BlackBerry expands its Hub software to more Android devices

Despite making the big move to Android with the PRIV last year, BlackBerry didn't leave its legacy users completely in the dust. Its version of Android carried over the company's tight DTEK security software and Hub suite of apps. It made sense that those features would be locked in with BlackBerry's own hardware, but today we caught wind of another surprising move.

BlackBerry is carrying over the entire Hub suite that the PRIV and upcoming DTEK50 benefit from to all Android smartphones that run Android 6.0 (Marshmallow). The new package is dubbed Hub+ and it will contain BlackBerry's Hub inbox tool and a plethora of its long-standing apps, such as Contacts, Calendar, Tasks, Password Keeper, Notes, and more. This also includes its Android launcher.

Recommended: BlackBerry DTEK50 Hands On

We can speculate that the company doesn't quite have the luxury to keep its features closed off anymore. It's also a chance for the BlackBerry name to stay relevant. Legacy users that have moved on will be able to reclaim those productivity tools they know and love, while new users will get a chance to see what's excellent about them.

To kick off wide availability of Hub+, BlackBerry is offering a free 30-day trial. After that point, you will get the choice of occasional ads or subscribing for $0.99/month. Features in the suite must be installed via a managing app, called BlackBerry Hub+ Services, from the Play Store. From there, you can pick and choose which Hub+ apps you wish to take for a spin.

Android Marshmallow users will only get Hub access for now, but don't fret if you have an older device. BlackBerry ended the announcement stating that it plans to expand availability to Android 5.0 Lollipop users as well.

Get it on Google Play

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Explore the Himalayas with Google’s very own yeti

The Google Creative Lab team has launched yet another app: this time, it's a cartoon yeti named Verne that gives you a virtual tour of the Himalayas. With the help of the Unity game engine, Verne: The Himalayas lets you trudge through the world's highest mountain range.

Google's Creative Lab has a portfolio of very, umm, strange apps. From an app that lets you switch lips with someone else to an app that lets you find all the important tourist sites in augmented reality, the team hasn't exactly been shy when it comes to experimenting.

Well, if you've been itching to experience the Himalayas, Verne is here to help you out! It's actually a very cool idea. Google Maps has already brought 3D imagery to other iconic sites such as Paris, Rio de Janeiro, and the Grand Canyon, and this time, it's on top of the world's biggest mountain range with a 500ft tall companion named Verne.

You are in full control of Verne: once you enter the mountain range, you are given a map, and you are guided throughout your expedition with detailed instructions and information. The fun part is you don't just hike up various trails. You fly across the snow-covered winter wonderland, slide down steep hills, and hang-glide from one peak to another.

As we've come to expect from Google, everything is very well-executed: beautiful graphics, realistic sound, and highly interactive. Just wait till the sun goes down, and there is a whole new world to be explored.

If you're geographically inclined or just curious about what is practically our world's roof, Verne: The Himalayas might be worth a try. I spent a few minutes playing around with it and had a bunch of fun while learning a thing or two. Plus, Verne is just adorable.

Apps like this are just the beginning of what virtual worlds and 3D imagery can bring to our lives: imagine exploring the pyramids or walking around the Taj Mahal in your very own bedroom or in a classroom half-way across the world.

If your phone is running on Android 4.4 or higher, give Verne: The Himalayas a go by downloading it from the link below. What other famous sites would you want to explore? Let us know what you think in the comments below!

Download from Play Store

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Google Maps looks like it’s getting accidental swipe protection, parking difficulty ratings

The beta version of Google Maps just received an update giving us a sneak peek at what we can expect to see arrive on the stable version in the near future. These additions include a long-awaited feature that lets you choose to keep your map north-oriented as well as a passive swipe-protection capability that lets Maps interpret deliberate swipes versus accidental ones.

"Keep map north up" is the new feature available in the Navigation settings. This option is taking the place of the little-used "Tilt map" setting. Just like it says on the tin, turning this feature on will keep the north-pointing arrow on your map locked toward the top of the screen. This is a great option for people who like to maintain a better sense of which cardinal direction they're pointing in.

See also: Google Maps gets a new look, adds Wi-Fi only mode, areas of interest and mass transit delays18

Accidental swipe protection is also live in the beta, meaning Maps will no longer interpret rapid, fleeting swipes as intentional commands. You can still zoom and pan around as usual, but now you won't have to worry about looking down at your navigation and discovering that your screen is eyeballing Egypt because your knuckle brushed it a few minutes ago.

Although this feature isn't live on the app yet, we're also seeing elements in the code that seem to indicate a coming feature that will let you know how difficult it is to park at your intended destination before you arrive. It appears that Maps will be attempting to get live data regarding how full a location's parking is and relay that information to you in the form of Easy, Medium, or Hard parking statuses.

What are your thoughts regarding these new features coming down the pipe for Google Maps? Something you'll be looking forward to, or features you're unlikely to use on the regular? Let us know in the comments below!

Get it in the Play Store Next: Google Maps on Android finally adds multi-stop directions8

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Dropbox Paper hits Play Store, Challenges Evernote

Dropbox is beta testing a new app called Paper, a tool that aims to place you and your collaborators all on the same page. It's another iron in the fire for Dropbox, and more flames to the feet of Evernote.

Dropbox Paper's beta build just hit the Google Play store, so you can give it a spin now. It's also available in an iOS and web variant, both of which are also in beta.

With the new app, Dropbox is hoping to make creating and modifying documents as simple as texting. This is a huge part of how Dropbox is "reimagining the way people work together," said Christina Cacioppo, Paper product manager. "Dropbox Paper is built to help fast-moving teams organize all their team's knowledge in a single place, creating a home for their projects."

See also: Zoho Notebook wants to steal you away from Evernote9

Like the core Dropbox app and Paper's competitor Evernote, this service is cloud-connected so that your group can meet up in the same document and at the same time, regardless of where you all are or what devices you're currently using. You can enrich your pages with lists, blocks of code, and embedded media. You can even embed Dropbox documents in your pages.

Paper displays all related mentions, comments, shares and other notifications in a neat little list. That list and its associated pages can all file into folders, which you can sort by team or topic.

Dropbox Paper is built to help fast-moving teams organize all their team's knowledge in a single place, creating a home for their projects.

This all might sound a bit familiar to users of Evernote, Google Keep, Zoho Notebook and other cloud-connected note-taking platforms. However, the draw here is Paper's connection to Dropbox, which offers organizations and their IT departments the type of seamless ecosystems they often prefer.

While Paper is still in beta, it might be showing up at an ideal time to capitalize on disgruntled Evernote users. Back in June, Evernote jacked up the prices of its subscription plans and limited free accounts to just two devices.

So what are your thoughts on Dropbox's latest efforts to expand its ecosystem? Are you hopeful Paper will stick around for a while, or fearful it'll go the way of Carousel and Mailbox before it?

Get it in the Play Store Previously: Evernote jacking up prices, restricting free accounts to two devices44

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Cheetah Mobile continues to grow, acquires News Republic for $57 million

The Chinese tech company best-known for Clean Master has bought News Republic for $57 million. Although what it plans to do with the Flipboard-esque news aggregator is unclear at the moment, one thing is for sure: Cheetah Mobile's aggressive (and often controversial) growth isn't stopping anytime soon.

I don't blame you if you've never even heard of Cheetah Mobile or News Republic, but curiously enough, both have a long history with the Android platform: the former has an extensive portfolio of Android apps available, and the latter is an official partner of HTC BlinkFeed.

Cheetah Mobile has more than 568 million monthly active users, and you will probably recognize at least one of the many products that this Beijing-based company offers. For instance, the immensely popular game Don't Tap the White Tile is Cheetah Mobile's very own. Cheetah Mobile is also the developer behind Clean Master, an Android optimization app, which is integrated into most Galaxy S6 devices and Samsung phones that followed. Although Clean Master has proven itself to be fantastically popular, its effectiveness seems to be a different story.

Well, it looks like Cheetah Mobile's diverse expansion isn't going to stop anytime soon. On August 2^nd, it acquired News Republic in a cool $57 million deal, and we are curious to see how the acquisition will shape Cheetah Mobile's future.

According to the company, the acquisition of News Republic will help improve the exposure of user-generated content and Internet celebrities. In fact, Cheetah Mobile is expected to officially launch its social live app named Live.me in the US, which will let users stream live shows but also interact with their audience, and News Republic will undoubtedly be a part of this ambitious project.

In whichever way Cheetah Mobile chooses to use News Republic, at the end of the day, Cheetah Mobile is an advertising company. That's how it's got itself in a bit of trouble in the past, and that's how it ultimately makes money, so it won't be too surprising to see ads playing a big role in Cheetah Mobile's global expansion.

Do you think Live.me will generate enough interest? What are your thoughts on this $57 million acquisition? Let us know in the comments below!

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YouTubeKids app adds Red perks such as ad-free viewing

Google's YouTube Red service gets media lovers some nice perks for its $9.99/month subscription cost, like an ad-free video experience and offline access. That said, families who additionally take advantage of the YouTube Kids app's simplified interface and kid-friendly content filter have been left out. That is, until now.

In a YouTube blog post, Google said that YouTube Red subscribers have been requesting to get their children in on the fun as well. The software giant has listened, and starting today the YouTube Kids app is now integrated with YouTube Red accounts in the US, Australia, and New Zealand.

This means that the YouTube Kids app will inherit the same benefits, including:

• Ad-free videos: Let your kids learn and laugh along with their favorite characters without paid ads.
• Offline videos: In the car or on grandma's couch—always have videos when you need 'em, even if you don't have a connection.
• Uninterrupted music: Keep family sing-alongs going while you use other apps on your phone.

In order to get your little ones started with uninterrupted adventures and sing-alongs, you will just need to go into your YouTube Red account from the parental controls section of the YouTube Kids app and follow some steps.

Google also takes this opportunity to let us know that there's more on the way for the app, stating that "Over the next few months we'll be making some changes to the app that'll give parents more choice on how to customize the content that appears or doesn't appear in their YouTube Kids experience." 

We're sure that families will appreciate being able to take full advantage of their YouTube Red subscriptions. If you don't have YouTube Red and are interested, Google lets you give it a whirl free for 30 days.

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Niantic yanks Legendary Pokemon from Pokemon Go players’ accounts

Rumors recently circled that legendary Pokemon has started appearing on Pokemon Go players accounts. Articuno, in particular, was allegedly spotted in Ohio. Before we could even confirm that these rumors were true, Niantic took action and has announced that any and all legendary Pokemon have been stripped from all accounts.

The most vetted claim of a Legendary Pokemon acquisition comes to us from user kaitcovey, who says that they reported an in-game issue to Niantic, and the company gave them an Articuno as an apology for the issue. Niantic says that this Pokemon was accidentally released prematurely and has since been removed.

See also: New York law aims to protect children from sex offenders using Pokemon Go15

This probably sucks pretty bad for kaitcovey and anyone who was elated to discover that a Legendary Bird Pokemon had been added to their account. Niantic promises that legendary Pokemon are on their way, but the game isn't quite ready for them yet.

Niantic hasn't been making a whole lot of friends among their userbase as of late. The company recently updated their massively popular game in such a way that removed most meaningful tracking methods and which banned third party Pokemon tracking services. Users were, to say the least, less than thrilled.

What are your thoughts regarding Niantics decisions to evidently give specific players legendary Pokemon and then revoke them from accounts? Let us know your take in the comments below!

Next: Japanese officials plead with Niantic to remove Pokemon Go sites from Hiroshima memorial24

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