The best deals for Black Friday
Black Friday, the shopping mania that occurs the day after American Thanksgiving, may be more important than ever in 2016. Between 4K TVs, new game consoles, media hubs, mobile devices and wearables, there are many potential gifts this year — those discounts could be crucial to splurging on someone or treating yourself. But where do you go to find the best bargains? Never fear, as we’re rounding up some of the bigger deals you’ll see on and around November 25th. And many of these deals will be online, so you might not have to brave packed stores and shopping malls to save some cash.
Microsoft’s ‘Solitaire’ heads to iOS and Android
If you’re one of the millions addicted to Microsoft’s Solitaire on Windows, now you’ll be able to get your card fix for free on iOS and Android. This marks the first time the Solitaire Collection has appeared outside of Windows, as The Verge reports. The mobile version will include FreeCell, Klondike, Spider, Tripeaks and Pyramid game modes, and it’ll sport Xbox Live integration as well, so you you won’t have to play it alone. (Yes, I realize that’s the point of Solitaire for many.)
While there are already countless versions of Solitaire available for iOS and Android, it makes sense for Microsoft to bring its popular version of the game over. I know some PC users who refuse to play anything but Microsoft’s version of the game. While both versions are free, you can also shell out $2 a month for a “Premium Edition,” which will remove ads and double coin rewards.
Via: The Verge
Source: Google Play, iTunes
Steam’s first game awards are chosen by you
Valve doesn’t want to leave game awards to others any more. The gaming giant is introducing its first-ever Steam Awards, and it’s asking the community to decide on both the nominees and the winners. These aren’t the usual best-in-category awards, either. It wants you to nominate titles based on everything from their addictive qualities (the “Just 5 More Minutes” award) through to the best mini games (“Game Within A Game”). You’ll get experience points and badges for nominating, so you aren’t just receiving a pat on the back for your time.
The nominations are open now, and the final votes will take place alongside a winter sale in December.
Valve is pairing the awards announcement with the start of its annual Autumn Sale, which runs from now through November 29th at 1PM Eastern. There are many, many games on sale (12,841, to be exact), but there are some highlights. Games in the Batman, Civilization, Elder Scrolls, Far Cry, Grand Theft Auto, Just Cause and Street Fighter franchises are all on sale, with discounts ranging from 10 percent to 92 percent — most of those we’ve mentioned are over 50 percent. If you’re not sure who to nominate for the awards, you’ll at least have an excuse to buy some of the candidates.
Source: Steam Awards, Steam Store
New ‘Pokémon Go’ creature throws unpredictability into your game
That didn’t take long. Mere days after leaks hinted that Pokémon Go would get more monsters, Niantic and The Pokémon Company have rolled Ditto into the game. The critter is a shape-shifter that won’t reveal its true form until you capture it — in other words, the only reliable way to capture a Ditto is to keep playing until you find one at random. In the Gym, it’ll assume the looks and abilities of the first creature it sees and stay that way throughout other battles.
Ditto’s arrival may not be shocking, but it’s a reflection of the challenge the Pokémon Go team faces: how do they keep you playing now that the initial summer frenzy is over, and colder weather makes it harder to venture outside? While daily bonuses and themed events help, some trainers might not play unless there are more monsters and similar fresh content.
Source: App Store, Google Play, Pokemon Go
Google Play ‘Cyber Week Deals’ discounting just about everything
Holiday shopping is just about physical goods — you can get great deals on digital, too.
Google Play has just kicked off its “Cyber Week Deals” that run through November 29, sharply discounting games, apps, books, movies, TV shows, comics and more — basically, every category has something on sale.
You can save up to 80% off games and in-app purchases for games, get 80% off best-selling books, buy top movies from $6.99, check out comics for up to 75% off, and get whole seasons of TV shows for as little as $8.99. You can find the discounts applied throughout the Google Play Store, but if you hit each of the links below you’ll find the best deals highlighted per section.
- Cyber Week book deals
- Cyber Week comics deals
- Cyber Week movie deals
- Cyber Week TV show deals
- Cyber Week game deals
- Cyber Week app deals
Separate of the great discounts around the store, Google is also offering half off a movie purchase through the Play Store using the code CYBERDEALMOVIES2016. You can just follow this link to the store, click “redeem” and then start shopping — the discount will be applied when you make a movie purchase.
Chromecast
- Chromecast and Chromecast Audio review
- Chromecast Ultra vs Roku
- Chromecast vs Chromecast Ultra: Which should you buy?
- Join the discussion in our forums
Chromecast:
Google
Best Buy
Chromecast Audio:
Google
Best Buy
Chromecast Ultra:
Google
Best Buy
MrMobile’s Black Friday Tech Deals 2016
I have never in my life gone shopping on Black Friday, a track record I hope to maintain until my very last holiday season. But for hardier souls, the one-two punch of Black Friday and Cyber Monday brings a bevy of deals that mean big savings for tech fans – at least those with quick “Buy Now” fingers.
So whether you’re looking to snag a smartphone on the cheap or shave a couple hundo off the latest Surface, MrMobile’s got you covered with the guide to the best Black Friday Tech Deals of 2016! Take in the video, and then visit the official Mobile Nations guide to Black Friday 2016 for up-to-the-moment money-saving scoops!
Here are the products I mentioned in the video:
Wearables
- Samsung Gear S3 Classic
- Samsung Gear S3 Frontier
- Huawei Watch
Smartphones
- iPhone 7 at Best Buy
- Galaxy S7 at Best Buy
- IDOL 4S $50 off at Amazon
- AXON 7 $50 off at zteusa (Nov 28 – Dec 4)
- Honor 8 for $289 at Amazon
- HTC 10 $200 off
Convertibles
- Surface Pro 4 Core i5
- Surface Book Core i5
Accessories
- VINCI Hearable Super-Early-Bird Special
- RAVPower 22000mAh power pack
- Scottevest — Discount Code CYBER16
Additional Sites
- Apple Black Friday 2016 Deals page
- Motorola Black Friday 2016 Deals page
- T-Mobile Black Friday 2016 Deals page
- Verizon Wireless Black Friday 2016 Deals page
As always, stay social my friends!
- YouTube
- Le web
- Snapchat
What is Tinder and how does it work?
Dating isn’t what it used to be.
Over the past couple decades, online dating has revolutionised the game. You no longer have to hit on people at bars and get rejected face-to-face. You can now carefully construct your virtual profile with coy details and selfies taken at the perfect angle, and you can look for someone who matches your preferences, then ping him or her a brief message and wait for a response.
- There’s now a Tinder-like dating app for Pokemon Go players
- Top 20 GIFs on Tinder: Use these to woo and you’ll likely get a response
But Tinder has taken this now-normal process and twisted it a little by adding one key gesture: swipes. Now, when looking for someone to ask out, you’re literally swiping through an endless bucket of selfies that the app surfaces on your screen. These selfies are of real people located nearby you. And with a quick swipe to the left, you can reject them, or with a swipe to the right, you can match with them and send them a message.
It sounds simple, but that gesture has catapulted online dating into mainstream norm, where now you’d be hard pressed to find a single person who hasn’t at least tried using Tinder to find a date. If you’re new to the dating scene and want to try Tinder, here’s what you need to know.
What is Tinder?
Tinder, which was launched in 2012, is a social app that facilitates communication between mutually interested users.
Users use a left or right swipes to choose photos of other users and potentially match with them. Chatting on Tinder is only available between two users who have swiped right on one another’s photos. Tinder is therefore commonly used as a dating services app. By 2014, Tinder was registering about one billion “swipes” per day and producing about twelve million matches per day.
Where is Tinder available?
Tinder is available in most countries around the globe, though it’s not the most popular dating app available. London-based Badoo is the top dating app across 21 of the world’s biggest countries, according to data released by App Annie to the BBC, with Tinder topping the charts in 18.
How do you sign up for Tinder?
Ready to join Tinder? Follow these steps:
Download the Tinder mobile app on your Android or iOS device. It’s free to download. However, some features cost money to use.
Login with Facebook. You therefore need a Facebook account, but Tinder won’t ever post to your Facebook.
Grant access to your device location.
And that’s it.
How does Tinder work?
Once you download and join Tinder, follow these steps to master the app:
Set up profile
When you open Tinder for the first time, you’ll want to set up your profile before you begin swiping. Tap the Profile icon at the top of the screen (in the nav bar) to access the Profile screen.
You’ll see a pencil button on your Profile screen. Click it to access the Edit Profile screen and add your profile photo (the first photo of you that people will see when swiping) as well as other photos (people can tap on your profile to see more photos beyond your profile one) from your camera roll. When adding photos, you’ll be able to select a Smart Photos option that tests all your photos and picks the best one to show first.
Beneath the photos area on the Edit Profile screen, you can add details about yourself, including where you work and where you went to school. You can also connect your Instagram account and Spotify account so you can show others more photos and the music you like. You can also designate your gender and choose to hide your age and your distance.
Adjust settings
On the Profile screen, you can tap the Settings button to access the Settings screen, where you can adjust which gender you’d like to see on Tinder, your searching distance, the age range you’d like to see on Tinder, whether you want your profile to appear in Tinder’s feed, etc. You can also add your anthem, claim your username, and enable Tinder features like Super Likes, Boosts, and Tinder Plus.
Start swiping on individuals
Tap the Fire icon at the top of the screen (in the nav bar) to see a feed of individuals you can swipe left or right on. Remember, swiping left is a reject, while swiping right indicates you’re interested. You can also tap the red X button below photos to reject, or you can press the green heart button below photos to indicate you’re interested. When you’ve matched with someone, Tinder will alert you.
If you’d like to learn more about an individual before swiping, tap on his or her’s profile photo. You will then be able to see their entire profile with details, linked accounts, and more. You can also slide through their photo carousel to see more photos. Again, if you like what you see, tap the heart button on their profile, or tap the X button on their profile to reject.
To indicate you’re super interested in someone, tap the blue star button beneath their photos or on their profile.
If you’ve accidentally rejected or liked someone, you can tap the yellow rewind button below photos to reverse your action. However, this requires a subscription to Tinder Plus, which costs $19.99 a month (or $12.50 a month for six months or $8.34 a month for 12 months). You will be asked subscribe, if you haven’t already, and your payment method on Apple’s App Store or Google Play Store will be charged.
To ensure everyone in your area will see your profile when swiping, you can buy boosts. Tap the purple lightning button below photos and then select Boost Me. Buying a boost will make your profile the top profile in your area for 30 minutes, and you should get more matches as a result. A single boost costs $3.99, while five boosts costs $3 each, and 10 boosts costs $2.50 each.
Start swiping on groups
You can also find groups of people to hang out with on Tinder. Simply tap the People icon at the top of the screen (in the nav bar). You will then see a Group screen with a feed of groups you can swipe left or right on. When you’ve matched with a group, Tinder will alert you.
If you’d like to learn more about a particular group before swiping left or right, tap on profile photos in the group’s photo collage. You will then be able to see the profiles of each person in the group.
Before you swipe left or right on groups, you’ll need to create your own group of at least one other person. On the Groups screen, tap the orange arrow button at the bottom. You’ll then see options to form a group.
Start chatting with people
Whenever Tinder alerts you to a new match with an individual or group, you will be given the opportunity to start a chat with the match, keep swiping, or tell your friends. Tap Send a Message to access the chat experience, where you can send text replies or GIFs from GIPHY.
To see a feed of all your chats, simply tap the Chat icon at the top of the screen (in the nav bar). You can then tap on any individual or group to start or resume your chat with them.
What are Tinder’s biggest features?
We’ve already discussed how to use these key features above, but here’s a little more detail in case you’re confused:
- Swipes: Tinder lets you swipe left (reject) or right (like) on individuals and groups of people. This is free to do.
- Super Likes: Tinder lets you indicate you really like individuals with Super Likes. You only get a few of these before you run out, and then you’ll have to wait to get more. If you don’t want to wait, you can upgrade to Tinder Plus (costs money) and instantly get more Super Likes.
- Boosts: Buying a boost will make your profile the top profile in your area for 30 minutes, and you should get more matches as a result. A single boost costs $3.99, while five boosts costs $3 each, and 10 boosts costs $2.50 each.
- Tinder Plus: Tinder Plus is the premium version of Tinder. It unlocks most features, including the ability to rewind on swipes, which is handy if you accidentally swiped. Tinder Plus costs $19.99 a month (or $12.50 a month for six months or $8.34 a month for 12 months). Tinder Plus also lets you discover people in areas you’re currently not located in, among other things.
- Swipe with Friends: Tinder has recently become more social, by adding the free ability to find other a group of friends to hang out with. But first you need to set up your group of at least one other friend (go to the Profile screen and tap the Create Your Group option).
- Chat: Once you’ve matched with individuals and groups, you can start chatting with them or send them GIFs. This is free to do.
Want to know more?
Check out Pocket-lint’s Tinder hub for related news and reviews.
Google drops ‘Cast’ branding in favor of ‘Chromecast built-in’
Has that seemingly ubiquitous Google Cast branding on media devices felt uninspiring, or even a bit confusing? Google might just agree with you. The company has been phasing out the Google Cast name over the course of recent weeks, both for its own products as well as supporting hardware from third parties like Toshiba and Vizio. Instead, it’s increasingly referring to embedded streaming technology as “Chromecast built-in.” To top things off, Google just renamed its @googlecast Twitter account to @chromecast.
A handful of Google sites, including its Android TV page, still reference Google Cast. It’s also less likely to go away for developers.
But why the name change now, especially when Google actually moved away from the Chromecast label a while back? We’ve asked the company for its take. However, it wouldn’t be surprising if this is a matter of brand recognition combined with Google’s growing hardware ambitions. The odds are that you’re more familiar with Chromecast devices than the code that powers them — “Chromecast built-in” gives you a clearer idea of what’s possible, and reminds you that Google makes its own streaming gear.
From Google Cast ➡ @Chromecast. New name on Twitter, same device you know, stream from and love. pic.twitter.com/MnWEj39GuG
— Google Chromecast (@Chromecast) November 22, 2016
Via: Variety
Source: Google Chromecast (Twitter), Google
Why we need diverse games like ‘Watch Dogs 2’ more than ever
As we’re finally beginning to see video games take diverse representation seriously, it’s almost poetic that Americans just elected a race-baiting misogynist as their next leader. It’s as if the resentment built up over calls for more diversity in media (which also reared its ugly head with the Gamergate crowd) reached a point where a significant portion of the country was ready to be charmed by a demagogue who promised to stop those pesky Social Justice Warriors.
Pop culture, be it games, film or novels, can’t help but reflect the society in which it was created. And that couldn’t be more true for Watch Dogs 2, a sprawling open world game that’s notable for placing you in the sneakers of Marcus Holloway, a black activist hacker. Instead of centering on a generic angsty white dude, like the first Watch Dogs, the new game fully commits to exploring the role of race and identity in the Bay Area and Silicon Valley today — ostensibly progressive environments that still have trouble finding a place for people of color.
Playing as Marcus, you come up against elements of structural racism throughout the game. Indeed, you start out by infiltrating a data center to erase your criminal record, after being unfairly racially profiled by the city-wide smart operating system, ctOS. When trying to hijack an AI-powered smart car, you’re told your face is too dark for its sensors to recognize. While that situation ends up being a pointed joke, it’s hard not to recall real life incidences like Google Photos labeling black people as gorillas. In another mission, Marcus and his friend Horatio have an extended conversation about what it’s like to be one of the few black employees at the massive tech giant Nudle (the game’s Google stand-in).
By playing through those situations, there’s a chance that gamers could actually learn to identify with characters far removed from their own experiences. It’s a slim chance, to be sure, especially with plenty of other voices in the community railing against just about any attempt at diversity. But for video games to truly evolve, both the audience and storytellers need to break out of their comfort zones. And hopefully, all of this will remind developers they need to hire different voices as well.
We often hear about art as a vehicle for empathy. It’s easy for us to connect with the subjects of photographs or novels (here’s a great breakdown of how that applies to film). Video games, despite not being as well respected as other artistic mediums, have the potential to be even more effective delivery mechanisms for empathy. You’re not just passively sitting and watching a narrative, you’re controlling a character as your avatar. That leads to a level of agency and connection that’s very different than most other mediums. (And let’s not get into the whole “can games be art?” thing. Any creative medium can be artistic, we’re better off focusing on what each of them brings to the table.)
Admittedly, Watch Dogs 2 could push a bit harder when it comes to race. While it touches on big topics, the vibe of the game is more of a fun romp through the modern tech industry than a scathing indictment. It’s more Hackers than Mr. Robot.
Mafia 3, another recent open world title, confronts racism more overtly. That’s mostly due to its lead and setting: It stars Lincoln Clay, a black Vietnam vet who returns home in the racially volatile late 1960’s, and tries to build a criminal empire in a fictional New Orleans-style city. Along the way, I encountered more racial slurs than I’ve ever seen before in a video game, along with smaller indignities, like having security tail you in fancy stores.
The key with both of those games — as well as Battlefield 1, which opens with a mission featuring the Harlem Hellfighters — is that they’re normalizing non-white main characters. That’s particularly important today, as racial divisions have flared up once again. It might take some getting used to for some players, but ultimately having a wider selection of potential characters will lead to more interesting games (something sites like I Need Diverse Games are devoted to).
While I’m a fan of games that let you change how your characters actually look, having players take on specific genders, races and sexual orientations lets game writers craft narratives suited to those identities. And in the right hands, that can be powerful.
Nintendo offers rare discounts on 3DS and Wii U games
Nintendo isn’t known for running many sales on its games (you’re more likely to see sales on devices), but it’s making a big exception this year. It just kicked off a Cyber Deals eShop sale that offers large discounts on 3DS and Wii U titles — and these are frequently titles you’d want to play. On the 3DS, you’ll see price cuts on big titles like Hyrule Warriors Legends (down to $28), Fire Emblem Awakening ($20) and Monster Hunter Generations ($23). Head over to the Wii U side and you can pick up Twilight Princess HD ($35), Super Mario Galaxy 2 ($10) and Darksiders II ($10). Indie games like Super Meat Boy and Terraria are also on sale, and numerous Lego games (including Lego Star Wars: The Force Awakens) are discounted across platforms.
The sale lasts through December 5th, and you’ll still get Gold Points if you’re a My Nintendo member. These aren’t necessarily the sales you’d hope for (Splatoon, anyone?). Look at it this way, though: it’s a good chance to scoop up a few of the titles you missed from the current generation before the Switch arrives.
Source: Nintendo
AIVAnet 