Snapchat is developing scannable ads
Snapchat users could soon be scanning more than each other’s snapcodes. The company is reportedly working on scannable ads that would unlock sponsored content within the app. Like QR codes before them, these machine-readable advertisements can be integrated into stuff like product packaging or movie posters. Upon being scanned, the ads will grant users access to item discounts, sponsored content, and other goodies, while presumably providing Snapchat and its partners valuable marketing data about its users’ interests. According to The Information’s pair of unnamed sources, these ads should start rolling out sometime this fall.
Source: The Information
Ishtar Commander is a Destiny player’s best friend (App Review)
You wake up in the early 2700s, long, long after the golden age, the arrival of the fallen and the collapse. You’re greeted by your ghost who informs you that he’s been looking for you for a long time. You look around to find yourself in fallen territory surrounded by nothing but destruction. You have to make it to the wall to get to safety….
And that’s how your journey begins. From that point, you become a guardian of the last city on Earth. Protected by the traveler and bathed in light, the Tower sits above the city as a symbol of hope of what we may be again, one day. Throughout your missions, you begin to accumulate new weapons, new armor, vehicles, shaders, and emblems. You can only carry so much, so the others must remain in your Vault or be deleted.
This is where Ishtar Commander comes in.
In late-game Destiny you’re more than likely running three characters, a combination of Warlocks, Hunters, and Titans (with their tiny little T-Rex arms). Moving guns, gear, and ghosts between characters can be accomplished at the Tower with the Vault, but that’s a slow and painful process.
Usage
When you boot up Ishtar Commander (the app name comes from a location in the game) you’re greeted with a login screen for either your Xbox Live or PlayStation Network account. The app hooks directly into Bungie’s (the creator of Destiny) system to move items around. There are no fancy parlor tricks that leave your items at risk of being lost.
You’re able to move between your three characters and the Vault with simple swipes to the left and the right. The top of the screen lists which character you’re currently viewing and at the bottom, you can click on tabs for Weapons, Armor, Inventory, and Progress. Weapons and Armor are pretty self-explanatory. Inventory covers everything in your Materials and Consumables list in Destiny, as well as Emblems, Shaders Vehicles, Sparrow Horns, Ships, and Emotes. It’s your “catch-all” screen if you will.
In my opinion, where the real power of Ishtar Commander lays is the ability to move things in and out of your Vault and in between character at a moment’s notice. I routinely run the raid with three different characters and use specific weapons during the raid. If I were to have to run to the Tower every time I wanted to move weapons it would take much, much longer.
Another really important feature within Ishtar Commander is the ability to save loadouts. There are many different activities in Destiny and everyone has their preferred weapons for things like the Crucible, the Raid, or Heroic Strikes. Each activity can have its own separate loadout saved for quickly moving weapons and gear over quickly so you can jump into games as fast as possible. You can also hit “maximize light level” to pop your light level up as high as possible for engram decrypting purposes.
Within the settings you can turn on turn on settings for light level, armor grades (for you tier 12 chasers), and hidden stats.
Everything works flawlessly within the app. If you don’t have room to send a weapon to another character, you get a very clear error explaining why. There’s no guesswork. While there have been some issues in the past with functionality, the devs seem to have figured it out recently and we’ve had a long period of silky smooth performance.
Graphics and Sound
With apps that focus on functionality, there is sometimes a letdown in the graphics and sound departments. Luckily, Ishtar Commander avoids any kind of serious issues.
There are very clear sections for each type of weapon (Primary, Special, Heavy) and the icons for each weapon are large enough to easily tell exactly what you’re selecting. My only gripe is the large amount of space between each section. It seems to just be a waste.
There aren’t many sounds in the apps besides a clip from Destiny during your initial boot-up and some error sounds. The sounds are consistent and not annoying so no issues there.
Conclusion
I use Ishtar Commander every time I play Destiny. While that isn’t as much as I may like these days, I can usually get in a couple hours with friends during the week and run the raid. Ishtar Commander saves me so much time and frustration. I no longer have to run back to the Tower and switch between characters to move guns, materials, and consumables.
The devs have been excellent communicating with the community and pushing constant updates. When something breaks, it’s immediately addressed. You rarely see dev support for a free app like this.
If you’d like to pick up Ishtar Commander, you can head over to the Play Store!
Pokémon Go hits 100 million downloads
Pokémon Go is still going strong, despite privacy scares and feature bugs. According to a report by App Annie, it has now been installed over 100 million times, up 25 million from late July. While that number is from an analyst report and the actual number of downloads could be slightly different, it’s not that hard to believe. As TechCrunch noted, the game was downloaded 50 million times on Android within only 19 days according to previous estimates, whereas it took 77 days for ColorSwitch to get to that point.
App Annie also says that the game still earns over $10 million in daily revenue from both iOS and Android apps, over three weeks after it was released. Despite its success, it doesn’t seem to have an adverse effect on other applications. The analyst’s report mentions that other games saw their daily revenue drop for a few days after the app was launched, but they quickly bounced back. Further, it has popularized augmented reality apps and has given other developers an example of how to create engaging games.
“By now, it should be clear that Pokémon Go’s launch was a watershed moment for AR and its success has not come at the expense of other mobile games or apps,” the report concluded. “Instead, it has opened up new engagement and revenue opportunities for the entire app ecosystem by creating a model to close the online-to-offline (O2O) loop.”
Via: TechCrunch
Source: App Annie
Apple TV’s new iPhone remote control app talks to Siri
As promised, you no longer need to use the new Apple TV’s standard remote control to take advantage of all the media hub’s features. Apple has released a brand new Apple TV Remote app that drags its iOS interface into the modern era. You can not only use the same touch-based control as on the hardware remote, but talk to Siri — handy if you lost the physical controller between the couch cushions. It also supports motion controls for games, and there’s even a Game Mode that strips things down.
The new Remote app works with every Apple TV from the second-generation model onward, and you should only miss Siri and other hardware-specific features on those previous devices. It’s just as well, too. While the old app is still hanging around (at least for now), this is an entirely separate download. Apple appears to be making a clean break with this release, and you’ll only really want the original Remote if you use it to control iTunes on your computer.
Via: Bloomberg
Source: App Store
Google brings Maps’ multi-stop feature to iOS
Google is rolling out Maps’ multi-stop feature to the iOS app, making it easy to plan for road trips or even for a dreary day of running errands. The tech titan introduced the ability to set multiple destinations on Android back in June. Now that it’s also out for Apple’s mobile platform, you can simply tap “Add stop” and even rearrange destinations by holding and dragging them around if you have an iPhone. Just like when it was initially released, you might not be able to access the feature immediately. It might take a few days or so for the update to show up — for now, you’ll just have to plot routes the old way.
Source: Google Maps
Roundup: Spigen slim cases for the HTC 10
The HTC 10 is sexy smartphone. If you’re keen on keeping that slick metal casing pristine, then you must cover it up. Like many smartphone enthusiasts, I’m also not a fan of throwing a plastic case on top of a beautiful design. Fortunately, Spigen has a good variety of options that attempt to not be too invasive. Here are a couple of the slimmer cases the company offers that might just tickle your fancy.
Thin Fit Cases
Spigen’s Thin Fit cases are the slimmest ones in its lineup. They’re more your typical snap-on kind of case, in which you sacrifice some protection for slimness (also meaning that it’s super easy to install and remove). Strangely, Spigen only offers two variants: Gunmetal and…Mint. Not sure why there’s not a wider range of colors, but I figure that the Gunmetal model should set well with most people. Let’s check that out first.
Gunmetal Thin Fit Case
The find the Gunmetal case to be the most interesting out of the bunch, because of the choice of material and color. In practice, it’s just a hard, snap-on case, but the grippy finish puts it above the rest. It’s somewhat rubbery and sticky to the touch (not in a bad way), which makes handling leaps and bounds better than with the phone’s bare surface. The case is reluctant to leave your hand.
Additionally, the styling is a big plus. It’s superbly metallic in appearance, perfectly complimenting the HTC 10’s fancy build. On-lookers should be hard-pressed to tell that they’re not looking at a charcoal version of the phone. It even mimics the HTC 10’s exaggerated chamfer that’s along the rear perimeter.
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Being that these are snap-on cases, the top and bottom of the phone are exposed. The sides are pretty robust, though. They completely wrap around and leave a substantial lip on each side of the front. You should have no worry laying the phone face down on a table.
A slight concern I noticed is that the camera and back-facing microphone cutouts don’t line up perfectly.
Camera and microphone are slightly offset from the cutouts, but they still function just fine.
I’d expect that such an established case-maker would have impeccable cutouts. Tsk tsk, Spigen.
Spigen Thin Fit Gunmetal Case link
Mint Thin Fit Case
The shape and fit of the Mint Thin Fit variant is the same as the Gunmetal. But the material has a more typical hard plastic finish. It’s nicely matte, and despite being smooth, there’s still plenty of grip. But that color…
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I’m just not a fan, and while it looks a little better in person than the promo pics (not as bright), it’s still an eyeful of pale green. But I won’t dwell further on the color, it’s subjective. The Mint Thin Fit case offers the same amount of protection as its brother. But I found the cutouts to be better aligned on my Mint model. Maybe I got a bad Gunmetal unit.
Spigen Thin Fit Mint Case link
Crystal Shell Case
Spigen’s Crystal Shell case is a good alternative to the Thin Fit. You get a bit better protection, but while there’s more substance to the case, the fact that it’s completely clear allows the phone’s design to still be relevant. The case’s build is a combination of hard plastic (back cover) and flexible TPU material (around all sides).
This allows the Crystal Shell case to have a Military Grade protection rating for your phone (MIL-STD 810G). The case’s thickness slightly raises above the camera module and front glass. This is probably the best balance of protection and slimness.
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There are cutouts on the top and bottom of the phone for all the ports. The power and volume buttons aren’t exposed; there’s matching TPU inserts that push into the actual buttons. It works just fine.
Spigen Crystal Shell Case link
Final Thoughts
Spigen continues to do a great job. It could do better in some areas, but for the most part, these are solid cases. If you care about looks, I strongly suggest that Gunmetal model. I loved it. But I suggest Spigen to look into quality control of those cutouts.
For more info on these cases, or others available, check out Spigen’s HTC product list.
Virgin America’s app has Spotify playlists based on your trip
Virgin America revealed a major overhaul to its website back in 2014, and now it finally has an app for Android and iOS. As you might expect, the retooled mobile software has a similar look and feel to the web portal, but you can use it to book flights, manage upgrades and access boarding passes on the go. There’s a lot more playful illustration than you’ve seen in other airline apps, consistent with the approach Virgin takes to air travel. What’s more, there’s Spotify integration as well, offering an easy way to play music during your trip.
In fact, Virgin America is calling the partnership a “first-of-its kind trip soundtrack mobile feature on an airline app.” How does it work? Well, once you check in, you can stream one of Spotify’s “Mood Lists” that are inspired by cities around the world. Users will be privy to a playlist that’s based on their destination, so in theory you’ll get a new mix of songs for each leg of your journey. If that sounds familiar, the streaming service recently revealed an Out of Office playlist tool that also compiles a collection of tracks inspired by where you’re traveling that can be used in those automatic email responses. The collaboration isn’t too surprising though, since flyers can already stream music from Spotify during Virgin flights.
While the new Virgin America app isn’t ready for the masses, select Elevate members and other frequent flyers will be privy to a beta test “in the coming weeks.” If you didn’t get an invite to the test phase, you can sign up here to try and get in. Don’t mind waiting a little longer? The airline says both the Android and iOS versions of the app are slated to launch “later this summer.”
Source: Virgin America
Mercedes gives first responders an AR view of its cars
Only advertisers love QR codes, but Mercedes-Benz actually made them useful in the real world. By putting the codes on the B-pillars and gas doors of its vehicles, firefighters can use its Rescue Assist app and quickly figure out how to help folks involved in an accident. The automaker made the latest version easier to use by adding augmented reality (AR) and 3D visualization features. That lets first responders see dangerous components — like fuel lines and high-voltage components in electric and hybrid cars — overlaid on the real-world vehicle, Pokémon-style.
The app works whether or not you have a data connection and, as before, provides “rescue cards” with safety information relevant to each vehicle. It includes details on Mercedes passenger cars built since 1990, and the QR codes can be affixed to older models. The app is probably more useful to rescue personnel in Europe, however, where a much higher percentage of vehicles on the road are made by Daimler-Benz.
Source: Mercedes
Runkeeper’s Running Groups keep you motivated
If you have running buddies, you know the advantages they bring — they’ll encourage you to run when you’d otherwise slack off, or when you just have to one-up a friend. And Runkeeper knows it. The Asics-owned developer has updated its Android and iOS apps with a Running Groups feature that, unsurprisingly, promises to keep you off the couch. As many as 25 people can participate in challenges (such as distance or the most runs), and there’s a group chat to either motivate your pals or trash-talk them when you emerge triumphant.
As VentureBeat observes, the tricky bit is getting everyone to settle on a single running app. You may use Runkeeper, but what if your friends use Endomondo or Nike+ Running (which, we’d add, already has a social feature)? Of course, that’s really the point. If Runkeeper can get you to settle on its app for your running circle, it’s going to get a few new users in one shot. Not that you’ll necessarily complain, especially if you find that solo runs just aren’t cutting it.
Source: Runkeeper Blog
Electro-Harmonix brings ’80s synth sounds to your iPad
The likes of Korg and Moog have their own synthesizer apps for iOS devices, and now there’s a new option for loading up a virtual instrument on those mobile devices. Electro-Harmonix has released a version of its Mini-Synthesizer EH-1600 for iPad and iPhone that delivers a digital re-creation of the ’80s analog gear. The original had pretty basic controls, but it was responsible for some fairly iconic synthesizer sounds like you’ve heard from Rush, Van Halen and more.
The app comes with 22 presets and offers users the ability to store any custom settings as well. While the original Mini-Synthesizer was a monophonic instrument, this digital version is a polyphonic synth, meaning that you can play four notes at the same time rather than just one. There’s a switch to toggle between modes though, so you can still get the classic tones alongside the new functionality. The company also expanded the keyboard to a full 88 keys, too. In total, there are 12 sliders and 9 switches for tweaking pitch, filters, delay, reverb and more inside the app that has a look that closely resembles the physical instrument. And yes, you can use the mobile software with connected MIDI devices.
If you’re looking to give it a shot, the app will set you back $2.99 for the iPhone version and $4.99 if you’re looking to use in on an iPad. Don’t worry Android users, the synth will arrive for Google’s OS in late September. For now, you can hear what the app is capable of in the video below.
Via: Fact Magazine
Source: App Store
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