Android Headliner: Can Amazon Succeed As A Viable Gaming Alternative In The Living Room?

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Amazon Fire TV, the long rumored streaming set top box from Amazon was just announced on Wednesday and to those that think this is just another option for the media junkie, think again. Amazon not only has a clear focus on offering individuals an easy way to access the great video and media content they love on the big screen, but they’re keen on taking a piece of the pie in the home console market for video games as well. They have stated that Amazon Fire TV has also been developed with gamers in mind, which makes the Fire TV a one-stop shop/do-all device that can appeal to even gamers who are looking for a less expensive alternative to mainstream consoles. Like others before it and inevitably the ones to come after, Amazon Fire TV aims to give gamers a truly great console gaming experience right from the couch, all wrapped up with a nice and neat little $99 bow. The question is will they succeed where others have failed? OUYA has made some strides as a nice alternative to traditional home video game consoles, but even with their tremendous kickstarter support and big promises, the OUYA still lacks that pizzazz that some gamers are looking for. It’s a nice option to have on the sidelines, and as someone who was extremely excited about the OUYA from day one of it’s announcement and a current owner, it just doesn’t have enough developer support, nor the library of good games that can capture the large portion of hardcore gamers or the mainstream gamer market.

Other companies have tried entering the space like Mad Catz, but their console is not only more expensive, but offers even less games at the current time. Sure there is promise, but as it stands there is no reason I and many other gamers looking for a console would want to go out and spend the original price of $249.99 to pick one of these up. The alternative would just be to spend an extra $150 and grab the PS4, which is exactly what I had decided to do instead. I love the idea of Android game consoles and mobile games making the jump from mobile to the big screen, because I love games. Other people are more casual gamers though, and can’t see the benefit to spending over $100 for something that is really only geared towards gaming. This is where the Amazon Fire TV box may be able to shine. They don’t offer just games. Don’t let that fool you into thinking that they won’t have good content though. Sure their main focus isn’t video games, but it’s a big part of it, and there are already at least a couple major game publishers on board that have made some of their most popular games available for the Fire TV at launch. Gameloft for instance has announced that they have three games ready for the Fire TV, which if you’ve already ordered one, you’ll be able to play right away as soon as you hook it up. Assuming that you also would need to buy those games. Asphalt 8, Despicable Me: Minion Rush, and Modern Combat 4 are ready and waiting for those who want to pick up and play. Even Minecraft pocket Edition has made the jump to Amazon Fire TV, so you can gather and build to your hearts content. Let’s also not forget about Amazon’s own launch title offering, the first game from Amazon Game Studios called Sev-Zero.

We covered Sev-Zero on Wednesday during the initial Fire TV launch, and for those who missed it this is a launch title that honestly, could be considered quite a bit better than some of the launch titles that were put out for next gen home consoles. It looks amazing, seems to have a great back story, which is a fundamental backbone for a really great game, and it seems to have tons of content. Not only that but it fosters playing with friends or family members by utilizing second screen capabilities for the other person to help you play from their tablet. They don’t get the same experience as if they were playing the main game, but they can assist in a few ways that still make things fun. All things considered, Amazon came out of the gate swinging with their goals for providing users with a viable gaming alternative to regular consoles. Will they be able to provide the mega blockbuster hits some of us are looking forward to later in the year and early next year for next gen? Most likely not, not immediately anyway. What they will have to offer is something none of the other competitors have been able to do. Offer a low cost device that has a strong focus on gaming, will be able to offer great games, and have a vast library of titles that will surely make its way to the platform soon enough. This is a device from Amazon after all, and like its line of Kindle Fire tablets, you should be able to expect a huge number of games get the retrofit for the new device. Neither OUYA, nor the Mad Catz MOJO, or the Game Stick will have the same content availability. Simply because they’re just not Amazon. Amazon already has partnerships with many of the game publishers out there for their android based devices, so they should be able to easily convince those publishers to make the games accessible to Amazon Fire TV.

What about the game controller? They have that covered too. It’s an additional $40 and if you buy it during the limited time offer, you’ll get Sev-Zero for free(normally $6.99), and $16.99 worth of apps and games. Still not convinced there will be enough games to play? It is true that they might have some catching up to do in the game department, but they are starting strong with some big name hits like NBA 2K14, and others like Deus Ex: The Fall, The Cave by doublefine, Sonic titles, Reaper, Terraria, Muffin Knight, Auralux, Arma tactics, Riptide GP 2, and many more seem to be on the way. There hasn’t been any confirmation as of yet if they are already available or if they’re coming soon, but they are coming. The point is, Amazon Fire TV could be a powerhouse contender in the gaming market. The device is inexpensive, it’ll have a vast amount of games to play, and the device does more than other similar products. What do you think about Amazon Fire TV? Will it be able to serve as a good alternative to those looking for console gaming solutions?

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Android Game Of The Week: Mobfish Hunter

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In the not so distant future(2020) the world has been completely stripped of rare earth elements. Greed has caused this inevitable occurrence, and as as result, the worlds fish have mutated into an entirely new species called Mobfish. All is not lost however, as a brand new profession has come out of this terrible string of events. Thus the Mobfish Hunter was born. Mobfish Hunter tasks you with catching and collecting the worlds mobfish, and you do this by hunting them down using an array of different sea mines at your disposal. You start out with a regular old sea mine, in which you toss into the briny deep and must avoid ever single mobfish that you can on the way down. Once you hit one, the sea mine deploys and begins to shoot back upwards towards you, at this time you’ll have to steer your sea mine to hit as many mobfish as you can for your collection.

The more you hit will trigger combos which will end up equaling more points, and scoring more points you get will net you more coins with which to buy new sea mines and upgrade the ones you have. You can also earn coins by leveling up, and each time you level up you’ll be given a regeneration of your in game energy which you use a little bit of each time you play and toss your sea mine into the water. There are a total of nine different sea mines you can purchase and use, each one having its own unique weapon trait. So far I have personally collected two new sea mines in addition to the original you’re given upon starting, and my favorite of the three is the boomerang mine, which shoots out little boomerang blades from the side each time you hit a mobfish during your ascent back to the surface.

Plummeting deeper and deeper can become difficult, which is why you’ll able to acquire and utilize different boosts to power dive through mobfish to reach new depths. You’ll have four different locations in which to hunt mobfish, and google play games services is present with achievements and leaderboards, as well as social sharing via facebook. The game is free to play, but it does offer IAP for those who want extra coins or boosts to help their high score along.

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Rumor: Google Seeks To Unify Android Experience With Chrome And Search Using Hera

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Not more than a few days ago we saw some screenshots hit the web that looked like we could be seeing a new UI refresh for the look of the gmail app on android. It seems that those screenshots may not have just been a refresh for gmail, but part of Google’s focus to bring together a unified experience between Android, Chrome and, Search. Let’s keep in mind that while going through this information, everything is just a rumor so far, but with that being said the rumor looks to be pretty compelling. We have also heard in the past that Google has had plans to bring a seamless experience across all screens to its users, and it looks to be starting that process with Hera.

Hera, as it looks to be internally referred to, seems to be a sort of in-between UI where users can interact with google services like gmail and other third-party apps in a setting that uses an interface that could be running via HTML5, without having to open the app itself. From the sounds of things Hera could potentially be Google’s replacement for the current multitasking function that we’re used to in Android known as the task switcher, which just basically gives you a quick way to move between apps without having to close each one out or go back to the homescreen or app drawer and access the apps from there.

Not only do these screenshots and descriptions of the app suggest that Google has a new look on the way for our beloved OS, but essentially it sounds like web connected apps will allow interaction through cards, or pop-ups. Much like many messaging apps allow for the pop up window panel on the home screen or above other apps without having to open that specific messaging app, it seems like users will be able to interact with apps that are connected into Hera much in the same way. This certainly would take multitasking to a new level and if all of these features make their way onto user devices, it could change things and add more benefits to the experience besides a quicker and more powerful multitasking experience. Without having to open gmail to replay or compose an email, or open apps to set a calendar event or process an order while online shopping, users could potentially save on battery life and on RAM. We have no way of knowing this for sure of course, but we suspect that completing tasks by interacting with Hera based cards would be less draining on both memory and battery.Note that the images used in this story from Android Police are Mockups created by them based on information they received. More information on Hera and Google’s plan to unify the Android experience is sure to come to light in the near future, and as details pop up we’ll be sure to update you.

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Rumor Mill Abuzz With Purported Samsung Galaxy Note 4 Specs Leaks

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The latest flagship from the Korean manufacturer Samsung Electronics is already unveiled, we speak of the highly anticipated Samsung Galaxy S5, which will begin retailing from next week onwards. As history stands proof, Samsung releases an upgrade to its phablets line – the Samsung Galaxy Note series – once it is through with the flagship release. Since the Samsung Galaxy S5 is already out, we have been hearing mumblings from the rumor mill about the next iteration in the Samsung Galaxy Note series – the Samsung Galaxy Note 4.

Details emerging from the Chinese website CNMO, provides some delicious details of the upcoming Samsung Galaxy Note 4, however, before we progress with the specs, do be warned that these could be mere rumor or may belong to a prototype which may never be seen in the final finished product. So, take a pinch of salt and read on. The Samsung Galaxy S5 was expected and much rumored to launch bearing the fabled ‘2K’ resolution display, however Samsung and display fans were left high and dry when the Galaxy S5 was launched with the almost-standard 1080p resolution display. The rumor mill suggests that we can expect the 2K resolution to pop up with the Samsung Galaxy Note 4, however the same report also suggests the possibility of a 4K ultra-HD display variant being made. We would definitely consider this as implausible given the past track record, though earlier rumors suggested a bent display for the Note 4. The Note 4 is also rumored to be powered by a quad-core 64 bit processor – or at the very least by a 20nm processor, with 4 GB DDR3 RAM, 128 GB of internal storage and a 3600 mAh or a 3800 mAh battery. The device will sport a 20 mega pixels (MP) primary camera with optical image stabilization (OIS) and would be capable of shooting 4K resolution videos. The device will have LTE connectivity (though there is no mention of which bands it’ll support) and dual band Wi-Fi.

It is also rumored that the Samsung Galaxy Note 4 would keep the dotted back finish of the Samsung Galaxy S5 and will also be toughened up with water-proof and dust proof capabilities. We can also expect the handwriting capabilities to be enhanced, which would enable the unlocking of the device simply by your handwriting. CNMO lists the Galaxy Note 4 to retail for $800 when it gets launched. The stellar specs notwithstanding, we would still advise you to treat these with caution. Nevertheless, we are definitely excited, what about you?

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Evleaks Outs Image Showing The Name Of The New Moto X Device

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We know that there is a follow up to the Moto X down the pipeline. Motorola had said so themselves, but what information we know about the device is little if anything. With the original Moto X still a few months shy of hitting the 1-year mark since its launch, some might think that it’s a little too early to start speculating and discussing leaked information about the new phone. It can be fun to talk about potential ideas though and a good leak never hurt anyone. They can be something to think about while more concrete information comes forward.

So far what we know of the device is that it’s either named or being referred to internally as the Moto X +1. Unfortunately there isn’t much else we can offer in terms of details about this upcoming new phone from Motorola. With that said, the device name was brought to our attention by evleaks with an image that simply states the new name of the Moto X successor. Evleaks as most of you may know is usually responsible for a lot of the leaked information or images of new devices. While there is a lack of any information whatsoever on the Moto X +1 besides the potential name, we know some things that we liked about the Moto X that we hope Motorola doesn’t mess with, and some things we weren’t too fond of that could stand to use some changes or improvement.

For us, the lack of some powerful hardware or a little bit bigger of a display were some drawbacks to the device that we hope the new phone can improve upon the second time around. The original was ok in these areas, but some more processing power and maybe near a 5-inch display closer to the size of the Nexus 5 would be some good improvements. That being said, the Moto X still performed exceptionally well even without the high performance hardware because of the software engineering of the device. The phone ran extremely smooth, and with pretty much stock android on board there was little to complain about in the lag department if any. Active display and touchless controls are also some features that we loved, and we can’t wait to see how Motorola improves these two functions.

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Incipio DualPro Shine for the HTC One M8

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Incipio DualPro Case for the HTC One M8

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