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8 Ball Pool review: Head to the pool hall with a casual game of billiards

AndroidGuys
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Well, we’re here. In the tail end of winter, where you’re probably dying to simply get out and have some social fun. If you live in a similar climate as I do, it means most of the things you normally enjoy doing are buried under snow, wind, cold, rain, or some God-forsaken combination thereof. Outside my living room it’s literally snowing an inch per hour as I type this.

So, in addition to having a beverage and watching YouTube, it might be kind of fun to go out and play some games. On nights like this, a little fun playing a game or two would liven things up. Something like a game of pool against a random person, or even a friend.

The problem I face is that chances are good that a decent pool table is not really close by. Not only that, it likely sits in an ‘establishment’ with ‘patrons’ that you probably wouldn’t be very excited about approaching for a game.

But, for such problematic situations the Play Store has you covered. I’ve played with Miniclip’s 8 Ball Pool, a free, family-friendly option to give you a simulated pool hall experience. Let’s take a quick spin on this fun billiards simulator.

Setup

Setup is is pretty standard as Android apps go: simply download from the Play Store. Upon opening the app, you can log in several different ways; nothing unusual. You can log in as a guest, via your Google account, or via your Facebook account (more on the FB option later).

Once into the game, you have several options to try out (though they’re not terribly well-presented).

You can play:

  • 1 on 1 (random pairing with a human player)
  • Special Game (tournaments but you’ll have to be at a minimum player level to access this mode)
  • 9 Ball
  • Minigames (pretty basic games-of-chance with the object of gaining more coins for in-game upgrades)
  • Playing with Friends (signing in with Facebook allows you to create a ‘friends’ list to quickly request games with people you know. Excellent alternative to playing worldwide strangers.)
  • Practice Offline (just what it says)

Play Some Pool!

Now we’re ready to hit some balls! If you’re anything like me, you’ll dive right into the 1-on-1 mode, pairing up a random stranger to test your mettle. I am not going to delve into the rules of pool here; if you’re still reading this I’m assuming you know you’re way around a table.

Before you play you’ll be prompted to bet a certain amount of your money, so you have some skin in the game as you go against your opponent.

The controls to 8 Ball Pool are pretty intuitive. When it’s your turn, you control your cue by swiping your finger to align the cue with the cue ball. There’s an alignment guide that helps you dial in your angle to impact your target ball to your intended pocket.

You can also touch a cue icon that brings up a larger face of your cue ball, allowing you touch placement of your intended “English” on the ball when you strike it. Lastly, there is a power meter to the left. Simply pull back and release at the point where you think the prime power level is.

If you miss, your opponent has their turn. And so on.

In 8-ball pool, you are either “solids” or “stripes”, where you have seven balls to put away. Once done, you can then try to pocket the 8-ball. First player to pocket all seven balls plus the neutral 8-ball wins.

In 9-ball pool, you try to pocket balls in numerical order (1, 2, 3, etc.) Only the balls numbered 1 thru 9 are used. Neither player ‘owns’ any balls on the table as you’re both trying to pocket the same balls. If you’re on, say, the 7-ball and miss; then it’s your opponents turn to pocket it. Whoever pockets the 9-ball is the winner.

Should you win, you gain coins; to spend on cue upgrades and such to progress through the game. The usual in-game swag ensues here.

Likes and Dislikes

8 Ball Pool is certainly a low-threshold entry into a quick game of pool this is a great thing. If you are looking to play pool, chances are you already know about the game, and just want to play. 8 Ball Pool lets you just get in and play and for as long as you want.

There isn’t a whole lot to complain about here. Game play on a phone-sized device can be tricky as shooting from the edge of the table gets tedious. Trying to position the cue stick from the edge isn’t always easy.

The app does have its share of ads and popups and includes popups which appear in your notification bar, too. But, to me, these are admittedly small problems, compared to the price you pay to play.

Overall I can only recommend 8 Ball Pool for your quick pool/billiards fix and not much more. Give it a try and tell us what you think!

Download 8 Ball Pool from the Play Store here.

FrontRow Camera review: A nice toy, but no game-changer

Donovan Jeska
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Taking pictures while at an event is always a little hit-and-miss. Either you’re clutching your phone the whole time to make sure you don’t miss a second, or you’re scrambling to get it out of your pocket/purse/whatever when the moment arises. The FrontRow camera seeks to change that, providing an easily accessible camera that can capture your whole night in the form of a time-lapse “Story” or individual instants or moments in time via photo or video.

Build & Design

Said camera is a stopwatch-sized smart device with an anodized aluminum body, sandwiched between two glass faces, and two cameras. This body features an integrated speaker, mic, and two buttons – one Power, one Capture. The top of the device also has a toothed clip to mount accessories (detailed below).

Its bottom features a Type-C USB port which, if you’ve read any of my accessory reviews in the past, you know is a favorite of mine. Type-C is the future, and it’s great to see an accessory manufacturer recognize that. In-hand, the FrontRow camera feels exceedingly premium; it’s hefty, and every detail of the device has been considered thoughtfully.

The front face of the FrontRow camera is glossy black and covered in glass, with a centered, reflective FrontRow logo and a camera sensor mounted above the face. This camera is an 8MP, f2.2 aperture sensor with a 148°±3° Field of View, resulting in an almost fish-eye view of the world. Live video can capture from 1080p to 2.7k (30fps), with OIS (Optical Image Stabilization).

On the flip-side, the rear face serves as the primary interface of the FrontRow with a 1.96″ LTPS LCD touchscreen. At 640 x 572 pixels (327ppi), this display is surprisingly crisp for such a small device. The high (though not quite HD) resolution makes viewing pictures and videos a joy.

It should be noted, though that you can rarely see the entire picture you’ve taken due to the circular nature of the device and the rectangular nature of the pictures it takes. There’s another camera mounted on the rear face, a 5MP, f2.0 aperture sensor with a 85° Field of View.

In Theory

For a little piece of hardware, the FrontRow camera offers surprisingly robust specs under the hood. It features 2/32GB RAM/ROM and a quad-core processor (though what brand or speed, we don’t know) that’s pretty snappy. Battery size isn’t listed, but, according to the FrontRow documentation it’ll last 50 hours on standby, 10 hours in “Story” mode, or 2 of video/live streaming.

To me, the more impressive aspect of the battery is how fast it charges via Type-C; just twenty minutes for a full charge, in my experience. This makes it extremely viable to charge via external battery on the go.

In terms of connectivity, the FrontRow camera is a bit of a mixed bag. The Type-C USB port is a big win for the accessories industry – too many accessories still use the outdated MicroUSB standard – and 802.11ac is the current WiFi standard, but a lack of Bluetooth 5 (FrontRow only uses the 4.1 standard) stings a bit. And while the built-in WiFi and Bluetooth are nice, the FrontRow really struggles to stay connected to its companion app when running in the background.

In Practice

As great as the FrontRow’s concept is – who wouldn’t want a camera that can capture every moment of an event in stunning detail? – it stumbles a little in execution. While the prospect of having a standalone camera is an enticing one, the fact of the matter is that most modern smartphone cameras feature a significantly higher megapixel count than FrontRow’s 8. And while megapixels aren’t everything – far from it – it does provide a sort of baseline governing what you should expect from a device.

There are three different Modes to choose from when using the FrontRow: Video (Live or Recording), Photo, and Story. The first two are fairly straight forward, but the last one is where the FrontRow sets itself apart. In Story mode, the camera will take a picture at set intervals and, once you end the Story, will stitch them together to form a time-lapse video summary. This mode is significantly less power intensive when compared to video (10 hours of story vs. 2 hours of video) and adequately summarizes your experience, providing a unique take on an event.

Samples

These videos end up being rather large. One of my stories came close to half a gig uncompressed, but with a little editing and compression they’re pretty shareable. It compressed a four hour game of Mansions of Madness into just over 15 minutes, and a few quick edits to resolution, speed and trimming cut that down to a trim 3 minutes.

Unfortunately, the FrontRow isn’t nearly as crisp and clean when it’s being worn, instead of stationary. The following clip is from the same night with the FrontRow clipped to my sweatshirt instead of placed. As you’ll see, the footage is rather disorienting – it bounces around a lot, and rarely provides a good view of what’s going on.

Still shots are adequate, but not anything game-changing. As you can see, the rear camera really bends photos with that 148° field of view.

There is one thing I did note that was particularly impressive: My FrontRow camera ran out of juice right in the middle of compiling my story after I stopped it. I was concerned that it would corrupt the video, but after charging and rebooting, that fear turned out to be unfounded. The Story resumed compilation right where it left off, and turned out fine.

Accessories Not Sold Separately

I’m truly impressed with how much FrontRow chose to include in the box with the camera. There are three different mounts – necklace, stand and lanyard – included in the box, with more on the way. There’s also a braided USB Cable (Type-C to Type-C) that has a Type-A adapter attached to one end. The lanyard and the USB cable match, to the point it’s almost plausible to build the cable into the lanyard – which would be amazing. Regardless, it’s nice to see FrontRow put as much effort into its accessories as it does into its main product.

OS

The FrontRow Camera OS appears to be based on Android Wear, though that isn’t confirmed anywhere in the included materials. As with all Android-based devices, the Home Screen features your choice of wallpaper. At the bottom of the screen is a carousel of apps, including Livestreaming (Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, and Custom RTMP are all supported), Gallery, Spotify, and Stopwatch. From this carousel you also access the various shooting modes of the FrontRow, including Camera and Story mode.

The interface is largely gesture-based, though there is a Home button to take you back to the main screen. DropBox uploading is supported – and while that’s very much appreciated given the non-expandable 32GB storage, I would have loved to see Google Drive or Google Photos support baked into the device.

A fun toy, but no game-changer

In a world where smartphones are taking photos that rival those taken by high-end DSLRs, you’d expect to have a device that only functions as a camera to take photos at least that good. Unfortunately, the FrontRow doesn’t. It just doesn’t have a robust enough sensor to compete with the iPhone X, Pixel 2, or Samsung Galaxy S9. And at $399 MSRP – half the cost of a phone – it becomes a hard purchase to justify.

The FrontRow camera is available from many retailers, including from the source and from B&H. The cheapest price at the time of publication was from Amazon, at $322.99.

Machine learning: essential aspects to enlighten yourself with (Promoted)

AndroidGuys
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Machine Learning, or ML as it is commonly referred to, allows a computer to learn and carry out interpretation of data without being programmed to do so. The computers when come in contact with new set of data will independently interpret and adapt to the new data from previous computations and patterns.

This is usually achieved by several Machine Learning (ML) algorithms that help in analyzing data. Thanks to advanced computing technologies that has made it possible for this technology to evolve.

The main area that has gained momentum is the fact that machines (computers) have the ability to identify patterns from previous data without being programmed. In other words, machines are left to solve their own work.

How does machine learning work?

It is very important to build the right set of machine learning tools and match them with the accurate algorithm so that you can get your task completed in an optimum manner. Generally speaking, most of the experts make use of Machine learning algorithms that include Random forests, Decision trees, Neural networks, supporting vector machines, mapping nearest neighbor, boosting and bagging gradient, SEO, Multivariate adaptive regression, and last but not the least, analyzing principal components.

Most importantly, it is not just about selecting the right algorithms in machine learning but also making them work in tandem with the right set of tools, which essentially include exploration of data that is followed by assessing the results of data visualization, management, and data quality. Graphical user interface are particularly useful and complements machine learning procedures. Aside from this, the most crucial is the so called data-to-decision processing, which is automated.

Applications of Machine learning

As far as machine learning applications are concerned, most prominent these days is the so-called embedded machine learning applications. The fact that businesses are able to get in-depth insights into data obtained, it is easier for the companies to work thereby effectively controlling costs and to enjoy an edge over the competitors.

Given below are the various sectors where the application of machine learning is prevalent. These are as follows-

Financial services

One of the most important applications of machine learning is this sector is prevention of financial fraud and identifying the opportunities for financial investments and trade. With the help of cyber surveillance techniques, you are also in a better position to identify the clients that are risk prone and how to prevent these clients from falling prey to financial fraud.

Aside from the above, the other sectors that have applied the technology include:

  • Government
  • Marketing and Sales
  • Healthcare
  • Oil and Gas
  • Transportation

Popular methods of machine learning

One of the most widely used applications is detecting malware in Android devices. A lot has been written on this and extensive research carried out in this field. Malware detection with ML is not just restricted to Android devices like smartphones.

Few of the sought after ML learning methods include the following:

Supervised Learning

These are the trained algorithms. In this a set of instructions are received which are compared with the outcome. If an error is encountered the same will appear as flagged, particularly helpful in detecting plastic card fraud.

Unsupervised Learning

As mentioned above, the machine will not be taught to identify any pattern but will have to identify from seeing historical or previous patterns.

Aside from the above, there are 2 other ML methods that are widely used these days and they include Reinforcement Learning and Semi Supervised Learning.

Aim of Machine Learning

The main aim of ML is to assess the hidden pattern in the data and the structure of the same. However, the success largely depends on the computers’ ability to delve deeper into the hidden data and analyze the same.

BLU Vivo XL3 launches with Android 8.0 Oreo, metallic finish and $189.99 price

Alexandra Arici
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American phone maker, BLU this week introduced its latest product, the Vivo XL3. Despite being a mid-range offering packing medium specs, the phone boasts a premium metallic finish that incorporates the so-called electrolyzed metal effect. This method was used to give the phone a mirror-like coating to the middle housing.

The Vivo XL3 arrives one month after BLU launched its newest flagship, the Vivo X. The new arrival also takes advantage of a modern 18:9 aspect ratio display, but unlike the Vivo X which ran Android Nougat of the box, the Vivo XL3 is based on Android Oreo.

BLU’s latest phone brings Oreo on the cheap

The phone packs a 5.5-inch display with 1,440 x 720 resolution and includes a 1.3GHz quad-core MediaTek 6737 processor under the hood. BLU also throws in 3GB of RAM and 32GB of expandable storage (up to 64GB).

If you’re looking for a dual-camera phone, you’re going to be disappointed by the Vivo XL3. The device incorporates a single 13-megapixel sensor on the back, with f/2.0 aperture, PDAF and LED flash. On the front sits a 13-megapixel selfie snapper also with flash.

We should also mention the new phone benefits from BLU’s new facial recognition technology that should allow users to unlock their phones with their face in a matter of seconds. What’s more, a fingerprint scanner is included on the back.

Last but not least, the handset relies on a 3,000 mAh battery. It can be fully charged in up to 1.5 hours using to the 5V/2A quick charger in the retail package.

The BLU Vivo XL3 is sold unlocked and is compatible with GSM carriers including AT&T, T-Mobile, Cricket Wireless or MetroPCS.

The new phone is currently available for purchase on Amazon in Silver. Customers can grab it for an affordable $189.99.

Stay tuned for our own review of the BLU Vivo XL3, coming soon!

How to get Android 8.0 AOSP on the Galaxy S9

Dan Bartram
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The Galaxy S9 is the first Samsung device to launch running Android 8.0 but the software comes with the Samsung Experience bolted on top. While the software offers enhancements that many like some prefer a vanilla build of Android.

The idea of a vanilla build of Android Oreo running on the Galaxy S9 has been made possible, believe it or not, thanks to Google’s Project Treble. Google took aim at the devices that tend to be on the mid-range and lower-tier of the market that typically would miss out on important operating system updates. Project Treble creates a new partition on the system that houses the Android system files. What this means is that it is kept separate from the vendor and carrier specific firmware, which means that it can be accessed and, more importantly, updated without the need to go through the usual channels that typically introduce delay.

With a Treble enabled device, a device can be booted into an AOSP version of Android. Any device that ships with Android Oreo out of the box is Treble enabled, which includes the Galaxy S9. Therefore, putting the two together, XDA member “iamnotkurtcobain” was able to boot up AOSP Android 8.0 on his Exynos-powered Galaxy S9 for a vanilla build of Android.

The ROM that was used was phhusson’s phh-Treble ROM, which, according to the developer, most of the required functionalities work – WiFi, Bluetooth, NFC, fingerprint scanner, camera, mobile data, among others. You’ll lose the Samsung-specific features, but then that’s why you’re trying to boot AOSP anyway, right?

If you’re interested in trying this for yourself, you’ll need an Exynos-powered Galaxy S9 as Snapdragon variants still have locked bootloaders. The process is slightly convoluted since TWRP and fastboot don’t currently work on the Galaxy S9. For the full process, head on over to the source link.

Advantages of using PayPal for buying Android devices (Promoted)

AndroidGuys
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PayPal is the preferred online payment processor for just about every virtual vendor/merchant that you can think of, regardless of whether it is the corporate stalwarts or the small sized business entities that operate virtually and are engaged in the E-commerce domain. So, why do all these merchants prefer this payment processor unanimously? This is exactly what has been discussed in the paragraphs that follow. So, read on for better insight.

How do you benefit from PayPal for buying Android devices?

PayPal has teamed up with Google’s Android Pay, which is a mobile payment platform. This has enabled the payment processor to extend its tentacles not just virtually but also for the brick and mortar offices or stores.

The good news is that this teaming up arrangement will allow consumers to make use of Android Pay Service that will enable individuals to avail services like Uber, use the payment processor at other food outlets and stores like Subway, Dunkin’ Donuts, and Walgreens.

The integration will first allow users to choose their own method of payment as far as PayPal balance is concerned. Card users will also be included in this arrangement. Other merchants have also followed suit to team up with PayPal so that its footprints are expanded.

It was anticipated that by the end of 2017, Android Pay would have a customer base that would exceed 24 million and simultaneously, Samsung Pay would record 34 million users.

With the help of PayPal, you can buy several luxurious as well as necessary items and buying Android phones with PayPal has never been this year.

Benefits of using PayPal for online shopping

Check out why using PayPal makes sense virtually. These are as follows-

Plastic card security

Signing up with PayPal means that you have to furnish information about your credit cards/debit cards, whichever you wish to use for making online purchases just once. Once you have done this, you are not required to make the disclosure of personal details again. As such, next time whenever you shop online, you will not be required to divulge your plastic card details to every vendor or merchant from whom you buy stuff.

Transfer money

With the help of a mouse click, you can transfer money to any account across the globe. Alternatively, you can also receive any amount from your loved ones from anywhere. You not only save a lot of time but also money that you would have to shell out for other means of online transfers.

Flexible

If you are opening a PayPal account, you have the liberty to link it with any plastic card and multiple bank account numbers. So, you can be saved from the embarrassment in the event any of your plastic cards gets declined. So, if one account fails to make the payment, you always have an alternative bank account to fall back upon.

Enjoy auctions online

Online auctions are incomplete unless you mention PayPal and you cannot carry out anything on the major web portal eBay without PayPal. This payment processor has tied up with the online auction major for making bids and purchases in a secured virtual environment.

Cost effective

The cost of using PayPal is free, this one being the main USP. You don’t have to shell out service charges, processing fees, and any membership fees, if you are using the payment processor.

So, regardless of whether you are buying a smartphone with your PayPal account, or you are transferring cash to another part of the globe, you can do all this just with a click of the mouse or press of a key. The vast number of benefits that you can enjoy explains why it is the most popular and unanimously approved virtual payment processor.

PUBG Mobile (finally!) hits the Play Store in the US

Donovan Jeska
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Though it’s been available in Canada as part of a soft launch for a while, the Android version of PlayerUnknown’s BattleGrounds has, been unavailable Stateside. That wait, it appears, is over with the release of PUBG Mobile in the Play Store.

Different, but the Same

The Verge has a great writeup of the differences and similarities between the Mobile and PC versions of the game, and we’ll have a full review for you next week. Unlike Fortnite’s Android release, which is still yet to be determined, PUBG is out right now. This marks the first real leg-up PUBG has had on Fortnite since its launch. Fortnite has been gaining ground on (and in many ways has surpassed) PUBG since its release, but the latter appears to have struck back.

The mobile version of the game introduces a number of improvements over the console and PC releases, including daily and weekly missions, login bonuses, guild support, and ranking progression. These are things that players (or maybe just me, I dunno) have been clamoring for, and it’s nice to see TenCent recognize that in its mobile port.

Controlling Shooters on a touchscreen will always be a challenge, but it appears as though Fortnite and PUBG are making strides in that department. We’ll give them both a spin (at least, whenever Fortnite becomes available on Android) and let you know how they are. In the meantime, feel free to download PUBG Mobile on your own device and let us know what you think!

Smartphone Displays – What’s the Difference?

Donovan Jeska
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Updated on 3/19/2018 with MicroLED technology

Like glass, when it comes to smartphone displays there are a couple different categories: LCD and OLED. Within these two categories are different sub-types, each with its own strengths, weaknesses, and cost profile. The list of display types below is by no means an exhaustive one, but should serve to clarify the differences between the main types.

LCD

HTC's U11 Display
S-LCD makes the Super LCD panels on HTC’s smartphones.

LCD, or Liquid Crystal Display, is perhaps the most common type of display on the market. While OLEDs screens dominate the flagship market (Apple even put one on the iPhone X), LCDs can be found on pretty much any mid-tier phone. There are two primary types of LCDs: TFT and IPS.

TFT LCD

Thin Film Transistor, or TFT, are the cheapest LCDs on the market. This type of LCD is constructed so that each pixel on the display is attached to both a capacitor and a transistor. The strengths of TFT displays include a high contrast ratio and a low cost of production, resulting in a lower cost phone. However, TFT displays also suffer from a narrow viewing angle, poor visibility in direct light, and high power consumption. You’ll most typically see these displays in lower-end, entry-level phones due to their low cost.

IPS LCD

In-Place Switching, or IPS, displays are currently the best LCDs on the market. They feature consistent color and wide viewing angle, even in direct light, when compared to TFT displays. However, they are more expensive to produce, and as such, you’ll typically see them on Mid-level phones and above. Apple uses a high-resolution version of IPS LCDs it dubbed Retina, which means the human eye cannot discern the individual pixels on the screen. Whatever Apple calls it, though, it’s still an IPS LCD.

SLCD

Super LCD is a proprietary LCD technology pioneered by the S-LCD Corporation. Generally speaking, SLCD is used in HTC phones, though some other OEMs have included it on their phones as well. SLCD differs from IPS LCD in that there is no gap between the outer glass and the touch sensor. This results in a “closer” feel and less lens glare when compared to IPS technology.

Resistive vs. Capacitive

In the early days of touch displays, there were two kinds of LCDs – Resistive and Capacitive. Resistive was the first kind of touch-screen LCD, relying on pressing two layers of glass together to detect touch points. Capacitive LCDs, however, rely on the interruption of a screen’s electrostatic field by the human finger to detect touch. Resistive LCDs have largely fallen out of favor with OEMs, who now use thinner, more responsive Capacitive LCDs.

LED

Samsung Galaxy S9 Display
Samsung’s Super AMOLED screen is one of the thinnest, prettiest displays on the market.

Light-Emitting Diodes have been around for quite some time. We’ve been making displays out of them for about a decade, and in that time the technology spawned a number of advancements and subtypes, which are now being used to create smartphone displays. Organic Light-Emitting Diodes use a layer of carbon-based organic material set between an anode and a cathode (these are conducting sheets) set again between two layers of glass. Electricity runs into the two conducting sheets, lighting the carbon sheet and illuminating the display.

While most modern OLEDs on smartphones are AMOLED, Apple included an OLED display on its iPhone X that it’s calling a Super-Retina HD display.

MicroLED

Also called MLED or µLED, MicroLED is a new technology that we may see in the future for smartphones. Called such because each pixel is attached to its own LED – and as such is self-illuminating, with no need for a backlight, MicroLEDs are potentially the next evolution in LED display technology. Ars Technica recently reported that Apple may be considering MicroLEDs for future iPhone iterations, which speaks to its potential as a display. While this technology is a few years away from maturation at the earliest, it’s a potentially exciting evolution indeed.

AMOLED

Active-Matrix Organic Light-Emitting Diode (Yeah, the acronym is getting pretty ridiculous) is the current iteration of OLED technology most used in phones. The signature characteristic, perhaps, of this display is its ability to “turn off” pixels to display true Black. This means display modes like Moto’s Active Display and LG’s Always-On Display – in which most of the screen is off but notifications are displayed in white – literally turn off the display, and only turn on the pixels needed to display those notifications. This allows us to save power while also allowing information at-a-glance.

These screens have excellent color vibrancy, lighter weight, strong battery life, and higher brightness when compared to LCD screens. While AMOLED screens are often receive criticism for having oversaturated colors, that is, perhaps the only true weakness of the technology.

Super AMOLED

Super AMOLED displays are proprietary Samsung technology. The Korean company licenses it to other OEMs for use on their smartphones in addition to its own phones (like the Galaxy S9). This AMOLED display improves on the capacitive touchscreen technology mentioned above. Super AMOLED screens build the touch-sensitive sensors onto the display itself rather than a separate layer, as in Capacitive screens. As such, it’s the thinnest display on the market – and coveted in a market where thinness is a commodity.

 

Instagram begins testing new portrait mode feature for Stories

AndroidGuys
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A new icon appeared in the latest Instagram APK (application code files), sparking rumors that an Instagram portrait mode is (finally!!) coming.

Instagram this week confirmed to TechCrunch that they are testing a new camera format called “Focus”. While it did not announce a specific release date, it appears to be approaching launch. Focus is the latest in a series of additions that challenge similar features available on popular social media competitors like SnapChat.

instagram portrait mode icon
The icon recently noticed in the app’s code would appear as the shutter button on Instagram’s in-app camera.

Instagram portrait mode: The “Focus” Effect

Focus will provide Insta photographers the power to imitate the stylized portrait capabilities of a traditional DSLR camera. Many phones like Google’s Pixel 2 have a portrait mode built in to the camera. Focus gives all Instagram users the ability to use the effects from any device. Lighting and depth effects like bokeh will make your selfies look like professional headshots.

Instagram portrait mode bokeh
With the bokeh effect, the subject is in focus while the background is blurred.

While it’s certainly no guarantee, Instagram has a history of quietly launching new features after testing. Like the Giphy Stickers which became available in January, shortly after curious Android developers noticed a file in the app’s APK. Barring a fatal error during testing, there’s no reason not to believe Instagram will deliver.

What else is new?

Also spotted in the APK were hints of support for in-app audio and video calling, which would rival similar features currently available on Facebook. While any of these features could be scrapped during the testing phase, it’s exciting to see Instagram offer more tools for users to express their creativity.

What do you think about the tools currently available on Instagram? Is there a feature you’d like to see added, or removed? Let us know in the comments!

Sprint is offering a “Lease One, Get One” deal on the Galaxy S9

Alexandra Arici
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To celebrate the arrival of the Samsung Galaxy S9 and Galaxy S9+, Sprint announced a sweet deal aimed at customers looking to buy one of the new flagships.

For a limited time, the nation’s fourth-largest is offering a “Lease One, Get One” promotion. This means that if you purchase a Galaxy S9 or Galaxy S9+ on a lease, you will be able to get a second Galaxy S9 for free on another leasing agreement.

Lease one Galaxy S9 at Sprint and get a second for free

Under the terms of the deal, you will have to lease the first Galaxy S9 for $33, and the second device lease is free. The lease will be in place for 18 months, after which you’re given the option to send the phone back or continue paying another six months of $33/month and get full ownership of the device. Customers targeting the Galaxy S9+ will be required to pay $38/month.

You need to keep in mind that you are required to activate at least one new line (and one upgrade) to be able to take advantage of this deal.  Sprint will apply your savings as credit within two billing cycles.

We should also note that the Galaxy Forever plan upgrades you, provided you made 12 lease payments. Galaxy Forever was started back in 2016 to celebrate the launch of the Galaxy S7.

So are you getting a Galaxy S9 or Galaxy S9+? If you are, then you might like to know that the flagship duo is getting Disney AR Emoji at launch. At first only Mickey and Minnie Mouse will be available, and users will be able to download them from the AR Emoji mode in the camera app.

But Samsung plans to add more characters from The Incredible, Zootopia and Frozen to the Galaxy S9.

Will this extra feature make customers more prone to considering the Galaxy S9? Probably not, but the flagship has other things going for it like the reimagined camera, stunning display, and fast Snapdragon 845 processor.

Anyway, if you think you might want to take advantage of Sprint’s deal, you should hurry up. The carrier didn’t put an expiration date on the promotion, but we do know it’s available for a limited time.

Sprint Galaxy S9 promo

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