May, 2019 - Softonic English

Summer apps for parents

These great apps will make your family’s summer even easier.

Many (if not all) parents find themselves looking forward to school coming back after the hectic excitement of summer!

We’d like to suggest a few apps that could help during those summer months; a few helpful tools you probably wanted without realizing it. They are the 2019…

Summer Apps for Parents!

Cozi

If Cozi doesn’t have it all, it certainly has a lot of it!

The app assists with planning chores, events, and meals. Normally, each of these functions would be covered by separate apps, but Cozi does an impressive job of performing all of them at once! Also, thanks to the magic of internet connectivity, every device running the Cozi account can be automatically updated so the whole family is on the same page across their multiple devices.

What better way to describe it than their intro video?

It’s that easy!

NOTE: while Cozi’s vanilla version works perfectly well, it offers a Gold account that adds extra features for $30 a year, applied to the whole family. The benefits are as follows:

In the normal version, ads aren’t too intrusive and the mobile weekly views are helpful and everything still works well overall. Give it a shot, and go Gold if you think it’s worth the price!

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Greenlight

What could go better with a chore planning app than a debit card for children? Allowance accountability here we come!

Greenlight prepares kids for the cashless future with a debit card that can be tracked and deactivated from either the kid’s or parent’s devices. As their website suggests, the system is, “Safer than cash. Wayyy safer.”

The reason they chose the name Greenlight comes from the ability to choose where the money can be spent, either “anywhere” or at a specific store. For example, allowance can be set for use anywhere, while lunch money can be restricted to a restaurant!

Not only that, but parent-set interest rates can be implemented, and savings projects can be created to teach a hands-on finance lesson.

If a financial app for kids still doesn’t seem like your thing, try visiting their Frequently Asked Questions page for more information on safety, features, and tutorials. We think you’ll enjoy what you find.

FamilySearch

Alright, admittedly, this one comes a little out of left field. But hey, who hasn’t watched “A Knight’s Tale” and wondered if their legacy can be traced back to Charlemagne?

Gosh, that would be cool.

This free application, courtesy of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, helps compile worldwide information on genealogy! Unlike our first two apps, it may not keep your family entertained for the whole summer, but it certainly may give you a better idea of your ancestry, and that could last even longer.

Better yet: if you make an account, you can add information to the website rather than just searching for your ancestors! The world’s family tree is growing, and sharing historical information will always be welcome and appreciated.

(Off-topic note: we’re not sure why the kid on the website’s main page looks so forlorn as he stares off into the middle distance. For some reason, it’s a little unsettling. Is that just us?)

(Anyway…)

Google FamilyLink

Google family link goes beyond internet safety apps. In addition to protecting kids from malicious sites, you can set time restrictions to internet access to build healthier habits, ensure uninterrupted sleep at night, encourage focus on productive tasks during the day…

Actually, this sounds good, even as an adult.

We’ve said it many times: the internet’s store of knowledge blows every other information resource out of the water, but poses many dangers to younger, developing minds. Plain and simple, Google Family Link helps parents shape an improved environment tailored to their family’s needs.

So, while your kids are helping with chores and dinner, spending their money wisely, and learning about their family tree, you can foster better internet usage as well.

Wishing you a happy summer

While parents don’t need these apps, they can help create a more interesting, fun, helpful, inspiring, and productive summer. We hope one or many of them sparked your interest!

PewDiePie shuts down ‘Subscribe to PewDiePie’ meme

One of YouTube’s biggest stars backpedals after his fans go too far.

PewDiePie, or Felix Kjellberg, has become a household name. At over 95 million subscribers, he is YouTube’s most well-known content creator. Early on in his YouTube career, PewDiePie was almost strictly a YouTube gamer, focusing on Amnesia: The Dark Descent, Happy Wheels, and Telltale’s The Walking Dead series.

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In the past few years, PewDiePie has strayed from the gaming path a bit, exploring some of the more trendy content being released, like his meme reviews or LWIAYT (Last Week I Asked You), in which he asks his subscribers to submit specific memes to his Reddit page, and laugh challenges.

While some argue that PewDiePie’s humor should be perceived as dark or nonsensical, some of his content has stirred up controversy – like when he used Fiverr, a freelancing website to ask two men in India to hold up a banner that read “Death to all Jews.” He said he just wanted to see if they would really do it, and seemed shocked that they did.

While streaming a game of PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds, during a particularly rage-filled moment, he yells a racial slur. That, with all of the publicity around the Nazi jokes that his followers insist were made in jest, caused a lot of PewDiePie’s future projects to fall through, including a show with YouTube called “Scare PewDiePie” which had a second season that had already been filmed.

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Most recently, PewDiePie has been in competition with T-Series, another YouTube channel that posts Bollywood videos, on who can get the most subscribers. Named the “Subscribe to PewDiePie movement,” it started by PewDiePie himself making jokes in his videos and asking his fans to spread the word so that his channel could remain on top. Soon, this movement grew and swept the world, with fans and other popular YouTubers doing things like putting up billboards and flying planes with “Subscribe to PewDiePie” signs trailing behind them. Then the movement took a turn when the shooter in the Christchurch mosque attacks referenced the movement on his live stream just before he entered the mosque.

After some silence on the topic, PewDiePie has finally come forward to release a video addressing the horrific incident, and calling for an end to the meme.

In it, PewDiePie thanks his fans for the amazing support, but then said that “when 90 million people are riled up about something, there are bound to be degenerates,” referencing the mosque shooting and saying that he did not respond for a while after the attack out of respect for the families and victims. He concluded with a statement that while the movement was intended to be positive, that he doesn’t want hate to win and that the end of the meme has been long overdue.

What do you think about PewDiePie’s statement?

10 most iconic weapons in anime

Which lethal weapons are the greatest in anime history?

The weapons used in anime are as varied and unique as the worlds they inhabit. Whether being used by a hero to save the world or wielded by a villain to cause untold destruction, the weapons of anime have left an indelible mark on their audiences. Check out our definitive list of anime’s most powerful and stylish armaments.

10 most iconic weapons in anime

10. Fueguchi Quinque- “Tokyo Ghoul”

tokyo ghoul fueguchi quinque — Image courtesy Pierrot

Quinques are the rather macabre weapons used by the anti-ghoul CCG unit. As part of their zombie-like abilities, all ghouls develop an additional organ called a kakuhou, which is essentially an extra limb that can be used as a deadly weapon. When a ghoul is killed, the CCG removes the dead ghoul’s kakuhou and turns it into a weapon that can be wielded by their agents. Essentially, each quinque is a severed limb. The Fueguchi Quinque is a particularly macabre example wielded by sadistic CCG agent Kureo Mado. It takes the form of a massive, bony whip that Mado uses to devastating effect, and is later wielded by his daughter Akira.

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9. Crescent Rose- “RWBY”

rwby crescent rose ruby rose — Image courtesy Rooster Teeth

In an anime full of stylish and unique weapons, Crescent Rose stands out from the crowd. Wielded by protagonist Ruby Rose, the Crescent Rose is a massive mechanical scythe. To top it off, the Crescent Rose can also switch forms and become a giant high-caliber sniper rifle. RWBY can use the scythe’s blade as a bipod for the rifle, or use the rifle’s recoil while in blade form to propel her rapidly across the battlefield. The result is some flashy and impressive scythe-and-gun combat that makes for very unique takedowns.

8. Kunai- “Naruto”

Kunai are a staple in every ninja’s arsenal, and that remains true for the characters of Naruto. Utilized by a range of characters, kunai are basically pointy metal darts designed as throwing weapons. Unique kunai include explosive-tipped kunai, triple-bladed kunai, and kunai that can be concealed on a spring mechanism hidden in a wielder’s sleeves. These stealthy and stylish weapons have as many unique variants as they have users, and each shinobi puts their own spin and technique on this ubiquitous weapon.

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7. Hellsing Arms .454 Casull- “Hellsing”

hellsing 454 casull alucard — Image courtesy Geneon Entertainment

This absolutely massive firearm comes closer to a cannon than a pistol. The gun was custom-built for Alucard, a ruthless vampire and assassin working for the Hellsing Organization. Known as the “Joshua,” Alucard’s handgun is chambered for the rare and powerful .454 Casull cartridge, which is usually intended for hunting large game such as bears. As if that weren’t enough, the silver bullets used in the handgun are made from melted holy relics in order to pack an extra punch against the undead hordes. It’s a weapon befitting of its vicious wielder.

6. Wrath’s Saber- Full Metal Alchemist: Brotherhood

full metal alchemist brotherhood wrath saber — Image courtesy Bones

As a literal embodiment of the cardinal sin of Wrath, it stands to reason that Fuhrer King Bradley can work wonders with weaponry. His go-to, however, isn’t anything powerful or particularly flashy. Instead, he usually goes into battle armed with nothing more than an unadorned, standard-issue military saber. Despite being a relatively simple weapon, Wrath puts his blade to use with devastating effect. In one noteworthy example, Wrath uses nothing but his sword and a single grenade to take down an entire fully-armed infantry division… and an actual tank.

5. Excalibur- “Fate/Zero”

arturia fate zero excalibur — Image courtesy Aniplex

Everybody’s heard of Excalibur, the blade of the legendary King Arthur. What many people don’t know is that King Arthur was actually a young woman named Arturia (or at least she is in the world of Fate). As part of the secretive Holy Grail Wars, Arturia can be summoned as a champion to fight for the Grail… and her sword comes with her. Excalibur is normally kept invisible to hide Arturia’s true identity, but when revealed, Excalibur can reach its true power. By amplifying Arturia’s own power, the sword can essentially become a laser-type weapon, emitting a powerful beam of energy that can destroy fortresses and even entire armies.

4. Zangetsu- “Bleach”

bleach zanpakuto zangetsu — Image courtesy TV Tokyo

Imagine owning a sword that you could literally talk to. Like, literally speak to a sword in the form of a person. In the world of Bleach, you can do exactly that. Shinigami each wield a zanpakuto, which is essentially a sentient sword. In the case of protagonist Ichigo, his zanpakuto is known as Zangetsu, an intimidating looking blade that can take multiple forms. As a result of being able to communicate, Ichigo and Zangetsu are able to work in total harmony as a formidable fighting force.

3. Dominator- “Psycho-Pass”

psycho pass dominator pistol — Image courtesy Dentsu

The Dominator is a weapon worthy of its name. This futuristic handgun is made exclusive to law enforcement officers in the world of Psycho-Pass. The Dominator uses a Wi-Fi connection to operate, interfacing with a massive law-enforcement database to ensure it can’t be used by anyone except an authorized user. In addition, it can verify a potential criminal’s threat level simply by aiming at them. After determining the threat, it will transform into a lethal or less-than-lethal elimination mode. Lethal eliminations are particularly gruesome; the Dominator uses specialized rounds that cause flesh to swell and explode when hit, and is capable of blowing off entire limbs with a single shot.

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2. Sword Cutlass Pistols- “Black Lagoon”

sword cutlass black lagoon — Image courtesy Geneon Entertainment

Used by gunslinger and outlaw Revy, this pair of custom-built Sword Cutlass handguns is befitting of a modern-day pirate. The Sword Cutlasses are a pair of stainless-steel Beretta M9 handguns, equipped with custom ivory grips and extended slides. To add to the piratical flair, the grips even include an engraved inlay of swashbuckler Calico Jack’s famed skull-and-crossbones insignia. Revy dual wields the pistols with deadly efficiency, and her gunplay could probably even rival that of John Wick.

1. Scissor Blade- “Kill la Kill”

kill la kill scissor blade — Image courtesy Aniplex

Kill la Kill protagonist Ryuko Matoi doesn’t have much to remember her dead father by. After his mysterious assassination, Ryuko finds Senketsu, a sentient school uniform, and the giant red scissor blade he created. The scissor blade functions as Ryuko’s main weapon and also forms half of the weapon used to kill her dad; when Ryuko finds the owner of the other half of the blade, she’ll have found her father’s killer. The Scissor Blade boasts the impressive ability to change size, going from a keychain-sized trinket to a massive two-handed greatsword when entering the appropriately named Decapitation Mode. Together with the powers of Senketsu and Ryuko’s own tenacity, the Scissor Blade is an iconic weapon that turns Ryuko from a 17-year-old girl into a formidable fighting force.

Were we missing anything? Let us know in the comments below!