Sunday, 1 July 2018

10 best Minecraft apps for Android

best minecraft apps - featured image
Minecraft is one of the most popular games in the world. It’s available for most platforms. Its simple premise is easy to pick up and understand. The game is even suitable for all ages. Thanks to this, the game’s community is vast. A lot of them have a variety of tips and tricks, mods, add-ons, and other content to improve the game. Some of them are even Android apps. We wrote this piece in July of 2017. Since then, Minecraft underwent some huge changes. For instance, it dropped the Pocket Edition moniker and now works cross platform with PC and Xbox One. However, it seems like developers were able to update their apps and keep pace with the massive changes. Here are the best Minecraft apps on Android.


Addons for Minecraft

Price: Free
DOWNLOAD ON GOOGLE PLAY
Addons for Minecraft is an app for Minecraft. It features a variety of add-ons. These nifty little mods let you all kinds of things. You can change how mobs look, how your world looks, and more. You can add special items, entire worlds, and more. It's easy enough to use. Simply pick the add-on that you want and hit install. It should be available the next time you open the game. There are some additional instructions in the app as well. There are a lot of interesting mods here. You can pick it up for free with no in-app purchases.
DOWNLOAD ON GOOGLE PLAY
Addons for Minecraft

Builder for Minecraft PE

Price: Free / $2.49
DOWNLOAD ON GOOGLE PLAY
Builder for Minecraft PE is one of the more popular Minecraft apps. Here's how it works. You can build things inside of this app. We're talking about buildings, structures, houses, and things like that. Players can then port those items directly into your Minecraft: Pocket Edition game. It also has a selection of pre-built creations for you to use as well. It'll even back up your map in case you mess things up. The pro version removes ads and adds a few additional features. The developer also has some other Minecraft apps that don't look too bad.
DOWNLOAD ON GOOGLE PLAY

Maps for Minecraft PE

Price: Free
DOWNLOAD ON GOOGLE PLAY
Maps for Minecraft PE has a ton of maps. They boast a collection of over 16,000 total maps for you to play with. You can use the app to browse the various maps. The app then downloads and installs them for you. You just have to open up your copy of Minecraft Pocket Edition and play. Some maps even have YouTube videos attached to show you around. Players can create and upload their own maps for consideration. Finding a good seed is tough, but this makes it easy. Also, some of the maps are fairly unique and fun. The app is free with advertisements.
DOWNLOAD ON GOOGLE PLAY

Master for Minecraft

Price: Free with in-app purchases
DOWNLOAD ON GOOGLE PLAY
Master for Minecraft is one of the more powerful Minecraft apps. It works as a launcher for the game. You can modify a lot of the game's components from this app. You can do things like make yourself invincible, give yourself the ability to fly, and more. The app can even change the weather, time of day, and add mods, maps, textures, and more. There is a lot you can do with this. More than we have the space here to explain. You can find a full set of features on the Play Store using the link above. It's free, but it does have in-app purchases.
DOWNLOAD ON GOOGLE PLAY

Minecraft

Price: $6.99 with in-app purchases
DOWNLOAD ON GOOGLE PLAY
Minecraft is the game that most of these Minecraft apps work with. It also helps that the game gets frequent updates with plenty of new content. They dropped the Pocket Edition moniker in late 2017. This version of the game now works with the PC and Xbox One editions of the game. In fact, you can play the same world across all three platforms now. That includes stuff like downloadable content, extra stuff, and you can rent Minecraft servers now. Most of the apps on the list still work with the mobile version of the game at the very least. Otherwise, not too much has changed. You get the game for $6.99 and there are various in-game items that you can buy through the in-app purchases.
DOWNLOAD ON GOOGLE PLAY


Minecraft: Story Mode Season 1 and 2

Price: Free / $4.99 with in-app purchases
DOWNLOAD ON GOOGLE PLAY
Minecraft: Story Mode is by Telltale Games. It's not a traditional Minecraft app. Instead, it's an actual story line about the world of Minecraft. It's not necessarily canon, but the game is pretty fun. It's a point-and-click adventure game. You'll progress through the story by making decisions. Decisions impact the course of the game. There are two total games in the series. Each one has (or will have) five episodes. Minecraft: Season Two is still fairly new. You may need to check and see if new episodes have come out for it. Otherwise, these are excellent games in the world of Minecraft.
DOWNLOAD ON GOOGLE PLAY

Mod-Master for Minecraft PE

Price: Free / $0.99
DOWNLOAD ON GOOGLE PLAY
Mod-Master for Minecraft PE is another of the more powerful Minecraft apps. This one acts as an installer for your mods. It can install almost any add-on, mod, map, seed, server, and more. It can even create servers for you and your friends. The app also comes with information. You can find things like crafting recipes and additional info. It even has a variety of maps, including survival, adventure, parkour, and PvP maps. There are also texture packs. There is a lot here. It's a free download. You can get the pro version for $0.99 as an in-app purchase.
DOWNLOAD ON GOOGLE PLAY

Mods for Minecraft

Price: Free
DOWNLOAD ON GOOGLE PLAY
Mods for Minecraft is yet another of the Minecraft apps for modders. It boasts the ability to install a bunch of mods and add-ons. You can browse mods by search or by category. They should install on their own without too much of a hassle. The developer does note that you'll need BlockLauncher installed as well for things to go smoothly. Many players already have BlockLauncher installed and it's one of the better Minecraft apps as well. Anyway, this is good for what it does. It's also free to download and use as long as you don't mind a few ads.
DOWNLOAD ON GOOGLE PLAY
Mods for Minecraft

Multiplayer for Minecraft PE

Price: Free with in-app purchases
DOWNLOAD ON GOOGLE PLAY
Multiplayer for Minecraft PE is one of the must-try Minecraft apps. It's essentially a collection of servers. They are tailor made for people to join and then do battle. It features a few game modes. Some of them include classic slayer style, free for all, team play, and even a MOBA-style game type. Each server supports up to ten players. You can also make your own servers if needed. This is pretty much the best way to find people to play with. It's also really cool how they turned Minecraft into an online PvP game. It's free to download. It does have some in-app purchases, though.
DOWNLOAD ON GOOGLE PLAY

UTK.io for Minecraft PE

Price: Free
DOWNLOAD ON GOOGLE PLAY
UTK.io is one of the great Minecraft apps for texture pack fans. It can do more than texture packs. The app can also download maps, mods, and skins. However, the big feature for this one is the texture pack editor. You can modify almost any texture pack to look as you please. The editor is easy enough to use, although it will take a bit to get used to. It also comes with a skin creator, a texture pack creator, and an in-game tuner to tweak the actual game play mechanics. Things like the texture pack editor aren't super powerful. However, it's definitely stuff you don't see every day. The ads are also a little annoying.
DOWNLOAD ON GOOGLE PLAY
UTK.io for Minecraft PE

15 best Android browsers of 2018!

Web browsers are one of the most important apps on any device. Having the right features and performance while browsing the web can literally change your entire experience. Finding the right one can be difficult …

10 best sandbox games for Android

Sandbox games are a different kind of fun. Instead of focusing on linear game play mechanics and level design, sandbox games allow you to explore open worlds. You can interact with the entire game space, …

If we missed any great Minecraft apps, tell us about them in the comments! You can also click here to check out the latest Android app and game lists!



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LPDDR5, UFS 3.0 and SD Express: Next-gen memory explained

SD to microSD card

Memory technology may not be as instantly noticeable as a crisp new display or a faster processor, but it’s key for ensuring a smooth, stutter-free smartphone experience. The industry is pushing towards higher quality images and video, high-fidelity gaming, and machine learning. Memory bandwidth and capacity are under more strain than ever before.

Fortunately, new memory technologies are on the way to alleviate the strain. These include LPDDR5 RAM, UFS 3.0 internal storage, and SD Express portable memory cards. The general gist is that each of these standards will be faster than their predecessors, but let’s take a closer at the finer details and how each will help shape superior mobile experiences.

LPDDR5 RAM

RAM is an essential part of every computer, but smartphones are particularly sensitive to memory bandwidth because the CPU, GPU, and increasingly AI engines are all located on the same chip and share this memory pool. This is often a bottleneck in gaming, 4K video rendering, and other instances that require lots of reading and writing to memory.

We’re still waiting on the final specifications, but LPDDR5, just like its predecessors, is set to increase the amount of available bandwidth and improve energy efficiency once more. LPDDR5 bandwidth is expected to hit at least 6400 Mbps, doubling the 3200 Mbps that LPDDR4 shipped with. Although, subsequent revisions have seen LPDDR4 and 4X able to hit up to 4266 Mbps.

LPDDR5 evolution Synopsys

According to IC design company Synopsys, LPDDR5 introduces a dual differential clock system using a WCK clock similar to that found in fast GDDR5 graphics memory. Differential clocking increases the frequency without upping the pin count and these two clock implementations (WCK_t and WCK_c) allow for two different operating points at either double or quadruple the command/address clock. LPDDR5 will also support Link ECC functionality for Read and Write operations, allowing it to recover data from transmission errors or due to storage charge loss.

Better still, the standard is still focusing on energy efficiency — a key requirement for mobile products — with a lower operating voltage. Deep Sleep Mode is also implemented to reduce current by up to 40 percent when either in an idle or self-refresh state. Data Copy Low Power also reduces power by utilizing repeating data patterns for normal Write, Mask Write, and Read operations, so the higher performance point shouldn’t drain any more of our precious battery life.

We’re still waiting on manufacturers to announce their first LPDDR5 memory chips. Samsung murmured some plans to accelerate commercialization late last year and rumor suggests that production could start in the second half of 2018. Either way, we aren’t expecting to see our first phones boasting the technology until 2019 at the very earliest.

UFS 3.0 ROM

Fast storage is just as important as fast RAM these days, especially if you want to read and store high-resolution video or load up high-quality assets for AR and VR. UFS is quickly replacing eMMC as the memory standard of choice in smartphones. JDEC has already published the official UFS 3.0 specification for its next-gen memory, giving us a look at the performance and power improvements heading to future high-end mobile device storage.

The headline improvement is that speeds have doubled from UFS 2.0 found in some of today’s high-end devices. Each lane can handle up to 11.6 Gbps of data, up from 5.8 Gbps, which gives a peak transfer speed of a whopping 23.2 Gbps. That said, real speeds will be a bit lower than this theoretical maximum. Fortunately, all UFS 3.0-compatible devices are required to support HS-G4 (11.6 Gbps) and HS-G3 (5.8 Gbps), so they’ll definitely be faster than all versions of UFS 2.0.

The standard’s power consumption has changed too. There are now three power rails, 1.2V, 1.8V, and 2.5V/3.3V, and the introduction of 2.5V on the VCC line will help support upcoming higher density 3D NAND flash designs and lower power consumption. In other words, UFS 3.0 is designed to support larger storage sizes, which will be available with upcoming manufacturing techniques.

Just like LPDDR5, Samsung looks set to be one of the first to offer UFS 3.0 storage. Manufacturing for automotive applications has already begun, so a product suitable for smartphone use probably isn’t too far away either. The technology will likely hit the mainstream in 2019.

SD Express portable storage

Finally, we come to portable storage, a sought-after feature in smartphones for moving large media libraries between devices. The newly unveiled SD Express standard will likely replace future microSD cards, although fast UFS memory cards remain a possibility too. In a nutshell, SD Express boasts the fastest ever SD card speeds and support to use them as portable SSDs.

SD Express incorporates PCI Express and NVMe interfaces into the legacy SD interface, two common data bus standards found across the PC space. These interfaces will be supported on the second row of pins that are already used by highspeed UHS-II microSD cards on the market today.

Supporting PCI-E 3.0 with SD Express means peak throughput can hit a whopping 985MB/s, which is more than three times faster than UHS-II cards which top out at 312MB/s and even faster than UHS-III cards that support up to 624MB/s. Meanwhile, NVMe v1.3 is the industry standard used for solid state drives (SSDs), which means that upcoming SD cards will be able to serve as removable SSDs for plug and play access to large amounts of data, software, and even operating systems.

SDcard bus speed and storage SDcard

In addition to supporting higher speed memory interfaces, the maximum storage capacity of future microSD cards is set to increase from 2TB with SDXC to 128TB with the new SD Ultra-Capacity (SDUC) cards.

SD Express is backward compatible with existing microSD cards and ports, but you’ll be limited to the lower speeds. So a UHS-I device will be capped at 104MB/s, even with an SD Express card. Unfortunately, there are a few compatibility issues with newer card types too that will cap speeds, as a UHS-II or UHS-III card will revert to UHS-I speeds in an SD Express host because the pins are repurposed.

Wrap up

Memory improvements are heading our way across the board, catering for faster and higher capacity internal memory, RAM, and portable storage. At first, these latest technologies will command a premium, as usual, so we’ll certainly see them appear in flagship-tier smartphones first, before trickling down to more cost-effective price points the following year or so.

Each of these faster memory technologies will likely break through into flagship smartphones in 2019, although it’s possible we might see a phone or two adopt one of these features a little sooner than the pack. We’ll just have to sit tight until memory manufacturers announce the actual chips that will end up in products.



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Opinion – Stop Teasing Death Stranding And Show It Already

Since it was announced over two years ago at E3 2016, Death Stranding has been an intriguing conversation piece. Every industry event provides another opportunity for Sony and Kojima Productions to showcase the game, and each cryptic trailer sends gamers into a frenzy as they try to find and decipher clues about the content. That approach may energize fans when a game is revealed, but we are too far beyond that with Death Stranding. The mystery isn’t interesting anymore; the lack of information is frustrating, and enough is enough. The next time I see Death Stranding, I want a clear picture of what players actually do in the game, and how.

Before I go any further, let me clarify that my complaint has nothing to do with my perception of Death Stranding’s quality. In fact, I love director Hideo Kojima’s Metal Gear series, so I already know I’m going to play this one. Because of that, I still want to be surprised; I’m not looking for huge story spoilers, or a deep dive into every weapon or enemy type. All I want is something – anything – concrete to be excited about. I want to know about gameplay, systems, goals, and progression. Just enough so that I can imagine what a session with Death Stranding might be like – but we haven’t crossed that threshold yet.

Kojima Productions and Sony have been treating Death Stranding more like a Netflix series than a video game, with most of the major beats revolving around which celebrities have recently been confirmed as cast members. Beyond that, most of the currently available “details” are broad thematic or structural points extracted from trailers or hinted at by Kojima during interviews. It’s about connections. It’s open-world. It has a guy named Sam wandering around delivering stuff. It has some new approach to co-op, but it can be played single-player.

If you dig deeper, you can learn more, provided you don’t mind venturing into unconfirmed territory. You can watch the four big trailers and make some guesses about Death Stranding’s characters and world. Fans have dissected these and come up with some interesting theories, and while I enjoy reading them, they aren’t a firm foundation for building enthusiasm. We shouldn’t have to work that hard just to learn some basic information about a video game. We should be able to fuel our enthusiasm without jumping down an ARG-like rabbit hole.

This year’s E3 came the closest to being satisfying by showing what appeared to be gameplay footage. However, the lack of context around the actions still leaves the major questions unanswered. Why does Sam deliver stuff? Is the gameplay mainly walking (and climbing) around desolate swaths of land? What threats stand in your way, and how can you confront them? Do you need to fight? What tools are at your disposal? What are those robots following you for? Or, to simplify all of those into one simple question: If someone were to play this game for an hour, what kind of stuff would happen?

The mystery surrounding those basic questions seems more like a smokescreen with every new trailer. Do they lack substance because the game lacks substance? After two years, that’s a fair question. You might say, “But Kojima always teased stuff like this with Metal Gear!” And you’d be right, but the difference is that Metal Gear was established. Over many years and multiple entries, Kojima established particular signatures for that series, so players knew they could count on some basics. Regardless of what you saw in trailers, you could safely assume some degree of tactical espionage action. Though specific mechanics changed, the experience was familiar on some level. With new IP like Death Stranding, gamers don’t have that established franchise vocabulary to draw from, leaving them in territory with no landmarks.

Hideo Kojima is one of the industry’s most famous auteurs – like the David Lynch of the gaming world. Kojima’s reputation and following practically guarantee a level of interest from gamers, but that doesn’t make him infallible. Maybe he just enjoys messing with fans. That’s okay, but it doesn’t mean that withholding meaningful information is good for the audience or ultimately good for Death Stranding. That’s one problem with auteurs and the level of control they exercise: Sometimes you get something brilliant (like Twin Peaks season one), but sometimes you get something else (like Twin Peaks season three).

Am I still excited for Death Stranding? Yes. Am I less excited than when it was first announced? Yes, because the long parade of ambiguous trailers feels like Gob’s magic shows in Arrested Development. You can only stall by gyrating to “The Final Countdown” for so long before the audience expects to see an actual show.



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Help Me, Tom's Guide: Which TV Can I Use as a Gaming Monitor?

Want to use a TV as your gaming monitor? Here's what you need to know.

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Summer special: 2TB Degoo cloud storage for life

cloud storageToday’s deal from Degoo is simple but effective. All the highly-secure cloud storage space you’ll ever need. Forever.

I’m not a particularly organised person. I have files on my laptop hard-drive, a Dropbox account holding various other nonsense, and a load of photos and vids on my Google Drive from various holidays. It’s not a huge amount, but I’m running out of space. The security level of my laptop, both from hackers and from the risk of a rogue splash of coffee, is questionable. Sound familiar?

Degoo cloud storage is the logical solution for me. With an enormous 2TB space I could, and should, move all of the above into this one place, safe from beverage attacks. Thanks to the Ultra secure 256-bit AES encryption on the cloud storage, it would also be safe from hackers and viruses too.

degoo cloud storage

The deal we’re spotlighting today is for the Degoo Premium service, which offers high speed transfers, and automatic backup of files when they’re added or edited. It’s the full package.

Right now you can get this 2TB lifetime storage for just $59.99. That’s a one-off payment and a chunky 95% discount. To put that in even more context, 2TB storage on iCloud is around $10 per month, so after six months with Degoo you’re already winning.

15 million people already trust their files to Degoo. Secure your stuff by hitting the button below before the offer ends.

The AAPicks team writes about things we think you’ll like, and we may see a share of revenue from any purchases made through affiliate links. To see all our hottest deals, head over to the AAPICKS HUB.


Looking for a new phone or plan? Start here with the Android Authority Plan Tool:

This smart tool lets you filter plans by phone, price, data tiers, and regional availability. Stop overpaying for cell service you hate and a phone that you’re tired of. Use our Compare Phones & Plans tool to fully customize your mobile experience and painlessly transition from one carrier to another!


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Here are the 10 most sold phones of all time — you’re in for a surprise

The 10 most sold phones of all time are likely not the ones you think. Samsung’s Galaxy S and Note series didn’t make the cut, and nor did any other Android handset. The list is dominated by Nokia feature phones, also including older devices from Samsung, Motorola, and Apple. You can check out the full list below, which was created with the help of data compiled by The Telegraph and various other sources.

10. Motorola Razr V3 — 130+ million units sold

most sold phonesThe Motorola Razr V3 was an icon of its time. The device’s gorgeous design stood out from the crowd and made it one of the most successful phones ever. Not only is it the 10th most sold phone of all time, it’s also the highest selling flip phone ever. The Razr V3 can’t compare with today’s handsets in specs, but it was among the best around back in the day.


9. Nokia 2600 — 135+ million units sold

most sold phones

Released in 2004, the Nokia 2600 didn’t offer much — at least not by today’s standards. It was a simple device with the sturdy body Nokia devices were known for and small 1.5-inch display. It didn’t feature a camera, Bluetooth connectivity, or any other fancy features. But it did have great battery life and an affordable price tag that made it popular among many.


8. Samsung E1100 — 150+ million units sold

most sold phones

Like the Nokia 2600, the Samsung E1100 had a sturdy body and offered great battery life — 13 days on standby. It debuted in 2009 and became a success due to its affordable price and worldwide availability. The device featured a 1.52-inch display, 1MB of internal storage (that’s not a typo), and a built-in flashlight for finding stuff in the dark.


7. Nokia 5230 — 150+ million units sold

most sold phones

The Nokia 5230 was an entry-level smartphone with a 3.2-inch touchscreen, the Symbian operating system, and 3G connectivity. It also had a GPS chip, a 2MP camera, and 128MB of RAM. The device couldn’t connect to a Wi-Fi network, but that didn’t seem to bother people in 2009.

Read next: Nokia showdown: Nokia 7 Plus vs Nokia 8 Sirocco


6. Nokia 6600 — 150+ million units sold

most sold phonesThis phone’s quirky design made it special. Just look at it. It’s one of those things you either love or hate. Most people seemed to love it, considering it sold over 150 million units across the globe. The Nokia 6600 was a high-end model when it came out in 2003, offering a 2.1-inch display, a basic camera, and an 850mAh battery. It was quite expensive, retailing for around 600 euros (~$695).


5. Nokia 1200 — 150+ million units sold

most sold phones

The biggest feature of the Nokia 1200 was its battery life — seven hour of talk time and 390 hours on standby. It also had a flashlight you could turn on by long-pressing the scroll up key. Other than that, the phone wasn’t really all that exciting — it was just well built and well priced. That, plus the fact you could get it just about anywhere, made the Nokia 1200 one of the most popular phones in the world with over 150 million units sold.


4. Nokia 3210 — 150+ million units sold

Motoring Research

The Nokia 3210 is super old. It launched in 1999, when phones were only used for making calls and sending texts. The handset became a massive success due to its robust body, many color options, attractive look, and the Nokia logo up front, among other reasons. Its best feature was the Snake game, which kept people glued to their screens for hours on end.

Read next: Best Android Wear watches


3. iPhone 6 and 6 Plus — 220+ million units sold

most sold phones

Released in 2014, the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus are the newest phones on this list. They can’t compare with the latest iOS or Android devices in terms of specs, but they offer way more than the other 9 most sold handsets of all time. One of the reasons for their success was their upgraded 4.7- and 5.5-inch displays, up from the iPhone 5s’ 4-inch screen. The iPhone 6 was three-times more popular than its bigger brother in the first few months of availability, likely due to its lower price tag.


2. Nokia 1110 — 250+ million units sold

most sold phones

This compact phone only offered the basics. It didn’t have a camera, a color display, or a fancy design like the Nokia N70 and many other devices also released in 2005. Still, it outsold just about everyone, mainly due to its global availability and affordable price. It was a great handset for those who only wanted to make calls, send texts, and play Snake every now and then.


1. Nokia 1100 — 250+ million units sold

most sold phones

The most sold model of all time is the Nokia 1100, a basic phone that debuted in 2003. It had a simple, curvy design that appealed to many, a small monochrome display, and a flashlight on top. It stuck to the same formula that made all the other Nokia feature phones popular, offering a solid build quality, an attractive design, and an affordable price tag. Nokia’s vast distribution network also brought the device to loads of markets across the globe, which played a big part in its success.

Read next: Here are 5 best phones for all you notch haters out there


There you have it, folks. These are the 10 most sold phones to date. Any thoughts or comments? Leave them down below — I always love hearing from you guys.

Also, let me know if you’d like to see a list revealing the top 10 most sold Android phones of all time. I’ll make it happen if there’s enough interest.



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When Is Your Kid Old Enough for a Smartphone?

Your child may be demanding a smartphone, but is he or she ready for that responsibility? Here's what you should consider when deciding whether your child should have a phone.

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