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Land Sliders is zany, but hilariously fun (REVIEW)

AndroidGuys
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Overview:

Land Sliders is a fun platforming game that tasks you with guiding your character around a level to collect items and navigate obstacles and enemies in an infinite climb until you die. You can play as some interesting things, like animals and even a clothes dryer.

Developer: PrettyGreat

Cost: Free (with Ads and Microtransactions)

Impressions:

Land Sliders has a unique control scheme, having you slide the land around your character instead of navigating your character around a static plane. It is an interesting way to navigate., and allows you to more easily slide around and dodge obstacles compared to a traditional dragging your character method, I found. Gameplay is rather simplistic, you just collect all the items, and occasionally complete quests to gain more items and gold which can be used to unlock more characters. The levels are infinite, so you just have to keep going for as long as you can, until you fail and have to start over.

Land Sliders has a voxel-style art design, with angles and cell-shaded graphics and bright colors. The player characters are all cute and simple and there are a lot of them, over 123 at the time of writing. The enemies are cute as well, with bears and dinosaurs, as well as a myriad of other things out to get you on your rise to the top of the levels. The music is a bit repetitive for me, offering little variation and on longer runs could get to be tedious to listen to. It’s a catchy tune, however, so I wouldn’t say it’s all bad in that department.

Microtransactions and ads are present, as ever, but not too intrusive. The ads are barely there, to be honest, and only really pop up periodically after you die to offer a continue for watching a video. The microtransactions are mainly cosmetic and allow you to unlock characters faster which is fine enough. Unlocking characters organically through gameplay isn’t too much of a grind, and the game has a free gift every 30 minutes or so, generally giving you currency or characters randomly which is a nice incentive to come back. I’d definitely say that Land Sliders is a solid reasonable value for a free-to-play game.

Conclusion:

I really enjoyed playing Land Sliders, and would definitely say it’s worth a look. It has excellent replay value with a ton of characters and levels to explore, but it may be a bit light on substantial content for older folks. This is a great time for kids, to be sure, as it’s short bursts of fun and zany character choices make for a humorous experience.

Download Land Sliders on the Google Play Store

Samsung Galaxy S8 mini tipped to arrive with 5.3-inch display, Snapdragon 821

Alexandra Arici
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It might be a coincidence but just a few days after more info about the upcoming LG Q6 (aka the LG G6 mini) leaked online, we’re now hearing that Samsung is also gearing up to launch a Galaxy S8 mini model.

A few years ago, it was customary for companies to launch “mini” versions of their flagships, but the trend faded in recent times. Now it seems that Samsung and LG are looking to bring it back.

According to Chinese website IT Home, Samsung is prepping a new Galaxy S8 model with watered down specs.

The report mentions the phone will come with a smaller 5.3-inch panel and extra wide 18:9:5 ratio which will make it feel like a 4.7-inch device. However, it seems like the phone won’t have super slim top and bottom bezels like the Galaxy S8.

We’re also told the device will probably come equipped with a Snapdragon 821 processor (the same chipset the LG G6 relies on), as well as 4GB of RAM and 32GB of internal storage.

The phone is said to be taking advantage of the same primary 12-megapixel camera we saw on the Galaxy S8. The product could also end up being released with an iris reader onboard, although we’ll have to wait and see.

At this point, we don’t know anything about when Samsung plans to unveil the new model, but given that the Galaxy S8 mini hasn’t been confirmed at this point we advise you to take the report with a grain of salt.

Order pizza from Donatos and get a free Samsung smartphone (Bigfoot certified promo)

Alexandra Arici
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Ever wanted to order pizza and receive a smartphone (alongside your pizza, naturally)? Well, now you can.

To celebrate the launch of their new Android mobile app, Donatos Pizza is now offering free Android smartphones with the purchase of …you guessed it, pizza!

All you need to do is place an order for pizza. When the food arrives (or you go pick it up) you’ll be awarded a 4-digit code which you enter here alongside some basic personal info.

Your prize

After which you’re supposed to just receive a free Samsung Galaxy J3 (2016) in the mail – provided you agree to a 2-month $100 worth of service with T-Mobile.

Don’t worry, after the 2-month period passes you’ll be free to take your smartphone to any carrier you prefer.

It sounds too good to be true? If you don’t believe us maybe Bigfoot can convince you of the authenticity of this awesome deal! Hear him out below:

Also, in case you don’t remember, the Samsung Galaxy J3 (2016 edition) arrives with a 5-inch AMOLED display with 1280 x 720 resolution and a Spreadtrum quad-core processor clocked 1.5GHz in combination with 1.5GB of RAM and 8GB of internal storage (with microSD available for memory expansion up to 128GB).

The phone has Android 5.1.1 Lollipop by default but you can upgrade it Android 6.0 Marshmallow.

So, craving some pizza yet?

Moto X4 will be Project Fi’s middle-range phone

Alexandra Arici
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A few days ago Google revealed that a new Project Fi-compatible device with an affordable price will become available later this year.

We were told the device will come from Google or one of its partners and now thanks to a report coming out of Venture Beat we can tell you which phone will come to join the Project Fi family.

The phone in question is the upcoming Moto X4 – and according to sources familiar with both companies’ plans, the device will make a debut on the market in the fourth quarter of the year.

Motorola put the Moto X lineup on hold in 2016 and decided to focus on the Moto Z family instead. But in 2017, Motorola is bringing back the Moto X brand.

According to earlier leaks, the Moto X4 is going to be a middle-range phone with pretty worthy specs. If rumors are correct, the phone will arrive with a 5.5-inch display with fullHD resolution (1920 x 1080) and glass+metal build. The phone will feature a Snapdragon 660 processor working in concert with 4GB of RAM and 32GB or 64GB of internal storage.

On the back, the Moto X4 is expected to include a dual camera setup said to be consisting of two 13-megapixel sensors with f/1.7 and f/2.2 respectively. The product will also have IP68 rating and will rely on a 3,800 mA battery with Fast Charging. Sadly, industry insiders don’t expect the phone to offer Moto Mods compatibility.

Considering that Project Fi uses both GSM and CDMA carriers (T-Mobile/Sprint/US Cellular) we can assume the Moto X4 will be compatible with most major carriers.

Are you excited about the prospect of getting the Moto X4 from Project Fi?

LG G6 mini to be released as the LG Q6 with 3GB of RAM, single 13MP main camera

Alexandra Arici
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Back in May, word surfaced that LG might be looking to introduce a mini version of its G6 flagship.

Now a report coming out of TechnoBuffalo who talked to a trusted source comes to re-affirm the older rumor. Yes, the Korean company is gearing up to unleash the LG G6 mini.

Instead of the 5.7-inch display, the new phone is said to be featuring a 5.4-inch screen with a screen-to-body ratio of just under 80% (the G6 features a ratio of 78.6%) However, the aspect ratio will remain 18:9, like in the case of the flagship.

Prolific leakster Evan Blass (@evleaks) also shed some light on the upcoming phone over the weekend. Most importantly he revealed the product will land on the market as the LG Q6. Secondly, Blass tells us the phone will pack only 3GB of RAM and a single 13-megapixel on the back –  so it’s going to be merely a middle-range product.

The big LG G6

Other specs haven’t leaked yet, but given what we know so far, we’ll have to assume the phone won’t carry a Snapdragon 821 chipset, but a more middle-range one like the Snapdragon 660, maybe.

We’re also told the LG Q6 recently passed the FCC as model number M700. Which means the phone is not far from being released on the US market.

Moto E4 now available at Republic Wireless for $99

Alexandra Arici
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Are you on the market for a budget phone this summer? Mobile virtual network operator Republic Wireless has your back. The carrier recently announced the availability of the new Moto E4 budget handset.

The Moto E4 is offered with a $99 price tag – although for a limited time – or for $17/month with financing from Affirm. Customers can pair the phone with one of Republic Wireless’ affordable plans which start at $15.

The MVNO is the perfect solution for anyone who wants to have a decent smartphone without having to pay a fortune for it, especially for data they don’t need or use. Their plans are also super affordable.

For example, for $20/month customers get unlimited talk, text and Wi-Fi and 1GB of data. And in case you’re wondering if 1GB would be enough for you, Republic Wireless has provided a helpful of all the things you could do with just 1Gb of data:

•    Download 2,323 photos
•    Watch 2,342 minutes of cat videos
•    Read 30,234 emails during your “power lunch”
•    Make 2,343 posts on Facebook
•    Listen to 4,453 minutes of Spotify, house party!
•    Drive 5,000 miles with Google Maps
•    Surf 45,324 pages on Google Chrome
•    Talk until you run out of words
•    Text until your thumbs fall off

This is the carrier’s most basic data plan, but there are other options for those who need more. For example, for $90/month you can get unlimited talk, text, Wi-Fi, and 10GB of data.

You can pair any of Republic’s plans with the new Moto E4. Which by the way arrives with a 5-inch display with 1280 x 720 resolution and a Snapdragon 425 processor working in combination with 2GB of RAM and 16GB of internal storage (expandable up to 32GB via microSD).

The phone also includes an 8-megapixel main camera, as well as a 5-megapixel one. It relies on a 2,800 mAh battery and runs Android 7.0 Nougat out of the box. It takes advantage of a fingerprint scanner included in the physical home button.

If you think the Moto E4 might be a great match for you, (or a member of your family) hurry up and head to Republic Wireless while the deal is still available. The device is available for $99 for now, but once the promo expires the phone will be available for $129 a pop.

Tip: How to speed up your Samsung Galaxy J5

Dan Bartram
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The Samsung Galaxy J5 shows Samsung can still make a great budget device and it great for those not looking to spend a lot of money on their device. However, the device isn’t the most powerful, despite having a fantastic battery. With apps getting more resource demanding you could find the J5 to be slowing down. Luckily there is a hidden feature that you can change that will instantly speed up your device.

The tip will help speed up your Samsung Galaxy J5, helping reduce the impact of the aging processor and resource hungry apps, as well as the lower processing power in the device. The best bit is there’s nothing extra to install or tons of settings to change, just a simple case of changing a setting with developer options enabled.

The little hack revolves around the animations applied to transitioning between windows and turning the device on or off. By simply turning this off, it contributes to making the device seem extremely snappy and fast by reducing the delay applied to the animation.

First, you’ll need to enable the Developer Options hidden menu. To do this, go into Settings -> About Device and scroll down to “Build Number”. Now, tap on “Build Number” five times and you’ll see a notification saying that “Developer mode has been enabled”.

With that hidden menu now enabled, we can head on into it to begin fastening up our Samsung Galaxy J5.

  1. Head on in to Developer Options in Settings.
  2. Scroll down to the Drawing section.
  3. Of interest here is the Window Animation Scale, Transition Animation Scale, and Animator Duration Scale.
  4. Click on them individually to change the scale.

You are able to turn the animations off completely, or set them to 0.5x (default is 1x) so the animations will be double speed for those who would like to retain them.

You’ll notice your J5 feels substantially quicker without any hacks that affect your software, warranty, or device battery life. Let us know your comments in the section below.

Samsung launches exclusive limited edition ‘Galaxy Note 7 Fan Edition’

Dan Bartram
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We all wondered what would happen to the Note 7 units that were recalled following the unfortunate incidents last year with the device. Samsung has brought the device back to life as a ‘Fan Edition’.

The Galaxy Note 7 Fan edition is almost identical to the Note 7 but has a few alterations. The exterior looks exactly the same except for the Samsung logo on the front of the device that has been removed like on the Galaxy S8. The branding on the rear has been modified to include the words Fan Edition to identify the new device.

Internally, the specs are mostly the same. The FE has a Snapdragon 821 processor, 4GB of RAM, 64GB of storage, and Android Nougat. Interestingly, Samsung have taken the opportunity to enhance the software by including Bixby with the new Note 7 FE. You’ll see the same 5.7-inch AMOLED display, 12MP camera, iris scanner, IP68 water resistance, USB-C,  and wireless charging. The S-Pen is also obviously included.

What about the battery I hear you say?

Instead of the 3,500mAh unit that powered the original, the Fan Edition will offer a 3,200mAh battery that Samsung is keen to highlight is subjected to a rigorous 8-point safety test.

Samsung is launching the Galaxy Note 7 Fan Edition on July 7th as a limited release in South Korea. Only 400,000 units will be available in the country but Samsung have said further markets may be opened up but will be decided at a later date.

Tip: How to speed up your HTC One M9

Dan Bartram
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0

The HTC One M9 is still a great device and perfect for those looking for an Android smartphone on a budget. However, the device is not as new as it once was and with apps getting more resourcing demand you could find the M9 to be slowing down. Luckily there is a hidden feature that you can change that will instantly speed up your device.

The tip will help speed up your HTC One M9, helping reduce the impact of the aging processor and resource hungry apps. The best bit is there’s nothing extra to install or tons of settings to change, just a simple case of changing a setting with developer options enabled.

The little hack revolves around the animations applied to transitioning between windows and turning the device on or off. By simply turning this off, it contributes to making the device seem extremely snappy and fast by reducing the delay applied to the animation.

First, you’ll need to enable the Developer Options hidden menu. To do this, go into Settings -> About Device and scroll down to “Build Number”. Now, tap on “Build Number” five times and you’ll see a notification saying that “Developer mode has been enabled”.

With that hidden menu now enabled, we can head on into it to begin fastening up our HTC One M9.

  1. Head on in to Developer Options in Settings.
  2. Scroll down to the Drawing section.
  3. Of interest here is the Window Animation Scale, Transition Animation Scale, and Animator Duration Scale.
  4. Click on them individually to change the scale.

You are able to turn the animations off completely, or set them to 0.5x (default is 1x) so the animations will be double speed for those who would like to retain them.

You’ll notice your M9 feels substantially quicker without any hacks that affect your software, warranty, or device battery life. Let us know your comments in the section below.

LG V30 may get wireless charging

Dan Bartram
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0

The LG V30 is shaping up to be an incredible device and it seems it will take inspiration from the LG G6 by featuring wireles charging.

A new leak that shows the internal chassis of the device shows the coil contact pads necessary to facilitate wireless charging on the LG V30.

LG tend to use the V series as a demonstration of the technology capabilities of the company and almost as a test bed to see which features are most popular for inclusion in the G series. Wireless charging is one of the most convenient and sought after technologies when it comes to the latest smartphones so it’s no surprise LG are looking to include it in the V30.

Unfortunately this could mean that LG may be ditching the removable battery in favor of a glass back to accomodate wireless charging in the V30. This might not land well with enthusiats who have gravitated towards the V series previously for the removable battery. However, it may be that more consumers prefer the wireless charging than a removable battery as that is the way most devices on the market seem to be going.

Let us know in the comments below – would you prefer a removable battery or wireless charging?

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