Deal: Lightning Launcher, Facetune and other apps on sale in Google Play

You'll be happy to hear that we've come across quite a few great apps on the Google Play Store that are currently on sale.

If you're interested in pimping out your smartphone, you might want to consider downloading Lightning Launcher. The Android launcher, which normally retails for $4.99, can now be yours for only $1.99. It has tons of customization options as you're able to change the font, grid size, status/navigation bar colors, and much more. There are also quite a few nifty features available to play around with.

• Download Lightning Launcher from the Google Play Store

The next app on the list is SafeInCloud Password Manager. As you can probably tell by its name, the app keeps your passwords and other important and private information safe and secure in an encrypted database. The app is currently on sale for $2.99 ($2 off) and can be used on multiple devices.

• Download SafeInCloud Password Manager from the Google Play Store

If you read a lot of eBooks, the Moon+ Reader Pro app might be more up your alley. It's ad-free, supports a bunch of different files — epub, pdf, mobi etc… — and comes with a few great features like reading statistics and password protection. The developer is offering the app for half its normal price, which means you can get your hands on it for $2.49.

• Download Moon+ Reader Pro from the Google Play Store

See also:

5 Android apps you shouldn't miss this week! – Android Apps Weekly

5 days ago

There is also a great app on sale for all you selfie lovers out there. It's called Facetune and allows you to touch up your selfies with a bunch of different tools. You can refine your smile, whiten your teeth, rejuvenate your skin, remove pimples and scars, and much more. The app will set you back $1.99, which is $2 off its normal price.

• Download Facetune from the Google Play Store

The last app on the list is called Slide for Reddit Pro. It's an unofficial browser for Reddit that comes with a lot of customization options and great features. These include Shadowbox mode, which lets you view images, gifs, and albums in an easy-to-use swiping layout and Auto Night Theme that automatically changes the theme at night to give your eyes some rest. The developer normally sells the app for $4.99 but is currently offering it for only $1.99.

• Download Slide for Reddit Pro from the Google Play Store

We don't know how long these deals will last, so if you're interested in getting any of the apps described above, we suggest you act quickly. And if you do decide to buy an app or two, let us know which ones you opted for in the comment section below.

from Android Authority http://ift.tt/2h91moL
via IFTTT

Nintendo plans to launch two to three mobile games in 2017

After years of staying away from the mobile games market, the early success of Super Mario Run this month has finally convinced Nintendo they need to be more aggressive in launching smartphone and tablet games. In a new interview, the company's president Tatsumi Kimishima confirmed that Nintendo will launch between two to three new mobile games a year, starting in 2017.

See also:

Super Mario Run has already proven to be more popular than Pokemon Go

6 days ago

Chatting with Japanese media outlet Kyoto NP, Kimishima now says that the mobile gaming market could become one of Nintendo primary business divisions. He stated that mobile games could reach many new fans and generate more revenue for the company. He even suggested those games could be used as a way to promote the upcoming Nintendo Switch console, which is due to launch in March 2017.

Super Mario Run launched for iOS on December 15, and Nintendo confirmed it has already been downloaded 50 million times worldwide. Kimishima expects that the game will hit the 100 million download milestone. The game is supposed to be launched for Android devices at some point in 2017 but so far, the company has yet to offer a specific release date. Nintendo also has not revealed how many people have decided to pay the $9.99 price to unlock all of Super Mario Run's content, although analyst estimates put that number somewhere between four and nine percent.

Nintendo has already revealed that two of its upcoming mobile games will be based on Animal Crossing and Fire Emblem. While these franchises are well known to hardcore fans of the company, they are not as well known to the general public as the Mario series. It will be interesting to see what the reaction will be to those titles and if they will come close to Super Mario Run's initial download numbers.

from Android Authority http://ift.tt/2ik0rqp
via IFTTT

TCL promises an “evolutionary first” with the new BlackBerry devices at CES

Last week, we reported that BlackBerry sold its branding rights to TCL. The Chinese manufacturer, which has already released two BlackBerry branded smartphones this year — the DTEK50 and DTEK60 — will be the company's only hardware partner in the future.

In a recent press release, TCL announced that it plans to "unveil an evolutionary first in the mobile industry" which will include its new BlackBerry phones. That phrasing makes it sound not so much like the evolutionary first will be on the new phones, but will be something announced alongside them. The devices will be revealed during the Consumer Electronics Show (CES), which kicks off on January 5 in Las Vegas.

See also:

BlackBerry quits designing their own phones

September 28, 2016

Currently, no concrete details regarding the upcoming smartphones are known. But it is possible that one of the handsets will be the rumored Mercury, which just might feature a QWERTY keyboard.

TCL's North American president recently tweeted a cryptic message about "the new BlackBerry" that referenced the first typewriter to feature a Shift key, an addition that massively influenced the popularity of the then-nascent technology.

TCL has said that it will announce more details regarding its plans for the new BlackBerry smartphones at CES and how the brand's legacy will live on.

So I guess we'll just have to wait for a little while longer in order to see what TCL has in store for us. Let's just hope that the company does showcase a few great BlackBerry devices that will do justice to the iconic Canadian brand. Fingers crossed.

from Android Authority http://ift.tt/2hfR3T5
via IFTTT

Google I/O 2017 to return to San Francisco’s Moscone West

Attending Google I/O is a special privilege for anyone fortunate enough to attend. For gadget nerds like us, scoring an I/O ticket is like winning the Android lottery. It's an impressive event, no matter which way you cut it, but as many of you would have read this year, it can sometimes not go entirely to plan. Perhaps in light of the negative feedback to this year's event at the Shoreline Amphitheater in the shadow of the Googleplex, next year's Google I/O will reportedly return to downtown San Francisco's Moscone West.

See also:

Our Google I/O 2016 coverage, in video

May 21, 2016

For many, this will be a welcome change (if it is true: so far, only Tech Crunch is claiming the change of location). Moscone is, naturally, very well set up for conferences. The convention center has nowhere near the capacity as the unrestricted open spaces of Google's carpark, but it does arguably provide a much better environment in which to consume what I/O is all about.

This year's outdoor event featured long lines in the hot sun, inadequate session seating, no overflow spaces or external feeds of what was going on inside sessions you might not have gotten in to, a pretty confusing layout, poor signage and so on. There are plenty of informative Reddit and forum threads to get your fair share of vitriol if you're into that kind of thing. And while it must be said Google did a great job under the circumstances, the planning just wasn't spot on.

A return to Moscone will make getting to the event a lot easier. There will be climate control and proper access. The ballroom in which the keynote is presented will have a smaller capacity than this year's event, meaning more developers will miss out on it. But those that do get in will certainly enjoy it more (there were a LOT of complaints made this year about having to sit through the keynote under the hot California sun, and rightfully so).

We may see a return to a two-day event rather than three-day festival atmosphere we had this year, although we hope not. Having things spread out over three days allows for a better mix of being informed, schmoozing and enjoying the event itself. We don't care if the goodie bag is gone for good, just as long as we have new things to play with while we're there (another big complaint from this year's event). In any case, we'll be there, keen to see what lessons Google learned from this year's I/O and to get up to speed on everything new it has to share in 2017.

Have you attended I/O? Do you hope to one day?

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

Deal: Buy a movie and save 50% or rent one for just $0.99 from Google or Amazon

If you're thinking of cuddling up with a loved one on the couch and watching a great movie together during the upcoming holidays, we have some great news. Google is offering 50 percent off all of the movies it has on offer on its online store.

You can get any movie, regardless of how much it costs, for half the price. The offer is valid for individual movies as well as movie bundles. In addition, Google is also offering a 50 percent discount on any music album that's available on Google Play Music.

If you would prefer to just rent a movie than buy it, Google, as well as Amazon, have you covered. Both are offering movie rentals for just $0.99 over the holiday period. But unfortunately, there is a limit of one movie per account. In case you decide to rent a movie from Amazon, just make sure that you use the promo code MOVIE99, if you want to secure the discount.

See also:

Google Play Music receives new UI and smarter playlists

November 14, 2016

As always, these deals won't last forever. The offers are valid for about a month and will end on January 23, 2017. But keep in mind that they are not available in every country around the world.

So, if you want to score the 50 percent discount on a movie or a music album, or rent a movie for only $0.99, simply click on a button below and redeem the promo code if it appears on your screen.

• Buy a movie from Google
• Buy a music album from Google
• Rent a movie from Google
• Rent a movie from Amazon

And if you do decide to buy or rent a movie, let us know which one you opted for by posting a comment down below.

from Android Authority http://ift.tt/2h8GDBq
via IFTTT

Help Team AA! How do you use your phone?

As we approach the end of the year, we're hard at work behind the scenes, preparing for some major changes coming to Android Authority reviews in the new year. As part of this, we're making changes to the way we test devices and how we calculate our review scores – but Android Authority needs YOUR help!

How can you get involved? It's simple: there are 4 polls below that we'd like you to vote in. The polls will run until 23:59 PST on Monday, January 2nd, after which point we'll be using the data collected to influence the way we calculate some of our scores.

Some of you may be wondering what the changes to reviews are, and while we're not ready to reveal all just yet – but we will be very early in the new year – we can say that it's a major overhaul and involves in-depth testing of the display, audio, performance, camera and battery. If you caught our Best of Android series last year, the new testing is an evolution of that process and features further refinement and standardisation amongst all of our reviewers.

Now you know how we're using this poll data, please help Android Authority deliver the information you want by answering the questions below; you can only select one item per poll (unless it says otherwise) and the more honest you are, the better our reviews will become. You can scroll between the polls using the left and right arrows.

Thanks for your help! Stay tuned for our new reviews in the coming weeks and the Best of Android 2016 edition, which launches next week. This year has seen some amazing releases from Android manufacturers, so will your favourite phone be named Phone of the Year 2016? We'll also be following up with recaps of the best apps, games and services to launch this year as well as crowning one OEM as our Manufacturer of the Year!

from Android Authority http://ift.tt/2h8v658
via IFTTT

ASUS launches ZenWatch 3 in India; exclusively available on Flipkart

ASUS has announced the launch of ZenWatch 3, the customizable wearable device powered by Android Wear, in India. This precision watch serves as a smart assistant for Android and iOS devices and works as a full-featured activity tracker.

Fashioned from jewelry-grade 316L stainless steel, the ZenWatch 3 can easily withstand the rigors of daily wear. It sports three crown buttons that provide quick access to frequently used functions, including opening the ZenFit activity tracking app and changing the display modes. The ZenWatch 3 comes with a strap made from a choice of stitched Italian leather or high-quality rubber.

Powered by the latest, energy-efficient Qualcomm Snapdragon Wear 2100 processor for wearable devices, the ZenWatch 3 has advanced power management features and boasts of HyperCharge technology that delivers quick recharge times.

The launch of ZenWatch 3 is the perfect culmination of a successful year for ASUS in India. Consumers are increasingly adopting wearables to help simplify their lives and boost productivity. The powerful ZenWatch 3 combines luxury and functionality to provide users with a device that allows them to manage their lives comfortably. We are sure that the combination of specs and design in this smartwatch will be appreciated by our users.
– Peter Chang, Region Head – South Asia & Country Manager, ASUS India

The ZenWatch 3 is a full-featured activity tracker and the all-new ZenFit app automatically counts wearers' steps throughout the day with reminders to move after periods of inactivity. Additionally, ZenFit tracks a range of activities — i.e., walking, running, push-ups, sit-ups — and it works together with the companion smartphone app to provide helpful and easy-to-understand summaries and graphs for a complete picture of physical activity.

ASUS ZenWatch 3 (WI503Q) Specifications

• Processor: Qualcomm Snapdragon Wear 2100
• Operating System: Android Wear | Compatible with Android and iOS
• Memory: 512MB RAM LDDR3
• Storage: 4GB eMMC Flash
• Display: 1.39-inch AMOLED 400 x 400 | 287ppi | 2-finger touch | 2.5D curved Corning Gorilla Glass 3
• Battery: 340mAh with quick-charge
• Water Resistance: IP67
• Size: Diameter: ≦ 45mm | Height: 9.95-10.75mm

The ASUS ZenWatch 3 is available in two strap variants – Leather and Rubber – and priced at ₹18,999 ($280) and ₹17,599 ($260) respectively. The watch is available in three colors – Dark Brown, Beige, and Brownish Grey – and the strap is available in Gunmetal and Silver colors. It will be available exclusively on Flipkart with pre-booking starting today.

from Android Authority http://ift.tt/2i8AE1c
via IFTTT