Benefits of an Android TV Box

Benefits of an Android TV Box

The Android TV box is a useful piece of kit that connects to the TV via the HDMI port to offer most of the features of Android. This type of set up is very flexible and easily connects to most TVs with the right port and is a lot cheaper than a smart TV. Here are a few of the benefits of using the Android TV box:

Endless apps

One of the most appreciated benefits is the ability to use and install the endless apps that are now available on the Android operating system. By visiting the Google Play store using the internet connection, it is possible to install the latest apps related to not only multimedia content, but also audio editing applications, games, books, magazines, sending email, or signing into social media accounts, such as Facebook and Twitter.

TV support

By connecting the Android TV box to the TV at home via the internet; it is also possible to connect to other devices in the home, such as those that make use of technologies like Airplay, Miracast, DLNA, or others that function with Android. This makes it very flexible to share various types of multimedia with the TV. For instance, it is possible for an Android compatible tablet or smartphone to interact and control the TV while also giving the option to share files with a laptop or even watch a downloaded series or a movie on the large screen. Overall, this type of setup gives a simple gateway to get the internet on the TV.

Great price

The cost of upgrading a standard TV to benefit from all the possibilities of Android is relatively cheap compared to buying a smart TV. Plus, the combined standard TV and Android TV box can offer a lot more than a standard smart TV.

Regular updates

The Android operating system is updated on a regular basis, which means the latest version of a game, application, or system is always available. Plus, this is usually done automatically so there is no need to keep searching for updates when logged into the app store. This is significantly more convenient than a smart TV which can take a while to receive updates, especially when every brand of TV needs to have its own update created and released.

All in all, the Android TV Box makes it possible to enjoy the connectivity and versatility of Android on a standard TV set up.

What Are The Essentials Of Mobile Game Development?

What Are The Essentials Of Mobile Game Development?

The high inclation of the next generation towards mobile and game app has raised immense opportunity which entrepreneurs are perfectly tapping, and the new game apps are launched in the market daily.

The mobile game development has gone mainstream with the unpractedented success of some of the games like-candy crush saga, angry birds, the clash of clans, and dragons. The apps are not just catching more eyeballs, while it has become a lucrative business that's generating a million dollars in revenue.

The winning outcomes are not because the businesses have realized the tremendous potential, but the range of mobile game development tools has also made the equal contribution. The advanced tools have shortened the learning curve and made the game development a breeze.

Still, the story is not over.

The reason is if you have come up with a great game app idea, and hired the best mobile game developers team to shape the app idea into reality, your app does not mean high score on target audience and top the app store charts. To make the excellent game app, there are a few suggestions, game engines and principles in regards to game development that you should consider.

If you feel the urge to create an amazing game experience through a unique game application, stay focused till the end:

(1) Be choosy for the game genre

Over the last decade, the game app industry has evolved and the wide spectrum of games of various genres like-puzzle, scary, casino, racing, card, education, celebrity and pretty more are built. Beside, the game apps are developed using different technologies like-virtual reality and augmented reality to introduce uniqueness in the app.

So, at first decide what's the genre of the game app you are about to build and then find out the challenges to face when the app development begin. Try to build the game of the genre that's highly in demand in the market that inch the app closer to success. Also, it gives a rough idea of ​​how much the app will cost to you and how much time it takes to market the app.

It's better to go with a game app which can be built in less time and low budget along with the use of high-level technology to stay synced with modern gamers.

(2) Assess the app idea uniqueness

The app idea you have may be unique for you, but the target users will also find it equally unique is uncertain. Finalize the game logic, gameplay challenges and rewards in the app, and then start analyzing the game app of the similar niche by playing those games. It helps in identifying what the unique points you have included in the app and that unique value proposition could bring overnight success to the app.

When you zero in all the elements that make your app one-of-a-kind, it's time to jump onto the mobile app development bandwagon.

(3) Introduce excellent graphics with unreal engine 4

The game app stands out when the graphics and designs are out-of-the-box. Unreal engine 4 (UE4) that's packed with advanced lighting capabilities provides Cascade Visual Effects editor to add details to the fire, dust, snow, and smoke. The ability of dynamic particle manipulation enables the incredible visual and scenes creation.

The live updating power also saves the iteration time and minimizes the editing process to a large scale. Additionally, the unreal engine community provides complete support at each game development stage.

(4) Go with Unity 3D engine

The popular game development engine is perfect for 2D or 3D game app development in a user-friendly environment. The platform export tons of programs and tools that make it easy to develop and deploy the app on different mobile platforms.

The platform's Pro license, which is available at $ 75 a month is the best suite for varied developers and let them create stunning visual 3D gaming experience across multiple devices and platforms. The Assassin's Creed and Temple Run are some of the examples of the games that are built on the top of unity 3D game engine.

(5) Gamesalad- the best fit for novice developers

For the rookie game app developers, building the game apps with coding is quite a task, but with Gamesalad crafting any genre of game has become the matter of hours. With the dragging and dropping of resources through a simple visual editor, the features, sound effect, music, and art can be inserted in no time. Plus, the masterpiece of your art can be shared on a range of the platforms.

This is also used to create the prototype of the future game apps so that a lot of efforts and time can be saved.

(6) Leverage the power of Corona SDK

Engineering the cross-platform apps are all the rage. Corona SDK enables the developers to build elegant apps that work impeccably on multiple platforms such as Android, iOS, Windows, Kindle, tvOS, and Mac OS. The cross-platform development software fulfills the value of being used by 300,000 game developers.

It has numerous APIs that allows developers to create beautiful graphics and real-time simulator where the instant changes made become visible on both Mac OS and Windows.

(7) Embrace Marvel to create instant POC

It takes a lot of time for the mobile game development company to design the prototype of the game apps that illustrates the app flow, animations, transitions, and interactions. With Marvel, it's possible in an hour and the developers do not need to have the advanced knowledge of tools, platforms, and devices for which the proof of concept they are building.

With simple sketch or photoshop, the prototypes can be created and shared, which helps in getting quick feedback.

Summing it up

Certainly, the game development is not a work of an average Joe. Just the way game app users are selective about the game apps, the businesses also have to be equally selective when it comes to the selection of app idea, game app development tools and app development company to engineer phenomenal experiences.

Do all the necessary research for the mobile game that makes it successful and then couple your game idea with the right set of technology and tools to let the app creates a major breakthrough.

Android App Development for Beginners

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Steps to Build Your Own Android Application

If you are reading this tutorial, it means you are probably new to the Android app development services. Do not worry, we will divide this tutorial into different parts to make it easy for you. The guide offers easy and useful information regarding android app development for beginners. Let's get started by following these steps:

Before you start, there are three important things that you should know, such as:

Android OS is created using Java, so knowledge about Java is always a benefit if you want to develop an app for Android.

Then, you will need to get Android SDK, which is Android's basic app writing program like Android Studio or Eclipse, the Java Software Development Kit (JDK). The built-in features of Android SDK provide the base needed to build some great mobile applications and providing a great opportunity for developers and entrepreneurs.

Now, you are all set to start!

Step 1: Start with Android Studio

The most common IDE for Android development is Android Studio, which comes directly from Google itself. The amazing thing about Android Studio is that it is specifically designed for Android app development services.

Step 2: Installation of Java Development Kit (JDK)

After the installation of Android Studio, it's time for some more positive action! You also need to install Java on your machine to use Android Studio. The JDK is able to interpret and compile your code for the application development.

Step 3: Start Your Project

Choose 'Start a new Android Studio Project' option. Enter the name you want for your application and your 'company domain'. All these elements will be used to create your package name in a format like:

com.companyname.appname

This APK ('Android Package File') that you'll in the end upload to the Google Play Store.

Step 4: Select Activity

Moreover, you'll be given the option to pick the way you want the app to look at the beginning. This will be the look of your main 'Activity Module' which is basically the main page of your app. There are various fields available which you have to choose according to your app needs, such as templates, title, access to Google maps, full-screen activity, blank activity etc. As per my view, it's better to go for 'Basic Activity' to keep things as simple as possible and for all intents and purposes.

Step 5: Selecting the Layout

Now, you have to choose a layout name for the selected activity. This will define that where elements like images and menus go and what fonts you'll use. Choose a name for the menu and title as well. Pick something attractive for the title, as your users will be able to see this at some points.

Step 6: Edit the Welcome Message

Go to the activity_main.xml tab if it is not open. Click and drag the "Hello, world!" from the upper left corner of the phone display to the center of the screen. Then go to the values ​​folder, and double-click the strings.xml file. In this file, find the line "Hello world!" and add "Welcome to my App!"

Step 7: Adding Button to your Activity

In the Palette menu to the left of display, find Button. Click and drag Button to be positioned beneath welcome message. Afterward, go to properties and find the field for text. Change the text from "New Button" to "Next Page".

Now go back to your content_main.xml and click on the button. In the right corner, where you have your parameters for the button, you will catch an option called 'onClick'. Click on this and then select the 'onClick'. By doing this, you have told Android Studio that you want to associate the section of code with the button created.

Step 8: Test your App

Finally, all that's missing to do is run the app you just made. Simple go to 'run' along the top and then select 'run app' from the drop-down menu. Follow the steps to launch the emulator running your app.

I hope the above information will certainly help in android app development for beginners. Beside, there are numerous ways to develop Android apps. With a lot of information and services at your disposal, you have the opportunity to make your "dream app" a realism!

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Advantages and Disadvantages of a Wholesale Business

Advantages and Disadvantages of a Wholesale Business

The Wholesaler marketing is when a manufacturer of a product or good sells its supply to a company. The wholesaler will, in turn, sell it to the consumer, possibly even under the brand name of the company.

Advantages

Everybody can get benefits buying wholesale products because they have a low price. It is a good procedure for smaller shops because they can save money buying items to suppliers. But not only business people can buy in bulk. The only rule to buy in bulk products is to respect certain amounts of things. The wholesalers desire to sell the huge amount of items in order to win more money and then retailers or particular can sell it at higher prices.

Dealers are more interested in purchasing in bulk because they can buy all they need to one distributor. It is really difficult when you need to buy things from different suppliers because sometimes they don't have enough merchant. However, wholesalers ease this process that retailers can get products easily. It helps to save time and money.

People who deal with distributors have vast differences in merchandise. So, if you are interested in buying there, make sure you will have to choose among million of product.

Distributors can negotiate lower prices with the manufacturers in order to receive discounts or coupons. They can reach an agreement taking into account the number of products they are going to buy. Both get benefits of these deals because they sell more at one time and traders get products at a lower price.

Disadvantages:

Since the product will not pass through the business owner, the quality and condition of the product cannot be checked. If a supplier is unreliable and irresponsible, problems might arise and may affect your business deeply.

Traders need to have a big storehouse if they want to keep their products. If they have their own warehouse it is better but if they don't, they would have to rent it, what it means an additional cost. Warehouse are expensive and more if you don't have one.

A distributor has to control several things: shipping, marketing, and inventory. It is an exhausting work if you don't have help. A better option would be drop shipping because you don't have to keep your own merchandise.

Nevertheless, it has more advantages than disadvantages. It means that wholesale is a useful and alive process that is making our lives easier. Traders have a difficult work, but distributors normally offer extra support in order to ease their labor.

The author has experience of wholesale in electrical equipment suppliers can take profit of wholesaling because as it is said at the beginning of the article even a particular is able to buy in bulk if he or she respects the quantities

The Best The Four-Implicature Theory of Fortune Cookies Update

(your guide to properly understanding the dire messages from Panda Express)
Fortune cookies explicitly state the good and silently pass over the bad. In this way, they are like letters of recommendation. The wise reader understands the Gricean implicatures.
Gricean implicature involves implying one thing by saying something else, typically exploiting the hearer's or reader's knowledge of the context and of the norms of cooperative communication. Probably the most famous example, from Grice's classic "Logic and Conversation" (1967), is this:

A is writing a testimonial about a pupil who is a candidate for a philosophy job, and his letter reads as follows: 'Dear Sir, Mr. X's command of English is excellent, and his attendance at tutorials has been regular. Yours, etc.'

Although A does not explicitly say that Mr. X is an unimpressive student, the letter implicates it. For if Mr. X were an impressive student, the letter writer, as a cooperative conversation partner, would surely have said that. The reader knows that A knows that letters of recommendation should praise the quality of students who deserve academic praise. A thereby intentionally communicates to the reader that in his view Mr. X does not deserve academic praise. The best that can be said about X concerns his attendance and command of English.
With this in mind, consider these two principles governing the proper interpretation of fortune cookies:
(1.) Fortune cookies, like letters of recommendation, (a.) say only good things, and (b.) say the best that they can about those things.
(2.) All fortune cookies address the following four topics: health, success, social relationships, and happiness.
When a fortune cookie silently omits any of the four topics listed in Principle 2, it implicates that the news on that topic is bad. Furthermore, when a fortune cookie says something limited about health, success, social relationships, or happiness, it implicates that nothing better can be said. This is the Four-Implicature Theory of Fortune Cookies.
Consider, for example, my most recent fortune: "You have the ability to overcome obstacles on the way to success."
What a disastrous fortune! Although it may seem good to the naive reader -- like saying of a philosophy student that he speaks good English and attends regularly -- properly understood, the implicatures are catastrophic. Since only success is mentioned, we must infer that it is passing silently over bad news concerning my health, happiness, and social relationships. Worse, the cookie tells me only that I have the ability to overcome obstacles, not that I will overcome those obstacles. By Principle 1a, the fortune would have said that I will overcome those obstacles if in fact I will. It follows that I will not in fact overcome. Disaster on all four fronts!
[a dire fortune from Panda Express]
Let's try another fortune: "You are kind-hearted and hospitable, cheerful and well-liked." This fortune concerns both social relationships and happiness, two of the four topics that all cookies address. We can therefore infer that the recipient will suffer ill-health and poverty. Concerning happiness, the news is good: The recipient is cheerful! However, the implicature concerning social relationships is mixed: If the best that can be said is that the recipient is kind, hospitable, and well-liked, and not that she finds love, or that people admire her, or that she has other such social goods, the implicature is that she is a bit of a doormat. To the wise reader of cookies, the message is clear: Other people appreciate how cheerful the recipient remains as they take unfair advantage of her kind-hearted hospitality.
I leave the fortunes below as an exercise for the reader.

ETA Aug 24: OMG, today's fortune is even worse!

[printable fortune cookie sheet from Red Castle]

The Best To Reduce the Risk of Moral Catastrophes, Should Society Hire Lots of Philosophers Update

In June, I wrote a post arguing that future generations might find our generation especially morally loathsome, even if we don't ourselves feel like we are morally that bad. (By "we" I mean typical highly educated, middle-class people in Western democracies.) We might be committing morally grievous wrongs -- atrocities on par with the wrong that we now see in race-based slavery or the Holocaust or bloody wars of conquest -- without (most of us) recognizing how morally terrible we're being.
In Facebook discussion, Kian MW pointed me to a fascinating article by Evan G. Williams, which makes a similar point and adds the further thought, bound to be attractive to many philosophers, that the proper response to such a concern is to hire lots of philosophers.
Okay, hiring lots of philosophers isn't the only remedy Williams suggests, and he doesn't phrase his recommendation in quite that way. What he says with that we need to dedicate substantial societal resources to (1) identifying our moral wrongdoing and to (2) creating social structures to implement major changes in light of those moral discoveries. Identifying our moral wrongdoing will require progress, Williams says, both in moral theory and in related applied fields. (For example, progress in animal ethics requires progress both in moral theory and in relevant parts of biology.) Williams' call for dedicating substantial resources toward making progress in moral theory seems like a call for society to hire many more philosophers, though I suppose there are a variety of ways that he could disavow that implication if he cared to do so.
The annual U.S. military budget is about $700 billion. Suppose that President Trump and his allies in Congress, inspired by Williams' article, decided to divert 2% of U.S military spending toward identifying our society's moral wrongdoing, with half of that 2% going to ethicists and the other half to other relevant disciplines. Assuming that the annual cost of employing a philosopher is $150,000 (about half salary, about half benefits and indirect costs), the resulting $7 billion could hire about 50,000 ethicists.
[With 50,000 more ethicists, these empty chairs could be filled!]
Two percent of the military budget seems like a small expenditure to substantially reduce the risk that we unwittingly perpetrate the moral equivalent of institutionalized slavery or the Holocaust, don't you think? A B2 bomber costs about $1-$2 billion. The U.S. government might want to consider a few bomber-for-philosopher swaps.
I write this partly in jest of course, but also partly seriously. If society invested more in moral philosophy -- and it needn't be a whole lot more, compared to the size of military budgets -- and if society took the results of that investment seriously, giving its philosophers prestige, attention, and policy influence, we might be morally far better off as a people.
We might. But I also think about the ancient Athenians, the ancient Chinese, and the early 20th-century Germans. Despite the flourishing of philosophy in these times and places, the cultures did not appear to avoid moral catastrophe: The ancient Athenians were slave-owners who engaged in military conquest and genocide (perhaps even more than their neighbors, if we're grading on a curve), the flourishing of philosophy in ancient China coincided with the moral catastrophe of the period of the Warring States, and the Germans perpetrated the Holocaust and helped initiate World War II (with some of the greatest philosophers, including Heidegger and Frege, on the nationalistic, anti-Semitic, political right).
Now maybe these societies would have produced even worse moral catastrophes if philosophers had not also been flourishing in them, but I see no particular reason to think so. If there's a correlation between the flourishing of philosophy and the perpetration of social evil, the relationship appears to be, if anything, positive. This observation fits with my general concerns about the not-very-moral behavior of professional ethicists and philosophers' apparent skill at post-hoc rationalization.
I'm not sure how skeptical to be. I hesitate to suggest that a massive infusion of social capital into philosophical ethics couldn't have a large positive impact on the moral choices we as a society make. It might be truly awesome and transformative, if done in the right way. But what would be the right way?
[photo credit: Bryan Van Norden]

The Best Top Science Fiction and Fantasy Magazines 2018 Update

In 2014, as a beginning writer of science fiction or speculative fiction, with no idea what magazines were well regarded in the industry, I decided to compile a ranked list of magazines based on awards and "best of" placements in the previous ten years. Since people seemed to find it useful or interesting, I've been updating it annually. Below is my list for 2018.
Method and Caveats:
(1.) Only magazines are included (online or in print), not anthologies or standalones.
(2.) I gave each magazine one point for each story nominated for a Hugo, Nebula, Eugie, or World Fantasy Award in the past ten years; one point for each story appearance in any of the Dozois, Horton, Strahan, Clarke, or Adams "Year's Best" anthologies; and half a point for each story appearing in the short story or novelette category of the annual Locus Recommended list.
(3.) I am not attempting to include the horror / dark fantasy genre, except as it appears incidentally on the list.
(4.) Prose only, not poetry.
(5.) I'm not attempting to correct for frequency of publication or length of table of contents.
(6.) I'm also not correcting for a magazine's only having published during part of the ten-year period. Reputations of defunct magazines slowly fade, and sometimes they are restarted. Reputations of new magazines take time to build.
(7.) Lists of this sort do tend to reinforce the prestige hierarchy. I have mixed feelings about that. But since the prestige hierarchy is socially real, I think it's in people's best interest -- especially the best interest of outsiders and newcomers -- if it is common knowledge.
(8.) I take the list down to 1.5 points.
(9.) I welcome corrections.
Results:
1. Asimov's (229.5 points)2. Fantasy & Science Fiction (162.5)3. Clarkesworld (151.5)4. Tor.com (147.5)5. Lightspeed (101) (started 2010)6. Subterranean (75) (ceased 2014)7. Analog (53.5)8. Strange Horizons (46.5)9. Interzone (43.5)10. Uncanny (41.5) (started 2014)11. Beneath Ceaseless Skies (38)12. Fantasy Magazine (25.5) (merged into Lightspeed 2012, occasional special issues thereafter)13. Apex (19.5)14. Nightmare (13.5) (started 2012)15. Postscripts (11.5) (ceased short fiction in 2014)16. The New Yorker (8)17. Realms of Fantasy (7.5) (ceased 2011)18. Black Static (7)19. McSweeney's (6)20t. Electric Velocipede (5.5) (ceased 2013)20t. Intergalactic Medicine Show (5.5)20t. Sirenia Digest (5.5)23t. Conjunctions (5)23t. Jim Baen's Universe (5) (ceased 2010)25t. Omni (4.5) (classic science/SF magazine, restarted 2017)25t. The Dark (4.5) (started 2013)25t. Tin House (4.5)28. Helix SF (4) (ceased 2008)29t. Cosmos (3)29t. GigaNotoSaurus (3) (started 2010)29t. Shimmer (3)29t. Terraform (3) (started 2014)33t. Beloit Fiction Journal (2.5)33t. Black Gate (2.5)33t. Buzzfeed (2.5)33t. Harper's (2.5)33t. Lady Churchill's Rosebud Wristlet (2.5)33t. Lone Star Stories (2.5) (ceased 2009)33t. Matter (2.5) (started 2011)33t. Slate (2.5)33t. Weird Tales (2.5) (ceased 2014)42t. Boston Review (2)42t. Fireside (2) (started 2012)42t. Mothership Zeta (2) (started 2015)45t. Abyss & Apex (1.5)45t. Daily Science Fiction (1.5) (started 2010)45t. e-flux journal (1.5)45t. Flurb (1.5) (ceased 2012)45t. MIT Technology Review (1.5) --------------------------------------------------
Comments:
(1.) The New Yorker, Tin House, McSweeney's, Conjunctions, Harper's, Beloit Fiction Journal, and Boston Review are literary magazines that occasionally publish science fiction or fantasy. Cosmos, Slate, Buzzfeed, and MIT Technology Review are popular magazines that have published a little bit of science fiction on the side. e-flux is a wide-ranging arts journal. The remaining magazines focus on the F/SF genre.
(2.) It's also interesting to consider a three-year window. Here are those results, down to six points:

1. Clarkesworld (74)2. Tor.com (69.5)3. Asimov's (65)4. Lightspeed (56.5)5. Uncanny (41.5)6. F&SF (39)7. Beneath Ceaseless Skies (23)8. Analog (20)9. Strange Horizons (14)10. Nightmare (12.5)11. Interzone (9.5)12. Apex (6.5)

(3.) Left out of these numbers are some terrific podcast venues such as the Escape Artists' podcasts (Escape Pod, Podcastle, Pseudopod, and Cast of Wonders), Drabblecast, and StarShipSofa. None of these qualify for my list by existing criteria, but podcasts are also important venues.
(4.) Check out Nelson Kingfisher's recent analysis of acceptance rates and response times for most of the magazines above.
(5.) Other lists: The SFWA qualifying markets list is a list of "pro" science fiction and fantasy venues based on pay rates and track records of strong circulation. Ralan.com is a regularly updated list of markets, divided into categories based on pay rate.
[image source; admittedly, it's not the latest issue!]