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Crazy Taxi Classic brings back everything you loved about the game and more (review)

AndroidGuys
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If you’re reading this and are old enough to remember the SEGA Dreamcast, you likely remember the game Crazy Taxi. The game came onto the arcade scene in the late 90’s, and jumped onto the Dreamcast platform shortly thereafter. The game then spread to other platforms over time, including several Playstation generations, Xbox, and Windows PCs.

Well now SEGA has brought back this classic game, and brought it to Android, with the free game Crazy Taxi Classic. This version brings the old-school game options available years back, as well as new free-play options, as well.

For those who’ve never played, Crazy Taxi is a generally open-world driving game. You play a taxi driver, and you’re given a limited amount of time to find, pick up, and deliver as many riders as possible. Also, the faster you deliver each rider to their destination, the more fare you make. Your total fare is your score for your game.

This is a game that allows for a fair (or more than fair) amount of bragging rights to be put on the line. It’s a great game to play with friends; taking turns to see who can be the “king of the cab”.

Setup

Setup is almost nill. Simply download the game from the Play Store. Once downloaded, just open and off you go.

Upon opening, you are greeted with a Game Options screen, where you can select Arcade, Original, and Crazy Box (a series of skills challenges). For the Arcade and Original options, you can play by arcade rules (where you gain time a little at a time for every successful fare) or a pre-determined time limit (3, 5, or 10 minutes). After you select your game type, you can then choose your driver and car…..between 3 mailes and a female.

Gameplay

At this point you’re launched into the game. You find yourself in your taxi, and you are free to drive wherever you want. Of course, it makes good sense to find a customer as soon as possible. When you do see one, you pull up and stop within a glowing circle. There are several icon colors you may see over customers, ranging from red (short ride but low fare) to green (high fare potential but a long way to drive to get there in time).

Once you brake your customer will hop into your taxi, then it’s up to you to get there. The game physics are very arcade-like, allowing you to take several liberties with gravity and such, while also plowing through traffic, pedestrians, and the like at superhuman abilities. It’s impossible to crash-and-burn, but you will come to sudden stops should you slam into oncoming traffic. Get to the destination with time to spare, and you make a handsome fare. But get there late and you risk your customer simply jumping out mid-ride.

You control your taxi a couple of different ways (selectable via the settings menu). You can steer via tilting your screen or on-screen left and right buttons. You also accelerate and brake via on-screen buttons.

Graphics and Sound

The graphics in Crazy Taxi will take you right back to your Dreamcast or PS2 years. That’s not a bad thing, though. The provided graphics match up will with the era this game thrived in, and we’re all in with this approach.

Sound is dominated by an eclectic mix of punk rock tracks blasting throughout the game. The music does a great job in ramping up the intensity of your gameplay, and doesn’t let up no matter how you’re doing.

What We Liked

The replay value of this game is very high. I found (and still find!) myself playing the game at slow moments throughout the day. It’s a game you can pick up and play for as long as you want, get your kicks on it, then shut it off without a save nor a care…..it will be waiting for you to pick up again just when you’re ready.

What Could Use Improvement

The main complaint in playing this game is a technical glitch I encountered often. While driving around, be it with a customer in tow or not, whenever I bumped up against buildings, my car would get “stuck” while trying to accelerate away. I would sit there with the accelerator pegged, but the car would only very slowly pull away. Once clear of the building, I’d be back to normal again, flying away with my hair on fire. Weird glitch, and yes, I’d experience it less if I wasn’t driving into buildings so much, but it is still there.

Wrap-Up

Crazy Taxi Classic takes what made the original game so much fun, and brings that same action to your Android device. In addition, the game allows you more options to play as long as you want. We highly recommend this family-friendly title for your enjoyment.

Download Crazy Taxi Classic from the Play Store here.

Sony Xperia XA1 Ultra now available in the US for $399

Alexandra Arici
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Introduced back at MWC 2017, the Sony Xperia XA1 Ultra is now available for purchase in the US. Customers can grab it from Best Buy with a $399 price tag attached to it.

The phone is available in Black, White, Gold or Pink and sold unlocked with GSM/LTE compatibility (will work on AT&T, T-Mobile networks, but not Verizon or Sprint).

The middle-ranger arrives with a spacious 6-inch display with fullHD resolution (1920 x 1080) and a MediaTek P20 processor under the hood. This is an octa-core affair clocked at 2.3GHz. Sony also throws in 4GB of RAM and 32GB of internal storage with the possibility to expand up to 256GB via microSD card slot.

When it comes to photography, the Sony Xperia XA1 Ultra bundles a 23-megapixel primary camera with a 24mm wide-angle lens, f/2.0, phase detection and laser autofocus and LED flash. As for the selfie camera, we’re looking at a 16-megapixel snapper with f/2.0 and optical image stabilization.

The phone relies on a 2,700 mAh battery with Qnovo Adaptive Charging, a technology which ensures the battery charges properly. It runs Android 7.0 Nougat out of the box.

In case you feel like you need something more premium, you should know the Sony Xperia XZ Premium is also available for purchase in the country from places like Amazon and BestBuy.

Did you know Huawei made a KFC phone?

Alexandra Arici
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It seems the Chinese have had enough of noodles and spring rolls and have taken to eating KFC instead. It could be the reason why Huawei and KFC have partnered to create….a KFC phone.

Just kidding, the official reason is actually that Huawei and KFC both want to celebrate 30 years of existence in China.

The device, which is listed as a variant of the Huawei Y7, has been available in the country ever since last week. Puzzlingly this bright red KFC phone dubbed the Huawei 7 Plus doesn’t seem to have much in common with the Y7, both in terms of design and specs which are a bit more advanced.

Anyway, the KFC handset comes with a 5-inch display with 1280 x 720 resolution, a Snapdragon 425 SoC, 3GB of RAM, 32GB of internal storage and a 3,020 mAh battery. There’s also a 13-megapixel camera on the back, as well as a fingerprint scanner located below it.

The product comes bundled with a KFC app which includes an exclusive feature in China called K-music that gives users access to a playlist of curate music when inside a KFC restaurant. The feature will be exclusive to Huawei users until the end of the month, after which all mobile users will be given access to it.

The handset – which is limited to 5,000 units – can be bought for approximately $161 from the KFC app or the flagship Tmall store.

UrbanEars Plattan ADV Wireless – Solid headphones for active people

Donovan Jeska
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Let me get this out of the way in advance – UrbanEars’ Plattan ADV headphones are not a premium Bluetooth headset. The sound quality is decent – not amazing – the build on them is sturdy and comfortable – but still largely plastic and nylon – and the headphones have interesting – if not mind-blowing – features, but the headset will not be winning any awards. What it does do well, however, is deliver solid performance all-around in a convenient, portable, easy-to-use package.

Build

The Plattan ADV Wireless’s design is actually pretty clever – its claim to fame is its washable headband and collapsible design, both of which have a couple cute little features that set it apart from other headphones.

The headband that covers the frame is removable (secured to the frame by magnets and metal plates) and machine washable, letting you keep your headset like new. Confusingly, the earcups are neither removable nor washable; so while your headband will keep its colorful, not-smelly sheen, your earcups…won’t. If UrbanEars had really wanted to impress with the “washable” feature, it would have gone all in.

In addition to being semi-washable, it’s also collapsible, thanks to small hinges on either side of the frame that let the cups fold into the bow of the band. This is not a revolutionary feature by any stretch of the imagination, but it certainly lends credence to the idea that these are headphones for active people – just fold your UrbanEars away when you’re done with a workout, wash the sweat out of them when you get home, and then tuck them into your gym bag for your next trip.

My one gripe about the build, perhaps, is the size of the earcups. As advertised, these are most definitely on-ear headphones rather than over-ear headphones. The cups sit directly on the ear, which, while soft and light, annoys the living crap out of me.  I prefer my headphones over my ears or in them – not on. That being said, over-ear cups can be uncomfortable and sweaty, which doesn’t fit the model that UrbanEars is going for; so while it isn’t my personal preference, it does make sense.

Features

Perhaps the most unique thing about these is its touch-sensitive earcups and their respective gesture controls. With the device powered on – it disturbs me that I felt compelled to type that – controlling playback is as simple as tapping or swiping on the surface of the cup; tap to play, pause, or answer a call, hold to hang up, swipe vertically to control volume, or horizontally to skip forward or back.

In concept, this is an excellent feature – in practice, however, it gets a little sketchy. Doing any physical activity that requires you to lift your hands over your head you run the risk of brushing against the earcup, causing some combination of a skip, pause, or volume change. The same thing can happen if you reach up to adjust the fit. A small thing, perhaps, but a design quirk with real-world complications, to be certain. The benefit of not having to grope around for buttons, though can’t be understated. It’s really smooth when used as intended.

Performance

As I said above, UrbanEars’ Plattan ADV Wireless is just an okay headset, as far as actually delivering sound to your eardrums is concerned. The sound quality is solid, if unspectacular. It’s got balanced highs and lows, decent bass, and good clarity, but it won’t blow your mind. Given the reasonable (compared to, say, a comparable Beats headset at $399) $99 price tag ($89.99 on Amazon), it’s not surprising that the performance is middle-of-the-road.

At 14 hours, the battery life is excellent – assuming you’re not wearing them every day for hours on end, you should get about a week out of them. The Bluetooth connection is solid and rarely loses signal, even with your phone in your pocket. Charging is done through a standard Micro-USB, so no need to worry about finding a cord.

Conclusion

Overall, as I’ve stated – probably ad nauseam – UrbanEars’ Plattan ADV Wireless is a solid, well-performing active set of headphones at a reasonable price. The battery life is great and the sound quality is good, but it’s not a high-end headset by any stretch of the imagination.

MetroPCS has a promo that awards you two free LG K20 Plus handsets

Alexandra Arici
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If Amazon’s Prime Day deals didn’t impress you so much this year, maybe you’d like to check out the promotions offered by prepaid carrier MetroPCS instead.

The service provider will offer you two free LG K20 Plus handsets (after instant rebates), once you switched two lines over. The LG K20 Plus is a low-to-middle range handset that features a 5.3-inch display with 1280 x 720 resolution, a Snapdragon 425, 2GB of RAM, 32GB of internals storage and a 13-megapixel primary camera on the back.

It’s not the most advanced smartphones, but it will certainly be able to handle standard day-to-day operations like checking email, social media, and playing games.

Don’t want to switch two lines? Customers who only switch one to MetroPCS are eligible to receive 50% off the LG Stylo 3, LG Aristo or Samsung Galaxy J3 Prime.

The third promotion available from MetroPCS targets users on the $40 6GB plan which can now add an additional international line for $25/month. Or you can jump onboard with an unlimited data plan and add one line for $40/month or two for $80/month.

All these deals are available for a limited time, so if you want to take advantage of them you best hurry up. But keep in mind they are only available in-store.

Ticwatch S and E with Android Wear 2.0 now available on Kickstarter for $119 and up

Alexandra Arici
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Remember Mobvoi’s popular Ticwatch 2 smartwatch which was sold for an affordable $199? Well, the company is now back with a new set of products that were built on user feedback.

Meet the Ticwatch S (Sport) and Ticwatch E (Express) – two smartwatches which no longer run on the company’s proprietary Ticwear OS, but are based on Android Wear 2.0 instead. They are also more affordable, as the Ticwatch E starts at only $119 on Kickstarter (for early birds).

Both watches include a 1.4-inch OLED display with 400 x 400 resolution and anti-scratch glass on top. They are kept alive by a MediaTek MT2601 dual-core processor working in concert with 512MB of RAM and 4GB of internal storage. Other specs include a 300 mAh battery, wireless charging support, proximity sensor, accelerometer, and gyroscope.

We’re told the GPS inside the Ticwatch S and E has been improved significantly, especially in the case of the Sport model which now includes the GPS antenna into the watch band in order to deliver “superior GPS accuracy”.

Both models are IP67 water and dust resistant and even bundle a microphone, so you can take calls on your wrist if you want. And with Android Wear 2.0 on board, users will be able to download and install apps right from the Play Store on their wrist.

The two Ticwatches are also capable of performing standard smartwatch operations like step-tracking, heartrate-monitoring and so on.

The Ticwatch E is the smallest of the two – at 44mm and is available with a translucent casing design in Lemon, Shadow, and Ice, as well as interchangeable bands. The 45mm Ticwatch S is offered in Glacier, Knight, and Aurora. A variety of third party watch faces especially designed for the Ticwatch S & E will also be avaialble.

The Kickstarter campaign has already been fully funded and backers should start seeing their orders arrive come November 2017. While the Ticwatch E starts at $119, the Ticwatch S in your choice of color can be yours for $139 (early bird).

Facebook announces FbStart Apps of the Year winners

Alexandra Arici
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Facebook announced the winners of its FbStart Apps of the Year – an event which celebrates the most successful apps that emerged from the FbStart program. Facebook designed FbStart to help startups all over the world build and grow their business.

And this year’s Grand Prize goes to SoloLearn (available for Android and iOS) – a free app that teaches users how to code.

Apps were judged in four key areas including growth and engagement, experience and design, efficiency at scale and leveraging Facebook’s platform. Here’s the complete list of winners:

EMEA region

Mondly

Mondly is a language learning app with a twist. It employs VR, speech recognition and chatbot technology to aid users who want to learn to speak a new language fast.

Latin America region

ReservaTurno

This app enables residents of Latin America to book a beauty appointments (without making a phone call) at the salon on-the-go. Users of ReservaTurno will also be able to discover new services and easily connect to salon managers.

APAC region

Maya

Maya is a tool designed to help women around the world track their menstrual cycle, monitor related symptoms, set health reminders, track a pregnancy and even connect with medical advisers. The app is available in 14 languages and boasts users from 190 different countries.

Social Good

Golden

An app which helps people find volunteering opportunities based on their set of skills and personal preferences. Golden focuses on high-school and university volunteer recruiting in order to teach young adults the benefits of volunteering.

Here’s what the Google Pixel 2 XL might look like

Alexandra Arici
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If the rumors we’ve been hearing turn out to be true, Google will release two Pixel 2 models this year – one should be the direct successor of the original Pixel and will arrive with a 5-inch display, while the other one will make a debut with a supersized display onboard.

According to a new report from Android Police, the Pixel 2 XL (or Pixel XL 2017) – previously referred to as Taimen – will be a 6-inch handset manufactured by LG that looks very much like the phone showcased in the render above.

The image is apparently based on information from sources deemed as extremely reliable. And save for a few subtle design details that might be subject to change, Android Police notes they are “exceptionally confident” that this is what the Pixel 2 XL will look like when it arrives a few months from now.

Pixel 2 concept

People have been telling Google it needs to spice up design with future Pixel models, and it seems the search giant heard their pleas loud and clear. So apparently the upcoming Pixel 2 XL will boast a 2:1 aspect ratio in the vein of the LG G6 with very slim bezels all around and pronounced curves on the right and left.

A glass window located on the back on top is visible in the render. It’s quite similar to the one featured on the current Pixel and Pixel XL, but with a notable difference – the fingerprint scanner is no longer contained in the window but sits below it. We can also spot the main camera sensor – so it appears Google won’t be jumping on the dual camera bandwagon this year.

The current Pixels

An interesting detail revealed by the current report is that the Pixel 2 XL might come equipped with a squeezable frame like the one HTC uses on its HTC U11 – which should allow users to simply squeeze their Pixel in order to interact with the Google Assistant in various ways.

Previously rumored specs for the Pixel 2 XL include a 5.99-inch display with 1440p resolution, a Snapdragon 835 processor, 4GB of RAM and 128GB of storage. The Pixel 2 XL alongside the Pixel 2 should make a debut sometime in October.

So do you like how the Pixel 2 XL is shaping up to be?

Latest Galaxy S8 T-Mobile update that blocked Bixby is quickly bypassed again

Dan Bartram
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When Samsung launched the Galaxy S8 it had one major omission. Despite the inclusion of a dedicated button to launch Bixby, the virtual assistant wasn’t ready for the prime time.

Samsung confirmed the voice assistant portion of the software wouldn’t be ready in time and thus trigger the race to see if the dedicated Bixby button could be remapped to something more useful. Multiple solutions have been released only to be patched shortly after by Samsung.

The latest Samsung Galaxy S8 patch issued by T-Mobile once again disables the use of apps that remapped the dedicated button for another purpose. Samsung (obviously) doesn’t seem to condone the practice of remapping the button:

The dedicated Bixby button gives consumers an easy, and convenient way to launch Bixby – just like using a walkie talkie. We think it’s important to consumers this option in case they prefer it to using a wakeup word. Bixby has been designed to seamlessly work with our hardware so that you can easily switch from physical to voice control whenever you wish. To provide this ideal experience, the Bixby button will only work with Bixby, so Samsung does not support remapping the Bixby button.

However, it wasn’t long before bxActions, which is one of the more popular remapping apps, got updated to change the method it used and therefore once again bypass the new restriction imposed by the update.

It seems that only T-Mobile customers got the update to block the Bixby remapping while those on the June security update on other carriers seem to not have been affected.

However, if you rely on software to remap the Bixby button to something else then it’s worth updating to the latest version of bxActions to ensure it still works.

Roboforms: 4 years of AES 256-bit encrypted passwords across all of your devices, only $29.95

AndroidGuys
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As we move into the second half of 2017 we need to be more conscious and cautious than ever when it comes to our data. What with all of the ransomware and data dumping that’s going on, we need to be vigilant about passwords. And, while there are a number of password managers on the market, RoboForm is one that offers 256-bit encryption across all of your devices.

As our Deal of the Day, we’re offering a 1-year account for half price (only $9.95. What’s more, if you purchase the 4-year license, we’ll slash the price to the tune of 62 percent off ($29.95)!

This end-to-end solution makes generating and organizing strong passwords super simple, while allowing you to still access the sites you frequently use quickly. Supported by AES 256-bit encryption and powerful password auditing, RoboForm keeps your passwords safe across every device you use.

Features

  • Automatically remembers your passwords for every site you enter one & logs you in w/ a single click
  • Random password generator creates strong & unique passwords for every site
  • Folders & powerful search functionality make organizing hundreds of passwords easy
  • AES 256-bit encryption protects against dictionary, brute force, & other attacks
  • Password auditing ensures you have strong passwords for everything
  • Supports importation from all major password managers or a generic CSV
  • Fills in web forms fast w/ a single click
  • Select a trusted contact to securely obtain access to your RoboForm data in the event of emergency
  • Share logins securely w/ trusted recipients
  • Encrypts text notes like software license keys or WiFi passwords
  • Compatible across all of your devices

Save even more!

In addition to the savings above, when you buy through AndroidGuys Deals, for every $25 spent, you get $1 credit added to your account. What’s more, should you refer the deal via social media or an email that results in a purchase, you’ll earn $10 credit in your account.

Shop AndroidGuys!

If this is your first time buying, then you are also eligible for a further 10% discount when you subscribe for email updates.

How about a freebie?

Not looking to spend any money today? That’s alright, we understand. Why not visit the AndroidGuys section for freebies and take something anyhow? Go ahead, grab two!

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