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Swing Copters is now here to seduce and frustrate you

So that dreaded day has finally arrived. .GEARS ("dot gears"), the studio owned by Flappy Bird creator Dong Nguyen, has finally unleashed Swing Copters to the masses. Now we wait and see whether this game will be yet another hit like its predecessor, though the absence of in-app purchases should at least give you and your wallet some peace of mind.



Just the other day, we got a glimpse of Nguyen's next game, Swing Copters. The game still wears that Super Mario-esque visuals that was part of Flappy Bird's appeal. The goal of the game sounds simple enough. You have to navigate your character, who wears a propeller hat, through ascending levels of obstacles which you, of course, have to avoid, lest you plunge to your comedic death. That said, they always say that the devil is in the details, and that is especially true in this case.


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The game is absolutely deceptive in its simplicity. Tapping launches your oddball character and further taps changes his (or her?) direction. Easier said than done, however, as you will sometimes have to tap like crazy to control its (or his or her) speedy ascent. To call it frustrating would be an understatement. But that is, once again, it's appeal. Frustration leads to challenge, and challenge leads to addiction. Plus, the somewhat hilarious way you fall to your death slightly removes the pain of failure and sometimes makes it even more worthwhile.




As mentioned, Swing Copters is available, on Google Play Store, without any price strings attached. There is, however, an ad space at the top that appears only when menus also appear. Beware, however, of imitations, as there are many who would wish to capitalize on its creator's popularity and mislead unwitting users to their own doom.


Download: Swing Copters on Google Play Store



Google Glass firmware updated, new design patented

With Android Wear off to a solid start, it's time to turn our eyes again on some of Google's well-known but still unreleased projects, namely, Google Glass. This week we're seeing some interesting news surrounding the eyewear, including the addition of a long overdue feature as well as hints at a more acceptable new design.



Google Glass XE20.1, which is what the upcoming update is believed to be called, will finally allow users to access their full list of contacts. If that has you surprised, it has us baffled as well why Google initially limited contacts access to 10. Surely you have and would want to reach more than ten people from your fancy spectacles. In any case, the full list now comes via Google Contacts and offers owners access to Hangouts accounts, email addresses or phone numbers. The 20 most recently used and/or starred contacts are given special treatment, as they can be accessed via voice commands.


Perhaps more interesting to those who still don't have Google Glass in their hands is a patent that hints at how Google might want to proceed with the smart eyewear's future design. Glass currently sports a very conspicuous and sci-fi-ish look that might appeal to some users, but the general consensus seems to be that it is butt ugly. The patent shows that Google wants to hide the components of Glass behind the frame instead of sticking them on the outside. It seems that the camera has also been separated and now located on the opposite side of the frame.


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Of course, this is so far only a patent, which isn't an assurance that an actual implementation is already in the works. That said, it might just be the change that Google Glass needs before it goes on retail. The initial hype and interest around Google Glass has seemingly mellowed down, which might not be good as an indicator of possible market reception. And while this change in design might sit well with would be owners of the device, it might rouse up even more concern from law enforcers, policy makers, and establishment owners who might prefer Google Glass to actually be more conspicuous for the sake of privacy and security.


VIA: SlashGear (1), (2)



Revocharge is a magnetic wireless charging system for phones

Fiddling with wires when it comes to charging your device can get very annoying. There are plenty of wireless charging systems on the market today and a new one has turned up on Kickstarter called Revocharge. The Revocharge system has multiple mounts to allow for wireless charging in different settings.



The mounts include a desk mount, car mount, belt clip, and arm band that all work with magnetic batteries. Each of the magnetic batteries have a microUSB input on the back that allows the charging of the battery and the phone at the same time. Revocharge supports Qualcomm 2.0 quick charge technology.


The Revocharge case is thin at 13.4mm thick and made from polycarbonate that is durable and lightweight. Since the batteries magnetically attach to the case, you can have as many as you need to extend your talk time indefinitely. Each magnetic battery has 2000-3000 mAh of power inside providing up to 150% more power.


The desktop dock can charge and sync your phone or other device at the same time. The Revocharge system is on Kickstarter now seeking $15,000 and it has raised over $7,700 so far. A pledge of $39 will get you a wireless charge base, magnetic battery, and charge/sync cable. For $69, you can get the charge base, battery, car mount, cable, and car charger. If the project hits the stretch goals, cases for the Galaxy Note 3 and 4 along with the Galaxy S5/S6 will be produced.




SOURCE: Kickstarter


Pushbullet update brings universal copy and paste

Pushbullet is a messaging app that has been around for a while that allows you to get notifications of phone calls or text messages right on your computer screen so you don’t have to go and get your phone if it is in another room or charging. The app has been updated with some cool new features for the Android platform to version 14.7.



The key feature that the update brings is universal copy and paste that allows you to copy text on one of your devices and paste it into a different device. That means you could copy text from your smartphone and paste it onto your PC or vice versa. Links on the PC can also be copied into WhatsApp or text messages with universal copy and paste.


You can also do other things with the universal copy and paste, such as copying two-factor authentication codes from your phone to paste on the computer. The app currently works with Android devices and Windows computers via the Pushbullet Windows app.


Pushbullet points out that the browser extensions available aren't able to support the universal copy and paste feature at this time. The company is working on additional supported platforms now. Pushbullet requires Android 4.0 or higher and is 3.6MB in size; you can download the latest version of the app on Google Play right now. All the other features of the app are still available like the ability to push pictures and files from your phone to the computer wirelessly and the ability to send addresses to your phone for Google Maps navigation directly from your PC, among other features.


SOURCE: Google Play



nabi Big Tab HD tablets pack massive screens for sharing

Fuhu has rolled out a couple new tablets that will fit into the nabi line of offerings aimed at kids and families. Rather than being a smaller screen tablet with features aimed specifically at kids like some of the other nabi devices, these two new tablets are big screen monsters that are aimed at use in the home. The tablets include the nabi Big Tab HD 20" and the Big Tab HD 24".



Fuhu is billing both of these units as the world's biggest Android tablets that are built for sharing. The 20" tablet has a screen resolution of 1600 x 900 and the 24" tablet offers 1920 x 1080 resolution. Both have 15-point capacitive touch technology and quad-core NVIDIA Tegra 4 processors.


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Each tablet has 16GB of storage inside and use lightweight frames to make them easier to carry even though they are massive devices. Nabi equips both of the big tablets with integrated stands to allow them to be adjusted to a comfortable angle or laid flat on a tabletop surface. A battery is built in, but the tablets are designed to be plugged most of the time. The battery is a short-term solution to allow the tablets to be moved from room to room while playing a game or watching a video.


Family Time is supported with the tablets having Two Play capability with games designed for two players at once like Checkers, Chess, and others. A Game Room feature has multiplayer games for the family to enjoy. The Blue Morpho OS overlay allows for two modes with one being a safe mode for kids to use alone. The nabi Big Tab HD 20" tablet will sell for $449 and the 24" unit will sell for $549 with both landing in stores this Fall.


SOURCE: Fuhu



Galaxy Note 4 ultrasonic cover tipped to be in development

With each new smartphone that Samsung launches, the firm also launches a hoard of new accessories as well. With the Galaxy Note 4 coming soon, a bunch of accessories will be coming in tow. One of the accessories that has been tipped to be in development is an interesting ultrasonic cover for the massive smartphone.



A source that clams to be familiar with what Samsung has planned claims that the ultrasonic cover has a sensor inside that is able to detect objects near the front of the user and provide feedback on what is in front of them. The ultrasonic sensor appears to be aimed at people with specific medical conditions that impair vision.


It rather sounds like the cane Auggie uses on Covert Affairs when he is in the office that helps him to know what is in front of him, despite being blind. The description of the ultrasonic cover for the device was leaked by the source and points out clearly that the cover can’t replace a cane, guide dog, or a human guide.


The description also warns that the ultrasonic cover can't detect drop-offs. The description reads, "It cannot replace a cane and should never be used as a mobility aid or substitute for any mobility aid tool. It must always be used in combination with a cane, a dog guide, or a human guide because, by itself, it does not provide information necessary for safe travel."


SOURCE: Sammobile



Omate X companion smartwatch promises a week per charge

Omate has announced the Omate X on the one-year anniversary of its Kickstarter project for the TrueSmart. The Omate X is a smartphone companion watch that will be the firm's next product. It will connect to a smartphone via Bluetooth and offer a premium metal look designed for standard 22mm watchbands. It promises a simple interface and will work with Android and iOS devices. Omate promises the X will have a week of runtime per charge and will be able to show social media updates, messages, reminders, and other notifications. Omate X pre-orders will kick off September 1 until the 30th with the watch priced at $129.



It hasn’t been too long since the Omate TrueSmart watch began shipping to the folks who backed it on Kickstarter. In fact, we unboxed our own TrueSmart that shipped from the Kickstarter campaign back in March. Despite the fact that the watches have only been in the hands of buyers for a few months, it has been a year since the Kickstarter campaign wrapped up funding.


Omate is celebrating that one-year Kickstarter anniversary with a post on Facebook thanking people for supporting the TrueSmart while announcing the Omate X. Along with the thank you for making the watch possible, Omate is also talking about what is in the future for the TrueSmart. Omate is working on setting smartwatch 2.0 and Telecom Wearable standards on the TrueSmart.


The company is also bragging that it had a fully wearable version of Android a year before Google rolled out its own wearable standard. If you are unfamiliar with the TrueSmart, the device is a device able to keep you connected to mobile networks without a smartphone. It’s more like a smartphone on your wrist than a companion watch unlike the new Omate X and other devices on the market today.


SOURCE: Omate Facebook