Best card games for Android

Classic card games and fantasy card worlds on your Android phone? Yes, please!

For some, card games are the ultimate way to relax. Killing time on your morning commute or unwinding at the end of your day playing card games can happen on your phone now, which is fantastic. You can play solo or face opponents in virtual game rooms anytime, day or night, in casino-style games or fantasy card games of every kind.

We’ve collected the best of both worlds with our rundown of the best card games for Android.

• The Elders Scrolls: Legends — Heroes of Skyrim
• Hearthstone Heroes of Warcraft
• CardShark
• Gin Rummy Plus
• BlackJack 21
• PokerStars Poker: Texas Holdem
• Euchre Free
• Magic: 2015
• Ascension: Chronicle of the Godslayer
• Card Crawl
• Exploding Kittens
• Cribbage With Grandpas

The Elders Scrolls: Legends — Heroes of Skyrim

At first glance, The Elders Scrolls: Legends looks to be following the steps of Blizzard and its wildly popular card-battling game Hearthstone — and that’s great news. Hearthstone blew up fast, continually extending the already expansive universe of Warcraft while building up a fanbase of millions of players.

Bethesda is clearly looking to go after that Hearthstone market with The Elders Scroll: Legends, and they’ve come out of the gate strong. Legends is a really polished game that recently launched on Android. Having got into playing Hearthstone way late into the game’s lifecycle, I enjoyed playing it but always felt like I’d never catch up with the best players who had been playing for years. If you’ve felt the same way, too, now’s the time to get in on Legends at the ground floor.

Rather than being a Hearthstone clone, Legends does introduce some new mechanics — most notably the inclusion of lanes. It’s a seemingly small change that really adds a whole layer of added strategy to how you play your cards.

TES: Legends gives you a few ways to play. Firstly, there’s the story mode that initially teaches you the ropes and lets you earn new Legend cards, decks, and packs; draft mode lets you build a deck and take on computer opponents. If you think you’re ready, test your decks against your friends or challenge online opponents in ranked battles. See you in the Arena!

Download: The Elders Scrolls: Legends — Heroes of Skyrim (Free w/IAPs)

Hearthstone Heroes of Warcraft

Hearthstone is a card-based strategy game set in a fantasy world. Play cards to cast a spell and summon your minions as you fight to win battles. Rather than go through a tutorial, you’re thrown right into introductory missions that teach you the ropes as you play. Additionally, before playing against other live players in the battle arena, you can engage in practice matches against computer-controlled heroes.

Your cards and points can be transferred from your phone to your tablet or computer, since your cards and awards are linked to your Battle.net account and will travel with you. The in-app purchases unlock new battles and give you access to rare, coveted cards.

Download Hearthstone Heroes of Warcraft (Free with in-app purchases)

CardShark

Play Classic Solitaire and a number of its variations in this multi-game app. Additional games include Limit Texas Hold ‘Em, Spades, Egyptian Ratscrew, Crazy Eights, Kings Corner, Concentration; a total of more than 40 games to choose from.

It has a good-looking 3D interface that’s easy to use and figure out for each game. The app automatically saves your games and updates to new versions as you need or as you progress in skill.

Download CardShark ($2.99)

Gin Rummy Plus

In Gin Rummy Plus, you can play live against others from all over the world or invite your friends to play at your table. It features progressive jackpots and allows you to play at various skill levels; why not hop back onto a lower-level table to hone your skills before taking on a real card shark?

There’s no need for in-app purchases in order to get more coins or progress through different games (but they’re offered if you want). Every coin earned comes right from your own skill progression. The real-time leader boards keep things competitive and give you a heads-up when you’re about to join a table of experts.

Download Gin Rummy Plus (Free with in-app purchases)

BlackJack 21

Sometimes you just want to play high stakes like you’re in Las Vegas but not drop all that money. There’s plenty of opportunities to improve your game, whether you’re an old pro or brand new to the table. The live games against real players will teach you new strategies every time. You can opt to play live, or explore other tables to get an eye on the action.

If you play your best and crack the weekly top 10 leaderboard, you’ll be eligible for fun in-app prizes! You also earn in-app Diamonds every time you play. Alternatively, you can opt to purchase them from the in-app store, but no purchase is necessary.

Download BlackJack 21 (Free with in-app purchases)

PokerStars Poker: Texas Holdem

You’ve seen the commercials for PokerStars, and it actually lives up to the hype, which isn’t always the case for such an advertised app. The poker tables are suitable for all levels, and the app features a built-in support site and forums so you can get tips and tricks from the experts. Play in tournaments or quick Sit and Go games when you have limited time. If poker is a new game for you, the app will be your teacher, and no real money will be on the line.

It’s a free download that offers in-app purchases if you want to play more competitively. You can select bundles of chips at various price points, or earn chips as you play and improve at the tables.

Download PokerStars Poker Texas Holdem (Free with in-app purchases)

Euchre Free

Euchre is a simple game to learn and it’s played in quick rounds, called tricks. Four players play in teams of two, and the goal of the game is to play your highest cards one at a time to win all the cards on the table. You and your partner earn points by strategizing which cards are best to play and when to lay down your Trump cards.

A great feature in Euchre Free is the ability to choose who you partner with and who you play against. There are levels that range from beginner to expert, so you’ll be well-matched at your table of choice. You can customize your backgrounds or use your own photos, which enhances the simple and smooth game interface. There are also hints and help available, as well as stats for every player at your table.

Download Euchre Free (Free)

Magic: 2015

The new offering from Magic is a build on Magic: The Gathering, in which you hunt mystical creatures across the Multiverse and earn cards you will use later to win battles. It’s a strategy-based trading card game with the goal of creating the ultimate deck.

You can buy booster packs via in-app purchases if you don’t want to wait to earn the big cards. You’ll have the option to play against friends or strangers to test the strength and ingenuity of your deck, so make sure you’ve stacked it well. It all might sound a bit complicated if you never played the traditional Magic card game, but the introductory tutorial lays out all the rules and goals quite well for beginners.

Download Magic:2015 (Free with in-app purchases)

Ascension: Chronicle of the Godslayer

Play in the world of Vigil, besieged by ancient monsters banished long ago and eager to return to terrorize your home. Build your arsenal of cards by earning Heroes and defeating Monster cards in every battle.

The game has an intricate backstory of characters and origins; you’ll learn to manipulate the board with the help of The Enlightened and defeat your enemies with the knowledge of The Void. Your in-app purchases can be complex sets of cards or individual cards of high game value that are tough to earn.

Download Ascension: Chronicle of the Godslayer (Free with in-app purchases)

Card Crawl

Card Crawl features solitaire-style gameplay served to you in four different game modes. Typical games last two to three minutes, so they’re perfect for commutes or quickly passing some time when you’re stuck standing in line.

As you play, you unlock ability cards and clear out dungeons to build your decks. You can check your progress against other players through an integrated leader board within Google Play.Try Card Crawl for free, and once you’re hooked, you can continue via an in-app purchase

Download Card Crawl (Free with in-app purchases)

Exploding Kittens

Exploding Kittens plays like Russian Roulette: players draw cards until someone unfortunately draws an Exploding Kitten, which ends their game. You’ll play in groups of two to five people, and you can choose to play against your friends or strangers.

It’s a deceivingly simple game and you need a solid strategy to stay alive. Hilarious cards like Nothing but cat butt keep you laughing while you try desperately not to be killed right out of the game.

Download Exploding Kittens ($1.99)

Cribbage With Grandpas

Cribbage is one of those timeless card games that has been passed down from generation to generation, and that is reflected perfectly in Cribbage With Grandpas. It’s a beautifully designed game which is unlike any other on the list, because you actually get to create and customize your opponent.

Not only are you able fine tune the look of your grandpa — perhaps you’ll model yours after your own family’s patriarch — but you’re also able to tweak their skill level and personality. Cribbage is a very social game, so you’ll be on the receiving end of some light-hearted ribbing as you play. If you’re new to cribbage, this is a great introduction that lets you practice strategies and play as many games as you’d like. There’s no multiplayer, but that’s what the physical card game is for! This is a paid app so it might be a hard sell to someone who’s never played cribbage before, but there’s a fine reason why this game is so popular.

Download: Cribbage With Grandpas ($2.99)

Show your cards!

Got a favorite card game that you’re hooked on? Shout it out in the comments below!

Updated August 2017: Added The Elders Scrolls: Legends to the list!

MetroPCS launches an impressive suite of unlimited plans

Good deal that gets better with more subscribers.

MetroPCS has announced a new unlimited plan that gets even better when more subscribers are added. The plan starts at $50 for one user, then $25 for each additional user, up to five users total.

This includes taxes and fees, so two users would have a flat $75 phone bill for unlimited talk, text, and data. MetroPCS uses T-Mobile’s network, and T-Mobile has been rapidly expanding its coverage across the country. MetroPCS notes that subscribers that use more than 32GB of data in a month may notice some slow downs when connected to more congested towers. Also, videos will stream at only 480p. Users that require tethering will be able to add 8GB of tethering data for an additional $10 per month for all users.

For comparison, AT&T’s Cricket prepaid network advertises $60 for unlimited use for one user, or two unlimited lines for $55, though the latter plan is capped at 3Mbps download speeds. Verizon’s prepaid plans start at $40 for 3GB of LTE data and goes up to $80 for unlimited data for a single user. Depending on how strong T-Mobile’s network is in your area, the new MetroPCS plans may be a great way to save some money.

Additionally, those switching to MetroPCS in need of a new phone qualify for a $100 instant rebate for each line they switch up to five lines, helping ease the costs of a new phone. Does this deal make sense for you? Let us know in the comments below!

See at MetroPCS

MetroPCS

• MetroPCS Buyer’s Guide
• Best MetroPCS Phones
• How to contact MetroPCS
• How to add a line to MetroPCS
• Can I use a Galaxy S8 on MetroPCS?

ProTip: Set your games to auto-update so you don’t miss anything!

Don’t be stuck waiting for loading screens!

We’ve all been there: at the end of a long day, we go home, turn on our gaming system… and instead of sweet gaming freedom we get to watch a progress bar meander across the screen at the speed of a slug. Fortunately, you can set your system up to automatically update your games, which will not only help you avoid this problem, but will also make sure you’re playing the newest version of your game.

Read more at VRHeads

B&O’s $40k speakers look surprisingly normal

Bang & Olufsen (B&O) has announced its latest aural offering, the BeoLab 50, which is available for an eye-watering $39,170 (£22,930) per pair. It’s billed as the company’s first ‘loudspeaker’, although this is simply the term B&O use to describe any speaker that’s larger than its usual fare, such as the BeoSound 1 or BeoLab 3.

A lot of its technology borrows from the company’s flagship BeoLab 90, produced to celebrate B&O’s 90th birthday (the design however, couldn’t be more different — the BeoLab 90, pictured below, had a lot going on). The speakers feature B&O’s Active Room Compensation technology, which uses an external microphone to measure its acoustic surroundings and then deliver optimum sound. The BeoLab 50 also comes with Acoustic Lens technology. When switched on, a ‘lens’ rises from the top of the speaker and can be put into one of two different sound dispersion settings, wide or narrow, either diffusing music throughout the whole room (good for parties) or in a more focused direction for sweet spot listening.

A total of 2,100 watts is delivered through seven drivers: three 10-inch woofers, three 4-inch midrange drivers and a single 0.74-inch tweeter, all partnered to seven 300-watt amplifiers. The whole lot is packaged neatly in a tall, slim and low-footprint body, slathered in aluminium and oak wood, as is B&O’s custom.

The BeoLab 50 isn’t B&O’s loudest speaker system, nor is it even its most expensive. But it is one of the first of this calibre designed for high-end domestic use. Of course, unless you’re a footballer or rockstar it probably isn’t going to feature in your living room any time soon.

Nintendo’s Switch news channel is giving away free ‘Zelda’ food

Who bothers to check gaming news on their Switch when there’s this little thing called Twitter? Well, Nintendo may have finally figured out a way to put its news feed to good use. It turns out, it’s using the Zelda: Breath of the Wild channel to offer hands-on tutorials, with free in-game items. To start with, the gifts are pretty boring. Instead of dishing out something cool, like horse armor, all that’s available right now are meat and apples. But that’s not to say the items won’t get better over time.

Power up your Switch and you should see the latest update to the news channel. It essentially tells players how they can feed meat or fruit to specific animals in Zelda‘s open world. Pretty straightforward thus far, right? The neat trick, however, is that when you tap the clickable link at the end of the update, you’ll spawn in-game with three pieces of food. These tend to be split between basic meat and apples. Of course, be sure to have the game in your system, otherwise it won’t work. It also seems like you can keep grabbing the items to your heart’s content. Unless, Nintendo decides to disable the link when the next update drops.

It may read like a gimmick to get you checking game promos for now, but it could be worth keeping an eye on. Especially if Nintendo keeps dishing out free stuff. For example, players would be pretty chuffed if the Splatoon 2 channel started dropping free swag. If you’re looking to populate your feed with more updates, just hit the news icon from the Switch home screen, and select find channels. Then, scroll through the list and start following the ones you like.

Source: Kotaku

Nissan settles Takata airbags lawsuit for $97.7 million

Earlier this year, we reported that Takata, the Japanese auto parts maker that was charged with criminal fraud for covering up faulty airbags, had agreed to pay a $1 billion settlement after a US federal investigation. This week, Nissan agreed to pay $97.7 million in a class-action settlement due to customers’ economic loss because of the recall of 4.4 million vehicles equipped with Takata airbag inflators.

While the car company is not admitting fault, this settlement is similar to others currently being negotiated. Autoblog reports that a federal judge preliminary approved settlements with BMW, Toyota, Subaru and Mazda for $553 million total, covering 15.8 million vehicles. Honda and Ford have not yet reached a settlement.

The settlement covers various hardships associated with the recall, including compensation for out-of-pocket expenses, rental cars and a customer support program. It’s important to note that as few as 30 percent of Nissan vehicles with these potentially dangerous Takata inflators have been fixed; another part of the settlement will cover customer outreach to contact owners of vehicles that need to be brought in. If you’re the owner of a Nissan (or any other vehicle) and want to check if your car might be equipped with Takata airbag inflators, the NTSA has a handy list of models you can check against. The list isn’t exhaustive, though, so if you want to be extra sure, you can input your car’s VIN number to check on recalls.

Source: Autoblog

Some Apple Park Employees Said to Be Dissatisfied With Open Office Design

During a new episode of The Talk Show on Daring Fireball, John Gruber touched on the topic of the open floor plans that Apple has implemented within its new campus, Apple Park. Unlike office spaces at One Infinite Loop and other Apple-owned buildings — which give most employees their own office — Apple Park sports a large open floor plan with long tables for programmers, engineers, and other employees to work at.

Apple Park’s open office spaces have been highlighted in numerous profiles on the campus, most recently by The Wall Street Journal in July, and now Gruber has reported that he’s received emails from numerous Apple employees who are particularly dissatisfied with the design (via Silicon Valley Business Journal).

Standing desks within one of Apple Park’s open offices

Judging from the private feedback I’ve gotten from some Apple employees, I’m 100% certain there’s going to be some degree of attrition based on the open floor plans. Where good employees are going to choose to leave because they don’t want to work there.

One source is said to have been with the company for 18 years. They emailed Gruber, telling him that they’re working on something that is “going to blow people’s minds when we ship,” but before that happens their team is transitioning to Apple Park. Gruber noted that the email was very level-headed and had a “perfect Apple sensibility,” but the source nevertheless said that if they don’t like the Apple Park workspaces, they’re likely to leave the company after the product ships.

Gruber said he got a “couple of similar emails,” with employees stating that they won’t outright quit before they move to Apple Park, but if it’s as bad as they think it’s going to be then they will consider leaving Apple. During the podcast, Gruber and special guest Glenn Fleishman pointed out numerous disadvantages to an open work space, particularly for coders and programmers who aren’t used to a lot of foot traffic and noise in their vicinity while they work.

Gruber went on to mention Apple vice president Johny Srouji as one of the employees dissatisfied with the Apple Park office spaces. Srouji was allegedly so against the changes that Apple “built his team their own building” outside of the main spaceship building.

“I heard that when floor plans were announced, that there was some meeting with [Apple Vice President] Johny Srouji’s team,” said Gruber. “He’s in charge of Apple’s silicon, the A10, the A11, all of their custom silicon. Obviously a very successful group at Apple, and a large and growing one with a lot on their shoulders.”

Gruber continued, “When he [Srouji] was shown the floor plans, he was more or less just ‘F— that, f— you, f— this, this is bulls—.’ And they built his team their own building, off to the side on the campus … My understanding is that that building was built because Srouji was like, ‘F–— this, my team isn’t working like this.’”

The idea that open work spaces at Apple Park could potentially “irk” employees goes back to some of the original profiles on the building. Last year, Bloomberg explained that there will be “few traditional offices” at Apple Park, and management will have to be at a vice president level or above to get their own formal office space, although there is reportedly potential for employees below this level to be eligible. During the company’s presentations to the Cupertino city council, Apple’s viewpoint indicated an open floor plan is “conducive to collaboration between teams.”

In other Apple Park news, some Snapchat users have recently noticed that a handful of construction workers and visitors at the campus have been taking enough snaps to accumulate into a Snapchat Story of its own. If you’re on the app, you can search “Apple Park” from the main screen to find the Story. The new “Snap Map” also shows an increase in picture-taking activity at Apple Park.

Apple Park opened to the first round of employees over the summer, and the campus will eventually house close to 12,000 workers. Over the past few years, drone footage has consistently documented construction on the site, originally referred to as Apple Campus 2, with more recent updates focusing on the advancements made to the area’s landscaping and the Steve Jobs Theater.

Tag: Apple Park
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Sonnet Launches Thunderbolt 3 to Dual DisplayPort Adapter Compatible With Mac

Sonnet today released a Thunderbolt 3 to dual DisplayPort adapter compatible with both Mac and Windows PCs.

The bus-powered device enables users to connect up to two 4K Ultra HD displays or one 5K display with DisplayPort to a single Thunderbolt 3 port, each at 60Hz, including the 2016 or later MacBook Pro. The adapter also works with displays with lower resolutions like 1,920×1,080 or 2,560×1,440.

The adapter is also compatible with “active” DisplayPort-to-HDMI, DisplayPort-to-DVI, and DisplayPort-to-VGA adapters.

Sonnet’s Thunderbolt 3 to dual DisplayPort adapter can be purchased on its website for $79 in the United States, although the company’s press release says it has a suggested price of $89. DisplayPort cables are sold separately.

StarTech also sells a Thunderbolt 3 to dual DisplayPort adapter for $78.99 on B&H, but it’s only compatible with Windows.

Tags: DisplayPort, Thunderbolt 3
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Automated English visa test struggles to understand English

An Irish veterinarian’s application for an Australian visa has been rejected after she failed to pass an automated English proficiency test, despite completing it in her native language of… English. Louise Kennedy, who has two degrees (both obtained in English), wanted to apply for permanent residency in the country on the grounds of her job, which is classed as a shortage profession. Despite acing the reading and writing parts of the test she didn’t score highly enough on oral fluency, as it seems the machines couldn’t understand her accent.

The Pearson Test of English (PTE) Academic is an automated system that asks applicants a number of questions and records their vocal responses which are analyzed and scored. The Australian government demands a score of at least 79 points. Kennedy scored 74.

Speaking to The Guardian, Kennedy — who is now considering other options for staying in the county — said: “There’s obviously a flaw in their computer software when a person with perfect oral fluency cannot get enough points.” Yet Pearson categorically denies there’s anything wrong with its test or scoring engine, noting that Australia has very high immigration requirements (and President Trump is full of admiration for Prime Minister Turnbull’s stance on the issue).

In light of Germany’s recent announcement that it plans to use voice recognition to identify refugee origins, Kennedy’s struggle throws into question the viability of relying on automation for this purpose. It’s one thing when an accent means Siri doesn’t understand mundane commands, but entirely another when people’s futures are at stake.

Via: Gizmodo

EPA docs reveal how Tesla’s long-range Model 3 covers 310 miles

Elon Musk once said that Tesla couldn’t fit a 100kWh battery into the Model 3, but he didn’t specify what kind of battery the car will have. Now, a bunch of EPA certification documents have finally revealed that the long-range version of the all-electric sedan is equipped with a 350-volt, 230-amp-hour battery pack. If you compute for the battery’s kilowatt-hour value using those numbers, you’ll get 80.5kWh of max capacity. That’s what gives the long-range Model 3 variant the power to travel 310 miles between charges, only 5 miles shorter than the 315-mile range of the Model S and X. Tesla upgraded those vehicles’ batteries to 100kWh in late 2016.

Some Model 3 specs …. pic.twitter.com/QXtwlvQPzN

— Bonnie Norman (@bonnienorman) July 29, 2017

In addition to demystifying the long-range Model 3’s battery, the EPA documents have also revealed that the EV relies on a 258-horsepower motor. The documents detail the test procedures the vehicle underwent, as well, along with their results.

EPA’s docs are all about the $44,000 long-range model, though, and contain nothing about the standard variant. Considering the standard version can only go 220 miles on one charge — and costs $9,000 cheaper — it most likely has a smaller battery pack. If you do get the long-range Model 3, you’ll have a car that can run up to 140 mph and has the ability to go from rest to 60mph in 5.1 seconds on top of being able to cover 310 miles in one go.

Via: Autoblog

Source: US Environmental Protection Agency (PDF)