The big balls have returned in Wipeout 2 from Activision
Activision has released Wipeout 2 to the Play Store today for all of you who like to be punished on insane obstacle courses. The second installment forgoes a price tag and is free with the more traditional in-app purchases. Wipeout 2 brings in 135 levels with 150 themed obstacles to dash your way through. The game is based on the TV show of the same name from ABC that aired a number of years ago. Personally I preferred the original Takeshi’s Castle out of Japan. Those guys were crazy.
You have 10 characters to choose from, including zomie. Each can be customized and upgraded as you make your way through the games. Activision packed in special daily courses, rewards and Google Play Leaderboards to give you some bragging rights over your friends failed attempts at greatness. Google Play Games appears to be required when you first open the game and the title page offers Facebook login for competing. Each level has a time limit set to gain your star rating. The controls are simple to catch onto and don’t have any of the annoying on-screen buttons. It is all handled with sliding and swiping on the left corner and right corner.
Take a quick watch and then feel free to give it an install and see how you hold up against the courses.
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‘BioShock’ arrives on iOS with a heavy price tag
It took 2K Games a little longer than originally expected, but the publisher has finally released its iOS version of the original BioShock. The mobile version of the popular title is compatible with newer iPhones, iPads and iPod touches, which means you’re out of luck if you have, say, an aging 4S handset or an older tablet from Apple. Naturally, you can expect a familiar storyline, so be ready to shoot a lot of weird-looking creatures. For those of you looking forward to it, just be prepared to pay a premium — BioShock for iOS is a whopping $15 on the App Store. There are no in-app purchases in sight, however, meaning that you’ll get the full game experience from the get go, rather than having to buy add-ons here and there.
Filed under: Gaming, Software, HD, Mobile, Apple
Source: App Store
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Sprints Samsung Galaxy S4 gaining International Wi-Fi calling OTA
Sprint released some news this morning pertaining to the Samsung Galaxy S4 with Spark that resides on their network. Owners of the device will start to see an OTA update coming through that will focus primarily on Wi-Fi calling. More importantly though, the Wi-Fi calling aspect is geared towards international travelers and will allow users to call and text abroad on Wi-Fi networks for no additional cost.
“We are excited to roll out International Wi-Fi Calling as part of our commitment to enhancing the customer experience and expanding the calling reach for our customers,” said Wayne Ward, vice president-Business & Product Development, Sprint. “As this international capability becomes available on more of our devices, Sprint customers won’t have to think twice about calling home while on vacation or away on business. This is one more tool we are giving our customers to stay easily connected with those who matter most.”
The ability will cover you in more than 100 countries around the globe on private, office and public Wi-Fi networks. It is only free to message and call back to the US, US Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico though, so don’t expect to make reservations at Al Covo in Venice. Sprint plans to add the international Wi-Fi calling ability to more device throughout the rest of this year.
On a side note, Sprint does offer Wi-Fi calling on 11 total devices currently available on the market, but those don’t have the international aspect activated just yet.
Source: Sprint
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Android Lemon Meringue Pie gets spotted in Chromium issue tracker as build LRW50D
The Chromium issue tracker is often a good place to spot a new Nexus device or build of Android, and today appears to be our lucky day. Sported by a device known as the “New Nexus7″ – make of that what you will – a certain build of Android has been spotted with build number LRW50D. We know it is Google convention to always start the build number with the letter of its code name, at this point suspected to be Android Lemon Meringue Pie. What follows is usually a series of unique identifiers that let us know exactly when the build was created. In this case, it appears the build is from the 19th of August, 2014 and is the fourth version of the build that day. Naturally, the date isn’t an exact science due to some code inheriting dates, but it’s definitely in the right ballpark.
The “New Nexus7″ part of this story is probably of no consequence – this is most likely just the 2013 Nexus 7 – however it’s clear that it was running some form of Android L when this issue was made. Myce.com, who found this issue, also notes that numerous references to “lmp-dev” were made in the code; we know that “lmp” is also referenced within the Android SDK itself, which originally gave birth to the Lemon Meringue Pie rumours.
Source: myce.com
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Microsoft explains how it’s getting rid of fake Windows Store apps
You may have heard that the Windows Store has a serious problem with counterfeit apps; for every legitimate title, there’s seemingly a horde of fakes meant solely to take your money and run. At last, though, Microsoft has detailed what it’s doing to cull these scams from its shop. To begin with, it recently toughened up the requirements so that app categories, icons and names reflect what you’re really getting; hopefully, you’ll see less junk going forward. The folks in Redmond are also scouring the existing catalog, and have pulled 1,500 apps so far. There’s still a long way to go (search for “iTunes” and you’ll see plenty of copyright abuse), but this represents a good start.
For some, the biggest solution may be what Microsoft isn’t doing — namely, paying developers for every app they publish. A promotion the company ran last year gave $100 per finished app no matter how much work was involved, which actually punished those who took the time to write top-notch software. The strategy suggested to some that Microsoft was obsessed with catching up to the quantities of apps in Apple’s App Store or Google Play, quality be damned. Both the crackdown and the end to those pay-per-app promos should go a long way toward changing this reputation, but it will only be successful when you can safely assume that most Windows Store apps are the real deal.
Filed under: Desktops, Laptops, Tablets, Software, Microsoft
Source: Building Apps for Windows
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Spotify Connect’s seamless streaming arrives on smart TVs
In order to properly celebrate the first year of Spotify Connect, the streaming outfit is rolling it out to a new set of devices. The feature already played nice with a smattering of wares, and now, you’ll be able to leverage the seamless listening experience on that smart TV. Starting with Philips’ Android-powered units, beaming tunes from your smartphone or tablet will be a breeze — all while sorting the controls from that mobile device. According to Spotify, this is “the first in a long line of smart TVs” that will hit shelves with the add-on. Alongside Libratone, B&O and Sony, Connect is now available on Bose, Panasonic and Gramofon audio gadgets with support multi-room systems tacked on for good measure. With the news of new partners, the feature will be available on over 100 wares by the year’s end.
Filed under: Home Entertainment, Software, HD
Source: Spotify
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Hail nearby medics with the GoodSAM smartphone app
In a serious medical emergency, action in the first few minutes can be key to a positive outcome. An ambulance might be only a few miles away, but what if someone with medical training, who could provide immediate care while the cavalry’s on route, was sitting just next door? It’s this kind of scenario a doctor with London’s Air Ambulance service had in mind when he created GoodSAM, an Android and iOS app that sends out a request for any nearby professionals to lend a hand in an emergency.
Well, there are actually two different apps. GoodSAM Alerter is available to everyone, and it’s through this you can broadcast a call for help. During the app registration process, you can also add medical details you think could be important for the first person on the scene, should you be the one in trouble. The app uses GPS and Google Maps to pinpoint your location, then notifies the nearest person who might be able to provide aid, before hailing others if they’re unavailable. Once you’ve made a request for immediate support, the app then asks if you want to call the emergency services, assuming you haven’t already.
GoodSAM Responder is the app for those who can actually do the helping. As you’d expect, the registration process is much stricter — you need to prove you have the right qualifications and training to give emergency care. If you fit the bill, you’ll be the one receiving notifications of people in need through the Responder app. Confirm you’re able to help, and the app will direct you to the scene, as well as set up a messaging channel with the smartphone that sent the alert. Responders also have access to a crowd-sourced map of defibrillator locations if they need to find one quickly. GoodSAM isn’t the first app of its kind, but it could be the first to have a global impact. We’re told the app is currently most useful in London due to a high number of registered responders, but it’s hoped with ongoing awareness campaigns the app will become a valuable tool worldwide.
[Image credit: David Holt London/Flickr]
Filed under: Cellphones, Software, Mobile
Via: Sky News
Source: GoodSAM
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Sound off! Do you use any speed-reading apps?
Speed-reading apps seem like the new weather apps. There are tons of different examples to choose from and they tout benefits that range from better memory retention to more free time and even healthier, shinier hair (one of those may not be totally true). So, have you used one to take your reading skills from average speed to ludicrous speed? Head over to the Engadget forums and share your experiences.
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‘Doctor Who’ is coming to ‘Minecraft’ on Xbox 360 next month
Simply put, Doctor Who and Minecraft are two worldwide sensations, each extremely popular in their own entertainment category. Thus, it just kind of makes sense to bring the two together. Thankfully for those of you who are into both, Microsoft and the BBC have partnered up to do exactly that, by way of digital downloadable content for Minecraft on the Xbox 360. Starting next month, players will have access to character packs from Doctor Who, including skins of The Doctor himself, his companions and his mad enemies — all from throughout the show’s entire history, not only from most recent seasons. No word yet on if this also applies to the upcoming Xbox One edition of Minecraft, but it wouldn’t surprise us if that was the case.
Filed under: Gaming, Internet, Software, HD, Microsoft
Source: Microsoft
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Music Freedom campaign from T-Mobile gaining 6 more services, Google Music coming
Back in June T-Mobile made a fairly awesome move that gave customers a break from their data consumption by letting you stream certain services without touching your data allotments. Sure, there were a few stipulations, like being on a plan that let you do it. Still, if streaming music is your bread and butter of data use, it certainly helped. At initial launch it offered up a variety of services that wouldn’t touch your allotment. Services like Spotify, Slacker, iHeartRadio and others. T-Mobile promised others would be added over time, but that the ones available at rollout were the heaviest used ones.
Today T-Mobile is adding in a few other services to the list that should make some of you jump up and down. Starting today, if you are on the Simple Choice plan of course, you can stream from six newly added services; AccuRadio, Black Planet Radio, Grooveshark, Radio Paradise, Rdio and Songza.
“T-Mobile’s Music Freedom and services like Grooveshark are about bringing music accessibility to the consumer,” said Sam Tarantino, Co-founder and CEO of Grooveshark, “Together with Music Freedom, Grooveshark is creating a new kind of music discovery on T-Mobile devices. We believe the combined global audiences of millions represents a new and engaged audience for Grooveshark on T-Mobile.”
Now, before you throw your phone and curse out T-mobile for not adding Google Play Music, there is news on that front too. Google Play Music raked in three-quarters of a million votes in the poll for what should be added next. It topped the charts and is clearly the service we all want the most. T-Mobile says they are on track to bring Google Play Music into the fold later this year. While it isn’t ‘right this minute’ like many of us would like, it is coming. It is almost September, so later this year only gives them 4 months at most to pull it off. So sit tight a little longer guys.
An interesting set of numbers came out of the press release as well. Since the launch of the Music Freedom campaign, T-Mobile claims that customers have streamed 7 terabytes of music with 5 million more songs being played a day then before the launch. Obviously removing the data use on music has paid off for customers in a pretty big way.
Via T-Mobile
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