February, 2015 - Softonic English

App of the Week: Retrica

Softonic’s App of the Week highlights some of the coolest, most unique, and popular apps that have been released for Android, iOS, Windows, and Mac. This week we are looking Retrica, the camera app that lets you pre-plan your personal touch.

Retrica offers more than 100 different visual styles for you to personalize your photos. Apply the filters in real time before you take a shot, so you can be certain you are getting the exact photo you want every time.

Once you have the perfect picture, Retrica also offers a range of post-production tweaks to add the final touch to your masterpiece. Check it out in the below video.

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Download Retrica for iOS and Android.

Be sure to check out our previous Apps of the Week here.

Anthem health insurance hacked. Here’s how to protect yourself.

A major attack on health insurance provider, Anthem Inc., has exposed personal information for more than 80 million customers and employees. In an email to affected customers, Anthem CEO Joseph Swedish announced that the company was a victim of a “sophisticated external cyber attack.”

The data stolen in the hack includes “names, birthdays, medical IDs/social security numbers, street addresses, email addresses and employment information, including income data.” However, credit card and medical information was not accessed.

The attack was discovered on January 29th by a system administrator who noticed a database was accessed under his account without his knowledge. Anthem moved quickly to disclose this attack to the public and is now working with the FBI to investigate the source of the attack.

Anthem finds itself on the ever growing list of high recent profile data breaches which includes the likes of Target, Sony Pictures and many more.

Although your personal information maybe in the hands of cyber criminals, there are steps you can take to protect yourself.

Secure your online accounts with a password manager

The first step after any major security breach is to control the spread of your personal information. If you’re using the same password across multiple sites, you’re setting yourself up for disaster. Hackers will try your stolen username and password across other accounts to see if they can steal more information from you.

You can stop this by using a password manager, which helps you generate strong, randomized passwords. If you need help choosing one, check out our comparison of 1Password, Dashlane and LastPass.

Monitor your credit reports

Photo credit: 401kcalculator.org via Flickr

Now that your social security number is in the hands of hackers, you’ll have to be diligent about checking your credit score. An exposed social security number leaves you vulnerable to identity theft whereby thieves can sign up for credit cards and loans in your name that will mar your credit score.

Under federal law, you are entitled to one free credit report per year from AnnualCreditReport.com, which is powered by credit reporting companies like Equifax, Experian and TransUnion. If you’ve already requested a free credit report this year, you can pay a company to send you a full report.

Anthem promises to provide free credit monitoring and identity theft protection for all affected members. The company hasn’t started providing these services yet but affected members will receive info in the mail about how to sign up.

Beware of phishing

Photo credit: Microsoft

After every high profile data breach, hackers looking to capitalize on the panic will send out fake emails or create fake sites to steal people’s information. Be aware of phishing emails disguised as legitimate communications from Anthem or other healthcare providers.

If an email looks suspect, don’t click on any of its links and contact your health insurance provider directly over the phone. Typos, sensationalist call to actions and disguised links are dead giveaways for phishing emails.

Create secret email addresses for sensitive accounts

AVG’s Head of Free Products, Tony Anscombe, recommends creating secret email addresses for sensitive accounts.

“Moving forward, avoid using the same email address or identity across multiple online accounts. For example, have a primary email address used for recovery of forgotten passwords and account information. Have a secondary email address for offline and online retail transactions. Have a third for financial accounts and sensitive information.”

This is smart advice as hackers will have a tough time cracking your account if they don’t even know which email address you’re using. Sure, it’s annoying to have to manage multiple emails but most password managers will make this easy.

2014 was marked by an increase of high profile hacks and it’s not going to slow down. Use these tips to build up a wall around your personal information for the next inevitable hack.

For more tips about how to protect your personal information, check out my article about how to protect your online identity.

Best PlayStation Vita games

It’s impossible to argue that the Sony PlayStation Vita has potential. The successor to the PlayStation Portable has all the right features, but lacks the first party support that would have pushed it past its rival, the Nintendo 3DS.

While Sony isn’t spending time developing games for its own platform, other developers are releasing excellent games. If you’ve been thinking about picking one up, there are still plenty of great games to choose from.

One thing you should know is that many PS Vita games are cross-buy, meaning games you purchase for one platform (PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, or PlayStation Vita) gets you a copy for another PlayStation console. Some games even offer cross-platform saves so you can continue where you left off.

Here’s a list of my picks for the best PlayStation Vita games.

Sound Shapes

sound shapes

Puzzle and platform games work really well on the PS Vita. Sound Shapes is a cross between platformer and music game. You traverse levels collecting song samples to recreate the track as you move throughout the stage. Even after you finish the game, there are tons of user created songs you can download and play. Sound Shapes was one of the first games released for the Vita but is still worth the download.

Buy Sound Shapes

The Walking Dead Seasons 1 and 2

the walking dead season 1

Telltale Games has been crafting its iconic gameplay style for years but it wasn’t until The Walking Dead series that the developer jumped into the spotlight. The Walking Dead forces you to make difficult decisions in the midst of a zombie apocalypse. If you finished the first season, you can import your save into Season 2 and continue with all your previous choices added to the game. While Telltale is working on other properties, The Walking Dead is still among the developer’s best games to date.

Buy The Walking Dead Season 1 and Season 2

Guacamelee!

guacamelee!

Guacamelee! is an action platformer that combines a hilarious story with addictive gameplay. Using a mystical luchador mask, you try to save El Presidente’s Daughter from Carlos Calaca, an evil skeleton that can navigate both worlds of the living and the dead. The game’s style and polished gameplay are among the best for Vita games and one of the best showcases for platformers on the console.

Buy Guacamelle!

Muramasa Rebirth

muramasa rebirth

Developed by Vanillaware and originally released for the Nintendo Wii, Muramasa Rebirth is a port of that game onto the Vita. The game is an action/slash RPG and features detailed graphics and simple but complex gameplay. The two branching storylines give you a reason to play the game more than once. If you’re a collector, attempting to forge every sword in the game is a challenge in itself. Muramasa Rebirth’s DLC adds four extra characters and stories to extend the life of the title even further.

Buy Muramasa Rebirth Complete Collection

Persona 4 Golden

persona 4 golden

Originally released on PlayStation 2, this PS Vita remake adds a lot of new content. like new characters, animated cutscenes and additional Personas. The Vita is home to many localized Japanese role playing games but Persona 4 Golden is one of the “must-play” classics. The gameplay hasn’t changed so you still get to experience the challenging turn-based combat of the original along with the strange story the series is known for.

Buy Persona 4 Golden

The Binding of Isaac: Rebirth

the binding of isaac rebirth

If you’re looking for a difficult dungeon crawler, The Binding of Isaac: Rebirth is the perfect game for you. It’s a remake of the original Flash game but has been updated with 16-bit graphics and a new engine. The visuals of The Binding of Isaac: Rebirth can be a little disturbing, as each character in the game is designed with adult themes and is definitely not a game for children. The gameplay is challenging and addictive; expect to fail a lot in the beginning before you start figuring out the right way to play and complete the dungeons your first time.

Buy The Binding of Isaac: Rebirth

Retro City Rampage DX

river city rampage dx

Retro City Rampage DX is a remaster of the original Retro City Rampage. Drawing inspiration from Grand Theft Auto, the game includes a lot of tributes to ’80s franchises like Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and Metal Gear. The 8-bit style fits the Nintendo Entertainment System days and includes a big story mode along with other mini-missions for you discover. You can also switch between the original RCR or RCR DX in the settings. Even though it has a simple graphic style, the depth of Retro City Rampage DX is staggering.

Buy Retro City Rampage DX

Resogun

resogun

When it was first released on the PlayStation 4, Resogun offered impressive graphics and challenging gameplay. A port of the game was released for the Vita a year later and while it doesn’t run at 60 frames per second like the PS4, its 30 FPS actually makes the game a little easier. Its simple controls and addictive gameplay makes Resogun highly replayable. Like mobile games for Android or iOS, Resogun can be a quick game to play on your commute.

Buy Resogun

OlliOlli

olliolli

Where as Skate is the perfect skateboarding game, OliiOlli is the perfect arcade skateboarding game. While its simple graphics make OlliOlli look dated, the gameplay is still amazing. Use the analog stick to perform tricks, the shoulder buttons to rotate, and the X button to land perfectly. Completing massive combos in OlliOlli requires precision and skill. It’s also frustratingly difficult since you die instantly. If you trip and fall, your run is over and you have to start over. With OlliOlli 2 on the way, OlliOlli is will help you hone your skills before playing the sequel.

Buy OlliOlli

Metrico

metrico

The tagline for Metrico is “a game about infographics and free will” but what it really is is an extremely difficult puzzle platformer. While it looks graphically simple, the stylish visuals add to the tone of the game. Your goal is to get through the level by using the different obstacles to your advantage. Metrico is a game of trial and error. You will have to think before acting because one wrong choice will force you to start from the beginning. The basic gameplay is easy to understand but it won’t take long before you’re staring at one point and trying to figure out how to get past it.

Buy Metrico

Third party developers are helping breathe life to the PlayStation Vita. Sony may see the Vita as an extension of the PlayStation 4, but it’s an underutilized platform that continues display potential. While there hasn’t been much news about the console, there are more games coming in 2015. Stay tuned for news about upcoming games for the Vita.

Play over 100 PS3 games for $20 a month with PlayStation Now

Best free Android games

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Follow me on Twitter: @chrislikesrobot

Month: February 2015