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Android Prepares New Sharing Features Sharing data across devices has always been one of the most important types of communication. Photos, videos, texts, random files, and even Wi-Fi passwords often need to be transferred to another laptop, phone, or tablet. Now, Android comes up with the updated “Nearby Share” feature that will make the multi-device life much easier. The feature that’s been around for a while enables Android users to easily find nearby devices and send different types of data, including system settings like stored Wi-Fi passwords. The most common way you usually share this data is sharing it across your own devices. If you have a tablet, you may want to send a picture from your phone to it to view it on its larger screen. The same may apply to files you receive in messengers that you only have installed on one of your devices. The recent update enables you to always accept invitations from your own devices. So files and other data will be accepted automatically. You don’t even have to activate your recipient device: Nearby Share will function even if the screen is off. The greatest thing is that these improvements will not be exclusive to Android 13. They will come to Android 12 and (hopefully) to Android 11. Alas, this only applies to Android devices, so accepting the transfer on your Chromebook is still done manually. This update comes with a bunch of other improvements, such as the ability to record jingles and make your Android device notify you when it hears it. It’s useful for people with hearing problems. Also, Google redesigns Keep and Workspace apps for bigger screens on which it is more convenient to work with documents and notes. Do you often use Nearby Share? Do you feel accepting the transfers automatically will be safe? How do you compare it to AirDrop by Apple? Share your thoughts with us in the comments!  

• Jerry Pharrel
• 2022-09-21

Even the Nintendo Ex-Boss Is Excited about GTA VI Now that the development of GTA 6 is official, more and more people are anxious to see it sooner. It took nothing but the confirmation of the project to get them excited. And among those already looking forward to it is Reggie Fils-Aimé, formerly the head of Nintendo America. And when seasoned ones like him name this project among their anticipations, they must know something. Reggie Fils-Aimé has been the head of Nintendo in America since 2003, the Wii era if you remember. His behavior made him a celebrity in the gaming industry, and his achievements are still witnessed around each time you see someone with a Switch. Retired since 2019, he confesses he had never had the time to fully enjoy the previous GTA installments, including the famous GTA V/Online. Well, now the acclaimed manager will probably have enough time to enjoy the currently available GTA installments until the next one arrives. Though it’s been full nine years since the release of GTA V, the next game in the series is far from being ready. There hasn’t even been a trailer so far, though 2022 is the right year to finally publish it. Still, it seems that it will take years to develop even the concept, let alone the game itself. One thing is for sure: once it’s out, DLC and mods will flow for years. As far as we know, the game will take place in one city instead of the originally planned three (though later it may impress with some incredibly big DLC). It will also reportedly feature a female protagonist, which is a sort of breakthrough in the history of the series. Mr. Fils-Aimé will have to give some time to the previous installments, with their brutal and severe aesthetics, to see how much of a change it will be. And what about you? Do you feel as excited about the upcoming GTA VI as Mr. Fils-Aimé does? And are you ready to find some time for it to explore all the main storylines and side quests? Tell us what you expect from the next GTA in the comments!  

• Jerry Pharrel
• 2022-09-12

YouTube Music Doesn’t Request Your Location Anymore YouTube Music is gaining popularity partly because of its rich content (which other service has so many bootlegs and rarities?), partly because of its constant updates and usability improvements. This one will make the YouTube Music experience a little bit more secure: now the app doesn’t require your exact location to function. Indeed, it felt strange that YouTube Music needed one’s precise location in order to play music. Okay, in theory it can be used to show the right ads (though YouTube Music Premium has none) and for improving personalized suggestions. But these results can be achieved with approximate location as well. And it’s not clear why the app needed it precise in order to offer location-based recommendations. Location-based recommendations indeed make some sense. For example, when you’re at home and it’s time you go to sleep, YouTube Music can offer you some relaxing playlist. If it detects you’re in a gym (your Google Fit data may corroborate you’re not there to sit and watch), it can give you something for an explosive workout. But, again, it doesn’t require location data that precise, according to the new way Google claims to have found. Instead, it uses your activities that you can check in your Home. Is it secure, though, to share this sensitive data with the app that obviously doesn’t need it? And doesn’t Google obtain it from other sources if you use Android or other Google apps on iOS? Obviously, these considerations have been spoken out loud enough, so YouTube listened to them. The latest update does not require your precise location; approximate one will do to recommend you some music popular in your region or matching the weather around you. Do you feel better now, after learning that YouTube Music won’t track your location and will delete all precise location-related data it has ever used? Tell us what you think about it; welcome to the comments section!  

• Jerry Pharrel
• 2022-08-31

Professional Accounts on Twitter to Get New Feature Does it make sense to have a Professional account on Twitter? Yes, it does, and it makes more and more sense with each update. Now, Twitter prepares to add another bunch of features that make it easier to use these accounts for ecommerce. With this update, businesses will be able to choose a label for their links and much more. The new option that will appear on profiles of Professional accounts is in the “Spotlight” tab. Here, you can choose from a selection of CTAs to make the button on your profile page more visual and expressive. The selection will include some text labels which go straight to the core. With labels like “Make a reservation”, “View menu”, “Watch now”, or “Book an appointment”, businesses can provide links to corresponding pages on their websites, making interactions with customers much easier by skipping extra steps. The news was delivered to the public by Nima Owji, a blogger and an app researcher. Nima has been tracking Twitter apps for long, and he is often the one who first reveals some upcoming features. So it happened this time. Along with this, Twitter also tests new shopping features. Given how popular online shopping is becoming now, no wonder that the service does its best to make the experience easy and rich. It also has something to do with Professional accounts: the spotlights will feature the “Shop” option when it becomes available. Professional accounts were introduced by Twitter in April 2021, and since that time Twitter added some features that made using one reasonable. Since March 2022, these accounts are available to all creators and brands. They can now make use of additional panels that display detailed information about the business or the person. Are you using a Professional account on Twitter? Are you satisfied with its features? Do you think this new addition will improve the interactions between the business and the customer? Let’s discuss it; welcome to the comments section!  

• Jerry Pharrel
• 2022-08-29

Call of Duty: Warzone Accused of Plagiarism Because of a Samoyed Skin Have you seen the Loyal Samoyed skin that would appear in the upcoming Floofy Fury bundle for Call of Duty: Vanguard or Warzone? Alas, hardly will you see it in the game. The cute yet imposing dog turned out to be, to put it lightly, “heavily inspired” by a work published by an artist named Sail Lin. Now the skin is removed from the pack (pun unintended), and the original image gains more popularity. After seeing the upcoming skin for the operator Kim Tae Young, Sail Lin (who is themselves a huge fan of CoD games) immediately recognized the work. As you can see on Lin’s page on ArtStation, the images are too similar to dismiss as a pure coincidence. When the story went public, Activision had to pull the skin off the update and apologize before Sail Lin. It’s not the first time when Sail Lin’s works inspire someone too heavily. In December 2021, Lin’s pictures were used without authorization by Shiba Metaverse, a project by the creators of Shiba Inu cryptocurrency. Pictures by Lin were used as NFT images. The NFT project simply banned Sail Lin, but the story was published on Twitter. Now, Lin’s works pop up again as the object of plagiarism. Given how much Call of Duty: Vanguard and Warsone rely on sales of cosmetic items, the inspiration for this has been sought for anywhere. In the recent three weeks, Activision was accused of “borrowing” concepts also from Projekt Melody (an AI-created hentai cam girl) and Deadrop, an indie vecrtical shooter by Midnight Society. It’s not clear yet whether Activision and Raven (the actual developer of the games in question) will address these accusations in a similar manner. We are really sorry that the skin of this fantastic Samoyed had to be removed from Call of Duty. Are you? Would you prefer Activision and Sail Lin to settle the matter differently? And would you like to see more of Lin’s works making it legally to AAA games? Tell us what you think in the comments!

• Adam Bayne
• 2022-08-21

When to Expect Final Fantasy XIV Patch 6.2 Final Fantasy 14 players have been long waiting for the next patch to arrive, and finally, we have the date. The update named Buried Memory is scheduled on August 23. And it has a lot of new content for those who have already explored the main game, being more than a DLC but rather a new episode in the series which the game looks like. Buried Memory will have more content for the main quest in the game. There will be nine quests the names of which are not revealed yet. It’s known, though, that they will require at least Disciple of War or Magic level 90. To access them, you will also have to complete “A Satrap’s Duty”, a quest from the main scenario. Then the quests will unfold gradually: in order to access the next one, you’ll need to finish at least the first of them, “In Search of Azdaja”. Along with these quests, there will be some side content, like a new Chronicles of a New Era quest line, along with two standalone side quests – Tataru's Grand Endeavor and Tales of Newfound Adventure. These also require Disciple of War or Magic level 90 plus completion of preceding quests. The patch also brings numerous adjustments to existing quests, lots of new items to get and areas to explore, and inevitable bug fixes. Among the new content, there are new orchestrion rolls, furnishings, aquarium fish, and seed for flowerpots. Many players will especially appreciate the Island Sanctuary, the zone where you can (as the developers put it) create your own paradise: grow crops, collect materials, and turn it all into the most comforting environment. Given how grim and dangerous other areas are, this is a welcome addition. So is the addition of portraits that will personalize your gear to the max. If you are a Final Fantasy XIV player, are you already anticipating this update? Did you enjoy Endwalker, the previous big update? Do you hope this purchase will be worth it? Tell us your expectations (or impressions when you have bought it) in the comments!

• Jerry Pharrel
• 2022-08-21

WhatsApp and Twitter vs. Indian Authorities Global social media strike back as Indian authorities attempt to trim freedom of speech in the country. While Narendra Modi’s government attacks Twitter and YouTube in the desire to control even the most private conversations there, the companies take the case to court to dispute the government’s activity. While India is actively using the world’s major social media like Facebook, YouTube, Twitter, or WhatsApp, public activity on these media is still a risky thing. Even well-known figures like Sandeep Ravindranath, a famous filmmaker, can find their posts removed at the request of Narendra Modi’s government. It is said that Prime Minister Modi often abuses civil rights in an attempt to control public opinion and trim oppositional activity online. In its turn, social media don’t want to simply comply with their requirements. Not only does, for example, but Twitter also files a petition to the court instead of simply removing posts and accounts the ruling party wants to be removed. It also has removed a post by Bharatiya Janata Party that it considered an example of hate speech towards Indian Muslims. And this is done in the situation when the authorities raid Twitter’s office in New Delhi to show they’re serious. So does WhatsApp. While the government requests access to private chats and channels, WhatsApp argues that would be illegal. It also takes the matter to court, suing the government for these unlawful requirements. As for YouTube, it also lives through various attacks by the authorities, though it hasn’t gone that far in its attempts to resist the pressure. What do you think about this? Is the Indian case an aberration, or is it a part of the new informational reality? It’s still far from Chinese or Russian Iron Curtain 2.0, but how further can it go in both India and other countries? In the comments section, we don’t trim any though as long as it’s served correctly. So share what you think with us down here in the comments!

• Jerry Pharrel
• 2022-08-02

Tower of Fantasy: When Will the New Anticipated JRPG Become Available? Tower of Fantasy, an upcoming MMO from Level Infinite and Hotta Studio, has already been defined as “the sci-fi version of Genshin Impact”. The previews have excited the audience a lot. And now, finally, the game has a release date. Those who preordered it can enjoy the game starting on August 10 – that is, in just days. Tower of Fantasy has been compared to Genshin Impact from the beginning of its public presence. The characters are noticeably similar: there are also two playable twins and a fairy-like character showing the way. What’s more important, it’s also a free-to-play MMO with gacha mechanics integrated. The style, though, will be very different. And the difference is not just about the sci-fi cyberpunk setting but the generic fantasy of Genshin Impact. The namesake Tower is built on the planet named Aida to assist the exploration of a new unresearched source of energy, and this defines the narrative. The gameplay of ToF will be heavily focused on various weapons and add-ons to them, as well as open-world exploration and PvP combat. The developers say they have done their best to provide fair matching, so players who don’t invest much in their progress can still enjoy the game by being matched with their equals. Still, gacha means that microtransactions will be an essential game element. To decide whether you’re ready to invest, you can install the game for free and spend some time in its world. The game will be available on PC (via Steam), as well as on iOS and Android. The versions will be identical in terms of both visual and gameplay. The size of the PC version of the game is about 30 GB, while that for mobile devices is about 4 GB, which promises rich visuals. Have you already subscribed to be notified as soon as the game is available? What do you expect from Tower of Fantasy? We’d like you to share your expectations and then impressions in the comments!

• Adam Bayne
• 2022-08-04

Halo Infinite Forge Will Allow Users to Share Files Right at the Launch Halo Infinite still needs more content, and the ongoing test of co-op campaigns will last for some more time. Yet we know of another feature that will make the multiplayer experience more fun. As Halo: Infinite Forge launches, players will be able to exchange items they craft with each other, and probably for some, it will be not just impressive but also lucrative. The Forge is to be released someday later. We don’t know yet when. Forge Map and Mode creator is what halo: Infinite terribly has been lacking all the months it’s been around. But the news is great for both fans of crafting and those who prefer games as a social experience. The possibility to exchange or simply buy items in a special store (some of them will be offered by 343 itself, for sure) will help some earn, and some accelerate their progress. These items can also be used as map elements that will make them more exclusive and fun to explore. User-made maps can be just as popular as certain elements that players can use in their own designs. It’s not clear yet how exactly this will be achieved; items can be made with an in-game set of controls or in a dedicated editor that grants their compatibility with existing templates. It may result in the most radical solution for the current lack of content: user-made maps and elements will come in abundance as long as the game retains its appeal. Yet, for Forge to reveal its potential, it needs to be launched, and, as we’ve said, the date is still unknown. Our only source of information (before any official announcement) leaks that appear mostly on Twitter. Though the pictures they post look promising, again, there is no official confirmation or even comment. Would you enjoy sharing items from Halo Infinite Forge? Do you think it will become an in-game marketplace like those around CS: GO or DotA 2? And when do you expect it to make it to the game? Got something to say? Then welcome to the comments!

• Adam Bayne
• 2022-07-22

Instagram Allows Creators to Paywall Their Posts and Reels Millions of people have been earning money using their Instagram accounts, but it only happened in 2022 that Instagram enabled them to be paid directly for their content by subscribers. With the newest addition, Instagrammers with devoted fans can now sell premium access and offer subscribers exclusive posts and chats. Previously, premium access meant that subscribers could watch exclusive stories and live streams, as well as proudly wear their subscriber badge. This yet didn’t feel like a complete experience to pay for, so now Instagram enables authors to paywall new types of content. First of all, it’s posts (both Reels and regular photos/videos) that appear on their page in a special subscriber-only tab. These posts will remain here as long as the page itself exists or until the author decides to remove them. Another more than welcome addition is exclusive chats. A story-related chat can host up to 30 users (including the creator themselves), who can communicate there for 24 hours. These chats then are shut down and deleted automatically. Not only do they give a chance to contact Instagram stars, but they also connect subscribers to each other. These chats can be a good way to share even more premium content on third-party resources via links that are only available to those invited. After this update, there is a full array of content that can now be premium. Exclusive backstage footage, photos, scenes edited out, stories (in both meanings), and anything informal can appear on the subscriber-only tab with a crown. It’s the feeling of connectedness that most subscribers will gladly pay for, a sort of closeness never previously achieved. Let’s see how it turns out after the testing phase it’s currently in. Would you subscribe to your favorite Instagrammers? If you are a creator with a good audience, what sort of content would you make premium-only? What do you consider a reasonable subscription price? Let’s share our opinions in the comments!

• Jerry Pharrel
• 2022-07-24

Twitter for Android Enables Users to Remove the Spaces Button, But Not for Free If you needed one more reason to finally subscribe to Twitter Blue, here it is. Now Android users with the subscription can adjust the interface of the mobile app just as easily as those on iOS have been able to for some time. If you have grown to hate that Spaces button in the middle of the bar, your chance to get rid of it is here. It’s just one of the benefits included in a Twitter Blue subscription, but for many, it’s crucial. When Twitter launched Spaces, obviously inspired by Clubhouse, the addition was quite divisive: some users embraced it gladly, and others simply ignored it. If you are among the latter, the ability to remove that button from its honourable place in the middle of the bar is a seductive possibility. Twitter Blue also allows users to read articles in ad-free mode, sort their bookmarks by folders, edit tweets, see their feeds in Reader mode, customize navigation, and access popular articles. iOS and web users also choose various themes. Now they can also customize the navigation, which is, for many, a serious step to a better Twitter experience. With the recent update, themes are the only thing that Android users lack, but hopefully, they may also change soon. The cost of the subscription is as little as $2.99/month, which is reasonable if you follow someone who uses Twitter as a publishing platform. Articles are a serious extension of the service’s functionality and are by themselves worth some investment, especially if they are ad-free. As for Spaces, it will still remind you of its existence with banners on top of the feed if someone is holding a conference at the moment you’re reading it. Is this customization enough for you to try Twitter Blue? When Spaces, DM, or alerts are removed, which tabs would you like to have instead of them? Maybe this will be the next step? Let us know what you think in the comments!  

• Jerry Pharrel
• 2022-07-05

TikTok Will Have to Change to Remain on App Store TikTok remains the most controversial app and service on the American market, first of all, because of its Chinese origins. Recently, ByteDance had to confirm some Chinese employees have access to American user data, which caused a scandal and a threat to force the app out of the USA. Now, TikTok needs to work out a way to remain there. The general concern about TikTok is security-related. How will the Chinese government that accesses that massive data use it in its global domination game? The answer is: they only won’t if they have no access. That’s why TikTok was forced to move its data to Oracle data centres to make sure the data remains on the American territory and under American jurisdiction. But this is not the end. According to the FCC commissioner, the app is used by the Chinese government as a multifunctional surveillance tool, as its users give away much more than they intend by posting and viewing videos. Given that Beijing has unrestricted access to it, the CCP obtains a tool it can use to study or even influence American society. And it can do it in the most unpredictable ways, which is the most frightening for many. As ByteDance admitted they had some Chinese employees that could access the data, they had to also mention that their actions are under control by the security team based in the USA and subject to American law. Not to say that was of any consolation to the FCC commissioner Brandon Karr who raised the issue, as well as to other concerned citizens. Collaboration with nearly all-American Oracle, though, is much likelier to help TikTok remain on the lucrative American market, as it physically places the data within the U.S. What do you feel about TikTok in terms of data security? Do you think it really allows the Chinese government to access the data? If you have any ideas, fears, or hopes, you can share them with us in the comments!  

• Jerry Pharrel
• 2022-07-02