Plan group trips in Skype with help from TripAdvisor and StubHub

Bringing TripAdvisor into a group chat is pretty easy — just tap the Add to Chat button and select TripAdvisor from the list of available plug-ins. You can choose a destination, then search for restaurants, hotels and activities in the area. Sharing interesting things from your search is as easy as tapping the Send button, and your TripAdvisor post will show up in the group chat.

StubHub works similarly; you open the add-in and search for an event, location or date and then select the tickets you want. Once that’s done, you can send the StubHub link to the entire group, and then everyone can click through to see the listings on the service, purchasing the seats they want.

Via: 9to5Mac

Source: Skype

HTC slips out an upgraded VR object tracker

HTC’s Vive Tracker is barely half a year old for everyday users, but it’s already being replaced with a new model. The VR hardware maker has confirmed to Tom’s Hardware that it’s now selling an updated “Vive Tracker (2018)” for the same $99. The product listing doesn’t say much about what’s new. However, they’re understood to support SteamVR Tracking 2.0, enabling object tracking in much larger (33ft by 33ft) spaces. That could make this new model virtually mandatory for some VR enthusiasts — the old model isn’t expected to work with 2.0 base stations.

The device is otherwise much the same as before, with the ability to track props (or even your own body) and 4.5 hours of battery life when you’re untethered. You have no reason to upgrade if you’re happy with your existing Vive setup, then. This is really for newcomers, arcades and diehard enthusiasts who were always going to buy the latest gear — it’s just good to know that HTC is making this gear available relatively quickly.

Via: Tom’s Hardware, VentureBeat

Source: HTC

‘Apocalypse Cow’ is a platform game inspired by ‘Wreck-It Ralph’

One of the best things about attending GDC is that, more often than not, you come across some of the best-looking independent titles. Today, that honor goes to Apocalypse Cow, a cinematic adventure game that draws inspiration from animated films like Wreck-It Ralph and genre-classics such as Super Mario. This 2D platformer, developed by an indie studio called Monsters, features the story of a character named Penny who tries to figure out what caused a glitch in a digital universe made up of video game worlds — hence the homage to Wreck-It Ralph.

Throughout Penny’s journey, you’ll see levels with visuals, items and enemies that are reminiscent of those in a Super Mario game, like the iconic green pipes and deadly gray blocks that are looking to stomp you. The latter are basically Thwomps on steroids, with spinning blue blades that will slice you into tiny pieces. That’s what’s great about Apocalypse Cow, it isn’t just a quirky, colorful platform game — it can also get pretty gory as you make your way past levels.

Altogether there are three different worlds that Penny can travel between, each made up of different missions that lead you to your ultimate goal: discovering the root cause of the glitch that’s ravaging everything around you. And if you’re wondering where the name for Apocalypse Cow came from, well, it actually has very little do with cows. The game’s developer told Engadget that the team couldn’t find a title until someone said, “Why don’t we just call it Apocalypse Cow?” After that, the next step was to actually bring some cow elements to the game, so Monsters decided to make the big boss an angry robotic bovine.

We won’t spoil the entire game for you, but at least now you know you should expect to come across a robotic heifer at some point. As for the controls, we were playing on an Xbox One dev kit and things are fairly simple here: left stick to move, right trigger to use your weapons and the A button to jump. The dev said it was important to ensure that gamers didn’t feel like they had to think when playing; the fewer buttons they could use, the better.

Monsters said Apocalypse Cow has been in the works for five years, noting that if the story wasn’t so deep it probably would’ve been done three years ago. In fact, Monster has rewritten the story completely three times. What we played at GDC 2018 is almost the final version, which you’ll see launch on Steam and the Xbox later this year. There’s no set MSRP for the game yet, but we’re told the goal is to make it available for around $15.

Click here to catch up on the latest news from GDC 2018!

WhatsApp co-founder tweets ‘#deleteFacebook’

While calls for users to eliminate their presence on Facebook have increased due to reports of how Cambridge Analytica allegedly used the platform, most of them haven’t come from anyone walking around with a few billion dollars of Facebook’s money. WhatsApp co-founder Brian Acton left the company last year, and today simply tweeted “It is time. #deletefacebook.”

It is time. #deletefacebook

— Brian Acton (@brianacton) March 20, 2018

Facebook acquired WhatsApp in 2014 for about $22 billion, and now Acton’s focus is on data protection and privacy, as he wrote last month after donating $50 million to launch the Signal foundation. At the time, he said: “We believe there is an opportunity to act in the public interest and make a meaningful contribution to society by building sustainable technology that respects users and does not rely on the commoditization of personal data.”

As of 8:30 PM ET, Acton’s public Facebook profile is still active.

Source: Brian Acton (Twitter)

Sleep++ App for Apple Watch Now Offers Automatic Sleep Tracking

If you’re someone who wears your Apple Watch while sleeping, you may be familiar with the Sleep++ app for the Apple Watch, which offers sleep tracking and analyzing functionality.

Sleep++ was today updated to version 3 and it’s gained a new feature that makes it easier than ever to keep track of sleep quality, length, and other metrics while sleeping — automatic tracking.

The Sleep++ automatic sleep tracking feature kicks in when Apple Watch wearers go to bed at night and stops tracking in the morning, so Sleep++ users no longer need to start and stop sleep tracking every night. For more precise tracking, though, manual options continue to be available.

Today’s Sleep++ update also includes other features like bedtime reminders, notifications with a summary of the previous night’s sleep quality, and the ability to set a nightly sleep goal to reach.

Apple Watch does not have any built-in sleep tracking capabilities because Apple has designed it to be charged at night and worn during the day, but third-party apps are able to provide this missing functionality for users who prefer to wear their watches to bed.

Apple does offer a sleep tracking solution in the form of the Beddit, an accessory that it acquired last year. The Beddit sleep tracker, which also offers automatic sleep tracking, slips under your sheet and monitors sleep quality, heart rate, and other metrics. It does cost $150, though, so it’s far less affordable than a third-party Apple Watch app.

Sleep++ can be downloaded from the App Store for free. [Direct Link]

Related Roundups: Apple Watch, watchOS 4Buyer’s Guide: Apple Watch (Neutral)
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8 Ball Pool review: Head to the pool hall with a casual game of billiards

8 Ball Pool

Well, we’re here. In the tail end of winter, where you’re probably dying to simply get out and have some social fun. If you live in a similar climate as I do, it means most of the things you normally enjoy doing are buried under snow, wind, cold, rain, or some God-forsaken combination thereof. Outside my living room it’s literally snowing an inch per hour as I type this.

So, in addition to having a beverage and watching YouTube, it might be kind of fun to go out and play some games. On nights like this, a little fun playing a game or two would liven things up. Something like a game of pool against a random person, or even a friend.

The problem I face is that chances are good that a decent pool table is not really close by. Not only that, it likely sits in an ‘establishment’ with ‘patrons’ that you probably wouldn’t be very excited about approaching for a game.

But, for such problematic situations the Play Store has you covered. I’ve played with Miniclip’s 8 Ball Pool, a free, family-friendly option to give you a simulated pool hall experience. Let’s take a quick spin on this fun billiards simulator.

Setup

Setup is is pretty standard as Android apps go: simply download from the Play Store. Upon opening the app, you can log in several different ways; nothing unusual. You can log in as a guest, via your Google account, or via your Facebook account (more on the FB option later).

Game selection.

Find an opponent.

Once into the game, you have several options to try out (though they’re not terribly well-presented).

You can play:

• 1 on 1 (random pairing with a human player)
• Special Game (tournaments but you’ll have to be at a minimum player level to access this mode)
• 9 Ball
• Minigames (pretty basic games-of-chance with the object of gaining more coins for in-game upgrades)
• Playing with Friends (signing in with Facebook allows you to create a ‘friends’ list to quickly request games with people you know. Excellent alternative to playing worldwide strangers.)
• Practice Offline (just what it says)

Play Some Pool!

Now we’re ready to hit some balls! If you’re anything like me, you’ll dive right into the 1-on-1 mode, pairing up a random stranger to test your mettle. I am not going to delve into the rules of pool here; if you’re still reading this I’m assuming you know you’re way around a table.

Before you play you’ll be prompted to bet a certain amount of your money, so you have some skin in the game as you go against your opponent.

The controls to 8 Ball Pool are pretty intuitive. When it’s your turn, you control your cue by swiping your finger to align the cue with the cue ball. There’s an alignment guide that helps you dial in your angle to impact your target ball to your intended pocket.

You can also touch a cue icon that brings up a larger face of your cue ball, allowing you touch placement of your intended “English” on the ball when you strike it. Lastly, there is a power meter to the left. Simply pull back and release at the point where you think the prime power level is.

If you miss, your opponent has their turn. And so on.

In 8-ball pool, you are either “solids” or “stripes”, where you have seven balls to put away. Once done, you can then try to pocket the 8-ball. First player to pocket all seven balls plus the neutral 8-ball wins.

In 9-ball pool, you try to pocket balls in numerical order (1, 2, 3, etc.) Only the balls numbered 1 thru 9 are used. Neither player ‘owns’ any balls on the table as you’re both trying to pocket the same balls. If you’re on, say, the 7-ball and miss; then it’s your opponents turn to pocket it. Whoever pockets the 9-ball is the winner.

Should you win, you gain coins; to spend on cue upgrades and such to progress through the game. The usual in-game swag ensues here.

Likes and Dislikes

8 Ball Pool is certainly a low-threshold entry into a quick game of pool this is a great thing. If you are looking to play pool, chances are you already know about the game, and just want to play. 8 Ball Pool lets you just get in and play and for as long as you want.

There isn’t a whole lot to complain about here. Game play on a phone-sized device can be tricky as shooting from the edge of the table gets tedious. Trying to position the cue stick from the edge isn’t always easy.

The app does have its share of ads and popups and includes popups which appear in your notification bar, too. But, to me, these are admittedly small problems, compared to the price you pay to play.

Overall I can only recommend 8 Ball Pool for your quick pool/billiards fix and not much more. Give it a try and tell us what you think!

Download 8 Ball Pool from the Play Store here.

Eight alternative SMS apps for Android

SMS apps, all phones come with at least one. But why do they all have to be so boring? Well, the good news is that you can easily spice up your texting experience.

Since the first SMS message was sent back in 1992, text messaging has become one of the most popular forms of communication, especially among the younger crowd.

Being able to send short, written texts via mobile phones has clearly advanced communication in certain respects. And the greatest benefit of texting it that it allows you to communicate instantly with other people wherever you are, without interrupting them in a way that a call would.

Phone manufacturers usually bundle their phone products with a default SMS app, but thanks to the Android’s open ecosystem, if you’re not happy with it, you can easily change it.

There are many third-party SMS apps available via the Google Play Store you can download right now. So below we’ve assembled a list of some of the best SMS app-alternatives you might want to try on your Android smartphone or tablet.

Textra

What it is:

A clean-looking SMS app that lets you customize your texting experience in numerous ways.

Why we like it:

• Textra transforms the drab experience of your default SMS app into a customizable adventure: users can change almost anything from theme colors and notifications to the style and colors of the message bubbles.
• A fan of iMessages? Textra can give you the sense you’re using an iPhone when you’re texting.
• The app also offers useful features such as SMS scheduling, quick replies, SMS blocking, dark, light & auto-night modes and a lot more.
• Tap into the 2000+ Android, Twitter, Emoji One & iOS style-emojis to spice up your text messages.

Install Textra

Pulse

What it is:

Pulse is a next-generation SMS app which brings together all your texts from all the devices you use including phones, tablets or computers.

Why we like it:

• The app is highly customizable just like Textra, offering the ability to set themes, share GIFs with your messages from Giphy and enable sound effects.
• Pulse’s standout feature is that it makes your messages available across all your devices. You can send and receive text messages from your phone number on your computer, tablet or smartwatch. Basically on any device that has access to a web browser. Note: This feature is available for a paid subscription, but you get a 7-day free trial
• The app includes other useful features such as delayed SMS sending, spam blocking and advanced search in messages and contacts.

Install Pulse

Mood Messenger

What it is:

Mood Messenger aims to combine both text messaging and web messaging into one. So, the app can be a great alternative to WhatsApp, but also a worthy default SMS replacement app.

Why we like it:

• Aptly named Mood Messenger, the app lets you send texts with mood. Users are invited to customize everything from the colors and shapes of the message bubbles and style of each font to backgrounds and notifications sounds. Add emoticons, emojis, and smileys for an enhanced effect.
• The app also acts as a basic photo editor by allowing you to do things like add text or emoji and even draw on your pic, before sending it along.
• Pulse is a modern SMS app, so its privacy-oriented, keeping your messages away from private eyes.

Install Mood Messenger

Handcent Next SMS

What it is:

Handcent Next SMS brings next-generation texting to your Android device. Available since 2010, the app has embraced Material Design thus offering a fresh, modern look.

Why we like it:

• Like Pulse, Handcent Next SMS lets you send messages from any device that has a browser installed on it. You can also use the app to make free calls over the Internet.
• Includes a feature called Privacy Box, an encrypted message box which can only be opened by a unique pre-set passcode.
• The app is riddled with emoji, stickers and everything you need to make your texts more fun.
• There’s also a Stick on top feature which pins your favorite contacts on the top.

Install Handcent Next SMS

Chomp SMS

What it is:

Chomp SMS is a third-party messaging app which comes equipped with an impressive set of features, as well as with many customization options.

Why we like it:

• Chomp SMS enables texters to create their own unique look by tapping into the 100 free themes/skins. You can also customize things like notification icons, LED colors, ringtones, vibrate patterns and a lot more.
• Boasts advanced features such as passcode app lock, privacy options, scheduled SMS senders, stop a text while sending, backup, blacklisting, and signatures.
• Includes a large 1600+ database of Android, Twitter, Emoji One and iOS-style emojis for your enjoyment.

Install Chomp SMS

Silence

What it is:

An interesting replacement for regular SMS apps with a focus on security and privacy.

Why we like it:

• Privacy is what everyone is worried these days, right? Well, then you’ll be glad to hear Silence stores all messages you receive in an encrypted database. By default, it’s not protected by a password, but you can set one if you so desire.
• When both parties use Silence the app automatically recognizes this and starts using end-to-end encryption to send messages and media. Otherwise, it works just as a standard SMS app.
• Silence is open source, which means its code can be scrutinized for vulnerabilities, backdoors and other shady stuff.

Install Silence

QKSMS

What it is:

Like Silence, QKSMS is an open source messenger which wants to help you re-live the glory days of text messaging.

Why we like it:

• The app offers access to nearly 200 themes including dark ones. There’s also an Automatic Night Mode which can turn itself on when it’s dark out.
• The QK Reply tool enables you to reply to messaging without having to stop what you’re doing.
• Other useful features include floating notifications, MMS, group chats and a search tool.

Install QKSMS

EvolveSMS

What it is:

EvolveSMS is a powerful texting replacement app that makes keeping in touch with your friends and family a breeze.

Why we like it:

• On top of letting you customize your SMS experience any way you want, EvolveSMS’ most important feat is probably allowing users to swiftly send/receive all kinds of media including images, videos, and GIFs.
• The app allows you to reply to your chats directly from your notification bar. It also lets you set up a password to protect your private conversations.
• EvolveSMS comes with Android Wear support and Facebook integration.

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.klinker.android.evolve_sms

So what do you think? Which of these apps sounds more promising in your opinion? Do you have a favorite app for texting? Is it the stock app that comes with your phone or one of the titles above? Let us know in the comments!

Roku’s free movie channel arrives on Samsung smart TVs this summer

Last year, Roku launched a free, ad-supported film channel available to those with a Roku player, stick or TV in the US. Now, the company has announced that The Roku Channel will be available as an app on select Samsung smart TVs this summer. The channel’s selection includes content from studios like Lionsgate, MGM and Sony Pictures Entertainment as well as films from Roku channel publishers such as Popcornflix and American Classics. The selection updates every month.

The company says that The Roku Channel is a top 20 channel on the Roku platform and that even though it’s ad-supported, it has around half of the advertising per programming hour that traditional TV channels do. There’s no word yet on exactly when the app will be available on Samsung TVs or which models will have access. And though The Roku Channel may hit more third-party devices in the future, Roku hasn’t said which. “We are looking at a variety of distribution opportunities but don’t have anything specific to share today,” a spokesperson told Variety.

Source: Roku

Popular iPad Drawing App ‘Linea Sketch’ Gets Major Feature Update

Popular iPad sketching app Linea from The Iconfactory has been renamed to Linea Sketch and updated with multiple new features in 2.0 update that was released this morning.

There are new Templates and Grids in the app, including Notepad options with wide and narrow rules for note taking and new storyboarding templates. Existing app design templates have been updated for Apple’s newest devices, and there is a new small dot grid available.

The previous version of Linea was limited to landscape mode, but the new update adds support for portrait orientation so you can draw in either landscape or portrait modes. New sketches are created using the iPad’s current orientation, and all templates support the new portrait orientation.

Images can now be imported from the camera, photo library, clipboard, or a file browser app, and imported images can be added to a layer for editing or tracing.

There’s also a new ZipLine tool for creating straight lines and polygons, a new scissors tool for creating selections in the Layers panel, and support for new gestures. You can resize selections by dragging with the orange handles or rotate using two fingers.

Linea Sketch supports several iOS 11 features following the update, including Drag and Drop and Split View multitasking, which allows it to be used alongside another app.

Linea Sketch can be downloaded from the App Store for $4.99 for a limited time, a 50 percent discount off of the regular price. [Direct Link]
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Galaxy S9+ vs. Galaxy Note 8: Which should you buy?

Samsung fans will be torn between these two.

Samsung’s dual-flagship approach is great for smartphone super-fans, because we get to see a new top-of-the-line phone from the company twice a year. The Galaxy S series refreshes early on in the year, followed by a Note phone about six months later.

But for someone who holds off on a purchase and doesn’t necessarily upgrade every six months (or even each year), it creates a quandary when you go to buy a Samsung phone: do you buy the Galaxy S, or the Note? Right now you can get the Galaxy Note 8, which is still just a handful of months old and very much a modern phone, but if you want the absolute latest tech from Samsung it has actually been supplanted by the Galaxy S9+.

The Galaxy S and Galaxy Note series have converged over the past few years, but it hasn’t ever been this close — here’s what you need to consider when choosing between the two.

What’s the same

The Galaxy S9+ has a few improvements over the Note 8, but as you’d expect considering their proximity much has been carried over. The two phones share a common platform in their hardware when it comes to the quality of the materials and the overall design, with the only real change being the GS9+’s different metal finish. The Galaxy S9+’s display has improved from the GS8+, but is indistinguishable in quality from the Note 8 — so yeah, both look amazing. And of course there’s just a 0.1-inch diagonal difference in size.

This is the same core hardware platform supporting both phones.

The rest of the hardware features like waterproofing, an SD card slot, a headphone jack, wireless charging, Quick Charge 2.0 and the supporting specs are all the same. Yes the processor has been upgraded to a Snapdragon 845 in the Galaxy S9+, but that shouldn’t make you forget about the Note 8’s considerable speed in its own right. Both have the same RAM and storage, too.

Even though the Galaxy S9+ is running Oreo out of the box, I won’t even claim it’s a big difference. The Galaxy Note 8 should have its Oreo update in short order, and it will have as many of the same software features as possible. But even that aside, Samsung’s take on Oreo isn’t all that removed from the Nougat launched on the Note 8 — all else being equal in the phones, don’t choose one over the other just to get it.

What’s different

Physically, it’s simply a bit easier to handle the slightly smaller Galaxy S9+. We’re talking about 4 mm in height, 1 mm in width and 6 grams in weight, but add it all up with the slightly more rounded corners and the GS9+ feels like less of a behemoth than the Note 8. If the Note 8 is outright unmanageable for you the GS9+ won’t feel like an entirely different phone, and you should consider the regular Galaxy S9 instead — but I’ll never complain about a phone being smaller and easier to hold, even if it’s subtle.

A slight drop in size and a better fingerprint sensor placement definitely make a difference.

Perhaps more important than the size is the fingerprint sensor placement on the Galaxy S9+. You can easily reach up and touch the lower, center-mounted fingerprint sensor without shifting the phone around in your hand. It’s something you do dozens (perhaps hundreds) of times per day, and it’s something you don’t really think about until you’ve lived with the far inferior placement on the Note 8.

The Galaxy S9+ also introduces stereo speakers. A phone the size of the Note 8 really should have them as well, but at least you have access to it with the GS9+. The speakers aren’t dramatically louder, but getting stereo separation and not having the audio easily blocked by your finger when holding the phone in portrait mode is another subtle usability improvement. And yes, the battery on the Galaxy S9+ is slightly larger, 3500 versus 3300mAh. That 6% bump in conjunction with the slight efficiency improvement from the Snapdragon 845 helps battery life, but it’s not a massive shift.

Note 8’s camera is no slouch, but the Galaxy S9+ easily bests it with no clear downsides.

One could say the biggest improvement in the 2018 phone is its main camera. This is an all-new setup for Samsung, with a brand new sensor and a variable aperture. The new sensor is capable of taking fantastic photos with less noise and sharper lines in all sorts of scenes, but really shines when it comes to low light photography. It also has 960 fps super slow-motion video capture, which is a neat trick. The Note 8’s camera is no slouch, but the Galaxy S9+ easily bests it with no clear downsides.

The only benefit the Note 8 has going for it in this comparison is the feature that gives it its name: the S Pen stylus. If you like to draw or write notes by hand, there isn’t anything like the S Pen on any other phone. Sure the Galaxy S9+ has some of the same features, but when it comes to getting that super-precise input there’s no replacement for having the S Pen at the ready.

Bottom line: Which should you buy?

This really feels like a toss-up. Not only do these two phones have nearly identical experiences, but they also cost about the same. Though the MSRP of the Note 8 was a bit higher, around $940, a few months on the market and the release of the GS9+ has brought that down in many places to the same price as the newer phone. Given their similarities we know basically no one will be upgrading from a Note 8 to a GS9+, but these two will be cross-shopped for someone coming from an older phone.

Unless you need the S Pen, you should buy the Galaxy S9+.

With so much shared between the phones in hardware, design and capabilities, this really comes down to evaluating the few differences and how they’ll actually matter in daily use. The Galaxy S9+ offers a slightly more compact size, a little better battery life, an improved main camera and stereo speakers — but importantly, it doesn’t make any compromises compared to the Note. The Note 8 offers a tiny bit more room to work on the screen, and obviously the excellent S Pen — but that’s it.

So either you need a stylus and you buy the Note 8, or you’ll be better served overall by the Galaxy S9+.

Samsung Galaxy S9 and S9+

• Galaxy S9 review: A great phone for the masses
• Galaxy S9 and S9+: Everything you need to know!
• Complete Galaxy S9 and S9+ specs
• Galaxy S9 vs. Google Pixel 2: Which should you buy?
• Galaxy S9 vs. Galaxy S8: Should you upgrade?
• Join our Galaxy S9 forums

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