Quantcast
Channel: Feed - OnSoftware
Viewing all 1922 articles
Browse latest View live

Twitter style hashtags could be coming to Facebook

0
0
According to a report in the Wall Street Journal, Facebook is working on bringing hashtags (#) to the service. Like Twitter, it would be used to organize conversations by subject. WSJ's sources claim this is in development, but not close to being implemented. You would be able to click on a hashtag (eg #justintimberlake), and read all the posts about that subject. Instagram already works with hashtags, and is owned by Facebook. Facebook has been using Twitter's @username concept for some time for tagging people in posts. It's easy to see why Facebook would test hashtags, as Mark Zuckerberg wants it to become a personalized newspaper, and hashtags are a great way to follow stories on Twitter. They are also popular with advertisers. However, Facebook is much more closed than Twitter, where users are generally public. My stories in Facebook are generally limited to my pool of friends: hashtags work on Twitter as they allow you to track stories outside of the people you follow. Twitter and Facebook are often seen as competitors, but from a user point of view they offer distinct services that are complementary. Integrating Twitter features also might not be popular with Facebook fans who already resent the use of @ mentions. [source: Wall Street Journal]

Facebook beginning to push Android updates without using Google Play

0
0
In a mysterious and confusing move, Facebook has begun pushing updates to its Android app without going through Google's Play Store. Many users began seeing a Facebook update download in the background late yesterday, with many users complaining that the download wouldn't complete. Tech blog, Liliputing, reported that the update is, in fact, legitimate and contains updates that allow users to change his or her profile picture, hide stories, report spam, and initiate group conversations more quickly. Perhaps the most alarming update is the ability for the Facebook app to automatically update without alerting users. This is fundamentally different from how updates are handled with the Google Play Store and may explain why Facebook is attempting to go behind Google's back. Usually on Android when an app has an update, the user is alerted with a notification from the Play Store. There is an option to give applications the ability to update without alerting the user but if an app's permission changes, it must be manually updated, forcing users to read the changed permissions. Perhaps Facebook doesn't want users to review updated permissions for future updates and that's why it's going around Google's app store. mysterious facebook update

Image credit: Chris Park

Have you seen this mysterious Facebook update? Let us know in the comments. Source: Liliputing

Google Translate gets Phrasebook feature but has one fatal flaw

0
0
google-translate-iconGoogle Translate is getting a useful feature with Phrasebook today but that doesn't mean its without flaws. Samsung revealed its new flagship phone yesterday with a new translation app that betters Google Translate in some ways. The old Google Translate only allowed you to access your history of translated phrases, but there was no way to save your favorite phrases. Today, Google released Phrasebook for Google Translate, which lets you do just that. The change to the website is a subtle one. Users will find a star under the translation box, which, when clicked, will save the phrase to your Phrasebook. save to phrasebook To access your Phrasebook later, there's an icon of a book with a star in the top right corner. This will expand your Phrasebook to the right and will avoid taking up the entire page. google translate phrasebook This works well enough but there is one huge oversight. You cannot edit your phrases. This means that any translation that turns up incorrect can't be corrected before you save it to your Phrasebook. This is a huge oversight and may lead to some embarrassing miscommunications. Source: Google Translate

WhatsApp for iOS will have annual subscriptions

0
0
There will be no desktop version of WhatsApp, and the iOS version will move to a yearly subscription service for new users. CEO Jan Koum confirmed this in an interview with the Dutch site Tweakers. Koum said the company wished to focus on Mobile, and while there is a lot of demand for a desktop version, they have no plans to make one. WhatsApp believes the world is moving to mobile: as your phone is always with you desktop is a secondary experience. This will upset users already pointing out that WhatsApp competitor Line does offer a desktop app to complement the mobile version.Payment Changes. Currently all versions of WhatsApp have the same model - it's free for one year, and then has a yearly subscription fee. WhatsApp for iOS will join this model sometime this year. This will only apply to new users - if you have already bought WhatsApp for iOS, you will not be charged. If you do want to use WhatsApp on desktop, its possible by using Blue Stacks App Player. Find out how to use Blue Stacks.

Google Drive experiencing connectivity issues for a 'significant subset of users' [updated]

0
0
google drive iconIf you rely on Google Drive to for your files and documents, you're going to have a rough morning. Google has just confirmed that Drive is experiencing connectivity issues that's "affecting a significant subset of users." The company first acknowledged the issues at 7:17AM PST, and has stated that it will provide more news at 9:10AM PST. Of course, there is no guarantee that a fix will be issued at that time. For now, the issues seem to stem around users trying to manipulate or even just access Google Drive. A couple of Softonic editors, including myself, have been experiencing issues all morning connecting and using Drive. Actions will time out with "Loading..." and "The server encountered an error" messages being displayed at the top of the page. There are reports all over Twitter of users experiencing issues with Drive.google drive outageUpdate 3/18/2013 9:35 PST: Google has stated that the problem is resolved. Source: Google

New look Pinterest rolling out

0
0
Pinterestis getting a face-lift. The increasingly popular social network for collecting the things you love announced its new look in a blog post today. Lead Product Designer Jason Wilson explained how testing and feedback began in January, and now everyone can see the results as they are rolled out. The new layout makes using the Pinterest homepage easier. You can now browse Pins from the same board, Pins from the same source and People who pinned this also pinned'. These are all designed to make discovery even easier on Pinterest. According to the blog post, one of the aims of the redesign is to stop you losing your place when you're exploring. Read our review of Pinterest.

Here are the games EA is offering as an apology to SimCity customers

0
0
EA has announced the list of games that anyone who bought SimCity will be able to choose from as an apology for the messy launch. During its first week online, many gamers were unable to log in to EA's servers, meaning they couldn't play this 'always online' game. Here's the list of games you can choose from
  • Battlefield 3 (Standard Edition)
  • Bejeweled 3
  • Dead Space 3 (Standard Edition)
  • Mass Effect 3 (Standard Edition)
  • Medal of Honor Warfighter (Standard Edition)
  • Need For Speed Most Wanted (Standard Edition)
  • Plants vs. Zombies
  • SimCity 4 Deluxe Edition
SimCity's troubles are unlikely to end with this gift. An official blog post has attempted to calm the online storm about why there was no offline mode. However, as many pointed out, EA and developers Maxis seemed to have changed their story.In development blog posts running up to the release, they claimed 'always online' was necessary as the servers would handle a portion of the simulation software, and that would be too much for home PCs to manage. This has been proven to be untrue. Now EA are claiming that always online is because the game is designed to be multiplayer and social. Its clear that there are advantages to online play, but there is nothing that's a deal breaker, or that makes an offline single player mode look impossible. If that had been made clear before, fans might have been angry, but they would not have felt lied to. It's unfortunate Maxis decided to make the case that it was the technically brilliant Glass Box engine that required the power of online servers. Mods have shown the game can indeed be played offline, and to make matters worse, not all of Glass Box is so intelligent after all.

Windows Phone 8 will only be supported until July 2014, no word on future OS upgrades

0
0
Windows8_logo-icon.jpgMicrosoft alienated its most loyal users when the company announced that Windows Phone 7 users could only upgrade to Windows Phone 7.8 instead of Windows Phone 8. It seems that the company is at it again, as it plans to only support Windows Phone 8 until July 2014, which is only 18 months after its release. This is what Microsoft has posted on its site:
"Microsoft will make updates available for the Operating System on your phone, including security updates, for a period of 18 months after the lifecycle start date. Distribution of the updates may be controlled by the mobile operator or the phone manufacturer from which you purchased your phone. Update availability will also vary by country, region, and hardware capabilities."
For a company that has done so much for backwards compatibility and legacy support, it's disappointing to see Microsoft give such a short lifespan for its mobile operating systems. It is understandable that new features may require more powerful hardware, but it seems that Microsoft could be doing more to help users with older handsets feel more cared for.windows phone support timeline The company has stayed tight-lipped about the next version of Windows Phone but it's probably safe to assume that devices currently running Windows Phone 8 will probably get an updated operating system down the line. Windows Phone 8 introduced a new kernel that works between Windows 8 and Windows Phone 8 so handsets should be upgradable. The more alarming take away is that mobile carriers will have more power and control over which phones get OS upgrades. With this news, Windows Phone fans can't help but feel a little betrayed at the short product lifecycle. Does this news turn you off from getting a Windows Phone? Let us know in the comments. Source: Microsoft Support

Updated Gmail app for Android lets you archive and reply from notification drawer

0
0
gmail iconThe Gmail for Android app received a small bump from 4.2.2 to 4.3 today. The only thing that has changed is that users can now archive/delete and reply to single emails from the notification drawer. One of the nicest features that Google introduced in Android 4.2 was the ability to interact with specific notifications in the notification drawer.  Music apps have the ability to expand with bigger artwork and playback buttons. Today, Gmail gets more useful interactive notifications. Users can now archive/delete and reply to single emails in the notification drawer. Getting the ability to archive or delete will depend on how you set up your Gmail app. Previously, Android users only had the ability to expand an email to see part of the body of the an email. If you have multiple unread emails, users could see an unread count. This leads to one of the biggest issues with email notifications in Android; the reply and archive/delete feature only works if you have one unread message. If you have multiple unread messages, the notification drawer will only give an unread count. gmail notifications Still, the new notification actions are useful for those who don't get as many emails and want to act on messages as quickly as possible. You can get the latest version of Gmail for Android here or from the Google Play Store. Source: Official Gmail Blog

EA's Origin game platform vulnerable to hijacking

0
0
EA origin iconDuring the Black Hat security conference in Amsterdam, security research firm, ReVuln, revealed that EA's Origin game software is vulnerable to hijackings. In some cases, hijackings could occur without any user interaction whatsoever. This exploit works on both Windows and Mac. The way this exploit works is due to how Origin handles URIs (uniform resource identifiers), which allows malicious links to execute code onto a user's machine. The demo at the Black Hat security conference showed how ReVuln was able to execute a malicious .dll file by sending a modified URI. So why are URIs even allowed in Origin? Well, many websites use URIs to direct links to games within a program. So clicking on a URI will open up a game within Origin. While this exploit specifically targets Origin, this isn't the first time URIs were exploited. Competing game platform, Steam, suffered from a similar attack back in October. A bit of blame can also be shifted to certain browsers for now showing full URI paths. Users have the ability to save actions for certain URIs so applications like Origin will automatically launch. This means users won't have the ability to preview a URI to scan for malicious code before it executes.ea origin exploit EA has yet to respond to this vulnerability. For now, users should exercise caution when clicking on links from unknown sources. Source: Ars Technica | ReVuln [PDF]

Battlefield 4 reveal coming March 27

0
0
A video teasing Battlefield 4 appeared yesterday on the official Twitter feed for the FPS series. They used Vine, the six second video app, to create a rough looking video that reveals a date, March 27th and a snippet of tank tracks starting to move. A promo image for the game has also been released, which confirms Battlefield 4 will stick with a modern warfare theme, unlike Call of Duty: Black Ops 2 with its near future setting. A multiplayer beta should be coming in Autumn 2013, as this was promised to people who pre-ordered Medal of Honor Warfighter Limited Edition last year. Let's hope that early access to Battlefield 4 is compensation enough for playing Medal of Honor!

How to use WhatsApp on Windows

0
0
WhatsApp offers a great way to chat with friends for free (well, almost free) from your phone. But did you know you can also use WhatsApp on a Windows PC? Using the BlueStacks App Player for Windows, it's possible to install WhatsApp on your computer. This gives you the ability to send and receive WhatsApp messages without having to pull your phone out of your pocket. The application looks and behaves exactly like the Android version of WhatsApp, including chat features such as file sharing, contact sending and message history.How to install WhatsApp on a PC To get WhatsApp on your computer you first need to download and install BlueStacks App Player. This is a free program that emulates Android applications on your PC. You can use it to run many Android apps and games through a windowed interface on your computer. Don't worry, it's very easy to use, as you'll see. The next thing you'll need is a mobile phone number. This is used to verify your account and the app looks at your mobile phone contacts to find out which are using WhatsApp. If you already have WhatsApp installed on your phone it won't work, since you can only run one instance of the app per phone number. Once you've installed BlueStacks App Player you're ready to get WhatsApp onto your Windows PC. Here's how it's done: 1. Click on the App Search icon in BlueStacks and perform a search for "WhatsApp". Click Find. 2. In the results list you should see WhatsApp Messenger as the top result. Click Install. 3. If you can't find WhatsApp Messenger in the BlueStacks search, or if it won't install, go download the WhatsApp APK file from the official site. Right click on the icon once downloaded, select 'Open with...' then choose BlueStacks Apk Handler. Click OK and WhatsApp will be installed in BlueStacks. 4. Once installed, clicked the WhatsApp icon in BlueStacks to launch it. When you run it for the first time you'll be asked to verify your phone number. Select your country followed by the phone number you want to use for WhatsApp. 5. When confirmation of your number comes up, make sure the number is right then click on OK to proceed. 6. WhatsApp will now attempt to send you an SMS verification message. This will fail but you need to wait until it's finished anyway. 7. When the SMS verification fails, you'll be given the option to be contacted by phone with the verification code. When you click the Call me button your phone will ring after a few seconds and a recorded message will read you the code. Type this code into the space provided. 8. When you've correctly entered the code you'll be prompted to set up your profile information. Enter a name and add a profile picture if you like. 9. You'll be reminded that WhatsApp is free to try for a month, after which time you need to pay on an annual basis. 10. After clicking Continue your WhatsApp contacts list will be loaded. This is based on your phone contacts (on the number you used) who have WhatsApp installed. Click on a contact to start chatting to them. 11. Now you can chat away to your contact on WhatsApp, in just the same way as you would on a mobile device. You can switch between the keyboard and emoticons using the icon next to the message input box. 12. It's possible to use some of the file sharing features of WhatsApp on your PC. In our tests we were able to send photos, video and audio. To send files using WhatsApp click on the paper clip icon in the top-right corner.

Draw Something 2 announced by Ryan Seacrest

0
0
Draw Something 2 has been announced on Twitter, by celebrity Ryan Seacrest. Draw Something was a huge hit in Spring 2012, but its popularity dropped off after it was bought by Farmville and Words with Friends developer Zynga. Ryan Seacrest has tweeted a number of Draw Something 2 images featuring caricatures of celebrities like Nicki Minaj and Mariah Carey. From these pictures it seems that Draw Something 2 is going to add effects and backgrounds to your works of art. The pictures have a strangely professional look to them - they are not nearly as endearing or funny as what we usually saw while playing the first game. Seacrest is developing a TV gameshow based on the franchise, so it's not a huge surprise he has announced this news. So far there is no release date or concrete details about how it will change. Few viral mobile games maintain their momentum, and it may be too late for Draw Something 2. Angry Birds and Temple Run kept going with much faster development and iteration, while Draw Something really has to catch people's attention again, which is not easy to do.

Apple pushes iOS 6.1.3 to fix lock screen vulnerability

0
0
iOS settings iconApple has just pushed iOS 6.1.3 to users, fixing the lock screen vulnerability that was brought to light a few weeks ago. The official changelog only contains a sentence stating, "This update contains improvements and bug fixes." Other minor updates in this release include improved maps for Japan and various other security patches. Although there are no explicit security patches mentioned, it's safe to assume that Apple has closed the exploit the evad3rs team was using to jailbreak the operating system. To get the latest update, head over to the settings app on your iPhone, iPad, or iPod Touch and check for updates. The update is a relatively small 17MB and should install quickly. Make sure your phone has sufficient battery power or plug in when you install the software. ios 6.1.3 update Source: Apple

Rumored Babble could unify all of Google's chat services

0
0
Google has grown so quickly that some of its services have become redundant. The company is reportedly trying to fix the problem of redundant chat apps by combining them all into one service called Babble, reports Geek.com. Currently, Google has Google Talk, Messenger (part of Google+), Voice, Hangouts, and chat for Google Drive. It wasn't until recently that Google services could share data between each other so Messenger and Talk pretty much work the same except a message you get in Google Talk won't show up in Messenger. Google Voice is an amazing service that I use every day, but development for it has sputtered and it now feels like an abandoned product. Hopefully Google can make Voice relevant again. The should come as no surprise as Apple and even Facebook have unified messaging platforms. Apple has iMessage and Facebook has Messenger but each company's strategy differs greatly. Apple unifies chat for all of its own devices but Facebook Messenger unifies chat across all devices. Hopefully Google will follow Facebook's path and make Babble platform agnostic. Babble is nothing more than a rumor at this point, but Geek.com has received multiple unnamed sources that have confirmed the existence of Babble. It would make sense if Google debuted this as a feature of its next Nexus flagship phone during the Google I/O conference in May. Source: Geek.com

Comparison: Stock Android versus Samsung TouchWiz

0
0
The Android operating system is used by many different hardware manufacturers. While Google offers devices with a stock Android interface, other companies like HTC, put skins over the Android OS with extra first party apps. Samsung, the most prolific Android device maker, uses an overlay called TouchWiz. Previous versions of TouchWiz on devices running Android 2.3+ or 3.0+ weren't really well developed. The split between phones and tablets caused a big fragmentation between the usability of TouchWiz, just like stock Android. When Google announced the merging of tablet and phone interfaces with Android 4.0, the outlook for Android was very bright. You can see how well Android 4.0 works across different devices. Samsung even went as far to hire Steve Kondik, founder of the very popular CyanogenMod ROM, to help improve TouchWiz for Samsung's Android 4.0 devices. Called TouchWiz Nature UX, the new interface fixed many problems that older versions had with improved speed and visual design. While the a stock version of TouchWiz Nature looks a little bland, customization that Android has been known for is still present. Stock Android 4.0+ has a great UI and comes with nothing much else than first party Google apps. You are able to customize it how you want and receive the latest updates straight from Google. So how does stock Android compare to Samsung TouchWiz now?

Homescreen

When you start or unlock your device, the first thing you'll see is your homescreen. You can customize what you want to view on the main screen. Android allows you to add additional pages for more app shortcuts, widgets, and folders so it's up to you how much you want on each screen. These two examples are of my personal Samsung Galaxy S3 and a stock Samsung Galaxy Note 2. Since I like having only important apps on the homescreen, they are located in the bottom launcher separated by type. The most used common apps are Google Maps and a quick app shortcut to the Camera. Otherwise, the time widget is the only other important information I need. The Note 2 is running the default TouchWiz Nature UX. The weather widget is TouchWiz-specific showing current weather where you are located. TouchWiz out-of-the-box is a little boring looking and the widgets that Samsung automatically loads on the different pages takes a lot of space that can be used with smaller widgets or specific apps. Samsung's approach to screens is just like stock Android, but adds extra animations to give it a different user experience. A good example is the default unlock screen that simulates rippling water. The Samsung Galaxy Nexus was Google's first Android 4.0 device. It was also the first presentation of the new interface and updates that the new operating system would offer over Android 2.3 Gingerbread and the lost cause that was Android 3.0+ Honeycomb. Many of the widgets included can display your Google account information like Gmail. You can also display the calendar and other first party services. Google does display folders a little differently than TouchWiz, but there's no significant difference. Looking at the Nexus 4, it's not running a stock Android 4.2 interface. Editor Lewis is running Nova Launcher on top of Android 4.2 for more customization, but doesn't have the same impact that TouchWiz has over Android.

Google Now

Android 4.2 introduced Google Now, an extension of Google Search. Usually Google Now is intelligent in searching your email for information like flight itineraries, package shipments, and pulling information for appointments from Google Calendar. Google Now is launched on stock Android by a simple hold-and-swipe up from the bottom of the screen. On TouchWiz, with the inclusion of a physical home button, you have to hold it down until the the menu launcher containing the Task Manager and open apps pops up. The update to Samsung devices placed the Google Now button in the center of the menus, making it more difficult to launch directly. A shortcut is to just tap on the Google Search widget if you have it on one of your homescreens. The amount of information that Google Now displays is dependent on which cards are enabled and on your location. Many Google Now cards are based off searches of your Gmail account, but depending on how the sender formats their email, Google Now may not be able to accurately pull the relevant information. On TouchWiz, Google Now remains untouched. Looking at stock Android devices, you can see that there is little difference between the Android 4.2 Holo Theme and Samsung TouchWiz. This is mainly because Google Now is built into Google Search which is an app rather than a service built into the operating system.

Lockscreen

The lockscreen is another place where TouchWiz and Android differ. When Google released Android 4.2, they added the ability to place widgets on the lockscreen. While this could have been achieved with apps, having first party support is a welcome sign that Android is expanding the notifications. Since Android 4.2 is the newest version of the OS, it's disappointing that most users can't use the option yet. On the Galaxy Nexus, there are no options for widgets so you don't have a lot of information displayed, though you can launch Google Now from the lockscreen. With Android 4.2, you can add different first party widgets like the Google Now or add third party apps for widgets like DashClock. TouchWiz's lockscreen is a little more basic. In the TouchWiz Nature UX swipe lock screen, you can add up to five apps that you can launch. There is also an option for a feed at the bottom, which gets news from Yahoo!, stock information, or provides a feed from your Facebook. There isn't a true real-time update system for these feeds or the displayed weather because the shortest update interval is limited to 30 minutes. It's also annoying that the TouchWiz Nature UX lockscreen with gesture lock enabled will not display any alarms you have set. The lockscreen is the first screen you will look at when you turn the screen on, so having access to relevant information immediately is becoming more important. Android 4.2 took a good step forward by allowing you to add widgets to the lockscreen, but they are lacking in number with the most important being the Google Now widget, which doesn't always show the most relevant information. Samsung TouchWiz Nature UX is still running Android 4.1.2 on the Galaxy S3 and Note 2 and doesn't allow widgets to be placed on the lockscreen. It appears that even with Android 4.2, TouchWiz may limit the ability to add widgets to the lockscreen in favor of a TouchWiz-focused interface.

Same engine, different options

The usability of stock Android versus Samsung TouchWiz Nature UI is mainly superficial. The skin that Samsung developed along with its included first-party apps doesn't change the core functionality of the device. You may have to go through more menus or options to get to what you're looking for, like with Google Now, but apps are relatively unchanged. Samsung can't directly block Google apps, but they can push strong alternatives, which is exactly what they are doing.Samsung Galaxy S4's recent reveal showed that Samsung is trying to push a "Samsung" experience rather than an Android device. The user interface of Android is defined by the manufacturer now. Google's Nexus partners have to work closely on developing a device with a stock Android experience with the benefit that it will likely receive the latest updates first. Manufacturers who use an overlay have to work with new updates to weave it into the existing system, which is the cause of delayed updates for its users. The second delay comes from wireless carriers who want to push their customers to new devices and new "cost-saving" plans. Whether you're using a device directly from Google like the Nexus line or an Android device developed by a manufacturer, you're still going to have a version of the Android operating system at the core. It might not look or function exactly like stock Android OS does, but you'll be getting many of its features. Stock Android from Google is the best for those who enjoy the latest updates first, but general consumers won't lose much if they pick up the latest or last generation devices from third party manufacturers.

How to delete YouTube watch history

0
0
If you didn't know, YouTube is connected to your Google account. To watch videos that are age-appropriate, you need to be signed into your account. While this can be circumvented if the video is embedded on a website, watching directly on YouTube requires an account. Also, if you watch a lot of videos on YouTube, you should know that it keeps track of all the videos you have watched, regardless of how long you viewed it. So that viral video you only watched for a few seconds is logged in your watched video history. It's simple to control your watch history, or more specifically - delete it. Here's how to delete your YouTube watch history. In your account, in the upper right you should see your username or full name, depending if you've connected your Google account to show your full name. Clicking on the icon will bring up your Google account information along with the YouTube settings. The main section of the options shows your Favorites, Watch Later, Likes, and History. Click on History and it will load your video history with the most recent at the top. In your Watch History section, you can either delete specific videos by marking the box to the left of the video, delete your entire history, or pause logging of videos. It's easy to delete selected viewed videos, but if you haven't cleaned out your history in a long time, you may just want to clear out everything. YouTube's Watch History options give you what you need: delete a few videos, delete all your videos, or pause your history. While Google will never share your video history online and it's a log for yourself, sometimes you may forget to log-out of YouTube and find that others have watched videos on your account that you don't want in your history.

Google makes searching for animated gifs easier

0
0
google iconGoogle has updated its image search feature on the web to make it easier to search for animated gifs. If you don't know what a gif is, it's basically an image file that plays back a bunch of still images on a loop. These are prefect for capturing a short scene. Twitter's Vine service gets its influence from animated gifs, but uses video instead of a bunch of still images strung together. To access this new feature in Google Images, all you have to do is click on the button that says "Search Tools" next to the "More" dropdown menu. Then hit "Any type" and select "Animated." That's it! All the results will show animated gifs for you. This is a good time to explore all of the other search tools that Google Images provides. An additional nicety that Google added is the ability to look for images with transparencies, which is great for looking up icons and other clipart. google images animated gif search Now you can annoy all your friends by responding to them with animated gifs. jurassic park shock Source: Google (Google+)

Star Wars Pinball out now for iOS

0
0
Zen Studio's Star Wars Pinball is now available for iOS (iPad and iPhone). The game comes with one table, and there are in-app purchases for additional tables. Zen Studios has made a great name for itself with Pinball FX and Zen Pinball, so it's great to see it bring Star Wars tables to iOS. All the tables in Star Wars Pinball are new and original - these are not versions of classic branded tables from the 80s. Like Zen Pinball, Star Wars Pinball mixes great feeling physics with cool effects that you can't see in real life. Zen Studios' Mel Kirk said the toughest thing about the Star Wars franchise was picking what to use. 'The universe is so big, there are so many memorable characters and moments – it was a challenge to simply pick what to use in this first set of tables.' The game is full of samples and sound effects that will be immediately familiar to any fan of Star Wars. Check out some screenshots below.

Beware of Windows Live Messenger/MSN scams

0
0
Now Microsoft is killing off Windows Live Messenger, scammers have stepped in, trying to trick users into downloading fake installers that include malicious software. It's important to be aware of the threat and be careful about what you download. As Windows Live Messenger users are migrated to Skype, many users are looking for installers as a way to escape Skype. Microsoft's official site is no longer offering Messenger as a download, so people are looking for other sources.Even if you do get a Windows Live Messenger installer, you will still have to move to Skype to continue chatting to your contacts very soon. Microsoft are shutting down MSN, and there is no way to avoid this. While Skype is very different, we have a guide to getting started, so the transition is as smooth as possible. According to Kapersky Labs' SecureList blog, cyber-criminals have been buying sponsored links for 'MSN Messenger' on Google, that lead to links that download Trojans. Currently, the target seems to be Brazil, where almost a third of Windows Live Messenger users live. The use of Google's AdWord raises questions about Google's verification system for its partners.It's likely that these kinds of scams will increase when MSN is shut down for good. We would advise not searching for Windows Live Messenger or MSN installers, as the move to Skype is inevitable.[search image via SecureList]
Viewing all 1922 articles
Browse latest View live




Latest Images