Category: News

Plants vs. Zombies 2 released on Android

The sequel to the cult classic mobile strategy game, Plants vs. Zombies, has finally made it to Android. Plants vs. Zombies 2 has been out on iOS since August of this year but the Android version was delayed. Developer PopCap promised to deliver the game to Android users “later this fall” and they’ve delivered.

If you’ve never played Plants vs. Zombies, the goal of the game is to protect your home from being invaded by zombies. You’ll have an arsenal of powerful plants to help you guard your home. Plants vs. Zombies 2 introduces three different worlds: ancient Egypt, a pirate ship, and a hidden temple. Win stars by completing goals in each level to unlock new worlds and levels.

The game is free to play but has plenty of in-app purchases to speed up unlocking more plants and powers. Although there are in-app purchases, they are not required to be successful in the game.

Be sure to read our 13 tips and tricks for Plants vs. Zombies 2 before you start playing.

Download Plants vs. Zombies 2 for Android

San Francisco launches SF72.com to prep for serious emergencies

San Francisco residents are expecting a major earthquake to happen sometime in the near future. The next major earthquake is expected not only to affect the city of San Francisco, but also surrounding cities like Berkeley, Oakland, and even possibly as far as the Silicon Valley. While physical destruction may be localized, the economic effects will be huge.

In response, San Francisco Department of Emergency Management started SF72.com, an emergency resource for residents to “get connected before an emergency.” The website name takes in account the general rule that after a catastrophe, you have 72 hours before you should expect help. This is because emergency services have required locations go to before helping the public.

As of now, SF72 is providing important information about how to prepare for any serious emergency by connecting to social networks like Facebook and Twitter. The site also suggests making local connections in your neighborhood. There are lists of recommended supplies to prepare for natural disasters and how to make plan for such an event.

When something does happen, SF72 will update with news, combine crowdsourced feeds, and provide a map to get to resources.

In its dormant state, SF72 looks like a great tool to prepare for any disaster and get updates if anything happens.

Instagram for Windows Phone to be released in the “coming weeks”

Windows Phone is finally getting Instagram, helping to alleviate its lack of apps. Instagram CEO Kevin Sytrom confirmed today at the Nokia World Conference that the photo and video social network was coming to the Windows Phone platform. “Our ultimate goal is to bring Instagram to everyone who wants to use it. We’re looking forward to watching the Windows Phone community use Instagram to capture and share beautiful moments in the coming weeks.” said Systrom.

Instagram is certainly a big app but Nokia also announced that Twitter’s Vine video social network and Flipboard would also be coming to Windows Phone. Popular games like Temple Run 2 and My Talking Tom will also be released for Windows Phone soon.

As Microsoft nails down huge apps like Instagram, it’s turning Windows Phone into a viable third mobile operating system. With BlackBerry out of the way, Windows Phone could be a strong contender, following Android and iOS‘s popularity.

RELATED STORIES

[Source: ABC News]

Google Play Store with slide-out navigation rolling out now

Last week we reported that a redesigned version of the Google Play Store for Android would be rolling out soon. Today, that update has begun making its way to some users.

The changes in Google Play 4.4.21 aren’t dramatic but it does help Google Play look and feel like Google’s other Android apps. Gone is the drop down navigation menu, which has been replaced by a slide-out navigation drawer.

There update doesn’t feature any card-style design changes like the rumors previously speculated. The update is very minor and only moves the navigation menus to the slide-out column.

RELATED STORIES

Source: Android Police

Slender: The Arrival to be released October 28th

An official Slender Man game was rumored to be arriving around Halloween, and now Midnight City has announced that Slender: The Arrival will be officially released on October 28th on Steam for $9.99.

Developed by Blue Isle Studios with help from Parsec Productions,  the creative team of Marble Hornets, and Slender Man creator Eric “Victor Surge” Knudson, Slender: The Arrival expands on the mythology of Slender Man.

The story of Slender: The Arrival is about Lauren, a realtor, who is helping her friend, Kate, sell her house. After finding a note and empty house, Lauren goes searching for her friend and finds that there are “things” stalking her every move.

Slender: The Arrival contains seven levels and now includes a camcorder along with the flashlight. Among the seven levels is extended content from the original independent release. The game will also support the Oculus Rift. Slender: The Arrival is also scheduled for a console release in Q1 2014.

Watch early gameplay of Slender: The Arrival

Related Stories

Six Android apps to scare your friends this Halloween

Review: The Last of Us

Pre-order Slender: The Arrival

Google Hangouts for iOS gets free voice calling

Over the weekend, Google updated its Hangouts messaging app for iOS with free voice calling within the United States and Canada. If you’re a Google Voice user, you can now send and receive phone calls directly from the Hangouts app.

If you’re currently using the Google Voice app for iOS, you will get two calls to your phone at once if you enable voice calling in Hangouts. This is annoying but you can easily disable one or the other.

google hangouts calling

The great thing about voice calling in Hangouts for iOS is that the app makes calls over data instead of using your cellular minutes. This should make wireless carriers nervous.

In addition to updating with free voice calling, Hangouts for iOS also gets the ability to send animated GIFs, which play automatically in chats.

What’s odd is that Android users will have to wait to get this feature, even though Android is usually first for Google’s latest product updates.

RELATED STORIES

Source: Google Hangouts (iTunes)

Google sends invitation for Oct. 24th Google Play Event

Google has sent out invitations to an event on October 24th about Google Play. The invitation is vague, only saying “Join us for a night out with Google Play. Music, movies, games, and a special performance by Capital Cities.”

google play invite

What could this event be announcing? Android 4.4 KitKat is right around the corner but it looks like this Google Play event won’t be about Google’s mobile operating system. Android Police received confirmation from “a credible source” that the event will not contain any news about Android.

Perhaps the event will cover the changes to the Google Play Store we saw yesterday. Yesterday, a leaked version of the Google Play Store app for Android showed a new slide out navigation menu.

The event will take place at on October 24th at 7PM (EDT) in New York City.

RELATED STORIES

Source: Android Police

Windows Remote Desktop launched for iOS and Android

Microsoft has launched Android and iOS versions of Remote Desktop alongside the release of Windows 8.1. The apps allow you to connect to your PC remotely. Remote Desktop is not a new thing, but this is the first time it has been offered to non-Windows devices.

Using the new Windows 8 interface is much easier on a mobile device than earlier versions, although Remote Desktop will let you connect to older Windows PCs too, all the way back to XP.

Microsoft haven’t made much noise about Remote Desktop for iOS and Android. Its announcement was buried in a press release about cloud services earlier this month, and there hasn’t been any publicity for the actual release.

Download Remote Desktop for Android and iOS.

Read more about Windows 8.1:

Windows 8.1 out now

Windows 8.1 is now available free for all Windows 8 users. It’s the first major update to the radical operating system, and introduces a number of significant changes and improvements.

Of all these changes, the one that has attracted most attention is the return of the start button, but be aware this is not the start button you know from Windows 7 and earlier. The new start button is simply a way to jump from the classic desktop back into the modern UI.

The other significant change is the option to boot directly to the classic desktop, bypassing the new style interface altogether.

Here are the major changes you’ll find in Windows 8.1:

  • More powerful search
  • Internet Explorer 11
  • More customization options
  • New applications
  • Redesigned Windows Store
  • More Bing integration
  • More cloud storage integration with SkyDrive

The Windows 8.1 update also marks the end of an era, as it replaces the traditional ‘service pack‘ update that Microsoft typically issues after a new version of Windows is released.

Now Windows updates are delivered through the Windows Store, we expect them to be more frequent, unlike the Service Pack releases that were often years apart.

Download Windows 8.1

Apple asks developers to submit app for OS X Mavericks before Oct. 22nd event

Apple is asking developers to submit their apps for OS X Mavericks, ahead of the company’s press event scheduled for October 22nd. The company put up a message on its developer news board asking developers to make sure their apps are Maverick ready. Since Apple has yet to announce a release date for OS X Mavericks, there’s speculation that the operating system’s official launch date and pricing could be revealed on October 22nd. Here’s what Apple had to say:

“Make sure your app takes advantage of the great new features in OS X Mavericks when the world’s most advanced desktop operating system becomes available to millions of customers later this fall. Download OS X Mavericks GM seed and Xcode 5.0.1 GM seed, now available on the Mac Dev Center. Build your apps with these latest seeds, then test and submit them to the Mac App Store.”

If previous releases of OS X are any indication, OS X Mavericks will be sold exclusively from the Mac App Store for around $20, though there’s no confirmation about that quite yet. If OS X Mavericks doesn’t get a release date on October 22nd, the company still has its earnings report event on October 28th where it could detail OS X Mavericks.

RELATED STORIES

Source: Apple