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Jun

Low on storage? Check out these ten best games under 25MB for Android

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There are many reasons for wanting to install a lightweight Android game on your device. Maybe you’re in a Wi-Fi-less area and you want to use up too much of your mobile data. Or maybe you want to try out a new game, but your phone’s internal memory is filled up.

Whatever your reason, the good news is that there are enough great lightweight games under 25MB games waiting for you in the Google Play Store. For the purpose of this article, we’ve selected ten such games that are guaranteed to entertain you.

Tap Tap Dash

What it is:

Developed by Cheetah Games, Tap Tap Dash is an immensely addictive game where you go for a never-ending walk and tap or change direction. Think it’s easy? Think again.

Why we like it:

It’s based on a simple concept, yet it gets super challenging to master as you advance through the levels.
It’s colorful and cute.
You unlock loads of new characters as you play.
There are over 1,000 levels to beat.

Download Tap Tap Dash

Dr Driving

What it is:

The game created by SUD Inc. is basically a car driving simulator in which you complete missions and earn money to upgrade your wheels.

Why we like it:

The game does a good job a simulating busy city scenes in which you have to avoid obstacles and abide by traffic laws. It’s a fun way for users to learn the rules of the road.
Controlling the car is quite challenging, but the pedals and steering wheel can be customized to the player’s preference.
Players can also make repairs or fully upgrade their vehicle.

Download Dr Driving

slither.io

What it is:

A game created by Lowtech Studios in which you control an avatar resembling a worm that grows by consuming multicolored pellets.

Why we like it:

The game’s goal: grow from a tiny little worm to a gigantic monster.
It’s quite challenging. Be careful not to touch heads with another player or you will explode and have to start the game all over again. But if a player runs into you, then it will explode and you will have the chance to nourish yourself by eating your remains.
You can play online against real players or versus an AI.

Download slither.io

Pou

What it is:

A game developed by Zakeh in which you have to take care of your pet Pou and keep him/her entertained too by letting him/her play a variety of games.

Why we like it:

Pou reminds us playing with a Tamagotchi. You have to feed, bathe and nurse Pou, but also keep him/her from getting bored.
Play many games with Pou including Water Hop, Food Drop or Match Tap.
The game includes many other activities like going outside or playing with friends.
You also get to personalize your Pou.

Download Pou

Flow Free

What it is:

Created by Big Duck Games, Flow Free is a simple yet addictive puzzle game in which you connect matching colors with pipe to create the Flow.

Why we like it:

The twist is not to allow the pipes to cross or overlap.
The game features hundreds of levels ranging from simple to difficult.
Players have to strive to use as little moves as possible for a better score.

Download Flow Free

Sweet Candy Fever

What it is:

Sweet Candy Fever by Gamoper is a classic 3-match game set in a fantastically amazing candy world.

Why we like it:

It’s super easy to play: just swap, swipe and match candy pieces to complete a goal.
You’re given a target and you have a number of moves to achieve the goal.
Fun arsenal or power-ups and obstacles.
You can unlock several candy maps including Sweet Valley and Sugarshell Bakery.

Download Sweet Candy Fever

Stairway

What it is:

Developed by the Mascoteers, the Stairway asks a very simple question: Can you get the ball to roll down the stairs without letting it fall down?

Why we like it:

You need to guide a ball down a staircase, navigation all kinds of crazy twists, turns and obstacles.
Train yourself to tap at the right moment and avoid losing the ball.
Play with different kinds of balls.
Great minimalist graphics, with ever-shifting colors.

Download Stairway

Mind Games

What it is:

Challenges your mind with a series of fun brain-training games. Train specific skills such as attention or reaction speed.

Why we like it:

Games are served up to you based on your age category.
Flex your brain muscles in the Training Center which chooses games to maximize your progress and enjoyment.
App has a Learning Center section where it teaches you concepts like Mindfulness and invites you to perform several exercises like Mindful Awareness.

Download Mind Games

Make More!

What it is:

Developed by Fingersoft, Make More! is a clicker game in which you have to get your workers to work as fast as possible and maximize profit.

Why we like it:

Simply tap to make goods. The faster you tap, the more items you’ll be able to make.
Hire and train new staff to boost your profits.
Expand and upgrade your factory and make new products.

Download Make More!

Up Hill Racing: Car Climb

What it is:

Created by Topappgame, Up Hill Racing is a car & bike racing game that challenges you to control your car in unique uphill & downhill environments.

Why we like it:

You have two pedals, break and gas and you need to use them to control your car.
The game has lots of different vehicles with unique upgrades for you to race with.
Up Hill Racing has a multiplayer function, so you can challenge Facebook friends or random users.

Download Up Hill Racing: Car Climb

So, which of these lightweight games has caught your attention?

Jun

Smart wearables see big spike as ‘basic’ devices drag down overall market growth

Wearables’ market growth is slowing down, according to the International Data Corporation (IDC). Worldwide shipments of wearable devices grew 1.2 percent overall during the first quarter of 2018, with shipments reaching 25.1 million units. Even with slow growth, the report shows consumers are leaning more toward smarter wearables while leaving the basic devices behind.

But what’s the difference between “basic” and “smart” wearables? IDC defines smart wearables as devices that are capable of running third-party apps. Devices that can’t run those apps are known as basic wearables. Basic wearables, specifically, saw a decline of 9.2 percent in shipments while higher-priced smart wearables — such as those from Apple and Fitbit — grew by 28.4 percent.

Aside from watches and wristbands — which accounted for 95 percent of shipments during the first quarter — clothing that includes sensors grew 58.6 percent year-over-year. While this mainly includes step-counting shoes, brands that offer “smart” shirts, shorts, and other clothing with fitness trackers also continues to grow.

Of the top five wearable companies in the first quarter, Apple took the top spot. The company’s shipments grew 13.5 percent over the previous year, following the release of its Apple Watch Series 3, which features a built-in eSIM for a cellular connection. In comparison to this time last year, Apple managed to increase its share from 14.3 percent to 16.1 percent.

In second place is smartphone brand Xiaomi with a 14.8 percent share of unit shipments. The brand has the lowest average selling price of the five companies and is far more popular in the Chinese market.

Even though Fitbit saw a decline of 28.1 percent, the company still managed to rank third for the quarter. Since the launch of the Fitbit Versa in April, the company has shipped more than 1 million devices. In addition to being a wearable that’s more stylish and affordable than competitors, the Versa also offers more female health tracking, which has already attracted more than 2 million users following its release in May.

Huawei took the fourth spot, posting an increase in market share since last year — the brand went from 2.1 percent during the first quarter of 2017 to 5.2 percent for the same period this year. Even though the company is primarily popular in Asia, its wide variety of products — ranging from smartwatches to fitness trackers, kids’ watches and more — have allowed the company to more than double its share.

To round out the list is Garmin, which didn’t see a huge increase since last year, coming in at 5 percent, compared to a 4.6 percent share a year ago. While the company hasn’t been quick to add new features to its wearables, its latest Garmin Forerunner 645 includes contactless payments (Garmin Pay) and its first-ever native music compatibility.

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Jun

It’s not Terminator time yet, but robots with living tissue muscles are on the way

We’re more than two decades removed from August 29, 1997, the date that Terminator 2: Judgment Day predicted the fictional Skynet artificial intelligence system would become self-aware. Now, thanks to researchers at the University of Tokyo, the dream (or nightmare?) of robots with living tissue covering a robotic skeleton is no longer exclusively the stuff of science fiction.

While their work is still at a relatively early stage, they have discovered a method for growing living muscles over a robotic frame. Specifically, they have found a way to turn individual muscle precursor cells, called myoblasts, into muscle cell-filled hydrogel sheets that can be used to give robots functioning muscles with an impressive amount of flexibility. In a demo, electric currents are used to contact the lab-grown muscles on one side of a robotic finger, thereby allowing it to pick up and move a ring. Stimulating the muscle on the other side of the finger then prompts the biohybrid robot to put the ring down again.

“Many researchers have proposed biohybrid robots composed of a skeletal muscle tissue cultured on a flexible substrate, and succeeded in deformation of the substrate by contractions of the skeletal muscle tissues,” Shoji Takeuchi, a researcher on the project, told Digital Trends. “However, the contractions of the skeletal muscle tissues do not last for [the] long term due to spontaneous shrinkage of the tissues caused by their tension. The spontaneous shrinkage increases with the course of culture, inducing bending of the flexible substrate without the contractions. The skeletal muscle tissues [also] becomes much shorter than their initial length and impossible to contract.”

In contrast, the antagonistic pair of skeletal muscles the team has created can balance the shrinkage and contraction required very effectively. As a result, they can achieve not only longevity but also a full 90-degree range of movement — similar to what you would find in a real muscle.

Despite the obvious pop culture reference point, we’re still a ways off from real-life Terminator robots. Instead, the likely immediate application of these robots will be more accurate “pick-and-place” robots. This refers to the ultra-precise robots arms used for tasks like assembly, inspection, bin-picking and packaging. In other words, if real Terminator-style cyborgs really do get off the ground, expect them to find a job in locations like Amazon’s fulfillment centers. But that may not be their only potential application.

“Although this is just a preliminary result, our approach might be a great step toward the construction of more complex systems,” Takeuchi said. “If we can combine more of these muscles into a single device, we should be able to reproduce the complex muscular interplay that allow hands, arms, and other parts of the body to function.”

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Jun

WatchOS 5 brings Walkie-Talkie, Podcast features, and much more

Apple officially announced its newest version of WatchOS at its annual World Wide Developer’s Conference. The newest version of WatchOS brings some huge changes and additions to the Apple Watch including more watch faces as well as improved health tracking features. Here are all the new features you’ll see when WatchOS 5 hits your Apple Watch later this year.

New watch band and faces for Pride month

Apple introduced a Pride edition watch band. Both the band and faces are currently available. You can purchase the band online and add the watch face is available in WatchOS 4.

Health and fitness tracking improvements

Apple is putting a huge emphasis on ensuring fitness tracking data is accurate in WatchOS 5. The company studied more than seven terabytes of fitness data from more than 12,000 participants to make sure its tracking measurements are on point.

You’ll also find a new competition mode on WatchOS 5. The mode allows you to enter a seven-day competition with a friend. You can track both you and your friends’ progress during the competition and the winner will win an Apple Watch award.

WatchOS 5 also features new fitness modes. The Yoga mode will track your activity via the heart rate monitor while the Hiking mode will use your pace and elevation to better determine the number of calories burned.

Runners will see improvements as well. The Running mode now offers a custom pace alert, tracks your cadence and will even provide time data on the previous mile run.

Finally, you’ll see new start and end workout alerts. WatchOS 5 will use your heart rate data to determine when you’ve begun a workout. When you reach a heart rate or time goal, it will offer an end alert on the home screen.

Communication

WatchOS 5 also brings several awesome communications improvements. First off is the new Walkie-Talkie mode. With Walkie-Talkie, you can add friends to your Apple Watch and communicate with them directly by tapping the Talk button within the Walkie-Talkie app.

Your Siri watch face will also get a huge update as well. The new Siri watch face will provide more information on your favorite sports teams, offer commute and traffic information, as well as heart rate.

Siri Shortcuts have also been added in WatchOS 5. With Siri Shortcuts, you can do things like check into your flight, extend a restaurant reservation, or even order coffee.

WatchOS 5 is finally adding a Podcast app. This app will automatically download your favorite podcasts directly to your Apple Watch, meaning you no longer need your phone to listen to your favorite podcast.

Another addition that has been long awaited is WebKit. With WebKit, you willbe able to view webpages from Messages or emails.

Finally, there is no need to say “Hey Siri” anymore in WatchOS 5. Now you can simply raise your wrist to your mouth and Siri will automatically be listening.

While Apple has official unveiled WatchOS 5, it’s only available via developer beta. If you’re not a developer, hold tight. We expect to see the final version of WatchOS 5 released when Apple announces its newest hardware later in the year.

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Jun

Lego partners with Apple to add augmented component to physical playsets

Lego already gives creative builders the chance to physically make something only limited by their own imagination, but now your playsets are going to look a whole lot cooler with the addition of Apple’s ARKit 2.0 technology. Lego has created a new augmented reality experience that supplements your physical Lego kits with virtual buildings, people, foliage, and vehicles.

During Apple’s WWDC 2018 presentation, Martin Sanders, Lego’s director of innovation, took the stage to show off how ARKit 2.0 can be used with physical Lego sets to create something even more impressive in augmented reality. With the help of Apple ARKit 2.0, Lego has created a new augmented reality experience that supplements your physical Lego kits with virtual buildings, people, foliage, and vehicles.

With the “Assembly Square” playset placed on a table in front of him, Sanders aimed at it with an iPad and, with the press of a button, created an entire town around the physical building on his screen. Other shops, sidewalks, and grass appeared, nearly indistinguishable from the physical set.

It’s made possible through the 3D object detection in the ARKit 2.0, which allows users to add additional foliage, buildings, people, or cars. Small icons visible above certain people and objects in the world even allow you to take part in missions. These can include situations that require urgent action, such as a building catching fire (with a firetruck, you can put out the inferno). During the WWDC stage demonstration, Sanders also rescued multiple trapped citizens from the roof of a building using a helicopter.

If you approach one of the buildings with your camera and attempt to peer inside, you’ll find the buildings bustling with activity. With a quick tap, you can even peel back the outside walls of multiple buildings to observe them like you would a dollhouse.

ARKit 2.0 allows up to four players to experience a Lego world at the same time, with the changes made by one player instantly visible on the others’ screens. When you’re done playing for the day, you can save all progress and tie it to your physical set, allowing you to start from the same point when you’re ready to play again.

“When we combine physical and digital together like this, it really opens up those creative play possibilities,” Sanders said.

Lego promises more AR experiences will be available in the App Store later this year. We’re crossing our fingers for something Harry Potter- or Star Wars-themed.

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Jun

Lego partners with Apple to add augmented component to physical playsets

“When we combine physical and digital together like this, it really opens up those creative play possibilities,” Sanders said.

Lego promises more AR experiences will be available in the App Store later this year. We’re crossing our fingers for something Harry Potter- or Star Wars-themed.

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Jun

Addicted to sugar? Neuroscientists could soon reprogram your brain to hate it

In the quest to get ready for summer, many of us want to get in better shape by exercising a bit more and maybe losing a few pounds. But when you’re confronted with stacks of candy bars at the supermarket checkout, sometimes it can be a bit too tempting to cheat on our diet. Sure, added willpower would be nice, but wouldn’t it be great if we could just reprogram our brain to no longer crave — or even actively reject — sugar? That’s a possibility hinted at in a new piece of research coming out of Columbia University’s Zuckerman Institute.

Researchers there have identified two regions of the brain that respond to sweet and bitter tastes, and modified these areas in mice to provoke different reactions. In their study, they were able to make mice respond to ordinary water as though it was sugar, make bitterness an attractive taste, and turn sweetness into a negative experience.

“Our current study aimed to decipher how the identity and valence of sweet and bitter taste were processed at the insula cortex and amygdala,” Dr. Li Wang, a postdoctoral research scientist in the Zuker Lab and the paper’s first author, told Digital Trends. “With viral tracing tools, we labeled these sweet and bitter cortical neurons in green and red, and mapped their projections brain-wide using one of the latest whole-brain clearing and imaging techniques. It is interesting to find that sweet and bitter neurons separately projected to two different subregions of amygdala, an important brain structure for judging and assigning the value of a sensory stimulus. By switching on or off this cortico-amygdalar circuit, it is [possible] to change the valence of taste or manually assign a new valence.”

Valence in this psychological sense refers to the inherent attractiveness or averseness of a particular taste quality. That means that it could one day be possible to use this research to alter the emotional component of eating certain foods. That might conceivably be used to help people with a range of eating disorders.

“Looking from the long-term view, it [may] help to address the obesity issue, if we could have a way to change humans’ preference of sugar,” Wang said. “In the [future], we will expand our research to other brain structures and aim to unravel how these regions drive different aspects of the taste behavioral responses.”

A paper describing the work was recently published in the journal Nature.

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Jun

Google Photos can take up less space on your phone with new mobile support

Google Photos can back up images, edit your photos, share albums — and now you may not have to download the full app to get those features. Google Photos online platform is now available as a Progressive Web App, which means the webpage has similar app features without talking up space on your smartphone for the app itself. The Progressive Web App is available on browsers that support PWAs, including Chrome on Android and Chrome OS, at photos.google.com.

Google was quiet about the change, but users spotted the update over the weekend. Inside Chrome with the PWAs enabled, Google Photo maintains more of the app’s features from the web browser. PWA webpages can also be saved as a shortcut on the home screen, which allows users to access the webpage in a process just like opening the app.

The Google Photos PWA allows users to access their images similar to the access inside the app, including creating albums, sharing photos and the assistant. Android users using Chrome may also get a popup shortcut to add the webpage to the home screen. The PWA version is missing a few things, however, including notifications and offline photos.

PWAs use less device storage than the complete apps while offering some of the same feel. Google says PWAs are also designed for a reliable and fast experience. Google Photos move to a PWA helps users access photos stored online while taking up less space on the device itself.

Google introduced PWA at the Chrome Dev Summit in late 2016. The format treats the webpages like an app rather than opening them in Chrome. And while Google Photos doesn’t appear to support notifications in PWA form yet, the format makes it possible to enable features like notifications even without the full app download. Since the launch, PAWs have been activated for Chrome Dev and Canary apps, while Safari is also adding support.

Google launched several tweaks to the Photos Platform over the last few weeks. Social reactions are arriving inside the app, while a developer program allows for third-party integrations with the cloud photo service. Last month, Google also rolled out new artificial intelligence-powered features for the app.

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Jun

How to factory reset Windows

Windows computers are rarely quicker and easier to use than the day they ship from the factory. Over time, the accumulation of files, misconfigured settings, and other factors slows down performance and impacts programs. If you find that your applications don’t run the way you expect, and opening and saving files takes longer than usual, you may want to turn back the clock.

In addition, you might want to sell or give away your Windows 10 machine (so you can buy something much more powerful). In that case, you’ll want to make sure that all of your personal information and applications are removed to protect your privacy. Fortunately, there’s a relatively easy way to start over with Windows 10: the Windows 10 reset function. Here’s how to factory reset Windows 10 and return it to its most pristine state.

First, back up your stuff!

Before you reset your system, you’ll want to back up important information that you don’t want to lose. This includes documents, photos, music, and movies, but there are other items to back up as well. Make sure that you know all of your saved passwords, export all of your browser bookmarks, and have installation files for all the software you’ll want to reinstall — or know where to get them.

Also, make sure you back up app-specific data, like custom filters saved in a photo utility, save files from your favorite games, and back up emails if using an offline client.

Windows 10

Windows 10’s reset feature is found in the primary Settings menu. This feature returns your Windows 10 installation to the default state it was when Windows 10 was first installed. Note that this might be technically different from a “factory reset” depending on your machine’s manufacturer.

Check your documentation or give technical support a call if you want to return your PC to how it was when you first pulled it out of the box. The manufacturer might have special partitions set up on the hard drive or might be able to provide a factory restore image.

Step 1: Access the settings menu by clicking the notifications icon on the taskbar or pressing the Windows button + A. Then click “All settings.”