Star Wars: Force Arena hands-on preview
Pick your side and join the battle for the Galaxy!
It’s a great time to be a Star Wars fan, with Star Wars: Rogue One hitting theaters and the recent resurgence in amazing Star Wars video games. The latest offering for mobile gamers is Star Wars: Force Arena, an action-packed real-time strategy game that puts you in control of a leader for either the Rebel Alliance or the Galactic Empire. I’ve spent the past few days going hands-on with a pre-release version of the game, which combines gameplay elements from Clash Royale and MOBAs, and sets the whole thing in a galaxy far, far away.
Now I’ll admit right off the top that I’m predisposed to adore this game as a huge Star Wars fan. Clash Royale also ranks as one of my favorite games of 2016, so Force Arena basically had my full attention from the minute it loaded up. Just like Clash Royale this is a deck building game with the battles set in iconic Star Wars locales, the divided arena guarded at each end by turrets and connected by two lanes. But instead of being an omnipresent figure casting troops cards onto the battlefield, you’re thrown right in the mix as a legendary character from the film franchise, fighting for the Rebellion or the Empire in both 1 vs. 1 and 2 vs. 2 online battles. The goal is to get past your enemies turrets and destroy their shield generator, so that your aerial assault team — Tie Fighters or X-Wings — can blow this thing and go home.
The playable heroes i’ve seen in action so far include Luke Skywalker, Princess Leia, Han Solo, the Emperor, Darth Vader, Boba Fett — y’know, the usual suspects. Each hero has their own special abilities that you’ll want to carefully consider before building your battle deck around them. To control your character in battle, tap around the battlefield to move and tap on an enemy troop to focus your character’s attack.
There will be over 80 characters included in the full release, from new faces from Rogue One alongside fan favorites from The Force Awakens and the original trilogy. You’ll likely have to discover most of them via card packs unlocked for free, won in battle, or purchased from the in-game store.
After completing the short tutorial and receiving your starter battle decks from the complimentary card packs, you’re ready to pick a side and hit the battlefield. It’s surprising how well the MOBA and Clash Royale gameplay styles mesh into something that feels fresh-yet-familiar, and an ideal fit to harness the full scale of the Star Wars universe. Seeing Luke Skywalker running into battle towards Darth Vader as Stormtroopers and Rebel fighters exchange fire feels as epic as it should. Having the option to switch between the Rebels and Empire as you feel fit also adds an extra layer of depth and replayability.
An official release date has not been set, but if you’re excited to check out Star Wars: Force Arena, you should definitely sign up, which will help you out with 10,000 bonus credits among other rewards. Expect the game to launch globally in the coming weeks.
Pre-register at StarWarsForceArena.com
Best Road Trip Apps
Load these apps onto your phone before you hit the road!
There are few things better than hitting the open road on a cross country road trip. Whether you’re heading out with your best buds, or loading the kids into the car to visit relatives a few states over a little app prep will make sure the trip goes as smooth as is possible.
More: The best phone car mounts for any phone!
- Android Auto
- Waze
- Google Trips
- Yelp
- GasBuddy
- Google Play Music
- Netflix
Android Auto
If your car doesn’t have Android Auto functionality built into its stereo system, it’s worth checking out Google’s app for staying connected in your car. It’s now available on any Android phone, so you don’t need to buy a brand new car or upgrade your car stereo to take advantage of the convenience — it’ll just run right on your phone.
Android Auto makes it easier to use apps from your phone while you’re on the road, and the latest update adds “OK Google” wake word compatibility, so you don’t need to touch the screen to activate voice commands. Navigate with Google Maps, listen to playlists or podcasts from your favorite apps, send messages via voice, and more.
Download: Android Auto (Free)
Waze
While Google Maps remains the most popular navigation app for Android (largely due to its inclusion as a stock app on most Android devices), Waze is a great option to consider for all your GPS navigation needs.
Waze users get the benefit of all the information gleaned from other Waze users on the road, from real-time traffic information including accident reports, police traps and other hazards seen on the road. You’re also encouraged to add your own updates and contribute to your local Waze community as well. Using all that data, Waze will automatically reroute you to avoid any upcoming hazards, and also has really smart features for finding the cheapest gas stations along the way as well as ways of keeping family and friends in the loop on your ETA.
Download: Waze (Free)
Google Trips
Google Trips is a great travel planning app that helps with some of the mundane aspects of travelling like keeping track of your reservations, while also helping to plan out your days in a new city by suggesting cool things to do based on your interests and available time.
If you’re planning to make a pitstop on your way to your final destination, plug the city into the app and see what it generates! It’s also available offline, so if you planned out your pit stops ahead of time you can keep in the know even if your phone’s data konks out.
Download: Google Trips (Free)
Yelp
When you’re exploring a new city trying to figure out what’s worth checking out, you’re best off checking in with the locals. Yelp is one of the most popular apps for reviewing restaurants and businesses with over 100 million reviews posted by users just like you.
When you’re in a pinch for a roadside bite and need to know what’s good, Yelp will help you find the perfect restaurant to fuel up and get back on the road.
Download: Yelp (Free)
GasBuddy
Fuelling up is often one of the biggest expenses you’ll incur on a road trip. GasBuddy helps you find the cheapest places to fill up along the way. Not only is this an app that you’ll want to use on a road trip, but you might end up becoming an everyday user once you see the savings for yourself.
All the data is user generated, so if you see a cheaper gas price not listed in the app, you can report the price in the app and contribute to the GasBuddy community.
Download: GasBuddy (Free)
Google Play Music
What’s a road trip without some kick ass driving music? Or maybe a podcast is more your speed? Regardless of what you prefer to listen to on your long distance drives, Google Play Music is your best bet.
With a subscription, you get streaming access to over 40 million tracks along with curated playlists, so the music won’t ever stop, even on the longest of drives. Google Play Music is also home to all your favorite podcasts, and it incorporates right into Android Auto for hands-free control of all your music while you’re on the road. That is, unless your co-pilot has already claimed the role of in-car DJ…
Download: Google Play Music (Free)
Netflix
With it’s latest update allowing for offline viewing on mobile devices, Netflix suddenly became the go-to app for parents hoping to distract the young ones in the back without having to worry about all that data.
There’s a large amount of kid-friendly content available to be downloaded for offline viewing, which should help keep the shouts of “are we there yet?” to a minimum. Load up a phone or tablet with your kids’ favorites and look forward to the quietest road trip you’ve ever enjoyed. It’s also a great option for keeping adults quiet, too. A subscription is required, of course, but if you don’t already have one you for sure know someone who does.
Download: Netflix (Free)
Where are you headed?
How do you plan for your road trips? Any apps that we missed? Let us know in the comments!
ICYMI: Snap’s Spectacles are being used to broadcast surgery
Today on In Case You Missed It: A surgeon who goes by the name virtualsurgeon on Snapchat used Spectacles to broadcast a hernia surgery. Meanwhile the Office of Naval Research demoed its prototype autonomous swarm watercraft, that no joke travel in packs and investigate other boats.
There was so much big news this week but we recommend reading up on how scientists are duplicating climate change data before a Trump presidency. As always, please share any interesting tech or science videos you find by using the #ICYMI hashtag on Twitter for @mskerryd.
The Morning After: Weekend Edition
Letter from the Editor
Christmas is right around the corner, but Santa’s not the only one dropping from the sky with presents this holiday season. Amazon’s Prime Air officially began service this week, when a drone made the service’s first delivery in Cambridge, England. So the future of shipping has arrived … for a handful of people in the English countryside.
Many, many more Amazonians will be getting served, however, by Prime Video, now that the company has spun it out into a standalone service. At an introductory rate that’s a third the cost of Netflix, the move creates serious competition for viewing dollars around the world — though it only brings Amazon’s original programming. Still, if critical acclaim is any indicator, you’re getting good value: Both of the two streaming services have shows up for multiple Golden Globes.
One competitor Amazon isn’t (and shouldn’t be) preoccupied with is a new virtual assistant from Japan. It’s a female anime character in a jar. It costs $2,500. It will not lift the crushing weight of loneliness that pervades your every waking hour. Oh, and if you’re thinking it’d make a swell Christmas gift, think 2017 — the company’s taking preorders now, but it won’t arrive for a year.
Elon Musk: Supercharger spots are meant for charging, not parkingTesla will tax owners who idle at the Supercharger
More Teslas on the road also means there might be long lines at the local Supercharger. After complaints about owners who leave their car hooked up beyond the time needed for a full charge, Elon Musk & Co. have a fix: idle fees. If you don’t collect your EV within five minutes of it reaching full charge (you’ll get a notification on your phone), then expect a 40 cent per minute charge to sit in that spot.
Here’s what it will cost when you lose oneApple’s AirPods are now on sale
Online pre-orders are now stretching into 2017, but you can order a pair of Apple’s new EarBuds. The wireless buds go perfectly with a headphone jack-deficient iPhone 7, whose owners are most likely to lay down $160 for the pair + charger. A side effect of the AirPods’ tangle free lifestyle is that you might end up losing one, however, and if you do, the replacement will cost $69.
Not to be confused with “The O.C.”Netflix’s weird surprise show ‘The OA’ is now streaming
Last weekend Netflix surprised us by teasing a new miniseries about a mysterious young woman. The trailer left much to the imagination, but the main plot centers on a young woman who was blind before being abducted, and returns to her family seven years later able to see. Its eight-episode length had some hoping for another “Stranger Things” experience. We don’t know if it’s that good, but it’s a perfect choice if you can’t make it out to “Rogue One” this weekend.
League of $$$$“League of Legends” developer signs a $300 million streaming deal
eSports looks poised to make a big leap, and BAMTech, a streaming company part-owned by the MLB, the NHL and Disney (read: ESPN) is ready to buy in. It struck a deal with “League of Legends” maker Riot Games that’s worth over $300 million, and it will build an app next year to stream competitions on phones, PCs and other devices.
Looks like someone read “Ender’s Game”DARPA’s OFFSET program will use gamers to playtest drone swarm control
Stop us if this sounds familiar: A government agency is trying to help the military control groups of flying robots, and one of the ways it will learn is by offering a “physics-based, swarm tactics game.” The idea is to let playtesters swap strategies on how to best control a swarm of drone robots, then apply that knowledge to the real thing.
The final stops are at PAX and SXSWNintendo’s Switch console is going on tour
Can’t wait until March to see the Switch? No problem, because Nintendo just announced it’s taking the console on a “Preview Tour” of major cities starting in January.
But wait, there’s more…
- Meet Waymo: Google’s new (old) self-driving car business
- Nokia returns with a dumb phone from its new owner
- The Engadget Podcast Episode 18: In which Terrence drops F-bombs while talking about Yahoo
- Review: HP Spectre x360 (2016)
- Dwarf planet Ceres is ‘oozing’ with water
Add a thin case to your Nexus 6 for just $5 today!
The Nexus 6 is quite a large phone, and odds are you don’t want to make it any bigger just to protect it. If you want a thin layer of protection against scratches and dings, Amzer’s SlimGrip hybrid case is the way to go. The thin clear case will show off your phone well, and right now it is only $5.
Tesla’s fix for Supercharger squatters is a $0.40 per minute fee
As the number of Tesla’s on the road continues to increase, owners are running into a growing problem. While there are Superchargers located nationwide for them to plug in and quickly charge up, they can quickly get clogged up if one jerk leaves their car parked there for a few hours. Since its cars aren’t quite ready to drive themselves away once they’ve filled up, Tesla is placing the responsibility on the owners. Once a car’s battery is full, the owner receives a push notification via the Tesla app. If they don’t move the car within five minutes, it will start racking up a $0.40 per minute idle fee (in the US and Canada), billed at their next visit to a service center.
Since electric vehicle charging still isn’t quite as fast as filling up with petrol, some owners may not think of it the same way as simply leaving a car parked at the gas pump. According to the FAQ, the fee applies even if there are open spots at the Supercharger, so users will want to keep this in mind all the time. Since this problem is likely due to inattentiveness more than any intentional urge to camp on the charger, some better messaging and a nag fee is a good way to get folks’ attention.
@loic You’re right, this is becoming an issue. Supercharger spots are meant for charging, not parking. Will take action.
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) December 11, 2016
Source: Tesla, FAQ
Android Central 318: Smartwatches are dead
In this episode, Daniel, Jerry, Andrew and Alex debate whether wearables, and smartwatches in particular, are done for — or whether there’s still a pulse … nope, not going to finish that one.
Meanwhile, RCS — Rich Communications Services — could be the iMessage alternative Android users have been waiting for, but it’s probably going to disappoint.
Plus, favorite apps! The team goes over their best apps of the year.
Podcast MP3 URL: http://traffic.libsyn.com/androidcentral/androidcentral318.mp3
Google, Apple and Uber promise not to build a Muslim registry
After over a thousand Silicon Valley engineers pledged never to help build a Muslim registry, Buzzfeed News asked the tech giants themselves about their stance. Google, Apple and Uber told the publication that no, they won’t support the development of one either. Facebook, Microsoft and Twitter made the same vow a few days ago. The possibility of a Muslim registry in the United States first came up during President-Elect Trump’s campaign, and he has yet to deny wanting one. In addition, one of the members of Trump’s transition team, Kansas Secretary of State Kris Kobach, proposed to reinstate a registry of immigrants from Muslim countries.
The big G told Buzzfeed News in an email that from what the company knows, the “proposal doesn’t seem to be on the table.” But if it’s ever asked to participate, “of course [Google] wouldn’t do [it.]” An Apple spokesperson said the iPhonemaker hasn’t been asked and would oppose such an effort. “We think people should be treated the same no matter how they worship, what they look like, who they love,” he said. Meanwhile, Uber replied with a resounding “No.”
These tech titans met with the President-Elect at a tech summit earlier this week to discuss job creation, tax cuts and China, among other topics. One of the attendees who has declined to respond to Buzzfeed News’ question is Oracle, whose CEO (Safra Katz) is slated to join Trump’s transition team.
Source: Buzzfeed News
Uber will keep testing self-driving cars in SF without a permit
Uber just announced its self-driving cars are available on San Francisco streets, but they’re already caught up in controversy. That’s because California regulators insist it needs a permit for testing, while Uber — true to its extralegal history — insists it doesn’t. Autonomous lead Anthony Levandowski said on a call that “we respectfully disagree with the California Department of Motor Vehicles legal interpretation of today’s autonomous regulations, in particular that Uber needs a testing permit to operate its self-driving cars in San Francisco.”
In Uber’s view, because its cars won’t operate without a human operator seated at the wheel, it’s no different than other widely-implemented driver assistant technology. On the state’s side, Wired reports the matter has been forwarded to the attorney general, but it’s unclear what the next step will be. A statement from the mayor’s office said “The Mayor is working with the DMV, state officials and the city attorney’s office to explore all possible avenues available to us to enforce state law.” The state could request an injunction, or revoke the car’s registrations — stay tuned.
Source: Uber
Apple’s new Support app: How does it work and where is it available?
Sometimes you just need a little help – or, should we say, support.
We’ve all been there: you’re playing on your iPhone or Mac or iPad or iWatch, and then something happens that you can’t explain. Maybe your device has been bricked, rendered unusable, or maybe it just won’t connect to the internet or install an update. There are a number of different issues that can happen when it comes to technology and gadgets, including a number of different ways to troubleshoot those issues.
Luckily, if you find yourself facing a problem with one of Apple’s pricey products, you can always go to Apple for help. But how do you do that? Easy. Download the new Apple Support app. On 13 December, Apple launched a specialised app designed to mimic its dedicated support site. It provides users with a list of their registered devices and access to documentation for those devices. It also lets them schedule repairs.
Here’s everything you need to know about the Apple Support app, including how it works and where it’s available.
What is the Apple Support app?
One month after going live in the Netherlands, Apple’s specialised Apple Support has launched in the US App Store, giving Apple users an easy way to get support for their devices while on the go. Screenshots of the app actually first leaked out way back in 2015, but now, it’s official. So, if you happen to notice a problem with your Apple device, all you have to do is download the app to get started with troubleshooting.
How does the Apple Support app work?
Apple has described its new Apple Support app as “your personalised guide to the best options from Apple”. You can find answers with articles tailored to your products and questions. You can call, chat, or email with an “expert” right away. You can schedule a callback when it’s convenient for you. You can even get a repair at an Apple Store or a nearby Apple Authorized Service Provider.
Getting started with Apple Support
If you have a functioning iPhone or iPad, download Apple’s Support app from the App Store. Once downloaded, log in with your Apple ID. From there, Apple Support will surface a list of all the devices associated with/registered to your Apple ID. The product details screen also shows hardware info, like a serial number or IMEI, as well as informs users of their AppleCare coverage status.
Browse troubleshooting topics
Tapping on a device will pull up a product pane, with options to view general support documents for topics like startup and power, internet and connectivity, installation and updates, Mail, hardware issues, Apple ID and password, printing and scanning, and other topics. Apart from browsing troubleshooting topics to find an answer to your problem, you can also search for a specific issue from the support portal screen.
Choose your support option
Much like Apple’s online support site, the standalone app will guide you through a series of documents that help you to self-diagnose and solve a variety of problems. For instance, if you tap on your iPhone 7 Plus, then select the topic “Battery, Power & Charging” topic, you’ll get a list of potential or commonly occurring issues. In this example, Apple provides a support document with links to web article, which details best ways to maximise battery life. To streamline your troubleshooting process, the app automatically creates a support case for you.
Contact Apple directly
You will find options for contacting an Apple Support specialist, along with estimated chat and phone wait times, under topics that lack sufficient support documentation. You’ll be able to call Apple directly, schedule a call for later, or chat via text. However, some queries may require a Genius Bar appointment, so Apple provides a scheduling tool for that. And finally, you’ll see recommended articles at the bottom of the screen.
Does the Apple Support app cost money?
No. The Apple Support app is free to download and use.
Which devices can run the Apple Support app?
The Apple Support app requires iOS 9.0 or later and is compatible with iPhone, iPad, and iPod Touch. It’s available in the these languages: English, Chinese, Dutch, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Portuguese, Simplified Chinese, Spanish, Swedish, Traditional Chinese, and Turkish.
Is the Apple Support app available in the UK?
No. Apple only recently launched the app in the Netherlands and the US. We assume it’ll eventually be available in other countries.
AIVAnet 