Camex Games announced to us here at STG that their recently released PC and Android Hex Grid tactical-RPG Tactical Monsters Rumble Arena is coming to iOS on January 25th, 2018 and it’s bringing with it a whole suite of iOS goodness.

iPhone X ready at launch, 3D Touch, Game Center Achievements and Leaderboards are all coming to the game through the upcoming iOS launch. Tactical Monsters will also feature AR Kit content (imagine in-game monsters appearing in the real world!), Apple Watch support, iMessage Emojis, ReplayKit support for sharing screens and game video, and Live Streaming.

And if all that wasn’t enough, the game will also add Game Center Continuity — allowing cross play on Apple OSX, so players can play between their Apple smartphones and tablets, along with the Mac OS version which will also be available for download from the Mac App Store soon. Jump into a game on your iPhone, then pick up where you left off when sitting at your Mac later!

Did you know Bigfoot actually exists in real life? Tactical Monsters Rumble Arena lets you take your favorite mythical Yeti on an augmented reality trip by using cool new ARKit features. Capture Bigfoot in the most ridiculous moments you can imagine and share with your friends. Or, show your kids all the “hidden monsters in the house”, by using the game’s AR features to make Bigfoot walk around the living room, make a mess in the kitchen, and more!

What’s more fun than showing off that you have not only captured the mythical monster, but have him on your phone, at your beck and call!

The post TACTICAL MONSTERS RUMBLE ARENA FOR iOS! appeared first on Shane the Gamer.

Gamevice, the makers of the current industry-leading mobile controller, announced to us at STG today that its GV 157 model is fully compatible with iPhone X and iPhone 8/8+.

In addition, Gamevice has revealed full support for Sphero’s app-enabled droids, well-timed for the launch of Star Wars: The Last Jedi. To accommodate Gamevice’s expanded functionality with partners which now include drones, droids and robots, they have lowered the price of the GV 157 to $79.95, a 20% savings just in time for the holidays.

“We chose to lower the price to $79.95 (USD) as demand for Gamevice has increased due to the fact that it can now be used for more than just gaming,” said Phillip Hyun, CEO, Gamevice. “Gamevice not only makes gaming on smartphones better, but it adds precision control to app controlled gadgets such as Sphero’s app-enabled droids and DJI’s Spark Drone, with more on the way.”

Sphero’s App-enabled droids and Gamevice make the perfect gift to put under the tree this holiday season. Kids of all ages can control Sphero’s R2-D2, BB-8 or BB-9E, explore holographic simulations and starships from the Star Wars galaxy, watch the Star Wars films and more through the Star Wars Droids App by Sphero that now works with Gamevice.

With iPhone X offering Apple’s best display yet, Gamevice gives users 100% of that screen by providing an unobstructed view, an essential element for full gaming immersion. iPhone X or iPhone 8/8+ and Gamevice make the perfect combination for gaming this season, providing console quality controls to some of the hottest holiday games, including: Lineage 2, NBA 2K18, The Talos Principle, Sky Gamblers and Modern Combat Versus.

Featuring more than 1,000 games, including those optimized for the iPhone X like Lineage 2, The Talos Principle, and Grid Autosport, Gamevice gives players latency-free control over their mobile experience, along with a comfortable, ergonomic design and console-quality buttons and joysticks for all of the latest iPhones starting with the iPhone 6 / 6 Plus.

More info on Gamevice controllers for Android and iPhone can be found at their Official Website Here.

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Leading the way in innovation, design and protection, tech21 today launched its best-selling Evo for Google Pixel 2 and Google Pixel 2 XL under the “Made for Google” program.

tech21’s Evo uses a unique three-layer impact absorption system and its proprietary material, FlexShock, which provides up to three metres of protection, drop after drop. The case, as with every tech21 design, is subjected to rigorous testing (the methodology was developed in partnership with the National Physical Laboratory), where cases are drop tested 20 times. This ensures durability and long-lasting protection so that users can drop more and care less.

EVO Check Case

As an official “Made for Google” partner, tech21 has worked closely with Google to ensure the Evo Check works harmoniously with all the features of the new Google Pixel 2 and Google Pixel 2 XL and is certified to meet Google’s compatibility standards. The Evo Check is available in Smokey/Black and Clear/White and features a unique check design.  Available at tech21.com for RRP $49.95 AUD.

Google Pixel 2 – XL

“The first Google Pixel devices were very well received and the new Google Pixel 2 and Google Pixel 2 XL have been eagerly anticipated ever since, so we’re excited to be launching our best-selling Evo under the “Made for Google” program,” said Colin Woodward, Chief Marketing Officer of tech21. “We want Google Pixel 2 and Google Pixel 2 XL users to be able to live free without worrying about damaging their brand-new phone. With our new cases, they will be protected from day one, enabling them to drop more and care less.”

EVO Check Clear Case

Since 2005, tech21 has been developing the most advanced, scientifically proven cases and screen shields for mobile, tablet and laptop devices worldwide.

tech21 combines science, engineering and British design to create products that address three core consumer benefits: style, protection and performance. As the brand evolves to continue meeting the needs of its consumers, tech21 has developed the most advanced impact protection material on the market – FlexShock.

The ultra-thin and lightweight material absorbs and dissipates force and can withstand drops up to three metres. In addition, tech21 puts all its products through a rigorous testing program, and in an industry first has partnered with the National Physical Laboratory (NPL) to develop its testing methodology.

This ensures that the tests tech21 products have to pass are overseen by independent experts.

Tech21 is the number one case brand in the UK. For more info visit their official WEBSITE.

The post Protect Your Pixel with Tech21! appeared first on Shane the Gamer.

Apple has just announced a major update to Clips, the free app for iOS that makes it easy to create and share fun videos using iPhone or iPad.

Clips introduces Selfie Scenes and adds artistic style transfer effects and a redesigned interface that makes it easier than ever to create great videos on the go.

Selfie Scenes is an exciting new feature that places users into animated, 360-degree scenes when recording selfies. Using the sophisticated TrueDepth camera system on iPhone X, Selfie Scenes transports users into bustling cities, serene landscapes, abstract paintings and even the Millennium Falcon and Mega-Destroyer from “Star Wars: The Last Jedi.”

“Clips users love how quick and easy it is to create amazing videos on iPhone or iPad,” said Susan Prescott, Apple’s vice president of Apps Product Marketing. “And we’re making it even more fun with Selfie Scenes. By harnessing the incredible new TrueDepth camera system on iPhone X, users can now record selfies against a variety of fun and whimsical backdrops with just a tap.”

With Selfie Scenes, users can choose from 10 Apple-designed scenes, featuring unique locations, characters, colours and visual styles plus two scenes from “Star Wars: The Last Jedi.” Each scene is a full 360-degree experience, so it surrounds users on all sides as they move iPhone X. And environmental sound effects make scenes even more immersive.

New artistic effects use advanced machine learning and style transfer technology to turn any photo or video into a moody oil painting, vibrant watercolour or elegant pencil sketch — in real time while recording. Clips also adds more content from Disney, including full-screen posters featuring Mickey Mouse and Minnie Mouse, as well as Star Wars stickers featuring animated versions of Princess Leia, Luke Skywalker, Darth Vader, Chewbacca and others. Users can also add more personality to their Clips videos with 16 new Apple-designed stickers and 21 new royalty-free soundtracks from indie artists. And, as with all Clips soundtracks, these new tracks automatically adjust to match the length of videos.

The easy-to-use interface gets even better with a streamlined design that puts frequently used controls easily within reach. A new Effects browser lets users view and choose filters, labels, stickers and emoji. Labeled buttons make it easier than ever to edit Live Titles, add or change filters, trim, mute and delete clips. And full-screen browsers allow users to see more of their content when viewing their photo library or selecting animated posters.

Users can now access and edit their Clips videos across iPhone and iPad via iCloud. Videos are automatically uploaded and backed up to iCloud, so users can start a video on iPhone and finish it later on iPad. Photos and video clips in iCloud Photo Library are referenced by Clips, not copied, to make efficient use of iCloud storage. And Clips adds support for Shared iPad, so students can create amazing videos in both one-to-one and Shared iPad environments.

With Clips, users can create personal video messages, slideshows, school projects and mini-movies with amazing features like Live Titles that automatically generates animated captions from a user’s voice and 360-degree immersive Selfie Scenes on iPhone X. Clips lets users add personality to their videos with dozens of filters, animated stickers and full-screen animated posters. The app includes more than 60 soundtracks that automatically adjust to match the length of videos. And Clips uses the content and subjects in a video to make intelligent sharing suggestions via Messages, making it fast and simple to share with others.

Clips 2.0 is available today as a free update on the App Store and is compatible with iPhone 5s, iPad Air and iPad mini 2 and later models, running iOS 11.1 and later. Selfie Scenes are only available on iPhone X and style transfer effects are only available on iPhone 7 and later models and 2017 iPad Pro.

The post Clip your iPhone X appeared first on Shane the Gamer.

Today SEGA Networks launched Sonic Forces: Speed Battle, a real-time multiplayer game that pits players against opponents from around the world in action-packed battles.

Developed by HARDlight, the UK-based studio known for Sonic Dash, Crazy Taxi: City Rush, and Sonic Jump, Sonic Forces: Speed Battle features 15 playable characters from the upcoming Sonic Forces console game, including fan favorites like Classic Sonic, Knuckles, Amy, and Omega, as well as lesser-seen characters like Zavok, Metal Sonic, and Chaos. At launch, the game offers 12 tracks, set across three unique environments, two of which were inspired by the Sonic Forces console game. Players can build a roster of characters, levelling up their squad in an effort to battle their way up global and regional leaderboards.

“With its fast-paced multiplayer action, Sonic Forces: Speed Battle continues our vision of bringing entertaining, high-quality titles to the mobile space,” said Takashi Iizuka, VP of Product Development of SEGA of America. “We look forward to seeing how fans respond to the unique runner style and competitive gameplay.”

“With our combined experience making racing games and runners, in Sonic Forces: Speed Battle, we set out to make a battle racing game that is – above all things – fun to play, and we couldn’t be happier with the result.” said Chris Southall, who heads up HARDlight. “Each game sees you matched with three close rivals to compete online in fast-paced, real-time, first-across-the-line battles. Use skill and strategy to navigate the exciting arenas of play, collecting and deploying items on the track to thwart your competitor’s progress. There’s a wide variety of power-ups and characters that we are sure will keep fans delighted as over time they fight to win and rise through the ranks, accessing ever more challenging Levels.”

Sonic Forces: Speed Battle is now available to download for free (with rewarded ads and in app purchases) from the App Store for iPhone and iPad – and it’s already optimized for the iPhone X. Additionally, the game is coming to Google Play for Android devices on November 16, 2017.

Download Sonic Forces: Speed Battle now to satisfy your need for speed and – if you’re any good – victory!

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Apple today announced a new generation of iPhone: iPhone 8 and iPhone 8 Plus. The new iPhone features a new glass and aluminum design in three beautiful colours made out of the most durable glass ever in a smartphone, Retina HD displays and A11 Bionic chip, and is designed for the ultimate augmented reality experience. The world’s most popular camera gets even better with single and dual cameras featuring Portrait Lighting on iPhone 8 Plus, and wireless charging brings a powerful new capability to iPhone. Both devices will be available for pre-order beginning Friday, September 15th, 2017 in more than 25 countries and territories, and in stores beginning Friday, September 22nd, 2017.

“iPhone 8 and iPhone 8 Plus are a new generation of iPhone that improve on everything we love about iPhone,” said Philip Schiller, Apple’s senior vice president of Worldwide Marketing. “iPhone 8 and iPhone 8 Plus have new glass and aluminum designs, new Retina HD displays and A11 Bionic — the smartest chip ever in a smartphone. Packed with more advanced cameras with Portrait mode and Portrait Lighting, and the highest quality video capture in a smartphone, iPhone 8 and iPhone 8 Plus enable the freedom of wireless charging, all with AR optimization like no phone ever before.”

iPhone 8 and iPhone 8 Plus introduce a beautiful glass back design made with the most durable glass ever in a smartphone in three new finishes: space gray, silver and gold. The glass finish is made using a seven-layer colour process for precise hue and opacity, delivering a rich depth of colour with a color-matched aerospace-grade aluminum bezel, and is water and dust resistant.

The new 4.7-inch and 5.5-inch Retina HD displays with the addition of True Tone adjust the white balance of the display to match the surrounding light for a more natural, paper-like viewing experience. The vibrant wide colour gamut Retina HD display offers the best colour accuracy in the industry. Redesigned stereo speakers are up to 25 percent louder and deliver deeper bass, enabling richer-sounding music, videos and speakerphone calls.

A11 Bionic, the most powerful and smartest chip ever in a smartphone, features a six-core CPU design with two performance cores that are 25 percent faster and four efficiency cores that are 70 percent faster than the A10 Fusion, offering industry-leading performance and energy efficiency. A new, second-generation performance controller can harness all six cores simultaneously, delivering up to 70 percent greater performance for multi-threaded workloads, giving customers more power while providing the same great battery life. A11 Bionic also integrates an Apple-designed GPU with a three-core design that delivers up to 30 percent faster graphics performance than the previous generation. All this power enables incredible new machine learning, AR apps and immersive 3D games.

The cameras on iPhone 8 Plus are custom tuned for the ultimate AR experience. Each camera is individually calibrated, with new gyroscopes and accelerometers for accurate motion tracking. AR benefits from A11 Bionic, which handles world tracking, scene recognition and incredible graphics at 60fps, while the image signal processor does real-time lighting estimation. With ARKit, iOS developers are taking advantage of the world’s largest AR platform, creating games and apps offering fantastically immersive and fluid experiences that go far beyond the screen.

The world’s most popular camera gets even better, featuring an improved 12-megapixel camera with a larger and faster sensor, a new colour filter and deeper pixels. A new Apple-designed image signal processor delivers advanced pixel processing, wide colour capture, faster autofocus in low light and better HDR photos, while a new quad LED True Tone Flash with Slow Sync results in more uniformly lit backgrounds and foregrounds. All this adds up to outstanding photos with vibrant, realistic colours and more detail.

The new camera also delivers the highest quality video capture ever in a smartphone with better video stabilization, 4K video up to 60fps and 1080p slo-mo up to 240fps. The Apple-designed video encoder provides real-time image and motion analysis for optimal quality video. With iOS 11, both iPhone 8 and iPhone 8 Plus support HEIF and HEVC for up to two times compression and storage for twice the photos and videos.

iPhone 8 Plus features dual 12-megapixel cameras and introduces Portrait mode with Portrait Lighting, bringing dramatic studio lighting effects to iPhone, allowing customers to capture stunning portraits with a shallow depth-of-field effect in five different lighting styles.

Portrait Lighting is based on extensive research into the art and science of portraiture and core photographic lighting principles. It uses the dual cameras and the Apple-designed image signal processor to recognize the scene, create a depth map and separate the subject from the background. Machine learning is then used to create facial landmarks and add lighting over contours of the face, all happening in real time, giving customers even more power to express themselves through photography.

The glass back design enables a world-class wireless charging solution. Wireless charging works with the established Qi ecosystem, including two new wireless charging mats from Belkin and mophie, available from apple.com and Apple Stores.

Apple gave a sneak peek of AirPower, an Apple-designed wireless charging accessory coming in 2018, which offers a generous active charging area that will allow iPhone 8, iPhone 8 Plus or iPhone X customers to simultaneously charge up to three devices, including Apple Watch Series 3 and a new optional wireless charging case for AirPods.

iPhone 8 and iPhone 8 Plus come with iOS 11, featuring incredible advancements to Portrait mode, while new effects make Live Photos more fun and expressive.

iOS 11 also brings augmented reality to hundreds of millions of iOS devices with a new platform for developers to build apps that let users place virtual content on top of real-world scenes. Siri debuts new male and female voices and can translate US English phrases into Chinese, French, German, Italian or Spanish.

iPhone 8 and iPhone 8 Plus will be available in space gray, silver and an all-new gold finish in increased 64GB and 256GB capacity models starting at $699 (USD) from apple.com and Apple Stores and is also available through Apple Authorized Resellers and select carriers (prices may vary).

The post Apple Announce iPhone 8 appeared first on Shane the Gamer.

Apple today announced iPhone X, the future of the smartphone, in a gorgeous all-glass design with a beautiful 5.8-inch Super Retina display, A11 Bionic chip, wireless charging and an improved rear camera with dual optical image stabilization. iPhone X delivers an innovative and secure new way for customers to unlock, authenticate and pay using Face ID, enabled by the new TrueDepth camera. iPhone X will be available for pre-order beginning Friday, October the 27th, 2017 in more than 55 countries and territories, and in stores beginning Friday, November 3rd, 2017.

“For more than a decade, our intention has been to create an iPhone that is all display. The iPhone X is the realization of that vision,” said Jony Ive, Apple’s chief design officer. “With the introduction of iPhone ten years ago, we revolutionized the mobile phone with Multi-Touch. iPhone X marks a new era for iPhone — one in which the device disappears into the experience.”

“iPhone X is the future of the smartphone. It is packed with incredible new technologies, like the innovative TrueDepth camera system, beautiful Super Retina display and super fast A11 Bionic chip with neural engine,” said Philip Schiller, Apple’s senior vice president of Worldwide Marketing. “iPhone X enables fluid new user experiences — from unlocking your iPhone with Face ID, to playing immersive AR games, to sharing Animoji in Messages — it is the beginning of the next ten years for iPhone.”

iPhone X introduces a revolutionary design with a stunning all-screen display that precisely follows the curve of the device, clear to the elegantly rounded corners. The all-glass front and back feature the most durable glass ever in a smartphone in silver or space gray, while a highly polished, surgical-grade stainless steel band seamlessly wraps around and reinforces iPhone X. A seven-layer colour process allows for precise colour hues and opacity on the glass finish, and a reflective optical layer enhances the rich colors, making the design as elegant as it is durable, while maintaining water and dust resistance.

The beautiful 5.8-inch Super Retina display is the first OLED panel that rises to the standards of iPhone, with stunning colours, true blacks, a million-to-one contrast ratio and wide colour support with the best system-wide colour management in a smartphone. The HDR display supports Dolby Vision and HDR10, which together make photo and video content look even more amazing. The addition of True Tone dynamically adjusts the white balance of the display to match the surrounding light for a more natural, paper-like viewing experience.

iOS 11 is redesigned to take full advantage of the Super Retina display and replaces the Home button with fast and fluid gestures, allowing customers to naturally and intuitively navigate iPhone X. Simply swipe up from the bottom to go home from anywhere.

Face ID revolutionizes authentication on iPhone X, using a state-of-the-art TrueDepth camera system made up of a dot projector, infrared camera and flood illuminator, and is powered by A11 Bionic to accurately map and recognize a face. These advanced depth-sensing technologies work together to securely unlock iPhone, enable Apple Pay, gain access to secure apps and many more new features.

Face ID projects more than 30,000 invisible IR dots. The IR image and dot pattern are pushed through neural networks to create a mathematical model of your face and send the data to the secure enclave to confirm a match, while adapting to physical changes in appearance over time. All saved facial information is protected by the secure enclave to keep data extremely secure, while all of the processing is done on-device and not in the cloud to protect user privacy. Face ID only unlocks iPhone X when customers look at it and is designed to prevent spoofing by photos or masks.

The new 7-megapixel TrueDepth camera that enables Face ID features wide color capture, auto image stabilization and precise exposure control, and brings Portrait mode to the front camera for stunning selfies with a depth-of-field effect.

iPhone X also features a redesigned dual 12-megapixel rear camera system with dual optical image stabilization. The ƒ/1.8 aperture on the wide-angle camera joins an improved ƒ/2.4 aperture on the telephoto camera for better photos and videos. A new colour filter, deeper pixels and an improved Apple-designed image signal processor delivers advanced pixel processing, wide color capture, faster autofocus in low light and better HDR photos. A new quad LED True Tone Flash offers twice the uniformity of light and includes Slow Sync, resulting in more uniformly lit backgrounds and foregrounds.

The cameras on iPhone X are custom tuned for the ultimate AR experience. Each camera is individually calibrated, with new gyroscopes and accelerometers for accurate motion tracking. The A11 Bionic CPU handles world tracking, scene recognition and the GPU enables incredible graphics at 60fps, while the image signal processor does real-time lighting estimation. With ARKit, iOS developers can take advantage of the TrueDepth camera and the rear cameras to create games and apps offering fantastically immersive and fluid experiences that go far beyond the screen.

The TrueDepth camera brings emoji to life in a fun new way with Animoji. Working with A11 Bionic, the TrueDepth camera captures and analyzes over 50 different facial muscle movements, then animates those expressions in a dozen different Animoji, including a panda, unicorn and robot. Available as an iMessage app pre-installed on iPhone X, customers can record and send Animoji messages with their voice that can smile, frown and more.

A11 Bionic, the most powerful and smartest chip ever in a smartphone, features a six-core CPU design with two performance cores that are 25 percent faster and four efficiency cores that are 70 percent faster than the A10 Fusion, offering industry-leading performance and energy efficiency. A new, second-generation performance controller can harness all six cores simultaneously, delivering up to 70 percent greater performance for multi-threaded workloads, giving customers more power while lasting two hours longer than iPhone 7. A11 Bionic also integrates an Apple-designed GPU with a three-core design that delivers up to 30 percent faster graphics performance than the previous generation. All this power enables incredible new machine learning, AR apps and immersive 3D games.

The new A11 Bionic neural engine is a dual-core design and performs up to 600 billion operations per second for real-time processing. A11 Bionic neural engine is designed for specific machine learning algorithms and enables Face ID, Animoji and other features.

The glass back design enables a world-class wireless charging solution. Wireless charging works with the established Qi ecosystem, including two new wireless charging mats from Belkin and mophie.

Apple gave a sneak peek of AirPower, an Apple-designed wireless charging accessory coming in 2018, which offers a generous active charging area that will allow iPhone 8, iPhone 8 Plus or iPhone X customers to simultaneously charge up to three devices, including Apple Watch Series 3 and a new optional wireless charging case for AirPods.

iPhone X will be available in silver and space gray in 64GB and 256GB models starting at $999 (USD) from apple.com and Apple Stores and is also available through Apple Authorized Resellers and carriers (prices may vary).

The post iPhone X – The New Apple Flagship Device appeared first on Shane the Gamer.