Best Apps and Games of the Week

These are some of the best apps and games that came out this week.

Hub Keyboard

Microsoft's Hub Keyboard is now on iOS. It is similar to the app we saw on Android. The clipboard feature lets you access more than the latest copied text and gives a list of recently copied items. The documents feature lets you type and paste URL of your Office 365 documents in OneDrive or SharePoint. The contacts feature lets you easily enter contact information by typing their name. The only thing missing in the iOS version is the ability to type text in one language and have it translated instantly.

iOS • Android                         

Reddit

Reddit finally has an official mobile app. Currently available only in the US, UK and a few other regions, this is the quintessential reddit experience on your phone. As a bonus, you also get three months of reddit gold for being an early adopter.

iOS • Android

This

This is an annotation app that lets you type text on images with a pointer to mark out objects in the image. The app offers seven pointer styles in various configurations so you can have just the one you want.

iOS

Hooked

Hooked is an interesting chat app, where you read other people's chats. These aren't exactly real chats, but more of short stories written by people in a chat format. There are various 'genres' of chats available, so you can start reading whatever you're interested in, and they are kept short so it doesn't feel like you're reading a novel. You can also write your own chat and submit it to the app for others to read. The app highlights the currently trending chats and you can also comment on the ones you read.

iOS

Facebook Messenger

Facebook introduced two new features in the Messenger app. The first is Messenger Code, which is essentially a QR code that lets you add anyone by scanning their code through your app. The second is usernames, which now lets you have a user name on Messenger, as well as a custom m.me/username URL for yourself.

iOS • Android

Zero Click

Zero Click is an app by Domino's, which lets you order a pizza without pressing a single button. As long as you take out the time to fill your profile with your favorite order and your address ahead of the time, all you have to do next time is open the app and it will automatically order the preset pizza after waiting ten seconds. Just make sure you don't open the app accidentally.

iOS • Android

PKTBALL

PKTBALL is the latest game from Laser Dog. It is an insanely addictive and fast paced arcade game, which is essentially tennis but played by swiping your character around to where the ball is. The game moves at a rapid pace so you have to be quick on your fingertips and move your character quickly to return the ball back. Miss the ball twice and you lose. There are plenty of characters and courts to unlock. You can also play multiplayer with up to four people on the same device.

iOS

Chameleon Run

Chameleon Run is a high speed running game. Jump to avoid gaps and black spaces and switch color mid-air to match the platform. Fail to either of that and it's game over. Collect all the objects in the level or finish it without changing color even once to get additional stars.

iOS • Android

Disney Crossy Road

Disney Crossy Road brings the familiar Crossy Road gameplay to the world of Disney. The game is chock-full of Disney characters from across different properties (with the notable exception being Star Wars), all redone in the Crossy Road style blocky 3D graphics. The last part is something I'm personally not fond of as the characters somewhat lose their essence when turned all blocky like that. The game changes the level design to match each characters and you can keep playing or pay up real money to unlock the remaining characters.

iOS • Android • Windows 10

Wooden cases for Galaxy S7 and iPhone 6s Plus by Carved review

Motorola was the first to make the wooden cases more than just an exclusive accessory available to select few. Sure, the Moto G and Moto X wooden panels looked beautiful, but a piece of wood isn't the thing that sells phones.

Three years ago we were all about the faux-leather cases and panels. We witnessed many a phone by Samsung come with such design, but it was the LG G4 and it real leather back that did it best.

Now however we are back to arguing between glass and metal, and buying silicone or plastic cases/skins, the market needed something fresh. And here is where Carved thinks it can help.

The company makes cases of wood - they can be solid cases made entirely of wood, traveler or slim cases made of wood and rubber-like plastic, or just a wooden skin you glue on the back of your phone.

Today's level of technology allows you to paint any piece of wood any color and put a stamp on it. And if this were the case with Carved, I'd have probably put it side by side with all other case makers. But no, Carved has indeed made a difference with its inlay designs.

The best example is this Galaxy S7 New York Skyline Inlay Traveler Wood Case - a pretty self-explanatory name I'd say. The bottom of the case has been made of two different pieces of wood, judging by the wood pattern, and yet those have been carved with excellent precision.

At first, I thought the black layer has been glued on top of the lighter one, but this isn't the case. No, those are two separate pieces, like yin and yang, fitting together perfectly.

The NY Skyline Traveler Case made the Galaxy S7 rather thick, but it fulfills its purpose to keep it safe during trips and vacations, and make it look cool all the time.

I did a sort of experiment among my friends - my male friends said the Galaxy S7 looked cool, but lost its charm with this case. My female friends absolutely loved it. The case also proved to be a real head turner in the subway.

There are lots of different inlay designs you can choose from. And you can put this design on a solid wood case, a slim or a regular (traveler) case, or you just can get the wood piece only (called skin) and put it on the back of your phone, case-free.

The wood skins are available only for a handful of Apple iPhone models, as are the solid cases. The traveler models fit not only iPhones, but Galaxy S4, S5, S6/edge/edge+, S7/edge, and the Nexus 6P. Finally, the slim case models are only for iPhones and iPad mini.

The Pluto Slim Case for the iPhone 6s Plus we got is very beautiful - the Pluto stamp sits great on the black wood like a lonely planet within the black space, as is actually the case. Well almost, as Pluto isn't a planet anymore.

Anyway, the Pluto Slim Case fits great on the iPhone 6 Plus and doesn't make it too bulky. While it fits the 6s Plus model, it's uncomfortable to use the Power Key and the silencer because of the extra thickness of the 6s Plus Carved probably didn't account for. You should have this in mind.

The cases are made of wood and high quality plastic, and they are definitely something exquisite that will spice up your smartphone. All cases improve the overall protection, which might be worth the extra thickness and weight to some.

If you fancy a wooden case, you should definitely give Carved's offers a try. Their designs are gorgeous and you can even make your own case. The products come packed within nice paper boxes with personal touch, some stickers, and messages from the Carved's creators.

Your phone will stand out when wearing a Carved case. And they make a nice gift for a lady friend, which is another plus for Carved - buying a present for a female friend is one of the toughest task nowadays.

Weekly poll: Huawei P9 and P9 Plus - hot or not

The phones everyone's talking about this week - Huawei P9 and its bigger and more capable bro, the P9 Plus. The headline in both of them are their dual cameras, but they're not one dimensional, the two of them.

Dual polls it is. The thing is the P9 Plus has everything the P9 does, and then some. Hot as the P9 may be, we fear the Plus might not get the attention it deserves, if they go at it together.

Starting with the P9 (manufacturers should probably think of monikers for the plain non-Plus-Max-edge models so us tech journos can have it easy), we're already getting the full package - an aluminum body, top-notch CPU, those two cameras, the blazing-fast fingerprint sensor on the back. What more can we ask for?

Yes, the matter of size - 5.2" is okay-ish, but more has to be better. In the case of the P9 Plus, 5.5 inches doesn't sound like a major bump, but there's the Mate 8 at 6", and a possible P9 Max in the future to think about, so Huawei's reasoning would be clear even at this point.

But there's more than diagonal at play here - the P9 Plus has Pressure Touch. You can't overlook the fact that the Mate S top model (itself a unicorn of a smartphone) has a 5.5-inch AMOLED display and so does the P9 Plus. Apparently Huawei is actually ready with the supply of those 3D-Touch-like panels and they will finally be hitting the streets.

There's also the added battery capacity - a smidge more than the increase of screen area needing to be lit up, though the entirely different technology makes these calculations debatable. And then, there is another feature that sets the Plus apart though - the stereo speakers.

So, are you with us on this one - is the P9 Plus the better Huawei flagship this season? Okay, that's not the actual question. Is the P9 Plus hot or not?

Poll results: Samsung Galaxy S7 retains lead over LG G5

The rematch produced the same outcome, nearly down to the last percent. After the LG G5 submitted to the Samsung Galaxy S7 edge a month ago, it had another go over the past week, this time at the Samsung Galaxy S7 (flat).

The results are in and for the most part they're identical - only the G5 has an extra one in a hundred this time and the distribution is 43% to 57%, still in the Galaxy's favor. Apparently that's the best the G5 can do, even though it brought friends to the fight.

Whether the general public is not yet ready for all that modularity, or the S7 is just the better overall package, we can't be sure. What we did establish though, is that the G5 shoots better photos than the S7 - and guess what, that still didn't affect the poll results.

Edge will soon block non-essential Flash content on the page

Microsoft has announced that the future versions of Edge will be less tolerant to stray Flash content on web pages.

The browser will soon be updated to automatically pause all non-essential Adobe Flash content on the page; this includes animations and ads. Only essential content, such as videos and games will play automatically. This will reduce power consumption and improve performance, especially on tablets and ultrabooks.

Last year, Google announced a similar change in Chrome, and later dropped support for Flash ads entirely couple of months back.

Microsoft will be providing the updated version of Edge in the upcoming Windows 10 build 14316 onwards. The company is also encouraging web developers to move away from Flash and adopt more open web standards.

Marshmallow to hit T-Mobile's LG V10 next week

Everyone seems to be getting Marshmallow these days, and even if the general reaction is "well, about time", it's still great that more phones get to be running on Google's latest OS version. The LG V10 is already a member of that club, but these being regional and carrier-specific matters, the rollout has so far taken place in South Korea and in Turkey, as well as Verizon's units in the US.

Apparently, T-Mobile will follow suit next week, wacky product manager Des Smith has disclosed on Twitter. Well, about time.

If you happen to have forgotten, the LG V10 is a beast of phablet, with a 5.7-inch QHD screen plus an extra strip on top, which can display time and notifications, and also serve as a list of shortcuts to most used apps - it's like an always-on display, only better. And then there's the unique manual control you're getting when shooting video, right down to choosing the frame rate between 1fps and 60fps and fine tuning the audio levels captured by the 4 mics. Check out our review, we have those covered in detail.

Hasselblad announces 100MP H6D-100c and 50MP H6D-50c

Hasselblad, maker of high-end modular medium format cameras, has announced the new H6D-100c and the H6D-50c, the former with an amazing 100 megapixel CMOS sensor and the latter with 50 megapixel CMOS sensor. Other than the high still resolution, the 100c can also do 4K video in RAW, a first for a medium format camera, while the latter can only do 1080p30.

Both cameras have shutter speeds that go from 60 minutes to 1/2000th of a second, increased ISO range (up to 12800 on 100c), 15 stop dynamic range on 100c and 14 stops on 50c, 1.5fps burst mode on 100c and 2.5fps on the 50c, USB 3.0 with Type-C connector, Wi-Fi, HDMI, dual card slot (CFast + SD), 3.0-inch 920k dot touchscreen, and full support for H lens range.

The H6D-100c is priced at $32,995/€28,900 and the 50c at $25,995/€22,900.

LeEco Le 2 clears TENAA - 5.5" FullHD display, 10-core CPU, Android 6.0

The LeEco Le 2 has been certified by Chinese telecom regulator TENAA, and we're being treated to a detailed list of specs as well as the usual mug shots.

Photos first, the smartphone looks nothing like the one in a leak we had a month ago. Okay, the front may be similar, but the back is entirely different, and a lot more consistent with the Le Max Pro we saw a couple of months ago.

Setting design aside, the LeEco Le 2 (which carries the parent company LeTV branding) comes with a 5.5-inch FullHD display. The chipset inside appears to be the Helio X20 - core count field says 10, and the 2.3GHz frequency rules the X25 out (clocked higher at 2.5GHz), so the latter could be exclusive to Meizu after all. RAM is 3GB, storage is 32GB and the card slot field is left blank.

The upcoming device has a 16MP primary camera, which doesn't shoot 2160p video - another discrepancy with that GFXBench listing, that put a Helio X25 in the Le 2. The front shooter is an 8MP unit.

The smartphone measures 151.1 x 74.1 x 7.7mm and weighs 153g. There's a 3,000mAh battery inside, and that by the way is a welcome recent addition to TENAA's listings.

We're yet to hear about official announcement, but with the regulatory hurdle cleared, that shouldn't take long.

Sony Xperia Z2, Z3 and Z3 Compact are getting official Marshmallow

Sony is delivering on its promise dating back to October last year to bring Android Marshmallow to the Xperia Z2, Xperia Z3 and Xperia Z3 Compact. After a Beta build wasreleased a month ago, users of the smartphones are starting to receive the official update.

The firmware, carrying a build number 23.5.A.0.570, brings the OS version to the latest 6.0.1, and includes the February Android security patch as well as the latest camera app interface.

Now, there are the usual caveats, though. For one, only three models are getting the update for now, specifically the D6503 Z2, the D6603 Z3 and the D5803 Z3 Compact. Additionally, it's not yet happening in all parts of the world - so far it's the US, Russia, Ukraine, Middle East and North Africa, and perhaps Latin America.

So if you're holding on to your trusty Xperias of the above generations and live somewhere in these regions, you may be in luck. If not, muster some patience, it could be just a few days.

Meizu Pro 6 rumored to come with a 10-LED flash

Dual-LED smartphone flashes are ubiquitous, and triple-LED ones are also fairly popular. That is, to the extent the Lumia 950 and 950 XL, and also the Lenovo Vibe Shot, are popular.

How about 10 LEDs, though. That's how many of those the upcoming Meizu Pro 6 will have, if the latest rumor turns out to be true. A photo of the future flagship that was officially released the other day (the one below) does indeed show a ring around the laser autofocusing window - a ring, which was obviously going to house the flash, as there isn't one to be found anywhere else.

But 10 LEDs? The Pro 6 is going to be a large device, that's for sure (rumors have settled on a 5.7-inch display), which could mean that the ring is large enough to fit all those diodes. "But why?" you may ask, and we'd be inclined to agree. Then again, a little (well, potentially a lot) extra light could very well take our club photography up a notch, so we're starting to warm up to the idea.

We won't get much time to dwell on it, though - the Meizu Pro 6 gets announced in 4 days.

Silk White OnePlus One now back in stock, why would you want a 16GB phone though?

OnePlus is proud to announce the return of the Silk White color option for the Onesmartphone. The alternative to the Sandstone Black is now back in stock, in time for theMarshmallow update.

The thing is, the white model comes with only 16GB of built-in storage, and built-in storage is all the storage you get with the OnePlus One, as it doesn't have a microSD slot for expansion.

If you can live with that limitation though, you'd enjoy the lower price - the 16GB Silk White is $249 (or €249), while the 64GB Sandstone Black goes for fifty more of either currency.

OnePlus One Marshmallow update now seeding

We reported on the Marshmallow update for the OnePlus One being in final testing the other day, in the words of company co-founder Carl Pei, and he gave a rather vague promise that the rollout will start "very soon". Well, those who read that as "maybe another month left to go" will be pleasantly surprised today.

Android 6.0.1 Marshmallow is beginning to roll out for the OnePlus One, the company has shared in a post on its own forum. Cyanogen is ready to push the CM 13.0 release with internal designation ZNH0EAS26M to OnePlus' first ever smartphone.

As is customary with all such firmware update matters though, not everyone will get it on day one, so patience is appreciated, Helen from OnePlus says.