The Facebook Home app hasn’t had a solid start, but Zuckerberg and his team certainly scored by being the first social network to take over Android handsets. Twitter, on the other hand, seems focused on Google’s promise for the future, the search giant’s Glass.

Earlier, a twitter user by name of Shivster Muddler tweeted a picture (posted below) of a lemon tree. The message, which has been uploaded via “Twitter for Glass”, said “just shared a photo #throughglass”.

This guy could have been testing a new Twitter app for Google Glass. Of course this could have been made up, though it’s not nonsense to believe that the app is in the works especially since venture capitalist John Doerr hinted earlier that Twitter is working on one.

So we might see a new Twitter app for Google’s high tech specs, which may or may not be the next big thing. What other apps would you like to see on the Glass when it reaches your hands? Wanna play Angry Birds with you pupil? Hopefully, the device will allow you to do more than just launching the apps.

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You know the old saying, time flies when you are attacking structures built by pigs– or something like that.

Can you believe it has truly been three years already since Angry Birds first hit the scene? In that time we’ve seen quite a few special editions, including the recent Angry Birds Star Wars.

To celebrate their third year of flinging fun, Rovio is celebrating their “happy birdday” by releasing 30 new levels for Angry Birds. The app has also now been updated to version 3.0.0 (coincidence? I think not).

The new levels include a big “birday cake” and two new themes. 15 of the levels are about the birthday theme, the other 15 are themed after the other Angry Birds spin-off, Bad Piggies.

So if you are ready to get in on a bunch of new levels for the iconic mobile game, this is your chance. So happy “birdday”, Rovio and Angry Birds. Here’s to another three years of revenge against those bad piggies!

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This isn’t an app for your iPhone or Android tablet. Instead, this version of Angry Birds is much more like a traditional board game with real life pieces. It’s based on the best-selling app, of course, but it has been licensed by Mattel to let you fling real (plastic) birds to destroy the structures erected by real (plastic) pigs. I’m not sure you can replicate the zero gravity environment of space, but you even get a space helmet in the package.

I guess there is something to be said about using a real slingshot instead of simply swiping your finger across a touchscreen. It also helps that you can physically build the pigs’ protective structures, which should tap into the appeal of toys like LEGO and generic building blocks. Also included in the pack are 32 space mission cards and 8 points cards. The game can be played by 2-4 people.

The regular price for Angry Birds: Birds in Space is $21.99, but Amazon has it on sale for $8. That’s 65% off the list price and a pretty decent deal. Get it in time for the holidays and the kids will have a blast after turkey dinner at grandma’s.

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Looking to get the most out of your Angry Birds Star Wars experience? A new update has now gone live that includes 20 new levels set on planet Hoth.

The new levels not only introduce icy planet action and AT&T walkers, the Princess Leia bird character is now a playable character as well. Leia adds a new ability, which shoots targeted pink lasers somewhat like Han Solo but hers spread outwards and can hit two targets at once.

So what do you have made your way through all 20 levels? Patiently wait for the 10 more that are currently marked as “coming soon”, that’s what. For those that need the reminder, Angry Birds Star Wars is available on a huge variety of platforms including iDevices, PC, Mac, Android, Windows Phone 8, and Windows 8/RT. Some of these platforms offer free basic versions, others will set you back a little. You can also check out our review if you aren’t sure if you want to put up the cash to snag a copy.

For those that already have the game, have you updated yet? What do you think of the new expanded levels?

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Angry Birds is no doubt the most popular game on smartphone markets today, and as the franchise has progressed, some games and remakes have made the series feel a little stale. However, Angry Birds Star Wars has produced a refreshing breath of air onto the Angry Birds line of games and playing it feels like playing Angry Birds for the first time all over again.

The Birds

If you’ve never played an Angry Birds game before, I’ll give you a quick introduction: In Angry Birds you are given a set of birds at the start of the game which can be fired at different enemies on the other side of the screen. Different Birds have different powers, so the game requires tactics and good thinking to take out all the bad guys before running out of birds to fire.

For those that have already played it (most of you, I hope.) Angry Birds Star Wars is still the same old concept as before, but they have renovated some areas, and it’s made for a completely new experience. Each Bird now portrays a Star Wars cameo, and with each Star Wars Bird there comes an ability that is unique to that Star Wars character in the movie. Most of the abilities are completely new in regards to previous Angry Birds games, and thanks to Star Wars these abilities actually make sense when playing.

I won’t go into too much detail about what characters do what, as you can all find that out for yourself, but as an example, Han Solo has a blaster ability that can shoot once he’s left the catapult. The Han Solo bird is based off of the yellow bird, and the blaster follows a similar rule to the speed boost of the yellow bird, as the blaster bullets will go in the direction of where you tap on the screen. However, Han Solo will keep flying through the sky, making it useful for tricky situations where you’re needed to divert your fire. Blaster bullets can also bounce off of metallic objects, and this here alone opens up a huge range of possibilities for new maps and level mechanics.

The Levels

There’s moments in Angry Birds Star Wars where I’ve been astonished at the clever level designs and the intricate detail to different mechanics within each level. Unlike previous games, the levels don’t just feel like a bunch of towers stuck to different scenery. All the scenery in AB: Star Wars work together to create a whole level that just would not work if you were to take a small piece of scenery out of the level. Angry Birds Star Wars also includes a lot more levels with moveable hinges and other mechanics such as Storm trooper pigs that fire back at the birds. It doesn’t just take a well-placed tap of the screen anymore; Star Wars encourages players to think about their movements carefully, whilst timing them up to achieve the biggest potential.

I quickly skimmed through a lot of the levels and found myself constantly hitting one or two stars, and this is because the levels have been planned out well enough that only the most well thought out plans will award the players with a full three star rating. There’s also a lot less of a need to worry about misplaced shots or super accurate aiming on this game either, and although I haven’t played through every single level yet, I haven’t once come across a level where I needed to waste a lengthy time to aim up a perfect shot.

Each level also caters well to the birds you’ve been handed, and each bird has their own weaknesses and strengths against different elements within the level.

Gimmicks, Cutscenes, Game Progress and Unlockable Levels

One of the major things about the Angry Birds series that I have loved is the huge amount of content within the game. Some of it is available right away, but most of it takes skill and a well-trained eye to unlock. Star Wars Angry Birds follows this fashion and includes golden eggs that unlock bonus levels just like previous games. I’ve come across a few golden eggs, and they’re pretty difficult to reach! From the menu, you can see the different pigs and birds you’ve seen in the game, whilst all the others yet to be seen are blacked out. This screen isn’t really anything special, but it feels nice to watch our progress by keeping an eye on this screen.

There are a lot of levels available in the free version, however some need to be paid for. The price is only $1.99 to unlock all of the levels, which is incredibly reasonable in my opinion.

There is also one item that can be bought with in-app purchases, and that’s the Millennium Falcon. The Millennium Falcon basically destroys everything in its path with a high-powered super-cannon, and although it’s useful for getting past difficult levels, it’s not really worth buying any with in-game cash because you will unlock Millennium Falcon uses by earning stars whilst playing. The Millennium Falcon is a bit game-breaking, and it seems a little pointless to spend money on something that completes the game for you.

I would find it much more appealing if pay-to-receive content included cool costumes for the birds or crazy effects in the game that don’t take too much from the basic gameplay experience.

Graphics and Sound

If you’re an avid Star Wars fan you’re going to love this one; AB: Star Wars incorporates a lot of authentic sounds from the Star Wars movies, and although the game is cartoony and unrealistic, it still captures the essence from the original Star Wars trilogy. The different pig and bird models are very playful, and once again Rovio have done a wicked job at capturing all that is Star Wars in their new Angry Birds game. If you’re not into Star Wars, the new Angry Birds still feels like an Angry Birds game, and even with the different sound effects and graphics, the basis of the game is still of an Angry Birds origin.

The graphics quality has been improved a whole lot from the first game, and the different scenery and backdrops are very unique and well stylized. For a 2D game like Angry Birds, Rovio have pushed the graphics content to the limit.

Summary:

Pros:

• Lots of new Angry Birds abilities
• A lot of variation in levels
• Authentic Star Wars sounds and characters
• Level designs work superbly with the new birds

Cons:

• Pay-for content a little pointless
• Adverts on menus
• Not as easy as previous Angry Birds games

Download Angry Birds Star Wars:

• On iOS
• On Google Play
• Windows 8
• Windows Phone 8

The post Angry Birds Star Wars Review appeared first on Mobile Magazine.

So it’s been about a month since Rovio gave us a hint about their new Angry Birds-Star Wars mashup, and today they have now announced a release date for the new sci-fi themed Angry Birds game.

Rovio has released a trickle of less-than-one-minute trailers to show us different Star Wars characters in bird form, then show off the new birds in action. The three trailers so far show Luke skywalker, Princess Leia, C-3P0, R2-D2, Han Solo and Chewbacca being catapulted across different Star Wars themed levels.

When I first heard about the Angry Birds and Star Wars crossover, I was already quite bored of the Angry Birds franchise, and I wasn’t expecting that much new from the Star Wars version either. However, the trailer has shown that Rovio has managed to pack in all the features from their previous games into one single experience, with new backgrounds, birds, pigs and scenery, all snazzed up in an iconic Star Wars style.

The new Angry Birds title will include average ‘on-earth’ levels as well as levels in space, with each bird having their own special ability that reflects their character; Luke Skywalker can slash his lightsaber at oncoming objects, and Chewbacca can smash through large objects due to his heavy weight.

Angry Birds Star Wars follows a trend of Rovio birdifying real life characters or people, after their Angry Birds Green Day game on Facebook, and a Freddie Mercury Angry Birds themed video. If you’ve enjoyed previous Angry Birds games, then Angry Birds Star Wars will be a refreshing experience. The game will be available to download on November 8^th, and you can watch the three trailers below.

[Source]

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Apparently the Angry Birds are getting their force powers on. A new mash-up between Star Wars and Angry Birds is apparently in the works. An Angry Birds Tumblr page was the first hint of the unique combination of two very different worlds.

Here was what was said via Tumblr:

Welcome to the Angry Birds Tumblr page. Over the next few weeks we’ll have behind-the-scenes content, animations, comics, and much, much more. But what will this all be about exactly?! Here’s a clue…

After that it followed with the picture we have posted above. It also lists a time, date and location. The mash-up starts at Toys R Us in Times Square on October 8th at 10am. From the sounds of it, there will be games, toys and all sorts of Star Wars Angry Bird stuff.

How do you get Star Wars out of the image above, you ask? Well… the hood, maybe? That’s not what fully gave it away. Instead Rovio later tweeted the picture with a lightsaber in hand (seen below). Is this that surprising? Not really. Rovio has already worked with movies and media like the movie Rio, and Star Wars has done spin-off stuff with Legos.

If a game follows, will it be any good? Who knows. What do you think?

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Sick of all the attention those angry birdies get? What about the pigs, what’s their story? In the newly released “Bad Piggies” we get a chance to catch up with the ‘villians’ of the series and play from their point of view for a change.

The new spin-off is the first true ‘sequel’ to Angry Birds, as all the others are minor revisions with the same bird-throwing mechanics. What’s this game about? Basically you must built contraptions and make it through the stages in order to steal those eggs from the Angry Birds. The new game has 60 levels, 30 additional puzzles, 4 sandbox levels and 33 objects to create the ultimate machines.

The game is supposed to be available at the AppStore at a discounted price of $.99- but it currently seems to be listed for more, so perhaps I’m missing something? For Android users, the game seems to be free, at least for now, via Google Play. What do you think of “Bad Piggies”, a worthy successor to the Angry Birds games or not?

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High-end specs usually come at a high-end price, but it looks like you can circumvent that problem by going with a less recognized brand. Case in point is the newly announced Xiaomi Phone 2, an Android Jelly Bean smartphone boasting a 4.3-inch 720p IPS display and Snapdragon S4 Pro quad core processor. The thing is that it sells for just $310 outright. That’s about half the price as a Galaxy S III or new iPhone.

Even though Xiaomi may not be a household name, the Xiaomi Phone 2 comes packed with some respectable names inside. As mentioned, the processor is courtesy of Qualcomm. And you know that IPS display? It’s a Sharp panel. You also get an impressive 2GB of RAM to go along with the fairly standard 16GB of storage capacity. The rear camera is a bright and wide 27mm F/2.0 8MP shooter, whereas the front-facing camera is a 28mm 2MP unit.

Android Jelly Bean has been overlaid with Xiaomi’s MIUI ROM, which adds such features as enhanced security, phone finder, a Chinese voice assistant (Siri’s Android-flavored Chinese cousin?), 5GB of cloud storage and interactive themes. It looks like one of these themes, based on the images provided, is “inspired” by Angry Birds.

The Xiaomi Phone 2 is set to launch with China Unicom and China Telecom in October for an outright price of about $310, though they’ll likely offer subsidized pricing on contract too. The interesting thing is that while this won’t be made officially available in North America, the Xiaomi Phone 2 does support WCDMA 850/1900/2100, so it should work with AT&T if you unlock it. If you’re willing to go through the import process and chance it with an unrecognized Chinese brand, this phone looks like it’s quite the beast for a pretty amazing price.

[Source]

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Consider other popular mobile games like Words with Friends and Draw Something. Both of them have a social element where you are actively playing with another human being. Yes, there were leaderboards in Angry Birds before, but it’s just not the same. So, what’s new with the “Friends” update to Angry Birds?

No, you don’t get Chandler and Joey, but you do get weekly tournaments. Every week, you can compete with your friends on four different levels. This aids in the social competition aspect and you earn gold, silver and bronze trophies to keep each week. The added bonus is that you get those four extra levels every week too, instead of having to wait for another Seasons update or a new Angry Birds game altogether. Tournament mode also reveals power-up bundles for winners and participants.

It’s not quite as “out there” as Angry Birds Space, but at least Rovio is doing something to keep the franchise fresh.

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