Astral Frontier is the latest Android retro-RPG from Kemco

Android owners who are looking for a new role-playing game with some retro-style graphics need look no further. Kemco has just launched free and "premium" versions of its turn-based space fantasy RPG Astral Frontier in the Google Play Store.

See also:

10 best Strategy RPGs and Tactical RPGs on Android

July 14, 2016

Here's the basic storyline from Kemco:

The tiny village of Japina is one of the last human settlements in a world where environmental degradation has pushed humanity to the brink of extinction. Our fifteen year old hero who lives there has already lost his parents, siblings, and childhood friend, Leneria. Consumed by sadness, he agrees to an arranged marriage to save his village on the very same day that a chance encounter will alter the fates of him, his village, and all of humanity…

Astral Frontier allows the player to encounter other characters in his quest to save humanity, and their skills and abilities can be used to defeat enemies.

Kemco has release a free version of Astral Frontier, that it claims allows players to play the full version without spending any real money. There are optional in-game purchases to speed up play. In addition, there is a "premium" version of the same game that offers the same content and in-game purchases, but gives you a running start with some in-game currency to begin with. It is usually priced at $4.99 but for the launch the price has been reduced to just $2.99.

Get free version at Google Play Get premium version at Google Play

from Android Authority http://ift.tt/2ePY9N1
via IFTTT

New update addresses Xperia X Performance accelerometer issues

Shortly after its launch, Sony's Xperia X Performance started having some 'performance' issues rather ironically. Multiple users complained that its accelerometer would suddenly stop working, and Sony promised there would be a fix on its way soon. Well, that day has come: the new update rolling out to Xperia X Performance users should address the accelerometer woes.

See also:

Sony Xperia X Performance review – is it worth $700?

July 7, 2016

Today, Sony  issued an update in the form of build number 35.0.A.1.297, which is being pushed out to F8131 and F8132 – both the single SIM and dual SIM variants of the device. In the meantime, the only solution when the accelerometer, gyroscope, magnetometer, ambient light, proximity sensor, barometer or screen rotation stops responding seems to be the good ol' power button.

Have you received the software update yet? If so, has it fixed your phone's accelerometer? Let us know by leaving a comment below!

from Android Authority http://ift.tt/2f0gvZr
via IFTTT

Google Photos now allows you to create animations offline

If you are lacking an Internet connection on your smartphone or tablet, but still want to create animations from your still images in Google Photos, you are in luck. The latest update for the Android app enables offline animation creation for the first time.

See also:

How to hide files, photos and apps on Android

March 16, 2016

If your phone doesn't have a Internet connection, or if you have turned it off for some reason, the new version of Google Photos will still let you use the "Create new animation" button in the Assistant tab to select between 2 and 50 photos for your GIF-like creation. The animation will then be stored locally, and will be uploaded later to Google's cloud storage service once the Internet connection goes live again.

This is just the latest in a series of recent updates to the Google Photos app. The company has added features like permanent album contents sorting, along with improvements for sharing multiple photos. A few weeks ago, Google Photos added a "throwback" feature that automatically shows older photos of subjects that appear in more recent images.

Will this new offline support for animations in Google Photos be helpful for you? Let us know in the comments!

Get it at Google Play

from Android Authority http://ift.tt/2f0f0du
via IFTTT

EU demands clarifications over US involvement in Yahoo email surveillance

We all know a thing or two about the US government's involvement in spying its citizens and foreign leaders; and we also know a thing or two about Yahoo's deplorable security measures when it comes to emails. So I, for one, wasn't too surprised when reports of Yahoo aiding the US government in email surveillance started to emerge. That doesn't mean that it's not concerning, however. The European Union has now asked the US to clarify on this alleged mass espionage, amid concerns that the US may have violated the Privacy Shield agreement.

See also:

200 million alleged Yahoo accounts are up for sale on the dark web

August 2, 2016

It was last month that Reuters reported Yahoo's involvement in the alleged mass civilian espionage by the US government. According to the report, Yahoo, under the management of the highly questionable Marissa Mayer, built a secret program that can search all of its customers' incoming emails at the request of the US government. If the report is true, this apparently explains why its chief information security officer, Alex Stamos, left the country to join Facebook later on.

The inquiry from the European Union comes amid rising concerns that not only would this type of spying be ethically wrong, but it also may have violated the new data transfer pact between the US and the EU. After a myriad of leaks pointing to the NSA's involvement in spying on foreign leaders, the EU enacted the Privacy Shield agreement just a few months ago. Under this, the US agreed to limit the collection of European citizens' data stored on US servers.

The inquiry from the European Union comes amid rising concerns that not only would this type of spying be ethically wrong, but it also may have violated the new data transfer pact between the US and the EU.

Although Yahoo's deeply disturbing involvement in the US surveillance happened before the agreement – that is, if such allegations are true – the EU wants clarifications on the US government's commitment to end its indiscriminate espionage, especially involving EU citizens and leaders. So far, neither Yahoo nor the US have confirmed or denied the allegations, but according to Reuters, a senior US government official said that if true, the surveillance would have been used to detect terrorist activities, which is "good intelligence work."

Whether spying on its citizens using a US internet company is good intelligence work or not, in my opinion, is for the citizens to decide. With Donald Trump pledging a Muslim registry, regulations of American citizens are going to get worse, if anything, it seems.

from Android Authority http://ift.tt/2ePOBBB
via IFTTT

Why do data scientists make so much money?

The AA Picks team is on the prowl for things we think our readers will value. If we make an affiliate partnership to reduce the costs of purchases, then we may see a share of revenue.

It's a career that barely even existed five years ago, but the field of data science has exploded alongside the maturation of the internet. Indeed, data scientists command an average salary of $123,000 with many of them surpassing the $200,000 mark, and Harvard Business Review has called it "the Sexiest Job of the 21st Century."

But how can such a young career path already be in such high demand? And what even is a data scientist?

Data science is a field that's evolving as quickly as the technology it engages. As businesses stumbled into the 2010's, they found themselves in a wholly different landscape where conventional wisdom regarding audiences and consumer metrics had been tossed straight out the window.

This was exacerbated by the rise of mobile, which confounded even businesses that had just gotten a handle on this whole internet thing. In short, companies had no idea what they were doing.

Enter the data scientist.

Data scientists are multi-disciplinary experts who use analytical technology like data mining, artificial intelligence, and predictive analytics to get companies the information they need to navigate the modern market.

They are programmers, statisticians, and market analysts all rolled together. They serve as eyes and ears for businesses that can no longer tell where their potential consumers are hiding or how the market is changing.

In short, companies had no idea what they were doing.

Most recently, developments in machine learning have massively increased the power wielded by data scientists. Now even massive companies like Amazon and Netflix would be flying blind without the aid of data scientists, so when you think about it, it's no wonder these cyber sentinels can command such high salaries.

If you're interested in learning more, there is a well-reviewed course on Udemy that has equipped thousands of students for careers in this field.

Although admission to "Data Science and Machine Learning with Python – Hands On!" normally costs $120, Udemy is currently holding a site-wide sale that knocks 84 percent off that price. If you act by November 15, you can snag the whole package for just $19.

Click the button below for more information.

Start Sciencing!

Disclosure: This offer is brought to you by AA Picks. Our purpose is to highlight products or services we think you as our readers might be interested in and, if you buy them, we may see a share of the revenue. We operate independently from our advertising sales team, and we welcome your feedback and questions. Email us at aapicks@androidauthority.com.

from Android Authority http://ift.tt/2fEmJPx
via IFTTT

Google Pixel successfully hacked during PwnFest, exploit will be patched

The Google Pixel smartphone has only been available for a few weeks, but a remote code execution vulnerability has already been discovered by a Chinese hacking team. Thankfully, the exploit was discovered as part of the annual PwnFest hacking event, rather than in the wild.

See also:

Best Google Pixel and Pixel XL cases

4 days ago

The Qihoo 360 team used an unrevealed exploit to open the Google Play Store, and then opened the Chrome browser to show a web page that stated "Pwned By 360 Alpha Team". The Chinese hackers won $120,000 for their efforts.

This is actually the second time the Google Pixel has been cracked by hackers during such an event. Last week, Keen Team of Tencent discovered and used a zero-day exploit to get into the smartphone at the Mobile Pwn2Own event in Japan.

Both of these vulnerabilities will be sent to Google so they can be fixed in upcoming patches for the Pixel. Again, owners of the smartphone should be grateful that these exploits were found during hacking events, rather than found by malicious hackers performing these remote code attacks in the wild.

The PwnFest event also saw Apple's Safari and Microsoft's Edge browsers get successfully hacked by teams, and Qihoo 360 even used a vulnerability in Adobe Flash that had been there for 10 years to perform a remote hack.

from Android Authority http://ift.tt/2g2WZQ3
via IFTTT

Instagram Live Video coming soon, confirms CEO

Instagram's CEO, Kevin Systrom, has confirmed to The Financial Times that the social sharing app is preparing to roll out live video. Following in the footsteps of its parent company Facebook, Instagram will attempt to use live video increase user engagement and session duration with the platform's users.

See also:

Instagram adds Boomerang videos, mentions, and links to Stories in latest update

19 hours ago

While Systrom wouldn't confirm exactly when live video would be arriving on Instagram, it has already been seen in beta versions of the app. Once the feature is live, Instagram will join the ranks of Snapchat, Facebook, Twitter and YouTube, all of whom are competing for the live streaming hearts and minds of their users.

Systrom said the immense overnight success of its Stories feature helped push Live Video. "If you're the CEO of a company and all of a sudden 100m people are using a new format every single day, it's not something you ignore. You push investment into it". So keep your eyes peeled for Instagram Live Video in the very near future.

Who do you think does live video best?

from Android Authority http://ift.tt/2fJuCDR
via IFTTT