Facebook may have paved the way with the "lite" versions of its various apps, but now other social networks, including Twitter, are getting in on the trend of offering scaled-back apps for users in countries with slow data or unreliable connections. Twitter has revealed that it's begun testing a native Twitter Lite for Android, with an initial rollout in the Philippines.
Super Mario Run made its debut late last year as one of Nintendo's first big smartphone games, along with marking the iconic character's first time appearing on a non-Nintendo platform. Those who are still enjoying the run-and-jump mobile game will be pleased to hear that its largest update yet is arriving next week, adding a new playable character and level. And for those who've been waiting to go beyond Super Mario Run's free trial, the full game will be on sale at a substantial discount.
Part of the appeal of Android is its openness, at least compared to iOS. But, let’s face it. Google isn’t running a charity and Android’s direction will always be aligned with Google’s business. There will always be a large hole to be filled as far as a truly open, truly free, truly secure, and truly private phone goes. And Purism, the people behind the more or less successful Librem laptops, is diving into that space with the Librem 5 phone, and it is taking open source communities along for the ride.
Although initially intended for young gamers, Pokemon quickly became a grownup’s playground. Especially with “spinoffs” like Pokemon GO. In trying to bring the game back to its roots, Pokemon Company might have gotten carried away. The latest addition to its line of mobile games, Pokemon Playhouse is meant for those too young to play the actual video games but would still enjoy, but definitely not all, of the cute critters and maybe learn a thing or two about raising pets and responsibility.
What’s better than having tricked out cars racing and trying to “nearly” destroy each other, Fast & Furious style? Why having said cars be controlled by AIs, of course! While that might sound like a script for a sci-fi flick, that is basically the premise behind Anki’s latest OVERDRIVE set. The Anki OVERDRIVE: Fast & Furious Edition shrinks down two of the film’s iconic wheels to fit in your living room (or playground). And they can finally be yours on Sunday, if you didn’t pre-order them already.
Google just proudly announced that it’s bringing its Android One program to the US, with the recently launched Moto X4 as its first champion. Not everyone, however, might see the point in an Android One phone or, more practically speaking, be willing to sign up for Google’s Project Fi MVNO service just to get their hands on Motorola’s latest mid-range phone. Fortunately for these people, there is a very good chance that Motorola will bring the Moto X4 to the US and bring it unlocked, for that matter.
Privacy has unfortunately become almost a commodity these days. It is something that users mostly take for granted, especially in exchange for convenience, and something companies use to barter with each other. Despite that somewhat lax attitude, however, there are times when too much is really too much. As seems to be the case with GO Keyboard, a popular third-party Android keyboard that is reportedly going way above acceptable behavior and even outright violates Google Play rules.
With very few exceptions, like Nexus or Pixel or Essential, almost all Android smartphones come with some pre-loaded apps made by the OEM itself. It’s bad enough that these are baked into the firmware, making them impossible to uninstall and can only be disabled. What’s worse is that they can also slow down the development and rollout of updates. Joining the also few OEMs bucking that trend, OnePlus is extracting some of its custom apps for faster updates, both for the apps as well as OxygenOS itself.
HTC phones aren’t dead yet. At least for now. Even after its smartphone workforce has been almost cut in half by the Google “agreement”, HTC assures its loyal followers and investors that it will still be making smartphones. And as if on cue, details of a certain HTC U11 Plus have surfaced, claiming to be the company’s late 2017 flagship. And, almost ironically, it might be its most daring smartphone yet.
I'm an HTC fan, but I can't say I'm impressed by the company's billion dollar deal with Google. The phone-maker has been instrumental in many of the most pivotal moments in modern smartphone history, producing some of my favorite devices in the process. I've also found myself at times being one of the company's more vocal critics, though, and for all HTC's attempts to spin this deal with Google as a win-win for all, I'm not convinced.
As we wait for Halloween to roll up in Pokemon GO, Niantic's sprung a Solstice Event on us - and a new item. This item allows the user to attain the contents of Pokemon Eggs far faster than normal - and multiple times per item. At the same time, it's nearly time for everyone to have access to the master monster Mewtwo.
Earlier this year, Instagram added face filters to its service, allowing users to add special effects to their selfies. Those face filters served to further blur the line between Instagram and Snapchat, and today Instagram is taking it one step forward by adding those same face filters to Live Videos. With this new feature, you'll be able to swap between your face filters as your friends watch you in real time.
