Couple accused of literally selling their kids into slavery so they could buy more in-app purchases
We’ve seen some serious gaming addictions before, but this one might be the most extreme case we’ve ever heard of. GamesInAsia has translated a report from Games.sina.com.cn that describes how an unmarried couple in China has been accused of selling their children to human traffickers because they were worried that raising their children would give them less money to spend on in-app purchases in mobile games.
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Does Apple have a ‘zombie app’ problem?
While Apple is celebrating six years of App Store action with more than 75 billion app downloads served and over $15 billion paid to developers so far, a new report from app analytics company Adjust says that 80% of apps available in the App Store are “zombie apps,” or apps that aren’t easily discoverable by the users.
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Kim Kardashian shocks the app market
There are few things as despised as celebrity apps. Vanity apps are largely viewed as shameful sidekicks of the app market – expensive productions that may make a few bucks for the app vendor, but practically never bring in real revenue. But in July 2014, Kim Kardashian changed the game. Her new app is so popular that it has boosted the share price of Glu Mobile by 50% since June, adding more than $100 million to its market cap.
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This is Samsung’s beastly new Exynos processor for smartphones and tablets
Samsung on Thursday unveiled a next-gen mobile system-on-chip (SoC) – as previously teased – that could equip future generations of Galaxy Android smartphones and tablets. Called Exynos ModAP, the new SoC integrates a quad-core application processor, an integrated LTE modem and an advanced image signal processor.
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DEAL ALERT: You can get Grand Theft Auto 5 for 50% off if you act RIGHT NOW
If you were holding off on buying Grand Theft Auto V until it got a steep price cut, then now’s your time to act — literally, right now, or at least before the end of the day. Xbox Live programming director Larry Hryb informs us that Grand Theft Auto V will be 50% off until the end of the day on Friday as part of a one-day sale that includes several other great Xbox 360 games. In addition to GTA 5, you can also get 58% off Need for Speed Rivals, 70% off Crysis 3, 60% off Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning, 83% off Ninja Gaiden 2 and 75% off Bastion. Rockstar’s smash-hit game is definitely the crown jewel in the sale, however, especially now that Lindsay Lohan has sued the game’s developers for creating a despicable character that she says is exactly like her.
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How Amazon is trolling the French government
The French government has successfully passed an “anti-Amazon” law that prevents booksellers, mainly Amazon, from offering 5% discounts on books and free shipping, The Wall Street Journal reports. The law, meant to protect local bookstores from the giant retail store, isn’t necessarily scaring Amazon, which has already found a clever way of trolling the government — it’s now chargin €0.01 for shipping in the region.
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LEAK: Crucial details about the iPhone 6’s A8 processor revealed
Apple’s 2014 iPhones are expected to come equipped with a new 64-bit A8 system-on-chip (SoC), with CNBeta having learned that the iPhone 6’s A8 processor will still be a dual-core model like the A7, but it’ll be clocked at a higher frequency.
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More than 20 awesome iPhone tricks you’ve probably never heard of
If there’s one thing you can always teach an old iPhone user, it’s new tricks. And thankfully, both CNET and Wiki Pac have both just put together big lists of some awesome iPhone tricks and features that you may not even realize exist.
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Ditching the Kinect requirement is boosting Xbox One sales
Although Microsoft still has plenty of catching up to do in the coming months, the Xbox One is finally seeing a jolt in sales after the removal of Kinect and subsequent $100 price drop. At a talk attended by TrustedReviews, Xbox UK Marketing Director Harvey Eagle claimed the company is pleased by the improvement.
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iPhone 6 is already causing problems for Apple’s rivals – and it doesn’t even exist yet
We’ve read a number of analyses that paint a troubling picture for Apple’s rivals following the launch of its next-generation iPhone 6 smartphone and “iPhone Air” phablet. In a nutshell, industry watchers see a rocky road ahead for Android phone vendors as pent-up demand for larger iPhone models sends millions upon millions of smartphone buyers headed in Apple’s direction. According to a new report, however, the iPhone 6 is already causing some serious headaches for rival smartphone makers despite the fact that it won’t even exit for another couple of months.
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