Tag: IFTTT

With the skyrocketing success of Netflix, many companies have been exploring low-cost monthly subscription models for many different services. Video is the obvious choice to copy for most people, but Amazon is looking to go a different direction — they want to do for eBooks what Netflix did for video.

The company was found to be testing a service called Kindle Unlimited that will cost $10 per month and give you unlimited access to over 600,000 eBooks and audiobooks. It wouldn’t be the first platform of its kind, but there’s no company with a backing as big as Amazon’s currently in the arena. Amazon’s clout and money give them a significant advantage to offer a service that provides a great deal more value than what’s currently out there.

This isn’t the first time Amazon would have tested such a model. They currently offer a much smaller incentive included with their Prime subscription program, allowing users to rent one free book per month alongside all the other benefits that come with Prime. Kindle Unlimited would be on a far larger scale.

That might come with a few drawbacks, though. For starters, the biggest, hottest and latest releases are probably out of the question — you want access to those right away, you’ll probably have to buy them. But that would be no different than having to wait for older shows and movies to reach Netflix and Amazon Prime Instant Video.

Basically, you’d get what you pay for — the potential to read books at pennies on the dollar instead of the $5 or $10 they might otherwise cost if bought individually. We obviously wouldn’t recommend this to folks who don’t read a lot, but if you’re one to thumb through a stack of books each month it could be worth your while. Let’s hope we hear something official soon.

[via GigaOM]

from Phandroid http://ift.tt/1zMPy0z

Card slingers and dice rollers should be pleased by this bit of news: Magic 2015: Duels of the Planeswalker is now available from Google Play. The game is a casual-focused offering of the popular Magic the Gathering card game where people duel with creatures, enchantments and spells to bring their opponents’ life to zero.

The 2015 release coincides with the launch of the latest core set in the physical trading card game, and as such will feature many cards from the new set as well as from years prior. So what’s new in this release that they’re hoping will get you to drop another $10 (minimum) to play? Let’s take a look:

• New, clean user interface that puts more emphasis on the attack phase of a turn
• A free-form deck building system that allows you to mix and match cars however you want
• Unlock cards using booster cards that can either be earned through gameplay or purchased via $2 premium purchases
• Online multiplayer (wasn’t present in last year’s Android version despite being available on iPad version)
• New advanced cards such as dual lands

And that’s just scratching the surface. For the story (which we never play Magic for, but it’s there anyway) you’ll be working to defeat Garruk, the planeswalker whose beast-hunting pastime was replaced by a thirst for human blood thanks to a nasty curse. Having beaten the game on PC already, let me just say you’ve never seen Garruk quite like this before.

Some will be disappointed to learn that there are cards that can only be unlocked using the $2 premium booster packs, though the fact that you can still get more than 85% of the game’s cards without paying more than the initial $10 cost of admission should be a bit comforting.

This download won’t be for weak-willed internet connections at a whopping 1.3GB, so be sure to hop on WiFi if you decide you want to play. You can give it a try for free if you’re interested (you’ll be able to play the tutorial and the first Innistrad planes), so hop on over to Google Play for the download and see if you can’t fall in love with Magic all over again. Be sure to check out the gameplay video above while you’re waiting for your download to see what awaits you inside the multiverse.

from Phandroid http://ift.tt/1nOlGvP

Android users with Amazon Prime accounts haven’t had very many options when looking to stream videos through their Instant Video app. While it’s true an Android app has been awhile for quite sometime now, it’s been exclusive to Amazon’s line of Kindle Fire tablets. We’ve pretty much came to terms that it’s there the app would remain, but it seems the app is reportedly getting ready for its Google Play debut — and it’s about damn time.

PC Advisor is claiming the exclusive after they spoke with Amazon marketing director Russell Morris at a Christmas party (in July?). Morris apparently mentioned a Google Play release of Amazon Prime Instant Video is “imminent.” Other than that, details are scarce. No word on exact timing or whether the app will offer support for Google’s streaming Chromecast dongle, but we can only hope for the best.

With Amazon Prime Instant Video available on the iPad and Kindle Fire tablets, it only makes sense for Amazon to finally include their customers who own one of the many Android devices on the market.

from Phandroid http://ift.tt/1mO1km4

Hot on the heels of Google Wallet’s latest update, PayPal is here with an update to their own mobile payments app. According to their changelog posted on Google Play, the update adds even more convenient features to help make sending/receiving mobile payments on the phone easier than ever.

First off, a new quicker login has been added, allowing users to quickly jump inside the app by saving the phone number associated with the login. This means users will now only have to enter in their PIN to quickly access their account information.

They’re also adding support for loyalty cards, allowing users to add retailers like Albertsons, AAA, Bloomingdale’s and more. This should help slim up that George Costanza wallet you got in your back pocket.

But it’s not all additions, PayPal actually mentions they’ve completely stripped away the ability to scan checks from the app, although specific reasons weren’t given. You can find the update available right now on Google Play via the link below.

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