Yahoo Mail app lets you customize your inbox swipes
Yahoo debuted a new Mail app back in the fall, and today the mobile software is getting a few new features. First, both the Android and iOS versions will allow you to customize your swipes. This means that when you’re looking at your inbox, you can opt to swipe right to archive or swipe left to mark as spam. Other actions include starring a message and marking it as read. When using a long press to select multiple messages, you can now star a group of emails or mark them as spam from the so-called multi-select toolbar in the app.
For the iOS version, Yahoo is looking to make hunting for the file you’re trying to attach easier. The app will display a collection of recently received photos and files alongside a search bar so that you can find exactly what you’re looking for quickly. The iOS version also allows you to create, delete and rename folders and subfolders with a long press. Android users can now move or star messages as soon as they arrive. Thanks to actionable notifications, you can deal with an email the moment it arrives on your device. Updates for both OSes are rolling out today.
Vertical scroller ‘Downwell’ fires its way to Android
Downwell is finally coming to the Play Store. The vertical scroller where your character falls down a well (hence, the name) while battling enemies was only available via Steam and for iOS devices. Its creator Ojiro Fumoto has been developing the Android version for quite a while, and he’s just announced on Twitter that it’s coming out on January 27th, 12nn PT/3pm ET. He didn’t mention how much the Devolver-published game would cost you, but it’s priced at $2.99 on iTunes. We don’t see it on Google Play yet, though, so you’ll just have to try searching for it later.
Downwell, if this is the first time you’ve heard of it, has garnered many positive reviews during its lifetime. Metacritic gave it a score of 91 and Polygon reviewer Douglas Wilson said it’s the best game he played in 2015.
Sorry for the wait! Android version will hit tomorrow 😉 pic.twitter.com/FyZKW6l4zJ
— Ojiro (@moppin_) January 26, 2016
Source: Ojiro Fumoto
Dating app Lulu’s controversial guy reviews are no more
When Lulu launched over two years ago, its approach to mobile dating raised more than a few eyebrows. Instead of connecting girls with eligible dudes nearby, the app let them share anonymous reviews of men they knew, complete with hashtags like “#LifeOfTheParty,” “#TallDarkAndHandsome” and “#PlaysDigeridoo.” Some loved it. Some were mortified. Still others wondered what the service could mean for the future of dating. The answer: apparently not much, because Lulu as we knew it is dead. A few days ago, the company quietly replaced its original app with a new version that cut out all of those juicy reviews in favor of a more generic — and very familiar — dating experience.
The updated software is live in both Apple’s App Store and the Google Play Store, but its existing website still refers to the old, review-heavy version. It’s only when you go to new.onlulu.com that you get a sense of the company’s new mission. And more importantly, users are pretty pissed off too:
No wonder they’re miffed. Say what you will about the value of anonymous reviews; Old Lulu was a platform based more on information than action. You went there to see if that guy you just met was a creep, not to strike up a conversation or send emoji (though you could if you really felt like it). The new, neutered Lulu pegs itself as a “fresh way to meet new people,” letting users see others they’ve crossed paths with while traipsing around in the real world. One thing becomes obvious after even the briefest moment spent poking around in either the app or the new Lulu website, though: they’re both carbon copies of UK dating app/site Badoo. In fact, Lulu didn’t even take the time to scrub the Badoo logos off the images plastered on their “new” site:
Now, before anyone cries foul (or copyright infringement), know that Badoo has a white-label program that allows other companies to build services on top of its sizeable social network, and those companies seem to be able to just swap out logos if they feel like it. Lulu isn’t alone, either. Consider Blendr, the app often referred to as Grindr’s counterpart for straight people. Total Badoo clone. And remember Hot or Not, one of the best/worst ways to waste time in the early 2000s? It’s goddamn Badoo again! We’ve reached out to both Lulu and Badoo in hopes of clearing up the exact nature of their relationship, but neither responded yet (and we’re pretty sure it’s a white-label deal anyway).
At the very least, New Lulu/Badoo pays a little lip service to the idea of dating intelligence by showing off a ratio of how many times a person has been liked versus disliked. Still, the snarky, valuable and sometimes upsetting original has been replaced with a toothless impostor that mashes up features from rival services.
It’s not clear why Lulu took such a drastic leap, but we can hazard a few guesses. The one-sided nature of Old Lulu meant mostly women extracted value from the service; they’d get juicy tips on all the little things that did or didn’t make a guy dateable. Naturally, being a guy on the other end could be tricky, especially if you got tagged with a string of less-than-stellar reviews.
This experiential disconnect led to plenty of debates — often about how the app could transform the conventions of modern dating — that didn’t make the process of building a functional business any easier. The revamp equals the playing field in that both men and women can use the service, but man — if Lulu was looking for a competitive advantage, literally turning their product into a carbon copy of multiple others was not the way to do it.
The Twitch app is down for some PS4 players
The Twitch app on PlayStation 4 has been down since Friday for some users under the error code CE-34878-0. But, fear not, live-streaming PS4 fans: Twitch is on the case.
“Our team is aware of it and working to get it fixed as soon as possible,” a Twitch spokesperson tells Engadget. There’s no word on how widespread the issue is, how long it should take to resolve or what’s causing it.
Does the Twitch app on PS4 not work anymore? Or is it just me?
— Daniel Loza (@RiseLoonysan) January 24, 2016
A Reddit thread about the error went live on Friday. Users have posted a few potential workarounds for the issue, though the easiest one is to open Twitch via the PS4’s web browser. Competitive Call of Duty player Daniel Loza tweeted about the error and some of his followers confirmed they were having the same issue, while others said the app was working fine on their ends.
Amazon bought Twitch in 2014 for nearly $1 billion. Twitch has since streamlined its processes, held its first-ever convention and launched the careers of a handful of livestreamers (including Deadmau5). The service regularly hosts popular eSports tournaments.
We’ve followed up with Twitch about the error and will update with additional information as it comes in.
Uber is using smartphone data to alert it to bad drivers
Although Uber’s review system allows both riders and drivers to submit feedback on a recent journey, it can be hard for the company to know what really happened. Did a driver constantly break the speed limit or was a customer totally unfair with their feedback? Without evidence, it’s simply one person’s word against another’s. Uber has a plan to change that, though. Using gyroscopes and GPS chips built into driver and passenger smartphones, the company’s new scheme will log when a driver is (or isn’t) driving dangerously. Feedback will still be welcome, but the idea is to back up words and scores with cold hard data.
To ease tracking fears, Uber says it will only be able to “review” complaints after they’ve been submitted, not detect driver errors as they happen. If a rider leaves feedback saying that a driver took corners too fast, the company can use data collected from its apps to see if that was actually the case. “Mostly it’s about talking to both sides,” says Joe Sullivan, Uber’s Chief Security Officer. “But increasingly technology can help get to the truth.”
Uber’s trials aren’t all about (potentially) vilifying drivers, though. In an effort to protect freelancers from disruptive passengers, the ridesharing service has begun leaving kids’ toys in the back of vehicles. In Charlotte, for instance, riders may find a Bop It toy, which has proved “a great way to keep drunk riders entertained so they don’t distract their driver.” Customers in Seattle will also see drivers use color-coded lights to make their vehicles more visible at night.
Via: Guardian
Source: Uber
Donald Rumsfeld helped make an iPhone game
Like him or hate him, Donald Rumsfeld has been a jack of all trades — and apparently, that now includes mobile games. The veteran politician has teamed up with programmers to release Churchill Solitaire, an iOS game based on the card game that Winston Churchill supposedly played to sharpen his strategic thought processes. Rumsfeld was strictly a creative director (he’s not exactly a coder by trade), but his influence is everywhere. Reflections on Churchill’s life appear while you’re playing, and even the pricing mirrors Rumsfeld’s values — while the base game is free, hints and retries cost money (“there are damn few undos in life,” he says).
The title isn’t going to make you rethink your views on Rumsfeld, but it might be worth a go if you’re not averse to efforts with his name attached. It’s not only considerably tougher than regular solitaire, but requires the kind of long-term thinking that’s not always present in card games. A careless decision early on can ruin your chances of winning much later. Our only major question right now: where’s the Android version?
[Image credit: David Hume Kennerly/Getty Images]
Via: Wall Street Journal
Source: App Store
Microsoft Selfie app now shares your iPhone self-portraits
The whole point of Microsoft’s Selfie app for iPhones is to share your pretty face (albeit an ideal, algorithmically-modified version of it) with the world, but you haven’t had an easy way to make that happen for most of the app’s existence. A bit ironic, don’t you think? Microsoft agrees. It quietly updated Selfie with a sharing feature that makes it almost trivial to indulge in a little public vanity. You can tap one button to post your latest shot directly on Facebook, or another to bring up the iOS sharing dialogue and spread the joy through other apps.
The app also brings in a few interface tweaks, although you aren’t about to get lost if you’ve been trying Selfie already. As for versions on Android or (logically) Windows 10 Mobile? There’s still nothing concrete, but Microsoft is promising to bring Selfie to “more platforms.” The iOS edition was just the first app out of the gate.
Source: App Store, Inside Microsoft Research
The Android Apple Music App: Good looking, but like the iPhone lacks features and value (App Review)
Apple is notorious for locking down its software and ecosystem by keeping things all to themselves. Apple doesn’t readily share its software and for the most part and has only released three apps into the Google Play Store, one of which is a very poorly two star rated Move to iOS app. A change occurred last year when Apple decided to release its music app, in beta form, to Android users where it offered a free 90-day subscription.
Naturally being a huge fan of music, and intrigued by Apple joining Android, I decided to give the Apple Music app a try. And for the last month I’ve realized the app is representative of what an iPhone is – good looking, over-priced, and definitely lacking in features.
Description
Apple Music was released to the Google Play Store in November of 2015. Apple has decided to call it a beta release, seemingly as an excuse to make up for its shortcomings on Android devices. At $9.99 Apple Music is identically priced to Google Play Music, but offers a smaller library at 30 million songs to Google’s 35 million.
Google and Apple both released Family Subscription plans last year, where you can pay just $14.99 for unlimited music streaming and downloading for a household of six. Pathetically, if you do subscribe to Apple Music on Android and want to join as a family, you’ll need to a Mac OS computer or iOS device.
Apple Music description from the Google Play Store
In order to use the Apple Music App, you will need to create an Apple ID just to get started. The app will not let you past the sign in page to access free music without going through the painstaking process of dropping in your credit card information just for a free trial. You will need to give your full address, credit card information and phone number just to be able to listen to music. And you cannot use other payment services like your Google Wallet or Paypal. Just to start using the app is a painful process.
Just like the iOS app, Apple Music for Android is full of musical recommendations, human-curated playlists and radio. You can create your own playlists and access music you’ve purchased through iTunes on the My Music page. You can download songs, playlists and full albums for offline listening when you don’t have a connection. The Connect tab lets you follow your favorite artists and see photos, songs and other updates they share.
Like other music streaming apps, Apple Music does have human-curated playlists and radio stations. And like other subscription based services, you are free to create your own playlists and download music for off-line use.
Usage
I am a subscriber to TIDAL which offers true HiFi audio that streams at much higher bit-rates than anything else available. The main downside to TIDAL is its much smaller library of music.
I’m also a subscriber to Google Play Music which offers a family plan that doesn’t require an iOS device, includes a free subscription to YouTube Red and allows me access to over 35 million songs. Being a subscriber to both of these services gives me a good foundation for what a good music streaming app should be.
When I first installed the Apple Music app on my Android device, I was hoping to get started by just downloading the app. I was annoyed that I had to go through the entire sign-up process – luckily I had an Apple ID from my iPhone days, but I still had to type in all of my information again like my address and credit card information. I didn’t understand why I couldn’t just login with my Apple ID and get going. The sign process is downright cumbersome.
Moving past the sign-up process and getting into the app was a pleasant experience. Apple Music, while being a tad busy looking, is still really good looking. The images it uses are very clear and the layout looks great.
Once I started to use the app I noticed that the app severely lagged at times when trying to load my downloaded playlists. It didn’t do it all of the time, but you can definitely tell Apple Music for Android is still in beta form. I experienced app crashes too – I gave the app a spin on my Nexus 6P, Note5 and LG V10 so there would be no performance issues blamed on hardware. I was also very disappointed to learn that I could not stream music to my Chromecasts I have setup on my TV and home stereo system.
A feature that I am a huge fan of on all mobile devices is the ability to use voice control, especially while driving or when cooking. Voice control is an absolute must have feature. Apple Music for Android is missing any voice control or the ability to even search the library with voice commands. You can’t even use Google’s voice recognition system in the Apple Music app which is mind boggling.
When it came to music, I could select and listen to most songs that I already have on my other subscription services. In that sense, Apple Music performed as described where it at least delivered music to my smartphone.
Other than the superficial aspect of the app, Apple Music failed to win me over in anyway. Instead it just validated what I think of the Apple iPhone – it looks great, does a “good enough” job, lacks features, and is highly over-priced.
What I liked
- The look and layout of the app
What I didn’t like
- Sign up process
- Smaller library than Google Play Music
- No integration to the Chromecast
- Lack of HiFi audio
- Inability to install on Nexus 9
- App slowness and crashes
- Lack of music videos
Summary
Apple Music for Android is a pathetic attempt by Apple for sharing its software with Android. It lacks features, is highly over priced for what you get, and offers no additional features over Google Play Music or Spotify. You don’t even get music videos with a full subscription to Apple Music, which is a feature found on other music streaming services. Apple’s music app is so bad it almost seems like it was intended to be that way as an insult to Android users. I honestly hope Apple sticks to keeping its software to themselves and staying within its own ecosystem if its going to give us inadequate attempts like Apple Music.
For now, I will be cancelling my subscription before Apple charges me $9.99. I do not recommend the Apple Music app.
Google Play Store – LINK
The post The Android Apple Music App: Good looking, but like the iPhone lacks features and value (App Review) appeared first on AndroidGuys.
Genius for Android shows lyrics for whatever you’re playing
Genius is all about digging up lyrics for that song you’re listening to, so it would only make sense if it brought up those lyrics at the very moment the song comes on, wouldn’t it? Sure enough, you’re getting that feature now. A recent update to the Android app introduces lyric matching for whatever you’re playing, in any app — whether it’s Apple Music, Google Play Music or Spotify, you’ll get those verses as soon as they’re relevant. They’ll only be as good as the crowdsourced material allows, of course, but it beats scratching your head when an unintelligible line comes up mid-tune.
Via: Lisa Wray Zeitouni (Google+)
Source: Google Play, Genius
Kim Kardashian cashes in with her own emoji app
If you know someone who lives vicariously through Kim Kardashian West’s life of endless photo ops and reality TV shows, brace yourself: you’re about to get an eyeful of her in your phone chats. She just released Kimoji, an app that (surprise) gives you over 250 Kim-related emoji and stickers for your messaging apps. There’s even a keyboard, in case you need to slip that “break the internet” magazine cover into a conversation.
Naturally, Kim isn’t doing this out of the goodness of her heart — this is a profit-making endeavor from day one. You have to drop $2 to get the core app, and there are promises of additional packs that will no doubt cost extra. This isn’t likely to be as much of a money pit as Kim Kardashian: Hollywood, but it could get expensive to keep up with the… yeah, you know.
Via: Kim Kardashian West (Instagram), i-D
Source: App Store
AIVAnet 