27 Apr 2013

The Bureau: XCOM Declassified


XCOM: Enemy Unknown was one of my most favorite game from 2012, and by far the best turn based strategy game I have ever played. So I was very excited when news of a new XCOM game began surfacing a month ago. Finally 2K games has officially taken of the covers from their new game - The Bureau: XCOM Declassified.

The game is set in the 1960s with the backdrop of the Cold War. Unlike the previous games, there is no XCOM at the start, and players take on the role of agent William Carter, who is assigned to The Bureau. Through Carter’s eyes, players will see the “secret story” behind the birth of the XCOM initiative.


“Secret invasion” is the key word in this version. The earlier XCOM shooter stories are all set in a world ravaged by alien invasion. On the other hand, XCOM Declassified gets more secretive, with the all-out global invasion replaced by a more covert assault. It hopefully won’t make a ton of difference on the battlefield, as the idea is still to put players in the shoes of the agents on the field.
With the added twists from the Cold War, keeping the thing a secret from the Russians and other enemies is certainly a part of the game. So part of the story that you’ll be experiencing is how the war is kept in the shadows. How XCOM is started and then slightly hidden from the world until it is needed again.

Other than the jump from first-person to third-person, the game will largely be the same as it was back in 2012 in gameplay terms. You control one soldier on the battlefield – Carter – but you also issue tactical commands to a squad of agents using the game’s new “Battle Focus” interface.


The Battle Focus interface according to 2K is the method to direct your squad and keep yourself alive at the same time. The creative director Morgan Gray explained that “our mission statement here is to move beyond the turn-based isometric God’s Eye View on the battlefield and to put you into the boots of this squad leader, where the bullets are flying in the middle of the mix, having to basically direct your squad and keep your own head from being shot off all at the same time.” Will wait out to see what this actually means in terms of gameplay.


The rest looks to be quite similar, improving soldier skills, researching alien life forms, building advanced weapons and defeating the aliens. At least that is what the fans of last year’s game are hoping.

Will this game developed by 2K Marin outdo the last year’s title developed by Firaxis. Only time will tell. The game releases on 20 August in the US and on 23 Aug in Europe. It will be available for PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, and PC platforms for $59.99.

Expect more previews and details over the coming months, providing us with more insight as we move toward this June’s E3. You can watch the teaser trailer below.


If you liked the article please take a few seconds to share!

13 Apr 2013

Get Facebook Home Running On Nearly Any Android Device


At the start of the month, everyone was excited about the Facebook Event, which finally revealed Facebook’s new launcher for Android – Facebook Home. A few days later an apk was leaked which worked on nearly any mobile. But, Facebook was quick to pull the plug on the app. Yesterday, finally Facebook Home was launched on the Play Store.

Sadly Facebook Home currently supports only Samsung Galaxy S3, Galaxy Note 2, HTC One, One X, or One X+ (and HTC First). At first I side-loaded the apk (as I had done with the leak), surprisingly Facebook was checking the phone build, and all you get is this screen.



Luckily, Android is open-source and highly modifiable. You can change nearly anything, even your device. Hence running Facebook Home on your device is pretty easy.

Method 1: Rooted Devices Only

1. Install any build.prop editor app from the Play Store, such as this or this.
2. Open the app and MAKE A BACKUP.
3. Change build.prop to the following:
ro.product.model=GT-N7100
ro.product.brand=samsung
ro.product.name=t03gxx
ro.product.device=t03g
ro.product.manufacturer=samsung
ro.com.google.clientidbase=android-samsung

4. Save and reboot.
5. Install the Facebook Home apk – Link Here.
6. You are good to go!



Method 2: Non-Rooted Devices

1. Uninstall your current Facebook and Facebook Messenger apps.
2. Install the following apps. Facebook Home apk link and Facebook apk link.
3. You are good to go!
4Do note that by this method your apps will no longer get updates on the Play Store.

My personal experience with Facebook Home, has not been the best. I simply do not like it. It looks useful for those who use their smartphones only for Facebook. Although I love the “chat-heads” feature (more on that in the next article).



Please let us know your views on Facebook Home in the comments below.

P.S: I’m not gonna do a complete review of the app – as I find that my views are much similar to those by Android Police.

If you liked the article, please take a few seconds to share!


9 Apr 2013

[UPDATE] Google Play Store 4.0 - Rolling out to Phones & Tablets Today - Download Now


A redesigned Google Play Store has been making a buzz for some time now, with Android Police getting their hands on a leaked apk. A YouTube employee also posted a screenshot. The whole world was geared up for its launch at the Google I/O next month, but it seems that the Mountain View company did not have it in its mega event plans, as a blog post on the Android Blog has confirmed that the new Play Store will roll out to phones and tablets today itself!
The new cards based look definitely looks cleaner and aesthetically more beautiful. According to the blog, the new UI focuses on bigger images, grouping similar content and offering recommendations as you scroll down. All devices running Android 2.2 or higher will get the update.

Although the rollout starts worldwide today, with millions of devices the load on Google’s servers, it may be a few weeks till the update comes to your phone. Side loading the apk is an option, although no apk file is available yet (Update: Scroll to bottom for the link).
It is quite interesting to watch the UI changes Matias Duarte has brought into Android after joining the team (earlier he worked for – WebOS). He made the stock Google experience lovable with ICS (Android 4.0), brought out the aesthetic Google Cards with JB (Android 4.1/4.2) and now the clean Play Store UI. One can only wait with eager anticipation for Key Lime Pie (Android 5.0).

If you liked the article, please take a few seconds to share!

Update: Android Police have once again provided us all with the apk. The app is signed by Google and upgrades your existing Play Store. The new version of the Play Store is 4.0.25. DOWNLOAD HERE.

8 Apr 2013

Rumor: Google Negotiating 1 Billion Buyout of WhatsApp



According to a post by Digital Trends, Google is planning to acquire the most famous cross-platform messaging app – WhatsApp in a reportedly billion dollar deal. The site reports, that the discussion has been ongoing for quite a while with the final price being the thorn in the agreement, with WhatsApp playing “hardball” to drive up the price.

WhatsApp has already shown the world that its monetization scheme is extremely effective. Its yearly but nominal $0.99 subscription fee keeps the service ad-free. Behind the scenes however, WhatsApp also generates revenue through profitable partnerships with international telecommunications companies. Whatever Whatsapp is doing is working, it is doing it right, with declining SMS usage around the world being directly linked to the success of the app.

With Facebook taking a huge step forward in the messaging ecosystem, via Facebook Home and the continuously improving Messenger (with free voice calls), Google’s attempt to acquire WhatsApp feel like steps in the proper direction.

It is also important to remember that, according to many reports Google is set to discard its numerous messaging services for an all in one – Google Babble (or Babel). Google Babble is expected to be revealed in May at thee Google I/O event. If Google wants WhatsApp to be a part of Babble, it may well have to hurry and get the deal done and dusted.


Will Google continue support for iOS (remember, Sparrow the mail client?)? Will Google integrate it into the Android OS? All these question remain unanswered and only time will tell. Nevertheless, if Google does manage this acquisition, it will be a great step forward for Google in the world of communication.

So far Google and WhatsApp have not released any statements regarding the rumor.

If you liked the article, please take 5 seconds to share!

Source: Digital Trends

1 Apr 2013

2013 Google's April Fool's Roundup

The Mountain View based search giant just loves to have fun with it's users time and time again. This time around Google tried a lot of things to fool it's customers.

Well finally April 1 2013 is coming to an end (atleast on this side of the globe), so I decided to create a complete list of "pranks" played by Google on people around the globe. I will update the list if something new pops up.



1. YouTube is Shutting Down!

Yesterday the search giant announced that YouTube was actually a competition to find the best video on the internet and today was the last day to submit entries. Google will now judge the video's and announce a winner after a decade in 2023.



2. Treasure Maps

It seems that the Google Street View team have got their hands on the treasure maps of a certain "Captain Kidd" and decide to integrate them into the Google Maps today. Go people, it's a treasure hunt!



3. Awesome Applications - Google Play Developer Console 

To see this one, you need a Google Play Developer account. Rather than the usual "Add New Application", there is a new option of "Add New AWESOME Application". By choosing the latter Google helps you build the application based on advanced machine learning algorithms.





4. Google Nose (Beta)

As the name implies it lets you search for smells, with a database of more than 15 million "scentbyte". By mixing photons with infrasound waves, Google nose emulates various scents. Want to smell a rose, let Google Nose do it for you.



5. Gmail Blue

The most absurd in the list, it's Gmail but in Blue. Everything in Gmail is now Blue. According to Google this idea was present right from the start, only the technology to support it was absent.



6. Google+ Emoticon

Google+ photos will now have emoticons in your photos. Google is going to analyze all photos and add them. Luckily, hitting the smiley face on the top left, reverts your photo back to the original.



7. Easter Egg

As Easter was just yesterday, Google gave us a 3D rendered Easter Egg. You can check it out  by clicking this link in your browser and you will have a 3D rotating Easter Egg on your screen.


8. Fiber to the Pole

This one is mainly for the people belonging to Kansas City. As if the people of the city weren't already lucky to have gigabit connectivity in their homes, now they can access it even on the move. Just tap the QR code from our mobile 3 times, plug in the ethernet and you are set to enjoy gigabit speeds on the poles. Beware, it can get really crowded.



9. SCHMICK

According to the blog post by Google Australia, Google is launching SCHMICK, an abbreviation for Simple Complete House Makeover Internet Conversion Kit. This addition to the Google Street View lets you decorate your house using pre-defined tools. 



10. Google Wallet ATM

What an invention it would be, if only it were real. Google has introduced the Google Wallet ATM. This attachment converts your smartphone into a ATM! just type the amount, and Google Wallet ATM prints it for you on the spot (Federal Bank has no problem with you printing your own cash).



If I missed something, please drop a comment below.

If you liked the article please take 10 seconds to share!