Game makers get new developer tools from Google

Today Google announced a new batch of tools to make monetization and promotion of games a bit easier to handle. For starters, the Play Store now has an Indie Corner, which features games from indie game developers. Hopefully, this will make new game discovery easier for people who want to experience indie-made games.

As for the tools themselves, the new video recording API allows players to record gameplay and share it on YouTube without too much hassle. A more developer-focused feature is the ability to change how much things cost inside the game without uploading new APK files.

Finally, there are the so-called "search trial run ads" allowing players to have a test of a game as it's streamed to their devices. Google hopes to encourage downloads of new games.

Marshmallow now seeding to HTC One (E8) and One (M8 Eye) as well

After catering to most of the variants of its flagship lineup including the One M9 and M8, HTC seems to be extending its update efforts to mid-rangers with a rather unexpected kick-off on the HTC Desire Eye, which was not part of the original Marshmallow eligibility list.

Now HTC is keeping the ball rolling with a pair of planned releases, as reports are coming in of Marshmallow updates appearing on both the One (E8) and the One (M8 Eye). The former is reportedly only receiving the update in China, at least for now that is. Other variants of the handset should be getting the same update by the end of the month. The One (M8 Eye) is in pretty much the same boat, with mostly Chinese users reporting on the OTA, although a Europe rollout is incoming.

iOS 9.3 beta 7 now available to developers and public beta testers

Apple has started seeding the iOS 9.3 beta 7 release for developers and public beta testers. This is the last beta release of the OS before its expected public release next week.

The iOS 9.3 beta 7 includes a new Night Shift mode that changes the display temperature at night for less eye strain. Another new feature is the Touch ID and password-protected items in the Notes app.

Finally, there are new CarPlay features and expanded 3D Touch options on apps, which now includes the Settings menu.

Expect more information about the latest iOS release next week at the Apple's March 21 event

Marshmallow update starts hitting HTC Desire Eye

A few months after leakster @LlabTooFeR revealed that HTC's Desire Eye smartphone will receive the Android Marshmallow update sometime later this year, the update has started rolling out. It comes in two parts, and weighs in a total of 1.6GB.

Bringing Android version 6.0.1 along with version 7.0 of the Taiwanese company's Sense UI, the update is reportedly hitting Desire Eye units in the UAE as well as some European countries including Italy. In the United States, AT&T variants of the phone are said to be getting it later this month.

HTC USA has already released a list of phones that it says will get the Marshmallow update. The Desire Eye, however, wasn't the part of the list. The device was launched in 2014, and currently runs Android Lollipop with Sense 6.0 UI.

Apple is the most valuable brand, Google jumps over Samsung for second

Brand value is an intangible but important asset - it shows marketing strength and loyalty among consumers. Apple holds down the top spot for many years running and its meteoric growth shows no signs of slowing down.

Google - or rather Alphabet, the re-organized company - finally overcame Samsung and claimed the second spot (the Big G had been behind Samsung since 2012).

This pushed Samsung to third, the technology giant showing only modest growth. The South Korean company is at just over 50% of the brand valuation of Apple.

Besides Google, Amazon was the big winner. It grew a whopping 24% and leapfrogged the likes of Microsoft and US carriers Verizon and AT&T. The Fire phone may have flopped, but Prime is going strong and Amazon's original video content has been well-received.

Another carrier made the Top 10 - China Mobile, now in 9th, even though just a few years ago Chinese companies were largely unknown in the West.

Social network Facebook keeps growing and fast - 500% since 2013 - and is now the 18th most valuable brand in the world.

OnePlus 2 gets a permanent price drop in India

OnePlus has announced a permanent price drop on its flagship smartphone, the OnePlus 2.

Both models receive an INR 2,000 price cut. The 64GB model is now priced at INR 22,999 ($341) and the 16GB model at INR 20,999 ($311).

OnePlus says the price cut is due to "timing and scale" and that their operations have scaled-up sufficiently to allow them to sell the phone at a lower price.

UMi Touch is a MediaTek-powered WP flagship

Windows Phone has been starving for proper high-end mobile devices for quite some time now. To the US giant's credit, recent efforts like the Lumia 950 and 950 XL have been breaking the status quo, there is still a long way to go. Thankfully, Windows 10 is a lot more welcoming to third-party efforts and Chinese OEM are not known to waste time when it comes to filling new market niches.

One such company, by the name of UMi, has now announced the UMi Touch - a MediaTek-powered handset that will sell for just $149 and is promising support for Windows 10, as well as Android. This is a somewhat new mix that is still in its infancy, but holds great promise. Windows 10 already has support for Intel and Qualcomm chips, but is only now starting to extend on to MediaTek, which are typically a bit cheaper than their Snapdragon alternatives.

The smartphone in question uses an octa-core MediaTek MTK6753 SoC, clocked at 1.5 GHz. It is backed up by a Mali T720 GPU and 3GB of RAM - decently powerful setup considering the lightweight nature of the OS. The display is a 5.5-inch LTPS one with a resolution of 1920 x 1080 pixels and a 2.5D curved glass on top.

Onboard storage on the phone is 16GB and its camera setup consists of a 13MP Sony IMX328 main camera and a 5MP front-facing one. The whole thing is powered by a rather spacious 4,000 mAh battery and there is even a fingerprint reader thrown in the mix.

The UMi Touch is currently up for pre-order at $149.99, but it is worth noting that it will ship with Android 6.0 pre-installed. Currently, Windows 10 support is only a promise from UMi as a free downloadable ROM at a later point in time.

We can't really say if the Chinese OEM will make good on said promise, but it does have a rather reassuring track record with its dedicated ROOTJOY program that brings pre-rooted versions of various supported ROMs to users, including exotic platforms like MYUI, FLY ME, 360OS and even WP8.

LG K5 and K8 coming this week: Android on a budget

LG is bolstering its budget K-series with two new devices - the K5 and K8. Both have 5" screens. “The K8 and K5 will be fantastic choices for anyone who is seeking a smartphone with great looks, great looks, at a great price,” says Juno Cho, President and CEO of LG Electronics Mobile.

The two phones will launch this week. The LG K8 (which was announced in February) will be available in Asia, Africa, the Middle East, CIS and Latin America. The LG K5 will arrive in fewer regions - Europe, CIS and Latin America (in Mexico it will be known as the Q6).

LG K5

The LG K5 has a "metallic look" (think LG G4, plastic with a brushed metal finish) and will come in Gold, Silver and Titan. It has a 5" screen with 480 x 854px resolution.

The phone runs Android 5.1 Lollipop on a 1.3GHz quad-core processor with 1GB and 8GB of built-in storage (with a microSD slot, of course). On the connectivity side, you get 3G, Wi-Fi b/g/n and Bluetooth 4.1.

The main camera on the LG K5 is a 5MP shooter and there's a 2MP selfie cam, which recognizes gestures, so you don't have to aim for the shutter key as you pose for your photo.

LG K8

The LG K8 is a higher end model with a 5" 720p screen and an 8MP/5MP camera setup. The screen is covered with a 2.5D Arc Glass while the back features a G-series design with volume and power buttons and a woven texture.

The LG K8 also comes with a newer Android, but the same 1.3GHz processor with 1.5GB of RAM (Europe and North America) or 1GB RAM (South America).

LG K8

Connectivity sports LTE connectivity, Wi-Fi b/g/n and Bluetooth 4.2.

Get $50 gift card with Moto 360 (2nd gen) and Moto 360 Sport purchase

If you're in the US and are planning to purchase either a second-generation Moto 360 or aMoto 360 Sport, here's a deal for you: electronics retailer Best Buy is offering a $50 gift card for free with each purchase of either of the smartwatch.

As for the price, the retailer has the Sport version listed for $299, while the Moto 360 (2nd gen) will set you back between $299 and $399 depending on the band and finish you go for. Keep in mind, however, that the Moto Maker customization option isn't available at Best Buy.

Another thing worth mentioning here is that you'll get the gift card only after you complete your order, meaning you won't be able to use it while buying these Android Wear smartwatches. Of course, it can be used in any of your future transactions.

Lenovo announces Vibe K5 Plus in India

Lenovo has launched the Vibe K5 Plus in India. It is a budget smartphone, along the lines of the company's previous A6000 and A7000 smartphones, and competes alongside rival devices such as the Coolpad Note 3 and the Xiaomi Redmi Note Prime.

The Vibe K5 Plus has a 5-inch, FullHD 1080p scratch-resistant display. It is powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 616 (4x 1.7GHz Cortex-A53 + 4x 1.2GHz Cortex-A53 + Adreno 405) along with 2GB of RAM and 16GB storage with microSD support up to 128GB.

The phone has dual SIM support along with Wi-Fi 802.11ac, Bluetooth 4.1, A-GPS, and FM Radio.

On the imaging front, there is a 13 megapixel OmniVision OV13850 sensor with f2.2 aperture 5 element lens on the back and a 5 megapixel sensor with f2.8 aperture on the front.

The battery is 2750mAh and is user removable. The phone runs on Android 5.1 and has support for Lenovo's TheaterMax, which splits the screen content into two to give a more immersive experience when viewing through the optional ANT VR headset. The K5 Plus also supports Dolby Atmos and has dual stereo speakers on the back, but don't expect much in terms of stereo separation due to their positioning.

The phone comes in gold, silver, and gray with an aluminum casing on the back.

The Lenovo Vibe K5 Plus is priced at INR 8499 ($126) and will be available exclusively through Flipkart starting March 23, 2016 at 12 noon. There will be an exchange offer for existing A6000 and A6000 Plus users during the first sale.

Charge is a mobile network for data-only service

Until now, there hasn't been any way to purchase a data-only service besides tacking it onto an existing mobile phone plan. This is the first time in the US that a carrier, or MVNO alike, offers data only plans without requiring a phone line first.

The company does plan to incorporate GSM compatible SIMs in the future but as of now, the MVNO will piggyback on Sprint's nationwide network and will be compatible with any Sprint-enabled device, phones and tablets, alike. All Nexus smartphones since the Nexus 5 all the way up to the current-gen 5X and 6P. Obviously, the Phone and Messaging apps will be rendered useless.

Plans start at $15 per GB or $13 per GB when you buy three or more GB. Data never expires and automatically charges your card when you run out (if you wish).

This could be the first step of many toward eventually getting rid of phone numbers altogether. Phone calls, text messages, and everything that once needed a switching center, has effectively been replaced with services that are either fully online (messaging services) or half-online (phone calls over LTE or Wi-Fi). Though totally getting rid of your phone number might not happen until another decade or so.

Penny pinchers will love being able to get a data-only SIM for their smartphone and get away with only having a Google Voice number or live off of WhatsApp calls and messages, or even by using Facebook's services.

Charge could even be a great plan for kids since kids don't really need a phone number right away, all kids need is a method of communication with their parents/guardians and/or a tracking method via GPS (If it's your thing).

WhatsApp to get end-to-end encryption for voice calls and group chats, reports say

In light of the FBI VS Apple fiasco that’s gathered the attention of readers around the world, Facebook is reportedly planning to encrypt voice calls and group chats on the worldwide messaging giant WhatsApp.

Apparently the company was having similar issues with Brazil as Apple had been having with the FBI in the US. The only difference was officials were successfully able to get a court order for a user’s WhatsApp data, to which the company was unable to help since it has been encrypting all of its users’ messages since 2014 and was not able to come up with any of the user’s information.

The Guardian reports that WhatsApp now plans to offer users end-to-end encryption for all voice calls and group chats on the app. Likely in response to the unfortunate events of Brazil detaining a Facebook executive for Latin America when WhatsApp was unable to provide the courts the information they demanded.

Surely after everything ongoing about privacy and security with connected devices and apps, users will be more aware of these privacy concerns and WhatsApp could potentially advertise a product that is safe from unwanted viewers.