WhatsApp had previously given select lucky users the ability to place voice calls before, but a vast majority of the userbase was left out. That ends today — the company has flipped the server side switch that allows everyone to make voice calls.
As long as you’re on WhatsApp version 2.12.5, you’ll start to see a new tab named Calls where you can initiate calls to anyone on your contacts list, or simply press the dialer button you’ll find in a chat window.
Both users need to be on the latest version of WhatsApp for it to work, though that shouldn’t be a big issue as the latest update has been out for at least two weeks now. Give it a try the next time you prefer to grace your friends and families’ day with your voice rather than text.
Let’s be honest, there hasn’t been a really good Sonic title since probably Sonic Adventure on the OG Dreamcast. While the blue-haired hedgehog has seen quite a few changes since then, today he’s back in a classic platformer called, what else, but Sonic Runners.
As the name suggests, Sonic Runners is yet another one of those endless runner titles and has a sort of “retro” cell-shaded look to it. It initially launched in some regions as a first test run, but today it’s finally available globally. There are plenty of rings to collect and familiar enemies and bosses to spin attack. Simply put, this is the Sonic we remember. Well, if the original Sonic was free-to-play.
Taking control of sonic is easy, with gameplay involving tapping the screen to cause Sonic to jump (up to 3 times) while avoiding the usual obstacles and enemies along the way. This is traditional side-scrolling action if you had someone else moving forward for you the entire time. Tails and Knuckles both make appearances in the game, each with their own unique abilities to help you power through stages. If you connect to Facebook and successfully invite 10 friends, you will unlock a 4th character, Amy, who you can also play with. Each character in the game can be “leveled” up using standard gold rings and equip various buddies that add special enhancements (like boosting scores by 30% when equipped, etc.).
The game comes to an end when you die, either by getting hit after losing all your rings, running into a wall, or falling down a pit. After that, you’ll need red star rings to continue where you left off. We also saw an option to watch a video ad, but we’re not sure if that option is present every time. Make no mistake. Sonic Runners is freemium title in the best/worst sense of the word, offering up in-game items you can purchase using real money. Of course, you can take that as a challenge and grind the old fashioned way, but that could have you pulling out all of your hair in the end.
Sonic Runners is available right now in the Google Play Store for most Android devices. Oh, and not to kill the fantasy, but let’s never forget what the echidna looks like in real life. (Sorry, Knuckles fans).
It’s finally here. After launching 60fps 4K videos back in March for Chrome on the desktop, we had a feeling it was just a matter of time before the higher frame rate eventually made its way to mobile apps. That time is now, with the folks at YouTube officially announcing that 60fps video playback is now finally possible in their Android and iOS apps.
Also known as HFR (high frame rate), the resulting video is something that almost looks surreal, especially on our mobile devices. While the verdict is still out on whether or not this improves the cinema experience, it’s flipping awesome for watching anything that has to do with video games. Providing they’ve been uploaded in 60fps, of course. To be clear, this update doesn’t enable 60fps 4K videos, that’s something we probably wont see for a long while and besides, most desktops can barely handle it without melting.
Watch this video in the YouTube app on your Android device
Users will find that when watching a video in the YouTube app where 60fps is available (the above video for example), it should default to the higher frame rate on HD, providing you have a fast connection. In other words, don’t worry about having to change any settings to enable it. If you can stream HD, you’ll be streaming the higher frame rate. If for whatever reason it doesn’t, you can always press the 3-dot menu button followed by the little gear icon to change the quality.
We’re not sure what the impact on battery life will be, but we watched a few trailers on our Nexus 6 and it seemed to work without a hitch. No slow downs, judder, or any overheating. Just silky, smooth video. Check it out for yourself.
