Algoriddim’s Djay 2 app heads to Android with Spotify integration
Algoriddim’s Djay app has come a long way since its Mac-only beginnings in 2006, but after years of Apple exclusivity, Android users are finally welcome to join the party. Djay 2, the current version of the award-winning mobile mixing platform, has finally been ported over to Android (for phones and tablets runing 4.1 or higher) and is available today on Google Play and Amazon’s Appstore for $2.99. Those familiar with the iOS version will find that little has changed after making the jump across the aisle. The app still gives you hands-on scratching and cueing, HD waveforms, Automix, in-app recording, pitch adjustment and on-the-fly effects for the full DJ experience. Spotify integration, which launched last May, is included to give premium account users instant access to its cloud-based library of tunes. And with Spotify’s Match feature, DJs can get intelligent recommendations on what to play next. The app also dips directly into Play Music to let you select from your own locally stored audio files. We took the app for a quick test drive and found that it’s a solid interface, but DJs looking to use MIDI controllers like the Reloop Beatpad for Djay will need a few more cables than their iOS counterparts to get the job done. Join us in the gallery below for a quick look at this new Android version of Djay 2.
New smartphone movie tickets don’t require a scanner
Sure, digital tickets allow you to skip the printer before heading to see Gone Girl or Fury, but you still have to get the scan of approval before nabbing the over-priced popcorn. MovieTickets.com’s new system that only requires theater staff to take a look at your phone before letting you in. Using Bytemark’s V3 (visually verifiable virtual ticket) tech, purchases have security features like animated watermarks, touch animations and color changes to keep the counterfeiters at bay. Those features can be changed and concealed from patrons until just before the doors open, and “tearing” the digital version for verification. While a pilot program is expected to start before the year’s end, the V3 systems are already in use for transit options — including the NY Waterway and Chicago’s South Shore line.
Via: Mashable
Source: MovieTickets.com
YouTube CEO confirms music subscription service is coming soon
There have been plenty of rumors about YouTube starting up a music subscription service, including a confirmation from the Google-owned group in June that it was coming later in the summer (which has obviously come and gone). Tonight we heard another confirmation, this time straight from the mouth of CEO Susan Wojcicki. In an interview at Code/Mobile, the executive said that her team was indeed “working on it” and that this is a near-term goal. While she didn’t get into specifics on the program, which may or may not be called Music Key (according to rumors, that is), she stated that one of the obstacles is figuring out “how to give people options” — likely a way of saying that YouTube is still working out the pricing tiers and what features would be available for each individual plan. And given that the service will supposedly include concert footage and other videos, it may be a bit more complex than what competitors like Spotify offer. It’s not clear when exactly we’ll see this service ready for the public, but this is at least a solid indication that it didn’t just completely vanish, never to be enjoyed by our eyes and ears.
[Image credit: Getty Images]
Filed under: Home Entertainment, Software, Google
Via: CNet
You can finally play the best-ever Star Wars games on a modern PC (updated)
Forget that upcoming Battlefront game for now — the Star Wars titles that hardcore fans have really been looking for are finally here. Good Old Games has announced official re-releases of X-Wing and TIE Fighter that let you play these legendary space combat games (arguably, the best Star Wars games ever) on a modern PC without resorting to bootleg copies or hacks. They’ll cost $10 each when they arrive on October 28th, and they’re Special Editions that include both the CD-ROM content (SVGA graphics! Voiceovers!) as well as all the expansion packs. If you’ve been waiting two decades to once more recreate the Death Star trench run or blow up a Rebel frigate, your moment has come.
Update: As you may have suspected, GOG posted those game links prematurely — they disappeared shortly after we posted our story. Come back on the 28th and they should work properly.
Via: Sir_Crocodile (NeoGAF), Kotaku
Source: GOG (X-Wing), (TIE Fighter)
Facebook Announces Improvements to Photo Posts on Mobile
Facebook is making an update at some point today that will improve how they handle multiple photo uploads to a post. In the pending update you will be able to select multiple images and rearrange their order to tell a better story on your feed. You will be able to write an introduction for the story and add captions to each photo.
When shared, the group of photos will be displayed to your friends in your feed in a photo collage rather than a horizontal group of images. If a friend taps on the collage they can scroll through each image in the order that you set them to get the full story.
The update should be rolling out for Android and iOS starting later today, so keep an eye out for it if you are a big mobile Facebook user.
Source: Facebook
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The hardware of Super Smash Bros. for Wii U (hands-on)
When Nintendo announced the re-release of years old game controllers from the Nintendo GameCube home console, it was more than a little surprising. What’s Nintendo doing re-releasing gamepads from 2001 for its still new-ish game console? And more importantly, why? It’s because of crazy people like me. In case it weren’t already clear, I’m a longtime fan of Nintendo’s Smash Bros. franchise — a 2D fighting game featuring a massive cross-section of Nintendo’s biggest gaming franchises. Mario fights Zelda, for instance; I wrote a piece breaking down how it works and why it’s such a wonderful franchise right here. So, what do GameCube controllers have to do with any of this?
Simple: The GameCube version of Smash Bros. (Melee) is considered by many fans, including myself, to be the series’ best work to date. Beyond the game itself, the GameCube controller was heralded as a perfect fit for the series. And that’s why Nintendo’s re-releasing a gamepad from over 10 years ago, as well as an adapter: so the controllers will work with the upcoming Wii U version, dubbed “Super Smash Bros. for Wii U”. Still weird, but a bit more logical now, eh?
I spent a few hours this morning both using the re-issued controllers and seeing how the NFC-based Amiibo figurines work on the Wii U version of Smash Bros. Let’s get crazy.
First up: the re-released GameCube gamepad. When Nintendo says it’s re-releasing the GameCube controller, the company means that literally. The single difference between new and old (we brought our own for comparison) is the logo in the middle: where the old controller says “Nintendo GameCube,” the new ones have a Smash Bros. symbol with flames surrounding it. That’s it! The buttons feel the same, and the controller’s bizarre shape remains. It’s not an approximation. It’s not similar. It’s the same controller.
Of note, you’ll need the four-port GameCube controller adapter to make these puppies run on the Wii U (and yes, wireless Wavebird controllers also work in the adapter hub). Should your Wii U’s USB ports be occupied, that’s going to cause an issue: the GameCube controller adapter takes up two USB ports. If you’ve got any external storage sticking out of your Wii U (like I do), now’s a good time to move it to the rear of the console — GameCube controller wires are only so long and you’ll want the adapter sticking out of the front of your Wii U. Gotta maximize that space, folks!
Amiibo
If you dreamed of Nintendo’s Amiibo figurines ferrying your favorite Smash Bros. character and all of his/her stats from Wii U to Wii U, this might hurt: Nintendo’s Amiibo figurines each contain a single, unplayable character’s data. This isn’t your data, but the data of a character you play with in eight-player Smash (among other modes). The character gains “levels” as it plays, as well as learning new moves and fighting styles. You can customize that character as you wish, but you can’t actually play as the character housed in the Amiibo. Should you get a Pikachu Amiibo, you’ll have a Pikachu to customize (and the same goes for the rest — Mario houses Mario, etc.).
Given the latest Smash Bros‘. proclivity for character customization, you might think that a single Amiibo could house multiple customized versions of its character. You’d be wrong! A Nintendo rep clarified to me this morning that each Amiibo houses one version of one character; you couldn’t build a speedy Pikachu and a bruiser Pikachu, for instance, and put them both on a single Pikachu Amiibo. You’re choosing one version or the other, which kinda stinks (especially considering that Amiibo figures cost $12.99 apiece).
Setting up and saving data on Amiibo is as easy as you’d think: simply tap and briefly hold the figurine on the Wii U gamepad’s NFC spot (on the left side, just underneath the d-pad). If you’re using Amiibos in battle, the game prompts you to tap any corresponding figurines to the gamepad after battle (to save out any data from the match).
The first twelve Amiibo launching with the game on November 21st are as follows: Mario, Peach, Link, Samus, Yoshi, Donkey Kong, Pikachu, Kirby, Fox, Marth, Villager and Wii Fit Trainer. There’s another batch set to arrive later this year. As for the GameCube adapter hub and controllers, they’ll also be available alongside the Wii U game in November; the hub costs $19.99 and each gamepad costs $29.99. If you went all the way crazy and tossed out all your GameCube controllers from back in the day, Nintendo’s putting together a Wii U Smash Bros. bundle with the hub and one GameCube controller (as well as the game itself) for $99.99.
Oh, and in case you’re wondering: yes, Super Smash Bros. for Wii U was tremendously fun to play and looks as sharp or better than Nintendo’s best efforts thus far on Wii U. Eight-player is positively insane and seemingly exists solely for using Amiibo characters. I can’t possibly judge whether or not the game is worth your time based on the hour (or so) I spent with it this morning, but as a longtime Smash Bros. fan I’ve thoroughly enjoyed the Wii U version every time I’ve played it.
Filed under: Gaming, Peripherals, Software, HD, Nintendo
Nextbit is bringing iOS-like app continuity and ‘limitless’ storage to Android
You may just about recall that Nextbit, a startup formed by ex-Googlers, has been collaborating with Cyanogen on a “really cool” secret project. As it turns out, this is all about the continuity experience across Android devices — very timely given the recent launch of OS X Yosemite and iOS 8.1, which boast a set of continuity features. Nextbit’s offering is dubbed Baton, and as the name suggests, it lets you quickly pass an app’s state from one Android device to another, meaning you can continue playing on the same level in a game, editing the same document in an app or browsing the same web page right away; with the precondition being the second device must also have Baton and the same app installed. Better yet, app developers don’t have to do anything at all; existing apps should just work.
http://www.engadget.com/embed-5min/?sid=577&playList=518483150&responsive=false
To toggle a pass, simply hold down the “Recent Apps” Android soft key and then choose your desired target device. In a matter of seconds, the target device will wake up and launch the same app in the same state. Similarly, you can do the same to pass the app to the previous device or to a new one — provided that it’s already associated with your CyanogenMod account, running Baton and has the identical app installed. In the case where the passed app isn’t yet installed, the OS will prompt you to download it. The more we look at this, the more we wonder why didn’t Google come up with this.
“We’ve taken the cloud and we’ve deeply integrated it into the OS itself,” Nextbit CEO Tom Moss said proudly.
Interestingly, Nextbit’s Baton somewhat contrasts with iOS’ Handoff by getting the user to “push” an app’s state to a target device, as opposed to pulling an app onto one’s selected device. Different initiations, but similar ideas. That said, Handoff only works on iOS and OS X apps that use its APIs (which isn’t surprising given the cross-platform nature), whereas Baton has the advantage of requiring literally no dev work at all.
Don’t be mistaken: Baton isn’t an app that you download from the Play Store. Rather, it’s a framework that utilizes the cloud to keep apps and data constantly in sync across multiple Android devices. And since the state of the apps plus the UI’s look and feel are backed up daily, Baton also lets you restore to your desired moment. In fact, this particular part of Baton is already being shipped as a white label product on Japan’s NTT Docomo devices as of last week, and Nextbit is in talks with Chinese OEMs to spread the love further.
OnePlus One will definitely be getting Baton.
Likewise, Baton will only be available on devices made or sold by licensees, and Moss said he’s getting a pretty good momentum in terms of establishing partnerships. This feature is currently only available to select testers who are running the latest version of CyanogenMod, though Nextbit will soon be launching an invite-only beta program. We’re also told that Baton’s first public release will debut on the “commercially distributed Cyanogen operating system” at some point this year; and yes, this means the popular OnePlus One will definitely be getting Baton.
But this is only just the beginning for Nextbit. Seeing that 50 percent of smartphone users run out of storage within the first 12 months, the startup’s next goal is to enable “limitless” storage — local storage and cloud storage combined as one — on Android devices. The execs didn’t dive into details since they are in talks with a carrier partner, but on paper it’s simple: This is achieved by intelligently moving data between local storage and the cloud, so the user wouldn’t notice a thing.
“We don’t want to change users’ behaviour, so we’re keeping it totally seamless,” said Scott Croyle, HTC’s former lead designer.
“It’s all about solving the real pain points on our mobile devices,” Moss added.
HTC Sense 7 screens show what it is shaping up to look like with Lillipop
Androids latest installment of Android treat, Lillipop, is all the rage right now. With Android 5.0 it is readily apparent that manufacturers are finally being forced to up their game a little bit and bring in more of the Google design elements to their own skins. This is a win for Google, the OEMs, and the consumers really. While we don’t get much of a look at everything that HTC has been working on, a couple of leaked screens do show some pretty fantastic Material Design elements at play.
It might be a bit of an adjustment for many, while others coming into Android for the first time will more than likely be in awe of the bold coloring. It will be interesting to see the various manufacturers approaches to the new Android version. Google is expected to release the final Android 5.0 Lollipop code on November 3rd when the Nexus 9 officially becomes available. HTC has said that they will have the Lollipop update available 90 days from Google release, at least for the HTC One M8. The One M7 and others should be in the mix too. That would put it out just after the New Year. How long it takes to get certified and pushed through the various carries is a totally different story.
Source: HTCSource
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Office 365 subscribers are getting unlimited OneDrive storage
Last week’s earnings report highlighted how Microsoft is doing quite well, and it has Office 365 to thank for some of its success during the last financial quarter. And now the company is about to make things better for people who subscribe to the productivity suite. Microsoft’s going to start giving Office 365 Home, Personal and University customers free unlimited storage with OneDrive, its cloud-based digital locker service — a very kind gesture, to say the least. First, the company says this will roll out to subscribers of the aforementioned plans starting today, but the plan is to bring it to all Office 365 customers over the coming months. If you’re using Home, Personal or University now, however, there’s now a site that can help you flip the switch on your new all-you-can-have OneDrive goodness.
Filed under: Storage, Internet, Software, Microsoft
Source: OneDrive
Twitter removes itself from the MyGlass store
It would seem that Twitter has pulled the plug on their support for Google Glass. At least in the fashion that it was implemented. When Twitter launched support back in May of 2013 it came through to your Glass through a mirror API that mirrored your Twitter data to your eye-balls. It wasn’t an actual APK. To set it up you needed to visit the MyGlass store and turn it on. It now appears that Twitter has since pulled the plug on the service that brings your Twitter information.
According to Glass support Twitter is no longer developing their Glass app. This was one of my favorite and most used apps on Glass. If you remove Twitter from your Glass it disappears from Glassware and there is no option to reinstall it. –Reddit user and Glass Explorer pete716
As you can see from Pete’s information, if you remove Twitter from your Google Glass, you won’t be able to get it back. Cruising through the MyGlass app hub you can see that it has also been removed. That isn’t the end for Twitter though, reading through the comments from the Reddit post we get some more details from a Glass Community Member who points out that just last week the Glass Team released Notification Sync that uses Wear API’s and brings your Twitter notifications to Glass.
I am not privy to the Glass world, but I suspect there are a number of other ways to get Twitter to your Glass. If not, there are sure to be a slew of 3rd party apps on the horizon.
Source: Reddit via 9to5Google
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