Be part of the Guardians of the Galaxy in new Android game

When Marvel first announced that they were coming up with a new superhero movie, fans were excited about which of their famous characters were getting the big screen treatment next. But when they revealed it was the little known Guardians of the Galaxy, many were baffled at first. But due to the marketing genius of Marvel and Walt Disney, anticipation is now at a high, and this new Android Game will certainly fuel that excitement as well.

Guardians of the Galaxy: The Universal Weapon is a new game on the Android platform where you can join the entire gang as they try to retrieve five pieces of a weapon that should not fall into the wrong hands. You’ll team up with Star Lord, the leader of this unusual team of superheroes; Rocket, the racoon who loves to shoot guns; Groot, a tree-like creature who can hit like the best of them; Gamora, the only lady in the crew and a deadly assassin; and Drax the Destroyer, whose name says it all. Together, you will stop Ronan the Accuser from getting The Ultimate Weapon through gesture-based battles in both story and arena modes.

You’ll be able to unlock and play 25 different characters from the Guardians universe and play them on more than 60 levels if you play in the story mode. In the arena mode, you’ll be able to recruit more heroes and villains as you traverse the universe in survival mode. When you recruit new members on your team, you can also upgrade their skills and prepare them for battle by giving them items and weapons, including the “mysterious Iso-8.”

You don’t need an Internet connection to play the game and there are no in-app purchases, so you won’t go broke trying to save the universe. However, if you want to show off your high scores or compare it with your friends who are also playing, then of course you would need to be connected. Head on over to the Google Play Store to download the game for free.

Floatify brings Android L-type notifications to smartphones

If you’re one of those who can’t wait until the actual Android L update is here already, there are some apps now that can give you a preview of what it will be like, well at least as far as notifications go. Floatify is one of the earlier apps that does that, and it promises to give your smartphones a smarter way of dealing with notifications. Released just last week, now it has been updated with even more new features.

When you install the app, instead of the normal way your Android phone shows you notifications, now you will receive them floating and stacked. You can customize their style, like where they’ll appear, the size, color, animation, etc. You can also decide what to do with the notification, either expand it to full size, cancel it or even set a reminder when it is more convenient for you to decide on what to do. You can also add bulk actions, like dismiss all notifications, to your home screen, to make life easier.

You can also set it up so that the notifications will not show up when your phone is unlocked and will only float out once you unlock it. If you find notifications annoying when you’re playing a game or watching a video, you can create a smart blacklist that will prevent them from popping up when you’re in certain apps. They’ll float on your screen the moment you leave the app. Floatify is also available in several languages, including Spanish, German, French, Italian and others.

Just a week after they launched the app, the update brings even more features like more direct actions, like Reply and Call Back. You don’t even have to unlock your screen, just interact with the notification while you’re on locked screen mode. You can now also favourite actions and link them to gestures. For example, if you want to expand the notification, you can do so by a double tap or a long press, depending on how you want to do it. Status Bar Gestures have also now been added so you can just swipe it down when you want to open or dismiss a notification pop-up.

Download Floatify for free from the Google Play Store

VIA: XDA Developers

Story Timeline

• Android L and Xposed: Keep Calm and Wait for It


• Unofficial Android L port to Nexus 4 now available


• Android L theme available for Xposed devices

Magic 2015 brings the battle of the planes to Android

If you're tired of the dozens of card-collecting games, or card-collecting games masquerading as role-playing games, on Android, here's your chance to play the game that started it all. Wizards of the Coast has just unleashed Magic 2015 Duels of the Planeswalkers and now the popular CCG is marching right into Android. Gather up your cards and build up your deck, because you will be fighting for your life.

Magic 2015's plot revolves once more around the Planeswalkers, powerful sorcerers that can travel between different planes of existence. This time however, one of them, Garruk Wildspeak, is hunting other planeswalkers. And you, dear player, are one of them. If the above sounded gibberish to you, or if this is totally your first brush with Magic the Gathering, fret not. The game will let take to a tutorial should you indicate that you've never played the game before. In fact, you won't be able to proceed to any other part of the game until you finish the tutorial. Luckily, you can override your chosen newbie level in the settings.

At it's very core, Magic is a game of strategy and luck, drawing cards, laying them out, and trying to read your opponent's moves and body language. At least, that's for the real-world version of the game. In this virtual edition, of course, you don't get to physically or even visually see your enemy. You do, however, get the next best thing: multiplayer support! So yes, you can pit your newly formed deck against friends or against random strangers in Magic 2015.

The quality of the game itself is impressive, granted it doesn't make use of graphically intensive 3D models and such. But the effects littered throughout the game and the interface and the animations judiciously used in almost every nook and cranny are nothing to dismiss. But the most eye-catching part of the game will most definitely be the artwork. Magic the Gathering is quite popular for the art and the artists it employs in the creation of cards and it is satisfying to see that this tradition carries over to the digital version of the game.

Magic 2015 is free to claim on Google Play Store but, surprise, surprise there are in-game purchases. But considering that part of the real, physical Magic game does revolve around buying booster packs and decks, it shouldn't be surprising to see this kind of business here as well. Some more hardcore MtG, as it is abbreviated, players will definitely prefer the face to face battles with real-world opponents, but for those who want to take up the lore, the game, and the fantasy in their pockets, Magic 2015 might be the key to those worlds.

Samsung “Level” Audio accessories now available in the US

Several months after they first revealed the “Level” line of audio accessories, Samsung has finally announced that the high-end audio portfolio is now available in the US market. The headphones and Bluetooth speaker will be ready for purchase online and through several retail stores starting next week and were created to enhance the audial experience with Samsung smartphones and gadgets.

The high-end line includes three headphones, all of which offers something different depending on how you like to listen to your music and videos. If you want to immerse yourself totally in what you’re listening to, then Level Over is the one you need. The over-ear wireless headphone has Active Noise Cancellation that, well, obviously cancels all the noise outside, using four mics inside and outside and is connected to your device through Bluetooth technology. The Level On on-ear, wired headphone is perfect for those who are constantly on the go due to its foldable ergonomic design but it still has a powerful sound as well. If you want your music to pulse and treble, then the Level In in-ear wired headphone should be your dream. It has a three-way speaker system that gives you the natural sound quality, like you’re at a concert or at a bar where you’re surrounded by the music.

The Level Box meanwhile is a Bluetooth speaker that has the capability of streaming music from your Samsung Galaxy smartphone. The high quality speakers have both noise reduction and echo cancellation to give you that “crystal-clear sound.” It also has a one-touch NFC or Bluetooth pairing button that makes it easier to connect with your Samsung phone or actually, any Bluetooth compatible device.

If you’re a member of Gilt.com, then you’ll have a chance to get the accessories ahead of everyone as it will offer exclusive first access on July 17. Afterwards, it will be available on Amazon on July 20, at Samsung’s online store on July 21 and then at retail stores on July 27. The SRP are as follows: Level Over ($349.99), Level On ($179.99), Level In ($149.99) and Level Box ($169.99).

SOURCE: Samsung

Sony Xperia T2 Ultra and Dual variant get Android 4.4 boost

Sony is continuing the induction of its smartphones into the roster of Android 4.4 devices, which will surely give KitKat's numbers a boost in next month's distribution chart. This time, it's the turn of the Xperia T2 Ultra and its dual SIM wielding twin to get the KitKat treatment, and Sony is revealing what it added on top of that chocolatey goodness.

The Xperia T2 Ultra isn't exactly an old device. Unveiled in early January, the smartphone is unmistakably a mid-tier phablet designed to cater to those who like big screens with low specs, and presumably low prices. The 720p screen measures a full 6 inches, while the quad-core CPU clocks at 1.4 GHz, teamed up with 1 GB of RAM and 8 GB of internal storage. For a mid-range device, it does sport a slightly impressive 13 megapixel rear camera, though paired with a 1.1 megapixel front shooter, both bearing Sony's Exmor mark.

In addition to the usual laundry list of Android 4.4 improvements, which includes cloud printing, "Project Svelte", and immersive mode, Sony also took the opportunity to update the Xperia T2 Ultras with its most recent software package and UI tweaks. Of course, Sony's native apps such as messaging, Smart Connect, and Social Camera have been updated to their latest versions. Its media apps like WALKMAN, Albums, and Movies have been improved with better integration into the company's entertainment hub. It has also pulled in Xperia Themes, definitely an enviable feature that no other custom OEM ROM has by default.

Although Sony has already announced the update for the Xperia T2 Ultra, its actual arrival will of course vary by market and carrier. And the manufacturer isn't even done yet. It will soon be rolling out Android 4.4, with those same Sony exclusive features, for the Xperia E1 and Xperia M2, both mid-tier devices also announced early this year.

SOURCE: Sony

Story Timeline

• Sony Xperia T2 Ultra unveiled with 6-inch 720p HD display


• T-Mobile Xperia T2 Ultra spotted at FCC


• Xperia T2 Ultra Dual to get DUALSHOCK 4 controller support

Dead Trigger 2 adds hellish arena and alien weapons

Just because you're killing zombies doesn't mean you have to play like one. Dead Trigger 2 developer MADFINGER Games taking the zombie-busting first-person shooter Android game a few notches higher in this latest update, bringing in a new Tournament mode where players will be fighting not just for their lives but also for some pretty sweet (in-game) rewards.

You might have beaten Dead Trigger 2 in story mode, but if you're trigger (or tapping) finger is still itching for some more undead fun, update your copy of the game and head on to Purgatory Arena, Dead Trigger's first ever Tournament battlefield. Here you will be dishing it out in a royal rumble of blood and gore and zombie entrails. Every weekend, MADFINGER will preparing a unique tournament for players to show who's really the best. Join other players from all around the world as you try to survive new challenges and obstacles. Just watch out for those Impaling Spikes and Gallows Ropes that will, well, you can probably imagine what will happen.

That said, Story Mode has been given another pass to make sure you come back to it after you've had your fill in the arena. A new story path has been opened in Europe, where you will continue in search of the ominously named Red One. But in case you need a refresher, you can now also go back and play the previous campaigns. In addition, an oil field has been added to your source of income, making sure you'll be able to purchase the new bad boy weapons that the developers have introduced. Metal Storm is a 22nd (yes, not a typo) century weapon that will, as the name sort of implies, unleash a storm of metal projectiles on the unsuspecting undead. The Area-51 Gun is as mysterious as its name. No one knows where it came from and, frankly, no one will care after seeing it turn zombie meat into nothing in an instant.

The update also improves on existing content, such as new icons and info options for the world map, new places where you can kill them zombies, and a combination of 9 regions, 30 environments, and 33 weapons, all for the sake of ridding the world of the undead infestation. Get Dead Trigger 2 on Google Play Store for free, in-app purchases included.

SOURCE: MADFINGER Games

Story Timeline

• Dead Trigger 2 update adds 50 plus new gameplays


• Dead Trigger 2 update brings new weapons, auto-heal, and more


• Dead Trigger 2 "Arena of Death" update arrives in the Play Store

T-Mobile offers instalment plans for smartphone accessories

If you’ve been wanting to get that SOL Republic headphones or that shiny new Samsung Gear Fit for some time now, but feel like it’s out of your budget, if you’re a T-Mobile subscriber, then your wish might soon come true. Starting July 20, accessories can now be bought under their equipment instalment plan (EIP), just like you would pay for a new smartphone or tablet.

So basically, anything over $69 from among the list of T-Mobile’s accessories can now be paid for in a 24-month instalment plan. However they’re not saying that you also need to purchase a smartphone or tablet (which kind of defeats the purpose of saving, don’t you think?) when you do your accessories purchase, although they would probably strongly suggest that you do. The emphasis though is that not all accessories are available for the EIP, just the ones that are over $69, so forget about getting that $9.99 card reader you’ve been eyeing for a 24-month plan.

But if the one you want is above $69 and below $250, then for as little as $2.91 per month, it can be yours. However, don’t expect that you’ll also get the same deal as for when you use the EIP to pay for your phone or tablet. The phone/tablet deal says that you pay the full cost if ever you decide to terminate your contract or if you want to trade-up for a higher model. However, with the accessories, you probably will not be able to trade-up for higher models.

So if you don’t mind being tied down to a carrier for 2 years to be able to get that dream accessory, then this seems like a good deal. Just like with other devices, the “un-carrier" promises no annual service contracts or hidden fees.

VIA: SlashGear