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Hitman GO ready to take hits on Android

You'll either love it or hate and there's probably no gray area in between. Hitman GO has finally landed on Android, but this Agent 47 on your smartphone might not exactly be the same assassin you have grown and loved.



It is almost like Square Enix took the Hitman franchise and turned it over on its head. There is still an element of stealth in this mobile game, but it might not be easy to see or believe that because of how the game is portrayed and played. It trades the first-person shooter style of the full games into a turn-based board game. And it really does look like a board game, which will probably remind players more of diorama sets more than anything else. And that is actually an intentional design decision, a feature even.


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That said, Hitman Go isn't a child's game, unless the child is some sort of tactical genius. You do still get to avoid enemies, stealthily take out the baddies, and do all kinds of shadowy things you would normally do on the PC and console versions. Except now you do it in a less convincing way, though in way that was designed to be a breeze on mobile devices. Needless to say, this version of the Hitman game is more cranial than the others in the series.




Square Enix should probably be commended for taking a rather bold stance in turning a well-known franchise into a game that is quite fit for casual, mobile gaming. Whether or not it will sell to fans of the title is a different question entirely. You might want to take it for a spin yourself, but it will cost you a bit. Hitman GO carries a $4.99 price tag on Google Play Store, and that's not yet counting the in-app purchases you will encounter inside.


Download: Hitman GO on Google Play Store


YouTube apps now lets you choose your quality

Google is pushing out an update to its YouTube Android app that adds a long overdue feature. Starting at version 5.7, users will now be able to choose the exact video quality that they want, much like they can on the web browser version.



Previously, users can only choose between two modes: HQ, for High Quality, or not HQ. The actual video quality of the stream is automatically decided by Google behind the scenes, presumably after determining which one is best depending on the network speed and resources. However, there are cases where manually choosing video quality is still better, and fortunately Google is now agreeing to hand over some of that control over to users.


With the update, the choice expands from 2 to 6 or 7, depending on your device. This ranges from Auto, which lets Google do what it thinks is best, 144p, 240p, 360p, 480p, and 720p. There seems to be some confusion about the 1080p option. Some have reported that the resolution is missing from the list, but in our Galaxy Note 3 test run it was there. Whether or not it actually plays at that quality or whether the original video actually supports it is a different matter.


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As before, these new options are available via the overflow menu, the one with the three vertical dots at the top-right corner. That screen has slightly been revamped as well, switching the old HQ icon for a gear, to signify more options hiding behind it.


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Download: YouTube on Google Play Store





Android 4.4 distribution passes 10%, Honeycomb yields

KitKat rises, to use the almost cliché phrase. As of June 4, Android 4.4 has risen steadily beyond the 10 percent mark, while Android 3.0, the ill-fated Honeycomb release, has disappeared from the charts completely.



The adoption of Android 4.4 ever since its launch has been quite phenomenal. After a rather slow start, the latest Android version doubled its figures in the April statistics, from 2.5 percent to 5.3 percent. It has been rising steadily, with more and more devices, both new and old, getting updated and more new devices coming with Android 4.4 out of the box. As of today, it has finally surpassed a milestone, now comprising 13.6 percent of devices in the market. Of course, this comes at the expense of other versions.


Android 2.3 Gingerbread, the oldest most used version, has gone down 2 percent. Not exactly a staggering amount, but it does mean it's well on its way below the 10 percent mark. The trio of Android Jelly Bean still holds much of the pie, but it has gone from 60 percent to 58 percent. Quite interestingly, Android 4.1 has actually slid down quite a lot and Android 4.3's adoption has risen, implying that at least those still on Jelly Bean are getting the latest. But perhaps the next most significant figure in this month's chart is the one that isn't there. Honeycomb has been removed from the list. Since Google doesn't list versions that go below 0.1 percent, a figure it has maintained for months, we can practically mark this particular incarnation of Android as extinct.


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The recent release of Android 4.4.3 might not do much to change the figures but the rollout of Android 4.4.2 to existing devices isn't done yet, with some still catching up even as late as now. And there are still some devices currently baking in the rumor bin, most of which will hopefully be running Android 4.4 from the get go.


SOURCE: Google





Amazon 3D smartphone hinted in June 18 teaser

Amazon is letting everybody know that it has a launch event on June 18. What it may not have wanted everyone to know is that it will be for its much-rumored 3D smartphone, but that cat was almost let out of the bag thanks to some rather sloppy camera work and editing in Amazon's own teaser video.



The retailer giant has long been the subject of many smartphone rumors and supposedly credible leaks, none of which so far has ever come to pass. That might all be changing later this month. Amazon smartphone rumors have wildly varied from the mundane to the extravagant, but one detail in the latest round of hearsay stood out, some sort of 3D viewing, or capturing, capability as well as a user interface that makes use of that. Without the need for 3D glasses, of course. Sounds a bit far-fetched and unusual, but that might actually be a git tip after all.


This Amazon teaser has people cocking their heads this way and that, expressing amazement and wonder at something they're seeing on an unseen device. This is usually actions and reactions associated with 3D visuals and parallax scrolling. Note that this isn't the same kind of 3D parallax effect used on the iPhone 5, which only happens when you tilt the device itself and not your head. But perhaps more crucial to this rumor round, some keen eyes have caught a glimpse of the device, or part of it, in the video, which is hinted to be of a smartphone size and not a tablet.




Now that the existence of an Amazon smartphone with a 3D display is almost all but settled, the next question will be how useful will such a gimmick be. Words like "amazing" and "wow" and "intuitive" were thrown around, but then again they were paid to say those after all. On a gaming device like the Nintendo 3DS, such a feature might make a bit more sense. On a smartphone, its utility and usability remains to be seen, and see it we will when, and if, Amazon finally pulls off the covers on June 18.


VIA: SlashGear





Office for Tablets rumored to land on Android before Windows 8

Hell might freeze over if this rumor turns out to be true. According to sources, the touch-first tablet version of Microsoft's Office suite will be arriving on Android later this year, while it won't be coming to Windows 8 devices until sometime in 2015.



This rumor both makes sense and at the same time doesn't. Office is one of Microsoft's remaining strongest cash cows but, unlike it's other products, it is one that is perhaps best served by being available everywhere. And by everywhere, that also means non-Windows devices, like iOS and Android. Microsoft Office Mobile is already available on Google Play Store, but it is limited to smartphone form factors. The tablet version is still coming, and if this tip is to be given credence, it will be arriving sooner than later.


On the other hand, Microsoft might look less confident and less credible by not prioritizing its own platforms. From a user's perspective, it is almost understandable that Microsoft would want to be where the money is, so to speak. And in the context of mobile devices, the money is not on its own operating system. It is, however, not exactly reassuring from an investor and business point of view.


That said, it might actually turn out to be a smart move in keeping Office relevant today. While Microsoft's productivity suite isn't exactly faltering, a new generation of users are growing up not tied to the software's idiosyncrasies, especially with that generation relying more and more on mobile devices and the cloud for their document creation and editing needs. Office, however, still maintains a foothold in part because of Microsoft's proprietary file formats. With official Office apps that can be found on any and all significant platforms and devices, Office could pretty much keep Microsoft from falling into obsolescence in the mobile industry while the company tries to scramble to gain a hold of the market.


VIA: SlashGear





Vertu Signature Touch luxury phone may be worth its price

Luxury smartphones usually have sky high prices but completely mediocre features. Vertu, however, might finally be breaking free from the mold with its Signature Touch, a smartphone that can proudly boast of the latest and best smartphone hardware in the market.



Premium both inside and out, the Vertu Signature Touch rises above the rest by listing specs that you would find in high-end flagship smartphones this year. Powering this device is a 2.3 GHz quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon, not some low-powered version of the chip. The 4.7-inch display might seem small until you find out that it sports a Full HD 1080p resolution, giving you one of the highest pixel densities in a smartphone of this size. Continuing this trend of surprises, you'll also find the latest Android 4.4 running on the Signature Touch, and not some outdated, even if only slightly, version of the OS.


Of course, Vertu will be distinguishing itself by its looks, but it also has components that are worth taking note of. The speakers bear the mark of acclaimed audio experts Bang & Olufsen. The 13 megapixel rear camera, on the other hand, is proudly Sweidish camera manufacturer Hasselblad's handiwork. though the 2.1 megapixel front-facing camera might not be. You have a wide assortment of connectivity options, including a remarkable number of LTE bands that will make it possible to use this device anywhere in the world. And to keep the smartphone looking classy even while charging, Vertu has affixed Qi wireless charging capabilities as well.


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On the outside, the Vertu Signature Touch definitely plays the part well, sporting a mixture of titanium for the frame, ceramic for finishing, hand-finished leather for cover, and sapphire crystal for glass. As good as it all sounds, the price will undoubtedly wake you up to reality. The Vertu Signature Touch luxury smartphone will become available this June for an absolutely luxurious price of ₤6,750, which is roughly $11,300 in the US.


VIA: SlashGear





Instagram 6.0 heralds new editing tools, filter options

It has been quite a while, but Instagram has just pushed out the latest major revision of its mobile app. In version 6.0, the popular photo sharing service has added a bevy of tools that aims to bring out the creative artist inside of you.



Aside from the social networking community that has grown around the service, one of the most popular features of Instagram is the amount of filters that one can apply to spruce up a photo before sharing it with friends and strangers. One could perhaps claim that without these filters that enabled non-artists to create interesting moods and effects, Instagram wouldn't have really taken off as much as it did. Building up on that vision of creativity, Instagram, now owned by Facebook, is adding a few more creative tools to the user's belt.


Taking center stage in this release is a set of photo editing tools. These aren't just your ordinary crop or rotate tools, but neither are they full blown effects like Amaro, Mayfair, and the rest of the gang. Instead, these are options that will let you fine tune images even further, whether by increasing or decreasing Brightness, creating Highlights or focusing on Shadows, or even controlling the color Saturation of a photo. All of these settings are accessible via that tools menu, represented by the wrench icon, which brings up a whole new tray of options.


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But Instagram wasn't content with giving users more control over photos. It is also giving them more control over filters themselves. They might not be fine-grained knobs and dials, but double tapping on a filter will bring up a slider that will control just how much of that filter will be applied. Some filters will have additional options, like frames or borders. Instagram v6.0 is free and now up on Google Play Store, so grab it while it's still hot.


Download: Instagram on Google Play Store

SOURCE: Instagram





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