3-inch touch screen and comes in a new gunmetal grey colour. 

While it doesn’t come with the 4K resolution screen, the Quad HD+ 3200 x 1800 screen does boast 100 per cent sRGB colour space as standard. That should mean your graphics are still superb, even if they don’t quite reach the sharpest available. 

Despite being a bigger screen, it hasn’t forced the laptop to increase much in size. Razer thinned down the bezel, making it closer to being all-screen, and equipped the panel with 178-degree viewing angles. 

Inside, powering the device, is a 7th generation Core i7 processor and 16GB RAM as standard, with up to 1TB of storage available. Of course, it’s used to power the latest version of Windows 10. 

Razer claims that the 53.6Wh battery can last up to nine hours, in a device that measures only 0.52-inches thick and weighs just under three pounds. 

Razer

As you’d expect from Razer, the keyboard is backlit. The gunmetal version has a more traditional white backlight, while the black model features the Razer Chroma colour-changing lighting. 

Ports-wise we’re looking at two USB 3.0 ports, Thunderbolt 3 (USB Type-C), one HDMI 2.0 port and a 3.5mm jack for headphones and/or microphones. It charges using a 45W power adapter. 

For those who want to use it for desktop gaming, the Blade Stealth can connect to an optional external graphics enclosure. Razer will be selling a universal enclosure called the Razer Core which is compatible with the latest NVIDIA and AMD graphics cards, and connects using a Thunderbolt 3 cable to the Razer Stealth. 

This enclosure is true plug-and-play, so you can hook up your laptop to it, without it forcing you to restart your system. The benefit here is that you can potentially have your cake and eat it. In other words, you get your light, powerful laptop for out and about work, and get desktop quality gaming at home when you plug it in to the Core. 

The new 13.3-inch Razer Stealth starts at $1399 for the base model which comes with 256GB storage. There are also 512GB and 1TB storage models. The Razer Core graphics card enclosure costs $499, buthose buying the Core with a Blade Stealth or Blade laptop will get it with $100 discount. 

Which Fitbit is right for me?

Fitbit is no stranger to the activity tracking market. It’s been kicking around for a years, sitting at the top of its class smugly watching as its competitors hope to raise the same brand awareness.

Chances are if you are reading this feature, you too have heard of it. The problem you have probably since found however, is deciding which of the eight Fitbit activity tracking devices is the right one for you.

We have broken each of the Fitbit trackers down into how much each costs, what features each offers and why you might considering buying each one. This feature is all about helping you work out which Fitbit will suit you and your lifestyle best.

Quick Summary

The Fitbit Zip is the cheapest Fitbit and it allows for simple, subtle tracking.

The Fitbit One is a little more expensive than the Zip but it adds sleep tracking to the mix so this device is good for someone who wants basic sleep and activity tracking without having to wear anything on their wrist.

The Fitbit Flex 2 is a simple, stylish activity tracker that will do the activity basics, plus sleep tracking and smartphone notifications (sort of). It is easy and comfortable to wear and a little more on trend than clip-on devices currently are, which might be a reason to select it over the One. It is also the only waterproof Fitbit tracker.

The Fitbit Alta is very similar to the Flex in terms of functionality but it is a little more substantial thanks to its display. It isn’t waterproof, but it does smartphone notifications in a more useful way to the Flex 2, offering caller ID, the ability to read the text and calendar alerts.

The Fitbit Alta HR has a very similar design to the standard Alta but it adds heart rate monitoring, a different clasp and more advanced sleep data, as well as a slightly extended battery life. Other functions are the same as the Alta, but it is a little more expensive due to the extra features.

The Fitbit Charge 2 offers more advanced activity tracking again thanks to the continuous heart rate monitoring, along with VO2 Max, Guided Breathing, and Connected GPS. It is a little more expensive but its the cheapest way to get access to some of Fitbit’s more advanced features.

The Fitbit Blaze is for for those that want an activity tracker that is a little smarter looking and more like a watch. It isn’t as feature rich as the Charge 2, but it does have the advantage of music control and a coloured screen. It is the Fitbit for those after an activity tracker that could potentially replace their watch.

The Fitbit Surge will track basic activity, as well as more specialised activities like free running. It’s not cheap, standing as the most expensive Fitbit device, but while it misses out on some features, it offers full GPS tracking rather than just connected and it is the only Fitbit device to do so.

Fitbit

Fitbit Zip

Buy now from Amazon.co.uk | Buy now from Amazon.com

• What it tracks: Steps, distance, calories, active minutes
• Type: Clip-on
• Features: LCD display, clock
• Battery: Four to six months
• Price: £49.99

The Fitbit Zip is the cheapest activity tracker available within Fitbit’s portfolio and it allows you to monitor basic activity discreetly. It is a clip-based device that can be worn on a belt, pocket or a bra.

The Zip has an LCD display for easy access to stats without the app and its replaceable coin battery should last between four and six months. Through the Fitbit app, Zip users will be able to see their progress, complete challenges with friends, log food, record workouts and earn badges.

The Fitbit Zip comes in charcoal, lime, midnight blue and magenta colour options.

Read the full review: Fitbit Zip review

Fitbit

Fitbit One

Buy now from Amazon.co.uk | Buy now from Amazon.com

• What it tracks: Steps, distance, calories, active minutes, sleep
• Type: Clip-on
• Features: OLED display, clock
• Battery: 10 to 14 days
• Price: £79.99

The Fitbit One is similar to the Zip, only it adds sleep tracking to its list of attributes, as well as a more slender design. Like the Zip, it will sync wirelessly to the app or your computer and it is also a clip-based device so you can wear it on a belt, pocket or bra.

Rather than an LCD display, the One opts for an OLED screen and its battery type changes to a rechargeable lithium polymer that offers between 10 and 14 days on a full charge.

The same app features apply as the Fitbit Zip, but users with the One will also get access to sleep trend graphs, sleep goals and sleep quality data. The Fitbit One comes in black or burgundy colour options.

Fitbit

Fitbit Flex 2

Buy now from Amazon.co.uk | Buy now from Amazon.com

• What it tracks: Steps, distance, calories, active minutes, sleep
• Type: Wrist-worn
• Features: Five LED lights, text and call notifications, special accessories, waterproof, silent alarms
• Battery: Up to five days
• Price: £69.99

The Fitbit Flex 2 replaces the original Flex and offers exactly the same as the Fitbit One in terms of tracking features. The OLED display is replaced by five LED lights, meaning more visits to the app for progress details, while the design moves from a clip-on device to a wrist-worn band.

As there is no display, there is no clock feature like there is with the Zip and One, but the Flex 2 does offer text and call notifications in the form of colour-coded LED lights. Battery life is up to five days.

The Flex 2’s tracker is removable so while you can stick with the standard rubber band comes with, you can also buy special accessories. There is a bracelet in gold, silver or rose gold options and a necklace in gold or silver for those that want to increase their fashion status with their step count. For those happy with the rubber band, it comes in four colours including black, navy, lavender and magenta. 

Read full review: Fitbit Flex 2 review

Fitbit

Fitbit Alta

Buy now from Amazon.co.uk | Buy now from Amazon.com

• What it tracks: Steps, distance, calories, active minutes, sleep
• Type: Wrist-worn
• Features: OLED display, clock, smartphone notifications, interchangeable bands, silent alarms
• Battery: Up to five days
• Price: From £99.99

The Fitbit Alta offers many of the same features as the Flex 2, meaning no elevation or heart rate data, though it does smartphone notifications in a slightly more useful way compared to the Flex 2.

The Alta is slim and sits in line with the Flex in terms of size but the display allows you to see your progress and alerts, including text notifications, incoming caller ID and calendar alerts. The same app functions apply as the Flex 2, along with the same battery life, which stands at five days but the Alta is not waterproof.

The Fitbit Alta comes in four standard colours comprising black, blue, teal and plum, but there are also two leather band options for an extra £50 each or a metal bracelet for £80 extra.

• Fitbit Alta HR vs Alta vs Flex 2: What’s the difference?

Read full review: Fitbit Alta review

Fitbit

Fitbit Alta HR

Buy now from Amazon.co.uk | Buy now from Amazon.com

• What it tracks: Steps, distance, calories, active minutes, heart rate, sleep
• Type: Wrist-worn
• Features: OLED display, clock, smartphone notifications, interchangeable bands, silent alarms
• Battery: Up to seven days
• Price: From £129.99

The Fitbit Alta HR features a very similar design to the Alta, meaning a slim and sleek device with a display for smartphone notifications and progress.

It adds heart rate tracking to the Alta party though, along with a colour-matched buckle for a more secure fastening and its battery life has been extended to seven days, which is more than the Flex 2, Alta and Charge 2. The Alta HR also offers more advanced sleep tracking data but it still lacks elevation data and waterproofing.

The Fitbit Alta HR comes in four standard colours comprising black, fuchsia, coral and blue grey, as well as two special edition models for £20 extra than the standard model. There are also three Luxe leather bands available at £40 each and a metal bracelet like the Alta for £70.

• Fitbit Alta HR vs Charge 2: What’s the difference?

Read full review: Fitbit Alta HR review

Fitbit

Fitbit Charge 2

Buy now from Amazon.co.uk | Buy now from Amazon.com

• What it tracks: Steps, distance, calories, active minutes, sleep, heart rate, elevation, VO2 Max
• Type: Wrist-worn
• Features: OLED display, clock, smartphone notifications, interchangeable bands, Connected GPS, multi-sport tracking, automatic exercise recognition, silent alarms
• Battery: Up to five days
• Price: From £139.99

The Fitbit Charge 2 replaces the Charge and Charge HR in one device. It is slightly larger than the Alta, Alta HR and Flex 2 but it adds several extra features, including Cardio Fitness Level (essentially VO2 Max), which gives you a personalised fitness score over time, and Guided Breathing, which offers personalised breathing sessions based on your heart rate.

There is also Connected GPS on board the Charge 2 and battery life is sits at up to five days, so around the same as the Flex 2 and Alta. It is sweat, rain and splash proof like the Alta and Alta HR, but not waterproof like the Flex 2. App functions are the same as the other devices but unlike the Flex 2 and standard Alta, you’ll get the added bonus of being able to monitor your heart rate data, as well as see more detailed analysis of workouts.

The Fitbit Charge 2 comes in black and silver, plum and silver, blue and silver, and teal and silver. There are also two special edition models and a number straps that can be bought separately for a different look as the Charge 2 offers interchangeable straps, like the Alta and Alta HR. 

• Fitbit Charge 2 vs Charge HR vs Charge: What’s the difference?

Read full review: Fitbit Charge 2 review

Fitbit

Fitbit Blaze

Buy now from Amazon.co.uk | Buy now from Amazon.com

• What it tracks: Steps, distance, calories, active minutes, sleep, heart rate, elevation
• Type: Wrist-worn
• Features: Colour OLED display, clock, smartphone notifications, music control, Connected GPS, multi-sport tracking, automatic exercise recognition, on-screen workouts, silent alarms
• Battery: Up to five days
• Price: From £139.99

The Fitbit Blaze offers everything the original Charge HR offered, but it misses out on a few of the features found on the newer Charge 2, such as VO2 Max and Guided Breathing. It’s larger than the Charge 2, taking more of a sportswatch stance and there are various straps and frames available to change its look. It’s a different mechanism to the Charge 2 but no longer more expensive, with Fitbit having dropped its price from £159.99.

The Multi-Sport feature, also found on the Charge 2, allows you to choose various sport modes and see real-time stats, and the Blaze also offers smartphone notifications like the Alta, Alta HR and Charge 2. The Blaze adds music control and on-screen workouts to the capabilities of the Charge 2, but it also features Connected GPS like the Charge 2.

The Blaze is more like a smartwatch than the other activity trackers we have already mentioned, offering a coloured touchscreen but it won’t be right for everyone. The classic band comes in three colours comprising black, blue and plum, but there are three leather options and a metal links model too. 

Read full review: Fitbit Blaze review

Fitbit

Fitbit Surge

Buy now from Amazon.co.uk | Buy now from Amazon.com

• What it tracks: Steps, distance, calories, active minutes, sleep, heart rate, elevation 
• Type: Wrist-worn
• Features: Monochrome OLED display, clock, smartphone notifications, music control, GPS, multi-sport tracking, automatic exercise recognition, silent alarms
• Battery: Up to seven days
• Price: From £199.99

The Fitbit Surge is the most expensive Fitbit device, acting as more of a watch than a band, like the Blaze. It comes with a monochrome display (rather than coloured) and proper GPS tracking, meaning you can track a run without your phone, unlike the Blaze or the Charge 2.

The Surge offers everything the Blaze does in terms of other features, including music control, call and text notifications, and the multi-sport feature. That means it still misses out on the most recent features found on the Charge 2 however, such as guided breathing and VO2 Max tracking. It also doesn’t have on-screen workouts like the Blaze, but it is more advanced when it comes to running, offering different running options.

The Surge is said to last up to seven days and it offers the same app functionality as the Blaze and other Fitbit devices, with the added advantage of maps of where you have gone for a run or walk with the GPS on. The Fitbit Surge comes in black, blue and orange, but unlike the Blaze, Alta, Alta HR and Charge 2, it isn’t customisable with other straps.

Read full review: Fitbit Surge review

Xbox’s new avatar options include prosthetics and a baby bump

Haven’t given your Xbox Live avatar much thought lately? Neither have I, and that’s probably why Microsoft is taking action on that front. Yesterday, the company announced that the avatar system will get a major overhaul sometime in Fall 2017.

The mission appears to be to increase diversity and customization options with the avatar system. As yesterday’s announcement video from E3 shows, there’s an emphasis on representing as many people as possible though new props and added customization features. Whether you’re pregnant or have a prosthetic leg, Xbox wants you to feel included in their ecosystem.

The props and accessories are also intended to be gender neutral; there are no restrictions based on the gender appearance or selections of your avatar. “If you can see it in the store you can wear it. We’re not holding you to any type of checkboxes,” said Kathryn Storm, an interaction designer at Xbox, in an interview at the Xbox booth.

This isn’t just a cosmetic makeover, though. “It’s absolutely a complete redesign,” said Xbox lead project manager Brian Saftler in the same interview. “We built these from the ground up. They’re being built in Unity, which is a whole new engine, which has been exciting.” The end goal? To make these avatars as flexible as possible. You can check out the trailer and full interview in the video below starting at about the 2:27 mark.

Follow all the latest news from E3 2017 here!

Via: The Verge

Source: Xbox

‘Gran Turismo Sport’ is a blast even if you’re terrible at it

I’ve never been into Gran Turismo (or racing games in general), but when my colleague Timothy J. Seppala asked if I wanted to play the franchise’s next title, GT Sport, I didn’t think twice about saying yes. Especially after seeing how gorgeous the latest trailer looks. And I’m glad I checked it out, even if I did end up in second to last place in the two races I played. The graphics in Gran Turismo Sport are as gorgeous as they look on screenshots; it’s seriously hard to differentiate cars in the game from real ones. Put simply, it’s a perfect way to showcase gameplay at 4K 60fps (don’t forget about HDR, either), and even more fun if you’re experiencing it the way I did: in a vibrating “sled” with a racing seat, steering wheels and pedals.

It didn’t take long for me to figure out how to properly handle the car I was driving (aka not crashing into walls), but that’s probably because I had the brake and steer assist on. Still, even with that helpful setting on, I only managed to grab the 7th spot out of the eight-player race I played against other members of the media, including IGN, Game Informer and Polygon, to name a few. Thankfully for me, my co-worker was even worse than I was, so I managed to salvage my brief Gran Turismo career. Unfortunately we both let Engadget down and I won’t ever forgive myself for that — I’ll stick to FIFA from now on.

Gran Turismo Sport is set to arrive this fall for PlayStation 4, and you can bet I plan to make a fool of myself again when that happens.

Follow all the latest news from E3 2017 here!

Firefox finally unveils its faster, more memory-efficient browser

The team behind open-source browser Firefox has released a much-awaited version that promises to be faster and less of a memory hog. Version 54 is the first to use “multiple process” tech that has been available for a while now on Chrome, Safari, Edge and other browsers. Now, Firefox tabs running heavy, complex websites will impact other tabs less, making the web run better overall on Windows, Mac and mobile devices.

“With today’s release, Firefox uses up to four processes to run web page content across all open tabs,” Firefox VP Nick Nguyen wrote. “By separating the tabs into separate processes, we make better use of the hardware on your computer, so Firefox can deliver you more of the web … with less waiting.”

Firefox enjoyed a stint as the second most popular browser (after Internet Explorer) until Chrome passed it in 2011. Since that time, its tech has lagged behind — a 64-bit Windows version of Firefox only arrived in 2015, and it has used single-process tech until now. Chrome (and Safari and other browsers) had 64-bit and multiple process tech well before Firefox.

Besides making the web run more smoothly overall, Firefox 54 should run better on computers with limited memory. At the same time, it “won’t suck up memory and slow down your computer as Chrome will sometimes do,” writes Firefox Head of Product Ryan Pollock. That’s because the team implemented multiple processing differently than Google in order to strike a balance between speed and memory usage (above).

Overall, Firefox uses “significantly less RAM than other browsers on Windows 10, macOS and Linux,” Nguyen adds. The release also includes bug and security fixes, and should be rolling out to all major platforms (Windows, Mac, Android, iOS and Linux) now.

Firefox still sits comfortably in third place in the browser wars, behind Chrome and (yep) Internet Explorer, but well ahead of Microsoft’s other browser, Edge. The new release might help stop users from quitting it (as I did when I saw that it was using hundreds of megabytes per tab) or encourage them to try it again.

Source: Mozilla

Instagram is making it harder for users to be shills on the sly

Some of Instagram’s biggest stars are notorious for quietly shilling products, but that’s about to change. The company confirmed in a blog post this morning that it’s working on a new post format that clearly spells out when an image or Instagram Story is being published as part of a business arrangement. The giveaway: you’ll see the words “Paid partnership with [whatever]” at the top of the post. It’s subtle — maybe even a little too subtle — but it’s a step in the right direction.

We know, we know: It’s rare to get excited by the idea of more sponsored posts appearing in our Instagram feeds. Instagram said in a separate post on its business blog that the move will help “maintain authenticity across the board,” but the real value here comes in two forms. One, content creators and the businesses that cut deals with them both get access to the engagement data so they can figure out what kind of social marketing approach works best. And two, insanely popular Instagram users can’t lean on their fame to push products and projects without the proper admission. (Granted, said power users might not think point #2 is as valuable as we do.)

Previously, social stars have skirted those regulations by using more obscure hashtags like #sp for “sponsored post” rather than something straightforward like “ad”. By offering a clear, standard way for users to flag certain posts as sponsored, Instagram is effectively help manage the way brands talk to us through these beautiful mouthpieces.

Remember: this isn’t just good form. Instagram is complying with the law. Last year, the Federal Trade Commission charged Lord & Taylor with not properly disclosing a content sponsorship that saw 50 high-profile Instagram users taking “thousands of dollars” in exchange for posts featuring a specific dress. (Lord & Taylor eventually settled the case.) And just this past April, the FTC sent out 90 letters to social influencers and brands this past April to remind them that any and all promotional relationships they share should be clearly disclosed. In other words, this is now a thing.

While it’s probably unfair to ascribe maliciousness to these influencers’ actions, they remain deeply shady. Then again, what else is new? Money talks, and famous Instagrammers — no matter how flawless their preened social presences make them seem — have their price. Fortunately Instagram finally gets that it can’t let its biggest users continually flout the law. Instagram Creative Programs Director Charles Porch told TechCrunch that an “enforcement mechanism” will be put in place to ensure compliance, though we’ll have to wait and see what the company comes up with.

Via: TechCrunch

Source: Instagram

‘Ni No Kuni 2’ changes everything but the Ghibli-esque charm

Ni No Kuni 2: Revenant Kingdom is beautiful. If it’s not the detailed environment, it’s the expressive cartoon characters interacting with each other like some kind of CGI anime masterpiece. That’s due to animation director Yoshiyuki Momose’s input — he previously worked at Studio Ghibli for many years, and it still shows in the sequel coming to PS4. During the two-part demo I played at Bandai Namco’s E3 booth, cloaks fluttered in the breeze, the protagonist winced when struck with fire, and your tiny battle companions — prime plushies of the future — scuttled around the battlefield like even cuter Pikmin. The gameplay taster centered on two major boss battles, but I found myself waiting, hoping, for another sumptuous cut scene to help fill in the mysterious backstory — and distract me from the fighting.

Yes, Ni No Kuni 2 is a sequel, but it does away with the characters, lore, battle system and even the collectible monsters that fought alongside you. We’ve seen references and Easter eggs in earlier previews, and while the sequel seems to take place in very similar areas to Ni No Kuni, there are so many differences that it feels like a completely new, connected, world.

The battle system is completely different, and while the original NNK’s battles were rough at times, the fact that you battled with collectible “familiars” gave it a Pokemon-esque appeal. This time around, you have to fight for yourself, equipping a wand, a sword, weapon skills and spells to deal with intrusions.

I got to briefly explore an overworld map, and fight two boss battles, tapping into multiple skills, and support spells and buffs from those aforementioned tiny creatures that populate the battle area alongside the protagonist and his two companions. They’re call Higgledies and while they don’t deal huge amounts of direct damage to your enemies, their shields and attack support helped me evade demo-station death (the worst kind) several times. However, the battles were just.. chaotic. There’s so much going on, and while you only control the cat-eared King Evan Pettiwhisker Tildrum, this isn’t a fast-twitch action-adventure. Some loose guarding and evasion is enough to limit damage, then you spam the attacks back at your enemy. Some will connect, others won’t.

From the two battles I got to try, the system, at this early demo stage, just isn’t very fun — or if nothing else the learning curve is very steep. One battle with a fire-imbued dragon… thing, drags on. Lava rains down, molten boulders distract and your little Higgledies do their best to support you as you try to aim your water spells at your attacker. The battles look cartoonish and grand at the same time, but don’t quite have the polish and delight of the exploration and cut-scene segments. That might be because there’s just so much going on at the same time. The original Ni No Kuni’s battle system was clunky at times, so it’s easy to see why they’d try to recast it, especially after refreshing pretty much everything else in the game. This early taster suggests that Level-5 hasn’t quite nailed it, however.

Looks aren’t everything, but if NNK2 manages to offer a compelling story and a gentler introduction to combat, all while maintaining the delightful look (and sound), it might all come together on November 10th.

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