The Download Blog

Chrome for Android gets much-sought built-in translation

Google, always trying to break down language barriers as part of its mission to make the world's information accessible, has added on-the-fly, automatic Web page translation to its Chrome browser for Android devices.
Chrome 28 for Android, released Wednesday, has the translation feature built in, said Chrome team member Jason Kersey in a blog post. The feature has been built into Chrome for personal computers for years.
Also new in Chrome 28 for Android, according to Kersey and another Chrome team member, Dan Alcantara:
• An optimized user interface for right-to-left (RTL) languages including Arabic, Farsi, and Hebrew.
• Full-screen support … Read more

TeamViewer introduces remote support for mobile devices

There are plenty of apps that allow you to control a remote PC from your phone or tablet, but what if you want to go the other way? What if you need to help a friend, relative, or employee with his or her mobile device?
TeamViewer QuickSupport lets you remotely control a smartphone or tablet from any computer. It's available for Android and iOS.
Well, maybe "control" is the wrong word. Although you can establish a remote connection to, say, an iPhone while sitting at your laptop, you can't actually control the phone or even get … Read more

Maps is navigating toward Google Now

On Tuesday night, Google released an update to Google Maps on Android, featuring a redesigned interface that more closely incorporates a cleaner, card-based look, and a reduction in onscreen menu items and buttons.
Both design changes for Android phones and tablets resemble each other for the most part. Navigation received a noticeable upgrade; so now, when you search for directions, Google Maps will suggest alternate routes during heavy traffic periods and potentially even during inconvenient delays in public transportation.
Whereas much of this is reminiscent of the iOS version a couple months back, Google Maps still retains its signature Android … Read more

Five tips for the new Google Maps on Android

After promising that Maps would receive a face lift and some new features at Google I/O, the app is finally delivering the goods. Google Maps v7.0.0 tidies up the interface and brings some shortcuts for the features you use the most.
The new version is rolling out via Google Play to Android devices running 4.0.3 and higher (with an iOS coming sometime in the future). If you haven't received an update yet, sit tight. You do have the option of downloading it from a third-party file hosting service, but … Read more

Chrome gets high-resolution screen support on Windows, too

As Windows machines follow in Apple's Retina display footsteps, Google is building HiDPI support into its Chrome browser.
The browser developer marked HiDPI support in Windows as fixed on Tuesday night, though it's weeks away from arriving in the stable version of Chrome. It's currently scheduled for release in Chrome 30; the current stable version is Chrome 28, and Google releases new versions about every six weeks.
High-resolution screens have more dots per inch than conventional screens, thus the label HiDPI, which is nice for crisper graphics and text. However, programmers must adapt graphics elements such as … Read more

Samsung surpasses Apple in smartphone Web usage

Worldwide, people now use Samsung's smartphones more often than Apple's to surf the Web, according to a study released Wednesday.
In January 2013, Apple iPhones and iPod Touches surpassed Nokia phones to account for the most Web pages viewed on the Internet, according to a report (PDF) from StatCounter, which monitors Web usage across a network of 3 million Web sites. But in June, Samsung devices passed Apple's for the global lead.
But not by much. Samsung's devices accounted for 25.5 percent of page views to 25.1 percent for Apple and 22 percent for … Read more

Star Apps: Jordan Casey

Jordan Casey is no ordinary 13-year-old. The Irish prodigy is a self-taught iOS app developer and also the founder and CEO of Casey Games, an indie games company that he launched late last year. Some of his successful titles include Alien Ball VS Humans, Greenboy Touch, and Save The Day, the official game for National Children's Day in Brazil.
He's currently working on several more games and speaking at international conferences such as Cannes Lions, European Pirate Summit, Gamecity7, TedxYouth New Delhi, The Smartphone and Tablet Games Summit, BETT 2013, and most recently, TiEcon Conference in Silicon Valley. … Read more

Power2Go Essentials hits Version 9

On Tuesday, Cyberlink launched an updated release of Power2Go, a suite of burning utilities for Windows, exclusively on Download.com. Version 9 includes some basic burning features, in addition to added support for backing up photos and videos from sites like Vimeo, Facebook, Flickr, and YouTube.
Notable improvements and upgrades in this version include support for ripping audio CDs to high-quality, lossless FLAC formats, as well as DVD burning support from Flash Video (FLV) and MKV file types.
Though the basic Essential pack, which lets you view ISO image files and copy basic video and audio discs, is free, Cyberlink … Read more

Popular iOS apps go free ahead of App Store's 5th anniversary

Apple's App Store turns five this week, which might be why some of the marketplace's popular applications are now available for free.
Apple's App Store has started offering several popular applications, including Infinity Blade II and Tiny Wings, for free. Traktor DJ, a platform for pro DJs, typically costs $19.99. As of this writing, it's available for free. Many of the other suddenly-free apps sold previously for a few bucks.
So, what's happening? The Verge, which was first to report on the free apps, argues that it might be an early promotion in anticipation … Read more

Hardest Game Ever 2... even harder than the first

Hardest Game Ever 2 for Android and iOS is a pack of several reaction- and time-based mini-challenges in the form of wacky, everyday activities. Such activities range from scooping ice cream to running to the bathroom without falling to your death.
Each play per mini-game requires a "star," the game's own currency. Think of it as an arcade credit. And yes, the game immediately starts to reek of a freemium model, but to its credit it's actually quite fun.
The challenges aren't all that difficult at first, but the games start to become exponentially harder … Read more