| Next Minecraft: Pocket Edition major update tipped to finally bring in Redstones Oct 23rd 2013, 02:47, by Juan Carlos Torres The Android version of the popular Minecraft sandbox game has been developing rather slowly, with most of the updates focusing on fixing bugs for a smoother user experience. However, it seems that game develoeprs Mojang are ready to unleash a new major update that will add a few more items to the blocky world, as well as a much-awaited resource: redstones. 
Version 0.8.0 of Minecraft: Pocket Edition will, of course, include fixes, such as a bug that prevents TNT explosives from being ignited by fire. But it will also bring in a few new features, from decorative 3D clouds, to new consumables such as pumpkins and pumpkin pies, carrots, and potatoes, as well as new materials such iron bars. But perhaps the most exciting addition will be that of redstones. Redstones, like any other stone resource, can be gathered via mining. The importance of the material, however, lies in the fact that it is the essential ingredient in creating redstone circuits. These circuits are structures that can be used to activate or control other mechanisms, either directly or by reacting to certain environmental conditions, bringing in a new level of interaction and creativity that Minecraft has been famous for. So far, that feature has only been available on desktop versions of the game. This upcoming update, then, could open the doors for such features and amusing creations on Android as well. Unfortunately, it seems that redstones might be added only as an acquirable resource but will remain unusable until the next major 0.9.0 update. Minecraft: Pocket Edition is said to be coming around mid-November. Hopefully, it won’t take long for 0.9.0 to arrive as well. VIA: DroidGamers |  | BBM app reaches 10 million downloads in 24 hours Oct 23rd 2013, 02:05, by Juan Carlos Torres If the latest figures from BlackBerry‘s press release are to believed, the newly released BlackBerry Messenger app has quickly surged into popularity, making up for its extremely late arrival. According to the latest tally, the app has been download more than 10 million times on Android and iOS in just a day, making it one of the, if not the, highest-grossing app on both mobile platforms. 
BBM for Android finally arrived on Monday after months of waiting and a month-long delay blamed on a pre-released version leaking out to eager users. The app is available for free, but those who install it will yet again be faced with a period of waiting, though shorter this time, for accounts to get activated in batches. There is one minor issue with BBM for Android related to the ever-present notification icon, but overall the app actually seemed to quite solid and does what it’s supposed to do: connect with other BBM users. And there seems to be still quite a lot of them around, based on some released statistics. BlackBerry reported that within 8 hours, the app has been downloaded 5 million times and now, 24 hours after launch, it has been download 10 million times. The company doesn’t mention how the numbers are split between Android and iOS, but the BBM page on Google Play Store indicates a range of 1 to 5 million downloads. That, unfortunately, doesn’t give us any idea on the number of unique individuals downloading the app or the number of account activations so far. Nonetheless, BlackBerry is quite confident with the overwhelming positive response to the app, earning 60,000 five-star reviews on Google Play Store. The real litmus test, however, will be coming in the next few days and weeks, when the novelty of the new app has somewhat settled down and true BBM users start settling in. VIA: SlashGear | | Tesla Model S to get Chrome browser and Android emulator Oct 23rd 2013, 01:22, by Juan Carlos Torres The prolific Elon Musk, who heads Tesla Motors as CEO, among other things, has just revealed a few interesting tidbits that will tickle the fancy of software developers eyeing to get into the automobile scene. It won’t be long before they will be able to develop and run custom software, including Android apps, right on the Tesla Model S “smart” car’s dashboard. 
Tesla’s electric Model S car features a 17-inch capacitive dashboard instead of simply a mix of physical and touch-based controls. And, as expected from such a hi-tech looking vehicle, the car’s dashboard is filled with features ranging from the normal car controls to multimedia to navigation to vehicle data, some of which could be accessed and controlled via Google Glass. Of course, it also has a web browser, which will soon be upgraded to Google Chrome in the near future, giving access to a wide range of extension to users. The dashboard software is based on Linux and the cross-platform Qt application development framework, making it possible for software developers to easily create apps or port existing apps from Android, which is basically a modified Linux system, or even, at least according to Musk, iOS apps. But Tesla plans to take one step further and will be adding a full Android emulator right into the dashboard system. This means that should developers, and users, decide to do so, they can simply run their favorite Android apps inside a specialized window in the dashboard. All these plans, however, will take some time and Tesla is only planning to open up the system for developers towards the end of 2014. The company will first prioritize on making the core system usable in markets around the world, with features such as support for multiple languages and local navigation. VIA: 9to5Google | |
