You’ll need your phone to get into Miami Heat home games

You can’t collect ticket stubs for Miami Heat home games anymore, because the team is shifting to mobile-only entry. Even if buy your ticket from American Airlines Arena’s box office, you’ll still have to present your phone at the entrance to get in. While other teams also have mobile ticketing, Heat is the the first to completely ditch paper tickets. A spokesperson said in a statement that the team decided to go mobile only after looking at figures and realizing that one in three audience member used a digital ticket last season anyway.

The spokesperson also said that NBA teams are shifting to mobile tickets to reduce fraud. Like other types of digital transaction, though, it will also give them a chance to gather more info about their audiences, which could lead to more opportunities to market goods and services. To buy digital tickets for the team’s home games, you’ll have to download Heat’s official app from Google Play or iTunes. Go to the events tab to buy one… and don’t leave your phone at home when you go to the game.

Source: NBA, NBC Miami, ESPN

Google Rolls Out Anti-Phishing Feature to Gmail on iOS

Google introduced an anti-phishing feature for Gmail on Android earlier this year after millions of users were affected by a widespread attack. On Thursday, the company announced it is now extending the functionality to the iOS version of its mail app to protect users on Apple devices.

Going forward, whenever a user clicks on a suspicious link in a Gmail message on iPhone or iPad, Gmail will show a prompt warning them of visiting the associated site.

The cautionary feature is actually double-layered, so if users choose to proceed after the first dialog, they will be shown a page warning them against visiting the original URL given the high likelihood that it’s a forgery.

Users don’t need to install any updates to see the new anti-phishing feature as it will appear in accounts automatically, although Google says rollout could take up to 15 days for all users to see the change as it propagates through Gmail’s scheduled and rapid release tracks.

Gmail is a free download for iPhone and iPad available on the App Store. [Direct Link]

Tags: Google, Gmail
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Microsoft claims Surface reliability isn’t really that bad

Consumer Reports said that it would no longer recommend Microsoft’s Surface laptops and tablets because of “poor predicted reliability” compared to other brands, based on its surveys. Now Microsoft has responded, with a statement saying that it is “disappointed” in the decision and providing some of its own data.

Panos Panay, Corporate Vice President, Microsoft Devices:

We are proud of our products and the amazing things our customers are doing with them. We stand firmly behind the quality and reliability of the Surface family of devices, and I can confidently tell you there has never been a better time to buy a Surface.

The company says it has “learned a lot” while building Surface devices, with 1-2 failure and actual return rates for the Surface Pro 4 and Surface Book that are “significantly” lower than the 25 percent number CR found. Meanwhile, its “incidents per unit” is claimed to have improved to the point that is below one percent. The Surface line has certainly had its share of issues over the years, with some issues fixed via software updates, but it’s tough to say who is right on this one — most of the laptops I’ve had from any company have failed to last beyond a year without at least one significant issue.

Source: Microsoft

Nintendo faces lawsuit over the Switch’s detachable controllers

The Nintendo Switch certainly isn’t the first gaming tablet, but is it directly riffing on others’ ideas? Gamevice thinks so. The accessory maker is suing Nintendo for allegedly violating a patent for concepts used in the Wikipad, its gaming-oriented Android slate, as well as its namesake add-on controllers for phones and tablets. According to the suit, the Switch and its removable Joy-Con controllers are too close to Gamevice’s vision of a combination of detachable game controller and a device with a “flexible bridge section.” Not surprisingly, the lawsuit calls for both damages and a ban on Switch sales.

Gamevice declined to comment on the lawsuit. We’ve reached out to Nintendo as well, and will let you know if it has a response.

In some ways, the lawsuit is an epilogue to a long-running story. The Wikipad team started out with grand plans for tablet gaming in 2012, when it promised elaborate features as glasses-free 3D and game streaming. However, it didn’t work out that way: delays and a rethink prompted a change in design, and while the Wikipad did receive some acclaim, Gamevice eventually dropped it in favor of its add-ons for phones and tablets. Although Nintendo’s Switch clearly has some differences (it’s intended more as a hybrid TV and portable console, for one thing), it’s effectively showing what could have been if the Wikipad had taken off.

Source: RPX Insight

LG might finally enable FM radios in US phones

Radio might be so last century, but it’s a cheap and effective format for broadcasting media — and it won’t cost you any data to tune into. Many foreign-built smartphones actually come with radio tuners, but they’re hard to find in devices meant for the US — if they aren’t disabled by carriers. LG is partnering with NextRadio to provide free access to FM radio for users in the Americas who buy the device maker’s future smartphones.

The process doesn’t sound complicated: LG will simply enable FM chips in its devices to come, and so long as carriers are cool with it, preinstall the NextRadio app to give users access to local stations. Sure, regressing back to radio means you’ll have to deal with commercials again, but FM uses 20 times less data and 3 times less battery than data-guzzling streaming radio services, claims NextRadio’s press release.

Whether users are willing to forgo their song-choosing autonomy and subject themselves to the Billboard Top 40 is another question. At least this is a solution for folks with simpler handsets or those who don’t have huge data plans, but most users have been effectively weaned on a sizeable data budget per month. It’s unclear whether this feature will get much use in the US.

It’s unclear which upcoming LG phones will benefit from this deal and come ready to tune into FM broadcasts, let alone which carriers would allow the NextRadio app to come installed. We’ve reached out to LG and will include their response when we hear back.

Via: 9to5Google

Source: Android Police

‘Battlefield 1’ joins EA’s on-demand gaming service

With EA Access’ all-you-can-eat video game service, you can play full versions of the publisher’s games, which include big name titles like Titanfall 2, Mass Effect: Andromeda, and FIFA 17. Today, the video game publisher tweeted that its popular shooter Battlefield 1 is now available for subscribers on Xbox One.

Battlefield 1 is in the Vault. Available now with EA Access for Xbox One. pic.twitter.com/yL8in4NwCJ

— Battlefield (@Battlefield) August 10, 2017

The fifteenth installment of the popular EA game series, Battlefield 1 takes players back to World War 1, something of a departure for the franchise. It added a playable female soldier class for the first time this past May, with four other DLC packs scheduled this year. Now that the game is in the EA Access Vault, you can pay your $5 per month fee and play it (and the more than 45 other titles) as often and as much as you want.

Source: Battlefield/Twitter

‘Hearthstone’s ‘Knights of the Frozen Throne’ expansion is live

Blizzard’s digital card game Hearthstone’s newest full expansion is now live. Knights of the Frozen Throne brings 135 new cards and free solo content to the title and a couple new mechanics, which will shake up the game’s competitive meta. Sure, it’s a lot of what we’ve come to expect from a Hearthstone expansion, but who can complain about new additions to tried-and-true gameplay?

Be careful what you say, you never know who might answer back. #FrozenThrone is now live for the Americas region! https://t.co/ud6lLAV2wC pic.twitter.com/dKZgoWH00V

— Hearthstone (@PlayHearthstone) August 10, 2017

As we previewed back in July, Knights of the Frozen Throne brings a couple new mechanics to the game. The first, Lifesteal, does what it says on the tin: Damage dealt gives life to your hero. (Certain old cards with essentially the same function, like tiny taunt king Wickerflame Burnbristle, have been retroactively re-labeled with this mechanic.) The expansion’s other new feature are Hero Cards, which change your hero’s appearance and power. In keeping with Knights’ theme, these Hero Cards will change the player into fearsome death knights with appropriate undead abilities.

The expansion’s card pool, which r/Hearthstone has helpfully collected in one place, harnesses the new mechanics (and, yes, the Frozen Throne’s big baddie The Lich King gets his own card). But there are also several clever, never-before-seen interactions that should delight deck tinkerers. The last expansion, Journey to Un’goro, raised the bar with a set full of high-quality cards and relatively few clunkers. It’s a high standard for Knights to live up to, but the collection looks intriguing. How could it not with amazing cards like Bearshark?

But the expansion also brings a highly-awaited game mode back. At the beginning of 2017, Blizzard announced that it would ditch the smaller Adventure content releases in favor of three full-size expansions per year. While that means more cards to tinker with, it also angered some players who enjoyed the solo expeditions in each Adventure. To make up for it, Knights features single-player Missions absolutely free that award cards for completion (including a random legendary Hero Card at the end of the prologue). That — along with the three free Knights packs gifted to all players today — is Blizzard’s way of trying to make up for how much more expensive it will be to get all of this year’s content.

Source: Blizzard

Gaming chat app Discord tests video calls and screen sharing

Discord, the Slack-like gaming chat app, has been steadily improving since its initial launch a couple of years ago. Last January, it added a $5 paid tier for fans to essentially thank the company — the bonuses simply include GIF avatars, custom emoji and a bigger file upload limit. It secretly raised $50 million last month, as well. That extra cash may be why the Discord team is able to start rolling out two of its most-requested features, video chat and screen sharing.

The team is testing the two new features with 5 percent of its current members to make sure its servers can handle the big bump in server traffic represented by video data. Desktop app users will get the feature first, with roll outs planned for mobile and web users soon. The test run will last a month or so, which is when Discord plans to open up the features to all users.

For now, video chat and screen sharing is only available in one-to-one Discord calls or within direct message groups of up to 10 people, so you’ll need to start one to see the video options (the team recommends five users at once for best quality). You can switch between your screen share and webcam video at will, making it easy to connect with your gamer buddies face to face and plot your strategy on paper. If you click away from the video call, you’ll get a neat little picture-in-picture screen so you can stay chatting while you check out other Discord channels.

If you’re one of the lucky few to get the new feature this week, don’t plan everything going smoothly. “Thanks for your patience as we develop this feature,” writes Discord’s Nelly on Medium. “If you’re part of the initial rollout, please submit any bumps, bugs, and bruises to us so we can get those fixed.”

Source: Discord/Medium

Puzzle Game ‘Colorcube’ Available for Free as Apple’s App of the Week

Each week, Apple chooses an “App of the Week” to highlight, which means it can be downloaded for free. This week’s pick is a puzzle game named Colorcube, which is normally priced at $0.99 and has never been free before since its July 2016 release.

Colorcube requires players to turn differently shaped pieces to blend colors and solve puzzles. The game is described as a “minimal yet visually stunning puzzler” with more than 250 levels. Apple’s editorial description for the pick is below:

Calming colors? Check. Ambient soundtrack? Check. A refreshingly simple premise? Check. Colorcube has all the right ingredients for the perfect chill-out session at the end of a long day. With hundreds of levels to complete, this deceptively challenging game is as stimulating as it is serene… and surprisingly compelling to boot.

Colorcube can be downloaded for free for the next seven days, and after that, a new App of the Week will be chosen. [Direct Link]

Tag: App of the Week
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EVGA’s latest SC17 laptop provides pure overclocking bliss for mobile PC gamers

Why it matters to you

PC gamers looking for a high-powered laptop have a new overclock-friendly option from EVGA packing GTX 1080 graphics.

There is a new gaming laptop in town from graphics card and motherboard maker EVGA. It is the latest entry in the SC17 laptop family, packing a 17.3-inch screen, Nvidia GeForce GTX 1080 graphics, and Intel’s seventh-generation Core i7-7820HK unlocked processor. The new model joins EVGA’s three other configurations based on the GTX 1070 and GTX 980M graphics chips starting at $2,300.

Here are the hardware specifications:

Display Size:
17.3 inches
Display Type:
In-Plane Switching with G-Sync
Display Resolution:
3,840 x 2,160
Processor:
Intel Core i7-7820HK
Graphics:
Nvidia GeForce GTX 1080 (8GB GDDR5X)
Memory:
32GB DDR4 at 2,666MHz (2x 16GB)
Storage:
1x 256GB M.2 NVMe SSD (PCI Express)
1x 1TB 7,200RPM HDD (SATA 3)
Audio:
Realtek ALC 255 Stereo
Connectivity:
Dual-band Intel AC-8265 (Up to 867Mbps)
Bluetooth 4.2
Ports:
3x USB 3.1 Gen1 Type-A
1x Thunderbolt 3 Type-C
1x HDMI 2.0b
2x Mini DisplayPort 1.4
1x Gigabit Ethernet port
1x Microphone jack
1x Headphone jack
Webcam:
1,920 x 1,080 with integrated digital mic
Inputs:
Full-size backlit (white) keyboard with number pad
Synaptics Clickpad 1.5
Dimensions:
16 x 11.6 (L) x 1.3 (H) inches
Weight:
8.9 pounds
Operating System:
Windows 10 Home 64-Bit
Price:
$3,000

As the specs show, the laptop is fully loaded for $3,000. The screen is based on in-plane switching (IPS) technology, which is becoming the standard due to its brilliant colors and wide viewing angles. By contrast, the older twisted nematic (TN) technology has a higher brightness and faster response time, and it is typically associated with gaming. But TN panels are seemingly taking a back seat as IPS technology matures and slowly becomes the current standard.

The SC17 laptop’s display also supports Nvidia’s G-Sync technology. This will synchronize the frame output of a GeForce graphics chip with the refresh rate of the panel to prevent visual screen tearing and stuttering. Without G-Sync, you will see these artifacts because the number of times the display refreshes each second does not match the fluctuating rate of the frames generated each second by the graphics chip.

In staying with the display theme, G-Sync supports one external monitor along with the built-in panel. The monitor can have a 3,840 x 2,160 resolution at 60Hz, or a 2,048 x 1,080 resolution at 120Hz. Outside of the laptop’s three obvious video outputs, the Thunderbolt 3 port can also be used for an external display supporting a resolution up to 4,096 x 2,160 at 60Hz. Note that the processor can only handle three displays at one time.

As for the processor, it is a four-core chip with a base speed of 2.90GHz and a maximum turbo speed of 3.90GHz. Intel’s CPU is unlocked in the SC17 laptop, thus EVGA provides plenty of tools for overclocking the hardware. These include a graphics-rich BIOS providing full control over the hardware, and EVGA’s PrecisionX Mobile tool for Windows tuning. EVGA Express OC relies on the up/down arrow keys to easily overclock or downclock the components.

“A Clear CMOS button directly on the chassis helps you recover from an unstable overclock, and custom fan curve control keeps your laptop cool and quiet. This is the world’s first true overclocking laptop,” the company adds.

Head here to grab EVGA’s new $3,000 gaming laptop.