The current state of Android TV: Waiting for a hero
There are plenty of ways to get Android on your television. But we’ve yet to see any of the new features from anyone — including Google.
Android can work really well when attached to the biggest screen in your house. With entertainment apps from services we know and love like Netflix and HBO we can stream a seemingly endless number of movies and shows, apps from most major news outlets keep us informed, and games range from puzzles for the kids to full-fledged console quality works. Smart TV can really be smart and even if you’re not a cord-cutter there are plenty of good reasons to pick up something that puts Android on your television.
That something can get a little muddy, though, because Google hasn’t released an Android TV reference device that includes some of the awesome new features designed specifically for TV and existing options have yet to update to include them.
But don’t be discouraged. It’s clear that Google hasn’t given up on their TV offerings even if we don’t have a Nexus or Pixel something designed to connect to the telly. And on the hardware front, you have an amazing array of options that can bring Android TV proper or traditional Android into your living room.
Android TV
Android can be built specifically for a television the same way it can be built for a watch. The services and processes you can’t see that power everything are the same as Android for your phone, but the user interface is designed for a large screen viewed from a distance. In programmer and designer language, this is known as a 10-foot user interface. Instead of icons, you’ll see large blocks with a preview of the content, things are sorted differently so your Fox news app is right beside your BBC news app, and settings are minimal once you’ve gone through the initial device setup process. It works, even if it needs a tweak or two.
Picture in picture mode, DVR capabilities and even support for digital tuners are just waiting for someone to use them on their hardware.
Companies are making some great options that use Android TV, too. Sony released some great new Android TV-powered smart televisions that give you 4K HDR and the best way to get content for them starting under $700. Sharp, Philips, and RCA also make Android TV-powered televisions, along with some other names you might not know (yet) or didn’t know made TVs — Bang & Olufsen, Vestel, Hisense and the list goes on.
We’ve also seen some great set-top boxes that bring Android TV to your current television. The NVIDIA Shield TV is probably the best Android TV so far as it delivers everything the platform has to offer along with console-quality titles designed for the GeForce graphics hardware inside. Razer also realized the gaming potential and released the Razer Forge for folks who wanted to take gaming seriously. And Xiamoi’s just released Mi Box gives you everything you love about Android TV — including 4K video — at an awesome price. We’re sure that other boxes are in the works, too.
The one thing missing from all of this is an Android TV from Google. The Nexus Player was discontinued and nothing was released to take its place. This seems odd when you consider that a big part of Google I/O in 2016 was dedicated to some awesome changes for Android TV. Changes that come with Android 7, which no hardware is currently running.
The changes do look pretty exciting if you’re a TV or film buff. A picture in picture mode running natively and simultaneously means you can have the baseball game in a small window while you looks for stats or see what’s on next. There is even new support for digital tuners if you’re severed that cable cord. It’s obvious that Google is putting time and money into the Android TV platform, even if we didn’t see a new Pixel Player. It just makes us — and more importantly, developers — wonder how well this all is going to work.
“Real” Android
Maybe Android TV isn’t for you. I feel ya — watching movies or any of those new Netflix series isn’t something I’m into. Android TV does a great job of putting that content front and center, and sometimes it gets in the way if you’re not interested. Luckily, you can get “regular” Android on your TV in a jiffy.
There are literally countless set-top boxes and HDMI stick computers that run Android and are ready to plug into your television. Most are basically the same — a generic ARM processor, 2 – 4 GB of RAM and 16GB of storage. They’re also generally cheap and $100 or so will set you up with a way to plug Android into your TV set, a mouse and keyboard and a wireless remote of some sort. You then have the same Android — complete with Google Play and the mobile Chrome browser — on your TV.
Set-top boxes and HDMI sticks that run Android can be cheap and awesome — a winning combonation.
This can be pretty awesome. Some of the more high-end models offer a game streaming service that let you mirror your gaming PC’s screen to play Skyrim or Civ VI, and the traditional home screen setup works for people who don’t want recommended feature films or popular YouTube videos up front and “in the way.” And if you’re a film buff, apps like KODI are easy to install along with all the other streaming apps you’ll find for your phone. It can take a little weeding to find the ones that look best at 55-inches, but they’re there and you can have a smart TV set up the way you like it.
This is a category just waiting for a company to take the lead and bring a high-end HTPC experience powered by Android. The budget offerings are great — a $60 HDMI stick can run Android surprisingly well — but there’s no NVIDIA Shield TV type halo device that everyone recognizes as “the best.”
Where are we now and what do we do?
Well, as you can tell we’re waiting for Google to either release their own Android TV or partner with another company to bring all those features to us. We’re pretty sure this is going to happen and nobody would be surprised if an announcement was made telling us about something we could buy on Black Friday. If not then, CES should offer something after the new year. It has to happen.
As for the traditional Android on your TV, expect things to stay fluid and furious. Low-cost low-margin devices only need sufficient hardware to run the apps we like to be a great buy. Unlike a phone, we probably aren’t entering too much private information through a box connected to the TV or carrying the box itself around and losing it, so security and updates aren’t a huge concern. Remember, though, that your Google login credentials are stored there and we still want low-level network-based exploits patched so crazy hackers can’t use our TVs in some sort of bot net to bring the internet to its knees again. Chances are you’ll never see any updates for security so be extra careful and resist downloading these free pirated games and ROMs.
Newer things are always coming, but what’s available now is pretty great.
If you were to go out tomorrow and buy something like a Sony Android-powered smart TV or a Mi Box or a SkyStream One Android box, you probably wouldn’t have many regrets if or when something newer gets released. The changes planned for Android TV do look like great additions to the platform, but not getting them probably won’t be a deal-breaking experience. And many of the changes to Android itself weren’t really designed for the things you’ll be doing on a TV, so running Marshmallow or even Lollipop isn’t going to stop you from using Chrome to browse the web or KODI to stream your own content. We really want to see a Shield TV replacement running Android 7 and a cheap, Rockchip-powered set-top box running “regular” Android Nougat but wouldn’t hesitate to buy something today if we wanted or needed it. As far as what we recommend right now, you can check out my three picks for the best of each category below.
See the SkyStream One at Amazon
See the Xiaomi Mi Box at Walmart
See the Sony’s new 4K Android TVs at Amazon
Grab these Pixel and Pixel XL cases for $7
Whether you’ve got Pixel or a Pixel XL, you’ve got to be loving the beauty of these new Google phones. To help keep yours in prime condition for as long as possible, you’ll want to check out these great deals on the cases from Caseology. You can get a stylish black case for just $6.99, or opt for a clear case for only $5.99.
But this offer is limited to the first 100 or so codes, so you need to act fast. You’ll also want to ensure you select the option from seller Caseology and not fulfilled by Amazon for the promotional codes to apply properly and to get free shipping.
Pixel
- Vault Series Black – $6.99 with coupon code TKYJUQA2
- Parallax Series Black – $6.99 with coupon code A7P7YBNT
- Waterfall Series Clear – $5.99 with coupon code Q2W6E97L
Pixel XL
- Vault Series Black – $6.99 with coupon code XLAZLI5G
- Parallax Series Black – $6.99 with coupon code PPLY4B26
- Waterfall Series Clear – $5.99 with coupon code QK5QIRU3
Did you snag any of these cases for your Pixel? If so, drop a note in the comments and let us know which ones you went with!
Google Pixel + Pixel XL
- Google Pixel and Pixel XL review
- Google Pixel XL review: A U.S. perspective
- Google Pixel FAQ: Should you upgrade?
- Pixel + Pixel XL specs
- Understanding Android 7.1 Nougat
- Join the discussion in the forums!
Google Store
Verizon
Nintendo confirms it will end Wii U production in Japan
When Nintendo announced its upcoming Switch console a few weeks ago, the writing was clearly on the wall for its current-gen entry, the noble but niche Wii U. Exactly when they’d be shuttering the four-year-old system was unclear. The company first denied rumors that the last model would roll off the assembly lines at the end of this week. But in its quiet Nintendo way, they confirmed today that they had scheduled an end to Wii U production in Japan via text on the console’s product page.
Both remaining choices — a standalone white WiiU console and one bundled with Splatoon — post disclaimers noting the systems won’t be around much longer. According to Kotaku’s translation: “The text reads, 近日生産終了予定 (kinjitsu seisan shuuryou yotei), which means, “Production is scheduled to end soon.” After that, the announcement reads “within Japan” (日本国内 or Nihon kokunai).” Whether that means the company will still roll out WiiU consoles in other regions is also unclear.
As Eurogamer points out, ceasing “production” could mean a lot of things: The last system rolling off the assembly line, or the last one boxed up, or the last one shipped out the door. What it does mean is an official nail in the coffin for a quality game console that missed with consumers, thanks in part to Nintendo’s faulty marketing. All that’s left for the WiiU to do is run out the clock until the Switch is released in March 2017.
Via: Kotaku
Source: Nintendo Store
YouTube VR app for Daydream now available, makes viewing VR videos easier
YouTube has release a Daydream-only application for those with Google VR headsets to access virtual reality videos more simply.
YouTube VR has been designed from the ground up and only works with the Daydream View headset and a compatible phone – so far, that’s just the Pixel handsets from Google itself.
VR videos are shown on a virtual movie screen from within the app, using a new theatre mode, and incorporates voice search. Users can also sign into their YouTube accounts to store and access playlists.
The app can also be controlled using the Daydream View remote.
- What is Daydream and when is it coming? Google’s Android VR platform explored
- Google Daydream View review: A Pixel-perfect VR experience?
- YouTube HDR video: Everything you need to know about YouTube’s latest feature
Several content providers have partnered with the video streaming service, including the Natural History Museum, StyleHaul, Curiscope and Tastemade. They have each made VR content that is available immediately.
“We’re committed to giving creators the space and resources they need to learn about, experiment with, and create virtual reality video,” said YouTube in an official blog post.
“In fact, we’ve already started working with some awesome creators, recording artists, and partners who are producing VR videos across a wide variety of genres and interest areas on YouTube.”
You can download the app through the Daydream VR hub if you have the relevant phone and headset.
Nintendo’s big Miitomo update adds chat and room customization
Nintendo is trying to get back all the Miitomo players it lost by releasing features a quasi-social network should have had from the start. The biggest addition that comes with its huge November update? Chat. Players can now send messages to each other in app by sending Mii characters as cute, little avatar messengers. They can now customize their rooms, as well, using wallpapers and flooring from the Miitomo Drop game and posters created from their own photos.
The third big feature that comes with the November upgrade is the ability to display outfits that other players can vote on. Those in the mood to connect with other players can head over to Answer Central, which is sort of a forum where they can reply to people’s questions. Finally, they can create Mii sidekicks that look like anyone they want to become the Robin to their Batman. While those make up the biggest new features, players will also get Mario and Luigi items, among other freebies. We guess we can only wait and see if all these are enough to lure players back into the game.
Source: Nintendo (1), (2)
Instagram adds Boomerang clips, mentions and links to Stories
Instagram has been making regular tweaks to its Stories feature since it debuted a few months ago. Today, the social network is adding a trio of tools to the collection of photos and videos that disappear after 24 hours. First, you can now choose to use Boomerang to capture clips for Stories. All you have to do is swipe right from your feed to access the Stories camera. Under the record button there will be an option for Boomerang mode. Once selected, simply tap record to shoot the short burst of photos that will play forward and backward in your Story.
In addition to the new Boomerang mode, Instagram also added mentions and links to Stories. Mentions are the same as if you were tagging someone in a comment or caption, just use the @ symbol followed by the username. Inside your Story, anyone you mentioned will be underlined and tapping on the username will display a pop up that links to the person’s profile. If you’re mentioned by someone you follow, you’ll get a notification in Instagram Direct. If someone you don’t follow mentions you, a notification will appear in message requests.
Links debut in Instagram Stories as well, but only for verified accounts. The company says the feature is in testing right now, adding a “See More” option at the bottom of Stories. To access whatever the link is pointing to, all you have to do is swipe up to view it with Instagram’s built-in browser. Unfortunately, there’s no word on when or if all users will be privy to the tool. On the plus side, all of these new items are available now for iOS, Android and Windows 10 via the latest update in each respective app store.
Via: TechCrunch
Source: Instagram
‘RunGunJumpGun’ is a damn near-perfect mobile game
Fast-paced, reaction-based, “twitch” games have always been my thing, but rarely have they ever been this simple. RunGunJumpGun blends the brutal level design of a twitch game, the accessibility of an automatic runner and one of the most intuitive control schemes ever conceived. I first played it in early September, just after it launched on Steam. Despite having just two inputs — shoot and jump — there’s an awful lot more to the game.
Ostensibly, it’s an automatic runner — think Canabalt or the upcoming Mario iOS game — but with a wealth of gameplay mechanics and ideas added on top. You’re always just running, gunning or jumping, of course, but through intelligent level design and a masterful difficulty curve, it stays fresh and taxing throughout its 120 levels.
Today, RunGunJumpGun is out for iOS and Android, and it’s perhaps the most challenging, rewarding and downright fun mobile game of the year. Before its release, I spoke with the team behind the title, ThirtyThree Games, to find out how they managed to get so much game out of just two buttons.
“We weren’t out to just make an infinite runner mobile game that’s run-of-the-mill,” said programmer Logan Gilmour. “We were hoping it would stand more among PC games than mobile games, but then play equally well on mobile.” ThirtyThree Games set out to emulate the rush of games like Super Meat Boy, VVVVVV and Hotline Miami, and they nailed it. The game has the same fast pace and “live, die, repeat” mentality, for sure. But its control scheme and structure make it a very different experience overall, and one that stands alone without the need for comparisons.
At its core, RunGunJumpGun is about balancing the two inputs. “Jumping,” in this game, is actually more like flying — your character aims their gun downwards and will ride upwards while you hold down the button. You also need to shoot enemies and obstacles in front of you, but as soon as you do, you start to lose altitude. Several times per second, you’ll be deciding which button to press, but you never move your fingers apart from to push down. One button, one finger.
Removing all the other controls completely strips away everything between you and the game. “It lets you fall into a trance, and that’s kind of a big thing for the game, getting people lost in it,” said music and story designer Jordan Bloemen. “[Players] aren’t focusing on what they’re trying to do with a controller, they’re just trying to manage two buttons … Beyond that everything can just kind of wash over them.”
“It lets you fall into a trance, and that’s kind of a big thing for the game, getting people lost in it.”
Stripping away controls has its issues, though. You’re removing a lot of the tools that gamers are typically given to overcome to the challenges placed in front of them. It’s easy for that to become annoying, but although you will certainly be frustrated by RunGunJumpGun at points — some levels had me dying maybe 30 times in a row — you’ll be frustrated at your lack of skill, not at the game itself.
That sense of fairness is key to twitch games. When one hit can kill, developers getting something wrong is difficult to stomach. Take Furi, a boss rush game released earlier this year. It’s generally superb, but there are several moments where it seems the game is unfair — maybe a parry timing is off, a hit box not quite right. As a result, I constantly put it down for weeks at a time in frustration. As mentioned, I struggled massively with some levels in RunGunJumpGun but I never once felt the urge to stop. I always knew it was my fault I was dying.
I struggled massively with some levels, but I never once felt the urge to stop. I always knew it was my fault I was dying.
A lot of work went into making RunGunJumpGun, its levels and each second of gameplay, feel fair yet challenging. There are small things, like making levels “concave,” so your character can’t get caught in a cove and die, or ensuring that the automated movement “is always the speed you want to go at,” but the truly interesting tweaks are invisible.
ThirtyThree Games used analytics and testers to analyze every second of gameplay. “We let a lot of people play the game, and we could see these big spikes where everyone was dying,” explained Bloemen. The team then acted on that data in different ways. Some levels were simply reordered for a smoother difficulty curve, but others were changed on a second-by-second level. “We collected the actual position where every person died,” said Gilmour. “So we could see where everyone was being killed by one hazard, and then just take the hazard out.”
The team would iteratively re-order and smooth out the levels, then bring in a new group of testers that hadn’t played before and see what the new data looked like. Their own little live, die, repeat loop, as it were. The importance of curving difficulty, according to the team, is paramount. “Especially the first world, that’s kind of make-or-break, said Bloemen. “That’s where you’re going to piss someone off and they’re not going to play anymore.”
It’s tough to find a better example of a difficulty curve done right.
While the first world (there are three, each containing 40 levels) hooked me; the second made me fall in love. It’s there that the developers start throwing a bunch of new elements at you, and it’s tough to find a better example of a difficulty curve done right.
Take the first ten minutes or so of world two: It starts by introducing a new mechanic — screen warping, which allows you to fly out the top of the screen and appear at the bottom, or vice versa. Then, it asks you to use screen warping to navigate a complex level. Then, it makes you do that with pin-point accuracy — one false move and you’re dead. Finally, you’ve nailed it. Of course, before you have time to relax, turrets are added. Then force fields. Then spaceships that shoot at you. Finally, fire turrets — the barrage of new elements feels like it never ends.
Removing the deaths, the section amounts to maybe three minutes of gameplay. In that time, you’ll have learned and mastered multiple new mechanics and hazards. Although the deaths will come thick and thin, no single level transition is too challenging, But if you skipped any given minute, the leap in difficulty would be near insurmountable.
Later in the game, some of these new mechanics take a little longer to get used to. The addition of water in particular threw me off for a while, because the movement physics are completely different. The final few levels are also an exception, as the difficulty is pretty much just ratcheted up to 11. But the general curve, and the way new ideas are introduced, is nothing short of perfect.
While data obviously had huge impact on defining the game’s structure, it wasn’t always enough. The team had their own thoughts on how enjoyable or challenging each level was, and there’s not a linear line of difficulty from beginning to end. “It’s important to have a little bumpiness in that curve,” said Gilmour. “Sometimes when we bring in a new mechanic, we make the first version of that a little harder. But you overcome it, and then the next time it’s easier, and you get a nice win, it feels like you’re getting some mastery.”
It also helps that playing the game feels great. The pixel art is bright and easy to follow, while the EDM soundtrack mixes menacing bass with light melodies that reminded me of another twitch favorite of mine, Electronic Super Joy. Like ESJ, rather than taking itself seriously, RunGunJumpGun is filled with humor. Some of this comes through dialog — there’s a story told through one-liners before each level — but a lot is down to the game itself. I lost track of the number of times I fell into an obvious trap, or a spinning disc bounced up at just the right moment to kill me — there’s a deviousness to the level design that, when coupled with the quick and colorful restart animation, actually makes dying as funny as it is frustrating.
There’s a final piece to RunGunJumpGun I’ve neglected to mention, and it’s perhaps the thing that’ll keep you coming back: Atomiks, the game’s name for the 10 tokens scattered throughout each level. Taking the “Atomik path” will bring you closer to death than any other path through a level, essentially making it “the nastiest way to play,” according to Gilmour. A tone chimes when you collect an Atomik, increasing in pitch each time to form a satisfying musical scale.
They’re almost like false waypoints, tempting you off the safer path at every opportunity. But collecting Atomiks is also the way you unlock more worlds, and “completing” the game is collecting them all. The path to victory is littered with near-endless death.
I played RunGunJumpGun a lot on PC, and grew deeply attached to it. As such, I was a little worried about how the game would handle on mobile. There’s a tactile immediacy about hammering away on a keyboard that’s just missing from a phone or a tablet. But my concerns were unfounded. The simplicity of the layout — tap the left side of the screen for jump, the right side for gun — means that you don’t miss the tactile feedback too much. I do think the game controls a little better with a keyboard, but being able to play it anywhere more than makes up for that.
“Personally, my favorite way to play it is on iPad,” said Gilmour. “It’s killer, the screen is really responsive, and you’re holding this thing, it reminds me of playing a Game Boy when I was a kid.” I have to agree. It’s great to jump into for a couple of minutes at a time, or to completely zone out with for an hour. I’ve handed the game to a few friends, and even those that don’t typically enjoy twitch games had a good time.
RunGunJumpGun is out now for iOS and will be released imminently for Android, priced at $2.99. There’s been some talk of a PlayStation Vita port in the future, but that’s very much in the “research to see if it makes sense” phase, according to Bloemen. Oh, and if playing on a PC or Mac is more your speed, the price of the Steam version of the game is going to drop down to $2.99 temporarily as well. In case it wasn’t clear, whatever your platform of choice, I can’t recommend this game enough.
Hyperloop co-founder ‘very serious’ about California secession
In the wake of the election result, Hyperloop co-founder Shervin Pishevar (pictured, right) began tweeting about his desire to see California secede from the United States. Naturally, it was dismissed as emotions running high after the highly divisive campaign, but Pishevar isn’t backing down. At the Web Summit conference today, the billionaire was asked if he was serious about “Calexit*,” to which he said that he was “very serious.” He added that there would be “announcements” about his plans to implement the program coming in the near future.
“In terms of the election, and there’ll be more announcements coming. I am, very serious and it’s not just me, it’s others, and there’ll be announcements specifically coming in terms of that. To what you’re… to what you’re bringing up.”
For Pishevar, Trump’s anti-immigrant rhetoric is personal: His father fled Iran after being marked for death by the Ayatollah Khomeini. Moving to the save haven of the US, Pishevar Sr. drove a cab while studying for his PhD and encouraged his son to embrace the immigrant experience the country offered. Pishevar believes that it’s not just him who feels outraged at the result, and will throw their weight behind the Yes California movement.
1/ If Trump wins I am announcing and funding a legitimate campaign for California to become its own nation.
— Shervin (@shervin) November 9, 2016
While it’s not likely to happen overnight — after all, the constitution doesn’t provide for a mechanism for secession — it’s clear that figures within the tech industry are serious about this. California is already the world’s sixth largest economy, so it has the money, and potentially the political will to see this through. We wouldn’t be surprised to see other big Silicon Valley names talking about joining the movement in the next few months.
*A portmanteau of California and Exit, a name taken from Britain’s decision to leave the European Union.
Florida voters conflicted over Zika-fighting mosquitoes
You can’t just go and release genetically-modified mosquitoes into the environment without making sure people are okay with it — regardless of how badly we need a way to eradicate the Zika virus. In Tuesday’s election, 65 percent of Florida residents in the city of Key Haven voted against a ballot measure that’d sanction such a test, according to MIT Technology Review. Meanwhile, some 58 percent of voters in the county that Key Haven is a part of, Monroe County, voted in favor of the test. Now it’s up to the Florida Keys Mosquito Control District Board of Commissioners (FKMCDBC) to make a decision.
The FDA approved the trial back in August. But, local residents were opposed to the idea, causing the FKMCDBC to wait until Election Day to get a better picture of how the region felt.
“The referendum is not legally binding, so the agency [FKMCDBC] could still choose to go ahead with the trial when it next meets on November 19th,” Technology Review writes. The company responsible for the modified mosquitoes, Oxitec, thinks that FKMCDBC will still go through with the trial and hopes to proceed as planned.
The FDA assessed that the mosquitos won’t have a “significant impact” on the environment, and for its part, Oxitec is bullish on its effectiveness. “We expect to see the same results [from this trial] as we’ve seen everywhere else,” CEO Hadyn Parry told Time. Tests in Brazil, the Cayman Islands and Panama have seen mosquito populations drop by over 90 percent.
Source: MIT Technology Review
Windows 10’s virtual trackpad turns tablets into mice
Microsoft has begun testing out a new virtual trackpad feature in Windows 10, allowing users to turn their tablets into mice while using external displays. Chances are it’ll form part of the OS’s “Creators Update” arriving next spring, with the feature now live in the latest Windows 10 Insider Preview release (build 14965, if you’re interested). The virtual trackpad is exactly what it sounds like: A square boundary with left and right mouse buttons sitting below it, performing the function you’d expect but using a device’s touchscreen to receive inputs.
The idea is a Windows 10 tablet can double as a mouse while it’s hooked up to an external monitor or TV. While it may seem like a niche use case, it means anyone wanting to use their slate like a proper PC can carry one less peripheral with them — assuming it performs the task well enough. The virtual trackpad comes to Windows 10 alongside updates to Microsoft’s Sticky Notes and Windows Ink Workspace software, and you can take it for a spin right now provided you’re in the Insider program’s Fast Ring.
Here’s the new onscreen trackpad feature for Windows 10. Designed for when you connect to a second display and don’t have a mouse pic.twitter.com/yiL3uVLduS
— Tom Warren (@tomwarren) November 9, 2016
Via: The Verge
Source: Microsoft
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