Alcatel is bringing its new budget phones, the Alcatel 1X and 3V, to the U.S.

Alcatel announced that two of the better budget phones to show up at Mobile World Congress 2018, the Alcatel 1X and Alcatel 3V, are on their way to the U.S.

We don’t know exactly when the two phones will launch in the U.S., but the very fact that they are coming is interesting to see. Alcatel doesn’t always launch its devices stateside, especially when it comes to its budget phones. Still, the phones should introduce a little more variety in the low-end.

The Alcatel 1X is actually a pretty interesting offering. Why? It’s one of the first sub-$100 devices to offer an 18:9 display aspect ratio, which helps make it look slightly more modern than it otherwise wouldn’t. Apart from the 18:9 display, you also find a MediaTek MT6739, coupled with 1GB of RAM and 16GB of storage. The 18:9 display only has a resolution of 480 x 960 — but that is to be expected from such a cheap device. The camera on the device comes in 13 megapixels, with the front-facing camera coming in at 5 megapixels. Last but not least, according to Alcatel, the U.S. variant of the 1X will come with a fingerprint sensor.

When it comes to software, the phone is an Android Go device — so it offers a stripped-down version of Android with stripped-down apps — all built specifically for phones with less RAM and low-power processors.

The Alcatel 3V is a little more high-end. It’s actually Alcatel’s first dual-lens phone to come to the U.S. Under the hood, the phone offers a MediaTek MT8735A processor, along with 2GB of RAM and either 16GB or 32GB of storage. The rear-facing camera on the device sits in with a dual 12-megapixel sensor, while the front-facing camera offers five megapixels. Like its less expensive sibling, the phone has an 18:9 aspect ratio display, but the resolution comes in at 1,080 x 2,160. The phone also comes with Android Oreo — but its the full version rather than the Android Go version.

Alcatel hasn’t said exactly when the phones will be available in the U.S. beyond telling us that they will be available unlocked in “coming months.” We will update this article when we get more information on pricing and availability.

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‘My Tamagotchi Forever’ is an endless barrage of microtransactions

If you’re looking for a full-on blast from the past, look no further than My Tamagotchi Forever for iOS and Android. Since it’s now officially available worldwide — aside from Japan and China– you’re no longer required to carry around a brightly colored egg-shaped keychain to get your Tamagotchi fix.

With My Tamagotchi Forever, you’re still raising your Tamagotchi the same way you normally would — feeding it, washing it, cleaning up after it, and putting it to bed. It also places you in the heart of Tamatown, where you get to customize the village with different things like a swing set or soccer a goal.

You will get to see your Tamagotchi evolve through its different stages as you continue to play the game. But the type of character you get will always be a surprise — it’s all dependent on how you take care of it. You won’t have to worry about checking in on it either since your phone will provide you with notifications when it is in need of attention.

In true millennial fashion, you can even take photos of your Tamagotchi completing different activities. The pictures are stored in a photo album which you can then share with others through text or email. Completing pages of the album will also earn you different rewards like clothing or forms of currency.

It also supports augmented reality functionalities using ARKit for Apple and ARCore for Google, which allows you to play hide-and-seek games with your Tamagotchi in real surroundings. So basically, your Tamagotchi can come to life in your very own living room —  which sounds kind of terrifying, but we all know it’s a feature we would’ve begged for back in the 1990s.

Even though the game is free to play, it’s highly reminiscent of Animal Crossing where you will only really get ahead by making in-app purchases. It isn’t free from advertisements either — to receive free gifts, it will often ask you to watch a 30-second video. But you can still gather coins and level up by playing mini-games.

We played around a bit with My Tamagotchi Forever and thought the experience was interesting. We thought it was a refreshing change to be able to see our Tamagotchi in color and interact with it via touchscreen rather than tiny buttons on the original device. But the addition of in-app purchases and currencies made it feel like more work than it should be.

You can download My Tamagotchi Forever from the App Store and Google Play Store. For now, we think we’re going to stick to our keychains — it’s much cheaper, anyway.

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Karlie Kloss’ coding camp covers more cities and languages this year

Kode with Klossy, Karlie Kloss’ coding camp for girls, is expanding this year. Last year, the program offered 15 camps in 12 cities, but this summer, it’s running 50 camps in 25 cities and will teach 1,000 young women between the ages of 13 and 18 about coding. Founded by Kloss in 2015, the free, two-week camp instructs attendees on front-end and back-end software engineering and covers Ruby, Javascript, HTML and CSS coding languages. This year, the camp is also adding Swift to its curriculum. “This year, we’ve also got a really exciting new track on Swift, so the girls at our camps not only learn the ABCs of code, but real-world examples of tech that touches our lives today,” Kloss told Mashable. “They’re learning what a loop is or how to interpolate using concepts or ideas that touch their lives, like Instagram, Twitter or Postmates.”

At the end of the two-week camp, those attending build and present a functional mobile app or website that they share with others during the camp’s demonstration day. According to Kode with Klossy, previous campers have developed apps that assist with ADHD, help girls find local tech mentors and connect users with volunteer opportunities that mesh with their interests. “What we do at Kode With Klossy goes beyond teaching computer science — we empower our scholars to use their coding skills to make a difference in their communities,” Kloss said in a statement. “We are excited to partner with Teach For America this year to create collaborative and creative learning environments where our scholars not only learn code, but build self-confidence, teamwork and communication skills. I am so unbelievably proud of our growing community and very excited to welcome 1,000 girls this summer.”

This year, Kode with Klossy partnered with Teach For America to recruit and hire the 50 camp instructors that will be running this summer’s camps. You can see a full list of where the 2018 camps will be available, apply for a spot or nominate a girl for a scholarship here. Applications are due April 15th.

Source: Kode with Klossy

Standalone Oculus Go headset could debut at Facebook’s F8 event

Last year Oculus teased its standalone “Go” VR headset saying it would go on sale for $199 early in 2018. Now Variety cites unnamed sources claiming that it will debut at Facebook’s F8 conference May 1st. That should provide the kind of stage Zuckerberg, Barra & Co. would like for their first mass-market virtual reality product, although it does mean we have a few more weeks to wait before it arrives.

As Hugo Barra explained in January, standalone headsets are necessary to push the company’s vision of social VR. He said “It’s the idea of having a completely self-contained product that you can just put on and start using it. You can do everything in one step.” While other VR headsets are more powerful and include things like positional tracking that the Go won’t have, bypassing the need to plug in a powerful computer or game console should open it up to more people.

During CES the company revealed Xiaomi is building the hardware based on a Qualcomm Snapdragon 821 chipset, and an FCC filing previously leaked out. With its name, price and most of the technical details already available, the big question is how this will be supported by Facebook’s software and ecosystem — which will likely be answered soon in San Jose.

Source: Variety

U.S. Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin Visits Apple Park

United States Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin today visited Apple CEO Tim Cook at Apple Park, according to an image shared on Twitter by Mnuchin.

In his tweet, Mnuchin thanked Tim Cook for Apple’s commitment to invest $350 billion in the United States, which refers to a January announcement from Apple where the company said it planned to bolster the U.S. economy through job creation, existing investments, and new investments.

Glad to visit @Apple HQ with @tim_cook. Thank you for your commitment to invest 350B in USA! #TaxCutsJobsAct pic.twitter.com/TasRA55smG

— Steven Mnuchin (@stevenmnuchin1) March 16, 2018

Apple said it will contribute $55 billion to the economy in 2018 and $350 billion over the course of five years. At the same time, Apple also pledged to increase its Advanced Manufacturing Fund, designed to create jobs in the U.S. through investments in suppliers, to $5 billion, up from $1 billion.

Mnuchin’s visit to Apple Park comes just a few days after Tim Cook was spotted at Capitol Hill meeting with senators Mark Warren (D-VA) and Richard Burr (R-NC).

Note: Due to the political nature of the discussion regarding this topic, the discussion thread is located in our Politics, Religion, Social Issues forum. All forum members and site visitors are welcome to read and follow the thread, but posting is limited to forum members with at least 100 posts.

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Here’s our guide on how to delete your Instagram account

Pixabay/Pexels

You can’t deny Instagram can be a ball-and-chain. Maybe you’re sick of feeling like you have to capture every single moment of your existence, or perhaps you’re tired of seeing the perfectly posed pictures of everyone else’s life. If you’re anything like us, maybe you’re just tired of the strain that comes from juggling multiple accounts or waiting for those minute-long videos to load on the bus.

Thankfully, deleting your Instagram account only requires a few clicks and confirmations on the Instagram website. Deleting it isn’t for the faint of heart, however, since doing so will permanently delete your account and everything associated with it (i.e., your photos, videos, comments, likes, follows, and followers). Instagram also claims it cannot — or simply will not — reactivate your account should you wind up changing your mind three days later when the hashtag withdrawals kick in. Likewise, you (nor anyone else) will never be able to sign up with the same username ever again. Bum deal.

If you’re unsure about the possibility of wanting to regain access to your Instagram account at a later time, Instagram offers a temporary deactivation feature. This allows you to deactivate your account for a brief period of time, and still access it later. It that doesn’t sound appealing, we’ve outlined how to deactivate your account below.

Step 1: Navigate to the “Delete Your Account” page

You cannot delete your Instagram account directly from the mobile app, meaning you must visit the Instagram website. There is also no easy way to access the Delete Your Account page from your profile, which is a bit frustrating. The easiest way to get there is just to go straight to the page.

If you aren’t already logged in on your browser, take this time to enter your username and password before clicking the Log In button below these text fields. Alternatively, click the blue Forgot button and follow the instructions to reset your password. You will need to know your username or email associated with your account to delete it.

Step 2: Choose a reason for leaving

From here, select a reason for deleting your account. Some of the reasons include being too busy for the app, you can’t find people to follow, too many ads, and a few others. Select whichever option best suits your situation (it doesn’t matter which one you chose) from the drop-down menu next to Why are you deleting your account? You will be required to enter your password one more time.

Step 3: Delete your account

You’re almost there, but keep in mind, there’s no way to get back or even use the same username after you’ve deleted your account. Once you’re sure you want to delete, tap Permanently delete my account. And that’s it! If you would like to delete another account, you’ll need to log in again and repeat the process.

For security reasons, Instagram can’t delete an account for you (or your children’s accounts for that matter). You’ll need to be able to log into the account you want to delete in order to do the deed. Once you’ve gotten through the confirmations, there’s nothing else you need to do. Your Instagram account will be removed from the social network forever.

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Fall in love with Florence, our game of the week!

Who says video games can’t be considered works of art?

March 16, 2018: We’ve got a couple beautifully artful games to recommend this week. First, explore the highs and lows of falling in love with Florence, and then run from a gigantic world-eating worm in the hand-drawn Wormster Dash!

Florence

Who says that video games can’t be artistic? Florence is a brand new game released for Android and iOS designed by the Ken Wong, the lead designer of the incredible Monument Valley franchise who now leads a new indie studio, Mountains, based out of Australia. Florence is their first release and it is mesmerizing.

The game explores the titular character, Florence, as she falls in love for the first time. The interactive elements at play here are subtle at times, but it all manages to pull you into Florence’s day-to-day life. The game tracks the highs and lows of falling in love with an art style that will remind you of reading a graphic novel. It shouldn’t take you too long to play through Florence, but it’s a quality experience and should touch your heart.

Download: Florence ($2.99)

Wormster Dash

What can you do when a giant worm is trying to eat the entire world around you? Run for your life!

That’s the premise behind the beautifully hand-drawn game Wormster Dash. The graphics in this game were all hand drawn on paper, giving this game a look and feel that you just don’t see too often on mobile. This game is loaded with hidden passages, deadly traps, and a bunch of bizarre creatures that will try to distract you as you jump and smash past obstacles.

Officially listed as unreleased on the Google Play Store, if you’re brave enough you can download and play it today from the Google Play Store.

Download: Wormster Dash ($4.99)

Fitbit OS 2.0 rolling out to Fitbit Ionic with new gestures, Deezer, and more

Quick Replies are coming later in the spring.

The Fitbit Versa is Fitbit’s latest smartwatch, and with it comes an upgraded version of Fitbit OS that debuted on the Ionic last October. Now, Fitbit’s updating the Ionic with the Versa’s improved software.

Officially titled as Fitbit OS 2.0, the update is rolling out now to 10% of Ionic owners. Fitbit calls this a “progressive rollout,” and all Ionic users should have the update within the coming weeks.

This is a big update for the Ionic, and perhaps the most notable change is how you now interact with the watch. Swiping down now reveals your notifications and a swipe up takes you to the new “Fitbit Today” page. This houses all of the information found with the old Today app, including your steps, calories, floors, distance, and active minutes. Your main goal is shown first with a graph of your progress for the last seven days, and you can swipe left on this to see your other stats.

Below this is where you’ll find how many steps you’ve taken each hour, and now you can swipe to view your total active time throughout the day even when you still have steps to go for the current hour. Another swipe up will take you to a live readout of your current heart-rate and graph of what it’s been for the past seven days, and at the very bottom of Fitbit Today is a brief breakdown of your most recent workout.

Fitbit OS 2.0 makes the Ionic feel more polished and complete.

When you hold the left-side button on the Ionic, Fitbit OS 2.0 takes you two a new page with shortcuts for Fitbit Pay, any local music you have stored on the watch, and quick settings for screen wake and notifications.

Deezer is also available on the Ionic as part of the update, and between animations, swiping through the UI, and opening apps, everything feels noticeably smoother.

Also, before you freak out, Quick Replies are still coming to the Ionic. Fitbit announced this with the Versa as a new feature that lets Android users reply to text messages and other app notifications right from their wrist, but this won’t be available until sometime this spring.

I’ve personally been loving Fitbit OS 2.0 on my Ionic, but I’d love to hear from you. If you’ve got the new software on your watch, how do you like it so far?

Fitbit Versa hands-on: Fitbit’s finally getting serious about smartwatches

Today’s best deals you won’t want to miss

Whether you’re looking for new tech gear or household items, we’ve got you covered.

We’ve got great discounts on Corsair mechanical keyboards, Vizio’s 70-inch 4K home theater displays, Sparkr plasma lighters, and more! Don’t pass these up.

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Alcatel 1X Android Go phone coming to the U.S. for less than $100

The Alcatel 3V is also heading to the States.

Alcatel was one of the many brands showing off new phones at MWC in Barcelona last month, and now we’ve got confirmation from the company that the 1X and 3V will both be heading to the United States.

The Alcatel 1X is the least powerful of all the phones Alcatel announced at MWC, but it’s notable as it’s the company’s first Android Go handset. The device is equipped with a 5.3-inch 960 x 480 display, a MediaTek quad-core 1.28GHz processor, 2,460 mAh battery, and 16GB of storage that can be expanded up to 32GB.

Those certainly aren’t the most impressive specs in the world, but considering that Alcatel will sell the 1X for under $100 in the U.S., there’s not much you can complain about. Plus, since this is an Android Go phone, you’ll get a lightweight version of Android Oreo out of the box that’s optimized to run well on less-powerful silicon. Oh, and there’s a fingerprint sensor.

Alcatel 3V

Moving on to the 3V, this is a considerably more impressive phone. It’s Alcatel’s first phone to launch in the U.S. with dual rear cameras, with the setup consisting of a 12MP and 2MP combo. Other specs include a TCL-built 6-inch 2160 x 1080 screen with an 18:9 aspect ratio, MT8735A processor, 2GB of RAM, and a 3,000 mAh battery. There’s a fingerprint sensor, face unlock feature, and Android Oreo is present out of the box.

Pricing for the 3V was previously announced at €189, and that comes out to a little over $232 USD.

Alcatel says both phones will be available “in the coming months”, and retail availability will be announced as we get closer to their launch.

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