Monday, April 27, 2020

Apple : Expanding beyond low code into automation: A Q&A with Appian

Apple : Expanding beyond low code into automation: A Q&A with Appian

Expanding beyond low code into automation: A Q&A with Appian

Posted: 27 Apr 2020 12:00 PM PDT

Improving efficiency allows organizations to get even more done in the same amount of time. When it comes to developing apps, low-code allows businesses to quickly build custom applications to suit their needs while Robotic Process Automation (RPA) allows businesses to automate mundane tasks so their human employees can focus on more important work.

Appian is known for its low-code software but through a series of recent acquisitions, the company has expanded further into automation by offering customers the ability to automate tasks through RPA and do so intelligently using AI. TechRadar Pro spoke with the company’s global financial services and insurance industry lead, Michael Heffner to learn more about its expansion into automation.

Office software

coronavirus

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Your workforce is your front line defence against data breaches

Posted: 27 Apr 2020 10:30 AM PDT

Every day there is a new report of a data breach and, before the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic, cyber attacks were rife with even the largest conglomerates like GE having their defences breached in the last few months.

Now, as organisations are forced into the position of having to rapidly adopt remote working practices as the norm, cyber criminals are rubbing their hands with glee. Employees working on an internal network were already a soft target for the cyber criminal. After all, over 90% of all data breaches are caused by human error, inadequately trained in cyber security risks and potential threats. And now, companies with a remote workforce are even more vulnerable. With employees out in the wild, cyber criminals are banking on the gold rush that comes with the virtual Wild West.

The need for cyber security training

The problem is, as many a beleaguered IT Pro will tell you, even the best technical solutions in the world cannot secure your IT infrastructure alone. Just one absent minded click from an employee in a phishing email can bring down even the most sophisticated and technically robust system. Hard working IT departments will agree that one of their biggest challenges is helping the network users understand the risks, what a cyber attack actually looks like and what to do in the event of an attack. This is where organisations today need to turn that problem into a solution: make their staff the greatest security asset they have on the network by training and educating them in cyber security, literally as they work and critically not only on a training schedule, and supporting them while they face these threats in real time. This effectively builds the ‘Human Firewall’. 

The most common vulnerabilities start with Business Email Compromise (BEC) and Email Account Compromise (EAC) where attacks have cost organisations globally more than $26 billion since 2016 (reported by the FBI). In fact the FBI has just reported an increase in BEC fraud relating to Covid-19 with criminals using the virus as an excuse to reschedule or switch payments or make other business changes in order to steal money and data. The main culprits come in the form of phishing emails that look like they come from familiar or trusted sources.  The criminals are getting increasingly sophisticated where they leverage the psychology of the moment exploiting the circumstances, posing as CEOs or trusted advisors and tricking even the most security-aware employees in well-executed and targeted attacks.

Most corporations recognise that training employees is a must and for cyber security issues the  corporate mindset is changing and companies are now treating cyber security not solely as an IT problem but as a real business issue.

Cyber security education and training, even on site, takes time and effort: Planning and scheduling training is time consuming and can be like herding cats and you simply can’t cater for those who don’t make it to a session. Employees come and go and it is difficult to assess the level of cognisance within a changing workforce. 

Building your human firewall

Today it’s important to recognise that with evolving work practices - such as remote working -  training has to evolve too - especially with cyber security awareness training. Previous approaches such as scheduled training or random simulated phishing attacks are a good first step but don’t fully solve the problem. The cyber criminals are always one step ahead so a revision of any existing training methodology is critical and in most cases has to be taken a step further. Staying with the same methodologies will end up with the same net result: a compromised network.

Cyber security training needs to be part of the basic security set up on any network: Every computer, every communications device, is an open door to a criminal and at any moment unaware employees are not only opening the door - they are unwittingly propping it open and inviting them in. Every employee within any organisation large or small should be Cyber Security trained on how to spot risks and act on them. 

The basics remain: employee handbooks and company policies should be adapted, into easy to understand, impactful and digestible messages to ensure that employees take cyber threats seriously. Training should be implemented horizontally and vertically. A cyber criminal doesn’t care what level of employee he targets or what department they work within..

Finally and most importantly, especially with a remote workforce, training must be continuous and it must be in real time: This is crucial and key to best practice security.  Simulations of Cyber-attacks should run automatically and monitor how the remote employee responds with simultaneous alerts to vulnerabilities. The best networks allow for employees to automatically alert the IT department of any  strange or suspicious activity with the touch of a button – effectively quarantining an attack. Taking steps like these creates the foundations of a cyber security aware culture within an organisation and ultimately the’ Human Firewall’. It is also easier than you think to implement and deploy with minimal overhead in resources.

The net result - the Human Firewall is the most expedient and efficient protection for any business - especially now that employees are spread across locations and geographies. All organisations need to recognise cyber security as a real business risk that is exacerbated by having a remote workforce.

Investing in your employees

As we have seen from recent events, cutting costs in the short term is a long term loss. Real time cyber security awareness training is inexpensive compared to the huge budgets invested in enterprise software solutions. Research has shown the cost per employee is 44% cheaper using an automated real time awareness training platform, as opposed to scheduled awareness training programs. Intervention provides immediate training reactive to employee behaviour, thus removing the time and cost in assessing risk and remediation through scheduled training and chasing staff completion. It is also fully automated in multiple languages, integrates easily with existing sophisticated network security installations, can be deployed rapidly and seamlessly and maximises the ROI on the overall network security investment.

There really are no excuses particularly when you take into account the reduced administrative overhead. Businesses can’t cut any corners on security - especially when workforces are so fragmented and attacks are increasing in sophistication. Arm your employees with cyber risk awareness and make them your first line of defence!

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Should I buy Samsung The Frame TV?

Posted: 27 Apr 2020 08:30 AM PDT

If you’re after a new Samsung TV, and don’t want to settle for a run-of-the-mill LED display, Samsung’s The Frame TV may be a set worth looking at.

There are plenty of TVs out there, but sometimes you want something to really stand out from the competition. The Frame TV by Samsung is one such TV. With an aesthetic-led design, and a form factor unlike the rest of the Samsung 2020 TV range, you can be sure you’re getting something different – and with a QLED panel upgrade, it's come far from its initial 2017 iteration too.

But what exactly does The Frame TV do differently – and even if it looks good, is there a downside that might not be apparent at first glance? This guide will run you through everything you need to know about Samsung’s The Frame TV, from the pricing and sizing to the kind of panel technology powering its display.

What is the Samsung The Frame TV?

The Frame TV is one of several Designer TVs from Samsung, along with the style-focused Samsung Serif TV and rotating (yes, you read that right) Samsung Sero TV.

The Frame TV’s design is based on that of a picture frame. That means it goes all out on a thick, metallic casing – quite unlike the zero-bezel appearance of the Samsung Q950TS 8K QLED – which gives the display a firm outline and will be sure to make an impact in your living room.

There’s a number of different coloring options for the frame around the display, too: white, black, brown, beige, burgundy red, and clay beige.

You’ll also be able to make use of Samsung’s Art Mode – a setting for the television that displays artworks, photos, or paintings rather than keeping the screen black when not in use, a bit like a beefed-up smart display. You’re using up a small amount of power, of course, compared to powering the set down properly, but it means your new TV purchase can be calibrated to better match your home decor.

Art Mode can draw on hundreds of artworks from globally-renowned collections too – such as the V&A Museum, the Tate Gallery, and Van Gogh Museum.

The Frame TV can be placed on a counter, but it will likely feel most at home with its No Gap Wall Mount, which will keep the display flush to a wall and help it camouflage better with its surroundings.

Samsung The Frame TV: what sizes are available?

How much does Samsung’s The Frame TV cost? It depends, as ever, on which TV size you choose.

While the 2018 model only featured three sizes – 43-inch, 55-inch, and 65-inch – that has since expanded with a 49-inch size, as well as the massive 75-inch and miniscule 32-inch sizes for 2020.

That makes for a huge amount of variety, meaning The Frame TV is a television that can be catered to your specific living situation. Want a massive screen to put the fear of god into your children? Or a teeny, cutsey display that can fit on a shelf or be easily tidied away? The Frame TV can do it all.

The small size is unusual for such a premium set – as we usually expect second-rate parts for such small TVs. You is a drop in video resolution, from 4K UHD to just Full HD (1080p), though you also won’t really notice on such a compact screen.

We spoke to James Parker, Head of TV Product Management at Samsung Electronics UK, who told us that “24% of people replace their TV for interior related reasons, and so The Frame in 32-inch fills the void in the market for a transferable TV that can fit in with any space regardless of the size.” 

Parker added that the smaller size was specifically designed to more “seamlessly blend in with the bedroom decor” compared to other, larger versions of the set. The 32-inch model comes with a Mini One Connect Box for tidying away its (relatively smaller) cables too, as well as a “flexible lean-back stand so the Frame can be watched vertically or horizontally” just like the Samsung Sero TV.

Samsung The Frame TV pricing and offers

The 2020 model is now available across the US, UK, and Australia – for most sizes, at least. 

The smallest size (32-inch) starts at just $599 in the US, though has yet to land in the UK or Australia.

If you’re going larger than that, you’ll be paying $999 / £1,199 / AU$1,559 for the 43-inch, $1,299 for the 50-inch, $1,499 / £1,599 / AU$2,295 for the 55-inch, $1,999 / £2,199 / AU$2,695 for the 65-inch, and $2,999 / £3,499 / AU$3,995 for the 75-inch.

In the US, you can opt for a monthly fee, spread across three years (36 months) through Samsung Financing, rather than a one-off payment – while those of you in Australia can spread the cost across 50 months too. You won’t end up paying any more overall either, making this a smart way to finance your new The Frame TV.

If you’re after something cheaper, you also have the option of buying the 2019 model, which starts at $999 / £799 / AU$1,499 for the 43-inch size, jumps to $1,199 / £999 for the 49-inch (no AU model) or $1,399 / £999 / AU$2,499 for the 55-inch, and peaks at $1,799 / £1,499 / AU$3,499 for the 65-inch size.

For UK shoppers, Samsung will throw two free bezels with any purchase of a 2019 The Frame TV too – usually worth £229 – for the remainder of 2020, meaning you can swap out the bezel whenever you feel like redecorating. US shoppers, on the other hand, can get 50% off a single customizable bezel when they make a purchase.

But this is a TV, after all – so what do we make of its picture quality?

Samsung The Frame TV review: not the full picture

Samsung Designer TVs like the Frame aren’t often available for a traditional review – given Samsung views them as lifestyle (not technology) purchases, and tries to avoid these sets being compared on the basis of individual specs.

We did get to review the Samsung The Frame TV 2018 model, praising its "gorgeous, burnished metal frame" and aesthetic successes – though the middling picture quality and poor upscaling stopped us from being able to praise it further.

We found that "we had some small but consistent issues with artefacts and blocking when upscaling, especially from SDR, but not at the expense of a generally capable picture. More vivid colors on the end of the spectrum are however wont to cause trouble: the cyan and pink title screen of Killing Eve could lead to some disconcerting flashing and blocking around the letters."

We also said that "The picture comes across best with darker scenes and moodier palettes, more in keeping with the pensive gallery atmosphere of contemplating the paintings in the TV’s Art Store."

It’s clearly an issue Samsung was aware of, with the 2019 and 2020 versions of The Frame TV featuring a QLED panel rather than the 2018 model's backlit LCD.

The QLED panel for the 2019 / 2020 models is absolutely an upgrade, with higher brightness and enhanced contrast – thanks to a metallic quantum dot filter unique to QLED sets – compared to LCDs. However, we haven’t had the opportunity to review the 2019 or 2020 model ourselves.

The main issues should have been addressed, then, and if you're buying Samsung's The Frame TV it's likely for its visuals and artwork focus, rather than getting necessarily the best TV picture out there.

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Down but certainly not out: IR35 will hinder vital economic growth post-coronavirus

Posted: 27 Apr 2020 07:00 AM PDT

Across the world, economies are suffering from the spread of the coronavirus. In the UK alone, nearly 20 percent of small and medium sized businesses are unlikely to survive into May, in spite of unprecedented government support. 

The UK is home to 5 million freelance workers; a community which has felt the impact of coronavirus perhaps more than any other. 

The Treasury’s “self-employed income-support scheme” pledged to protect freelance workers, providing up to 80% of an individual’s average earnings or profits for those eligible for up to three months. Whilst unquestionably essential, this support looks set to cost tens of billions; a cost which will have to be financed through the government taking on huge amounts of debt.

At the moment, it’s difficult to look beyond coronavirus and the immediate problem of how to keep our economy alive. However, when travel restrictions are relaxed and daily life returns to some semblance of normality, the UK will need the freelance community to thrive. Firstly, for the sake of the millions of freelance workers who call the UK their home. Secondly, to bolster government revenues in tax returns from this same workforce to ensure that the state is able to maintain vital services. 

Legislative reform may not be top of anyone’s agenda right now, but it won’t be long before we’re talking about how to kick the economy back into gear.

What is IR35?

In essence, IR35 is a piece of UK legislation designed to reduce tax avoidance by freelance workers whom HMRC believes to be “disguised employees” and the organisations who employ them. “Disguised employees” are people who work in a similar way to full-time employees but charge for their services via their limited companies to make their businesses as tax efficient as possible.

Whilst the majority of these arrangements are genuine, there are some organisations who pay people in this way to avoid paying employers’ National Insurance contributions or providing employment benefits. Likewise, “disguised employees” receiving payments via their limited companies earn a higher income through not paying National Insurance contributions.

Where do we stand?

IR35 has been in place since 2000. As it stands, employers in the public sector must decide a worker’s employment status whilst in the private sector, workers charging via a limited company must decide their employment status.

In late March, the government took the decision to postpone reforms to IR35 for twelve months until April 2021 to avoid putting additional pressure on freelancers and small business owners already grappling with how to deal with the coronavirus pandemic.

From April 2021, medium or large-sized private sector employers will be responsible for deciding a worker’s employment status and deducting National Insurance contributions from a worker’s salary.

The proposed updates are designed to ensure that freelance workers working via their limited companies, doing the same work as an employee, pay broadly the same tax and so employers pay National Insurance Contributions and provide employee benefits accordingly.

Why does this change matter?

Whilst the ideas behind the updates to IR35 are sound, it is feared that the reforms will have unintended consequences. 

One concern is that businesses will be reluctant to work with freelance workers as the hirer will be fined if they incorrectly identify someone as a freelance worker. Indeed, in a bid to avoid this, some public sector bodies including HMRC, NHS and the MOD already have a policy of not working with freelance workers. 

Another concern is that over-cautious employers may automatically deduct PAYE and National Insurance, so freelance workers earn less than they are truly entitled to and have to claim back tax. 

Furthermore, freelancers deemed to be employees will have to pay more tax despite not necessarily getting the same benefits as existing employees. 

Lastly, it is likely that the proposed reforms will discourage people from starting their own businesses. Freelance workers benefit from flexibility and higher wage rates than salaried employees yet the reforms look set to remove both these incentives.

Looking to the future

It is feared that the roll out of the IR35 reforms in 2021 may hinder the revival of the freelance sector and the recovery of the UK economy post coronavirus. 

Prior to coronavirus, the freelance economy was booming due to demographic changes, technological advances and shifting work paradigms. Indeed, our recent survey of over 7,000 freelancers showed that Millennials and Gen-Z represent the vast majority of the global freelance workforce (almost 90% percent of those surveyed), highlighting just how significant a role young freelancers play in the future workforce.

Freelancers themselves say they benefit from greater autonomy and flexibility, whilst companies who hire freelancers gain the ability to easily scale and connect with top talent from across the globe. As the barriers for companies and freelancers to work together have come down, we’ve seen incredible growth in economic opportunity on both sides of the equation.

As companies look to recover following coronavirus, the ability to hire freelancers in a frictionless manner as demand ebbs and flows will be more important than ever. 

What’s more, the ability to take on ad hoc work as a freelancer may well allow workers to earn an income when full time jobs simply aren’t available. 

The reforms to IR35 threaten to bring complexity and anxiety to the flourishing relationship between freelancers and enterprise. The decision to essentially reclassify some of these freelancers as staff risks hindering the freelance economy’s enduring success and could have wide-reaching consequences across the globe. This is particularly significant given that the global economy will need every possible stimulus as we rebuild following coronavirus, and as remote working becomes a reality for so many. The agility and dynamism of the freelance sector as a truly modern industry means it could play an integral role in the global recovery. 

In theory, this extra time should allow businesses to put in place fair procedures so that they can avoid blanket bans on working with freelance workers, but if the public sector is anything to go by, there is no guarantee that this will happen.

In conclusion

The government’s wish to simplify and rationalise our taxation system and generate additional revenue should be applauded, but this cannot be at the cost of future economic growth. 

In the years to come, businesses will not want to be challenged by tax officials on whether a freelance worker who is running a digital marketing project, for example, should be classed as an employee because of the length of their contract.

The government must take the time to revisit IR35 and update the instrument to alleviate the fears of freelancers and businesses. If the UK is to recover and move forward following coronavirus, we cannot afford to put barriers in our own way.

James Allum is VP and Region Head for Europe at Payoneer

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OnePlus 8 too rich for your blood? The LG Velvet could be a tempting alternative

Posted: 27 Apr 2020 06:00 AM PDT

With the OnePlus 8 proving to be quite a jump over previous OnePlus phones in terms of specs and price, it's left a gap in the 'strong specs at a mid-range price' section of the market the company once occupied – and a new leak suggests that gap could be filled by the upcoming LG Velvet.

This information comes from Korean forum website 'Meeco' where a user posted a screenshot of a lineup of the phones, complete with many of the key specs. 

It's not clear who the leaker is, or where the information was sourced from, but there are some color variants on show here that we haven't seen in LG's own teases, and which look credible - although as with all leaks we'd recommend taking this one with a pinch of salt.

The leak suggests the LG Velvet will have the mid-range Snapdragon 765G chipset, which won't return fast processing speeds like the top-end 865 in the OnePlus 8, although people who don't need the fastest speeds would be unlikely to notice. It seems the phone is set to be a 5G device too.

The leak also suggests the chipset will be paired with 8GB RAM and 128GB storage, which would a fairly standard setup for a mid-range device. According to the leak, there's a 4,300mAh battery, which again would be a fairly standard spec.

Apparently the cameras will be a 48MP main snapper, joined by a 5MP depth sensor and a third, 8MP, camera, although it's not clear if this has a telephoto, ultra-wide angle, macro or some other lens, while on the front there's said to be a 16MP camera.

We're expecting the phone to be priced squarely in mid-range territory – and possibly close to the £499 (about $640, AU$930) price of the OnePlus 7, which would make it a tempting option for fans of that phone who can't quite stretch to the cost of the OnePlus 8.

What is the LG Velvet?

The LG Velvet is reportedly a replacement for the planned LG G9, which is said to have been scrapped (although it's not clear why), and LG is banking on the new phone being a hit.

Its recent devices haven't been particularly successful, and if the Velvet proves to a popular affordable mid-range device - which leaks, including this latest one, suggest it may well be - it could herald a change in the brand's fortunes.

We know the phone is landing on May 7, and TechRadar will bring you all the news when that happens, and we'll be hoping to get our hands on the phone to review it, so stay tuned.

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How the surge in remote working is forcing the issue of location agnostic cybersecurity

Posted: 27 Apr 2020 05:30 AM PDT

Now that all but key workers are required to stay at home in the UK, we can expect to see an increased focus on the practice of remote working. We should remember however, that remote working has already been on the rise in the last few years for a number of reasons.

Travel disruptions can make it more time-effective, and less stressful for commuters to simply not travel on certain days – or even for extended periods. When we consider longer journeys, abnormal weather conditions such as storms and heatwaves, often cause significant disruption to flight and train schedules. In these cases, workers are stranded not at home, but sometimes in another country entirely. Faced with these challenges, many UK organisations are supporting the movement towards an increase in remote working as part of their overall approach to business. 

According to March 2020 figures from the ONS, 1.7 million people in the UK reported they work mainly from home, with over double that figure (4.0 million) having worked from home in the week prior to the survey.

People find they can work from coffee shops, libraries or co-location working spaces, a habit we can expect to see them return to later this year. In addition to these public spaces, there are thousands of dedicated offices where co-workers can hire desks, rooms or conference centres by the hour. There has even been the rise of the so-called ‘pro-worker’ – those who run their permanent businesses from temporary and fluid accommodation spaces.

Taking (remote) control

While driving efficiencies and improving employee work-life-balance, working from home, a coffee shop or a co-location (or pro-location) space is not anywhere near as cyber secure as being in an office. A lot more preparation is required to coordinate the activities of employees and to ensure company systems are able to support a critical mass of staff working remotely at a moment’s notice.

Before the postponement of the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, more than 1,000 companies in Japan were planning to introduce telecommuting for their staff during the event. It was hoped that remote working would help ease the pressure on the already overcrowded public transport. While the companies had been through a series of dry runs to see if the city systems, and the businesses themselves, could cope with the new workloads, the move would have tested the network’s ability to withstand cyber-attacks at scale. The plan mirrored a strategy adopted by many organisations during the London 2012 Olympics where 80% of companies employed some form of telecommuting in order to beat the additional traffic and congestion in the city.

All this additional demand for remote working will place strains on the existing office and telecoms infrastructure. For the office environment, having hundreds, if not thousands of additional home workers will test a company’s server capability and its VPN bandwidth, and driving IT professionals’ time and attention away from looking out for potential cybersecurity threats. Do organisations have the internal capacity to match the organic – as well as issues-driven – home working demands for the next five to ten years?

For those workers in cafes and co-working spaces, the question they need to ask is ‘how secure is the Wi-Fi connection that I’m working from?’. They are now reliant on a third-party service and who knows who is sitting on the next table or the opposite booth to snoop on their emails, giving malicious actors the proverbial keys to the enterprise kingdom?

Bringing in identity

We can be pretty sure that the future lies with more and more flexible working to support the evolving needs of businesses and employees alike. This is where identity will start playing a bigger and bigger role. Being used to free IT directors from the burden of routine tasks such as access approvals and data compliance and instead allowing them to focus on higher-value security and business threats.

Imagine being part of an organisation that has thousands of employees around the world, with close to half working away from the office across the globe, and close to 90 per cent in certain regions or countries. Is your network ready? And can you satisfy all access requests coming in at once? All the while ensuring that everyone logging on remotely is actually an employee and not a cybercriminal?

This is just one example of change and increased complexity in modern businesses and IT systems that would either slow workers down or lead to significant security compromises. In this ever-changing world, it is important to maintain a robust security approach to all employees – whether they work from the office or from Antarctica.

Taking a smart approach to identity now can make businesses confident of their ability to deliver both speed and flexibility when it comes to changes to working practices. After all, hackers won’t relent during this time of transition – but identity won’t either. Having the right tools for the job means that while we all pursue business as usual, identity is working tirelessly in the background and in real-time to spot unusual access, possible cyber risks and suspicious activity. As we adapt to the new reality of remote working on a longer-term basis, identity is already filling the cybersecurity void.

Ben Bulpett is EMEA Director at SailPoint

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Skype phishing attack targets remote workers

Posted: 27 Apr 2020 05:29 AM PDT

Remote workers have been warned to take extra care when using video conferencing software after a new phishing scam was uncovered.

Researchers from security firm Cofense have revealed hackers are using emails pretending to be from Skype, the popular Microsoft-owned video calling tool, in order to trick home workers into handing over their login details.

Criminals could then use these logins to access corporate networks to spread malware or steal valuable information.

Skype security

The report, released by the Cofense Phishing Defense Center (PDC) saw attackers creating an email that looks eerily similar to a legitimate pending notification coming from Skype. If an unsuspecting recipient goes to “review” the notification, they are redirected via an app.link to a phishing page designed to harvest your password.

The use of .app top-level domains (TLD) adds an extra layer of deception to the attack, as this TLD is backed by Google to help app developers securely share their apps. 

An .app domain also requires the use of HTTPS to connect, adding security on both the user’s and developer’s end - in this case, making the victim consider they are clicking on a legitimate link.

Cofense says that such fake emails can be detected through checking the "sent from" field, as although the sender address may appear legitimate at first glance, the real sender can be found there, exposing them as a fraud. 

TechRadar Pro has contacted Skype for comment.

Video calling apps such as Skype have seen a huge rise in users over the past few weeks as employees around the world transition to working from home.

However this growth has also revealed a number of security worries, with Zoom in particular having several issues highlighted. Even though the platform has seen its users base surge to 200 million, it has been heavily criticised for failing to stop Zoombombing incidents and for sending data to Facebook and China.

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‘83 on a streaming platform: Will the producers call it right?

Posted: 27 Apr 2020 05:26 AM PDT

Cash counters across India have been silenced in recent times with businesses, schools, colleges, offices, malls, movie halls, and amusement parks all shuttered down due to the reason known to everyone unless they’re literally living under a rock since the last couple of months.

As an after-effect of the lockdown, the internet has been the buzzword. From schools to meetings to businesses and even entertainment, everything is online. And thanks to the various streaming platforms, the data consumption in the country has increased multi-fold. 

However, as the possibility of movies releasing in halls next to your place is virtually impossible, producers who have invested millions in making movies like Kabir Khan's  ’83, Akshay Kumar's Laxmmi Bomb and countless others are staring at huge losses, given that there is still uncertainty over when the lockdown will ease. 

Had there been no lockdown, these movies would have either released or be close to it.  To cover the inevitable loss, producers of these mega movies are looking to skip the cinema halls, instead releasing them via a smartphone lying next to you.

Reports suggest that ’83 which is based on the Indian cricket Team’s 1983 world cup victory and has Ranveer Singh playing the victorious captain Kapil Dev, has been offered a whopping 143 crores by a ‘streaming platform’ for a digital release. The movie was set to be released on April 10 but got delayed thanks to the coronavirus outbreak. 

For the Cricket crazy nation that is already starved of watching the IPL, given that this year's edition has been indefinitely postponed, it could have been something to rejoice over. However, Bollywood Hungama reports that the makers of ’83 have denied the offer saying, “83 has been made for the big-screen experience. Right now, theres no intention or interest of the directors or us as the producers of taking these films to the small screen.”

While the producers of the highly anticipated movie ’83 are confident that the situation will be back to normal in next 6 months and are ok to wait, Akshay Kumar is reportedly keen on releasing his thriller-comedy Laxmmi Bomb digitally on Disney+ Hotstar to recover some costs. 

Shared by Akshay Kumar on Twitter

The movie has not only missed its release date but is still deep in post-production due to the lockdown. Incidentally, Laxmmi Bomb has been produced by Fox Star Studios that is owned by Disney, hence the chances of it releasing on Disney+ Hotstar is higher than ’83 making the cut to the streaming platform.

Though we, like many others, would have loved to relive the Cricket World Cup 1983 being essayed by Ranveer Singh and others and enjoy every bit of cricket during this stress full times, in the end, it’s the producers who’re going to take a call at the toss. We hope they call it right so that we can watch Ranveer create the magic on screen and let us live (or relive as the case may be) those historic moments when Kapil and his team made the entire country proud.

And with the country’s soul shaken and stirred by the pandemic, the mix of Cricket, Bollywood and Internet, could well be one hell of a cocktail. Isn’t it?

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Over 1200 Kirana stores join hands with JioMart, Facebook pilot program

Posted: 27 Apr 2020 05:13 AM PDT

Last week US tech giant Facebook entered into a $ 5.7 billion business deal with Reliance Industries and picked up 9.99% stake in it's Jio Platforms. Now JioMart, its e-commerce website, has started its test runs in collaboration with WhatsApp to facilitate grocery shopping.

JioMart is presently available in select areas of Maharashtra namely Navi Mumbai, Thane and Kalyan and is expected to be rolled out all over India in the near future. The company has launched a specific WhatsApp number through which its registered customers can order the items available on its website.

Steps to order on JioMart website:

* JioMart's WhatsApp business contact number is +91 88500 08000.

* Customers have to save this number on their phones.

* Then launch WhatsApp, select the contact and send a 'Hi' message.

* JioMart will respond with a welcome message and a link to order items.

* Opening the link will take customers to the items listed on JioMart.

* Before ordering items, customers have to provide some details such as their name, address, etc.

* The link if unused will expire in 30 minutes. A new link can be generated by sending another 'Hi" message.

Currently, only basic grocery items are available. Orders placed every day by 5 pm are most likely available to be picked up from the nearest JioMart Kirana partner store in the next 48 hours. Customers who have placed orders will receive a message on WhatsApp when the partner stores are ready with the orders. There is no facility for home delivery and online payment as of now. So, customers will have to go to the stores, make payment and pick up their orders.

Two days required to avail groceries

Leveraging WhatsApp for e-commerce sales and not having to install one more e-commerce app definitely makes the process resourceful for the mobile phones. But 48 hours as the likely time period for the orders to get ready is stretching the process too far. 

If a customer is in need of something today, it has to be ordered 2-3 days in advance. This can work to an extent during the lockdown period as everyone is at home but can easily become exhaustive and irrelevant as normal life resumes.

No online payment nor delivery option 

An online business model without an online payment mode already in place makes little sense. Most e-commerce platforms have online payment enabled and integrating a payment gateway has simplified so much. Why a venture like JioMart doesn't have one is incomprehensible.

Most importantly, customers having to go to the nearest Kirana partner store to pick up the orders during the lockdown is absurd. This at a time when food delivery partner Swiggy has tied up with grocery stores and are delivering orders to customers at their homes.

It could be that once Whatsapp Pay receives its requisite approval from New Delhi, online payments will be readily possible. 

Via: TechCrunch

This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now

The best free iPhone games of 2020

Posted: 27 Apr 2020 05:12 AM PDT

Free iPhone games have a reputation for being rubbish and full of IAP. But loads of superb free titles await your twitchy gaming thumbs – if you know where to look.

To save you the effort of finding them, we’ve compiled the best here, split into handy categories. So if you fancy an arcade blast, a brain-bending puzzle, or a thrilling racer – for free – read on.

Plus, check back every two weeks for our latest favorite free iPhone game, which you'll find below.

Free iPhone game of the week: Cyber Drive


Cyber Drive ostensibly recreates that scene from The Fifth Element, where Bruce Willis dives his cab down through layers of traffic in a gigantic neon-tinged futuristic city, weaving through obstacles, until he hits city bottom.

We say ‘ostensibly’ primarily on the basis that Cyber Drive is an oddly chilled-out take on this idea. The music has a relaxed vibe, the visuals are bright, and the action is more relentlessly ‘quite tricky’ rather than terrifyingly exhilarating.

But for all that, this is nonetheless a really fun game. In endless mode, what’s in your way gradually becomes more crowded, forcing you to start planning your snaking pathway rather than just reacting. If you don’t have that much time to kill, there are finite handcrafted levels to tackle as well.

Our favorite free iPhone arcade games, including brawlers and fighting games, auto-runners, party games, pinball, and retro classics.

Zombie Football

Zombie Football is a deranged mash-up of exciting touchdown runs, The Walking Dead, and classic coin-op Gauntlet. In each level, the traditional green football field is peppered with obstacles, and hordes of lurching, ravenous undead. Clearly, the ratings needed a nudge.

Your aim in this free iPad game is to not get horribly killed. You must figure out how to coax zombies this way and that (thereby clearing a path for your touchdown), avoid speed-sapping mud, and grab energy-boosting food that’s lying around. (Don’t think too much about the hygiene ramifications.)

It’s an entertainingly daft blast, not least when you realize your burly footballer can’t even stomp through cones, and so must gingerly thread his way through the gnashing, toothy opposition. Also, there are no ads, timers, or other cruft – free really does mean free here.

Yokai Dungeon

Yokai Dungeon is a fast-paced arcade title that involves running about and squashing demons. It’s set in a series of linked arenas, which are peppered with movable objects you can use to unsportingly squash your adversaries against a wall.

The Japanese-themed game looks superb, whether you’re moseying to the between-stages shop or taking on one of the large bosses in an end of stage battle. Most importantly, it plays really well, with fluid and intuitive controls.

With its grid-like structure and non-stop action, old hands might detect a hint of Bomberman; veterans will find Pengo coming to mind. But despite such retro inspiration, and the old-school pixel art, Yokai Dungeon feels every bit the modern iPhone title, with a sleek design, bite-sized battles, and approachable gameplay that’s suited to newcomers and seasoned gamers alike.

Knight Brawl

Knight Brawl takes the amusingly bouncy physics and frenetic skirmishes from Colin Lane’s mobile sports gems – Dunkers 2; Touchdowners; Rowdy Wrestling – and applies them to knights who fancy getting a bit stabby.

Your knights leap about the place in a somewhat controllable manner. With deft button taps – and a little luck – you can quickly relieve opponents of helmets and shields, prior to delivering the killing blow.

Only that’s barely scratching the surface, because Knight Brawl is absurdly generous with what you get. There are multiple battle modes and also quest-like missions, where you get to leap into a castle and duff everyone up. It’s bonkers, entertaining, superb stuff, and seriously raises the bar on Lane’s work – which was already impressive to start with.

Project Loading

Project Loading is a speedrun arcade test about the adventures of a loading bar on its way to reach 100%. Yes, you read that right: the star here is the bane of many computer users’ existence – a loading bar.

In Project Loading’s universe, though, loading bars don’t slowly inch from left to right – they must cope with slow-down and speed-up mats, deadly giant crosses and bouncers. To aid their way, there are restart points, and gold stars to collect, but everything happens against the clock. There’s no dawdling for loading bars here.

It’s an interesting conceit, lifted by clever level design, arty visuals, and responsive tilt controls. However, given how tricky later stages are, you’ll likely never gripe about a standard loading bar again.

Boost Buddies

Boost Buddies is a twitch-based arcade effort, where you’re a cat in a box, trying to reach a crown. Fortunately for the cat, the box is rocket-powered, boosted every time you tap. Less fortunately, between the cat and the crown are… things.

Sometimes you’re pitted against massive laser beams or swinging axes. Occasionally you’re blown about by fans, or chased by critters. Quite what’s going on, we’ve no idea, but it’s a lot of fun figuring out how to beat each test, and stringing together high scores.

Do well enough and you can add to your menagerie of boosting beasts, each of which get their own music and background visuals. And while the game’s basic nature means sessions don’t last an age, it’s always good for giving you a quick boost yourself.

Williams Pinball

Williams Pinball recreates – and augments – a range of classic Williams tables on your iPhone. It then bakes them into a freemium business model that’s, perhaps surprisingly, actually pretty good.

Select a starter table, and that one’s unlocked from the get-go. You’ll be playing this one a lot, so choose wisely. (The superb Attack From Mars is a good bet.) You then partake in daily challenges to boost your XP, win parts, and unlock other tables.

Eventually, tables are unlocked for offline play, and optionally have animated components, like Zen Pinball’s more fantastical tables. Getting there is a grind, but you’re playing superbly simulated pinball, so that’s no great hardship. And even though pinball is admittedly a bit fiddly on the iPhone, any progress made is instantly zipped across all your devices via iCloud.

Unicycle Giraffe

Unicycle Giraffe is a balancing game that features a unicycle and a giraffe. Unfortunately for the giraffe, it attempts to ride said unicycle – not a comfortable state of being for the typical ungulate. It’s all very comical, though, as your giraffe wobbles left and right, before seconds later inevitably crashing to the floor in a tangle of legs and neck.

Despite being a one-note game, Unicycle Giraffe rewards mastery with the sheer thrill of staying seated for a few precious extra seconds. Rescuing yourself from very nearly overbalancing is fun, and extra risk comes by way of coins and bombs to tap elsewhere on the screen.

There’s little longevity, of course (short of ‘upgrading’ the animal with new hats and skins), but this one’s endearing, and always good for a quick blast.

Don’t Trip

Don’t Trip has you direct stompy feet through increasingly surreal terrain. You start off in a kitchen that could do with a tidy-up. Last long enough and you find yourself avoiding crazed vacuum cleaners decked out with knives and axes. Eventually, you end up fleeing from lava, splashing in swimming pools and walking in space.

This all comes off as quite trippy, and that’s only exacerbated by the viewpoint and controls. Everything is zoomed in to the point you can barely see where to head, and the controls have you press the screen to plant a foot, and rotate your phone to find space for the next step. Don’t Trip! really is a game very much designed with mobile in mind – and it’s all the better for it.

Train Party

Train Party is an arcade-oriented puzzle game designed for multiple people to play together. Between two and 12 people on the same Wi-Fi network do their best to keep the train on time, largely by laying down tracks in front of it. In order to avoid disastrous derailment, you must also figure out how to deal with roaming wildlife and a renegade track bomber.

There are two ways to play: collaboratively and competitively. In the former case, the train always heads to the player with the most complete track, so you can keep going for as long as possible. In competition mode, though, the train goes around devices in order, and the winner is the last person not to turn the 9:45 to Washington Union Station into a crumpled heap of twisted metal.

Beat Street

Beat Street is a touchscreen brawler that wears its influences on its sleeve. The pixelated art recalls classic beat ’em ups, and the stop-start gameplay - with occasional unsporting use of baseball bats to bash enemies around the head - smacks of Double Dragon and Streets of Rage.

Yet this isn’t slavish retro fare. The game feels familiar, but its set-up is entertainingly oddball (liberating a city being terrorized by sentient, bipedal, suited rodents), and everything is controlled by a single thumb.

The controls could have spelled the end for Beat Street, but - amazingly - they work brilliantly, enabling deft footwork, punches, kicks, special moves, and the means to smash an evil rat’s face in with a brick. Apart from unnecessary grind-to-unlock levels, Beat Street’s the perfect freebie iPhone brawler.

PinOut!

If you’re a fan of knocking metal balls about, you’re likely frustrated with iPhone pinball. Even an iPhone Plus’s display is a bit too small, resulting in a fiddly experience replete with eye strain. Enter PinOut!, which rethinks pinball in a manner that works perfectly on the smaller screen.

In PinOut’s neon-infused world, you play against the clock, hitting ramps to send your ball further along what’s apparently the world’s longest pinball table. Rather than losing a ball should it end up behind the flippers, you merely waste vital seconds getting back to where you were. When the clock runs out: game over.

The result is exciting and fresh, and the relatively simple mini-tables are ideal for iPhone. Moreover, the game’s immediacy makes it suitable for all gamers, overcoming pinball’s somewhat inaccessible nature.

Our favorite free endless iPhone games where you sprint, jump, drive, hoverboard, dig or pinball to victory – or your doom.

Star Jolt

Star Jolt puts you in a spaceship, bathes the screen with faked old-school CRT visuals, and then laughs mercilessly as you crash. Repeatedly. This is an endless game of the Flappy Bird variety – but that also means it has the kind of compulsion loop that doesn’t let go.

Ostensibly, you’re collecting space garbage, but this is for some reason lined up neatly in square packages dotted along winding corridors. Also, you belt along at insane speeds, sliding your finger left and right to rotate the landscape, constantly trying to point yourself at empty space rather than a wall.

Death comes often, but because games are so short, you’ll instantly want to try again – not least because of Star Jolt’s humor, entertaining hidden features, and eye-popping visuals.

Saily Seas

Saily Seas has echoes of Alto’s Adventure and Tiny Wings, as you seek to survive as long as possible in a beautifully rendered hilly environment. But instead of snow-capped mountains and valleys at sunset, you’re pitting your gaming digit against the high seas.

Your little boat climbs often humongous waves as you tap the screen. Other gestures enable you to dive or jump and briefly hang in the air before an inevitably wet landing. At first, such show-off antics are entirely unnecessary, but the game soon lobs all kinds of sea life at you to avoid – and a single collision is game-ending.

With vibrant visuals, gorgeous weather effects, a meditative soundtrack, smartly included checkpoints, and a massive whale always in hot pursuit, Saily Seas deserves to make a splash on the App Store.

Dungeon Drop

Dungeon Drop is an endless faller. It finds you plunging ever deeper into a layered dungeon with an encroaching spiked ceiling in hot pursuit. 

Your tiny protagonist can’t move of its own accord. In order to escape, you drag platforms left or right, lining up holes to plunge into. However, traps pepper the dungeon, meaning you must ensure you grab objects to get past them unscathed.

It’s not like you need much brainpower to realize you need a sword to stab a monster, or a key to unlock a door. But Dungeon Drop moves at serious speed, transforming it into a relentlessly tense affair as you try to beat your high score – and end up horribly killed yet again when your fingers can’t quite keep up.

Image credit: TechRadar

Race the Sun Challenge Edition

Race the Sun Challenge Edition is an endless flyer. You zoom along in your craft, zigzagging between minimalist structures, and trying very hard to not fly into a wall. But collisions aren’t your only enemy – and that’s because your craft is solar powered.

Apparently, no-one in Race the Sun’s universe has mastered battery storage, because the second the sun sets, your race is over. Fortunately, you can delay the inevitable by grabbing boosts that reverse the direction of the sun for a few moments. Staying in the light also helps you eke out a few extra yards.

With an eminently fair energy system, gorgeous visuals, and a daily challenge, this is a must-download, whether or not you’re familiar with the not so free original.

Pigeon Wings Strike

Pigeon Wings Strike is an endless flyer, which marries the speed of ALONE, the bullet hell of many a Japanese shooter, and the cute factor of an animated cartoon.

It initially features a pigeon in a biplane, which you must direct through twisting corridors and caverns, and periodically have shoot down drones and massive enemy airborne battle stations.

The controls are pitch perfect, with one button for speed, another for boost or blasting, and vertical tilt controls for subtle or abrupt changes in altitude. 

It’s simple stuff, but hugely compelling. And although there’s not a ton of depth, Pigeon Wings Strike has multiple characters (each with unique skills) to unlock, and a cleverly designed upgrade system that encourages you to take extra risks when belting along at speeds no pigeon should be subjected to.

PAKO Forever

PAKO Forever seemingly takes place in a world where law-enforcement really doesn’t want you mucking about in what appears to be the world’s largest parking lot. The second you move, police cars are on you like a shot, and if one smashes into you, that’s your lot.

Pretty quickly, you figure out that you need to drift and snake about to survive – and then you start seeing gigantic gift boxes bouncing along. Snag one of those and your car temporarily balloons to giant size, or acquires a handy ball and chain to smash the cops.

Visually, the game’s quite crude, and the staccato nature of missions can pall, but for a quick blast of breezy endless driving larks, it’s a decent install.

Will Hero

Will Hero is a superb one-thumb arcade game that features a blocky hero dashing through a world of levitating islands, being all heroic and duffing up enemies. His foes are mostly bouncing cubes, and you must carefully time dashes to pass beneath them, or engineer collisions to knock them into the abyss.

Crack open a chest you find on your travels, and you’ll get weapons that transform dashes into violent attacks. Add in the game’s collectible helms (from unlocking loot crate chests), and you’ll end up with many potential weapons to choose from, including missiles and colossal swords.

Will Hero is fast-paced, inventive, and a lot of fun. It has a unique feel, and pleasingly bucks convention when you rescue a princess. When you do so, she tags along on subsequent adventures, gleefully hacking away at the enemies who once imprisoned her.

Power Hover: Cruise

Power Hover: Cruise is three endless runners (well, surfers) for the price of one. It borrows the boss battle levels from the superb, beautiful Power Hover, and expands on them. You get to speed through a booby-trapped pyramid, avoid projectiles blasted your way by an angry machine you’re chasing through a tunnel, and whirl around a track that snakes through the clouds.

This is a gorgeous game, with silky animation and minimal, but vibrant objects and scenery. The audio is excellent, too – the rousing electronic soundtrack urging you on.

There are a couple of snags: games can abruptly end due to difficulty spikes, and the controls initially seem floaty. But we grew to love the inertia, which differentiates Power Hover: Cruise and makes it feel like you’re surfing on air. As for the difficulty, spend time learning the hazards and mastering the game, and you’ll soon be climbing the high score tables.

Dashy Crashy

Although, at its core, this is a fairly standard lane-based survival game (swipe to avoid traffic; don’t crash), Dashy Crashy has loads going on underneath the surface. It’s packed full of neat features, such as pile-ups, a gorgeous day/night cycle, and random events that involve maniacs hurtling along a lane, smashing everything out of their way.

It also cleverly adds value to mobile gaming’s tendency to have you collect things. In Dashy Crashy, you’re periodically awarded vehicles, but these often shake up how you play the game. For example, the cop car can collect massive donuts for bonus points, and an army jeep can call in tanks – just like you wish you could when stuck in slow-moving traffic.

Disney Crossy Road

Disney Crossy Road builds on the endless Frogger-style hopping shenanigans found in Crossy Road, mostly by mashing it into a ton of famous Disney properties.

It kicks off with a fairly humdrum take on the original, just with Mickey Mouse instead of a chicken, trying very hard to move ever onwards and not get run over by cars or drown in a river. But you soon start winning coins, enabling you to unlock new characters.

When you get to visit blocky endless takes on Toy Story, Lion King, Wreck-It Ralph, Monsters Inc, and more, sound and vision alike get a major overhaul. Even better: many of these worlds offer subtle changes to the way the game plays, making it more varied, and boosting long-term appeal.

Our favorite free iPhone gem-swap, tile-match, and rhythm action games.

Tetris

Tetris deserves its fame. Decades after the title’s emergence on PC – and subsequent mainstream breakthrough on the original Game Boy – it remains compelling. And it’s all so simple: rotate falling blocks to make complete lines, which then disappear, leaving you with more space. Over time, the game speeds up, until eventually the well is full.

With Tetris having been designed for platforms with keys or buttons, it can be a tricky proposition on touchscreens. But N3TWORK’s take is responsive, giving you a fighting chance at high scores. It’s also the most ‘retro’ iPhone Tetris we’ve seen in a long time, eschewing bells and whistles for a straightforward take on the game, with only a single optional IAP to remove the ads.

No marks for ambition, then, but this free iPhone game is a refreshingly streamlined take on a retro classic.

Sprint RPG

Sprint RPG, with its black-and-white stylings and basic first-person maze, instantly transports you back to the halcyon days of retro gaming. Quite some way back, in fact, since it’s reminiscent of the ancient (yet terrifying) 3D Monster Maze. 

Here, though, the aptly named Sprint RPG ramps up gameplay speed. Everything plays out against the clock, and you’ve mere fractions of a second to make decisions. When confronted by a monster, you need to tap the optimum sequence of actions to proceed. Get the order wrong and you’re dead.

Despite its RPG and speedrun trappings, then, Sprint RPG is effectively a match game – and one that feels very much suited to quick missions on an iPhone, obliterating gigantic spiders and skeletons until your overworked thumb begs for mercy.

Six Match

Six Match is a match-three game with a twist. Rather than arbitrarily swapping gems, you control a character with the oddly literal moniker Mr Swap-With-Coins, and as the game’s name suggests, he has just six moves after every successful match to make another.

The game wrong-foots you from the start. Any muscle memory you have from the likes of Bejeweled evaporates as you figure out the most efficient way to make the next match. The result is a game heavy on puzzling and light on speed.

Just when you think you’ve got it worked out, Six Match throws new mechanics into the mix: diamonds you clear by dropping them out of the well, deadly skulls and cages that push entire lines of coins. The layered strategy should keep you matching for the long term, as you figure out new ways to crack your high score.

Tappy Cat

Tappy Cat is a rhythm action game, with you playing as a musical moggie. Your cat sits before a ‘tree guitar’, and notes head out from the middle of the screen along two rails. These must be tapped, held, or tapped along with another note, depending on their color.

This is routine for a rhythm action game, but it’s the execution that makes Tappy Cat delightful. It feels perfectly tuned for iPhone (your thumbs can always reach the notes), and there’s a cat-collection meta-game, rewarding you with new kitties when you totally nail a tune.

The only bum notes are a lives system (a video ad will give you five lives – although there is also a $2.99/£2.99/AU$4.49 endless lives IAP for those who want it), and the way in which a single major blunder ends your latest attempt at musical superstardom of the furry kind.

Finger Smash

Finger Smash is more or less whack-a-mole with fruit - and a big ol’ dose of sudden death. You get a minute to dish out tappy destruction, divided up into seconds-long rounds.

In each case, you’re briefly told what to smash, and set about tapping like a maniac. Hit the wrong object, and your game ends with a flaming skull taunting you. (Lasting the full minute is surprisingly tough.)

This is a simple high-score chaser, and so there’s understandably not a lot of depth here. However, there are plenty of nice touches. The visuals have an old-school charm, and the music is suitably energetic.

But also, there’s the way you can swipe through multiple items, the bomb that ominously appears during the final ten seconds, and varied alternate graphics sets if you feel the need to squish space invaders, fast food, or adorable cartoon robots. Great stuff.

Higher Higher!

Minimal arcade game Higher Higher! is another of those titles that on paper seems ridiculously simple, but in reality could result in your thumb and brain having a nasty falling out.

A little square scoots back and forth across the screen, changing color whenever it hits the edge and reverses direction. Your aim is to tap a matching colored column when the square passes over it.

The snag is that the square then changes color again; furthermore, the columns all change color when the square hits a screen edge.

To add to your troubles, Higher Higher! regularly speeds up, too, thereby transforming into a high-octane dexterity and reactions test. Combos are the key to the highest scores and, as ever, one mistake spells game over.

Blokout

Blokout is a furious, high-speed color-matching game that punishes you for the slightest hesitation. The initial mode plonks you in front of a three-by-three grid, and you have to swap colored squares, Bejewelled-style, to make complete lines, which then vanish.

The timer is the key to the game. A clock sits in the upper-left of the screen and rapidly counts down, giving you only a few moments to complete a line. If the timer runs dry it's game over; make a line and it resets, giving you another few seconds.

The intensity is therefore always set to maximum, nicely contrasting with the game's friendly, bold colors (which amusingly turn stark black and white the instant you lose); and if you stick around, you'll find further challenges by way of boosters and tougher modes.

Threes! Freeplay

Threes! Freeplay is a sliding puzzler with the same kind of compulsion loop found in the likes of Tetris. That might sound like a bold claim, but Threes! really is one of those rare games that’s easy to understand but that has enough depth and strategy to potentially keep you playing for years as you master your tactics.

It takes place on a grid, on which you slide cards. Those that match merge to create ever higher numbers, and new items appear on the side of the grid they moved from. Also, all the cards move as one. It’s clever stuff, which becomes apparent the more you play; as does the care and polish within, from the pleasant background ditty to the character and charm infused even into the very cards you move.

Triple Town

Triple Town is a think-ahead match game, where you combine trios of things to make other things. Three bushes make a tree, and three trees become a hut. Through careful positioning and a chess-champion’s ability to think ahead, you can chain moves together, thereby freeing up the space required to continue evolving your tiny town.

Then there are the bears. For some reason, the place is full of them. Some roam about the place in a semi-random fashion. Others are leapy ninjas. All of them need to be taken into consideration when laying down new objects. If you fancy a surreal, novel, challenging match game, then, this is definitely a game to bear in mind.

Groove Coaster 2

Groove Coaster 2 is a rhythm action game twinned with a roller-coaster. Everything’s on-rails, with you zooming along Rez-like vector pathways, all manner of colorful blocky pyrotechnics spinning and exploding beneath the track. All you need to do is get your timing right, tapping, swiping and rubbing when the icons tell you to.

Only it’s not that simple. The track flips and lurches, and the stages are designed to give your thumb a serious choreographic workout. As ever, perseverance reaps rewards, by way of massive score-enhancing chains, and, frankly, just the smugness that comes from knowing your prodding perfection means you’ve got rhythm.

Our favorite free iPhone platform games, from classic side-on 2D games to ambitious console-style adventures.

Tombshaft

Tombshaft is a game stuffed full of high-octane platforming action. But rather than mirroring Mario’s horizontally scrolling larks, you’re heading deep into the bowels of the planet.

You get just two buttons, which direct your tiny tomb raider left and right. Depending on their particular power, they might be able to slide down walls to slow their descent, or hover for a bit.

This is vital, because Tombshaft auto-scrolls. End up at the very top or bottom of the screen and you lose a life. But all the bits in between are no picnic either, with enemies aplenty, spikes falling from distant ceilings, and the occasional very angry boss monster who wants you gone from his tomb – and in pieces will do!

OCO

OCO is a platform game of a decidedly minimalist stripe. Its levels all take place on circular courses that fit within a single screen. As they rotate, you prod the screen to jump – and that’s it.

This could all have been reductive and awful, but OCO excels due to gorgeous visuals reminiscent of modern art coupled with superb level design. You really have to think about how to grab all of the collectibles and reach your goal. And once you get there, you’ll discover move-limit and speedrun challenges that force you to upend your existing tactics and figure out new paths to your goal.

As if that’s not enough, OCO makes a case for a permanent spot on your iPhone with a daily challenge, and a built-in level editor that lets you share creations with friends.

Yeah Bunny 2

Yeah Bunny 2 features a little rabbit sprinting around colorful landscapes, squashing enemies, collecting coins, freeing trapped chicks, and generally being awesome before reaching a goal. Pretty standard platforming territory, then – Mario with bunny ears.

Only this game’s different, because all your direction for the running rabbit comes from a single digit. Tap and the bunny leaps. Hold the screen and the leap is higher. You must therefore figure out how to traverse levels by bouncing the auto-running rabbit off of walls, and ensure during boss-battle pursuits you don’t get inadvertently rebounded towards your doom.

You get vibrant visuals, loads of varied levels, and an endearingly cute lead character. It’s a fab little platformer, ideally suited to one-thumb mobile play and quick bouts of gaming on the go.

Super Cat Tales 2

Super Cat Tales 2 is a platform game that works brilliantly on your iPhone. That in itself is rare, but also this isn’t a stripped-back one-thumb leapy game. Instead, it’s a full-fledged 2D platforming experience reworked for the touchscreen.

The game features a group of cats, determined to save their world from a robot invasion. They sprint, jump, grab coins, and occasionally hop into tanks to eradicate the metal aggressors.

It’s a visual treat – all vibrant colors and chunky pixels. The controls are fab too – a two-thumb system that’s ideal for touchscreens, flexible enough to allow for a range of actions, and that transforms challenges into feats of choreography. In short, this is one of the very best platform games on mobile, and it would be an insult to the creator to not give it a try.

Soosiz

Soosiz is a side-on classic platformer – of a sort. Most such games echo Super Mario Bros, having you sprint from left to right, jumping on enemy heads, grabbing bling, and hot-footing it to an exit. Soosiz takes that basic framework, but has you explore tiny chunks of land floating in space, each of which has its own gravitational pull.

As you run, the screen flips and lurches; your brain flips, too, as you try to figure out which way is up, locate a bunch of tiny critters who’ve got themselves lost, and not accidentally careen into the void due to a misdirected jump.

But once everything clicks, what amounts to a 2D take on Super Mario Galaxy proves to be a smart, engaging mobile platformer, putting a new spin on the genre.

It’s Full of Sparks

It’s Full of Sparks finds you in a world where firecrackers are cruelly imbued with sentience. Aware of their imminent demise, they make a beeline for water to extinguish their spark and therefore not explode. Your aim is to help them make a splash.

Each of the 80 hand-crafted levels takes a mere handful of seconds to complete – at least when you master the precise choreography required. Before then, there’s plenty of trial and error as you tap colored buttons to turn hazards and chunks of the landscape on and off, and grab rotors that let you soar heavenward.

Despite occasionally slippy controls, this one’s a joy – full of personality and smart level design. It’s likely to put a smile on your face even when your firework goes out with a bang.

Cally’s Caves 4

Cally’s Caves 4 continues the adventures of worryingly heavily armed pigtailed protagonist Cally, a young girl who spends most of her life leaping about vast worlds of suspended platforms, shooting all manner of bad guys.

For once, her parents haven’t been kidnapped (the plot behind all three previous games in the series) – this time she’s searching for a medallion to cure a curse. But the gameplay remains an engaging mix of console-like running and shooting, with tons of weapons to find (and level-up by blasting things).

But perhaps the best sections feature Bera, Cally’s ‘ninja bear cub’ pal. His razor-sharp claws make short work of enemies, resulting in a nice change of pace as the furry sidekick tears up the place.

Super Phantom Cat 2

Super Phantom Cat 2 is an eye-searingly colorful side-scrolling platform game. Like its predecessor, this game wants you to delve into every nook and cranny, looking for hidden gold, unearthing secrets, and finding out what makes its vibrant miniature worlds tick.

It’s also a game that never seems content to settle – and we mean that in a good way. It revels in unleashing new superpowers, such as a flower you fire at walls to make climbing vines, or at bricks to increase their fragility. It also wants you to experiment, figuring out how critters who are ostensibly your enemies can be coerced into doing your bidding.

The only downside is the presence of freemium elements (ads and an ‘energy’ system) - although both can be removed with inexpensive IAP if you agree this is one cool cat to hang out with.

Drop Wizard Tower

Drop Wizard Tower is a superb mobile take on classic single-screen arcade platform games like Bubble Bobble. Your little wizard has been thrown in jail by the evil Shadow Order, and must ascend a tower over 50 levels to give his enemies a good ‘wanding’ (or something.)

It’s all very cute, with dinky pixelated enemies, varied level design (skiddy ice; disappearing platforms; watery bits in which you move slowly), and fast-paced boss battles against gargantuan foes.

Most importantly, it’s very much designed for mobile. You auto-run left or right, and blast magic when landing on a platform. Said blasts temporarily stun roaming enemies, which can be booted away, becoming a whirling ‘avalanche’ on colliding with cohorts.

The auto-running bit disarms at first – in most similar games, the protagonist stays put unless you keep a direction button held. But once the mechanics click, Drop Wizard Tower cements itself as a little slice of magic on your iPhone.

Swordigo

Swordigo is a love letter to the classic side-scrolling platform adventures that blessed 16-bit consoles. You leap about platforms, slice up enemies with your trusty sword, and figure out how to solve simple puzzles, which open up new areas of the game and move the plot onwards.

The plot is, admittedly, nothing special – you’re embarking on the kind of perilous quest to keep evil at bay that typically afflicts videogame heroes. But everything else about Swordigo shines.

The virtual controls are surprisingly solid, the environments are pleasingly varied, and the pace ranges from pleasant quiet moments of solitude to intense boss battles you’ll struggle to survive. All in all, then, a fitting tribute to those much-loved titles of old.

Mikey Jumps

The Mikey series has evolved with every entry. Initially a speedrun-oriented stripped-back Mario, it then gained swinging by way of grappling hooks, before ditching traditional controls entirely, strapping jet boots to Mikey in a kind of Flappy Bird with class.

With Mikey Jumps, the series has its biggest shift yet. Scrolling levels are dispensed with, in favor of quick-fire single-screen efforts. Now, Mikey auto-runs, and you tap the screen to time jumps so he doesn’t end up impaled on a spike or plummet to his death.

It sounds reductive, but the result is superb. Devoid of cruft and intensely focused, Mikey Jumps is perfect for mobile play, makes nods to previous entries in the series (with hooks and boots peppered about) and has excellent level design that sits just on the right side of infuriatingly tough.

Our favorite free iPhone logic tests, path-finding challenges, bridge builders, and turn-based puzzlers.

Tile Snap

Tile Snap is based around matching clicky tiles. As in classic gem-swappers, you flip two, and if that move matches three or more tiles, they all disappear. Here, however, nothing appears to fill gaps you make, and so to clear each board, you must be strategic. (Sounds familiar? That’s because this is essentially a free version of the excellent Dissembler.)

Initially, Tile Snap won’t give you much trouble, but it eventually ramps up the difficulty level to become a proper head-scratcher. However, for a free iPhone game, it’s very generous, enabling you to undo moves and experiment. (The only IAP is for ‘hints’.)

Visually, it’s very smart, too – like an ultra-modern take on 1970s wallpaper patterns (which is a lot nicer than it sounds). Couple that with clever puzzles and its tactile feel, and you’ve got one of the best freebies on iPhone. 

Total Party Kill

Total Party Kill finds a mage, a knight, and a ranger lost in a maze of dungeons. And the architect of these dungeons clearly wasn’t planning on anyone escaping. The floors and walls are littered with spikes and traps, and each single-screen room’s exit is far out of reach.

How you get out turns out to be novel – you kill off your allies, and use their corpses in a darkly comic yet enterprising manner. The knight’s sword can hurl a lifeless friend at switches; the mage can freeze allies into blocks of ice; and the ranger’s arrows can pin bodies to walls, which can then be used as impromptu platforms.

The concept is fresh and brilliantly realized – the game taking a turn towards being properly brain-smashing as you work towards its conclusion.

XOB

XOB describes itself as a kinetic puzzle game with a psychedelic poetic aesthetic. It’s certainly nailed the psychedelic part – its visuals are an arresting mix of low-fi TV fuzz, color-cycling, and chunky shapes.

Fortunately, the game’s not merely visually arresting – the puzzling bit has a lot going for it, too. The aim is to grab a bunch of collectables before reaching a goal. To do so, you drag to tilt the entire landscape. Land on a ceiling, and everything flips. Pathfinding therefore requires precision and thought.

The game exudes confidence from every pore. Also, it has one of the most user-friendly ad models in existence. You’ll never see more than 24, and you can watch them all in one go, if you like, for a subsequently permanently ad-free experience. Nice.

Invaders 2048

Invaders 2048 is, as its name might suggest, a mash-up of arcade classic Space Invaders, and tile-sliding mobile phenomenon 2048. Usually, we wouldn’t be recommending a 2048 game, given that it’s a massive rip-off of the far superior Threes!, but Invaders 2048 does plenty to differentiate itself.

As ever, you merge tiles by sliding matching pairs together, doubling their face values. Above, alien craft lurk menacingly. At any point, you can unleash your numbers as missiles, depleting your foes’ energy reserves. 

Invaders 2048 is rounds-based, and so the challenges and pace are shaken up as you play. And because levels are short, it’s a super little title to dip into for a few minutes, rather than requiring hours of your life, as Threes! quite often does.

Friday the 13th: Killer Puzzle

Friday the 13th: Killer Puzzle is more or less classic sliding puzzler Sokoban infused with South Park-style humor, and dressed in the garb of a famous horror series.

As horror icon Jason Voorhees, you slide around each tiny scene to capture campers, cops, inmates, and more besides. On grabbing them, you’re greeted to a splattering of cartoon gore, while the levitating decapitated undead head of your mother offers sagely advice.

This could so easily have been a gimmicky release, but Friday the 13th: Killer Puzzle gets everything right. The puzzles are smartly designed, forcing you to find labyrinthine paths to targets; there’s a sense of progression as you unlock new worlds; and the dark sense of humor at the heart of the game gives it a real sense of character.

A Way to Slay

A Way to Slay is a game of epic sword fights reimagined as time-attack turn-based puzzling. You begin each round surrounded by enemies eager to separate your head from your shoulders. A quick double-tap on any of them and you strike with a killing blow – but then your opponents get their chance to move, and if you’re too near one of them, your innards end up sprayed across the sparse landscape.

Assuming you don’t mind quite a lot of ‘red’ as you go about solving its challenges, A Way to Slay proves itself to be a novel take on turn-based puzzling. And even though your view’s more limited on an iPhone than an iPad, you can use gestures to pan and zoom the screen like you’re directing your very own stabby Hollywood epic.

King Rabbit

King Rabbit has some unorthodox enemies. Having kidnapped his rabbit subjects, said foes have dotted them about grid-based worlds they’ve filled with meticulously designed traps.

Mostly, this one is a think-ahead puzzler, with loads of Sokoban-style box sliding. But instead of being purely turn-based fare, King Rabbit adds tense swipe-based arcade sections, with you running from scary creatures armed with rabbit-filleting weaponry.

Really, this isn’t anything you won’t have seen before, but King Rabbit rules through its execution. Visually, everything’s very smart, from the clear, colorful backgrounds to the wonderfully animated hero (and the little jig he does on rescuing a chum). But the puzzles are the real heroes, offering a perfect balance of immediacy and brain-scratching.

Moveless Chess

There’s a bit of cheating going on in Moveless Chess. Although your opponent plays a standard game, you’re some kind of wizard and apparently don’t want the hassle of moving pieces.

Instead, you’ve limited action points, which are used to transform pieces you already have on the board. (So, for example, with three points, you can cunningly change a pawn into a knight.) The aim remains a game-winning checkmate, and, presumably, avoiding the ire of your non-magic opponent.

It’s chess as a puzzler, then, and with a twist that’ll even make veterans of the game stop and think about how to proceed at any given moment.

After all, when you get deep into the game’s challenges, you might find wizarding powers don’t always make for a swift win when you can’t move your pieces.

Mekorama

Mekorama finds a little robot ambling about mechanical dioramas, trying to reach a goal. It’s a tactile game, where you spin the tiny world with a finger, tap to direct the android, and sometimes urge it on by using a lift, or flinging it across the screen with a pulley system.

It’s a ponderous game but that suits the aesthetic. There’s polish and consideration in every moment that deserves to be breathed in. Also, it’s a very generous game, from how it always provides several levels to tackle, to the built-in construction kit when you’ve finished all the built-in challenges and fancy creating some of your own. If you enjoy your time in Mekorama, do fling the creator some (entirely optional) IAP.

Our favorite free iPhone on-rails, 3D and 2D racers, and trials games.

Beach Buggy Racing 2

Beach Buggy Racing 2 is a fast-paced kart racer from the team behind the visually-stunning Riptide series. This one takes place on dry land, though, as you barrel along, grabbing power-ups and flinging them at your opponents.

The courses aren’t as bonkers as those in an Asphalt game, but certainly have their moments. One has a dragon that unsportingly barbecues racers, while a pirate-themed course gets all splashy as you race through a half-sunken ship.

You do sometimes wish this was a premium effort. There’s grind and loot boxes, and difficulty spikes are overly apparent when you level up. Even so, Beach Buggy Racing 2 manages to be an exciting, great-looking kart racer, on a platform with far too few entries on this sub-genre’s starting grid.

Asphalt 9: Legends

Asphalt 9: Legends is a madcap, streamlined racer. Much like Super Mario Run has the plumber ‘auto-run’, leaving you to time jumps, Legends corners and steers while you focus on timing. You must perform show-off drifts, jumps, and control frequent blasts of nitro.

The notion of a driving game stripped of steering might seem odd, but it works. Races are exhilarating and the courses become puzzle-like as you figure out where and when to perform the correct actions. If letting the game do the work is not your cup of tea, there is also a manual option which puts you back in control.

As with all Asphalt games, you spend an unfeasibly long time hurtling through the air; car pinwheeling in a manner that would make even the most maverick stunt-person’s eyes widen.

For a visually dazzling, entirely over the top slice of mobile-focused arcade racing, Asphalt 9: Legends is hard to beat.

Retro Highway

Retro Highway marries the accessibility of modern mobile titles with the high-skill challenge and aesthetics of old-school racers. Visually, it comes across like Hang On and Enduro Racer (or, if you’re not old enough to recognize those titles, those weird games your dad used to play). But in gameplay terms, we’re very much in endless survival territory.

As you zoom along, you collect coins and jump high into the air using ramped trucks, gradually unlocking better bikes and new places where you can ride them. It’s not a very deep experience, but Retro Highway is fun to dip into when you fancy an exhilarating blast of weaving between lorries at breakneck speed, regularly leaping from ramps, and only occasionally splattering your hapless rider against an overpass.

Disc Drivin’ 2

Disc Drivin’ 2 is a turn-based racing game. That might make no sense on paper, but it translates well to the screen, effectively mashing up shuffleboard with high-tech levitating tracks full of speed-up mats, gaps, and traps.

You can play alone, tackling a daily challenge or partaking in speed-runs. The latter option is ideal for getting to know the tracks – essential when battling other players online. You then swap moves – bite-sized chunks of gameplay where you inch your disc around the circuit, in races that can last for days.

There are freemium shenanigans going on, mostly for cards that unlock new disc powers, and the fixed camera can be frustrating – although if you’re facing the wrong way, you should probably resolve to learn that track’s layout a bit better. Those minor niggles aside, this is a compelling, entertaining racer that rewards extended play.

Data Wing

Data Wing is a neon-infused story-driven racing adventure. It’s also brilliant - a game you can’t believe someone has released for free, and also devoid of ads and IAP.

It starts off as an unconventional top-down racer, with you steering a little triangular ship, scraping its tail against track edges for extra boost. As you chalk up victories, more level types open up, including side-on challenges where you venture underground to find bling, before using boost pads to clamber back up to an exit.

The floaty world feels like outer-space, but Data Wing actually takes place inside a smartphone, with irrational AI Mother calling the shots. To say more would spoil things, but Data Wing’s story is as clever as the racing bits, and it all adds up to the iPhone’s most essential freebie.

Built for Speed

Built for Speed is a top-down racer with chunky old-school graphics, and a drag-and-drop track editor. Make a track and it’s added to the pool the game randomly grabs from during its three-race mini-tours; other users are the opposition, with you racing their ‘ghosts’.

Handling’s simple – you steer left or right. Winning is largely about finding the racing line, not smacking into tires some idiot’s left in the road, and not drifting too much.

Initially, though, the game’s so sedate you wonder whether someone mistook an instruction to make it “very 80s” by having it seem like the cars are driven by octogenarians. But a few upgrades later and everything becomes nicely zippy.

The only real snag is the matchmaking doesn’t always work, pitting you against pimped-out cars you’ve no chance against. Still, even if you take a sound beating, another tour’s only ever a few races a way.

One Tap Rally

One Tap Rally distils the top-down mobile racer into a one-thumb effort. Press the screen and you accelerate; let go and you slow down. In the nitros mode, you can also swipe upward for an extra burst of speed.

It feels a bit like slot-racing, but the tracks are organic and free-flowing, rather than rigid chunks of plastic. Learning each bend and straight is essential to get around without hitting the sides – important because such collisions rob you of precious seconds.

You’re also not alone – One Tap Rally pits you against the online ghosts of other players. Each time you better your score, you improve your rank on the current track, ready to face tougher opponents. This affords an extra layer of depth to what was already an elegant, playable mobile racer.

Crazy Taxi

Crazy Taxi is a port of a popular and superb Dreamcast/arcade title from 1999. You belt around a videogame take on San Francisco, hurling yourself from massive hills, soaring through the air like only a crazy taxi can, and regularly smashing other traffic out of the way.

Given the ‘taxi’ bit in the title, fares are important. Getting them where they want to go in good time replenishes the clock. Excite them and you’re awarded bonuses. Go ‘crashy’ rather than ‘crazy’ and the fare will take their chances and leap out of your cab, leaving you without their cash.

Crazy Taxi looks crude, but still plays brilliantly, and even the touchscreen controls work very nicely. For free, you must be online to play, however – a sole black mark in an otherwise fantastic port (and one you can remove with IAP).

Asphalt 8: Airborne

Asphalt 8: Airborne is a nitro-happy racer with four tires firmly planted in arcade racing. That said, tires don’t remain planted for long, because this game has a need for speed, having you bomb along larger-than-life courses peppered with fantastical set pieces (Rocket launches! Active volcanos!), and hurling you into the air at every available opportunity.

There’s a ton of content to unlock, although the game regularly cynically nudges you towards IAP to hurry things along. This in itself feels like someone’s welded massive unwieldy bumpers to what’s otherwise a sleek iPhone sportscar racer. But for the most part, Asphalt 8 is a madcap, exciting blast, insane drifts and mid-air barrel rolls pushing your car way beyond anything the manufacturer ever envisioned.

Our favorite free iPhone FPS games, precision shooters, twin-stick blasters, and vertically scrolling shoot ’em ups.

InfiniBugs

InfiniBugs is a shooter with a decidedly retro bent. The basic gameplay of this free iPhone game resembles arcade classic Caterpillar, with worm-like aliens snaking down from the top of the screen. Blast one in the middle and it splits in two. All the while, you’re having to contend with skulls that appear on the spots anything was blasted, and more nimble individual crafts that flit about.

The chunky visuals and fast pace make for a hectic and claustrophobic experience. Every shot counts, given that the second you’re hit, it’s game over – something that becomes instantly apparent when you first encounter ship-smashing walls to blast through during bonus waves.

If you fancy something more forgiving, the one-off premium pack IAP opens up new modes, including one with a traditional three lives. But even for free, this is top-notch iPhone blasting action.

Kazarma

Kazarma is a shooter seemingly set on a neon-colored world’s longest – and worst-maintained – bridge. As you zip along, all manner of nasties are out to blow up your tiny ship. Naturally, your aim is to atomize them first.

Ultimately, it’s a modern take on Space Invaders, in 3D. You move left and right, avoiding neon death, and blast away at everything in your path. Over time, your enemies become more powerful and adept, keeping you on your toes – not least the extremely durable bosses.

On the easiest difficulty level, the game remains almost zen-like as you lazily use a single thumb to dish out wanton destruction. But ramp up the difficulty and Kazarma becomes a vicious, challenging shooter – especially when you grab a speed power-up and belt along like a maniac.

Yuseong

Yuseong comes off like someone has shoved an arcade machine from 1979 into your phone – albeit a machine with broken controls. The basic game resembles a cross between Asteroids and Space Invaders, with your ship obliterating space rocks before they hit the planet below. Too many strikes and you’re out; a single hit to your ship and it’s game over for you.

The twist is the aforementioned controls. Instead of a joystick and fire button, this is one-thumb fare, your ship shooting and switching direction when you prod the screen. Muscle memory goes out the window as you battle with this new minimalism, but what starts off seeming impossible and frustrating soon transforms into a smart, tight shooter once you understand its idiosyncrasies.

Heli 100

HELI 100 comes across like a hyper-casual take on a twin-stick arena shooter, albeit without the twin stick bit. You merely steer left and right, while your ship automatically targets and blasts away at enemies. It seems a bit dull. But hang on, because HELI 100 gets much better.

Something happens around level ten. Mostly, the game ramps everything up, and it becomes clear you’ve been trundling around on training wheels. You suddenly find the arena boundaries rapidly close in. You weave between bullet hell, making use of pick-ups that enable your craft to spew all manner of projectile death – or encase itself in a huge shield.

So give this one a chance – recognize the slightly dull early levels are primarily there to help you get to grips with HELI 100, and then prepare to have a blast.

Angry Birds AR: Isle of Pigs

Angry Birds AR: Isle of Pigs provides a new dimension on one of mobile’s biggest hits. As ever, you catapult deranged feathered missiles at rickety contraptions housing rotund green pigs. The aim: eradicate the pigs, and the structures they’re hiding in. Their shoddy construction – along with quite a lot of ill-advisedly stored TNT – helps.

Unlike previous Angry Birds efforts, this one’s AR-based. You set up a virtual 3D game on a table or the floor, and can investigate each level from every angle to figure out the optimum shot.

This adds freshness to a concept that has become tired since its 2009 iPhone debut. Here’s hoping Rovio can keep the momentum going with new levels – although the dozens you get make this a no-brainer download, given the game’s lack of a price tag.

Piffle

Piffle is a shooter that has you blast away encroaching blocks, which are under the control of the nefarious Doc Block, and on landing will presumably do something terrible and evil. To keep them at bay, you lob strings of piffle balls – cat-like critters that bounce around while emitting endearingly cute meowing noises.

As the sort-of cats ricochet around, the numbers on the blocks drop until they’re finally destroyed. Rinse, repeat, and the world is saved. Only, things aren’t quite that simple due to tricky layouts that demand precision aiming, blocks that annoyingly duplicate or deflect your piffles in the wrong direction, and setups that demand you grab and master powerups to aid you in your task.

Fun stuff to dip into when you fancy some colorful, destructive action.

Fortnite

Fortnite is a massively multiplayer online ‘battle royale’. You’re dropped into a playfield with 100 other players, each aiming to be the last standing. To achieve that goal, you must explore your surroundings, find a dangerous weapon, and use it to do some serious violence.

This in itself isn’t unique – even on mobile. But Fortnite differentiates itself in key ways. It has a sense of humor – and a sense of style that isn’t dull military fare. Also, rather than just shooting things, Fortnite encouragers you to build, creating strategic defensive barriers.

The relatively complex controls are, naturally, a problem on iPhone, and can frustrate in the heat of a battle. For the most part, though, this is impressive and ambitious multiplayer gaming that makes your iPhone feel like a console.

Shadowgun Legends

Shadowgun Legends is a first-person shooter with swagger, which depicts you as a show-off gun for hire, partaking in a probably prescient mix of wiping out evil aliens and reality TV.

After arriving in the game’s hub, you immediately find yourself on missions, which mostly involve following fairly linear pathways, violently shooting everything that moves – and some things that don’t. Control mostly happens by way of two thumbs (movement and gaze), with the odd trip to special power-up buttons.

For anyone deep into the world of console shooters, Shadowgun Legends may feel stripped back and reductive, but you’d have to be a misery to not have fun blasting away, gradually working your way through dozens of missions. Just remember when your worryingly eager fans build a statue of your wonderful self to worship, they’ll ditch you the second their next hero comes along.

Darkside Lite

Darkside Lite is a visually stunning twin-stick shooter that has you protecting outer-space mining colonies under attack from aliens who’d rather humans weren’t messing up the place.

The tiny snag is the mining bit – the bases you patrol are surrounded by massive ship-smashing rocks slowly ambling about. In classic Asteroids-style, you must make short work of them, while ensuring you don’t get blown to pieces by alien foes.

It’s a dizzying, thrilling ride as you zoom over the planetoids, dodging installations, blasting space rocks, and taking out UFOs coming in for the kill. Should you hanker for more, additional modes (and handy smart bombs) are available in the full Darkside game.

Smash Hit

Smash Hit is a 3D on-rails shooter, seemingly aimed at people who really like smashing things. You float in ghostly fashion through its various scenes, hurling your limited cache of metal balls at glass objects minding their own business, or huge panes of glass that rather unwisely block your path.

Initially, you’ll fling balls with merry abandon, but you soon realize getting deep into the game requires a solid aim and sparing use of ammo – not least when the camera starts to spin and the shots become increasingly tough. You’ll need to be a pretty hardcore smasher and a crack shot to reach the end – although you can ease the journey by way of a one-off IAP that unlocks checkpoints.

Time Locker

Time Locker is a vertically scrolling shoot ’em up with a twist: when you stop, time stops. This means that although you’re often weaving between bullet hell and blowing up swarms of enemies, you at least get the chance to think for a bit and consider your next move.

That said, Time Locker doesn’t make things too easy: hang around and a relentless world-consuming darkness gobbles up your craft. This means although you can pause for a bit, you must remain on the move, utilizing power-ups to zoom ahead wherever possible.

It’s a unique, engaging shooter, and its distinctive nature is further cemented by its vibrant low-poly world, which at any moment may see you attacked by gigantic tanks, dinosaur herds, or deadly waddling penguins.

Our favorite free iPhone soccer, golf, tennis, basketball and other sports games.

Super Over!

Super Over! strips back cricket to an almost ludicrous degree. A sport where a single match in the real world can take up to five days is here distilled into mere minutes – and many would argue is all the better for it.

The single-player game has you in bat, chasing a total from a limited number of balls. Your bat whizzes once back and forth across the screen. You must tap to stop it on a number, whereupon you get the requisite number of runs – or lose the game if you hit W (for wicket).

The best bit, though, is the same-device two-player mode. It’s faintly absurd playing this on an iPhone, but the simple interface and very silly gameplay seem entirely appropriate to such larks, as you attempt to smack your ball toward the boundary.

Image credit: TechRadar / Noodlecake Studios

Golf Blitz

Golf Blitz is a side-on crazy golf game, with emphasis on the crazy. Infused with the DNA of the Super Stickman Golf series, its larger-than-life courses have you thwacking balls about islands suspended in space, often with walls covered in sticky goo, or massive wooden contraptions spinning around.

As if this wasn’t enough, each Golf Blitz contest also happens to be a multiplayer race. You take on three other golfers, all aiming to be first to putt. Those who win get kudos and XP. Those who don’t lick their wounds and try again.

It’s fast, breezy fun, and although there’s a mite too much randomness, regular play yields rewards by way of player upgrades, without you having to dip into your golf bag for a pile of cash to spend on IAP.

Nano Golf: Hole In One

Nano Golf: Hole In One is mini golf in fast forward, redefined as a pastime of perfection. Every tiny course you’re presented with must be completed in a single shot. Miss just once and your game is over.

Shooting, at least, is simple enough – you drag your finger back to aim/set power, and then let go. The game’s also rather generous regarding how near to the hole you need to be in order to succeed.

Given the hazards on these courses, that’s just as well. Along with the usual awkward corners and bumps, there are ball-frying heaters and teleporters, and some courses take place underwater. It’s all simple stuff, but the compulsion loop here is strong – not least because you can rattle through a complete game in a matter of minutes.

Rowdy Wrestling

Rowdy Wrestling is a sports game that doesn’t take itself remotely seriously – and that says a lot, given the spectacle it’s simulating. But all the weirdness of pro wrestling has nothing on this game, which features ludicrously bouncy physics and fighters whose arms whirl around in an entertainingly cartoonish manner.

There’s the feeling throughout that you’re only just in control, whether trying to dropkick an opponent in the face, or unceremoniously hurl them out of the ring. But when Rowdy Wrestling clicks, it grabs hold for good. Just as well, then, that you get a range of modes – Tag Team; a solo career; and the ‘last man standing’ Rumble – along with multiple fighters to unlock.

Golfing Around

Golfing Around transports you to a simpler age of golf video games. You don’t get lush 3D visuals, enough club choices to give a pro caddie a nervous breakdown, or inch-perfect takes on real-life courses. Instead, you have basic controls, minimal top-down visuals, and a handful of holes dreamed up by the developer.

On iPhone, though, this works really well. The visuals provide clarity, and the straightforward controls afford Golfing Around immediacy. There’s some nuance too – push the power meter into the red and your aim wobbles about, your dream of extra distance at risk from potentially smacking the ball in the wrong direction.

All this ensures Golfing Around makes the cut, but it’s boosted up the leaderboard by a construction kit. Making and sharing your own courses is a cinch. Probably don’t spell out “I prefer soccer actually” using water traps, mind.

Kind of Soccer

Kind of Soccer will be catharsis in gaming form for anyone who ever felt their soccer team was wronged by an official. That’s because although this game has a pitch and a ball, points are scored by belting the ball directly at the referee’s head.

The controls are a straightforward slingshot – just drag an arrow indicator and let rip. At first, your only danger is bad aim – kick the ball out of bounds and a point is awarded against your team – but in later rounds, defenders attempt to save the ref from a beating.

Fortunately, you can continue your unsporting rage by using bonuses that pop-up, including laser sights, and one option that entertainingly turns every opposition player into a tree.

Pocket Run Pool

Pocket Run Pool reimagines pool for the solo player. It gives you a table from above, with the twist that each of the pockets has a multiplier on it. Your score comprises the number on the ball multiplied by the number on the pocket, and you lose one of your three lives every time you miss a shot or pocket the white.

Aficionados of videogame pool may grumble at this game’s basic nature. The visuals are 2D and minimal, and there’s some major hand-holding regarding aiming. But any such complaints miss the point.

Pocket Run Pool isn’t about slavish realism, but taking a fresh look at pool, and fashioning a modern, quick solo game around scoring and taking risks, rather than getting soundly beaten again and again by a computer opponent on a 3D table.

Flick Soccer 17

Flick Soccer is all about scoring goals by booting a ball with your finger. It looks very smart, with fairly realistic visuals and nicely arcade-y ball movement. You can unleash pretty amazing shots as you aim for the targets, and occasionally bean a defender.

The game includes several alternate modes, providing a surprising amount of variation on the basic theme. There’s a speed option that involves flicking at furious speed, and the tense sudden-death Specialist, which ends your go after three failed attempts to hit the target.

Rather more esoteric fare also lurks, demanding you repeatedly hit the crossbar, or smash panes of glass a crazy person has installed in the goalmouth.

Like real-world sport on the TV, Flick Soccer is a bit ad-infested. You can, though, remove ads with a one-off $0.99/99p/AU$1.99 IAP, or – ironically – turn them off for ten minutes by watching an ad.

Frisbee Forever 2

Flinging a plastic disc about isn’t the most thrilling premise for a game, which is why it’s a surprise Frisbee Forever 2 is so good. The game finds a little toy careening along rollercoaster-like pathways, darting inside buildings and tunnels, and soaring high above snow-covered mountains and erupting volcanos.

You simply dart left and right, keeping aloft by collecting stars, and avoiding hazards at all costs – otherwise your Frisbee goes ‘donk’ and falls sadly to the ground. Grab enough bling and you unlock new stages and Frisbees.

This game could have been a grindy disaster, but instead it’s a treat. The visuals are superb – bright and vibrant – and the courses are smartly designed. And even if you fail, Frisbee Forever 2 lobs coins your way, rewarding any effort you put in.

PKTBALL

PKTBALL is tennis on fast-forward – a racket game that appears to have absorbed the pace and power from air hockey, squash, and a demented take on classic videogame Pong.

Each match features cute characters facing off, smacking a ball back and forth at insane speed. Bonuses regularly appear on the court, and if you can direct the ball over one, you might end up with some shields – or find the ball unhelpfully turns into a fish.

It’s like Wimbledon as reimagined by Salvador Dali. And PKTBALL’s bonkers nature only increases once you start collecting characters. Courts become strewn with rainbows, searing neon-nightmares, or have games of Tetris running in the background.

Our favorite free iPhone RTS and turn-based strategy games, board games, and card games.

Void Tyrant

Void Tyrant is a semi-randomized card-based adventure, where you scoot about the galaxy, giving bad guys on various planets a jolly good kicking. At first, it seems quite basic, more or less being based on blackjack – only here you go bust when you hit 13. Quickly, though, you’re hurled down a bonus-deck rabbit-hole.

It’s these additional cards where most of the strategy lies. Each requires energy to play, and has a unique effect. You need to time your plays right to ensure you defeat your enemy. And because a string of victories is required for you to successfully get back to your ship, Void Tyrant becomes a constant balancing act of risk versus reward.

There’s no risk in trying the game, though, because it’s very rewarding – one of the best card battlers around.

Bounty Hunter Space Lizard

Bounty Hunter Space Lizard is a bite-sized turn-based strategy game, with a smattering of RPG. It features the titular reptile, previously down on its luck, but now having a go at being a bounty hunter as a way to “feel alive”.

Naturally, feeling alive (and staying alive) means killing everyone else – and that requires brainpower. You must with your limited number of moves figure out how to off your foes, and position yourself so you’ll take no damage when they get to move.

The visuals are crude, but there’s a lot going on here, with cleverly designed rules, and plenty of variety in the challenges you face. The mission is also finite, meaning that when you’ve put in the hours to crack level 20, you’ll discover whether this previously despondent – and now rather murdery – lizard gets a happy ending.

Chessplode

Chessplode is of the opinion that what chess really needs is a whole lot of explosions. But this isn’t some kind of Battlechess with dynamite. The big bangs in this game aren’t just aesthetic – they shake up everything you knew about chess.

Capturing a piece is what leads to the explosions – friends and enemies alike in the taken piece’s row and column are obliterated. The exception is when a king is in the same row or column as a captured piece, at which point you get the standard chess capture. 

To rewire your brain, Chessplode offers basic levels to get you started, and then a bunch of puzzle-like set pieces. A level editor lets you upload your own creations – once you win – and multiplayer bouts are in the mix, too. This isn’t the first mobile alternative take on chess, but it might well be the best.

Pocket Cowboys

Pocket Cowboys is a strategy game in a Wild West that exists in a permanent state of high noon. You pit your trio of gunslingers against those controlled by other humans, the aim being to be the first to rack up three kills.

Where Pocket Cowboys excels is in its mix of immediacy and depth. Each turn gives you the option to move, shoot, or reload – and everyone takes their turn at the same time. The mix of strategy and guesswork proves a lot of fun, in what ultimately amounts to four-player rock/paper/scissors.

The game of course also comes lumbered with the usual in-game currencies and upgrades. But it always seems to place you in fair fights, rather than giving you no chance to avoid pushing up the daisies.

King Crusher

King Crusher comes across like someone compressed an epic fantasy RPG and turn-based strategy into a shoebox and squirted the result into your iPhone. It has all the trappings of its more expansive cousins, but is perfectly streamlined for mobile play.

Your little band embarks on quests that mostly take the form of grid-based battles. As adversaries try to shoot, flatten or even eat the heroes, you must swipe them about, getting them into the best positions to mete out some punishment of their own.

With dozens of events and 12 character classes, there’s plenty to discover in King Crushe, but its bite-sized nature means it won’t rule over your day, instead filling odd moments with tiny procedurally-generated adventures fit for a king.

Sneak Ops

Sneak Ops is a stealth game that wants you to “get to the chopper”. The snag: between you and your airborne escape route are rooms packed with enemy soldiers, traps, and – occasionally – inconveniently unbreathable air. Also, you’re unarmed. Thanks, budget cutbacks!

You must therefore sneak about, avoid detection and unsportingly wallop enemies over the head whenever you get the chance. Along the way, you grab floppy disks, which for some reason are used to buy restart points. Perhaps evil dudes are all retro gamers at heart.

It’s tense, pacy stuff, with some fab visuals. Even better: there’s a new mission every day – and everyone gets the same one, thereby pitting you against many thousands of other wannabe strategic operators.

Look, Your Loot!

Look, Your Loot! takes the basics of free-roaming RPGs and shoves them into a grid-based interface not dissimilar from puzzlers like Threes!

The rodent protagonist – a heavily armed mouse – moves about the grid as you swipe, his energy being depleted during battles or replenished on grabbing elixirs and shields. Whenever you enter a new tile, something new appears from the opposite side of the grid.

The key to survival – and a high-score – is carefully planning your route, ensuring you don’t end up trapped between a number of powerful and angry adversaries. It’s the sort of RPG-lite that’s perfect to quickly fire up during a few minutes of downtime; but multiple level layouts and surprising depth in the mechanics also make Look, Your Loot! a rewarding game to master over the longer term.

Flipflop Solitaire

Flipflop Solitaire reasons that a card game you play on an iPhone should be designed for its screen and mobile play rather than a table. To that end, it takes spider solitaire as a basic framework, then messes around with the formula.

You’re still working with stacks of cards, aiming to sort them back into suits. However, in this game you have only five columns to work with and the height of your iPhone’s display provides a vertical limit.

Flipflop Solitaire shakes things up more by letting you stack cards in increasing or decreasing value. This single change proves transformative, turning every deal into a solvable puzzle, and games with a single suit into frantic, entertaining speed-runs.

The Battle of Polytopia

The Battle of Polytopia is more or less a classic version of Civilization played in fast-forward. You start off with a single city, surrounded by the unknown. You then explore, research technologies, and give anyone who gets in your way a serious kicking.

Unlike the sprawling Civilization games, Polytopia is focused and sleek. The technology tree stops before guns arrive, the standard game mode limits you to 30 moves, and new cities cannot be founded – only conquered.

For the more bloodthirsty, there’s a domination mode, where you aim to be the last tribe standing. The maximum map size expands and online asynchronous multiplayer opens up if you pay for more tribes. However you play, this is a furiously addictive, brilliantly realized slice of mobile strategy.

Spaceteam

Spaceteam is the best multi-device party game for iPhone. The backstory is that you’re attempting to outrun an exploding star, in a ship that’s seen better days. Unhelpfully, the control panel for your craft was seemingly designed by an engineer who considers user-friendliness an offensive abomination.

The system provides instructions, but they’re usually not related to controls on your display. Games therefore turn into people desperately screaming “will someone turn on the dangling shunter?”, while combing every inch of their own screen for an elusive ‘eigenthrottle’ switch.

With Spaceteam offering cross-device play, up to eight players can immerse themselves in this madness, as long as they’re on the same Wi-Fi network.

Hearthstone

Hearthstone is a one-on-one card battler set in a magical world of mystics and warriors. You and an opponent take it in turns to attack, using cards that unleash spells, minions, and other acquired skills.

Given how complicated card games of this sort can be, Hearthstone proves intuitive and welcoming to the newcomer – and it’s also extremely well balanced. It’s possible, if you take the time and effort to master the game, to top the leaderboards without splashing out IAP on new cards – although such temptation might get the better of you anyway once you’re immersed in this engaging world of strategy, chance, and fantasy.

Our favorite free iPhone games all about crosswords, anagrams, and playing with letters.

Sticky Terms

Sticky Terms is more or less a set of jigsaw puzzles, but for oddball phrases. At the start of each level, you’re presented with a mess of shapes, some of which resemble recognizable letters. Your aim is to drag them together to make a coherent form. You’ll then be told what the phrase actually means, and where it comes from.

Making this all tricker is the fact Sticky Terms is all about untranslatable words. So although you’ll be familiar with some of the terms, you won’t know most of them. Instead, your path to completing a challenge usually rests in recognizing parts of letterforms, and shoving words back together in a process of trial and error.

It’s unique stuff on the App Store – rare for a word game - along with being tactile and smart.

AI Dungeon

AI Dungeon resembles a classic text adventure from the dawn of gaming. But unlike the canned, scripted likes of a Zork, this game is potentially endless, providing new chunks of storyline on the fly. This is achieved by the ‘AI’ bit, via an engine trained on reading the internet.

You can start your adventure with a generic pre-defined setting, like fantasy, and select a character type. But it’s more fun to construct a scenario of your own (just type a few lines of text), and see where it takes you.

Given that AI Dungeon isn’t hand-crafted, its grasp on reality and consistency can be creaky. Objects and names can be forgotten or switched, and stories often have whiplash-like shifts that upend everything. This might prove annoying to old-school traditionalists, but if you’ve got an open mind, you’ll find AI Dungeon dreamlike and fascinating.

Typochondria

Typochondria is a game about typos. You sit before an algorithmically generated crime novel, looking for mistakes in each of its pages. Tap one and you move on to the next. Which probably doesn’t sound all that thrilling, but Typochondria is played against the clock.

When you’re deep into a round, the timer running dry at ferocious speed, it’s surprisingly exciting partaking in a videogame take on proofreading. And if that isn’t quite enough challenge for you, an alternate mode has you figure out how many mistakes are on any given page.

Should you get fully drawn in, but need a bit of a break during your downtime, there’s a risk-free zen mode, too, along with a bunch of additional genre options available via IAP.

Alphabear 2

Alphabear 2 introduces you to a world where bears have made a major blunder with a time machine, and need you to fix things by… spelling words. Even the in-game protagonists don’t seem convinced by that setup, but it’s a fun hook on which to hang the sequel to one of the iPhone’s best word games.

As in the original Alphabear, you make words from Scrabble tiles on a grid. When tiles are used, bears expand into the gaps. Tiles also have countdown timers, and turn to stone if you don’t use them in time, thwarting your ability to make full-screen bears.

There’s a lot going on, including several modes, oddball ‘bear speech’ victory screens, a smattering of (horrors!) education, and a mildly baffling bear collection meta-game. In all, though, it’s furry much worth a download.

Wordgraphy

Wordgraphy looks like a stripped-back crossword puzzle with letters crammed into a grid, but the letters are muddled up and you can’t just drag them wherever you fancy. Tap any letter and you’ll be presented with a small set of possible destinations.

The aim is to ensure you create complete words. It’s often easy enough to make one or two, but then you’ll be left with the likes of CCRZK along one axis, and a realization that perhaps your other words aren’t the right ones.

A smart, interesting piece of logic word puzzling, then, and a game that’s suitably different from its contemporaries when you’re getting bored with more conventional fare.

Letterpress

Letterpress is a mix of Boggle and Risk. Two players (you and an online or computer opponent) face a five-by-five grid of letters and take turns tapping out words. But the key isn’t to show off your vocabulary; instead, you must strategize to secure territory.

Captured letters turn your color, but those surrounded by your tiles become a darker shade and cannot be flipped by your opponent during their turn. With careful play, you gradually chip away at the board; to win, you must secure every tile.

It’s a simple premise, but one that makes for surprisingly exciting battles. Games can turn on a smart play you didn’t see coming; many become like a tug of war, with you and an opponent trading blows. The claustrophobic board further adds to the intensity, and makes a nice change from countless Scrabble clones.

Scrabble

Scrabble [non-US App Store link] is a digital take on the famous boardgame. You play the computer or human opponents (over Wi-Fi or the internet), carefully placing letters on the grid, trying to position them over bonus spots for double and triple points.

Crossword games of this ilk are now commonplace, but Scrabble’s board layout remains the best. It also gives you the option for ponderous play or a kind of time-attack take, forcing everyone to quickly make moves.

On the iPhone, things are perhaps a touch cramped compared to on larger devices, and you’ll quite often get ads thrown in your face. Even so, Scrabble remains a solid download, not least if you’re a fan of the original.

The Impossible Letter Game

The Impossible Letter Game isn’t actually impossible, but it does get decidedly tricky once you’re deep into the game. Each challenge presents you with a grid of letters, the idea being to find the odd one out. This might be a W in a grid of M’s, or a 2 sneakily nestled within rows and columns of Z’s.

Initially, the letters are fairly large, but they soon shrink, and even start animating, to try and throw you off the scent of your prize. The smallish screen of an iPhone adds an extra layer of difficulty to the mix. Good for your powers of observation; not so much for resting your eyes!

Bonza Word Puzzle

Bonza Word Puzzle deconstructs classic crosswords – and then has you put them back together again. You’re given a clue, hinting at the words you need to make, and then a bunch of fragments that resemble tetrominos.

The game ends up coming across like a mix of Scrabble and jigsaws as you slowly piece together the puzzle. And just like with jigsaws, everything gets a mite tougher when you’re grasping with a larger number of pieces.

Packs in the game are split between free, IAP, and those you can buy with coins earned in-game. There’s also a daily freebie, and the option to create your own puzzles – a nice touch for people who get seriously into the game.

Four Letters

Four Letters is a word game based around speed. You get four letters, a rapidly depleting timer, and a handy note that says how many words can be made from the letters in front of you. Tap out a word and your game gets to continue for a bit longer.

Once you’re a few dozen words in, Four Letters becomes a fast, frantic, panic-inducing flurry of quick thinking and super-fast tapping. In some ways, it’s perhaps a pity there’s no timer-free mode for training purposes (and the faint hearted), but Four Letters is a great bet if you fancy a simple, entertaining word game that doesn’t let you dawdle.

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Amazon pilots video calls to verify third-party sellers

Posted: 27 Apr 2020 05:09 AM PDT

Amazon has begun using video conferencing tools as a means to verify third-party sellers on its marketplace

The move comes in the wake of rising customer complaints around fraudulent accounts and listings on the site, with many criminals peddling fake coronavirus cures.

The world's largest online retailer has also faced market scrutiny over its supervision of counterfeit products and suppliers of allegedly unsafe products via Amazon, with big brands such as Nike and Apple staying away from selling on the site.

Fraud control

The company added the live verification process via video conferencing is being trialled in the United States, United Kingdom, China and Japan. It involves an Amazon official matching the documents that a seller has provided during application with the actual copies, besides using facial recognition tech to verify identities. 

"This pilot allows us to connect one-on-one with prospective sellers while making it even more difficult for fraudsters to hide," an Amazon statement said.

Prior to the lockdown, the company used to insist on live verification through in-person meetings between prospective sellers and company executives. 

The company says that as many as 1000 prospective sellers have gone through the pilot program, which uses a combination of machine learning and human review, thus far. 

Via: Reuters

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The Last of Us 2 spoilers have leaked online – here's how to avoid them (and why you shouldn't share them)

Posted: 27 Apr 2020 05:00 AM PDT

Don't worry, this article contains no spoilers for The Last of Us 2.

Huge spoilers for The Last of Us 2 have leaked online, revealing key story details about Naughty Dog's highly-anticipated sequel.

These spoilers are rumored to have been leaked by a former Naughty Dog employee who allegedly posted a video containing the spoilers on YouTube after a payment dispute with the developer went awry. However, it's worth noting that this hasn't been confirmed. 

The spoilers pretty much reveal the game's entire plot, including a level list and cutscene footage. But, we're not going to share any of the details here, instead we're going to advise you on how to avoid The Last of Us 2 spoilers - and why you shouldn't be reading them in the first place.

Why you shouldn't share spoilers

The Last of Us 2

We're all hungry for information on The Last of Us 2, but we strongly advise not to share the spoilers that have emerged. 

For one thing, you may want to know the ins and outs of the game's story but others may not - its not fair to take their first-hand experience of the game away from them. Many players want to go into The Last of Us 2 with their eyes closed, experiencing the story and characters as Naughty Dog intended, including all the twists and turns. After all, we've been waiting for this sequel for years. So, if you're going to read them, then go ahead but don't push spoilers in the face of others.

Secondly, spoilers with this level of detail are a kick-in-the-face to the teams that worked on the game. Naughty Dog employees have worked tirelessly on The Last of Us 2, with reports of crunch, to bring fans this game experience - so players can enjoy the game the way the developer intended.

Then there's the legal risk. If these spoilers did come from someone inside Naughty Dog who broke an NDA, sharing the information on social media could put you at a legal risk. Although there is no risk to people in reading these leaks, readers should take care to not re-publish them. Spoilers for a game as big as The Last Of Us 2 often spread quickly on social media, so people must avoid indulging in this by sharing posts or articles because this could be classed as copyright infringement.

How to avoid The Last of Us 2 spoilers on social media

The Last of Us 2

If, like us, you want to avoid The Last of Us 2 spoilers on social media then here are some steps you can take to try and reduce the risk of stumbling on any. 

Twitter
The best way to avoid spoilers on Twitter is to mute words. Although it's worth noting that nothing is full-proof, muting words should greatly reduce the risk of stumbling on any The Last of Us 2 spoilers.

Here's the steps to take to mute The Last of Us 2 spoilers:

  • Open Twitter 
  • On desktop, select the three dots at the bottom left of your screen and click 'Settings and Privacy'
  • On mobile, click on your face on the top left-hand corner, then select 'Settings and Privacy' from the menu that appears on the left
  • Select 'Notifications' then 'Muted', followed by 'Muted Words'
  • On desktop, a small plus sign should be visible on the top right-hand side of the screen - click that to add muted words
  • On mobile, an 'Add' button should appear at the bottom right-hand side of the screen - click that to add muted words
  • This then brings you to a screen that allows you to type in words or phrases you want muted
  • You're going to want to mute phrases like "The Last of Us 2", "The Last of Us: Part 2", "Naughty Dog", The Last of Us spoilers", "Spoilers" and anything else related to the game you can think of
  • In the 'Mute From' section, we advise muting these word 'From Anyone', from your 'Home Timeline' and from 'Notifications' - to be extra safe. 
  • Under 'Duration', we would say to mute these words for '7 days' as the spoilers should be less rampant by then but you're not muting The Last of Us 2 news forever

Facebook
You can now mute words from your timeline on Facebook too but his will only mute certain words in comments, not in posts, it would seem. 

Here's how to mute words on Facebook:

  • Go to 'Settings and Privacy' from the device you're using 
  • Select 'Settings' then 'Timeline and Tagging'
  • Under 'Timeline' select 'Hide comments containing certain words from your timeline'
  • You can then add the words or phrases you would like muted from comments - hit 'add' after each one
  • Again, we advise muting phrases like "The Last of Us 2", "The Last of Us: Part 2", "Naughty Dog", The Last of Us spoilers", "Spoilers" and anything else related to the game you cant think of
  • When you're done, make sure to select 'Save Changes'

Outside of muting words in comments, we suggest 'snoozing' any pages you like or follow (or friends) that you think could post spoilers.

You can do this by clicking the dots beside someone's post, then select 'Snooze x for 30 days'.

If you want to be super safe then avoid social media for the next couple of days. In addition, we advise you avoid the likes of Reddit and Resetera too - just in case. 

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Animal Crossing New Horizons' money-making bugs have been squashed

Posted: 27 Apr 2020 05:00 AM PDT

If your idea of fun is being at the financial mercy of a landlord raccoon, then Animal Crossing: New Horizons on the Nintendo Switch is really going to push your buttons this week.

A new update is rolling out which is going to slash the spawn rates of creepy crawlies in the game that are worth the most money.

As spotted by data miner @_Ninji (via Polygon), it seems like Nintendo is changing the clock cycles of the spawn rates of the most valuable bugs. Whereas they currently appear in larger numbers at different times of the in-game year, that rate is going to be flattened so they appear in lower numbers more consistently every month of the year.

"Agrias butterfly used to be less common in April than in its other available months. Wharf roach had a higher rate in March," says Ninji. 

"Peacock butterflies have been cut by 80-90%; emperors and atlas moths by 50%. Regular stinkbugs are up 100%, man-faced ones down 50%. Tiger beetles up by 33%, Scarab beetles down 40%. 

So while the bugs you're after will still appear in the game, you might have to diversify your farming plans throughout the in game year to maximise your money-making schemes. A bit of re-designing of your island to attract what you're after may be in order, too.

Need some more lengthy Switch games to pass the time with? Check out our list of 12 epic Nintendo Switch games.

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Massive John Lewis sales: save up to 50% on cheap laptops, headphones, 4K TV deals and more

Posted: 27 Apr 2020 04:57 AM PDT

John Lewis sales are bringing luxury goods down to some of the best prices around right now, with cheap laptops, headphones, and 4K TV deals all available this week. Plus, you'll find plenty of discounts on John Lewis' home and garden range, clothing, and cookware as well. Whether you're looking to grab the latest tech for less, or you're spending lockdown by rejuvenating your home, there are deals for everyone in the latest John Lewis sales. 

We're seeing some particularly good laptop and tablet deals, offering high performance computing with excellent flexibility for up to £300 off, with models including the Dell XPS laptop (available for £1,449), and Lenovo Yoga (£1,399). Or, if you're looking for big screen entertainment, you can also save up to £300 on a range of premium 4K TVs. 

Elsewhere, we're seeing headphones and speakers discounted and available from just £19.95. You can also save up to 20% on a huge range of homeware items, stretching into bedding, garden furniture, cookware, and lighting among other departments. Meanwhile, menswear is 30% off right now, and womenswear is currently available for up to 50% off. 

All of that means there are some mega-discounts to be found in the latest John Lewis sale, so be sure to head over before stock is depleted. You can also find all the best John Lewis online deals right here on TechRadar. 

John Lewis Sale: the best offers today

Cheap tablet and laptop deals available now

4K TV deals at John Lewis

Headphone and speaker deals

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Vivo is now the second-largest smartphone maker in India, overtaking Samsung

Posted: 27 Apr 2020 04:55 AM PDT

In the intense battlezone of a market that India is, a new victor has emerged. Vivo has now overtaken Samsung as the second biggest player in the country. 

India is one of the fastest-growing and biggest smartphone markets in the world, with an estimated 350 million users. This competitive space has finally seen the podium change, as Vivo is now the second-largest smartphone maker in the country, relegating Samsung to the third position. Xiaomi continues to be the market leader with a rather comfortable lead.

According to Canalys’ latest report, Vivo now has a market share of 19.9%, bringing it to the second position behind Xiaomi at 30.6%. Samsung’s share fell to 18.9%. The next spots are occupied by Realme and Oppo.

In terms of shipments, Vivo moved around 6.7 million smartphones in Q1 2020 compared to the 4.5 million devices shipped in Q1 2019, which resulted in 48.9% YoY growth. On the other hand, the Korean giant, Samsung managed to ship 6.3 million smartphones in Q1 2020 compared to the 7.3 million units in the same period last year, that resulted in a negative 13.7% YoY growth and lost the second position to Vivo.

Meanwhile, Xiaomi shipped 10.3 million units in Q1 2020 compared to the 9.5 million units in Q1 2019. The biggest change came with Realme, exhibiting a whopping 200% growth annually, taking the shipments to 13.9 million units versus the 1.3 million units in Q1 2019. Lastly, Oppo has also seen an annual growth of 22.4% with 3.5 million devices shipped in Q1 2020. 

Amongst the aforementioned top five smartphone vendors, Samsung is the only one to not grow positively. The other combined to push the overall smartphone shipments up by 12%. Interestingly, all of them have their roots in China, now accounting for over 70% of the Indian market share altogether. Samsung is facing a lot of challenges from Xiaomi, Oppo, Vivo, and Realme, who are offering smartphones with great hardware at an aggressive price point. Although Samsung managed to launch multiple budget devices under A-series and M-series, they just couldn’t keep up with the competition.

The smartphone shipments for the second quarter are expected to be underwhelming, as all smartphone sellers (online and offline) were not functional for over a month due to the nationwide Covid-19 lockdown that is expected to last for a few more weeks. Once they get the green signal, manufacturers will scamper to meet their yearly targets.

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iPad deals: huge Apple sale now on in the US and UK

Posted: 27 Apr 2020 04:44 AM PDT

IPad deals and Apple sales are back with a vengeance this week thanks to some truly excellent boredom busting offers in the UK and US from B&H and Currys. Right now you can now grab some 2018 256GB iPad Pros for just $799 (was $949) and £769 (was £940) - with total savings of up to $150 / £80.

We think the 2018 iPad Pro is still currently one of the best tablets you can buy right now, and with a $150 / £80 saving on this 256GB capacity model, it's an even better buy. For some context, these iPad Pro deals are around the same price as a 128GB 2020 iPad Pro - with really similar high-end components and of course, double the storage capacity. That makes it a great option if you're stocking up on all those high definition movies and shows and need a little more real estate overall.

The second iPad deal is perfect if you're looking for something a little cheaper than the iPad Pro but still want that gorgeous retina display. With a $20 saving, this iPad 10.2 is sure to go fast this week (the Space Gray model has sold out already) so act quickly if you want to grab an iPad in this latest Apple sale.

Not in the US? We've still got some great iPad deals for you just below.

iPad deals: Which iPad is right for you?

If you're undecided about which of these iPad deals is for you, then we'll quickly breakdown the best uses for each one. The iPad Pro is the most powerful of the three, featuring a much bigger storage capacity and a bit more horsepower under the hood. All this lends itself more to the power user - someone who needs a multi-tasking tablet for work or design programs for example. 

The standard iPad, while still featuring a nice, speedy chip, has lower capacity and is generally geared for more casual use. If you're looking for that cheap tablet for streaming entertainment, games or browsing, then there's generally no need to splash out on an iPad Pro - this one will handle everything just fine.

If you need a little more information, you can also check out our roundup of the best iPads in 2020 right here - where we're looking across the whole range, and break down any essential questions you may have.

Want the very latest? Head on over to our new iPad Pro 2020 deals page.

If you're still on the hunt for other iPad deals then we'd recommend heading on over to our best cheap iPad deals page, where we're sourcing all the best prices available right now. If you're not sold on the whole iPad thing, then we've also got a great alternative with the best Samsung tablet deals right here.

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How to watch Gangs of London: stream the gangland drama online anywhere

Posted: 27 Apr 2020 04:42 AM PDT

Set to take viewers on a journey into the hidden heart of the UK capital, this new hard-hitting crime drama is available to watch right now online - read on to find out how to stream Gangs of London from anywhere in the world, including for free.

Created by The Raid director Gareth Evans and his cinematography partner Matt Flannery, this big-budget Sky/HBO Cinemax co-production is far from the straight-to-video fare we've come to expect from British gangster films.

The story takes off as crime lord Finn Wallace (Colm Meaney) is shot dead under mysterious circumstances, causing the network of alliances between London’s underworld to be be ruptured. Amidst the turmoil, Wallace’s heir Sean (Joe Cole), sets out to avenge his father and mentor, whatever the cost.

Read on to find out how to watch Gangs on London online tonight no matter where you are in the world.

How to watch Gangs of London for free in the UK

How to watch Gangs of London from outside your country

As Gangs of London is a Sky Atlantic exclusive, anyone from the UK who's currently abroad won't find it being aired simultaneously in places like the USA, Canada or Australia. Moreover, trying to tune into Sky Atlantic like you would from home will likely be impossible because of geo-blocking restrictions.

We know that this might not be a likely scenario for many, due to coronavirus travel restrictions, but the fact is people are still being required to travel - and some are even regrettably stuck abroad during this difficult time.

Fortunately, there is a solution in the form of a VPN. This nifty bit of software changes your IP address so that you can access all the content you normally would at home, from anywhere in the world.

However, note that some services require you to verify local credit card or cable subscription details before gaining access, so make sure you have these to hand before signing up for anything.

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Huawei Y8s specs leaked - 48MP primary camera and more

Posted: 27 Apr 2020 04:40 AM PDT

The Huawei Y series entry-level smartphones are getting a much-awaited update in the form of the Huawei Y8s, latest leaks have revealed. Of course, the question around how we missed the Huawei Y8 still needs to be answered. 

The latest leak comes from well-known tipster Evan Blass and the data suggests that the device looks more like a 2018 smartphone back when the newest trend is the ‘notched’ design. The display has thin bezels all around, except for the wide notch on the top.

The leaks mainly give out the purported design and color scheme, while details of the processor used and the Android version are not yet available. The smartphone could house a fingerprint reader on the back of the device, while the material chosen for the back panel remains a mystery for now. 

The phone looks appealing with a green, glossy back panel in a gradient finish. A power button and volume rocker are located on the top right side of the smartphone as per the leaked image.

However, the type of charging port, availability of 3.5 mm audio port and glass protection is not available at the moment. 

Notched-display

The Y8s could sport a notched-display with a 48MP primary camera at the rear, with the flash perched right below the secondary camera sensor. The rear camera setup looks similar to the 2020 trend of placing sensors in a rectangular array.

How big the bottom bezel and chin are, we cannot conclude by looking at the leaked image, nor can we ascertain if a USB type-C charging is supported. No details of the battery capacity and whether it supports some form of fast charging is available via the leaks.  

It is interesting to note that Huawei has recently launched the Huawei Nova 7 5G, 7 Pro 5G and Huawei Nova 7 SE 5G series of smartphones as well.

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Microsoft's excuse for why Surface devices don’t have upgradable RAM or Thunderbolt 3 is... weird

Posted: 27 Apr 2020 04:30 AM PDT

Ever wondered why the Surface Pro 7 didn’t go with Thunderbolt 3 support when Microsoft finally introduced USB-C to its range of well-liked hybrids? Well, Microsoft does have a reason why all Surface devices don’t support Thunderbolt, and indeed why they have soldered RAM (which makes upgrading the memory impossible).

So what’s the explanation behind these key moves which have doubtless served to annoy some of the Surface user base?

The answer comes in the form of a video clip from Microsoft highlighted on Twitter by WalkingCat.

As the clip explains, Microsoft doesn’t want the memory to be removable in order to avoid security risks that come with such a scenario. As the narrator explains, what you can ‘easily do is freeze the memory with liquid nitrogen’, and then use a memory reader to access data in memory, including Bitlocker recovery keys.

Now, doubtless there is a security risk here, but we don’t think there’s anything particularly ‘easy’ about going to the lengths of using liquid nitrogen in this manner – or that the average Surface user really needs to worry that they might be the target of such an attack. 

And indeed, if an attacker has made off with your device, there are easier ways they can crack into it and get this data anyway, so it seems like an odd example all round.

Direct concern

The reason for the lack of Thunderbolt support is very much in a similar vein, namely that it represents a security risk in that it offers Direct Memory Access (DMA), or in other words, the possibility of an attacker using a specially prepared USB stick to access the contents of memory, and again the likes of Bitlocker keys.

So hence why Microsoft went USB-C, but left Thunderbolt 3 out of the equation for Surface products. However, as MS Poweruser, which spotted the tweet, points out, with Windows 10 April 2018 Update, Microsoft introduced Kernel DMA Protection to defend machines against the kind of DMA memory invasion described. So we might yet see Thunderbolt 3 support coming to future Surface devices (although we wouldn’t bank on it).

As you might imagine, there has been some cynicism in the reaction on Twitter, certainly when it comes to the soldered RAM. This includes folks pointing out that soldered memory is a cheaper (and space-saving) way for Microsoft to do things. And also that it brings in an element of planned obsolescence – in other words, being unable to upgrade the RAM means that the machine is slightly less future-proof.

Of course, it’s far from all bad news with the internals of contemporary Surface devices, and to Microsoft’s credit, it has made considerable progress with a number of these pieces of hardware in terms of making the SSD user-replaceable and using less glue (although the Surface Pro 7 sadly didn’t make any strides forward in this respect).

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How and where to buy a treadmill: these retailers still have stock

Posted: 27 Apr 2020 04:25 AM PDT

Treadmills are becoming very tough to find, as more and more of us try to limit the time we're spending outdoors in favor of working out at home. Many of the best-known retailers are completely out of stock, with no new deliveries expected for months.

Thankfully, though, there are still some retailers with treadmills available to deliver right now, and we've rounded up all the best deals available right now, with expert advice to help you choose the right one.

How to buy a treadmill

A treadmill is a big investment, so what should you look for when making your choice? Olivia Neely, personal trainer at Starks Fitness (currently sharing home workout videos at starksfitnessgym on Instagram), gives the following advice.

Olivia Neely (Starks Fitness personal trainer):

With the current uncertainty of when gyms and public spaces will re-open, there’s a lot of focus on everyone trying to create new fitness routines within the home environment. It seems we’re all a bit confused with what piece of equipment would be the greatest investment. So, how about the trusty treadmill? Here’s just a few tips to ensure you’re buying the best bit of kit for you.

Budget

The range of costs of a treadmill is vast, therefore it’s important you get the best quality treadmill for your budget. Consider the following; How often do you plan to use it? How much space do you have? Does it need to be brand-new or can you go for second-hand? Do your expectations match your budget? Remember, a sizable piece of kit like a treadmill is an investment.

Specifications

Ideally, you want one that offers a walk-and-run facility to maximize usage and training variations. Here’s a list of the basic specifications to think about:

Belt size: for running you need a belt size of 48-inch+ in length and 16-inch+ in width. If you’re tall, you may need even longer!

Speed and incline: To utilize training methods (walk, jog, sprint etc) you’ll need a treadmill that goes up to 10mph. You may also want to adjust incline settings to stimulate outdoor training conditions.

Control panels: Get a treadmill that is simple to use and offers easy-reach control buttons. Safety and efficiency go hand in hand.

Try before you buy [when possible]

It may seem obvious but testing out your new purchase will pay dividends in the end. Spend some time doing your research and get down to local fitness stores [when movement restrictions are lifted] to try as many as possible. Test for comfort, noise levels, safety and size.

How do you feel when you’re on it?

The best treadmill deals in the US

The best treadmill deals in the UK

Treadmills that work with Zwift

Zwift is a great addition to your treadmill training, connecting you with a community of runners and cyclists, and letting you pick from a variety of virtual courses to give your indoor training some variety.

To get started, all you need is a Zwift RunPod and the Zwift app. The RunPod is a cadence sensor that attaches to your running shoe and tracks each step. You can use just about any treadmill (Zwift has some handy recommendations for choosing the right one), but there's also an increasing number of smart treadmills that can connect with Zwift directly. Check out the full list of supported treadmills.

Hiring a treadmill

The right treadmill will serve you well for years to come, but if you only want one for what will hopefully be a few months of isolation, hiring one is an option that's worth considering. You can hire a great quality treadmill for under $30/£20 a week.

Treadmill hire companies all offer a range of different models, so the same considerations apply in terms of size, space, speed, and accessibility of controls. Demand is high right now, but hiring a treadmill isn't an option everyone is likely to consider, so it's well worth investigating.

Due to the logistics of delivering and collecting treadmills, the best way to find a hire company in the US is to search for one in your city or state. Some good options for the UK include:

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