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Halfbrick Studios, creator of popular titles like Fruit Ninja, has published Monster Dash in the Amazon Appstore. Monster Dash is a highly popular classic on iOS that recently received its first significant update in years for iPhones and iPads. The revitalization on its original platform apparently inspired Halfbrick to finally bring the game to Android. For now, it looks like it may be an exclusive to Amazon.Â
For a long time, Google's My Tracks app was basically a niche app, if not just a novelty. However, the recent addition of Android Wear support started to get things to make more sense. Location tracking on a smart watch is more convenient and may render obsolete the GPS watches of yesteryear. With the new 2.0.9 update, My Tracks has Google Fit support, giving My Tracks some credibility as a fitness app.
Who better to learn encryption from than the people who have actively tried to build vulnerabilities into encryption? Nobody, says the GCHQ, the British NSA equivalent that has released a free Android app called Cryptoy to teach children the basics of encryption. The app, designed for tablets, focuses on four basic techniques and allows users to create encrypted messages for sharing to friends to decode.
Those looking for an off-contract deal on fairly recent phones have a treat today: the Samsung Galaxy Note 3 and Galaxy S4 are available in refurbished condition on eBay for 0 (Note 3) and 0 (S4) with free shipping. They are Verizon devices, but are unlocked and technically able to pick up 3G from GSM carriers, according to the seller.
At long last, Chromecast has a functional guest mode. While it presumably has something to do with the update to the Chromecast app that rolled out earlier Wednesday, the change did not appear immediately afterwards. Google apparently flipped a switch on the server side, and suddenly anyone with an up-to-date app can cast to a TV without being on the same Wi-Fi network. We've been waiting for this feature to roll out since it was announced way back in June at Google I/O.
Among the feature additions in the latest Hangouts update is the ability to switch between Google Voice and carrier SMS without diving into the app settings. All you have to do is tap on the "spinner," the toggle in the conversation window that already allowed you to alternate between Hangouts and SMS. Now, provided you have a Voice and carrier number, you'll have two SMS options.
HTC's Power to Give app, the philanthropic software created by HTC to devote idle processing power to scientific research, has been updated with a refreshed interface and a single sign-on feature to help streamline the process of signing into various projects.
One of today's Amazon Gold Box deals is on the second generation Motorola Moto G, arguably the best budget device on the market. For December 9th only and as long as supplies last, the price on the Moto G US and International versions in both black and white is reduced $30, down to 9.99.
If I had to buy an off-contract phone right now, it would probably be this one. Do keep in mind, though, that this kind of price comes with a few limitations. There is not yet a current-generation model that supports LTE, so if you want that, you will have to buy last year's LTE model. Also, Motorola does not make a CDMA version of the Moto G, so this will not work out for Sprint and Verizon customers. You do still get Motorola's very clean version of Android and speedy updates; in fact, this Moto G has already been updated to 5.0 Lollipop.You can get a Motorola phone with a 5", 720p screen that has been running Lollipop since mid-November for $149 today. It might not be the best phone for everyone, but the Moto G is definitely among the better buying options for many.Moto G (2nd Gen) Gold Box deal of the day
Google seems to be making a final push to get people buying Chromecasts before Christmas. If you buy one between today and December 21, you'll get a $20 Google Play credit to buy some new movies to stream on your TV. They don't make it too clear, but it appears you will need to buy from the Play Store to redeem this offer. Update: As commenter SEJ326 points out below, Chromecasts from both Amazon and Best Buy are also eligible for the offer.
Play Store users can get 5 SEGA games at significant discounts for a limited time, each at $0.99. These are part of the larger set of apps, games, and media on sale in the Play Store's weekly deals collection.
On the heels of their release of the Android 5.0.1 Lollipop OTA update to the HTC One M7 and M8 Google Play Editions, HTC has quickly made the kernel source for both devices available at the HTCdev website. Most users don't need to worry about this either way, but developers and fans of custom ROMs should be happy to see these available so soon.
The top-selling cell phone accessory on Amazon, the Jackery Giant+ portable USB charger, is discounted to .99 ($10 off) today. If you ever need to charge your phone or tablet without access to a wall outlet, this 12,000 mAh external battery will do the job for you. Chargers like these are essential for travelers, people with long workdays, or those who just don't like getting off the couch to plug things in.Note that only the orange color is discounted today, so you'll have to pay a little more for the eye-catching gold color or the neutral silver and black versions.
The Giant+ supports 5V/2.1A output, which charges phones and tablets more quickly than cheaper chargers. It can also charge two devices at once, though one of them will charge more slowly with 5V/1A output. This external battery has enough juice to charge most tablets at least two times and around four full charges for typical phones. Of course, all you need to do once the Giant+ itself is out of power is charge it with a conventional wall charger.[Jackery Giant+ 12000 mAh Portable USB Charger]
Updates to Google's Text-to-Speech app aren't always interesting, but today's bump actually brings with it two new languages. For those waiting for Hindi and Indonesian language support, it's your lucky day.