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AMPY powers gadgets using movement

One of the biggest challenges that mobile users face is keeping their gadgets charged up when they are out of the home or office all day and use their smartphone frequently. Often the only choice is to go with a battery case of some sort to keep things running. A new option has hit Kickstarter called AMPY.



AMPY is a device that promises to charge your smartphone using your movement. AMPY is a wearable device that harnesses movement as you walk around during the day and turns that movement into power to keep your smartphone or other gadget running.


AMPY also interfaces with an app that will keep track of stats for you like how much time you spent running or walking, and how many steps you took. It will charge any iPhone, Android device, or USB device.


Inside the small AMPY case is a lithium ion battery to charge devices. Power in that battery also stores your activity data for about a week. The project is seeking $100,000 and has raised over $52,000 as of writing. A pledge of $75 or more will get you an AMPY with shipping expected in June.


SOURCE: Kickstarter


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Interstellar war comes to Android with Sentinel 4: Dark Star

An award-winning tower-defense game has now made its way to the Android platform and it will try to wreak havoc on your productivity. Sentinel 4: Dark Star is the 4th edition in the strategy series that has you creating strategies to defend the towers you build as you explore hidden worlds within that universe. It would be easy to be conquered by the Dark Star and its intricacies though (if you're into this type of game) so download at your own risk.



The game has 26 maps with multi-screen landscapes and marathon paths and all of them can be played in endless mode, so there should be plenty to keep you occupied until your batteries run out or something. They have added even weirder aliens and space beings to challenge you while they try to destroy your towers. To beat them, you can employ an arsenal of weapons, ask for support from other sentinels, unleash drones and nukes, earn new abilities to be able to defend your strongholds and unlock Uber towers to damage your enemies' strongholds.


Graphics-wise, you could clearly see why the previous chapters in this game have won awards since its release in 2009. The last installment, Sentinel 3: Homeworld got 87% in peer-ranking site Metacritic. The creator of the game, Origin8, have outdone themselves once again, creating even more systems and worlds to explore, upping up the ante visually, and adding a new tablet interface option. You can also compete with other players in the Global Nexus chart, even those from other platforms.




Of course a game like this will cost you some cash, but based on the comments on its page, it seems like mobile gamers think it's worth it. You can get Sentinel 4: Dark Star for $2.99 from the Google Play Store, with some in-app purchases available as well.


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Glympse Express adds location data to other apps

Glympse has been available for Android users for a long time now. In fact, we first talked about it hitting the Android platform way back in 2009. Glympse is an app that allows you to share you location information with other people you know for a limited amount of time.



A new app has launched called Glympse Express that brings that limited time location information capability to other apps. With Glympse Express, you can share your location information with other apps like WhatsApp, Google Hangouts, or Facebook Messenger.




The location information can be seen on a live map allowing others to come where you are. To use Glympse Express, the user has to open the app they want to share location data with and paste a link into the conversation.


After pasting it in, people in the conversation see real-time location data and you can choose people from your address book to share with. The app launched on October 9 and is 2.7MB in size; it requires Android 2.3 or higher to operate.


DOWNLOAD: Google Play


Motorola Camera update turns Android Wear into shutter

If you have a Motorola Droid, Moto X or Moto X (2nd gen) smartphone and you love taking pictures (okay fine, specifically selfies), then you will enjoy the newest update for the Motorola Camera app. Aside from the usual bug fixes and improvements, it also has a new feature that will help you take better pictures. Oh but did we mention you need to have a smartwatch, particularly one that runs on Android Wear, to be able to enjoy the update?



Well if you meet all the criteria we mentioned above (Motorola smartphone owner, picture addict, Android Wear owner), you will now be able to use your smartwatch as a remote shutter when you use the Motorola Camera app to take pictures if you're far away. Instead of using a timer, which can sometimes be more tricky and can cause panic as the countdown nears zero, you can just sync your Android Wear, probably the Moto 360 if you're a Motorola fanboy, and then tap on the wearable when you're ready to take your picture.


The Motorola Camera app however only works with the Motorola devices we mentioned above. Aside from this new feature, it has previously had nifty tricks up its sleeves, like gesture controls, tapping anywhere on the screen to take photos (and even while you're recording a video), pressing down on the screen to take fast, continuous pictures, as well as the usual nice stuff from camera apps like panorama shots, slow-motion videos, etc.


The update also has some necessary but not obvious bug fixes that are always welcome even if we don't really see it or feel it at all. If you haven't yet been using the app, you can download the Motorola Camera app from the Google Play Store.





Autodesk releases new Sketchbook app for Android

Autodesk has launched yet another Sketchbook app. This is different from the Sketchbook Pro released three years ago but it uses the same paint engine as the desktop version.



SketchBook for Android offers pencils and brushes that are as fluid and sophisticated. Its interface is much easier-to-use but the basic drawing functions are more efficient than ever even up to the smallest details. It’s a free app but users will have to choose a plan. There are three membership levels being offered depending on your needs. Current members even those on different platforms can use their accounts to unlock advance features like Layer Editor and Symmetry Tools automatically. For the real pros, you can also spend another $3.99 to get the Advanced Pro Tools and enjoy more than 100 preset brushes that includes pencils, pens, markers, Synthetic and Smudge brushes.


The Advance Pro Tools also offers full layer controls like multiple layer transform, layer grouping, and layer blending modes. A Full Copic Color Library is also included. For improved precision, you can use the Magic Wand, Lasso, or Marquee tools.


SketchBook app offers a full screen canvas as your workspace. User interface is neat and organized with the tools placed in the right areas. You can use brushes with radius, rotation, and opacity you want with simple customization. For those who want to edit the finest details, you can do so by zooming the image up to 2500%.


There are more than 10 preset brushes which include markers, pens, and pencils that offer a natural feel when drawing. For avid SketchBook users, you can also organize your sketches in a gallery into albums and show them off in multiple view options.


This is another great app the artistic geeks would use but we’re wondering what will happen to those who downloaded the SketchBook Pro app before. Past users have been complaining the old app is no longer accessible on the Google Play Store so they want to know what will happen to their paid subscriptions. We’ll see what AutoDesk has to say about the issue.


Download SketchBook for Android from the Google Play Store

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Chromecast 1.8 Custom Wallpapers, Chrome Updated to 38

Google Android Apps

Last Friday, we saw the release of Google+ version 4.6, which brought Google’s Facebook competitor a bit more inline with the latest Material Design UI guidelines. Now just a few days later, Google is gracing our Android devices with two new updates, Chromecast 1.8 and Chrome Stable v38.


First up, we have an update to the Chromecast companion app, bringing us to version 1.8.22. The Google Chromecast has always been lauded for its aesthetically appealing backgrounds. But now with today’s update, users are finally allowed to personalize their Chromecast devices with custom backgrounds. You can also enable weather updates, satellite images, and news headlines, just like what was mentioned back at I/O earlier this year.


Next, we have an update to Chrome Stable, which brings us to version 38.0.2125.102. Much like we saw in last month’s Chrome Beta v38 release, we have new Material Design UI tweaks, as well as the new highlight to search feature that is activated when highlighting a word in the browser and clicking on the new G icon.


As always, both of these updates will begin rolling out to consumer devices over the next few days. However, we’ve gone ahead and mirrored the APKs on our Google Drive for your early access, sideloading pleasure. Head over to the links below to get started:



[Many thanks to Portal Supporter MihirGosai for the APK!]


The post Chromecast 1.8 Custom Wallpapers, Chrome Updated to 38 appeared first on xda-developers.


Mistwalker launches Terra Battle for Android

If you loved Final Fantasy, you’ll definitely like the new game developed by its creator Hironobu Sakaguchi. Terra Battle is the latest role-playing game by Mistwalker Corporation that lets players go on a journey where powerful heroes and warriors are the main characters.



Goal of the game is to eradicate the enemies by moving units freely around a grid-based map. Move the characters to outflank the enemies or attack from both sides. You can finish off multiple enemies in one strike with chain attacks. Characters can be customized depending on the skills and jobs you want them to have. They can also have job changes. To be more powerful, you can acquire skills to combine together and create new characters. In a strange world, be ready to face a variety of foes found on different battle maps.


The Terra Battle app also includes a Download Starter CampaiGn that brings updates and new content to the game. These rewards are enabled once milestones are achieved within the game. Some of the rewards given include new scenarios, characters, and in-game music. Also included are updates and news about Terra Battle’s development. Game developer plans on brining a console version once two million downloads are achieved.




Mistwalker bringing its games to consoles is not surprising because it has already produced some role-playing games for the Xbox 360 and Nintendo Wii. In 2006, the company released Blue Dragon and The Last Story for Nintendo Wii and the Lost Odyssey for Xbox 360 back in 2010.


Download Terra Battle for Android from the Google Play Store


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