Google labels apps that rely on ads, Amazon adds 2FA, Twitter starts testing bigger and longer polls, Push Me Pull You is bound to cause arguments, and a reason not to buy Star Wars Battlefront.
Google looks set to start labeling apps which contain advertising, making it clear from the start which apps rely on advertising to make money. Google has already instituted this on family-friendly apps, but it’s now being expanded to cover all apps available on Google Play.
Google Play to require all ad-supported apps to be properly labeled as such by January 2016. I think that’s a good development. #adawareness
— Daniel Aleksandersen (@Aeyoun) November 18, 2015
According to Droid Life, the “ad-supported” label will appear early next year. App developers have until January 11th, 2016 to declare whether their apps contain ads of any kind. The email that developers are currently receiving about the issue explains things more clearly:
“At Google I/O, we launched “ad-supported” labels for apps in the Designed for Families program. Today, we’re announcing the expansion of this program to all apps on Google Play. Early next year, users will start to see the “Ads” label on apps that contain advertising, both inside and outside Designed for Families.”
This makes perfect sense, because users deserve to know what they’re going to be getting when they install an app. Most developers either charge upfront, offer in-app purchases, display ads, or do a combination of the three in order to make money. Informing people which is these applies before they even download an app seems fair enough.
Amazon has finally added two-factor authentication (2FA), which should help secure your account against hackers. Which, seeing as most people have a credit card or debit card permanently attached to their Amazon account, is long overdue. According to Engadget, Amazon tested 2FA in a private beta, and is now rolling it out to the masses.
#Amazon #2FA is very realistic You have to run to pick up your phone & if you don't enter the code in 30 seconds, they fire you #insideJoke
— Paul Moore (@Paul_Reviews) October 30, 2015
To enable two-factor authentication on Amazon, just head to Your Account, select Change Account Settings, click Edit under Advanced Security Settings. You can now “Get Started” with what Amazon is calling Two-Step Verification.
Two-factor authentication is supported by an increasing number of services, including Facebook, Twitter, Microsoft, Google, and Apple. So it really was about time Amazon started offering it.
Twitter is reported to be testing expanding its new Polls feature to include more choices and more time to vote. As is stands, Twitter Polls can only offer two choices and run for 24 hours. However, according to The Next Web, this could soon be four choices and a whole week of voting.
TechCrunch has unearthed various examples of these extended polls being tested in the wild, which suggests Twitter is at least considering adding more options. In the meantime you should read our guide to Twitter Polls before asking some questions of your own. They can be as serious or as ludicrous as you like… it’s only Twitter!
Push Me Pull You is a new game set to launch on the PlayStation 4 next year, and it’s fair to say it’s just a little bizarre. The Push Me Pull You is a fictional creature which has two heads, one each end of its body. And this title uses that as its core gameplay mechanic.
This is a local multiplayer game which sees players have to work cooperatively to win a game not dissimilar to soccer. We can see it causing arguments aplenty as couples fail to agree on tactics. So, Push Me Pull You may be one for drunken nights in with friends rather than bonding with your significant other.
And finally, Star Wars Battlefront, the reboot of the Battlefront series of video games, is out now. But should you buy it? The reviewers can’t make their minds up, but a lack of content is the one thing dragging the score down. A lack of content fixed by the $50 season pass!
Yep, Electronic Arts wants you to pay $60 for the new Star Wars game and then drop an extra $50 on the DLC (downloadable content). Because a long time ago, in a galaxy far far away, such shitty tactics are fair. But not here. On Earth. In 2015. [H/T Reddit]
Do you mind seeing ads when using apps? Will you be employing two-factor authentication on Amazon? Do you a) love b) hate c) like or d) dislike Twitter’s new Polls? Is Push Me Pull You the strangest game you have ever seen? Will you be buying Star Wars Battlefront?
Let us know your thoughts on the Tech News of the day by posting to the comments section below. Because a healthy discussion is always welcome.
Image Credits: Travis Wise via Flickr
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