Gamevil's Akasha comes to Android

GAMEVIL has launched their " unique " action MMORPG, Akasha, on Google Play

GAMEVIL has announced the release of its latest title,  Akasha, on Google Play today. The free-to-play game is an exciting new action MORPG. The devs are also responsible for Immortal Dusk and Legend of Master 3.

Akasha is a 2D, 8-directional MORPG with full network system capabilities and in-depth content. Classes available are the standard - Fighter, Archer, and Mage, dynamic action gameplay while enjoying the nostalgic feel of the classic MORPG is promised. A well thought out party-matching system should bring some longevity to the game as players can play with friends and enjoy a raiding experience on mobile. The dungeon play and original skill upgrade system and multi player raids should prove fun. We hope that stale quests like find a high pressure pump are avoided.

GAMEVIL know how to do promotion and Gamers who play before January 26th will receive a Beginner Support Pack and 2 limited edition 'Akashas’ which are in-game crystals that provide passive stats and bonuses.

Akasha is a third party title developed by KnetP and published by GAMEVIL through its global expansion funds. GAMEVIL and KnetP have shown exemplary synergy between developer and publisher in the past, and Akasha is expected to reignite the passion for grand-scale MORPGs on mobile once again.

Flash in a Flash winner sees light of day

Tail Drift, Winner Of Unity’s 'Flash In A Flash' Contest Is Coming To Mobile

Attract Mode Games and Right Pedal Studios announce that Tail Drift, winner of Unity’s “Flash in a Flash” contest is finally coming to iPhone, iPod Touch, iPad and Android devices this year.

Tail Drift is an arcade flight racing game that challenges players to maneuver a plane along a 3D tubular track which runs below, above, around and through floating islands, hot-air balloons and other obstacles that the player must avoid to win the race.

Tail Drift won the “Flash in a Flash” contest against stiff competition and was praised by Unity for it’s creativity and fun and for showing off the amazing technology of Unity.

“It’s great to get the chance to realize the game I always wanted to, ” said Cameron Owen, creator of Tail Drift.

Tail Drift is scheduled for a 2014 release on smart phones and tablets.

You can play the demo that won Unity’s “Flash in a Flash” competition here:
http://demo.attractmodegames.com/taildrift-20140120/WebPlayer.html

About Tail Drift
Tail Drift won Unity’s “Flash in a Flash” competition back in 2012, and is an arcade racing game where the player flies along a tubular track. It a variety of features beautiful and fantastic environments to race around, over a series of different racing leagues.

Key Features:
·         Upgradeable racers.
·         Lots of tracks with unique environments.
·         Multiple racing leagues to play through.
·         Plenty of game modes, including classic racing, time trial and elimination.
·         Daily challenges with rewards.
·         Leaderboards to compete against your friends and the world.

Hacking the Internet of things

• The dark,deep world of hacking is ever evolving, much faster than IT security specialists can devise ways to defeat the hackers. Of course most notably in recent times the ubiquitous smartphone has come under fire from the pirates of the net. Knox, Kaspersky and others are all out there to stop these guys getting into your phone. But how secure are your  linen table skirts from hackers?

There's actually some meaning behind that seemingly random question,believe it or not. As the Internet of things catches on and Nest and other gadgets become a household name ,new windows of insecurity are opening. Quite recently two things stand out in the technology hews for those interested in that type of thing. The recent Target takedown has being linked to a point of sale hack, which apparently are more common than we'd like to think. A POS is certainly an Internet of things device from a commerce standpoint,but where is the protection. Wily hackers know that if something that can link to the Internet it is fair game to be hacked and could be profitable. An even crazier recent hack linked to a massive botnet takedown saw that a percentage of spam sent by the botnet was unbelievably sent by Internet of things devices,including some fridges! 

International Calling with your Smartphone

There are a lot of household names from Europe to Asia thriving on the concept of using your iPhone or Android device to cheapen international calls. MobiVoip is a newcomer on the market which promises smoother and cheaper connection and communication costs on your preferred platform. 
MobiVoip is a multi-platform app for free VoIP calls on mobile phones. App offers free voice and video calls and text messages between users of MobiVoip, and suggests affordable rates for other calls. For reference, a call to an US cell phone number in Skype costs starting from $0.023/minute only less connection costs, while MobiVoip allows making such call for $0.0098.

Not only does this app allow calling friends and relatives cheaply, whatever place in the world they are; instant VoIP communication lets a user stay in contact as long as the Internet is available. The program supports 3G, 4G, EDGE and Wi-Fi connections and uses special optimization of the traffic to provide fluent talks and smooth video chatting.

Website: http://voipmobi.com/
AppStore: https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/mobivoip/id727854220?ls=1&mt=8
Google Play: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.voip.mobilevoip&hl=en

Gametrender readers can get 5$ for the balance to test the app here:http://voipmobi.com/en/get_pin/

Music monitors for your phone

It wasn't that many years ago when my musician friend introduced me to the wonders of music sampling and monitoring via Cakewalk and undoubtedly what was a top end PC in early 2000. Moore's law is to be obeyed though and now in our pockets we are happily toting around a lot more power than a desktop could pump out ten years ago. A little caveat here though, if you really want a professional music monitor than go for something like an exciting krk monitor but if you're one the go we do recommend sticking with an Android phone if you're going to do any Midi smartphone playing around, it's a lot more open to doing things than the walled garden of IOS. There's actually not a great deal of music monitoring apps out there, but this little gem could start you off:   USB MIDI Monitor lets you view all incoming MIDI events from your USB MIDI interface. The events are timestamped and the event type, MIDI channel and values are displayed in a scrollable table. For control changes, extra information is displayed if the control change is a known type like volume or panning. Best of all it works on many modern versions of Android and has been tested with the following music devices:

Tested USB MIDI interfaces / devices:

• Cakewalk / Roland UM-1G
• Edirol UM-2EX
• The 5 euro ‘Hong Kong’ interface (note: this one drops MIDI events if they are coming in too fast!)
• M-Audio Keystation Mini 32
• M-AUDIO Keystation 61
• M-Audio MIDI One
• EMU Xboard 61

Ingress: Operation Flatland and more

Using the Ingress Monitor for the first time abroad I really felt some sympathy for the intrepid agents(resistance or enlightened, I'm not sure), who braved the feisty and frigid winter waters around Britain to make their way to hack a portal on a remote island. Operation Flatland is testament to how much the game of Ingress has started to find its way into people's mindset. Proudly I've even hacked a few portals while abroad, which got me thinking of the Operation Flatlanders and what Ingress really needs. While I'm all up for hard core gaming (but is it really a game...) I'm having to only hack portals where there's some sort of Wifi reception. The thing is hard core or not paying about 10 pounds( 16 or so dollars) for a few minutes of international roaming day charges needed to hack is a little bit too hard core for me! So sympathy for those hacking that remote Welsh island, and not to mention the Niantic broadcast activity Ibe seen emanating from Antarctica! Can we please hack without being connected to the web!

Making your music go viral

Probably some of the best guerilla marketing you can do nowadays is to make an Internet meme that goes viral. With a host of video and audio capture apps available for all smartphone platforms it really only takes a bit of creativity to make another Internet sensation . Vloggers especially are in their heyday with it being hard not to make a viral video! But audiophiles and those that thrive just on auditory channels , whether it be stories or music are having a hard time of it. Perhaps with superior sound capturing such as  cheap blue microphones they might find more success. This issue has been raised dramatically on Digg, with radio journalist Stan Alcorn exploring why audio seldom goes viral. So get creating if you've got a musical ear and make 2014 vaural (viral audio-you heard it here first).

Is this Julian Assange's Phone?

Fresh on the heels of NSA spying reforms announcements by Obama, espionage fearing people the word over are really considering how much their governments really know about them. Our ever present mobile phones are one of the biggest sources of information which is why they're so sought after by scammers,criminals and dare we say it, governments. It's long been an open secret that our apps and mobile providers have huge swathes of information on us, mostly for commercial purposes. But what would people like Julian Assange, just now commenting on Obama's spying reforms and still in exile in London's Ecuadorian embassy, use to communicate. People like Assange and Snowden and many others who really don't want themselves to be monitored can now have a bit of hope with the soon to be released Black Phone.
Blackphone is a sleek smartphone that encrypts communications.
Blackphone, according to the creators, is an Android-based gadget that can make video and voice calls, as well as send texts and files--all the while blocking out prying eyes through a custom operating system called PrivatOS.
Not much else is known about the hopefully soon to be endorsed by Julian Assange BalckPhone, but it's creators are certainly to be taken seriously :a joint project from security company Silent Circle and phone company Geeksphone, the team includes Phil Zimmerman, the creator of Pretty Good Privacy (PGP), the popular encryption system for sub rosa talks. If you know Mr Assange please pass this on to him, secretly of course!

Technology Jewellery for 2014

I've used the Fitbit Flex for a few months now and am very impressed by the wearable fitness tracker(despite syncing  issues-especially with Android devices). Now that CES is over you'll be wondering what wearable fitness trackers and wearable tech you should be saving up for. While stille not as stylish or blingy as diamond rings there's a real push to make our 2014 devices a lot more expensive and grown up looking. The Misfit Shine is still one of the best looking wearable devices out with its smooth lines easily able to mask it as a minimalist bracelet or necklace. The Fitbit Flex has now been superseded by the Force which is yet to make its way to Europe,it's small electronic readout makes the once plain band more attractive. The Jawbone Up has also had an update making it look slightly better than its predecessors. And of course if you're talking about wearable tech than you definitely need to mention the Pebbl Smart Watch. A drastic redesign makes the new Pebbl a very smart looking dress watch.

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Google Contact Lenses

Google Glass is almost upon us ,but it seems that already the technology is in place that will make Glass seem as yesterday as feature phones. Fresh from Google labs is their new contact lens that uses tiny sensors and electronics to enable diabetics to measure their glucose levels. At the moment they're still working on the tech that will add tiny LEDs to the Google Contact Lenses to give diabetics a visual warning when their levels are imbalanced. And since these sensors are as small as a fleck of glitter there's real potential for these to take over in the future from Glass.

Too many Skylanders?

Skylanders is really making an impact on the gaming world,with everything from young gamers to more veteran gamers having a lot of fun with the legacy of Spyro. Whether it be multiplayer battles in Skylanders Giants or gaming the new story quests in the newer Swap Force, one thing is certain, it's definitely a hit.
It's a great crossover gaming product with multiple platforms supported from the IPad to the traditional consoles, what's particularly likeable is the physical toys that are used to unlock characters in the game. But since these are fairly pricy, especially considering that the amount of Skylanders you can collect now seems to be over a hundred you'll be wanting to think of two logistics: where to buy cheap Skylanders and the best ways to store them.
Price wise local Facebook networks and Ebay are always a good bet, but we've seen the lowest prices on Amazon, particularly when there are discounts. Of course just like video games second hand Skylanders characters can sometimes be found at gaming shops.
You'll be wanting a lot of  shelf support for all these great characters, but can also go down the route of buying the official storage box for them, we however have gone down the cheaper rout of buying a Skylanders Lunchbox and using that for storing the figures.

Combine tech and health with Active Sitting

With a lot of time,not just over the festive season, but also in normal day to day life spent sitting,you'd think we'd be very good at it. Unfortunately that's not the case. Now if you work in an office or just spend a lot of your leisure time seated you'd probably think that there could be little done to help that. Thankfully that's not the case and some very progressive thinkers have come up with the concept of active sitting as embodied by the "Evolution Chair".

If you're a regular reader of Gametrender then you'll probably be spending a good portion of your life seated, either working with your office based computing setup, meddling with your portable devices or gaming avidly on your platform of choice. Like us you're not going to want to sacrifice work or game time unless you have to. Unfortunately you're probably sat in a conventional chair that is definitely having some sort of negative effect on your general well being. It's not just eventual back problems that can arise through a sedentary unthinking posture, poor core muscles, reduced lung capacity through continuous lumbar compression and gradual spinal atrophying all eventually occur through traditional seating.

We've been asked to review the Evolution Chair and were very keen to engage with it, essentially anything that can help our readers and indeed ourselves to maintain health and stick to our avid tech activities is a good thing.

The concept is very sound with the foundation of the seat being very similar to a Swiss Ball that you might expect to find in a gym. The benefits of these have been long known with a lot of your core muscles engaged to maintain posture while sitting on or using these for exercise. With the JD Harris product the "ball" has been carefully selected to not only meet most height specifications but is also made from very sturdy non puncture material. It can also be used as a standalone Swiss Ball when removed from the base.
The base itself is also very tough and able to have extension castors easily added to it to adjust for differing heights. The wheeled base also allows for very easy movement of the chair.

I've used the chair extensively through the festive season,thankfully holidays have certainly been on the cards so I haven't had the chair in the office. But a variety of television leisure time and console gaming has been conducted from the perch of the active seat. It certainly is a different experience and doesn't encourage lounging. Core muscles are definitely engaged and a more natural and healthier method of sitting is encouraged. One of the bigger benefits I found is the fact that I'm very alert and more ready for whatever activity I'm doing when using the a Evolution Chair. Sat on a couch or easy chair and you'll start to slump,relax and slide down, not exactly the most dynamic position to be in and your alertness levels will wane with this somnolent almost sleeping seated position. Aside from the lumbar benefits of this seat you'll find the expression "edge of your seat" rings true with your seated activities being fully engaged in with active sitting bringing it about.

If your lifestyle,work or leisure wise,involves prolonged sitting then the Evolution Chair will allow you to sit in a healthier and more engaged manner.

Let's go Caroling

Merry Christmas from Gametrender. We've covered a lot of apps this year and definitely a good swathe of music creation apps. Just doing a few last minute research for our next year bumper load of app reviews and we came across a great Google Christmas Egg (Easter Egg) which works great on Android, IOS, and even desk top  as long as you're using the Chrome Browser. It's no music app but just type in "Let's go Caroling" into any Chrome toting browser for some festive caroling fun.
It's not exactly carollers at your door,but nor is it losing your virtual money to the best PKPKT, so once again have a good festive season and enjoy  if you've got any extra festive cash left over.

Easy ways to unlock your phone

Coming to the end of 2013 with all kinds of great phones gracing underneath palms of techno lovers and Everyman you'd wonder if there was any need for the "age-old" practice of phone unlocking anymore. And more importantly with quad core Nvidia capable high rom/ram handsets readily available is this dark art now not only redundant but far beyond ordinary people's reach?

We're not going to delve into every handset available but are going to hone this article on phone unlocking down to just Android devices. We hope that the most popular phone OS on the planet is in many of our reader's hands and that you'll find this guide helpful.

Reasons for cell phone unlocking  of your Android Phone

If you've searched out this article you'll probably already have a fairly good idea about why you want to unlock your phone. In case you don't, then here are some of the main reasons why people choose to unlock.

1. You might be able to use your phone globally with unlocking. A handset is often locked to the country of purchases's GSM band. Unlocking can give you (dependant upon the handsets antenna capability) access to 4G,LTE, quad band etc.
2. Dual sim adaptors are able to be used. If you're a frequent traveller with a sim locked phone the se adaptors might not be able to be used. So international roaming charges and overseas data charges could be astronomical. Using a dual sim adaptor in an unlocked phone allows you to use the country of destinations cellular network saving you big bucks.
3. In the long run the value of your phone is increased by unlocking. Eventually you'll probably want to sell your cellphone, ebayers and other secondhand mobile outlets often favour unlocked Android phones and this can add on to the value of the device.
4. Probably the main reason for unlocking your phone is the fact that you can now choose whichever network you want. You might not be locked into a long term phone contract so can pick and choose your network based on cost and service coverage. (Plus all the extra bells and whistles that a money hungry contract provider might throw at you).

Dangers of unlocking an Android Cell
You know those movie caveats that state boldly: "Don't try this at home!"? Well with modern handsets you're risking bricking a £500/800 Dollar handset. So before you set off just be aware of the risks. And apart from making your tech fetish a particularly pricy paper weight or a rather weak part of your new dry brick wall there are some other hidden dangers if you choose to unlock.
For example Google does actually update their OS on a very frequent, if irregular, basis. At the time of writing Android KitKat has yet to make its way to my Xperia Z. Now if the phones unlocked the carrier delivered update might never make its way to the handset and I might be left with the onerous task of side loading or going down the Cyanogen route for Samsung unlocking.
You've also got to watch out for warranties. Sometimes these can be voided by unlocking which is definitely not a desirable thing. Luckily progressive legislation in the states is working toward a more user friendly solution. Just a few days ago Reuters reported:"

 Major U.S. wireless carriers on Thursday pledged to make it easier for consumers to "unlock" their mobile phones for use on competitors' networks, responding to pressure from consumer groups and the top U.S. communications regulator."

Finally...Easy ways to unlock your Android Phone
.Okay if you've just come here then apologies for all the preamble, and if you've boned up on our unlocking facts then welcome to the nub of this article.

Unlocking USA Carrier Mobiles: This info is constantly changing and updating so if you're a USA reader and you know different then please say so in the comments below. If you need to unlock your phone, call AT&T or T-Mobile and ask them. Expect a positive response if your account is in good standing, but for brand new phones you might get a negative response. This should be free if you give them a good reason such as an extended trip abroad or poor coverage in the areas that you're likely to use the device. 

T-Mobile has a simple, easy to read unlocking policy which you can find on their website.

Other ways to unlock

Like May of the more occult Android practices you'll want to strongly consider rooting your phone, in which case most recommendations will point toward CyanogenMod which will give not only a lot more user control over your phone but also more tools for Sim unlocking. This is quite an easy way to access the Sim programming that needs to be adapted for the final unlocking. Of course referencing back to the benefits of which antenna your phone uses and finding out if it is physically capable of your smartphone of using alternate networks. If nothing else the Cyangen forums will give you a slew of other useful smartphone info not just on cell phone unlocking.

Now before you continue just take a quick look at your Android phone settings. An unlock might be only a quick tick box away. If not then arm yourself with these: your make, model and IMEI number. And prepare for some forum searching to see if you can find the unlock code.

Unlocking via App

Yes, there are even apps for unlocking your Android Smartphone! Check out GalaxSim Unlock if you're an S3 user, and prepare to do a bit of research if you're using another handset. But be assured the apps are out there!

Finally if this is all too tedious for you  the pay for unlock root can be considered. 

We hope this helps you get more joy from your mobile, remember no matter what they say it's not illegal and it's your SEO make the most of it. 

For more information please visit our FAQ page: http://cellphoneunlocker.com/faq

Minecraft PE December 2013 Update

In the latest Minecraft Pocket Edition update this December we've got another slew of great Minecraft portable features to keep us going through the cold winter months. With a multitude of new blocks,the ability to breed animals and Minecarts (did someone say Minecraft Rollercoasters of Epic proportions) there's a lot to the update.
Full list of Minecraft PE updated features:

• Minecarts, rails, and powered rails
• The view distance has been massively increased (check Options)
• New textures and colours taken from the PC version
• New blocks: carpets, more wood types, hay bales, iron bars, and more
• New crops and food types, including beetroot, carrots, potatoes and pumpkins. Now you can cook new soups, pies, and more
• A bunch of new items for Creative and Survival, including clocks and compasses
• More blocks and items to use in Creative Mode: including jungle wood, ice, bedrock, shears, dyes, and tall grass
• New AI: mobs are now more intelligent and you can even breed your own animals
• A new Creative Mode inventory with tabs
• New functionality and tweaks to existing blocks and items. Bonemeal lets you grow new cool stuff
• Improved lighting and fog effects
• Loads of bugs fixed

Xbox One and Music Games

Now that Xbox One has hit the market we're eagerly waiting to see how the superior sensing power of the new Kinect Is going to improve future music games.
Xbox One is of course a more powerful version of its predecessor, but it's the multi person and more importantly multi digit sensing capability of the Kinect that is going to make games like Rocksmith really sing!

• If you'd prefer to keep it old school then you could just dispense with New and old consoles altogether and try m audio firewire solo at musicians friend

Clash of Clans Christmas Update

We know you've been waiting for the Clash of Clans update for at least a month now,we'll here is what to expect from Supercells best game. And yes Santa's surprise is back!
Clash of Clans Christmas Holiday Update

✔ What's the gift in the new Jingle trees

✔ Limited time special defense: Santa Strike! The son of Santa's Surprise

 Inferno Tower is improved
✔ Brand new multiple target mode launches a blazing web of flames against several troops at once, but the flames will not charge up in this mode

✔ Troops targeted by the Inferno Tower are no longer able to be healed. Use multiple target mode to seriously hinder healing reliant armies

✔ Switch between the classic single target or new multiple target mode at any time

✔ Inferno Tower level 3 will help keep you warm this Winter



Clash of Clans New loot caps
✔ Percentage of loot available now decreases based on defender's town hall level

✔ Maximum amount of loot available now increases based on defender's town hall level

✔ Loot bonus when attacking opponents at higher town hall levels has been removed

Interface and feature improvements
✔ Clash is now fully localized in Korean!

✔ Village Edit Mode: New base layouts in-progress will be automatically saved and resumed if the game restarts

✔ Added "Training capacity" to barracks info and upgrade screens

✔ Unarmed traps are now indicated a by a smoke effect instead of text bubbles

✔ Arabic text input has been improved



Balance tweaks
✔ Decreased the attack range of Inferno Towers from 10 to 9 tiles

✔ Decreased the cost of the Inferno Tower level 2 upgrade

✔ Slightly increased damage of level 4 Dragons

✔ Slightly increased HP and damage of level 6 Giants

Easy ways to make a Connected Home

The Internet of things and the Connected Home are definitely some of the top trending phrases in the world of technology, apps and smartphones this year. Luckily the smart home is not an ephemeral and elusive idea confined to the likes of Bill Gates and other technocrats, it is solidly within every bodies reach and there are some very simple, yet effective, ideas going around to make this so.

Switched on Products' Light Switch Timer recently came to our attention at a fortuitous time, here at Gametrender we were just bandying  around some ideas for simple home automation and the easily installed Light switch timer came across our desk.

Luckily for us with bright ideas, but little mechanical aptitude Switched on Products' device doesn't require much skill to operate whatsoever, and is a very simple concept. Just slot the cradle over any 1,2 or 3 gang switch and set the timer to operate. The only effort you'll need to make is using a screwdriver to loosen the light switch cover, then slide on the cradle and you're good to go. The device itself fits into the cradle and provides a very lengthy time of use on standard pen light batteries.

On these cold and dark winter months this simple light switch timer can not only save money (and if you love in Britain you certainly want to avoid excess electricity charges!) but also allow you a little bit more peace of mind when going on holiday. A light coming on at random times (random,pre-programmed and manual settings are available) could just be enough to convince a would be burglar that the house has not been left alone. Indeed the fact that the light switch timer is about to gain endorsement from the police services is more than enough testament to this fact.

Whether you're a gadget geek wanting your taste of home automation or are security conscious the nice and simple, yet effective, Light Switch Timer is a must have for your home.

Fitbit Force and other Android app linked fitness trackers

I'm about a month into using my Fitbit Flex fitness tracker which I have linked to both the IPad and Android phone (Xperia Z in this case). The Fitbit has a lot of great features and I particularly love the sleep tracking that it does. What I don't love is the fact that the Android App is fundamentally broken and thus I have to rely on the IPad app.

With this new wave of biometric time clocks fitness trackers (still waiting for the Fitbit Force to hit Uk shores by the way) you'd expect better support for the worlds biggest Smartphone OS. Some Android owners will enjoy a hassle free Fitbit app, but that is mostly limited to a few top tier phones like the Galaxy S4 and I believe HTC One.
With Fitbit being debatedly the premier Fitness Tracker you'd expect more in the way of Android support. 

Clash of Clans Trap Upgrade: how do you upgrade traps

The November Clash of Clans update has brought with it upgradeable traps and the ability to rearm those traps. If the C of C new trap abilities have left you with more questions than answers and you just want to blow stuff up, spring trap dozens of giants at once(no spring trap upgrade though..sob) and send those pesky minions back to the dark elixir from whence they came then here's how to use those new traps to do it!


Guide  to Clash of Clans  new trap system ( November update)


Upgrades facts:

✔ All explosive traps will have upgrade levels.

✔ Upgrading is available as soon as a new trap is bought from the shop.

✔ Traps are upgraded using Builders.

✔ Upgrade times and costs are relatively short if compared to building upgrades.

✔ Different trap types have different upgrades: Damage, radius…

✔ Traps cannot be sold anymore.

✔ Traps under upgrade are visible to enemies, remember to replace them 

✔ Attacker can deploy troops on top of traps also when traps are under upgrade.


Using new traps:

✔ After a trap is triggered, it stays right where it was, but its status is “Triggered”.

✔ After a trap has been triggered, it needs to be re-armed.

✔ You don’t need an available Builder to re-arm the traps.

✔ Upgrade levels don’t disappear when traps are triggered.

✔ Re-arming traps cost gold. Re-arm cost increases when the trap is upgraded.

✔ You can re-arm all traps with one button OR re-arm traps one-by-one.


Plan your trap upgrades and protect your village?

Clash of Clans November Update

The Clash of Clans November update is rolling out now as we speak. You've probably heard rumours of more powerful goblins and rearming traps. But what are all the updates we can expect in this Novembers Clash of Clans update?

Reworked traps


✔ Sick of puny bombs? Upgrade all of your explosive traps to blow up your foes big time!

✔ Even sicker of constantly replacing your traps? Traps now stay put after use, and can be fully re-armed with a single button!

✔ Level 1 Giant Bomb is now much cheaper, though with a slightly decreased damage radius that can be upgraded

✔ Bomb and Giant Bomb explode faster after being triggered

✔ Seeking Air Mine and Air Bomb trigger radius has been decreased

✔ Seeking Air Mines now cost Gold instead of Dark Elixir



Tier 1 terror in Town Hall 10
✔ Level 12 Archer Towers: stylish, deadly and oh so sharp

✔ Level 6 Goblins: never forget your wallet again, nor anyone else's



Unquenchable spells
✔ Get your spells in a snap! Spell factory boosting is now only 20 gems for 4 hours of boosting

✔ Spells are now created with Elixir instead of Gold



Clan and Interface improvements
✔ Players who are kicked out of or rejected from clans are automatically banned from that clan for 24 hours

✔ Tapping the active tab in the Inbox, Chat, Clan, Leaderboard, League or Search view will automatically scroll it to the top



Balance tweaks
✔ Slightly increased hitpoints for level 4 Dragon

✔ Slightly increased hitpoints and damage for level 6 Giant and level 4 P.E.K.K.A

✔ Slightly decreased hitpoints for Hog Riders

✔ Upgrade time reduced for most Archer Tower and Wizard Tower levels



Lots more bug fixes, tweaks and performance improvements!

What IPad games have controller support

If you're an IPad (or iPhone gamer) and have the latest IOS 7 download you'll be frothing at the mouth to get a hold of an IOS enabled controller and let rip.
But what games have iOS 7 controller support?

• Critter Panic 
• Dead Trigger 2 
• Into the Dead 
• Lili 
• Muffin Knight 
• Ravensword: Shadowlands 
• Silverfish 
• Silverfish Max 
• Spiral: Episode 1 
• Superstar Chefs
• Limbo 
• Trouserheart 
• Tennis in the Face 
• King Oddball 
• Air Wings Intergalactic 
• Asphalt 8: Airborne 
• Chasing Yello
• Phoenix HD 
• Cro-Mag Rally 
• AVP: Evolution 
• The Walking Dead: The Game 
• Bastion 
• Nimble Quest 

List of IPad games with controller support current as of November 2013. Now that the list of controller playable IPad games is expanding we really want to see where Apple and third parties go with this. Especially with the A7 chip in the 'thinner,newer,better " version we really think music games ala guitar Hero and others need to start enjoying peripheral support. Who knows when we look beyond the games we might even find exciting projects to make apps that rely on actual instruments. Now that would be a fun and high tech way to learn send petitions to  lanikai lu-21 at musicians friend if you want to see an IPad connected ukulele in the future.

The Qeo Connected Home Challenge - Fly Me To Vegas

Qeo is the software framework that interconnects devices and apps of all brands and ecosystems.
The Qeo Connected Home Challenge - Fly Me To Vegas will open up your eyes to what this has to offer.

The objective of the contest is to create an app or a service, using Qeo, in order to deliver more intelligent services based on peer to peer interactions between connected objects.  You can, for instance, develop an app that makes a television communicate with the home video intercoms or the smartphone of its family members.

There’s $72,000 Prizepool to win including 15 tickets for Las Vegas to present your project at CES , $15,000 in cash prize and a possible integration in Technicolor’s development programs.

The Challenge is not only dedicated to developers, everyone who comes with a great idea is welcome!

If you need more information, here is the official website: http://qeochallenge.com/

SRCH 2 set to change the way we search on Android

Following on from their partnership with HTC SRCH2 are now making their superior search product available for all on Google Play. Announcing at AppsWorld this morning we unfortunately missed the announcement as this could be a big milestone for mobile search :

SRCH2 Delivers Lighting Fast Search Software to Android Devices

Riding the Mobile Wave SRCH2 Arms Android Manufacturers with Search that Will Forever Alter the User Experience

LONDON, October 23, 2013 — SRCH2, provider of the industry’s leading search-as-you-type engine for e-commerce and mobile devices, unveiled its Android software development kit (SDK) and local search app at AppsWorld in London today. SRCH2’s Android SDK enables any Android developer or manufacturer to easily embed superior, instant search functionality, locally onany Android device.

Using SRCH2’s Android SDK, Android developers can run SRCH2 to deliver fantastic search locally, on the handset, without dependency on the mobile network. Users benefit from lightning-speed search-as-you-type, with error-correction, geo-awareness, configurability, and more. No network latency, no intermittency. SRCH2 delivers quick and complete access to any indexable data on the phone, at cached speeds.

“When users first see search-as-you-type on their phones, it’s an ‘Ah-ha’ moment,” said SRCH2 CEO Dev Bhatia. “Right away, they realize this is something new. Consumers have come to expect poor search quality on their phones, and when they see fantastic search quality, at speeds better than the best desktop sites, it blows them away. We recently announced partnerships with some of the largest global Android handset makers, and today’s announcement of SRCH2’s Android SDK enables any Android developer—large or small—to access and embed the same revolutionary search technology.”

Armed with advanced, error-correcting, geo-aware seach-as-you-type capabilities, Android OEMs can build universal search capabilities, so that their users can access contacts, text messages, apps, images, and music locally, and everything else on the cloud, via application programming interface (API). To demonstrate its ease-of-use and cutting-edge features, SRCH2 built a downloadable app using the new Android SDK and will demonstrate that it this week at AppsWorld in London.

“There’s no question that local search is important turf for the handset manufacturers,” said Gerry Purdy, Ph.D., chief mobile strategist with Compass Intelligence. “It’s part of the core user experience,” he added, “and potentially the gateway to all Web-based data as well.”

SRCH2’s Android SDK is available now at http://srch2.com/downloads.html. SRCH2’s Android App will be available in the Google Play store for Android on October 23, 2013.

HTC and SRCH2 revolutionise mobile search

HTC One was undoubtedly one of the boldest phones that we've seen in recent years. Operationally though there was little change from what many other Android devices had to offer. This evolution is now set to be toppled by a real revolution in how yup use your mobile with a new partnership between HTC and SRCH2 upending the way that we search on our phones:

HTC Signs Agreement with SRCH2 to Bring Instant Search to Smartphones

Collaboration Enables Lightning Fast “Search-As-You-Type” on HTC Devices

Irvine, Calif. and Taipei, Taiwan, October 22, 2013 — SRCH2 and HTC have teamed up to bring lightning-fast “search-as-you-type” to HTC devices.

SRCH2 is collaborating with HTC to provide industry-leading advanced search capability. This faster, better solution is planned to be incorporated in HTC’s next generation of market-leading devices.

The addition of SRCH2 will give users a new way to search for content, locations and people on their handsets, enabling industry-leading advanced search quality at lightning speeds.

“SRCH2’s search-as-you-type is like nothing consumers have ever seen in the handset market, and I’m sure it will be a welcome and differentiating feature for HTC’s next generation of handsets,” said Gerry Purdy, Ph.D., chief mobile strategist with Compass Intelligence. “Running SRCH2 as a universal search engine as part of the OS is a strong move for HTC, and it speaks to the vast market potential for advanced search features on mobile.”

“Search-as-you-type on a handset is an industry-first, and will be an eye-popper for HTC’s millions of users,” said SRCH2’s CEO, Dev Bhatia. “They will be delighted by a super-fast, ultra-friendly, universal search experience, fully integrated into their devices. Our tools, running right on the device, will enable a plethora of new interactions with all kinds of on-device and off-device content.”

“HTC is always pushing the boundaries of design and technology to create innovative and personal experiences for consumers around the globe. We are pleased that SRCH2 could be a part of HTC’s next generation of market-leading handsets,” said Chen Li, SRCH2 founder and CTO.

SRCH2 offers search software rebuilt from the ground up to address the needs of a data-driven world. In particular, the SRCH2 feature-set serves new needs in mobile search. Some of SRCH2’s powerful features include:

• Instant Forward Search: “Search-as-you-type” functionality presents new choices with every keystroke and helps users find what they want, faster. Until now, very few search boxes offer robust, relevant instant forward search and even fewer mobile devices offer relevant instant forward search.
• Rapid GeoSearch: Localized search for places or merchandise nearby is increasingly important for mobile device users. SRCH2 treats location-search as a single-process search element, enabling super-fast, relevant, geo-aware search.
• Error Tolerance: Guess wht? Peopl make tyops. It happens. And on mobile and non-traditional devices, it happens a lot. With SRCH2, typos are not as costly because users can still find what they’re looking for. Error tolerance can be fully configured by developers.
• Ranking customization: SRCH2 enables developers to easily assign weightings to rank results, without custom coding.
• Real-time updates: Most search software has to lock or slow down inbound queries while data is being updated and re-indexed. SRCH2 software can be configured to index information as it comes in, with no lock or performance denigration.
• All-in-one: SRCH2 delivers all features in one highly configurable solution, with no custom development required.
SRCH2’s industry-leading instant forward search software is available now. For more information about SRCH2, please visit www.srch2.com.

Connecting at #Appsworld

A lucrative day of connecting with Indie developers, mobile start ups , bootstrap peers,big tech companies, Microsoft,Android, Trip Hawkins,Steve Wozniak, Microsoft Surface, Rasperry Pi man. Slashdot, Virtuix, and so much more at Appsworld. We that live in this fast paced world of mobile apps and bleeding edge technology so often lose site of the human side of all that we do.
The world is changing and the economic priniciples and learning skills that were once cherished are now making way for something new...and hopefully better. Just don't lose site of the fact that despite all of our gizmos, gadgets and tech that at the end of the day we as the human user still are that , merely human and with all the brilliance that entails.
Oh, and great to finally meet Rob Shoesmith of Medl Mobile and curse you for those two pints that were ever so tasty but cost two hours of good blogging time! Hangwithme ...

The Lumees at AppsWorld Europe 2013

Continuing our harassment of Indie game developers at Appsworld; we came across a Croydon,London based outfit who are understandably proud/possessive of their game, "The Lumees".
Coming across a a hybrid match five, side scrolling puzzler sort of the game has characters with...character and a good looking feel to it. A quick hands on showed a fun game matched by innovative gameplay and charm. The idea has apparently been a round for over five years and finally the boys from Croydon have decided to make good and bring The Lumees to the public. Envisaged more as a long term brand than just a single showing we hope their infectious ambition pays off, look to Gametrender's YouTube channel for more info on The Lumees.

What's cooler than a basket full of kittens? Appsworld 2013

A question hopefully soon to be answered in the next fifteen minutes when at the gaming expo at Appsworld the speakers will take to the stage demonstrating how sensors, NFC, cameras and more are changing our gaming landscape. Gadget and gaming geek gluttony soon to follow...
What's cool? Apps and new ways to play them.
What's not cool? More than half of Balckberries' app experiments failing due to the "hostile environment" of so many different signals floating about!
What worked: NFC running game with people powered Nerf guns as punishment for not completing a circuit fast enough ( run, tap on NFC tag to measure time between laps)
Blackberry powered drone. Sort of as it soon went rogue picking up another wifi signal.

What didn't work? Heartbeat powered music which ups or slows tempo according to the users Bluetooth band which records their heart beat. That hostile environment started off by taking no prisoners.
Experiment number 4 was some sort of audio setup , which was axed before the event due to time constraints.
Ad hoc multiplayer was a good idea with audience participation via the hub powered ssid, but signal problems soon put paid to it, and then the picture on screen went all wonky to add to Blackberry's woes.
Still they were interesting experiments and a very useful takeaway is that all the source code for them can be found on GitHub, look to our YouTube channel for the exact link.

Indie games of Appsworld 2013

Two indie games have come under Gametrender scrutiny so far at AppsWorld, and after two lengthy YouTube ready videos it came time to charge the Smartphone, because really there is just too much to see and do. Even just a short walk back to the (very handy) charging station saw us stumble upon the Microsoft stand. So much so boring for the Nokia phones and Window 8 devices on display, but we were vastly intrigued by the AlienWare/Kinect/MakerBot Replicator setup which we will certainly be Vining/blogging/Youtubing about once the devices are charged.
But this particular post is not about the 3D nous of the World's largest OS maker but the Indie games we saw.
Thanks to Francesco Palumbo of "Interactive Project" for showing off his GrandPrix Management/racing game which has been on the Playstore for a month and already has 60K downloads. The polished game hails from Italy and looks to be making a name for itself as the Football Manager of the GrandPrix World.
Ivan Kavalerov hasn't taken the need for speed to heart and has instead adopted a childhood love of chess and an adult penchant for puzzle games to develop Piggy Roll Puzzle.
Adopting heavily from a certain Jelly named game and emulating the Candy Crush Saga map the part time developer and one another have used their spare evening times over the last six months to bring their game close to completion(we look forward to the final product in a months time, that promises good natured puzzle fun and progressive levels of difficulty).

Indie game zone-Appsworld 2013

Between keynotes we naturally went off to explore the Indie Game Zone at AppsWorld Europe 2013. We were initially underwhelmed expecting a much larger showing. On reflection though the big booths and freebies would expectedly be the domain of the big players(the likes of PayPal and GM can be found here for example). The poor Indies just struggling to make themselves known were limited to a small expanse of off red carpet and we're flogging their wares from small, round tables on the periphery.
We'll try get around as many of them as possible and follow up with reviews and articles later. If you see them inhabiting an AppStore near you in the future then please show them your love.

Hardcore Gaming -Apps beyond casual pastimes-Appsworld 2013

Appropriately enough the "Future of Apps as games" keynote closed with a gambling question, providing a nice run up for Carsten van Husen's presentation on apps for hardcore gamers.
Hardcovers are an interesting source of revenue, Carsten likens them to a diner, the casual will happily eat his meal, the hardcore will see where the boundaries are...eating the table, stabbing the waiter, ummm interesting metaphor Carsten.
Interestingly enough he brought up the demographics of age and growth rates of mobile phones and gaming usage naturally.
Comparisons of Candy Crush saga were made to the hardcore contingent who according to Carsten have prolonged gaming sessions and are a.ways looking to plan their next session.
In 2011 Vampires Game was released to give their marketeers something to do, a taste of what revenue apps could bring in. Icaria was also referenced with even one attendee having played it, it's success on the web hasn't yet been followed by the mobile app. Mobile users have 10-15 minutes play on average, web users only a minute a so, he likens this to evidence of mobile playing becoming more hard core.
" I guess with games it's all kill time on the mobile" was an interesting quote that the speaker had to unfortunately close on before a localised power cut pre-emptively finished off the hardcore gamer presentation. Carsten was a banker fifteen years ago and unfortunately we think that still shows as his presentation was rather lacklustre... Although perhaps the best was yet to come, we'll never know.

Google Glass Keynote-Appsworld Europe

Naturally Google Glass was going to come up during AppsWorld Europe! The keynote is ongoing as we write and it's promised that by the end of the half hour we'll all be able to go off and "Be a Glass Developer"!
For developers and non devs alike the keynote is riddled with useful factoids about Google's next toy. The aspect ratio for example will appear in the users field of view as "credit cards used".
Stock actions will take place on the card sized timeline(look to Google Now for examples of this card type timeline".
Now as the speaker points out and Google labours on about, "Can you really enjoy a concert through the screen of your phone?"
"Humans are brilliant at facial recognition", says the speaker, a self apparent fact that leads your timeline contacts to be represented by faces not text. All in the name of Google's want to speed up your interactions.
Java script object notation (Jason?) is to be used.
User actions,notifications,events,subscribe to Google services ( while waiting for more platform based user kits "GDK" is what we as devs can play around with in the meantime.
And now that we're "sold on developing for Glass"...
Android developers will have a head start and be heavily familiar with the tools eg. android Developer Studio and Eclipse, under development is the Glass Developer Kit and the API is apparently available... The Explore plan will be ready midway though 2014.. What is best for a Glass Developer at the moment ...
Be encouraged to start developing right now with the Mirror API because effort you put in now will pay off when the GDK is released Why... same size screens, similar capabilities "Overall Design principles will be the same"
http://developers.google.com/glass/playground is Google site that you can use right now to jump into glass development. H263 and 64 are the codecs for videos.
Different templates can be used in playground, you can even use the css.
A new experience... But some immediate touchstones for familiarity, still the ROBOTO font is the topography used in glass, flat icons...free icon set that are existing assets. The iconography is flat icons( can be recognised faster than 3d rendered objects... Glass interactions are all about speed.) So Android Asset Studio can be used with Glass.
Visual cues and prompts...eg. Turn down corner, the CSS is clever enough to make text flow. Using the ideas behind Perceived Affordances... Jump straight to interactions and bypass higher reasoning!
They want less clutter and design ideas to speed up the users interactions.
Get into Glass Dev now...because after the keynote we are all apparently experts!

Why we're going to Appsworld Europe

A love of new Android toys and apps, a chance to learn more about app monetisisation and perhaps even speak to Wozniak! Appsworld Europe in two days is going to be a networking fiesta, here's what the organisers have to say:
With over 6.8 billion mobile subscribers (which is about 87% of the world’s population) and over 56 billion app downloads predicted for 2013 – the audience is raring to go and there are still plenty of apps waiting to be developed.

2.

Localytics found that one in four apps are never used again once downloaded, so how can you make sure your app isn’t one of them?

3.

Application-to-person (A2P) messaging is predicted to take over person-to-person messaging by 2016 according to Juniper research, an industry that will be worth more than £44bn. Will this be the answer to lost SMS revenues?

4.

71% of smartphone users that see ads on TV, in magazines or online do a mobile search. One is seven searches is now mobile – how is your mobile strategy going to make sure your customers find you and not your competitors?

5.

Analysts estimate that app revenues will hit $25 billion in 2013 and could triple by 2017. How can you ensure you're getting your share? 

All of these reasons are why Gametrender and hopefully you will be meeting up at Appsworld. So you won't learn much about a snowboard rack wall ,but will really get to grips with what is coming up with future apps. 

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How can social media improve your app downloads?

By no means is this a case study of the insane marketing of GTA V (that's been Don in myriad ways by other sources), but just some observations that you might find beneficial to your own game/app downloads.
Googling a random question out of meandering curiosity (in this case "What age is Trevor Phillips GTA V"? a) early 40s) I stumbled across Trevor Phillips' Twitter Account and Facebook page.
Now it seems that RockStar are still having a lot of fun playing with their creations and the Twitter account of GTA V's  Trevor especially is filled with the type of narcissistic, crazed, sociopathy of the "real" Trevor. They've broken/blurred the boundary between a fictional character and real world social media, now of course that's not the formula for Rockstar's success, but just like Ridiculous Fishing's Byrdr social media campaign the continued use of real world accounts with a fictitious game universe shows a coherent dialogue between developers and players. Of course with its violent stigma you'd think that RockStar would be adverse to blurring real world boundaries too much in case ( and this is certainly an odds on medical chance with all of its sales) one of its players takes the literalness too far...
So how does your app/game use social media to enhance the narrative with your end users?

Does my mobile health app need regulation?

If you're a developer starting to look into the growing demand for mobile health apps and have a great idea for one, you're probably going to eventually have to look into regulatory questions about making your own mobile health app.
Unlike traditional medical routes like hospital care, mental health etc. the new frontier of mobile health apps have not really been subject to any legislation.
There's two sides to his argument as to whether med health apps should be more tightly controlled, on one side as an app entrepreneur you don't want to have your brain child sit through years of FDA approval and countless medical regulatory hoops, on the other you don't want, either as a dev or a consumer to have an app promising medical benefits and either not delivering or even worse being harmful.
Many(most?) people use a smartphone or tablet to access the web nowadays, and many health apps (such as WebMd) are often consulted, for the ease and convenience that mobile apps bring.
Whichever part of the mobile health spectrum you're on, consumer or creator, here's some guidelines for what can and can't, would or could be done:
Not falling under regulations: Wellness Apps
When is an app a wellness app? Quite simply when no danger is posed to the user the app will fall out of the FDAs remit( beyond advice or request level) and fits the following criteria:

• The app can :Self-manage a disease without delving into suggesting treatments.
• Organize and track health conditions.
• Gain easy access to health information.
• Document potential medical conditions for healthcare providers.
• Are the rough criteria for a non regulated wellness app.

Now what mobile health apps should be regulated?

Criteria for Mobile Health App needing FDA approval:

• You'll need to seek FDA approval for your mobile health app if your app fulfills any/all of these criteria:
• Transforms the handheld device into a mobile medical application.
• Is meant to be used in a medical capacity.
• Could cause danger to the patient if the app malfunctions.
• Displays, transfers, stores and converts patient medical data from a connected device.
• Connects to a medical device or tool to control the operation, function, or energy source of that tool.

Of course if you're a professional developer of apps for healthcare and do fit these criteria these hoops can also be seen as a good way of legitimizing the credentials of your med health app. We're sure that you want to be seen as above board and don't just recommend a deep tissue massage in chicago  for every ailment so would probably welcome FDA approval of your app!

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Gametrender going to Appsworld Europe

We're just a few days away from Apssworld Europe 2013 and looking forward to what the likes of Trip Hawkins and Woz will be proselytising about in his fast moving mobile world.
It's not just mobile apps that will be represented though as monetisisation concerns, app/tv interfaces, programming concerns and even gadgets (with hopefully a chance to try out Google Glass) are among the many things on the cards.
We've been invited to a multitude of interviews with CEOs and devs but are waiting out to see all options. If you're a long term reader and want any specific insider info on any part of this year's AppsWorld, then please leave a comment over the next few days and we'll try to accommodate you.

Meet Guitar 2.0

We're no guitar historians,nor music experts so we can't tell you how long the guitar in its present form has been around. But what we do know is gadgets and tech, so head on down to Kickstarter today,and for the next couple of weeks and put your cash towards the world's first(?) Titanium guitar.
Based on a Gittler design the minimalist, bodiless and fretboard lacking guitar 2.0 made from aircraft grade titanium is,if the makers are to be believed, the evolution of what a guitar should be.
If the near 4000 dollar Kickstarter pledge is out of your league then keep things traditional and

• save on hart dynamics drums.

Are you ready for the Internet of things?

The Internet of things, home connectedness and the quantified self are massively gaining headspace among tech geeks in recent times. While a Pebbl smartwatch is still very much on our wish list we're also looking to the Fitbit Force to take care of our fitness and sleep monitoring needs. What's on your Internet of things/quantified self wish list?
Internet of Things at Home
Philips Lumi
Nest
Any product taking advantage of BLE
The Internet of things on your wrist 
Pebbl
Jawbone Up
Samsung Galaxy Gear
Up coming IWatch
The Internet of things in your pocket
This new way of quantifying and controlling ourselves and our environment is going to be massively spearheaded by many of the apps that we use for this purpose, as these become more synced with specialist tools and data connectivity (the new iPhones m7 processor is a good example of this) a new wave of quantified and "healthy" apps will become available . We expect the likes of these to be massively changed as the Internet of things truly takes off:
Run keeper
Noom
Chronos
Move
Goodreads

Help for Heroes App

Continuing on their brilliant charity work for the Armed Forces ,Help for Heroes is making a big push to be the fastest downloaded app in British History.
The charity has enjoyed overwhelming support over the years for its great work with the forces so on 10 October join Jeremy Clarkson and Lorraine Kelly in bringing out the Help for Heroes game:

Users of the game will guide two Help for Heroes bear mascots as they hold a stretcher carrying a third bear across an obstacle course. With the nostalgic military tune The Colonel Bogey March playing in the background, the aim of the app is to collect as many tokens along the route while jumping over gaps, changing levels and squeezing through gaps.

They expect help from all quarters (yes, we're looking at you  www.reidsupply.com/ ) so join The Help for Heroes Game in making British charity app history!

Free PS4 game?

Well if you're an Android or IOS user you will sort of get a free PS4 game in the form of the soon to be released companion game for upcoming Sony title "Knack".
The mobile puzzle game shows a mind shift for Sony to start releasing free games to promote their upcoming PS4 titles, so when will Sony see the light and release the PS4 version of the XBOx glass app?