AT&T gives you extra data in return for taking surveys
Do you find yourself perpetually running just over your phone carrier’s data cap, and wish you could get a little more breathing room without paying a lot more? AT&T might have the answer. It just launched a Data Perks app for Android and iOS that adds precious megabytes to your plan for a given month in return for taking surveys and completing shopping offers. Think of it like Google’s Opinion Rewards, only you’re earning internet access instead of store credit.
Via: TalkAndroid
Source: AT&T, App Store, Google Play
Chase hopes you’ll use its shopping app instead of Apple Pay
You might think that the future of phone-based shopping belongs to tap-to-pay services like Apple Pay and Android Pay. However, Chase begs to differ. The banking giant has unveiled Chase Pay, a mobile app that uses your credit, debit or prepaid card to make purchases through CurrentC. And yes, that means what you think it does… both good and bad. It’ll let you take advantage of loyalty programs and even pay by scanning some receipts, but you’ll also have to make many payments by scanning QR codes. As it stands, you’ll have to be patient — Chase Pay won’t be available until mid-2016.
Source: Chase Pay, BusinessWire
Facebook’s mobile notifications say more about the world around you
Facebook’s mobile app practically revolves around the notifications tab, but it can be a pretty insular place. It won’t show much about what’s happening in your friends’ lives, let alone the outside world. The social network wants to change that, though. It’s rolling out an expanded notifications tab that will show you friends’ life milestones, events you’ve joined and a few details based on pages you’ve liked, such as sports scores and upcoming TV shows. You can also see local goings-on if you like, including movies, restaurants and weather. This isn’t exactly Facebook’s take on Google Now, but it’ll certainly seem familiar.
Source: Facebook Newsroom
Fleksy unlocks full theme customization
If you haven’t heard about Fleksy in the last few months, then welcome back from your tech-free, soul-searching Appalachian trail hike. Fleksy is the keyboard that has been making waves with its constant feedback to users via regular updates and its penchant for breaking Guinness World Record typing speeds. Twice.
Back in July, Fleksy dropped its $1.99 price tag to the scandalously low price of “free,” and drew in even more users to take advantage of its massive sticker collection and predictive text capabilities. Now these new users are getting an even more customized experience, because Fleksy has released a new update that drastically increases the app’s level of personalization.
Introducing Fleksy’s Theme Builder. Now you can bring all the freedom of artistic expression, that used to only exist in MySpace, directly to your mobile device. The beret is on your head, the paintbrush in your hands. Now you can make your keyboard interface exactly as beautiful and/or hideous as you can imagine.
The Theme Builder is very intuitive to use. You pick a starting template to get you started, but then Fleksy takes off the training wheels and lets you customize everything from colors to materials to the shapes of key pops. Better yet, once you’ve finished your masterpiece, you’ll be able to inflict it upon–err, I mean, share it with–your friends who have Fleksy with only a couple of taps!
- SwiftKey’s new Neural keyboard will offer better word predictions thanks to neural network technology
- LG Rolly wireless keyboard folds into a stick you can fit in any pocket
- Swype update adds emoji keyboard, number prediction, and Star Trek themes
- How to modify or disable auto-correct on your Android keyboard – Android customization
Although the app is free int he Google Play Store, there are IAP, so you might need to fork over a dollar or two to get it exactly how you want it. Nevertheless, Fleksy really is one of the top third party keyboards out there right now, so supporting its developers feels nice rather than a hassle.
What about you? Unimpressed with Fleksy’s customization options? What keyboard do you prefer for its versatility? Let us know in the comments!
Twitter to finally update OS X app later this year
While the iOS and Android apps have gotten regular updates, the OS X app has languished. Twitter has shown the app very little love in the past few years. But, today at the company’s Flight developer conference, Jeff Seibert, Twitter’s developer platform lead announced that the app would be getting an update and would be available before the end of the year. It’ll have native GIF and Vine playback and a dark mode. Hopefully that dark mode will make its way to the Android and iOS apps.
Samsung app gives you a virtual Gear S2 try-on
You ideally get to try on a smartwatch before you buy it, but that’s seldom easy — you can’t exactly rip a store’s security device off and strap on the watch for a minute. Samsung thinks it can give you the next-closest thing, though. It recently released an experience app for Android that not only gives you a feel for the Gear S2’s interface and apps, but includes an augmented reality view that shows what the circular smartwatch looks like on your wrist. You can even share a snapshot to get a second opinion. It’s still not going to be the same as feeling steel on skin, but you’ll at least know whether or not you’re making a fashion faux pas.
Via: Samsung Tomorrow
Source: Google Play
NY Times launches VR app with Google Cardboard giveaway
The New York Times is launching a VR app, and will give a million plus subscribers a Google Cardboard VR viewer to use it. It’ll also debut a VR film for the app called The Displaced, which details the struggles of three children caught in the global refugee crisis. Executive Editor Dean Baquet said the NYT “created the first critical, serious piece of journalism using virtual reality, to shed light on one of the most dire humanitarian crises of our lifetime.” The film is best viewed on Cardboard, but will also be available on YouTube and smartphones via a 2D version of the app.
The Times will release a series of VR films for the app, including an existing piece showing how it made the New York Times Magazine “Walking New York“ cover. It said the app also “supports virtual reality playback for Google Cardboard as well as playback of 360-degree video mobile navigation.” Executive VP Meredith Kopit Levien said “the great irony here is that it takes (a 164-year old) print newspaper… and its still remarkable distribution system to deliver one of the most advanced digital storytelling technologies to more than a million people.”
The great irony here is that it takes (a 164-year old) print newspaper… and its still remarkable distribution system to deliver one of the most advanced digital storytelling technologies to more than a million people.
The Times advised subscribers to keep their Cardboards for subsequent releases coming in December and later. (If you’re a subscriber and not sure what we’re talking about, Google’s Cardboard is a fold out device that turns your smartphone into a basic virtual reality viewer, letting you see 3D and 360-degree videos.) The app will arrive on November 7th for Android and iOS, and subscribers will receive Cardboard with their weekend paper starting the same day. Times Insiders and some digital subscribers will instead get a promo code for the viewer, which normally runs about $25.
Source: New York Times
Bell Canada gets slapped for fake App Store reviews
Bell Canada has been handed down a $1.25 million CAD ($970,719) fine by Canada’s competition bureau after its employees posted fake reviews of Bell apps. According to the regulator, the carrier “encouraged” staff members to post glowing testimonials of the MyBell Mobile and Virgin My Account apps on the App Store and Google Play. Unfortunately, these overenthusiastic write-ups neglected to mention that they were written by people on Bell’s dollar. Oops.
The dodgy behavior was initially exposed by Scott Stratten, who was already well aware of the apps’ poor standing on iTunes. Suddenly, however, the rating skyrocketed thanks to a series of five-star reviews, and Stratten smelled a rat. After some digging on LinkedIn, he uncovered that the most praiseworthy mentions were all directors, marketing managers and other people paid by Bell Canada. Oooops.
The company admitted that certain employees had been encouraged to post the ratings, but as soon as bosses were made aware, they ended the practice. As part of the settlement, the firm has pledged to tighten up its compliance program, making sure every employee knows to hit no whenever they’re asked to review the app. The firm is also being forced to sponsor a workshop to “enhance Canadians trust in the digital economy,” which will probably open with a seminar on how not to get caught gaming your own app.
Via: 9to5Mac
Pandora gives its iOS app the CarPlay treatment
As the number of CarPlay-compatible vehicles continues to grow, it’s about time a few extra iOS apps made the jump to the dashboard. The latest to join Apple’s in-car operating system is Pandora, which — despite only mentioning some bug fixes in its release notes — has quietly added support in its latest app update. The addition was spotted by 9to5Mac and, as you might expect, allows drivers to access their preferred music stations without touching their iPhone. Once you’re happily streaming some tunes, you can also head back to the Now Playing screen and use the action menu to give individual tracks a thumbs up or thumbs down. Alongside Spotify, Rdio and iHeartRadio, there are plenty of ways now to get your music fix through CarPlay — handy if you’re itching to ditch Apple Music.
[Image Credit: 9to5Mac]
Via: 9to5Mac
Source: Pandora (iOS)
3Coins is a simple, challenging and addictive game (App review)
One of the joys of mobile gaming is the ability to open it right up in the palm of your hand and get started. 3Coins is one of those games you can jump right into in and start playing in under five seconds from the time you launch it. The strategy of it is what caught my interest right away.
Overview
3Coins is a game that uses your phone’s full screen as an open white field containing three circles; two red and one blue. The objective is to shoot the blue circle in between the two red ones, which are connected by a line. To shoot, the player must pull back on the blue circle like a slingshot and release. The player will get a point for every time the blue circle passes through the connected line of the red circles, either on the same try or the next shot. The circle will also get bigger for every time it passes through the line on the same shot. The player can lose the game and have to restart if they don’t pass through the line at all on a shot.
Typically, I was getting 1-2 points per shot and losing around 6 points in. This was because the red circles would either become too close together or aligned in a way that was near impossible to make the shot. This is where the real strategy comes in.
The red circles do not randomly change position every time you make a shot. Where the blue circle ended up after you shot last is where it turns into a red circle, and forming a new line. So if you get good at this game, you’ll want to strategically place your shots that won’t screw you over the next round, like the picture on the right.
Features
Google Play Games is integrated into the game, allowing the player to save their high scores to the cloud and view online leaderboards. With a high score of 18 for me, I was no where near the top. A total of seven achievements are included with the game too, which are fairly hard to get, as I only “achieved” one of them. While there are some games out there that I truly care about saving my progress and scores across devices, this is not one of them. It doesn’t need to be either. 3Coins is a simple game on purpose, and not one I currently care to brag to my friends about.
Conclusion
3Coins provides a fast-paced experience that can either be played for fun to pass the time, or used to implement strategy and gain the highest amount of points possible. It is by no means a slow game, as you are being timed per shot. Keep shooting before the time runs out.
What we liked
- The quick launch of the game gets you right into playing.
- The simplicity of it can be quite addicting.
- Yet there is a strong hint of strategy that suggests the player needs to be careful where to place the circle.
What could be better
- The option of raising or lower the difficulty could attract more audience.
- Needs more game modes. I started to lose interest.
3Coins can be downloaded for free on the Google Play Store
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