This week, Google is introducing a new “Explore” button through Google Maps that will help all of us discover new places nearby. The button will appear in the bottom right corner of Google Maps, likely next to the location/compass button, “where available.” In other words, it should just show up if you are in an area that is ready to help you explore. (more…)
Android
Modern Combat 5: Blackout Now Available on Google Play, $7 With No IAPs
Gameloft has published Modern Combat 5: Blackout to Google Play this afternoon, throwing players straight into the middle of warfare. Like console FPS titles, MC5: Blackout features a great campaign mode, as well as the ability to take your skills online with a multiplayer mode.
In campaign, you play as a hero who must save the world from cyber terrorists, using advanced weapons and technology to overcome countless bad guys with machine guns. In multiplayer, you choose between four customizable classes, picking off players with sniper rifles, assault rifles, SMGs, and more. If you play Call of Duty or Battlefield, you will feel right at home. (more…)
Fleksy Jumps to v3.0 With “Major” Redesign, Adds Theme Store and New Languages
Fleksy, an innovative keyboard that at one time was my daily ‘board, received a major update today to version 3.0. In this latest build, we are seeing the introduction of a store that offers both premium themes and content, along with an evolutionary change on the minimal design of the Fleksy default minimal look. Users of the “award-winning” keyboard can choose from any of six new premium themes, including one free bonus theme for premium users.
The update also includes 17 new languages and improved accuracy for all 40 supported languages. Version 3.0 is live on Google Play. (more…)
Video: Google Play 4.9.13 Tour!
The new version of Google Play is rolling out today as version 4.9.13. Up front, it doesn’t look like a massive overhaul, since the category and main pages haven’t been touched, but individual listings for apps, music, books, and movies have all been given a Material Design-like makeover. In other words, they are now super pretty with new sliding animations, layout changes, big imagery that takes center stage, and lots of white space (if that’s a good thing). (more…)
Download: Google Play 4.9.13 Rolls Out, Features New Design in Listings
A new version of Google Play began to rollout this afternoon as build 4.9.13. The update doesn’t initially look like that big of a deal upon first launch, but once you jump into an individual app, book, album, or movie listing, you will immediately know that this is pretty major. The individual listings all appear to be designed with Material Design in mind. There are beautiful sliding animations, big imagery, and an overall cleaner layout.
We will have an overview video of the changes coming in a minute, but for now, get to downloading. (more…)
Amazon Wallet App Hits Google Play, Stores Gift and Reward Cards
Within the last week, Amazon snuck their new Amazon Wallet application onto Google Play and the Amazon Appstore. The app, which will be featured on the Fire Phone, stores gift, reward, and loyalty cards, so that you can access them at any time without actually holding the card. Once scanned into the app, you can bring cards up as barcodes or QR codes for using at merchants. With “supported” merchants, you can even check gift cards balances, similar to what the latest Google Wallet update offers.
This is not a mobile payment app. (more…)
Twitch for Android Updated to Version 3.0, Adds Enhanced UI and Expanded Search
An update has been pushed to Google Play for Twitch users, one which brings an enhanced UI, more features for finding your favorite broadcasters, and a new chat section which keeps you in touch with streamers.
Upon opening the app, users are met with almost every game they could ever want to watch livestreamed, led off by the most popular. Once on a channel, you can subscribe to the broadcaster, as well as join the chat channel, allowing you to chat with fellow Twitch users and the broadcaster themselves. (more…)
Samsung Reminds iPhone Users That They Have Been Waiting Years for a Bigger Screen
Samsung, in its latest ad targeted directly at iPhone owners getting excited about the larger display that has been rumored to finally arrive in the next phone from Apple, took the chance to remind those users that it has been at least two years now without that display, and yet a bigger, better display was right in front of them this whole time. Of course, Samsung is talking about the display in the Galaxy S5 or a number of other Galaxy products.
I think we will all laugh when Apple revolutionizes the big display. As Samsung points out, it will likely be “awesome” and “blow your mind.”
What Hummers? (more…)