Battleheart Legacy signals Mika Mobile’s return to Android

Game developer Mika Mobile stopped making games for the Android platform back in 2012 (reasons speculated but unverified). But now two years later they are back with Battleheart Legacy, a dungeon crawler sequel to a hugely popular game for iOS devices. Android users will now be able to experience the rich and detailed fantasy world where you get to play a hero on a mission to defeat the enemy, get new weapons and abilities and establish your legacy. Yeah, no problem, it's that simple.

Compared to the 2D world of Battleheart, the sequel is now in 3D but it is still a throwback to the point and click games of yesteryears (if you call the 90s yesteryears). The real-time combat system, signature animation and visually stimulating VFX makes the game interesting even though you really can't expect a complicated storyline from Legacy. But it's always fun (if you go for that sort of thing) to use various means to crush your enemies by poisoning, clubbing them with weapons, blowing them up with a meteor strike or even put them to sleep in a song.

You'll be able to gather more than 150 unique skills across 12 different classes but that depends on what spells or skills you choose rather than a linear structure. You can even combine different classes so you can create an almost limitless number of classes. You also have over 200 kinds of equipment to use as you make your way across the seemingly endless dungeons. You also get to fight in several boss battles that will train and push your hero to the limit.

It's a good first game back in Android for Mika Mobile and if you haven't tried their previous games before, you get to find out why they were missed. You can download Battleheart Legacy from the Google Play Store for $4.99 and there are no additional in-app purchases necessary.

SOURCE: Mika Mobile

VIA: Android Police

Smash Champs lets you become a legendary trainer

If you enjoyed Subway Surfers, then you might like this new game from its developer Killoo. The company has just released Smash Champs, a new challenge that lets you battle your way to greatness.

With Smash Champs, you are not mainly the hero but you can take on the role as trainer to lead Champs to victory. Your goal is to prepare them for combat and teach them to be the greatest fighters of all time.

Smash Champs is an arcade adventure game that involves a lot of training and fighting to become a legend. Form a group of warriors that will prove their strength and lead them to greatness. You can be the best trainer of Smash Champs after numerous combats of your trainee. You just have to prove first that you can beat your opponents.

The game reminds me a lot of Kung Fu Panda and Fruit Ninja. Combat gameplay involves fast swipe actions and unlocking of champs. You can also customize your trainees with powerful gear as the game progresses. Do all these things and you'll be on your way to becoming a legendary trainer (just like Master Shifu).

Personally, I like the idea of the game but graphics aren't as impressive. The fact that you can't play with it without Internet connection is mostly a bummer.

So, are you ready to rise to challenge?

Download Smash Champs from the Google Play Store

Story Timeline

• Marvel Run Jump Smash! bursts into Android for some endless running fun


• Godzilla Smash3 game unveiled by Rogue Play and Warner Bros.


• Smash Rider crashes into Android

Poynt pad tries to be all-in-one payment system for business

Point-of-sale systems, especially for small businesses, can sometimes be a very expensive pain with technology constantly updating and new payment methods continually cropping up. Former Google wallet chief Osama Bedier is behind a new product that will try to become an all-in-one payment system. It's called Poynt, and from the looks of it, it is poised (or will try) to revolutionize how we conduct financial transactions, at least digitally speaking whether in your store or even at bazaars and trade fairs.

Hardware-wise, Poynt is a touchscreen Android device that has dual displays, one for the merchant and one for the customer, to avoid all the turning and flipping when conducting transactions. Retailers will have a 7-inch tablet where they can enter the amount. It also has a speaker, a mic, a front-facing camera, a magnetic strip and a EMV "Chip & PIN" card reader. Meanwhile, the customer will have a 4.3-inch touchscreen which will also have a QR code reader and barcode scanner, an NFC antenna and even a thermal printer that can give them receipts.

The best thing about Poynt probaby is that it is platform agnostic, accepting varied payment systems including credit cards, Chip & PIN cards, NFC (which will include Apple Pay of course), QR codes and Bluetooth Beacon systems. Currently, the device will just use WiFi or 3G/4G connectivity. But later on, they plan to develop a dock with an ethernet port as well. In terms of analytics, it has several apps where you can track your financial performance either through the POS or even remotely through your Android device.

For now, Poynt will only be available in the US market. Shipping to developers will start in this year's last quarter, with the device priced at $499 while merchants will be able to purchase it at $299 by the first quarter of 2015. With the issues facing Apple Pay and also NFC payments being rejected by several retail pharmacies, let's see if Poynt can actually make waves in the retail and technology industry.

VIA: SlashGear

Truedialer app helps you manage contacts and calls

If you think there is no need to improve on your contacts and dialer that you’ve been used to since forever, you’re wrong. You see, smart dialers like the Truedialer are becoming more useful these days because they make searching for contacts and calling them easier and more fun.

The Truedialer app is best to use with Truecaller, another app from its developer, True Software Scandinavia AB. The dialer shows what seems to be a simple numeric pad but it actually gives instant access to more information about your contacts. Phone must be connected to the Internet though so you can search within your phonebook and the more than 1 billion contacts on Truedialer and Truecaller’s huge database.

If you don't know who owns a number, you can easily search the database and see if it's there. If there's a record, you can immediately read information about the new contact. This will be beneficial particularly for businesses and professionals who don't want to waste time on unnecessary calls. The key is to get to know the person you are about to call or information about the incoming call. This free app will show you relevant information about an incoming contact or the person you are about to call.

To date, about 85 million people use Truecaller to manage their calls and contacts. With the release of Truedialer, we can expect more people downloading the app and using its many special features.

Download Truedialer from the Google Play Store

Story Timeline

• New dialer app possibly leaked by Google's Twitter account


• More leaked shots show new dialer app for Android 4.4.3


• App Dialer lets you easily search through your apps

Underworld: Drug Lords updated with police chases

If you have been looking for a way to live out your Miami Vice fantasies without risking life in prison, a new game has hit Android that you may want to check out. The game is called Underworld: Drug Lords and it updated this week. The game lets players moonlight as a drug kingpin.

Players will start as a lowly pusher on the corner and then grow their empire as the game progresses. Gamers can level up from a peddler to a Drug Lord. Money made in the illicit dealings can be spent to build your crime empire.

The latest update brings police chases to the mix and if the runner gets away, Respect Points are earned. The game has been tweaked to make less of a chance you get arrested on low heat levels thanks to more cop bribes. Feds are now harder to bribe bringing more heat at higher levels.

Interestingly the game is also available as Underworld: Sugar Wars on both Android and iOS platform. The weed and cocaine sold in the Android game are replaced with bon-bons and chocolate. The change was required to get past the app censors at Apple.

DOWNLOAD: Underworld: Drug Lords / Sugar Wars

SOURCE: Pocketgamer

Unknown 9.2-inch Xiaomi tablet listed on GFX Benchmark

The latest IDC figures for Q3 2014 showed that Xiaomi is the No.3 smartphone manufacturer in the mobile market. This is a surprise because Xiaomi has always been know to be big only in China. Looks like it’s trying to get into the US and Singapore and the new things the company is introducing are good decisions.

And what is this rumor that the Chinese manufacturer is working on a new tablet? Some information were discovered on the database of GFX BenchmarK showing what could be the Xiaomi 201811. According the the specs sheet, the Android tablet will boast of a 9.2-inch 720p display screen, 1GB RAM, 8GB built-in memory, and a 64bit Snapdragon 410 processor. The size gives us an idea that it is bigger than the Xiaomi MiPad.

Based on the GFX Benchmark, the said Xiaomi tablet will run Android 4.4.4. Other features include the following: Qualcomm Adreno 306, OpenGL ES 3.0, and the standard accelerometer, WiFi, Bluetooth 4.0, light sensor, rear camera, face camera, compass, GPS, barometer, proximity sensor, gyroscope, NFC, and a single-SIM card slot.

Not much details on availability and pricing have been given but this is believed to be a low-cost tablet from Xiaomi. For now, let's consider this as a rumor or as another mystery tablet.

VIA: GizChina

Story Timeline

• Xiaomi Mi 3 and 4 get stock Android 4.4.4 custom ROM


• Xiaomi steps up its game with a Bluetooth game controller


• Xiaomi iHealth is a blood pressure taking smartphone dock


• Xiaomi to migrate data center from China to US and Singapore


• Latest Q3 2014 IDC figures show Xiaomi now 3rd in smartphones shipped

HERE update: building footprints, better Chicago transit info

Nokia's mapping app HERE continues to try and best the previously unbeatable Google Maps and this latest update will bring them even closer to that goal. Their blog post says the new features per continent is "too many to practically list," but two new special ones are worth talking about. HERE can now give you a more accurate footprint of buildings in areas in several countries, while the Chicago transit system is getting a more visually accurate feature.

When you're in an unfamiliar area, specifically a city with a lot of high-rise buildings around, knowing where you are exactly and where the place you're looking for is crucial. HERE now has "building footprints" or outlines of individual buildings in selected cities in 11 countries, including the US and several in Europe. New additions to this feature are cities in Belgium, Denmark, Italy and the Netherlands. This is very helpful especially if you're on foot and HERE wants to assure users that they are not just catering to the driving folk.

Another major update concerns the massive transport system in one of the busiest cities in the US, which is of course Chicago. They have replaced the algorithm connecting the transit stops with each other to make it more geographically accurate. They promised they are also working on improving transit information in other cities and countries as well, although an undertaking this big will of course take a bit more time.

Another update that is not visible for "regular" users is new information for attributes of roads and POIs for assisted and autonomous driving solutions. The updates are being rolled out to users on both Windows and Android, but the former need to do it manually, while the latter should wait for a message from the app when it's time to update it (manually as well). Don't forget to restart the app for the updates to take effect.

Download Nokia HERE Maps here

SOURCE: HERE

Story Timeline

• Hands-on with Nokia HERE beta with offline maps


• HERE beta version now available for other Android devices


• HERE app clarifies issues, problems with beta for Android