Stranger Things stickers come to Google Allo, but we still feel bad for Barb

If you haven't seen Netflix's hit sci-fi series Stranger Things yet, you should probably do that right now; it's really good. If you have finished binge watching the series, then you can be happy that the recently launched Google Allo smart messenger app has added an official Stranger Things sticker pack for some more lively text chats.

See also: Google Allo: Everything you need to know35

Yes, your messages on Google Allo can now add stickers that reference the 1980s-themed show, including ones that offer some mild spoilers, like where Barb might have gone, or speaking to people on the phone and then having the receiver blow up and much more. Again, you really need to check out Stranger Things; it's just eight episodes long, so you really have no excuse.

The new stickers come just a couple of days after version 2.0 of Google Allo was released. It added features for Android 7.0 Nougat users such as multi-window support along with Direct Replies from the notification shade.  Pushbullet also released an update that added support for seeing and replying to Google Allo messages on a PC this week as well.

Oh Barb; we still think you will be back somehow in Season 2.

Get at Google Play

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New Final Fantasy mobile game gets a teaser site, full reveal in five days

Square Enix is about to reveal a new mobile game for its hugely popular Final Fantasy role-playing series. The publisher has posted a teaser page on its Japanese site, indicating the full reveal will happen in just five days.

See also: Best RPGs for Android138

The teaser site also has a note that is credited to Takashi Tokita,  who happens to have been the lead designer for Final Fantasy IV, along with the director of Crono Trigger and other classic games from Square Enix:

Final Fantasy is about characters filled with human appeal. About dramatic battles of anger and sadness. And more than anything, we should not forget that it is about fantasy.

Hopefully we will learn a lot more about this new title next week. Square Enix has been quite busy porting older console and PC games in the franchise over to Android and iOS over the past few years, and it has launched original mobile games in the franchise as well. One of them is Final Fantasy: Record Keeper, which brought together many characters from previous games in the series in one big mashup.

What do you hope for with these latest game in the long running RPG series? Let us know your thoughts in the comments.

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For a limited time, you can get 8GB for $50 at Cricket Wireless

Cricket Wireless already offers pretty inexpensive cellular and data plans in the US. Well now, it's sweetening the pot by offering 8GB instead of 5GB for the $50 monthly plan, including unlimited talk and text. That's 60 percent more LTE data each month. But hurry if you want in on the deal because it's for a limited time only!

Cricket Wireless may not be one of the big four carriers in the US, but it undoubtedly gives you more bang for your buck. Everything is prepaid, meaning there are no binding contracts. Plus, after AT&T acquired it back in 2014, all Cricket Wireless devices use AT&T's cellular and data network, so coverage shouldn't be an issue for most people.

Customers can also enroll in Auto Pay, which gives you $5 back each month. So technically, you can pay just $45 a month to get 8GB of data and unlimited talk and text.

However, there is a catch: download speeds on LTE max out at 8 Mbps and for 4G, it's 4 Mbps. If that doesn't bother you, you can sign up for the special offer through their website or in store even if you are already on the $50 monthly plan with 5GB.

However, there is a catch: download speeds on LTE max out at 8 Mbps and for 4G, it's 4 Mbps.

Show Press Release

The Most Popular Wireless Plan at Cricket Just Got Better

$50 Rate Plan Now Includes 8 GB of High Speed Data Access

ATLANTA, Oct. 27, 2016 /PRNewswire/ – Starting Friday, the popular $50/mo rate plan at Cricket Wireless now includes 8GB of high speed data access.* That's 60 percent more high-speed data access each month!  Like all Cricket smartphone plans, it includes all the talk and text you can use on one smartphone line for $50/mo – monthly taxes and fees included.

Customers can also sign up for Auto Pay credit to receive a $5credit each month, or Group Save to save up to $100 per month.** Saving money is definitely something to smile about.

"Today's mobile lifestyle requires more data access than ever before, and Cricket continues to focus on finding ways to delight our customers by giving them more for less," said Tiffany Baehman, chief marketing officer, Cricket Wireless.

Cricket Wireless is dedicated to delivering a simple, smarter wireless experience – easy to understand monthly plans on our nationwide network that covers more than 99% of Americans. We provide transparency with our pricing that includes:

• No annual contracts, monthly taxes and fees included
• Text, talk and data access plans starting at $30/mo
• Unlimited text, talk and high-speed data plan for $65/mo after $5 Auto Pay credit
• Unlimited calls, texts and messaging to and from, and in and between the U.S., Mexico and Canadaincluded in $50/month and higher plans.

Existing customers currently on the $50/mo plan can upgrade to the 8GB version of the plan by visiting their nearest Cricket Wireless branded store or cricketwireless.com, through their MyCricket app, or by calling Cricket Customer Care.

For more information on this new and improved plan, and why Cricket is the choice for the smart and savvy customer, check out http://ift.tt/1jrDbkC. 

About the new Cricket Wireless

Cricket is bringing consumers more value with a simple, friendly, and reliable nationwide wireless experience with no annual contract. The power of Cricket is our nationwide 4G LTE network that covers more than 318 million people***; easy and affordable plans with prices that include monthly taxes and fees; and a great selection of phones customers love. Cricket, Something to Smile About. To check out the new Cricket or find a store near you, visit http://ift.tt/1jrDbkC. And connect with us on Facebook at http://ift.tt/1mCAid3 and Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/cricketnation.

Cricket is a subsidiary of AT&T Inc. Coverage not available everywhere. © 2016 Cricket Wireless LLC. All rights reserved. Cricket and the Cricket logo are trademarks under license to Cricket Wireless LLC.

*Limited Time Offer. Download speeds max 8 Mpbs (LTE)/4Mbps (4G). 8GB of high-speed data, then max of 128 Kbps.  Activ. & other fees and restrictions apply. Coverage not available everywhere. After offer ends will lose 8GB promotional data allowance w/ account change/cancellation. Terms, features & restrictions subject to change.

**Auto Pay: Pay $50 in 1st mo. $5 auto pay credit applied after enrollment in auto pay.  Auto Pay credit is not available with Group Save discount; Group Save: Eligible lines of service req'd.  Discount applies to lines 2-5. Price & discount per line varies. 

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Pornhub makes a cheeky offer to buy Vine, says ‘six seconds is more than enough’

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R.I.P. Vine. I'm sure I'm not the only one who's sad about Twitter's decision to axe Vine, a video entertainment network where you could find thousands of hilarious six-second videos as well as your daily dose of kittens and corgis. Well, it seems like Pornhub also thinks it's a shame that Twitter is abandoning the video sharing service. In a letter shared with CNET, the VP of Pornhub Corey Price promises to "restore Vine to its NSFW glory."

Although Price's way of going about this potential deal is questionable to say the least, he nevertheless explains his rationale behind the offer: Twitter and its stakeholders could "benefit from a cash infusion from the sale of Vine," and people's all-time favorite Vine stars would live on. Okay, but this is where it gets a little bizarre. According to Pornhub, clips of porn "in six seconds is more than enough time for most people to enjoy themselves."

So how will Pornhub's altruistic vision of saving our favorite Vine gems pan out? Would it add six-second porn clips on top of the existing Vine videos? Would it run two different versions: one safe and one risqué? We will have to wait and see how Twitter will respond to this cheeky offer, but one thing is for sure. If the social network giant decides to sell Vine to Pornhub – which I seriously doubt it will – Vine's founder won't be too happy:

Don't sell your company!

— Rus (@rus) October 27, 2016

Twitter bought Vine back in 2012 when the video sharing platform was in its infancy, and since then, Vine has really been the foundation for all current video-centric apps like Snapchat. Twitter's decision to close Vine is a shame as it is, but letting it become an adult website filled with six-second clips of naked men and women might be even more of a shame.

What are your thoughts on Pornhub's offer? Let us know by leaving a comment below!

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Half of Samsung Galaxy Note 7 owners will be switching to an iPhone, says IDC survey

The troubled launch, and recall, of the Samsung Galaxy Note 7 due to its exploding battery may cause many owners of the smartphone to not only switch phones but also companies. A new survey published today by the research firm IDC says that half of the Galaxy Note 7 owners they talked to "have or will choose an Apple iPhone" instead.

See also: Clash of the titans: iPhone 7/7 Plus vs Galaxy Note 7 quick look191

This new survey would seem to be very contradictory compared to recent statements made by Sprint's CEO Marcelo Claure,  who claimed most of the carrier's Note 7 customers are turning them in for a Galaxy S7. Another recent research note from BayStreet predicted that 70% of Note 7 owners will trade it in for a Galaxy S7.

IDC says that its survey was conducted online on October 17th and 18th, four days after Samsung announced it would be ending production of the Note 7.  It added:

The survey focused on three groups of consumers: current Samsung smartphone owners (507), past Samsung smartphone owners (347), and smartphone owners who have never owned the Samsung brand (228). Due to the limited installed base, just 24 Note 7 users were captured in the survey;  as such, data in those questions should be viewed as directional only.

IDC added that 17% of Note 7 owners said they would choose another Samsung smartphone. The majority of those owners will be going to a physical brick-and-mortal store to turn in the Note 7.

The good news for Samsung is that the survey indicated that the company brand itself would survive the Note 7 recall. A majority of the survey respondents said they would still consider buying non-smartphone products from the company, like TV and appliances. IDC also said that the majority of respondents had a "largely neutral to positive" response to how Samsung handled the Note 7 recall, and 13% of them had not even heard about it.

See also: Guide for returning Samsung Galaxy Note 7 in the USA17

Anthony Scarsella, IDC's research manager for Mobile Phones, believes that the Note 7 recall and its effect on Samsung can be swept away by a solid launch of the Galaxy S8 in 2017:

Although the recall may have an adverse impact on the brand in the short term, the truth is that Samsung remains the clear market leader in the worldwide smartphone market. Moving forward, Samsung will need to put the Note 7 to rest as quickly as possible and focus all efforts on producing a stellar Galaxy S8 come next spring. If successful, consumers will quickly forget the Note 7 fiasco if the upcoming S8 can deliver on all fronts.

That certainly puts a ton of pressure on Samsung to have a successful launch of the Galaxy S8.  Do you think Samsung can pull it off and make people forget about that pesky Note 7 blowing stuff up?

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Some Google Pixel pre-order customers are getting $50 in Google Play credit

If you ordered one of Google's new Pixel or Pixel XL smartphones from the Google Store, but have not had it shipped to you yet, or if you are just now having them delivered, you may be getting an email from the company soon. Some Google Pixel pre-order customers are reporting they will soon receive $50 in credit for the Google Play Store.

See also: Google Pixel XL review: a Pixel's perspective233

The reports have been posted by Reddit members, who claimed they have received emails of apology from Google about the tardiness of their Pixel phone shipments. The emails stated, "We know this can be frustrating, but the good news is that we've shipped your order and it's on its way."

The email continued that those customers should received another note, soon after the Pixel phone arrives, that will contain a credit for $50 to use in the Google Play Store. The email concluded by saying, "Again, we're so sorry — and thank you again for your order."

While no one likes to hear that the smartphone they have ordered won't get to them as quickly as first announced, it's nice that Google is offering some compensation for these Pixel delays with a rather generous Google Play credit. If you have order the Pixel or Pixel XL, have you received one of these emails? Also, what would you use your $50 in Google Play Store credit to purchase?

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Deal: Motorola offers $150 off some Moto Z phones while slamming Samsung

Motorola is making the unusual move of discounting some of its Moto Z lineup of phones while at the same time taking some pot shots at Samsung over its botched Galaxy Note 7. The idea is to offer consumers a quicker way to switch to the new Motorola phones with a big $150 discount.

See also: Motorola Moto Z / Force vs Samsung Galaxy S7 / Edge31

This is not the first time Motorola is taking Samsung to task; it did a similar "Skip the Sevens" campaign in September just as the Note 7 problems were being uncovered. However, it is continuing to go after the Korean company with its latest discount promo offer, which covers the Moto Z, the Moto Z Droid and the Moto Z Force Droid.

The promotion, which is only available at Motorola's website, does not cover the Moto Z Play or Moto Z Play Droid, nor is it being offered for any of the Moto Mod accessories for those phones.

In its press release announcing the new promotion, Motorola says that it wants consumers to take a closer look at the new Moto Z phone lineup "in the wake of Samsung's recent issues" (wink, wink). It added, "There's no better time than now to Skip the Sevens and experience what true innovation looks like."

We will see if that kind of hard-edge marketing and promotion tactics works in selling more of Motorola's phones (Lenovo and Motorola have been losing market share like nobody's business lately). This promotion appears to be only for the US at this time. The company says the $150 promo code, which is offered when you enter your email address on the site, is available for a limited time, but there's no word on a specific end date.

Will you be checking out the new Moto phones with this new promotion offer and what do you think of Motorola continuing its campaign against Samsung like this?

Get it at Motorola.com

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