Hatch, a spinoff of Rovio, will bring free streaming games to Android in 2017

A new company that has been spun off from Rovio, the creators of the Angry Birds franchise, wants to offer a way for Android device owners to stream and play games without downloading them onto their phones. The new company, Hatch, says the service will also include some unique social features.

See also:

Best free Android games

3 weeks ago

Hatch says that the service will allow anyone to play games for free, with no updates or in-app purchases. Instead, the service, and game developers, will get revenues from "integrated, unobtrusive advertising and brand storytelling". Hatch also plans to launch a paid subscription option that will offer unnamed additional features for gamers.

In addition, the service will allow players to compete, or even help, in online gaming, along with support for sharing and broadcasting gameplay footage. Even single-player games can be altered so that players can receive online assistance from others. The service will use cloud-based servers in a partnership with Huawei Technologies.

When Hatch does launch to the public, it will have over 100 games to play such as Badland, Leo's Fortune, Monument Valley, Pac-Man CE DX, République and many more. It will also release games that will be exclusive to the service, such as IslaBomba: Ready To Boom, that will be able to use the service's multiplayer and social features. The company plans to launch via an invite-only beta sometime in the first half of 2017.

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Build your own LEGO characters with the new LEGO Brickheadz VR app for Daydream View

This post originally appeared on our sister site, VRSource.

More and more VR apps are being released in the Google Play Store that support the company's Daydream View smartphone headset. The latest example is LEGO Brickheadz, a free app that lets children of all ages make cool LEGO-based figures in a virtual world.

See also: Launch day: Daydream VR apps roundup

The Brickheadz brand from LEGO was first announced earlier this year, and will offer people a way to own buildable figures based on pop culture characters from Marvel and DC's superhero universes. The real-world Brickheadz won't go on sale until 2017, but this new VR app offers something of a sneak peek at what this LEGO spinoff is like.

The game gives you the option of building your own Brickheadz figures. You can also unlock new characters and combinations by putting together pre-arranged figures via special diagrams. All in all, this app would seem to be targeting young kids, but we would imagine older folks might get a kick out of playing with virtual LEGO bricks as well.

One word of warning: The app is listed in the Google Play Store as "Unreleased", which likely means that there could be more than the usual number of bugs in this version.

Get it at Google Play

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Moto Z is “likely” to get a Tango 3D camera Moto Mod

The biggest feature in Motorola's Moto Z family of smartphones is their support for Moto Mods, which are modular add-ons that can be quickly connected to the back to add extra features to those devices. Today, Motorola CEO Aymar de Lencquesaing said the company will "likely" release a Moto Mod in the future that will add support for Google's Tango 3D camera technology to the Moto Z.

See also:

Moto Mods Review: Blast, Power and Project in a snap

July 27, 2016

Of course, this is one of the exact reasons why Lenovo and Motorola created Moto Mods in the first place. If an up-and-coming technology comes out that may be of interest to users, creating a Moto Mod with that functionality is much easier than building it into a smartphone. de Lencquesaing stated that the augmented reality features that can be used with the Tango camera will fit well within Motorola's smartphone plans:

Augmented reality on a phone is a technology that's likely to stick. Of course we'll follow, or lead, the market in this area.

Motorola's parent company, Lenovo, launched the first Tango-enabled smartphone, the Phab 2 Pro, earlier this month. The large 6.4-inch unlocked device is currently priced at $499.99, and there are over 35 apps in the Google Play Store that specifically support Tango's AR features. There are rumors that ASUS could announce its own Tango-based smartphone in January during CES 2017.

Currently, the Moto Z family of Moto Mods directly from Motorola include an external speaker, an extra battery and projector. More recently, Verizon began selling a Moto Mod battery pack made by Mophie. Motorola has also partner with the Indiegogo crowd funding website to help hardware developers fund the creation of even more Moto Mods.

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DirecTV Now streaming TV service launches for Android and Chromecast on November 30 (Update: Google Play link)

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Update (11/30: AT&T has brought its DirecTV Now app to the Play Store. If you're interested, head to the link below to give it a shot! Get it from Google Play

Original post (11/28): AT&T officially enters the already crowded streaming TV service market on Wednesday, November 30 with the launch of DirecTV Now. Among many other platforms, the new service will be available on Android smartphones and tablets, along with support for Google Chromecast.

See also:

Best AT&T Android phones

2 weeks ago

Here's the breakdown of the four channel packages and prices that will be available for interested DirecTV Now customers:

• Live a Little – $35 / month (60+ channels)
• Just Right – $50 / month (80+ channels)
• Go Big – $60 / month (100+ channels)
• Gotta Have it – $70 / month (120+ channels)

AT&T's 'Go Big' package will be just $35 for a limited time

However, for a "limited time", AT&T will offer the "Go Big" package, which normally costs $60 a month for over 100 channels, for the price of just $35 a month. Customers who sign up for that promo price can continue to keep it for as long as they stay signed up for that package. In addition, customers can also add the HBO and Cinemax pay-TV networks to any of the four DirecTV Now plans for $5 a month each.

AT&T also announced that starting on Tuesday, November 29, LeEco will offer three months of free DirecTV Now service for people who purchase its Le S3 and Le Pro3 smartphones from the LeMall website. It will also offer a number of free months of service for people who purchase the company's smart TVs from the same site, with the amount of free time depending on the model of TV.

DirecTV Now joins Sony's PlayStation Vue and Dish's Sling TV in the streaming TV service market in the US. Hulu has also announced plans to offer a similar service sometime in 2017.

AT&T also announced that its previously launched Fullscreen streaming video service, which normally costs $5.99 a month, will be free for any of its wireless phone customers for a year starting on November 30. Finally, AT&T will launch FreeVIEW, a free, ad-supported video service that will offer samples of its content from DirecTV Now, Audience Network and more.

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Facebook shuts down Live Video API access for Prisma

In an apparent attempt to shut down the competition, Facebook has now cut off access to its Live Video API for the popular Prisma image and video filters app. This move comes as both companies released ways to include stylized art filters to Facebook Live videos.

See also:

Prisma, our favorite filter app, is getting offline processing on Android

October 7, 2016

According to TechCrunch, Facebook sent an email to the team behind Prisma, stating that Facebook's app already supports streaming of video from a "mobile device camera". Facebook's statement seems to suggest that its Live Video API is not meant to be used by mobile cameras and third-party apps, but rather by professional cameras, games and other sources. The report does point out that Facebook's own FAQ page on the Live Video API does not specifically state that mobile camera streams are banned.

On the surface, this would appear to be a pretty heavy handed attempt by Facebook to stop Prisma from offering its own art filters for Facebook Live users. Facebook launched its Live filters for iOS for testing in a select number of countries a few weeks ago, but there's no word on when that will expand to more territories. Of course, Facebook's latest move has put the future of Prisma's live video support in doubt, but in the meantime, it is still working on a social-themed update for the app which is planned for release in December.

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Cyber Week Deal: White Hat Hacker kit 98% off

For the past few days, Tech Deals has been celebrating Cyber Week by offering discounts on products and services related to cyber security. While there are quite a few deals that are worth looking at today, the outlier in our opinion is the 2017 IT Security & Ethical Hacking Certification Training kit.

Although we've seen a handful of interesting ethical hacking courses while on the prowl for good deals, something sets this one apart. Sure, you'll learn all the tools of the trade that career white hat hackers use to earn their paychecks: cryptography, identity management, attacking networks, mitigating vulnerabilities, etc. But what gives this kit extra value is that it also includes all of the relevant materials you'll need to become a certified security expert.

 

That's right. This course includes all material covered by the official 2017 CompTIA Security+, CEHv9, and CCNA Security certification exams with comprehensive study guides to prepare for them. With these certificates in hand, you're just one résumé away from a lucrative career as a white hat hacker.

What you'll get:

• Access over 35 hours of training 24/7
• Discuss cryptology, identity management & access control, & more
• Learn how to mitigate network attacks & vulnerabilities
• Explore the necessary technical skills to engineer & design secure solutions across advanced enterprise environments
• Use labs, games, & activities to verify your progress
• Study for the 2017 CompTIA Security+, CEHv9, & CCNA Security certification exams w/ printable study guides

What's the catch?

Although you can find courses like this for cheaper, the launch price for the 2017 IT Security & Ethical Hacking Certification Training kit is a hair-raising $1,895. I guess when you're providing the comprehensive foundations for an entire career, you can afford to charge top dollar for it.

However, probably in an effort to boost their student base going into 2017, LearnSmart is temporarily offering the entire course for $29.99.

You'll get everything that students forking over the full price get, but you'll have to act quickly if you want to snag this deal. At the time of writing, only 8 hours remain.

Click the button below to learn how to become an ethical hacker and get certified!

Start Hacking!

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Android Pay arrives in New Zealand but with very limited support

I bring good news and bad news for all the Kiwis out there. The good news is that you can now use Android Pay to make purchases at locations like BurgerFuel and McDonald's. The bad news is that only one specific card is supported by it.

See also:

Android Pay vs Apple Pay vs Samsung Pay Overview

April 27, 2016

Google just announced that Android Pay will be finally making its way to New Zealand. This means that as long as you have an unrooted, NFC-enabled Android device running Android 4.4 or higher, you will be able to create virtual cards just by downloading the Android Pay app. All you have to do is wake up and unlock your phone, hold the back of the device against the contactless payment terminal, and voila, your transaction is completed. No need to open up the actual app.

According to Google, its contactless payment system is already accepted in participating locations that are equipped with contactless terminals. These include BP, Domino's, BurgerFuel, McDonald's, Spark, Vodafone, The Warehouse, Torpedo 7, and more. Just like Apple Pay and Samsung Pay, you can store your gift cards and loyalty cards on Android Pay as well. To see the full list of stores that support the app, visit Android Pay's official website for New Zealand.

However, there is a catch. Unfortunately, for now, Google's payment system in New Zealand supports only one type of card, and that is the BNZ Flexi Debit Visa card.

Unfortunately, for now, Google's payment system in New Zealand supports only one type of card, and that is the BNZ Flexi Debit Visa card.

Although the company hasn't specified whether or not it would be adding more support and when that would be, we will be sure you keep you updated. In the meantime, if you are a merchant looking to use Google's contactless payment service, you can visit the Android Pay Merchant Help Centre. And for online merchants and developers, here is the Android Pay API website.

For those in New Zealand, are you disappointed about the limited support? How often do you use Android Pay or Samsung Pay? Let us know by leaving a comment down below!

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