What’s your favorite keyboard app?

With so many keyboard apps to choose from, picking just one can be a challenge.

We all know that user customization is one of Android’s highlights, and one of the areas where this is seen is with the ability to download third-party keyboard apps. This is something that Apple eventually added to iOS in 2014, but even today in early 2018, third-party keyboards are still the best in camp Android.

The Google Play Store is filled with different options to choose from, and while there is some garbage here and there, there are also a lot of excellent ones available. Our forum users recently shared their thoughts on which keyboard app they like the best, and these are a few of the top answers.

MooMooPrincess
01-16-2018 10:25 PM

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Gboard, swiftkey, go keyboards are the ones I recommend. Fleksy is alright, touch responsiveness is meh at times

Reply

sanyka78
01-16-2018 10:43 PM

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BlackBerry keyboard made a huge difference for me. Love it comparing to stock.

Reply

amyf27
01-17-2018 05:56 AM

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I’m currently using the stock keyboard, but have had good luck with Touchpal’s Leather keyboard. Only issue with them is they have some ads. I haven’t really messed around much with keyboards, but may try a few other ones out. I’m very picky with how they look I like the stock keyboard because it will show my theme behind it – currently have a leather theme that shows on my backgrounds -…

Reply

Aquila
01-17-2018 01:45 PM

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Gboard by a long ways, distant second choice would probably be SwiftKey, but it’s been going downhill over the last 3 years and Gboard is widening the gap.

Reply

BaconDanny
01-18-2018 12:55 AM

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I’ve been using Fleksy for the last couple years and I love it. It has swipe gestures for deleting the last word and for swapping between autocorrect suggestions, and I’ve gotten extremely accustomed to it and when I use a keyboard without it I feel frustrated.
The autocorrect works well and the keyboard is fast and customizable.

Try it out 🙂

Reply

How about you – What’s your favorite keyboard app?

Join the conversation in the forums!

Here’s the first teaser trailer for ‘Harry Potter: Hogwarts Mystery’

Harry Potter: Hogwarts Mystery is shaping up to one of the most personal games in the Wizarding World yet.

The year of 2018 already has a lot of promise for Harry Potter fans. In addition to Niantic’s Harry Potter: Wizards Unite AR game that’s coming out at some point over the next 12 months, we’ll also be getting a mobile RPG title in the form of Harry Potter: Hogwarts Mystery. This game was first announced in mid-December, and now we have an even better idea of what it’ll offer thanks to the first official teaser trailer.

Hogwarts Mystery takes place between Harry Potter’s birth and his first year at Hogwarts, and you’ll create your own character and live out the wizard or witch life you’ve always wanted. There’s full avatar customization, skill upgrades, and (of course) the ability to choose your own pet.

After being placed in one of Hogwarts’ four Houses, players will attend classes, learn new spells, unlock new locations to visit, and even battle with other students.

Jam City (the developer of the game) promises that Hogwarts Mystery will offer “both large plot arcs and smaller stories”, and if all of this pays off the way it’s being promoted, we could be in for a real treat.

There’s still no final release date for Harry Potter: Hogwarts Mystery, but until we learn more about that, what are your initial thoughts about the game?

Pokémon Go developer announces Harry Potter: Wizards Unite

Best Game Controllers for Android in 2018

• Best overall
• Best for portability
• Best value

Best Overall

SteelSeries Stratus XL

See at Amazon

If you want a no-compromises controller, something that feels just like the controller you use when you’re sitting in front of your television, SteelSeries has what you need. These controllers look and feel solid. No cheap buttons, wiggly joysticks, or any of the typical problems you find with cheap mobile gaming controllers. You’re getting what you pay for here, which means you’re paying a little more than you would for the average gamepad.

Bottom line: If you want the best controller for your gaming, SteelSeries built the Stratus controller for you.

One more thing: This version of the controller only comes in black. If you see a white version of this controller, it’s the iOS-only version and won’t work with your Android phone.

Why the SteelSeries Stratus XL is the best

It’s basically an Xbox Controller, which is exactly what you want if you’re gaming for extended periods.

Microsoft and Sony spend an insane amount of money engineering controllers, because research shows how the different grip design and button placements lead to longer gameplay sessions. When you’re looking for a controller for a phone, it doesn’t make a ton of sense to drift very far from what you know works. SteelSeries borrows quite a bit from the Xbox One design, and it shows when you’re able to comfortably play for extended periods of time.

This controller delivers plenty of battery, a strong connection to the phone, and a quality feel when playing. It’s the perfect gamepad for playing games during a long flight, or during a lunch break at work. It’s comfortable, durable, and capable, exactly what you want if your goal is to own the best possible controller for your gaming needs.

Best for portability

Moga Hero Power

See at Amazon

Playing games when mobile frequently means not having the best place to put your phone when playing. The natural solution is to have a controller that actually holds your phone, and the Moga Hero Power is the best controller for that ultra-portable experience.

It’s designed to be more flat than a standard console controller, so it easily slides into a bag and doesn’t take up much space. When it’s time to play, lift up the center section and drop your phone into the grip. You now have a controller you can take anywhere that lets you play just about anything.

Just don’t walk and play, or video of your epic wall smash will absolutely make it to YouTube.

Bottom line: If portability is what you need, Moga offers the best with the Hero Power controller.

Best Value

8BitDo Zero

See at Amazon

Can we all take a moment to stop and appreciate how small and functional this controller is? It’s a classic SNES format in a package small enough that you could hang it from your car keys. That’s damned impressive.

8BitDo has a history of making quality hardware that appeals to Nintendo nerds, and this latest version if no exception. The buttons are nice and tactile, the battery will last for several days of gaming, and it even comes with a wrist strap just in case.

The big feature here, aside from the physical size, is the price. This controller is available for under $20, so you can grab one cheap and not be terribly concerned with what happens if it doesn’t survive the washing machine because you forgot to check your pockets again.

Bottom line: It’s small, cheap, and sturdy. You want this controller.

Conclusion

There is no such thing as one kind of gamer. If you want a controller for your phone that feels like a console controller, get yourself the SteelSeries Stratus. If portability is the most important feature, the Moga Hero Power is what you need. For those on a budget, or just want something pocketable, 8BitDo nails it with the Zero. Either way you win, because each of these are exceptional controllers delivering quality gaming experiences. Have fun!

Best overall

SteelSeries Stratus XL

See at Amazon

If you want a no-compromises controller, something that feels just like the controller you use when you’re sitting in front of your television, SteelSeries has what you need. These controllers look and feel solid. No cheap buttons, wiggly joysticks, or any of the typical problems you find with cheap mobile gaming controllers. You’re getting what you pay for here, which means you’re paying a little more than you would for the average gamepad.

Bottom line: If you want the best controller for your gaming, SteelSeries built the Stratus controller for you.

One more thing: This version of the controller only comes in black. If you see a white version of this controller, it’s the iOS-only version and won’t work with your Android phone.

Updated January 2018: We’ve refreshed this page with our favorite gaming controllers for Android!

This is what the Google Pixel 2 could have looked like

Google’s lead hardware designer Ivy Ross shares early design concepts for the Pixel 2, Pixelbook, and more.

If you’re a fan of the design for any of Google’s latest products that were announced last October, the woman you’d want to thank is Ivy Ross. Ross is in charge of Google’s design team for its hardware division, and Google’s official blog ‘The Keyword’ recently interviewed her as part of its The She Word series.

I highly recommend checking out the entire interview as it’s an excellent read, but one of the most interesting tidbits to come out of it are early design concepts for the Pixel 2, Pixelbook, and Daydream View headset.

As you can see above, Ross and her team tested a ton of different designs for the Pixel 2 before settling on the final version. All of the concepts have a two-tone design with the glass and metal back, but some of them had bodies that were wider, blockier, and had different-sized camera sensors.

We also have a look at a couple different designs for the Pixelbook, both of which feature glass that took up about half of the front as opposed to the smaller glass window Google ended up choosing. It also looks like Ross toyed with the idea of having the window in a black paint job, meaning we could have gotten a panda Pixelbook alongside the Panda Pixel 2 XL.

In the photos below, you can also see early designs for the Daydream View (one of which had holes on the front…yuck), color swatches that were tested for the Home Mini, and different fabrics that were considered for the Pixel 2’s fabric cases.

I’m more than happy with the final products Ross and Google chose, but it’s still interesting to get a look at what could have been. What are your thoughts on these early design concepts?

Google Pixel 2 and Pixel 2 XL

• Pixel 2 FAQ: Everything you need to know!
• Google Pixel 2 and 2 XL review: The new standard
• Google Pixel 2 specs
• Google Pixel 2 vs. Pixel 2 XL: What’s the difference?
• Join our Pixel 2 forums

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VeeR VR Editor is the best editing app for your 360-degree photos

VeeR VR Editor delivers an excellent editor for your 360-degree photos.

After you’ve captured the amazing panorama of your vacation spot or an epic shot of a snowball fight in action, you may take a look and decide that you want to make a few adjustments to your 360-degree photos. Whether this means adjusting the orientation of the photo or tweaking the light balance to make sure everything is clear and easy to see, having the right app for the job is integral.

VeeR VR Editor delivers a stellar experience for editing your photos and gives you access to everything you need to get things just right. I’ve got the details for you here!

Download: VeeR VR Editor(Free)

Why VeeR VR Editor is the best

If you’ve edited 360-degree videos in the past, then you may already be acquainted with VeeR VR Editor, but it isn’t just for videos. You can also take advantage of a robust set of features that will let you tweak your photos as well. While there are a number of other photo editors out there, VeeR VR wins out by virtue of the features it offers and how easy it is to use them.

The features

VeeR VR Editor gives you access to three different sets of features, which you can access via the buttons at the bottom of your screen.

Your first set of features is denoted by button that looks like three interconnected circles. This is where you’ll find the tools to adjust what your photo looks like. There are over a dozen filters that you can use to quickly change the tone of your photo without tweaking things individually. There are also the full adjustment options. These include the ability to adjust the contrast, exposure, saturation, warmth, tint, and toning.

The second button looks like an emoji in blue, and under that, you’ll find stickers that can be placed on your photo. There are tons of them to choose from, including seasonal stickers, classic emoji, and fun items like glasses or beards. Once you place a sticker on your photo, you’re able to pick exactly where you want to place it, whether it should sit at an angle, and best of all, the size of the sticker. This can lead to fun options like putting silly glasses on a friend or covering the sun with a smiling sticker version.

The last button gives you limited text options. While you can add text to your photos and change the color of the text, that’s all you can do. There are no options for changing the size or the angle of the text when it is displayed on your photo.

If you’ve never really edited a photo before, aside from choosing the perfect Instagram photo, then you’re going to recognize the filters within VeeR VR. Likewise, picking stickers or adding text is easy and generally just requires a few taps. If you like having more control, then fine-tuning is handled using slider bars. This also means folks new to editing can still play with the adjustments without having to lose their other edits to learn the ins and outs.

VeeR VR Editor makes adjusting your photos easy

While there are a few other options for editing for 360-degree photos, VeeR VR Editor does the best job by a long shot. It gives you access to plenty of features, but never overwhelms you with too much all at once. Saving and sharing your edits is just as easy, which means you’ll be able to show your friends the amazing sights you’re capturing. It’s easily the best app for editing your 360-degree photos.

Download: VeeR VR Editor(Free)

Honor View 10 update adds face unlock, January security patch, and more

The update is rolling out now and should reach everyone by January 24.

The Honor View 10 is an incredible phone, and in case you missed Hayato’s full review, you should absolutely check it out. The View 10 packs a serious punch for its price of just £449, and a new software update that’s now rolling out to the phone makes it even better.

One of the biggest things this update brings is a new face unlock feature. As you’d expect, this enables the View 10 to be unlocked by just looking at it. It’s something that we’ve seen in a lot of phones since the iPhone X, but where the View 10 goes a step further is by mimicking Apple even more with a smart notification setting that only reveals notification info on your lock screen once it recognizes your face.

The View 10 can also automatically rotate its screen based on the orientation of your face, you can choose to have the display turn on every time the phone’s picked up, and the screen will now stay on as long as you’re looking at it.

Last but not least, Honor has also added the latest January 2018 security patch and protection against the Meltdown vulnerability.

Honor is rolling out the View 10’s update in batches, and it should be available to everyone by January 24.

Honor View 10 review: Shaking up the affordable flagship space

These are the 20 cities where Amazon’s next HQ could be located

Chicago, Indianapolis, Los Angeles, and NYC are among the contenders.

After taking over most of Seattle, Amazon announced plans in early September last year for building a second headquarters that’s being referred to as HQ2. Although a final location has still yet to be determined, we’re now one step closer to this with Amazon’s shortlist of 20 potential candidates.

When Amazon initially announced HQ2, it said that the new location would have to have over 1 million residents and be within a 45-mile range to an international airport. The 20 cities that have been chosen all meet those requirements, and they include the following:

• Atlanta, GA
• Austin, TX
• Boston, MA
• Chicago, IL
• Columbus, OH
• Dallas, TX
• Denver, CO
• Indianapolis, IN
• Los Angeles, CA
• Miami, FL
• Montgomery County, MD
• Nashville, TV
• Newark, NJ
• New York City, NY
• Northern Virginia, VA
• Philadelphia, PA
• Pittsburgh, PA
• Raleigh, NC
• Toronto, ON
• Washington, D.C.

Amazon says that 238 total communities submitted proposals to be considered for HQ2 and that “through this process we learned about many new communities across North America that we will consider as locations for future infrastructure investment and job creation.”

Something that Amazon’s been very adamant about is the fact that HQ2 will not be a satellite campus and very much be a proper headquarters. Amazon estimates that more than $5 billion will be invested into HQ2’s creation and that it’ll accommodate 50,000 new jobs and tens of thousands of additional jobs with its construction, maintenance, etc.

If you live in one of the above cities, are you hoping that Amazon chooses it as the location for HQ2?

Amazon’s looking to take over a(nother) town near you!

China uses facial recognition to monitor ethnic minorities

China is adding facial recognition to its overarching surveillance systems in Xinjiang, a Muslim-dominated region in the country’s far west that critics claim is under abusive security controls. The geo-fencing tools alert authorities when targets venture beyond a designated 300-meter safe zone, according to an anonymous source who spoke to Bloomberg.

Managed by a state-run defense contractor, the so-called “alert project” matches faces from surveillance camera footage to a watchlist of suspects. The pilot forms part of the company’s efforts to thwart terrorist attacks by collecting the biometric data of millions of citizens (aged between 12 to 65), which is then linked to China’s household registration ID cards.

Beijing insists the strict security measures are necessary to tackle numerous incidents of violence and unrest, which it links to Islamic extremists. But activists, including Human Rights Watch, have condemned the policies as a “violation of international human rights norms.” China has also been called out for restricting the religious freedoms of the region’s 10 million ethnic Uyghurs, most of who are muslims, and for imposing travel restrictions on those belonging to the ethnic minority.

China boasts the world’s largest monitoring system, with roughly 170 million CCTV cameras across the country, with plans to install 400 million new ones over the next three years. It now plans to add facial recognition to the mix with the help of AI firms in a bid to understand the mound of video evidence, and track suspects and even predict crimes (Minority Report style).

Source: Bloomberg

Amazon picks 20 finalist cities for its next major HQ

After poring through 238 applications in the US, Canada and Mexico, Amazon has narrowed the list of cities for its next major headquarters to 20 candidates. Most of the centers picked by the Seattle-based company for its “HQ2,” like Boston, New York City and Austin already have strong tech sectors. However, there were a few dark horse picks, including Columbus, OH, Raleigh, NC and Toronto, Canada.

The 218 cities not chosen needn’t hang their heads, said Amazon. “Getting from 238 to 20 was very tough — all the proposals showed tremendous enthusiasm and creativity,” said Amazon’s Holly Sullivan. “Through this process we learned about many new communities across North America that we will consider as locations for future infrastructure investment and job creation.”

Still, a lot of communities will no doubt be crushed. Many went to a lot of trouble, including Kansas City Mayor Sly James, who purchased a thousand Amazon products for charity, and promised to review every single one of them for the site. Tucson erected a giant cactus in Seattle, while a Calgary group promised to fight a bear and change the city’s name to “Calmazon.”

Thank you to all 238 communities that submitted proposals. Getting from 238 to 20 was very tough –- all the proposals showed tremendous enthusiasm and creativity. Through this process we learned about many new communities across North America that we will consider as locations for future infrastructure investment and job creation.

Other cities like Chicago and Newark were more pragmatic, offering big tax credits to Amazon (both made the cut). Such moves drew a fair amount of criticism from local groups who say that Amazon often ends up crushing local businesses and displacing low-income residents.

Amazon whittled the cities down based on “the criteria outlined in the RFP (request for proposal),” but didn’t give any more details as to why. Amazon will now ask the 20 remaining HQ2 cities to elaborate on their proposals, answer Amazon’s questions and explain how it will be able to fulfill its hiring needs.

The reward will be a $5 billion investment in HQ2 and as many as 50,000 high-paying jobs, said Amazon. That’s on top of the tens of thousands of jobs that will be created during the construction process, and secondary employment to support all the folks who’ll work there.

If you’re wondering if you’re city made the grade, here’s the final list:

Atlanta, GA; Austin, TX; Boston, MA; Chicago, IL; Columbus, OH; Dallas, TX; Denver, CO; Indianapolis, IN; Los Angeles, CA; Miami, FL; Montgomery County, MD; Nashville, TN; Newark, NJ; New York City, NY; Northern Virginia, VA; Philadelphia, PA; Pittsburgh, PA; Raleigh, NC; Toronto ON; and Washington D.C.

Source: Amazon

YouTuber wins damages in landmark UK revenge porn case

YouTuber Chrissy Chambers has won damages in a landmark legal case against a former partner who posted revenge porn online. The vlogger was dating a British male — who remains anonymous as part of the settlement terms — in 2009 when several sex videos were filmed without her knowledge. They were then posted to RedTube and several other porn sites in 2011, after the pair had broken up and Chambers had come out as gay with singer-songwriter Bria Kam. The timing of the uploads meant that new laws criminalizing revenge porn weren’t applicable. As a result, Chambers had to win her case on quite different legal grounds.

The YouTuber had hoped to mount a criminal case against her former boyfriend, but this was ultimately rejected by the UK Crown Prosecution Service. Chambers then filed a civil case against her ex for damages and copyright — a first for England and Wales — in March 2016. Thirteen months later, the British man called Chambers’ team to announce that he wanted to settle. Chambers won an unknown sum in damages (it’s thought to be substantial, and can’t be disclosed due to the terms of the deal), the copyright of the videos, an apology, and the right to inspect his devices.

The settlement was completed last month and made public in open court this week. The copyright ownership means Chambers can legally force websites to take down the uploads. Of course, on the internet it’s always possible to make copies and stay ahead of the law — now, however, Chambers can curb the spread and slowly regain control of her online identity. Her case also sets a precedent for others who are in a similar situation — victims of revenge porn, but stuck in a legal quagmire because UK laws criminalizing the practice aren’t applicable to historic offences.

“To every victim of this horrific kind of attack, I am here to say you can fight back and you can win,” Chambers said. “You will heal and you will move on, and you will not have to take those steps alone.”

Earlier this month, Facebook reached an out-of-court settlement in a revenge porn case. The circumstances were a little different, however; the victim sued the alleged perpetrator and the social network over a naked picture that was shared repeatedly on a “shame” Facebook page between late 2014 and early 2016. Facebook has been named as a co-defendant on many revenge porn cases, but this was the first time it’s settled. The girl’s lawyers had argued that while Facebook took down the image when notified, it didn’t do enough to stop those responsible from reposting.

Source: The Guardian, Vice News Tonight (YouTube)