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Geometry Dash World: A short but exquisite musical adventure (Review)

I don’t know why, but every day, there’s more and more games popping up on the Play Store with excruciating difficulty. Why do Android users like to torture themselves? Anyways, if you’re among the millions of people who are looking for a game that will test your patience, then I have great news for you. Geometry Dash World joins the family with the same gameplay, but new ways of pulling your hair out.

Developer: RobTop Games
Price: Free

Overview

Geometry Dash has such a simple gameplay that it (rightly) assumes that you will not need a tutorial in order to get the basics of it. The game is fairly simple: you control a block that slides by itself, and your goal is to reach the end of the level in one piece. Of course, throughout the level, you’ll encounter multiple obstacles and enemies that are waiting for you to fail in order to show their deadly claws.

There is one simple control, executed by tapping anywhere on the screen (provided that it’s not the pause button). This will make your token jump in the air. Holding the screen will make you jump repeatedly, while jumping inside specific floating orbs will grant you another jump mid-air. That’s it, tap until you get to the finish line and you’ll be fine.

General Impressions

As we can see, the game is fairly simple, but since it is very fast-paced and obstacles are intelligently placed, the game can get super complicated. However, even though it gets very tricky, you never feel like the game is cheap and kills you for its own amusement. Stages are very well designed, and thus you need to know what you’re doing and not just try stuff at random in order to succeed.

This is why, when clearing a level, you get a huge feeling of accomplishment, just as when you pass that exam you thought it was impossible. Since the game adds components in a very imaginative, but unpredictable way, levels get harder and harder as you progress.

Levels are very imaginative and brilliantly executed.

You end up figuring out a lot of the elements you encounter through trial and error. For example, the first time you see these previously mentioned double-jump orbs, you will have no way of knowing what are they for (well, you will know, because you read this article first).

There’s one level in which your character jumps into some sort of spaceship and flies through the levels. This is very fun, and frankly, not that complicated, but the fact that it comes out of nowhere can put you off and it will be game over for you.

For now, there are only two worlds to choose from.

There are no checkpoints: if you die, you die. The only way back is to repeat the whole level. This is not problematic because levels are probably 30 second each. But don’t let that fool you: you could be stuck in one of these for hours.

If you don’t like how your “character” looks, there’s a myriad of customization options as well. Some of them are free, some are unlockable through game progression, some are paid, but all of them look fine.

Speaking of payments, apart from this shop for customizing your sprite, there are no other microtransactions or pay blocks. However, Geometry Dash World is very, very heavy on ads. I don’t know what is wrong with me, but I managed to activate the ads instead of closing them most of the time. The full game is $1.99, so you may want to pay for it to avoid pesky ads and support the developers.

The full game will also unlock the possibility of creating your own stages, which is a must, since the regular game includes only two worlds from which you can choose. Sure, they’re complicated to clear so you’ll go through these stages in a longer timeframe than you would expect, but it’s a pity nonetheless to see such a small amount of stages.

Graphics

Even though graphics are very simple, they are very polished and a joy to look at.

The game is dominated by vibrant colors against a black background. From the main screen to the gameplay, everything is done in a very bright way, with a lot of emphasis on combining the right colors. Although the background is mostly black, it will change some times depending on the circumstances.

This lack of high-level details and presentation means that the app will fly, even in phones with poor internals. I tried it on my Nomu S10, which has medium-low specs, and I found absolutely no issues with it. This is not a statement against the game, though: graphics are simple but they’re executed in a great way. Geometry Dash World teaches us that there’s no need for fancy graphics, as long as they’re done correctly.

Sound

This is where Geometry Dash shines. It is, without a doubt, the best part of the game. The game’s soundtrack is absolutely superb, with techno/disco songs making up almost all of it. Songs are made specifically for each level, and it is synchronized with it in a beautiful way. You might think sometimes that some sounds are part of the game’s sound effects, but the fact is that all sound effects have been added to the songs.

Graphics and sound work closely to create a marvelous experience.

For example, you will get specific sounds when jumping through orbs, others when going through platforms that make you jump by default, and, when reaching a new section within the stage, music will change dramatically to a whole new style and tempo. These changes are synchronized with graphics as well, and the game shifts backgrounds or gives some kind of visual cue when they occur. Is is a magnificent experience that has been executed in a sublime way.

Conclusion

If you can get over the fact that you will die a lot, Geometry Dash World is a worthy addition to your game arsenal. Thanks to tightly connected graphical and sound elements, the game provides an awesome, integrated experience that is rarely seen in Play Store games.

While there aren’t that many stages right now, more going to be added in the future, and the custom stage generator can quench your thirst for new content, if you pony up for the full version. Download Geometry Dash World, put on a pair of headphones, and sit back to the great experience that is waiting for you.

Download and install Geometry Dash World from the Google Play Store.

LG G6 Mini may soon be a thing

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Remember when every major flagship device came with an accompanying Mini version? The idea being that it was aimed at those that wanted a flagship design with lower specs and therefore a lower price.

The trend for Mini devices slowly died down thanks to manufacturers like OnePlus who broke the mould for the usual expectation of high specs mean high prices.

LG seem to be looking to bring the whole Mini device era back with talk of a LG G6 Mini. While there aren’t any specific details about the device around what spec compromises the Mini will entail, it will reportedly have a 5.4-inch screen as opposed to the 5.7-inch on the LG G6.

It’ll most likely be coupled with a mid range Snapdragon processor a few GB of RAM and more than likely a 1080p display.

With devices such as the OnePlus 3T on the market, is there really room for a LG G6 Mini? I’d lean on the side of not really. If you want a flagship you buy a flagship, and devices like OnePlus and Xaomi tend to do a good job of filling the gaps.

Drop us a comment below and let us know your thoughts.

First look at the Motorola Moto E4 Plus

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Motorola have already revealed some of its devices this year, while others have leaked. We can now add to this list the upcoming low-end Moto E4 and E4 Plus devices that the company are said to be launching in the next few weeks.

New images have surfaced online that claim to be genuine shots of the new devices. The design of the Moto E4 is very similar to the various leaks that have been circulating previously and show the device to pack a massive 5000mAh battery and removal back cover.

The Moto E4 and E4 Plus aren’t far from the design we are used to seeing with Motorola and that’s not a bad thing. Under the hood is said to be a MediaTek MT6737M SoC with 2GB/3GB of RAM and 16GB of internal storage running Android 7.1 Nougat. Motorola tend to stick quite close to stock Android as well, only usually applying minimal skins or add ons.

While not the most powerful of devices, this will surely suit a user who is looking for battery life that will extend more than 24 hours. With SD card support, a removal back, and huge 5000mAh battery, this is certainly going to be a great device for those not interesting in the top flagship specs.

You can opt-out of Google Location services tracking your wifi hotspot or router

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To improve your location accuracy and the services based on Google using this data, Google uses publicly broadcast Wi-Fi data from wireless access points and GPS, cell tower, and sensor data.

While this is useful for improving the accuracy of your location, you might just simply not want Google using your access point to offer tracking all the time. This is especially a problem if you use your device as a hotspot regularly and find your location is often affected by this.

To opt out, change the SSID (name) of your Wi-Fi access point (your wireless network name) so that it ends with “_nomap“. For example, if your SSID is “12345,” you would change it to “12345_nomap.”

To help ensure your changed SSID is submitted to Google quickly, open Google Maps on an Android device with Wi-Fi turned on. To establish a location fix near your Wi-Fi access point, tap My location.

While tracking should really be opt-in and this isn’t really a great solution as it relies on having to remap every WiFi device you own, it does provide a fix for removing Google from tracking your router. Alternatively, you can turn off broadcasting of your SSID to prevent Google from being able to pick it up from nearby Android users.

Google won’t be providing security updates for the Pixel beyond 2019

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As part of the ongoing effort to improve the security of Android, monthly security updates are provided for each device to include the latest security patches so you don’t have to wait for a major release.

These updates are only provided for a certain amount of time before it is considered you should really be upgrading to a new device given the age.

Google has updated its support page that lists when it will stop providing updates for the Nexus and Pixel devices. Google specifies that it won’t guarentee regular updates will be provided for current Pixel devices after October 2019.

The Nexus 6 and Nexus 9 will cease to get updates as of October 2017, while the 5X and 6P will see updates until September 2018.

This does just cover security updates that are provided monthly so Google may still provide adhoc patches that it sees fit for these devices past this date.

Android Nougat incoming next week for the Galaxy S6 Edge on T-Mobile

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While Android 7.0 Nougat has been out for a few months, those rocking the Galaxy S6 Edge are still yet to see the update.

That is about to change for T-Mobile customers as T-Mobile project manager Des Smith reports the S6 Edge is scheduled to get the update next week.

There’s no firm launch date on when you can exactly expect to see the update arrive on your T-Mobile S6 Edge but usually these rollouts are staggered so it depends on where you’re placed on the schedule. No doubt Android 7.0 Nougat will be a welcome addition to the Galaxy S6 Edge to benefit from new features such as doze mode and split screen apps.

While the Galaxy S6 Edge is getting adequate Nougat treatment, that still leaves the regular S6 but expect that to follow suit shortly after.

Kanex MultiSync Foldable Travel Keyboard review

Kanex bills its latest portable keyboard, the MultiSync Foldable Travel Keyboard, as a “perfect fold-and-go solution” for phone and tablet users. In essence, it’s a thin keyboard that pairs via Bluetooth and which folds in half when toting around. If you’ve already got a tablet but envy the functionality of a Surface Pro or a 2-in-1 convertible device, this is your stop-gap accessory.

Generally speaking, the problem with creating a convenient portable keyboard is finding the balance between footprint and functionality. Go too small and you’ll find it hard to acclimate yourself; hunting and pecking will slow you down, rendering the keyboard useless. Go too big, though, and you run the risk of not being very portable.

The Kanex MultiSync Foldable Travel Keyboard falls nicely in the middle. There’s just enough space between the keys to keep things natural. You won’t spend too much time getting used to the layout, especially if you spend a lot of time on a laptop.

When opened up, the Kanex provide a V-like shape that calls to mind the ergonomic keyboards of the late 1990’s and early 2000’s. For those of you who can fly through your typing without looking at the keyboard, you’ll probably get used to this one pretty quickly. But, those who need to cross hands from left to right, avoiding the home row layout, you’ll struggle a bit.

The key buttons you’ll use (shift, enter, space, backspace, etc) are in the right locations. Every so often you’ll run into a keyboard that moves things around in the upper right corner, however that’s not the case with the Kanex.

Another common problem with universal or Bluetooth keyboards is trying to accommodate all of the various platforms. Again, Kanex does well in dancing on the line between Android, iOS, and Windows. We were pleasantly surprised that the keyboard didn’t have Windows-specific buttons; these would be wasted on those of us who pair it to an Android tablet or phone.

The keyboard, when not in use, is folded up and held together by a magnetic enclosure. Super-thin, even when doubled over on itself, the unit goes into a bag as easy as a small notepad or slender book. What’s more, there’s almost no weight to the keyboard, making for a very portable accessory.

One issue we run into with almost every portable keyboard is that you can’t put it on your lap. That’s the case here as well. The two halves are strong and sturdy but the middle spine gives it a natural book closing effect when not place on a table. Don’t bother trying this on your lap.

Once you’ve paired the keyboard to your phone or tablet, connecting is as simple as opening it up. Speaking of which, the Kanex allows for up to four devices to be connected to it; swapping from one to the other is done via a shortcut combination on the keyboard. These are clearly identified on the Z, X, C, and V keys and require a quick press of the function key first.

We were incredibly impressed with the battery of the MultiSync Foldable Travel Keyboard. Having set it aside for a few weeks after our initial tests we found it still had a fair amount of juice left in the standby. Our experience was that the Kanex keyboard would give us more than a typical week of usage (1-2 hours per day over five days). To check how much life is left in the battery, simply press function + R and look for the green lights to blink.

For $50 we consider the Kanex MultiSync Foldable Travel Keyboard a must-have accessory, especially if you’re looking to boost productivity. It’s small and thin enough to be considered very portable yet opens to provide a near full-size experience. The battery is downright amazing so feel free to toss it in your bag and tote it back and forth to school all week.

You can purchase the MultiSync Foldable Travel Keyboard from the Kanex website for $49.95. Additionally, we found it listed on Amazon for $39.95 as of the time of this review’s writing. If you can get this for that price, you’ll be getting a steal.

Galaxy S8 red display fix begins rolling out in the UK

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Samsung have started to push a fix for an issue some users are reporting on their Galaxy S8. While not widely reported, some users have found that their S8 screens have a slight red hue.

Samsung clearly think people have a point and have expanded the rollout of a patch to the UK having begun with South Korea yesterday that will allow users to adjust the color balance in the adaptive display settings.

The update is 426MB in size so is quite sizeable to just allow some color balance settings so no doubt includes some general bug fixes identified since the device launched.

Given the rate at which Samsung are distributing this patch, I would expect the US to be getting it very soon.

Grab a free LG Watch Style with a G6 pre-order

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If you are a US resident and are planning on ordering the LG G6 then you should check out a new deal being offered by B&H Photo.

The retailer is offering a free LG Watch Style with each pre-order of the LG G6 that would normally cost you $279.

Don’t Miss: LG G6 getting 100 new apps fully optimized for 18:9 Full Vision display next month

That means you’ll get the new LG G6 and an Android Wear smartwatch for just $650. Not a bad deal at all, saving you $330.

There’s no word on when B&H Photo will ship the device as it just lists the model as coming soon, but it’s still worth a shot ordering from the retailer if you’re interested in that LG Watch Style offer.

Trading Game wants to make you a Wall Street whiz (Sponsored App Review)

Overview:

Trading Game is an educational tool for would-be investors who want to learn how to be savvy traders in the financial world. It covers regular stock trading, as well as other trading markets such as cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin.

Developer: Finance Illustrated

Cost: Free

Impressions:

Trading Game features several modes that aim to teach you the ins and outs of trading for beginners and also features advanced lessons and tips to expand on what you may already know. The lesson modules feature quizzes that test what you learned and for the correct answer, you get money, not real money of course but in-game money for simulated trading and unlocking more modes.

Other modes include quizzes, which asks you general knowledge based on the learning tab as well as your understanding of financial issues. Also featured is simulated trading, which uses real-time trading data to give you an accurate representation of how your trades will play out. Simulated trading is the most used part of the app, after the learning modules, and does a good job of getting you familiar with trading in real life without having you risk your own money on trial and error.

The app also features a section for helping you find a broker to help you chart your financial path, with ratings and recommendations from top players in the industry.

Conclusion:

I have to say that I was surprised by how useful Trading Game actually turned out to be. The depth of the learning tab and what it had to offer was genuinely useful for helping me understand the basics of trading and how the stock market works. I have a very limited knowledge of the world of finance, and even after a few completed modules, I felt like I could more confidently make a successful and profitable stock trade.

If you’re looking for a foot in the door of the world of finance, but don’t want to take the plunge with your own money and risk losing big on a rookie mistake, tools like Trading Game are great resources to help you gain confidence and get off on the right foot. I’d recommend it to anyone interested in learning more about how their money works or looking to get into the business of day trading.

 

Download Trading Game from the Google Play Store