As a rule, rogue Android apps don't last long on Google Play -- either Google catches them quickly, or enough people complain that something gets done. That doesn't appear to have happened with a recent batch of apps, though. Antivirus developer Avast has noticed that multiple titles, including some with millions of downloads, have been harboring a sneaky form of adware that tries to fool you into either paying for content or violating your privacy. The apps will often work normally for days, but eventually pester you with ads warning about non-existent updates and viruses every time you unlock your phone. If you're tempted enough to tap one of the ads, you're steered to far more dangerous content that may send premium text messages (without asking, naturally), harvest personal info or otherwise compromise your device.

Read the Full Story 0 Comments Share

You could easily argue that many attempts at modernizing the toothbrush are overkill -- motion tracking and smartphone tie-ins are a bit much for cleaning that should only take a couple of minutes if you're doing it right. Quip (no, not that Quip) thinks there's a better solution. Its newly unveiled combination of a toothbrush and subscription service is just smart enough to keep your teeth in pristine shape. The electric brush's only proper trick is a vibrating handle that stops when it's time to scrub another section of your mouth. The real cleverness comes through the low-cost subscription model: you pay $25 to $40 for a starter kit ($5 to $20 for a non-electric brush) and $10 every three months for both new bristles and two tubes of toothpaste. It's decidedly cheaper than Goodwell's recently unveiled subscription model ($69 before the plan kicks in), and you can buy things piecemeal if you're not down with regular payments.

Read the Full Story 0 Comments Share

If you're into collecting limited-edition sneakers, Adidas has a new app that'll employ your phone to help nab new shoes. The Adidas Confirmed allows you to reserve new designs as they become available -- but It only works in New York City, for now. Push notifications will alert you when the reservation window is open, so you can nail down sizing and the pickup details. This only secures a pair of the rare kicks, and the actual exchange of funds takes place at the pre-determined retail location. The app's arrival comes before the highly-anticipated release of the next Yeezy shoe designed by Kanye West. Those familiar with the sneaker buzz know Nike's first two installments were snatched up in seconds, so best of luck grabbing some when the new version is finally revealed.

0 Comments Share

There is no end. A new beginning starts today: "Joystiq X Engadget" is the temporary name for a long-term home. A new place to laugh along with us on Twitch streams; a new place to commiserate when all the games are broken; a new place to celebrate when an unexpected jewel shines through the din of hype. A new place, yes, but a new place full of familiar faces.

Hi, I'm Ben Gilbert, and I used to work at Joystiq. Maybe you heard me on the Joystiq Podcast, or read my work on the site? It's been a few years, but I've been heading up gaming coverage at Engadget in the meantime. To my virtual left is Joystiq senior reporter Jess Conditt, who's joining me at the helm of this new venture. We are the continuation of Joystiq -- its new beginning -- if not in name, certainly in spirit and drive.

Read the Full Story 0 Comments Share

Here's something different: disposable batteries that could help reduce the mountains of e-waste that people create every day. Energizer has unveiled EcoAdvanced, the first high-performance alkaline battery to be made partly from recycled cells. About 4 percent of the new power pack comes from old batteries turned into an "active ingredient" (Energizer is keeping this hush-hush), giving you a long-lasting energy source without having to lean quite so much on fresh material.

Read the Full Story 0 Comments Share

If you want your smartphone to last longer without carrying flammable gas in your pocket, there may possibly, conceivably be new battery tech coming soon (maybe). Yep, we're skeptical after many a disappointing "breakthrough," but an MIT spinoff company called SolidEnergy claims it has developed a new type of lithium-ion battery that can store more energy and still survive hundreds of charging cycles. It resorted to a method that's been tried before: replacing the usual graphite electrodes with lithium metal. Previous attempts failed, however, because such electrodes react with the battery's electrolyte, forming "dendrites" that cause tiny problems like explosions.

Read the Full Story 0 Comments Share

You've probably heard no end of hype for 4K video on TVs and computers, and now it's about to invade your phone... at least, so long as ARM has its way. The company just took the wraps off of Cortex-A72, a processor reference design that promises a huge boost to computing power, especially when graphics come into play. Thanks to updates that include optimizations for an efficient 16-nanometer chipmaking process, 30 percent more memory performance and an 80 percent speedier graphics core (the Mali-T880), the A72 is about 3.5 times more powerful than ARM's earlier Cortex-A15. That's beefy enough to record 4K video at an extra-smooth 120 frames per second -- many current smartphones only manage 30FPS at best. You should get "console-class" gaming, too, and there's a promise of Google Now-style natural voice commands that don't depend on a distant server to interpret what you're saying.

Read the Full Story 0 Comments Share

A bill that would've effectively ended the US government's current mass phone surveillance program was killed by the Senate back in November. But today, President Obama announced his own limits on the NSA's monitoring of foreigners. The agency will only be able to keep info it collects through electronic surveillance of non-citizens that doesn't pertain to national security for five years. Of course, the director of national security can grant an extension if circumstances warrant one. What's more, gag orders on the FBI's national security letters seeking information from companies will now expire after three years, but again, extensions are an option should the need arise.

Read the Full Story 0 Comments Share

So Club Nintendo is closing down in just a few months, and you've got a huge stockpile of Coins. What's a gamer to do? Well, Nintendo is helping members of its soon-to-be-dead loyalty program spend their accrued currency by adding 117 Wii U, 3DS and Wii titles to the rewards catalog. Pricing varies drastically between games, starting at 150 Coins for Super Mario Land and other 3DS virtual console titles and ranging all the way up to 850 Coins for Wii Party U. There are some seriously great games to be had in the promotion, which runs through June 30th. You can browse all the titles on offer over at Club Nintendo.

0 Comments Share