Integrating Mobile Tablets:The Future of Gaming

When one tries to debate what the future of gaming will be like, it is often a discussion that can last a lifetime. With the rapid increase of technology, who knows what the next massive invention will bring to the world of gaming. I, for one, can’t wait for the virtual reality technology to be perfected, just imagine the infinite possibilities that will bring about. But keeping it a little more current, let’s turn our attention to the ever-popular mobile devices, in particular, mobile tablets. Currently when one thinks of computer gaming and mobile gaming, we view it as two different things, although, the border between the two platforms are starting to fade away. How exciting!

Mobile devices have for some time now already been used in order to take pc gaming on the move. Take a look at Blizzard Entertainment’s fantastic World of Warcraft Armoury application. This application allows one to stay forever connected, even when one dares to back away from their computer. With this app you are able to view your characters in their entirety and chat to fellow guild members. With the constant access to the Auction House, you no longer have to gamble with your gold, like on some  sites, the best deals are yours for the taking. Although apps like this have faced us in the rightdirection, they still do not have any real-time influence on the game itself.

This is where we are introduced to the next generation of gaming that perfectly integrates mobile technology with gaming, where decisions made by the tablet users have an immediate effect on the world, and influence the gameplay. Few games have these features already, but a large number of games that are set to be released this year have announced the massive roles tablet users will be playing. Battlefield 4’s new take on the Commander Mode gives us a delectable taste of what future gaming will look like. The Commander, with a large array of assets in their arsenal, has a unique bird’s eye view of the entire battlefield, playing an important role in edging their team to victory.

Ubisoft is jumping on this technology in full force with tablet gameplay being announced for two of this year’s biggest games, The Division and Watch Dogs. In The Division, players take control of a remote drone, allowing them to view the battlefield from above. With the easy to manage 3D engine, they can then spot enemies and supply allies with a number of buffs. Not all has been revealed in connection with tablet-play for Watch Dogs, although you will definitely gain access to a map with detailed information for just about every building of Chicago.

By Jason Swindon

WatchBot Home Security

Apps and the Internet are a great equalizer when it comes to putting high tech-and often very valuable-resources into the hands of just about everyone. Luckily we live in a secure area, if we didn't the WatchBot camera network that we're reviewing would be more than handy it would be simply indispensable.

Possibly the easiest home security camera to set up?

We've had the WatchBot for a little over two weeks now and have put it through its testing paces to see what it is capable of. Plug and Play is the first word that springs to mind with set up taking no more than five minutes from unboxing to downloading the app, to seeing its view into our home. That five minutes would also have been greatly reduced if we'd read the instructions(a one sided minimal text intro card covers the basics of setting up) properly in the first place and hadn't inputted the wrong password!

WatchBot App on Android

App supported Home Security

Why we're reviewing the WatchBot in the first place is not just because of our love of tech and gadgets but also the fact that you, our readers, are primarily here to read about apps. Like any modern product of any credence WatchBot is supported by both IOS and Android apps. We've had a little difficulty trying to find the IOS app, but haven't really made a concerted effort as it quite happily speeds along on the supported Android app, which we use to access the app away from the home network(more about that later.) The app is very comprehensive allowing access to a host of features that the camera hardware is capable of. This is by no means a comprehensive list, but some of the features that we've found quite useful:

Remote viewing of your camera's coverage.

Two way audio communication

Taking of still pictures

360 degree remote panning of the camera

Access to all the cameras on your network(you're able to link up a lot more WatchBots into a comprehensive home or business network that covers all areas of interest and vulnerable areas).

Ways to access WatchBot

Aside from the accompanying apps the WatchBot is also supported by a PC/Mac program that also allows access to all of these features. Whilst I'm only reviewing this home security solution from the comfort of a private home the connectivity options should look really favourable for small business solutions. The remote viewing capability that we previously referenced is a fantastic feature. In our trial we were able to access the camera from any remote location view the app and password. Put this and a few companion WatchBots in a large warehouse for example and easy network access makes any distance needed to be traversed by a security guard immaterial. However as we are looking at a product with a sub two hundred pound pricing it's an easy recommendation for business owners with low budgets who can easily , for example, access their store or other business after hours. IR Capability makes WatchBot an even more versatile app supported home camera and functionality in low/no light conditions is just fantastic.

Issues encountered 

To have a balanced review it's of course necessary to mention any negative points about the product. Realistically though these points that are mentioned are nitpicking over an excellent product that more than justifies its price. Problems with set up have already been mentioned, but a little fault finding soon showed the flaw was ours with a wrong inputting of the code. 

The IOS app still remains elusive(although it must be pointed out that our satisfaction with the Android app hasn't made finding the app necessary), the initial link from the instructions didn't work and the link from WatchBots website accessed an app without the same functionality of the Android WatchBot app. Admittedly we haven't looked very far but it's a pity that we could instantly access the Android App via QR.

IR/Daycam confusion:we've only seen this issue once and it hasn't really affected the functionality of the device. The camera is placed beneath the television in the living room and whilst watching with the lights off the TV glare would sometimes cause some confusion between camera modes.

(Yesterday while remote viewing the house we wanted to check up on the new babysitter with the children and we couldn't access the camera. This caused some consternation and a little loss of faith in the remote camera. The issue was soon rectified when we returned home and found that a Spiderman outfit and been accidentally placed on the camera! My distress at not been able to access the camera really shows how important this little bit of home safety is becoming.)

How to download Minecraft Xbox User Maps

As expected Minecraft is creating quite a stir on Xboxrjust like its native version. While fully playable Minecraft on Xbox is still a slightly older version and the console itself also brings some limitations. One big limitation is the lack of ability to download other users excellent creations and go  on Adventures. Well guess what there's a way around that:
Downloading other users maps for Minecraft on Xbox 360

1. Find a downloadable map off . Multiple sources can be found on the net
2. Download a program called Horizon or Modio. 
3. Start up Xbox Console go to (System Settings > Storage > HardDrive > Profile's > Your Profile > Move > Your USB 2.0 Device
4. Open Horizon or Modio, Find your saved map that you downloaded and drag it onto horizon or modio and a window will pop up with all the profile's on the USB 2.0 device an you want to choose whatever profile is yours and then the screen will disappear wait a second and you should see a window pop up and say *MAPS NAME* has successfully been transferred to *USB 2.0 Device's name*
5. Unplug USB 2.0 Device and return to the Xbox after you plug the device back in then go to (System Settings > Storage > *USB 2.0 Devices name* > Profile's > Your Profile > Move > *Your HDD Name*
6. While you are still in system settings go to > Storage > *USB 2.0 Devices name* > Games and Apps > Minecraft (Xbox 360 Edition) > *MAPS NAME* > Move > *Xbox HDD name*
7. Go back to Minecrat (Xbox 360 Edition) > Play Game > *Your HDD name* > *YOUR MAPS NAME*

How to beat Flappy Bird

How do you Beat Flappy Bird?

Are you wondering what you actually need to do to win at Flappy Bird or how to get the highest score ever in this hard as nails flapathon? We proudly present our

Guide to how to get a Flappy Bird High Score

1.Use the large screen of a tablet(the bigger the better)

Better situational awareness without your thumb in the way is step one to beating this game.

2. How to flap that bird!

Quick taps rather than slow ones are the key to get you into the high score zone, it's all about rhythm !

3.How many times should I tap to clear the pipes?

After a lot of research and sore thumbs we found that the ideal way of tapping would be to tap once to twice clear a pipe.

4.Don't forget your timing 

Tapping too soon will cause Flappy Bird to just barely,but fatally, hit a pipes edge. Make sure your taps give you enough space to clear a pipe completely.

5. Well lit rooms and plenty of breaks!

Now that you're firmly in the zone you want to be at your best. This is twitch gaming to the extreme so even an eye link can cause a high score loss. If you have to blink do it between pipes! Playing in a well lit room and having breaks keeps eye strain and the dreaded blink to a minimum.

6.Be viciously competitive!

You're never going to be a winner unless you have something to compete against. Look for friends Flappy Birds high scores and try to beat them.No matter the cost!

The official list of ways to die in Flappy Bird!

And wondering what is the highest score in Flappy Bird?

The highest realistic score(ie. not clever photo shopping) is ...305

Offline Voice Recognition without data

Intel is aiming for big things in the voice recognition market that could not only make Siri and the like redundant but really make Google rethink their Glass product. We'd particularly like to see how music recognition apps and the like adopt this new technology. Intels Jarvis headset's voice recognition claims to be very special. That's because of its offline support. Unlike many wearables, Jarvis can process complex voice requests without talking to a server. Combine this with something like a cool floyd rose pro   and you can clearly see how not just voice assistance but even mobile music making could be in a totally different league. Jarvis will help when there's no internet access, and will leads to faster, more natural interaction than rival apps. Intel hopes to licence it's voice recognition technology to phone manufacturers, so your handset may be the only smart device you need. 

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Will Tales of Phantasia come to the UK App Store?

Tales of Phantasia,  Namco Bandai's original game for their Tales role-playing game series, is available for free on iOS devices., but only in the States. New Zealand might not see Tales due to regional restrictions, ones we hope don't stop Tales of Phantasia coming to the Uk App Store.

The granddaddy RPG was released in 1995 for Super Famicomand even then regional differences caused some to be behind the times as an official English launch on Game Boy Advance came a full 11 years later in 2006. It has also seen Japan-only releases on Sony's PlayStation and PlayStation Portable platforms.

Although the iOS version is free, it is supported by in-app purchases (IAPs), and early reviews both on the iTunes Store and from critics have questioned their implementation, suggesting that the difficulty has been increased to encourage spending. Some Polish has been injected into this modern day remake with the mobile version including voice overs, achievements, leaderboards, and improved animations.

PBX Services using your Smartphone

If your hosted PBX service can't handle the latest technology, then your virtual office capabilities are going to be severely curtailed.

With BYOD the norm and everyone toting a smartphone a Private Branch Exchange must have the capacity to integrate smart phones. Numerous problems arise because of this which we'll cover below.

Standard PBX/Smartphone integration issues

Find-Me/Follow-Me

Call forwarding services that are often found together that are routinely used by PBX services. The Find Me service lets you receive calls no matter where you are. Follow Me enables you to be reached at any of a group of phone numbers.

VoiceMail to Email

Without a dedicated business voicemail suite for your smartphone most UI's are at the very least cumbersome and slow. A definite issue if you often have many to wade through. A WAV player app download makes this service accessible to most smartphones.

VoIP Apps

A bewildering amount of choices comes about for VOIP integration. There are countless apps out there for Android, iPhones, and  Blackberries.

Free and premium VOIP apps are available including Skype, Bria, Yahoo Messenger, and Google Hangouts.

Depending on the individual app, you can have access to conference calls, video chat, call redirection, file transfer, and PC to phone/phone to PC. Most of these apps are designed to run cross-platform.

A company branded Smartphone 

Before getting started, it’s important to figure out which smart phones your company is using. Many companies are device-agnostic. But if one option is one the cards then consider that if your company chooses one smart phone device (like in the old Blackberry business days) many problems are averted. When choosing the best OS to go with your PBX service look for  the apps and OS that work best across multiple platforms and run with it. Bria is a name seeing some kudos at the moment for an app that works well with both Android and iPhones.

The pitfalls of selling top end musical instruments on Ebay

eBay despite being the foremost and easiest marketplace for reselling is to be approached with some caution, particularly if selling a premium product with particular details such as a musical instrument. 

Take this case study for example:

A buyer further sends CASH to pay for the instrument. The instrument is boxed up and posted to an international destinationGreat Britain. Now problems can start to arise such as Different people having different opinions on what terms mean, and even more so when buyer and seller are on opposite sides of the world. In this case the buyer claimed fraud because the instrument in his opinion was in worse cosmetic condition than he had expected. Even though photographs showed the besmirchment he stated that repair costs would be far in excess of those quoted. The transaction didn't contravene any rules but reputations were harmed when bad feedback was left. A better option would be having sold his  used alto sax at wwbw. A more musical friendly way of doing business. Whichever market place you choose these are some of the considerations that should be taken into account.

• Don't be shy with taking photos especially close up, of the entire instrument. Both sides should be represented.
• If something does not work, be brutally honest and go into detail, even mundane factors as being out of tune: be honest about it.
• Consider not accepting bids from buyers outside of your own country. Aside from the issues associated with currency exchange, you will also have to fill out export papers and possibly pay fees if the instrument gets returned to you.
• Consider accepting escrow. 

Wikipedia adds voices for posterity project

Virtually everyone in the UK and debatedly a select few worldwide, know what Stephen Fry's iunique voice sounds like voice, but what about celebrities and others who we well know now but will in time be forgotten?  Wikipedia has recorded Stephen's voice for future generations and tagged  it to his bio page. Other icons will soon hopefully follow: "what (those folks) sound like and how they pronounce their names." Is Wiki's contribution to us remembering what the famous sound like. Only a few have jumped on the bandwagon so far :including US astronaut Charlie Duke and British peer Baron Knight of Weymouth). It's promised that soon "500 to 1,000" celebrity clips thanks to the BBC will be added. BBC hopes to gain by using the Wikipedia archive to power a real-time, open-source voice-recognition app and bolster their own voice collection. At least future generations won't be left wondering if today's celebrities sound like broken sax mouthpieces or have the voices of angels.

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Why rap genius is ...genius

How did we ever check and authenticate our hip musical needs before RapGenius came along anyway? Expanding the horizons of what the biggest trending musical app/website can do the team have looked hard and come up with a better product in the form of the Genius by Rap Genius App.

The Genius app arose because of increased demand from mobile devices, because isn't that the best way to consume content and arguably create (music included)? If the Rap Genius web presence has enjoyed your patronage now you can enjoy the mobile version , make a name for yourself and possibly even find sympathetic ears to listen to your fender supersonic generated efforts. So who is the daddy when it comes to knowledge of rap , rock, poetry and music news?

Genius will solve all of your rap battles and analyse your iTunes library (including what’s currently playing) to give you instant access to those lyrics. Genius Recognition Technology lets you know what's hip and happening.

Increase IPad Battery Life

How to Extending an IPads Battery Life

(1) automatic settings for Wi-Fi and mobile data are a no no

A big battery drain is when your IPad searches for connects to the mobile or WiFi network with the strongest signal. If you're doing offline work them turn off the WiFi settings.

You can do this by going to “Settings” > “WiFi option” or “Cellular”, and tap ‘”œOff”€.

(2) Control how often data downloads happen

Some data hungry apps can really blitz your battery. Data in some apps are updated regularly, including the RSS feed and email notifications. The more often data is fetched the bigger the drain.

You may go to “Settings” > tap on “Mail, Contacts, Calendars” > “Fetch New Data”> tap “Manually”. Or "hourly" fetching can also be used.

(3) Screen Brightness

A bright screen is obligatory for bright surroundings ,but it's not always necessary and one of the biggest power suckers. Adjust your brightness to comfort levels and save your battery life.

Go to “Settings” > “Brightness & Wallpaper” > “Auto Brightness”

Now your IPad senses the ambient light and adjusts accordingly.

(4) Turn off Push notifications

If youre a power user and love being connected you would benefit from this step. Push notifications can be a huge battery drainer.

Make your camera into a Smartphone

A Wi-Fi SD memory card can adds wireless capabilities to all SDCH-compatible digital cameras. Together with a wifi enabled SD card and SD App, photographers can use their dedicated digital camera (or Smartphone)to easily share photos as soon as they are taken.

Why purchase a a WiFi capable card?

The card transfers your photos and videos over Wi-Fi .Media can be streamed to a maximum of three devices at once.Many of these cards are supported by free apps available to operate on iOS and Android devices, usually two modes are available: direct sharing mode and internet mode. The former includes the advantage of browsing photos already taken or viewing them as you shoot. The direct share mode is automatically activated as soon as the camera is powered on. Such feature allows peer-to-peer connections between the camera and mobile devices in any location. The internet mode can also be activated to quickly share images from the camera with others via Facebook and email. It allows the SD card to connect to nearby internet hotspots or connect to a personal hotspot feature of your Smartphones or tablets.

Typical Transfer Speeds

In addition, the Wi-Fi SD card provides higher transfer speeds and much greater stability. Together with excellent performance and 16GB or 35GB capacity, this SD card is undoubtedly beneficial. Each Wi-Fi SD card provides adequate space and support for exceptionally high resolution digital cameras.

The Shoot and View feature of the Wi-Fi SD card App utilises the advanced capabilities of digital cameras as well as the large screen of mobile devices for enhanced post-production process. What you need to do is simply capture a photo by using a high megapixel camera which will then appear immediately on the Smartphone or tablet. You can now download the images to your local memory and manipulate it in creative ways by using photo-editing apps before sharing it.

Disadvantages

However

battery life needs to be monitored as power is used to transfer images and videos. The larger the files the more drain on  battery life. As soon as the card completes uploading the photos, it turns itself off after a few minutes in order to conserve its battery life.

Apps for entrepreneurs

If you're already a part of the start up, technology harnessing, supper efficiency fraternity known as entrepreneurs you'll probably be aware of many of thes apps. If you're not and want to be up there with the big bucks and ideas that generate hard currency then follow in serious business geeks footsteps and use your mobile technology to look beyond entertainment and to pure productivity and more.

When looking at entrepreneur apps we've given a lot of weighting to how efficient the apps are, a necessity for multitasking and effective time management.

Free Wifi Finder:  Who needs 4G when our networks rarely even provide any data connection whatsoever outside of major cities! Starting a start up? Wifi is essential and this app will help find it.

TrackMaven: Go all NSA on your rivals and let big data give a heads up on their performance. All in one neat convenient place.

EchoSign: Adobe is a trusted name so attaching their brand to an app that affirms the legality of electors ally signed documents is bound to be good for your business, when signing delays are a make or break. It also records and stores each document's history, so you have automatic audit trails.

MobileDay: use MobileDay to coordinate all of your in-person and conference call meetings. Automatic dialling and emailing is supported.

 Skitch: This Evernote add on allows superior note and pic annotations.

Mint: Financial management in app form allows you to record expenses, create budgets and get a grip of your bottom line.

Music player app with “Hatsune Miku”

The virtual singer “Hatsune Miku” is possibly the world's first Vocaloid, a Vocal Android where a Japanese voice actress provides the character voice. The technology is part of a voice creation system “VOCALOID 2”developed by Yamaha Corporation.
Melody and lyrics input is used to create the main vocal and back chorus. Hatsune Miku is positioned as a “futuristic idol.” In a Max Headroom modernised type of way we suppose. She has also found fame with Toyota Corolla using Miku in advertisements since May 2011, and also a live concert was held for the first time outside of Japan in the same year.
As for the music app itself if you're lacking a  jerry cantrell guitar  you can still get down with app features like:
 Selecting a song from iPhone/iPod touch, and jamming  with Miku. If the BPM is available then Miku can move to the beat of the song with varying moves.
-  users can communicate with Miku while listening to music, and if you bond,like some sort of music driven Pokemon, you can receive special presents.
- Users can enjoy changing Miku’s fashion by acquiring new hairstyles, accessories and wardrobes available at the store inside the app.  More items will be added and available in the future.
- The English version includes the additional "Harukaze" costume pack.

Shadow of Mordor Companion App

The iPad companion app for upcoming Tolkien-ignoring Lord of the Rings prequel console game Shadow of Mordor seeks to add some context to the game.

The tie-in app is called Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor Palantir. It 'listens' to the part of the game you're playing and loads up the relevant Wikia information for that point, a great way to contextualise and definitely one for the Tolkien fan boys.

The app is out now for free preceding the console game to launch. You can still use the recording feature to get more information on videos about Shadow of Mordor.

Defenders and Dragons:How to get Free Revives

Defenders and Dragons is another great pay em up from Glu Mobile. The free to play game is very similar to its other game Samurai Siege, but set in a more medieval rather than oriental setting. Following standard Glu procedures you earn greater rewards for subsequent daily log ins. We've fortuitously come across an exploit where this can be circumvented and you can get maximum rewards.

How to get free Revives in Defenders and Dragons

Naturally the clock reset exploit probably works, but rather than fiddling with your internal settings we've come across another exploit( we'd be keen to hear from readers whether this works on other Glu games). If you play between midnight and one on the morning every time you start a new game the app will think that it's a new day. So every five restarts you will get Day 5 log in reward of a free revive, not to mention the free in game gold from the other day's rewards. Whilst many argue against the F2P model it undoubtedly gets a lot of quality games into people's hands for nothing unless you want a leg up over the game mechanics. Glu arguably has a good model as their games are achievable without becoming nauseating grinds. One thing to watch out for is your IPad running really hot and the battery being blitzed rapidly with a lot of smooth textures and onscreen graphics being pumped out. If you're on the go look to have something like a nikon d3000 charger batteryheads.com to take the pain. It's also one of the only games I've seen to cause substantial slowdown on an IPad 3,so remember to close other apps. Enjoy the exploit.

Stop Motion gaming on ios

DroidArcade harnesses the power of stop motion animation for superior IOS gaming

Kyttaro Games has brought DroidArcade, the free, frantic, sci-fi, stop-motion animated action game  that lets you nimbly maneuver your Bishop 7 droid through the ancient corridors of the vast retro-futuristic Basilica to IOS

Gamers can download it for free for their iPhone, iPad and iPod touch from the App Store:
https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/droid-arcade/id747617910

The story behind A Droid's History
A power-hungry Ecclesiarchy has plunged humanity into the new Dark Ages. The last remaining Chronomancer has been taken hostage on the gargantuan Basilica space station, and if he dies, an already dark world will get a lot darker. Only a small, unarmed droid named Bishop 7 can save him—and only with your help.

The stop motion technology behind A Droid's History
DroidArcade has been approached like an interactive work of art. They have hand-modeled the characters in clay and painstakingly animated them using stop-motion technology,an atmospheric soundtrack and lush hand-painted cut-scenes add to the atmosphere.

Gameplay
In each of DroidArcade’s levels, you must avoid patrolling enemy droids, grab the gems and keys needed to proceed, solve puzzles on the fly and all this while making sure you do not run out of time or energy.

**Features**
-Stop motion animated graphics!
-Gameplay taxing both your mind and your reflexes!
-Graphics and cut-scenes by visual artist Hariton Bekiaris!
-Full soundtrack by acclaimed musician Chris Christodoulou!
-Sweeping sci-fi story!
-One in-app purchase to unlock the complete game!
-60 levels over 4 different worlds!
-Universal app: works smoothly on iPhone, iPad and iPod touch!

http://droidarcade.kyttarogames.com/

** Contact us**
info@kyttarogames.com
 

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