Alexa becomes a playtime storyteller for Lego Duplo blocks

It’s not just Amazon setting out to make Alexa kid-friendly. Lego has unveiled an Alexa story skill that guides younger children (aged 2 to 5) through playtime with Duplo blocks. Kids and their parents can walk through customizable stories themed around animals or vehicles with Amazon’s voice assistant encouraging “constructive, exploratory and roleplay” experiences. It can ask them to build creatively and recognize colors, for example.

The skill is available in the US and UK on any Alexa-ready device, and works with existing Duplo sets. There’s no doubt that Lego sees this as a clever sales strategy (you’ll just have to get enough kits for all these stories, won’t you?), but it’s also a rare experiment in combining a voice assistant with playtime. Lego sees this as a way to spark more learning and creativity for kids who are often too young to read.

Source: Lego (1), (2)

Apple taps into true crime hype with new series order

Among the shows Apple picked up in the last year was an adaptation of the true crime novel Are You Sleeping? starring the ineffable Octavia Spencer (The Shape of Water, Hidden Figures, The Help). While the tech giant acquired the rights in January, it just issued ordered a ten-episode run for the show.

Are You Sleeping follows the novel’s story of a woman returning home after a true crime podcast explored the details of her father’s grisly murder years before. It’s an examination of the vogue for podcasts like Serial, whose creator and producer Sarah Koenig will consult on the Apple show.

Nichelle Tramble Spellman (The Good Wife), who created the Are You Sleeping concept, will serve as showrunner. The series is one of several backed by Reese Witherspoon’s production company Hello Sunshine to get signed in recent months. Apple acquired two, a Kristin Wiig comedy and drama written and created by Witherspoon and Jennifer Aniston, and Hulu snatched one based on Celeste Ng’s bestselling novel Little Fires Everywhere.

Source: Variety

Google Pay makes its way to the web

Google Pay is no longer confined to smartphones. As promised, Google is rolling out its rebranded shopping experience available on the web for both PC and iOS device users. It’ll seem very familiar if you’ve used Pay With Google (since it’s largely the same), but that’s not a bad thing — it’ll still speed up the checkout process, particularly if you live in a household with both Android and iOS gear. The feature is independent of browsers as well, so you can shop with Firefox or Safari if you prefer.

As on your phone, this is as much about cementing Google’s presence in e-commerce as it is ordering . It’s partly an answer to Apple Pay, which has been available on the web since 2016. This puts Google’s foot in the door when dealing with newcomers, and gives existing fans a reason to stay inside the ecosystem.

Via: 9to5Google

Source: Google

Facebook teases new Oculus prototype with mechanical ‘varifocal’ lenses

VR is still maturing as a platform, and Oculus is fully aware of its inherent issues and limitations. Today, May 2, at Facebook’s F8 developer conference, Oculus unveiled a new prototype designed to combat some of the most pernicious issues people have had with the visual quality of VR headsets so far: focus and field of view.

Oculus’ head of Core Tech, Maria Fernandez Guajardo, unveiled the new “Half Dome” prototype as part of a presentation on the future of VR. The new prototype is designed to tackle these two issues head on. First, Oculus is using its previously described “varifocal” lenses — think mechanical autofocus but for your eyes — to track what you’re looking at and dynamically adjust focus to compensate, just as your actual eyes do.

In VR this has been something of a problem because software can only go so far toward simulating depth of field and focus, especially when something is right up close to your face. Oculus’ varifocal lenses work with software and hand tracking to determine when something is close to your face in VR, and will adjust the physical focus of the internal lens array accordingly.

The mechanical “varifocal” lens assembly via Facebook

Additionally, the new lens assembly features a much wider field of view than the original Oculus Rift. The Rift has a field of view of 110 degrees, which means if you look around inside the headset, you’re going to see the edges of the screen pretty frequently. The Half Dome prototype on the other hand reportedly boasts a 140-degree field of view, much wider than the original Rift.

This new field of view encompasses your traditional field of view, but also your peripheral vision, which is an important component of how we perceive environments. Whether or not it will have a significant impact on immersion remains to be seen, but it’s still an impressive improvement, and when coupled with a dynamic “varifocal” technology, it’s easy to see why the Half Dome prototype could be an important addition to the Oculus family.

“Our advances are helping to bring the future into the present,” Guajardo said. “We are proud of the progress so far, fascinated about the work we are doing, and excited about the possibilities to come.”

At the end of the keynote, Guajardo continued, reiterating Facebook’s — and by extension Oculus’ — devotion to bringing people together. Guajardo highlighted the social potential of VR, and how overcoming technical hurdles that make VR less than immersive will pave the way for more realistic social experiences in VR going forward.

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• Oculus confirms second-screen support is coming to Oculus Go

Oculus confirms second-screen support is coming to Oculus Go

Oculus VR Chief Technology Officer John Carmack confirmed on Wednesday, May 2, that the Facebook-owned company is currently working on a second-screen component for the recently launched Oculus Go virtual reality headset. He said a demo is already available but getting it into the companion app for iOS and Android “will take a little while.” 

The idea is to enable friends and family to view your VR experiences on a nearby TV or streaming device while you’re deep in the virtual realm. Google’s Daydream View already provides a similar feature, as owners can click on the Cast icon at the bottom of the interface to cast the current experience to a Chromecast-enabled device. 

Likewise, you can cast VR experiences from Samsung’s Gear VR headset to a Chromecast-enabled device, too. As with the Daydream version, simply click on the Cast button to display your experiences on a Chromecast-enabled device. All you need is the latest version of the Oculus mobile app and Android. 

The Oculus Go is the latest VR headset from Facebook, joining the popular Oculus Rift for the PC. In Facebook’s overall VR assault, the Oculus Go serves as an affordable low-end headset with standard head tracking that competes in the mobile VR space. The company’s upcoming mid-range platform dubbed “Santa Cruz” will rely on six-degree inside-out tracking for total, tether-free movement. The current PC-dependent Oculus Rift serves as the “high-end” premium device. 

Both the Oculus Go and Samsung’s Gear VR are powered by Oculus technology, but what sets them apart is how they are designed. The Oculus Go is a self-contained device that doesn’t rely on a smartphone or a tethered PC. Meanwhile, Gear VR requires one of 12 Galaxy-branded smartphones ranging from the S6 to the current S9. But because both platforms are powered by Oculus, Gear VR experiences work on the Oculus Go. 

Even if you have a Samsung Galaxy-branded phone and were considering the Gear VR, the Oculus Go may be your best bet for mobile VR. That is because the Oculus Go is optimized for VR and doesn’t have all the phone-related processes running in the background, bogging down the processor as it struggles to render your experience.

But the big drawback to VR is that it can be isolating. Unless you’re playing a social-based or multiplayer game, you can feel alone in the experience. Fortunately, the Oculus Rift and HTC Vive provide means for mirroring your adventures on an external display for friends and family to enjoy. Chromecast support now provides a similar shared experience for mobile headsets, and eventually, you can do the same with the new Oculus Go headset.  

At launch, there are more than 1,000 experiences available for the Oculus Go, part of which were already available for Gear VR owners. Oculus said developers have worked around the clock to update their Gear VR apps since this time last year so they run optimally on the Oculus Go. The platform also has many exclusives you simply can’t play on the Gear VR. 

Editors’ Recommendations

• Oculus Go hands-on review
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• Oculus Rift review
• Oculus Rift vs. Vive Pro
• $200 Oculus Go VR headset hits Amazon

Vayyar Imaging’s new 3D sensors double down on ‘Superman vision’

In a field where its technology has already changed the game for a lot of industries, Vayyar Imaging is doubling down on its innovations in 3D sensors. On Wednesday, May 2, the company announced that its next generation of advanced radio frequency sensors is about to hit the market, complete with smarter and more powerful capabilities for a wide variety of applications including construction, elder care, retail, and smart home technology.

The trick to the new sensors is integrating more antennas onto a single chip, making them more advanced but also lighter and smaller; the new chip is the size of a matchbox. The new chips contain 72 transmitters and 72 receivers in a single chip that covers imaging and radar bands from 3GHz to 81GHz. Essentially, Vayyar has created a wildly powerful platform for mmWave 3D imaging — and, importantly, one that doesn’t require an external CPU to execute complex imaging algorithms.

In practice, Vayyar’s technology turns the world invisible, an application the company sometimes calls “Superman vision.” The new sensors can differentiate between objects and people, determine location even when mapping very large areas, and create a 3D image of the environment in real time.

The practical applications of the technology are wildly diverse. In an elder care setting, Vayyar sensors could monitor residents’ location, movement, height, posture, and vital signs with no wearables or cameras. The sensors might also monitor the composition of materials, allowing sensitive users to monitor the fat, protein, alcohol content, and other percentages in food and drinks. In smart homes, Vayyar can enable the monitoring of people’s location, the presence of intruders, and the presence of people in emergency situations.

The technology also has practical applications for other industries. Automotive manufacturers are looking to Vayyar sensors to augment not only interior movements in a car’s interior, but also identifying trajectory and classifying objects in the surrounding area for collision avoidance, autonomous driving, and parking assistance.

The technology could also provide huge opportunities to the retail and industrial sectors. Retail operations are already using managed video surveillance and smart algorithms to track, analyze, and influence consumer behaviors. Vayyar can gather the same insights and generate retail strategies without altering store aesthetics or invading the privacy of shoppers. Similarly, offices and factories can identify a human presence, count people, and provide real-time, location-based data for automation and energy efficiency purposes.

“Radio wave imaging is a powerful technology, which was dormant for decades,” Raviv Melamed, co-founder, CEO and Chairman of Vayyar, said in a statement. “Vayyar’s new sensor is finally unleashing its potential. Together with the chip, we provide our customers with a full suite of software and advanced algorithms to expedite their ability to develop products based on our technology. This has created a synergy that is propelling an accelerated path to market for a wide range of products that can help people to better care for their elders, detect cancer at an early stage, make our homes more secure without compromising privacy and improve car safety in every weather condition.”

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The best monitors for photo editing

Many of the most prominent sales pitch features of monitors are a focus on gaming. They highlight displays’ refresh rates, frame syncing technologies, and response times. As important as those are for those looking to win the next round in their favorite multiplayer title, they’re not needed by professionals. For those planning to use a display for a detailed task like photo editing, you need something a little different.

The best monitor for photo editing is one that’s large and has a great resolution, but most importantly has as-near-perfect color accuracy as possible. We took all of those factors and more into consideration in putting this list together, so that you can make your next professional monitor purchase an educated one.

The best

BenQ SW271 ($1,100)

Considering how much we loved the older SW2700PT, it should be no surprise that the BenQ SW271 tops our list of the best photo editing monitors out there. This 27-inch IPS display ticks just about every box you could hope for: 4K resolution, HDR, and great color support. BenQ claims it can handle 100 percent of the sRGB gamut and 99 percent for Adobe RGB. At a brightness of up to 350 nits too, it should be bright enough for most users’ tastes.

Thanks to being an IPS panel it enjoys a near 180-degree viewing angle horizontally and vertically and it has a native contrast of 1,000:1 for deep blacks and stark whites. It’s not the biggest display out there, but 27-inches is a good sweet spot for pixel density and gives you enough room to appreciate the detail offered by the ultra-HD resolution and HDR support.

With a whole host of connection options too, from USB-C, to HDMI 2.0, to DisplayPort 1.4, you can have your pick of how it connects up to your system. The built-in calibration tools will make sure that it looks the part the first time you turn it on. At around $1,000 too, it’s not the most expensive monitor in the world, but if you’re happy to sacrifice resolution to save a little, the SW2700PT with its QHD display is still a solid choice.

Buy one from:

Amazon

The rest

BenQ PD3200U ($800)

Bill Roberson/Digital Trends

Another great photo editing display is the BenQ PD3200U, which at $800 is one of the more affordable options out there — especially considering its feature set. At 32-inches diagonally with a 4K resolution, you get a lot of screen real estate for your money, making it easier to pick out individual details of your photos. It also has near perfect color-accuracy, which is easily one of the most important features of any monitor competing in this space.

With a brightness of 350 nits and a native contrast ratio of 1,000:1 (we found it more like 670:1 in our testing) this IPS panel has a lot going for it. The only real area we found it let us down was in its color gamut support. Although BenQ claims 100 percent coverage for the sRGB and Rec.709‎ gamuts, when it came to AdobeRGB we found it fell behind the competition and only managed 75 percent.

Still, with everything else going for this display, it’s definitely one worth considering for your next upgrade.

Read our full review of the BenQ PD3200U here.

Buy one from:

Amazon, Newegg

Eizo ColorEdge CS2730 ($1,300)

Eizio monitors don’t have the same flash and pizazz in their bezel and frame designs as some displays, but what they lack in exterior aesthetics, they more than make up for in display quality. In the case of the CS2730, it’s hard to find a monitor that delivers a better picture for photo editing.

Although lacking a full 4K resolution, the IPS panel used in this display is still QHD (2,560 x 1,440) with gorgeous color support at 99 percent of the AdobeRGB gamut. It also has a great brightness of 350 nits and a solid contrast ratio of 1,000:1.

Some of the additional features of the CS2730 really help it stand out from the others however. Alongside the monitor itself, you also get Eizo’s quick color matching software, which automatically adjusts your monitor, printer and retouching software to create a uniform look for your images.

Buy one from: 

Amazon, BHPhotoVideo

HP Z27s ($500)

Ranked in our roundup as one of the best 4K displays out there right now, HP’s Z27S impressed us with its new perfect color accuracy and solid feature set. With support for 99 percent of the sRGB gamut, this IPS panel has a lot going for it, despite the relatively diminutive price.

Although it debuted at $700, it now enjoys a substantial price cut, which makes this 4K panel the most affordable of all the monitors we recommend for photo-editing. While it suffers from some of the physical-styling blandness of some of the other professional grade monitors, that’s hardly a concern when you’re looking for substance over style.

With a full range of connections, from HDMI to DisplayPort and miniDisplayPort, you have plenty of ways to connect it up to your system. It even has easy big-screen functionality for mirroring a laptop or smartphone screen to it.

Read our full review of the previous version here.

Buy one from: 

HP, Amazon

Asus Designo MX27UC ($550)

Although most known for its gaming displays, Asus does create some effective professional ones too. As one of the nicest looking monitors on this list, it’s hard not to be impressed with your first glance of the Designo MX27UC. It might be a little old as far as designs go, but it has a lot going for it, and the thin bezels make it look right at home with more modern display options.

With a 27-inch IPS panel and 4K resolution, the MX27UC has great clarity and pixel density, pairing nicely with its 100 percent support for the sRGB color gamut. Its brightness is a little lower than others, but at 300 nits is perfectly acceptable. It also has a claimed contrast ratio of 1,300:1, which is a welcome increase over most of the competition.

Better yet, it’s one of the most affordable displays on this list. Although there are better monitors out there, for $550 you get a lot for your money and a display that looks the part too.

Buy one from:

Amazon

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Best Android Games as of May 2018

Don’t settle for anything less than the best!

If you’re looking for the best new games available in the Google Play Store, you’ve come to the right place. We update this list whenever a new game comes out that’s worthy of being added to this list, so you’ll always know about the latest and greatest games.

Whether you’re new to Android and need some fresh, new games to start building out your Google Play library or simply looking for the latest trendy games that are worthy of your time and attention, these are the best Android games as of
May 2018!

• PUBG Mobile
• The Room: Old Sins
• Dissembler
• JYDGE
• HQ Trivia
• Death Road to Canada
• Stranger Things: The Game
• Reigns: Her Majesty
• Causality
• Framed 2
• Island Delta
• Fire Emblem: Heroes

The Room: Old Sins

The Room: Old Sins is the latest epic puzzle game from Fireproof Games and the 4th in the award-winning ‘The Room’ puzzle game series. You are exploring the home of an ambitious engineer who has gone missing when you find a rather peculiar dollhouse in the attic.

Using a sophisticated eyepiece you’re able to explore different rooms in the dollhouse that are filled with incredibly sophisticated puzzle boxes and contraptions. There’s something really weird going on here, so maybe if you can solve all the puzzles you’ll figure out what happened to the missing engineer and his wife.

If you’ve never played a game from “The Room” series before, just get ready for one of the more engrossing games you’ll ever play on a mobile phone. The graphics and audio come together to create a wonderfully creepy vibe as you carefully inspect intricate objects and unlock secrets to help you on your journey.

If you want to catch up with the other games, you can snag The Room, The Room Two, and The Room 3 at discounted prices.

Download The Room: Old Sins ($4.99)

PUBG Mobile

It’s pretty incredible how well PUBG Mobile plays on Android. This is a massive PvP battle royale game that pits 100 players against each other on a massive island loaded with weapons, ammo, tactical gear, and vehicles. You drop in as a solo player or as part of a team and must use all your best skills to take down your opponents until you’re the last man standing.

It’s not unheard of for a popular PC or console release to find its way to Android, but you’ll be surprised at how well PUBG plays on a smartphone. The developers have made it easier for mobile players to pick up and manage items, and have also added bots in the lowest ranks to help ease players into the game experience. Bluetooth controller support would be a nice addition, but the touch controls are some of the best I’ve seen for a shooter on mobile.

It also allows you to scale back the graphics so you can enjoy smooth gameplay even when playing on an older device. If you’ve got a newer device, crank those settings to the max and enjoy one of the best looking mobile games I’ve played in a long while.

PUBG Mobile somehow delivers all the epic moments you’d expect the PC game scaled down perfectly for mobile devices. Best of all, it’s free to play and currently devoid of any in-app purchases. Get your squad together, and I’ll see you on the battlegrounds!

Download: PUBG Mobile (Free)

Dissembler

Dissembler is a colorful and abstract game that, from the outset, might seem like another standard tile-swapping match three game. Instead, Dissembler unravels itself to be one of those puzzel games that almost trancends the genre, offering a relaxing exploration of patterns in abstract designs.

It starts out nice and easy as the game lays out the basic principles before gradually presenting you with more complex puzzles — check out the trailer above to see what I mean.

With over 120 puzzles to play with no time limits, move limits, or in-app purchases or ads to deal, this game absolutely deserves a spot on this list.

Download: Dissembler ($2.99)

JYDGE

JYDGE is a gritty and violent top-down twin-stick shooter that is an absolute blast to play. You are the JYDGE, a cybernetic enforcement officer who uses his Gavel (see: BIG freaking gun) to dole out RoboCop-style justice.

Each level features different challenges that are required to progress but never feel like a slogging chore. Confiscating illegal cash along the way, you’re able to upgrade JYDGE and his gavel with a deep selection of accessories. In that way, JYDGE retains the rogue-like element from its predecessor Neon Chrome by encouraging you to replay levels with different upgrade combinations until you complete all the challenges.

With a game that has you replay levels over and over again, it’s imperative for a game to find that mix of great gameplay with an interesting soundtrack that isn’t super annoying or repetitive — and JYDGE absolutely delivers.

Check out my full review if you need more convincing.

Download: JYDGE ($5.99)

HQ Trivia

It’s the app that started the new craze of live trivia game shows on your phone HQ Trivia is a daily trivia game show where you simply need to answer 12 questions to win a split of the pot. The daily weekday cash pot has risen to $5,000 with a Sunday evening game that usually around $25,000.

It has turned regular host Scott Rogoswky into an internet celebrity as he provides an entertaining performance as the quiz master extraordinaire. The app itself has steadily improved since launching last year, with new features letting you play along with friends in the app. Millions of people play each week because it’s free and you just might win some cash!

That’s right, you’re playing for real cash via PayPal. Even if you only win a few bucks you can cash out at any time and buy yourself a coffee.

HQ Trivia for Android: Everything you need to know

Download: HQ Trivia (Free)

Death Road to Canada

Death Road to Canada is a $10 game — I want to open with that just to get the sticker shock out of the way before I talk about how awesome this freaking game is. (It’s currently on sale for a dollar, though, which makes it an even better purchase.)

Facing a zombie apocalypse, you must lead a scrappy squad of somewhat interesting characters on a deadly mission to the relative safety of Canada. Along the way, you’ll need to explore and loot places for supplies, while also managing your team’s health and morale.

Everything in Death Road to Canada is randomly generated, making every play-through a unique experience in this dynamic road trip action-RPG. You can randomly generate your character and buddy or custom design your starting characters with different attributes to help them stay alive, but you probably don’t want to get too attached unless you’re a really good shot.

The controls admittedly take some getting used to, and there’s a pretty steep learning curve as you learn which weapons are most effective and which times it’s better to fight or run. And you will die, early and often, although that’s part of the fun of a zombie apocalypse, right?

There’s a ridiculous amount of depth in this game, including 10 different game modes to unlock. The price might seem a little steep, but if you’re a fan of rogue-like zombie games, it’s well worth the investment!

Download: Death Road to Canada ($9.99)

Stranger Things: The Game

Stranger Things: The Game is the tie-in mobile game that other companies wish they could churn out. It’s a full-fledged action adventure game with a full cast of playable characters, tons of collectibles, and a retro graphical style that fits into the show theme and setting.

The game presents the entire town of Hawkins, Indiana along with the adjacent Mirkwood Forest to be explored. It plays like a classic Zelda-style adventure game, with the ability to switch between characters lending itself to creating complex puzzles.

Credit Netflix’s marketing team for spending the time to make sure the developers at BonusXP Inc. delivered something special for fans of the series. They’ve created a real winner here, and a true contender for game of the year — and I’m not even a huge fan of the source material.

The controls are optimized for mobile and there’s great game design on display here. The overworld is vast and filled with secret areas to explore and familiar items from the show scattered throughout as collectibles.

There’s just so much to appreciate here. Not only is it a faithful adaptation of the show, it’s available for free with no in-app purchases or ads — although you can certainly count the game itself as being an ad for the second season of Stranger Things. Here’s hoping it ushers in a new trend of substantial mobile games based on TV shows and movies.

Download: Stranger Things: The Game (Free)

Reigns: Her Majesty

Reigns was one of the best games of 2016 and actually won the first ever Google Play Indie Games contest. So needless to say we were pumped to check out the sequel.

In Reigns, you play as the monarch of the land and make decisions that affect four aspects of the kingdom: the church, the people, the army, and the royal wealth. Your goal is to keep all four in balance — if any meter fills to the max or is entirely depleted your reign is over… and a new reign begins!

The sequel plays nearly identically to the first game, except this time you play as the Queen instead of the King, complete with new characters to interact with and multiple branching storylines to discover. The gameplay is as easy as swiping left or right on cards and if it’s anything like the first game there’s a ton of great easter eggs to find along the way!

I would hate to spoil anything for this new game, but if you played the first one and are afraid that it’s going to be too similar, I can assure you there are plenty of new mechanics to make this one of the best titles of 2017.

Download: Reigns: Her Majesty ($1.50)

Causality

Causality is a mind-blowing puzzle game that’s all about manipulating time. This is just a brilliant game where you control time and make adjustments to the level and alter the sequence in such a way that you help your stranded astronauts reach their goals.

Set in simplistic-yet-beautiful alien landscapes, this stylish game will have you wracking your brain as you try to figure out how to guide each astronaut to their color-coded exit within the allotted time. Of course, you have full control over the timeline and can jump to any point in time and change an aspect of the level. There are 60 mind-bending puzzles to unlock and complete in this outstandingly polished and challenging game.

Download: Causality ($1.99)

Framed 2

Get ready for more comic book stylized fun in Framed 2! This is a standalone prequel to groundbreaking mobile game Framed developed by Hideo Kojima back in 2014.

As the story unfolds, you control the action by rearranging the comic book panels to help your character make his way through each section. It’s a totally unique way to play a game and is unlike anything else you’ve likely played on Android. It’s got a cool noir look and feel to it, with an engaging story to keep you hooked.

If you love the format, you can pick up the first Framed game for just $3. Really worth your time if you’re into unique puzzle games.

Download: Framed 2 ($4.99)

Island Delta

Island Delta is a very stylish top-down action-adventure-puzzler developed by Mantisbite out of Finland. Explore the mysterious retro-futuristic island lair of Doctor Gunderson as our heroes, Zoe and Baxter.

Using your anti-gravity gun, you must work your way past mechanical minions, traps, and guards as you solve puzzles to make it through to the end of each level. At its best moments, Island Delta feels like a stripped down, third-person version Portal, which is something I wasn’t aware I needed in my life. The cartoony graphics and outstanding level design will immediately draw you in.

You can read our full review here before deciding to buy it. It’s available for $2.99 from the Google Play Store.

Download: Island Delta ($2.99)

Fire Emblem: Heroes

Fire Emblem: Heroes represents Nintendo’s first foray into developing games for Android (ignoring last year’s Miimoto app) and is the eighth title in the popular strategy-RPG franchise to be released on North American shores.

Heroes brings all of your favorite Fire Emblem characters together for a brand new story that pits the noble Askran Kingdom against the power-hungry Emblian Empire, which wishes to rule all worlds. You play the role of a mighty summoner who has the power to bring Fire Emblem’s best heroes together to help defend the kingdom. Battle takes place in arenas where you must strategically move your Heroes around to attack and defend against your opponents.

Play through the Story Mode to unlock new game modes, including Special Maps, Arena Duels, and the Training Tower. Arena Duel is the multiplayer aspect of the game that will keep you busy beyond the single-player campaign.

You can read our full review to learn more.

Download: Fire Emblem: Heroes (Free w/IAPs)

Update May 2018: Spring is here, so we cleaned up our best games list with the best new games to land on Android.

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The $200 Uno synth crams a ton of features into a small package

IK Multimedia is known for its wide variety of music gear, including MIDI controllers, mixers and instrument interfaces. Now the company has just launched its first analog synth, a compact little machine named Uno.

The company’s own Erik Norlander (one of the designers behind Alesis’ Andromeda synth) collaborated with Italian boutique synthesizer maker Soundmachines to create the Uno. The device has a small footprint, though it packs a ton of manual controls for easy programming. It’s made to serve both newbies and veterans: Uno has a two octave touch-sensitive keyboard and 100 different presets, along with selectable scales and an arpeggiator to make getting up and running easy.

Underneath it all is a powerful synth engine with an all-analog audio path. It has two independent voltage-controlled oscillators (VCOs) with saw, triangle and pulse waveforms, a noise generator, and a multimode voltage-controlled filter (VDF) and amplifier (VCA). The Uno also has seven low-frequency oscillators (LFOs) that modulate pitch, filter, amplification and wave shapes to create all those cool deep monophonic synth sounds in the video below.

The 40 onboard controls let you tweak your sounds on the fly, but there’s also a Mac/PC editor if you want to create your sounds before heading out to the club. The keys have 27 notes that can be played as a regular chromatic keyboard or as a predefined scale board, with 13 different scales available. The arpeggiator has 10 different modes and a four octave range. The keyboard also doubles as a controller surface for the built-in sequencer. You can use it to program sequences in real time or in steps, making the Uno a pretty useful bit of gear for its price. Uno is battery- or USB-powered, like many of IK Multimedia’s instruments, and can be used on its own or as a MIDI controller, as well. You can even connect other audio devices to Uno (like a drum machine) via the included audio interface.

The Uno is available for pre-order now, and will ship to customers in July of this year for a fairly inexpensive $200.

Source: IK Multimedia

Streaming TV firm Philo is offering three months of Pandora Premium

Streaming TV upstart Philo is giving customers a freebie: three months of Pandora Premium for new and existing subscribers to either of its packages. Pandora’s on-demand music service already offers a 60-day trial, but those who take up the deal will get three months of free music.

Philo’s 37-channel package includes AMC, Comedy Central, MTV, History and Food Network for $16/month. The larger bundle adds Nicktoons, Cooking Channel and seven others for an extra four bucks. Philo is able to keep the cost lower than most competitors as it does not stream more expensive channels like live sports, news networks and broadcast networks. (Sling, however, includes CNN and a few ESPN channels in its $20/month bundle.) Philo also offers a 30-day DVR, live TV pausing, and a three-day catch-up window on missed shows.

If the promo’s successful, it might pave the way for a deeper pairing between Philo and Pandora, as part of a trend in companies teaming up to bundle their services. Last month, a package of Spotify Premium and Hulu Limited Commercials became available for $13 per month, saving subscribers of both $5 a month. Netflix, meanwhile, has been part of cable bundles for years, and last month, announced a deeper partnership with Comcast.

Via: TechCrunch

Source: Philo