Netflix now lets you watch shows offline

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Netflix is rolling out an update for its Android and iOS apps that finally adds one of the most requested features for the popular video streaming service. The app will now allow users to download select TV shows and movies for offline playback.

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January 7, 2016

There have been rumors for months that Netflix was going to add support for downloadable content, but today, the company flipped the switch on that feature. The bad news is that not every movie and TV series supports downloading for offline use, most likely due to previously copyright agreements with some studios.

Netflix's blog post indicates that some of its original TV shows like Stranger Things, Orange is the New Black, Narcos and The Crown all support the new download feature. As you can see from the screenshot above, users will be able to see if their movie or TV series can be downloaded with a downward arrow icon. The company says more films and TV shows will gain the download access feature in the coming months.

This new feature will be available worldwide across all of Netflix's markets and best of all, the company won't be raising its subscription fees or making people pay extra for downloading videos. This will certainly be a huge help for people who have a limited cellular data plan but who still want to binge watch videos while on the road or on an airplane flight, which normally does not support streaming media on Wi-Fi.

One word of warning: the change notes for the updated Netflix app shows that the downloadable video feature won't work on all devices, but there's no word on which Android products won't support it.

Get it on Google Play

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Alto’s Adventure developer announces DISTANT – and we hope it’s Android-bound

Snowman, the developer of the hit Android and iOS snowboarding game Alto's Adventure, has unveiled its latest project, DISTANT. The game, which is being created in partnership with Australian indie developer Slingshot & Satchel, was revealed in a blog post yesterday along with its first trailer.

The video captures a similar ethereal tone to that of Alto's Adventure and takes place inside a cavern. A caped avatar is seen attempting to jump between two columns and looks set to fall short. However, it is propelled forward by an unknown force to make it to the other side. Take a look at it in the official trailer below.

In an interview with Killscreen, Chris Wearing, who formed Slingshot & Satchel with his fiancé Megan Campbell, said, "Without giving too much away, DISTANT is our attempt to take a meaningful pause and reexamine what aspects of traditional genres like platformers might be walled off unnecessarily […] to marry traditionally disparate concepts like 'zen play' and tight, satisfying challenge and explore a tonal space where they might not be so mutually exclusive after all."

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Snowman said that DISTANT is coming to Mac, PC, console, and Apple TV in its announcement post, but added that it currently doesn't have any information regarding release dates or pricing.

Though there's no mention of Android there, a port remains a possibility: Snowman co-founder Ryan Cash confirmed to us that the game is being developed on Unity, a game engine renowned for its cross-platform compatibility. Moreover, the GPU requirements for Mac, PC and Linux on Unity is Open GL. Android and iOS make use of Open GL ES, so if I'm not barking up the wrong tree, any graphical limitations either don't exist or should be relatively easily overcome. Alto's Adventure was also ported to Google's platform almost a year after being released on iOS.

@kriscarlon @playdistant We're building the game in Unity – that's all I can really say for now. Sorry Kris!

— Ryan Cash (@ryanacash) November 30, 2016

You can keep tabs on DISTANT's progress via its Twitter, Facebook and YouTube channels, as well as on the Snowman Blog. If you're as keen to see DISTANT make it to Android as I am, feel free to throw your support behind a mobile adaptation via the social channels mentioned above.

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Deal: LG G5 for $449 with $300 worth of free Friends

LG's experiment with modular smartphones may have already come to an abrupt end, but if you like the idea then you can still pick up a pretty good deal on the G5 and a small selection of the company's "Friends" accessories.

B&H Photo is currently selling the 32GB unlocked LG G5 (RS988) for just $449.99. The retailer is also throwing in a LG CAM Plus module, a LG 360 VR headset, a charging cradle, and a free spare battery with every purchase. All of those goodies are worth $297.96 combined, according to the listing, and the whole bundle saves you $200 on the G5's suggested retail price anyway.

Even if you're not particularly interested in the modular aspect of the phone, $449.99 is still pretty good for a handset that boasts a 5.3-inch QHD display, Snapdragon 820 processor, 16MP and 8MP dual rear camera combination, USB Type-C port, and a removable 2,800mAh battery. For a closer look at the handset's capabilities, check out our review and comparisons below.

 

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B&H Photo says will ship out the phone next day while stocks last, and the RS988 model will work on most GSM and CDMA carriers in the US. If you're interested, hit the button below to check out the deal.

Buy LG G5 for $449.99

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Asus Zenfone 3 Deluxe and Zenfone 3 Ultra now available in India

The Asus Zenfone 3 Deluxe (ZS570KL) and Zenfone 3 Ultra (ZU680KL) are now available in India. Starting today, you can get your hands on both devices in select Asus Preferred Partner's retail outlets across the country as well as on all major online sales portals.

The Zenfone 3 Deluxe, the smaller of the two, comes in two different variants. One has the Snapdragon 821 processor and 256 GB of storage while the other features the slightly older Snapdragon 820 processor and 64 GB of space. Both versions also boast an impressive 6 GB of RAM, a 5.7-inch Super AMOLED 1080p display, a 23 MP camera with an f/2.0 aperture and optical image stabilization, along with an 8 MP selfie snapper.

The first version is priced at INR 62,999 while the model with the Snapdragon 820 processor can be yours for INR 49,999. They are both available in either the Glacier Silver or Sand Gold color option.

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If you're looking for an even bigger device, the Asus Zenfone 3 Ultra might be more up your alley, as it features a massive 6.8 Full HD display. You'll find the Snapdragon 652 processor under the hood along with 4 GB or RAM and 64 GB of storage. Meanwhile, the camera setup is the same as on its already described smaller brother (23 MP + 8 MP).

The Zenfone 3 Ultra retails for INR 49,999 and comes in Titanium Grey and Glacier Silver.

To learn more about these two devices, feel free to check out our Asus Zenfone 3 family hands-on. And if you're thinking of buying the Asus Zenfone 3 Deluxe or the larger Ultra model, do let us know by posting a comment below.

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Next-gen Gear VR may feature eye and face tracking

The first consumer generation of virtual reality headsets are now settling in, and it's about time manufacturers start turning their attention to next generation technologies. A patent application filed by Samsung last May reveals that the company may have some new wearing tracking technologies planned for its next Gear VR headset.

According to the document, the major new feature in Samsung's next headset will quite possible be eye tracking and facial monitoring capabilities, in addition to new headset position tracking sensors to follow the headset through a 3D space. This could allow the next Gear VR to take users walking through 3D virtual environments without a controller, rather than being a mostly motionless experience. The Gear VR's physical position tracking technology uses LED lights and an external camera, while the wearer's face and eyes are monitored by cameras built into the inside of the headset.

110: head mounted device, 115a: tracking camera

It's not quite clear what the patent's facial expression monitoring feature would be especially useful for. Perhaps it will allow for virtual social interactions to be more lifelike? Eye tracking can be especially useful in virtual reality though, as it can allow for the use of advanced accurate foveated rendering by following the wearer's eye, which reduced the GPU load, a limiting factor in mobile devices.

1605: EOG sensor, 1610: IR LED, 1615: IR sensor

Of course, a patent application is no guarantee that Samsung will implement any of these technologies into its next-gen Gear VR, although it does give us an indication of the types of technologies that the company is working on. Even so, we're hopefully looking at an interesting headset release perhaps sometime in 2017.

This article first appeared on VRSource.

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Leap of Fate is a cyberpunk, Roguelike, twin-stick shooter coming to Android tomorrow

Isometric shooter Leap of Fate is headed to Android tomorrow following its launch on PC in March and iOS in August. Developed by Clever-Plays, Leap of Fate is set in a fantasy cyberpunk version of New York and features hundreds of enemy types and magic abilities.

You play as one of four "technomages" who must blast their way through six stages, taking down hordes of enemies, finding loot and battling bosses. It houses Roguelike elements such as procedurally generated levels and permadeath (which means when you die you lose your character and all of its progress), though there are some lasting unlocks, meaning each death won't be entirely in vain.

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Leap of Fate will cost $3.99 like on iOS and it has received a number of positive reviews – and award nominations – from its PC release earlier in the year. Look out for it in the Google Play Store on December 1 and check out the launch trailer below.

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Twitter enforces controversial new ‘comment ranking’ system

Some of you will have noticed a new Direct Reply count in Twitter, conveniently letting you know how many folks have replied to a tweet directly. This is good. But alongside this change, Twitter has also implemented a controversial new comment ranking system that discards the old chronological approach in favor of a popularity algorithm.

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January 22, 2016

Unlike Twitter's previous introduction of a Facebook-like 'relevancy algorithm' to your feed, the new comment ranking system is not opt-in (or opt-out for that matter). From now on, Twitter will sort the order of the comments on your tweets according to those it deems 'the most interesting content in the conversation'.

Here's what Twitter had to say about the new system:

"You may notice that some replies in a conversation are not shown in chronological order. Replies are grouped by sub-conversations because we strive to show you the best content first, and what we think you'd be most interested in. For example, when ranking a reply higher, we consider factors such as if the original Tweet author has replied, or if a reply is from someone you follow."

Direct Reply count (left) and comments not in chronological order (right)

Ultimately, what Twitter is trying to do is ensure the comments you're most likely to want to read first are the ones you see first. This isn't necessarily a bad thing, as most of us would prefer to see comments from our friends and follow-backers before random commenters in chronological order. This is the same theory applied to the 'best tweets first' option in your Twitter settings.

The problem lies in the fact that you can't opt out of comment ranking if you prefer the existing chronological approach.

The problem lies in the fact that you can't opt out of comment ranking if you prefer the existing chronological approach. This detail alone is sure to irk more than a few users, and perhaps justifiably so.

As is well known, a large part of Twitter's immense popularity is(was) based on its real-time chronological flow. Shifting to a more Facebook-like popularity contest is a big sea change for the platform. But it's one that seems to be working.

At this point it's not clear if Twitter will eventually allow users to choose whether or not to use the comment ranking system, but as always, if you want the choice to be yours, be sure to let Twitter know your thoughts. Maybe your tweet will get enough likes and replies to rise to the top where it'll actually be visible.

Do you like the relevancy approach or would you prefer to be able to opt-in or out?

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