Red Bull Air Race app now on Android

What do you get when you pump a person full with Red Bull (it’s an energy drink, if you’ve lived out in the boonies until today) and then let them race airplanes that fly ridiculously close to the ground? Nothing good in real life, but these are the images that flood the head when you understand that Red Bull has been sponsoring an air race since the early 2000s. In the interest of safety (we kid, of course), it has transferred that experience on to your Android devices.

It’s a safer option, that’s for sure. When you pit more than 5 small airplanes and race them around an obstacle course, it’s usually a recipe for mayhem. Thankfully, we’re talking about an app on your Android screen. Red Bull has recently launched Red Bull Air Race game, to get that adrenalin rush even while you’re on the bus on the way to work.

Thinking about planes and controlling them on your device screen, you might be fearing that this will entail using the very inaccurate tilt controls on your phone. Thankfully, that is only an option. The default controls are set as virtual thumbpads which are much easier to use.

This is the kind of game where you don’t really need much instruction – the game is all about flying through obstacle courses in the fastest speed possible. The app is free to download via the Google Play Store, but there are in-app purchases for in-game currency. Watch out for those, any confusion might cause you to spend a bit of real money there. Check the game out at the source link.

SOURCE: Google Play Store

CyanogenMod 11 Xperia Z unified builds, Moto X cleanup

CyanogenMod is doing some housekeeping on the number of builds it has in its care. Following its trend of providing a single build for similar devices, it is rolling up all Xperia Z devices into one unified build. On the other hand, it is also dropping support for one Moto X-like variant.

Appropriately named fusion3, this build encompasses four related Sony Xperia models: the Xperia Z, the Xperia ZL, the Xperia ZR, and the Xperia Tablet Z. The similarities among these four in terms of architecture are so close that even Sony released the Android 4.4.4 update for the devices at the same time. CyanogenMod notes that likewise, the fusion3 build has been updated to the same 4.4.4 version, plus optimizations.

With the new Moto X becoming the official name of 2014's model, CyanogenMod is also doing some maintenance on the build meant for the 2013 version. In particular, it is remaining what was formerly called the moto_msm8960dt build into a more generic "ghost". This unified build supports all Moto X variants save one. Due to a lack of a maintainer, and probably lack of devices in the wild, the Moto Droid Maxx Developer Edition, model name "obake", is being dropped from the custom ROM's list of supported devices.

CyanogenMod mentions that the next snapshot, CyanogenMod 11 M10, is almost ready for release, probably over the weekend. Along with some new features, the release will also mark an update to CM's Device Status list, so be sure to check then if you're smartphone will be lucky enough to get that version too. Do note that this page indicates devices with builds for that particular release only and isn't indicative of the overall status of the device in the grander scheme of things.

SOURCE: CyanogenMod

Story Timeline

• CyanogenMod gives Motorola smartphones the unified build treatment


• CyanogenMod 11 M9 welcomes new devices


• Android 4.4.4 rolling out to Xperia Z devices

Kemco’s latest Android JRPG: Illusion of L’Phalcia

Gameloft might have the Android casual gaming market down, but when it comes to JRPGs (that aren't established titles ported to mobile), perhaps no other name has more weight than Kemco, who has literally dozens of such titles in its roster. Now it's adding one more to that with Illusion of L'Phalcia, a game that mixes 2D and 3D into one.

The plot of the game is quite simple, though it might still appeal to some JRPG fans. At the heart of the story is the Sword of Amal, a mythical sword that is said to grant any wish. Naturally, our hero, Ryser, wants to get his hands on it. And naturally, too, there are other people who want to have their wishes come true, though what those wishes are will only be revealed through the course of the game. And some of those might help you while others have their own plans. Amusingly, you have a partner/pet, a literal cougar named Cougar, who seems to be drawn like a well-aged female of the species. Draw your own conclusions from that.

What potentially sets Illusion of L'Phalcia apart is how it blends two visual conventions. The game plays out in a traditional, top-down 2D view that resembles games of old (or modern retro games). However, once battles ensue, you are switched to a fuller 3D arena, complete with over the top effects and graphics. In the words of Kemco itself, "Overwhelm your enemies with beautifully animated skills and magic," This convention isn't exactly new, but it's not that common on Android either. Battles are turn-based but Kemco has this "smart auto battle" feature that lets an AI take over for you. That is, if you trust it that much.

Illusion of L'Phalcia is now up on Google Play Store. Strangely, perhaps due to the heavier graphics and development involved, it costs more than Kemco's usual games. Fortunately for those interested in grabbing it. it is on a 56% discount for now, with a price tag of $3.99. Kemco hasn't indicated when it will go back to its normal $8.99.

Download: Illusion of L'Phalcia on Google Play Store

VIA: DroidGamers

Original Dragon Quest now ported to Android by Square Enix

To those of you (those of US!) who played the original 1986 Dragon Quest on your NES before, Square Enix has just dropped a whole nostalgia package on us by bringing the Dragon Quest that started it all now to Android.

If you remember your Japanese RPGs correctly, Dragon Quest was actually released by Enix as “Dragon Warrior” in the US although we have no idea why that decision was made. This was launched in the same time that Squaresoft was pushing with Final Fantasy as well – but unlike Final Fantasy, Dragon Quest stuck with a consistent RPG world and recurring characters, allowing gamers to fall in love with the same anime-driven characterizations.

The Android port keeps all these elements, barring some minor art re-designs here and there. It also keeps the orientation vertical – giving a nod to your Nintendo Gameboy gaming days. That is, having a TV type display on top of what probably will be virtual controls.

The app is a paid download via the Google Play Store, and you will have to pay USD$2.99 for the nostalgia hit. Android is host to a lot of these old RPGs coming back to life as ported apps – even Dragon Quest IV and Dragon Quest VIII. Make sure to tell us about it if you decide to give the original Dragon Quest a try.

SOURCE: Google Play Store

Story Timeline

• Dragon Quest venturing into Android soon


• Dragon Quest VIII arrives on Android with a heavy price to pay


• Dragon Quest IV is here and unsurprisingly expensive

Multiboot capabilities spread to Xperia Z and OnePlus One

Probably one of the coolest things you can do on an Android device is to give it the capability to boot into different operating systems at your bidding. As most of you will know, this is not a standard feature that goes into the list of things manufacturers allow for, given the business implications. Still it was great that XDA developer “Tassadar” developed MultiROM to give people who want this feature a shot.

Enabling the multiboot feature through MultiROM is no small undertaking, and really not for the weak in spirit. Just recently, we wrote about MultiROM being unofficially ported to the Moto G and the Moto E. Now, we can add two more devices to the multiboot list, albeit unofficially, but let us welcome them just the same – the Xperia Z and the OnePlus One.

MultiROM was ported to the Xperia Z by XDA contributor “Olivier”, who says that this port is still in “beta” – that means there will be some flaws and bugs. The version for the OnePlus One is described as stable, and so this port – made by XDA developer “KINGbabasula” – should be good to try. Start by checking out the official threads at XDA – for the Xperia Z MultiROM here, and the OnePlus One MultiROM here.

Remember, this is quite an undertaking – so if you are not familiar or comfortable with majorly tweaking your phone’s firmware and the risks that come with it, walk away now. If you are willing to try this, just make sure you have a stable backup that you can recover your phone with, just in case you mess it up and damn your device to smartphone hell.

SOURCE: XDA

UseTool is a one-stop calculator and converter Android app

We’ve all been there at one point or another. You’re at the furniture store trying to buy a desk but realised you used the metric system to measure the space in your room. Or you’re in a hotel in another country and you’re not sure if your laptop’s power cord will not explode if you plug it in the wall outlet that uses megawatts instead of kilowatts (or vice versa). Yes, you can google answers to these conversions but wouldn’t it be easier to just have one app for all that?

The developers for the UseTool app for Android devices believe so. At first glance, the app seems just like any other calculator. And yes, it properly functions as that as well. But when you swipe left, it will open up a whole new world of conversion options for you. You have currency (a must have for traveling abroad), angle, area, data, design, energy, flow, force, fuel, kitchen (always needed if you’re following strange recipes), length (for those pesky countries that use the metric system - which is the whole world except the US, Liberia and Myanmar), luminance, mass, power, pressure, sound, speed, temperature, time and volume.

The app also lets you customize the color, font style and background, because you never want to get bored when converting stuff right? Its normal calculator function also becomes more handy when you swipe right since it brings up the more complicated scientific calculator symbols/letters. And if you want to remember certain calculations and conversions, you can save your history, since it would be difficult to remember all those numbers, unless you’re a number genius, in which case you probably don’t need an app like this anyway.

UseTool can be downloaded for free from the Google Play Store. It also has a specific usable design for 7 and 10 inch tablets. Oh and if there is a conversion that they don't have yet, you can tell the developers and they'll work on adding it for you.

T-Mobile rolls out updates for Galaxy S4, both HTC Ones

T-Mobile is on a roll, pardon the pun. It has just released firmware updates for the Samsung Galaxy S4, the HTC One (M7) and the HTC One M8. Though these updates aren't exactly earth-shattering, they do bring in much needed security fixes, particularly from Android 4.4.4, and one potentially interesting new feature.

Of the three, the update for the Galaxy S4 is probably the most notable as it bumps the version number from Android 4.4.2 to 4.4.4. The changes from 4.4.2 to 4.4.3 were very minimal, with the most noticeable being the new dialer look. The 4.4.4 release is even less, considering it was a "surprise" release that was designed only to address OpenSSL bugs. Galaxy S4 owners can opt to have their updates delivered and installed via the usual OTA method or do it through a PC using the Samsung Kies software.

The HTC One (M7) also gets updated but only up to Android 4.4.3. That said, like what some other OEMs do, HTC seems to have just backported, that is, made available, the fixes from 4.4.4 to the earlier version, considering the changes are quite small. The HTC One M8, which got its own Android 4.4.3 update from T-Mobile just last month, didn't even get a version bump. It did, however, get one new feature that is common to all three updates: Free In-flight Texting.

Just yesterday, T-Mobile announced a partnership with Gogo that would allow subscribers to receive and send text messages or even voicemail while in air. Names of participating airlines are still unknown at this time. T-Mobile promised that all their new phones will be compatible with this new feature, but it is certainly welcome news that they are including the feature in older, even 2013, models as well.

SOURCE: T-Mobile (1), (2), (3)

VIA: AndroidBeat