Celebrate the App Store's 5th birthday with free games and apps
With Apple's App Store approaching its 5th birthday, both Apple and some of the App Store developers have made their apps and games available for free. Apple is featuring five top-rated games and apps to commemorate its anniversary for iOS-based devices (iPhone, iPad), including the games Superbrothers: Sword & Sworcery EP, Infinity Blade II, Tiny Wings, BADLAND, and Where's My Water? and apps Barefoot World Atlas, Day One (Journal/Diary), How to Cook Everything, Over, and Traktor DJ for iPhone. A large number of other developers have also made their apps and games free, as well.
Techtola has a small number of the games and apps available for free, with updates to follow as they're discovered. I personally recommend Tiny Wings, Sword & Sworcery, and Infinity Blade II. Happy birthday, App Store!
[via Techtola]
Facebook rolling out Graph Search today
The next step in Facebook's evolution will be introduced today as the social network will begin rolling out its new "Graph Search" feature for US-based accounts. Backed by Microsoft's Bing search engine, Graph Search is touted as being a much faster and more intricate search option for the site. Users can, for example, search "Photos of friends from July 2013," then the results will show a grid of the user's friends' photos tagged in July 2013. Search results will also include normal Bing results, giving the social network an actual search engine for users to utilize.
Of course, with such a powerful search engine comes some privacy concerns. As such, users will be reminded to update their privacy settings to ensure everything they want to keep hidden will, in fact, continue to be kept hidden. Graph Search will be rolling out for Facebook's web browsers with a mobile update sure to follow in the near future. However, do you think the new feature will be enough to keep existing Facebook users interested?
[via ABC News]
Don Mattrick breaks up with Xbox, enters an affair with Zynga
Talk about jumping from one sinking ship to another, former Microsoft President of the Interactive Business Don Mattrick recently was named the CEO for internet gaming company, Zynga. Mattrick's departure from Microsoft comes immediately after the scrutiny that faced the Xbox One, resulting in the company backtracking from all of the proposed, pro-DRM/anti-consumer features the gaming console was set to implement. Announced earlier today was Mattrick's replacement, Julie Larson-Green, who is currently acting as the Corporate Vice President of Windows.
Of course, Mattrick might be facing a different kind of problem as Zynga is currently facing its own problems as the once-popular gaming company is teetering on the edge of bankruptcy. As the new incoming CEO of Zynga, he will be replacing Zynga founder Mark Pincus, who himself will be stepping down to become a chairman for the company. It'll be interesting to see if Mattrick's past successes with the Xbox (Xbox One shenanigans notwithstanding) can carry over to a vastly different platform. Wall Street at least has faith in Mattrick's influence, as stock for the company closed at a 10% increase.
Mattrick must really thrive on facing problems. It's too early to expect much from Zynga this early in their new direction, but considering the whole online/Facebook gaming fad has all but passed, I don't foresee Mattrick's attachment being enough to bring Zynga back to the level it was at previously.
The Weekly Swarm: 6/24 - 6/30
This last week at Ruby Hornet started with a Chicago Blackhawks Stanley Cup win and ended with our winner of a pair of tickets for this year's Pitchfork Day 1. What else happened this week? The first trailer for the Steve Jobs biopic, Jobs, was released, a live-action adaptation of Gatchman came out in trailer form, Kanye confirmed his continued involvement with a potential Jetsons film, ex-Kids These Days member Nico Segal dropped his Donnie Trumpet project, Lili K. sang us an "Interlude" from her upcoming My Favorite Things, we had an interview with remix platform/service Legitmix, we shared some photos from Chance the Rapper's and Mac Miller's Space Migration Tour out in Austin, and shared some of the more memorable Blackhawks Stanley Cup photos... among so much more, of course. Check out what else we dropped below.
Movie News
[Trailer] Jobs
Jim Carrey kicks Kick-Ass 2 in the ass
[Trailer] Prince Avalanche
[Trailer 3] Pacific Rim + Gallery
[Trailer] Gatchaman
New Ender's Game propaganda posters want you to join the International Fleet
William Fichtner confirmed to play Shredder in Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles reboot
Is The Jetsons film adaptation Kanye West's next project?
[Trailer] Willow Creek
[Trailer] Hell Baby
[Trailer] Escape Plan
New images from Darren Aronofsky's Biblical epic, Noah
New Terminator film will be a reboot, scheduled for June 2015 release
[Trailer 2] Prisoners
[Video] New Nymphomaniac clip features girls talking about sex and chocolate
Music News
Na$im Williams: "Foolish Hearts" (feat. Nico Segal)
OG Dutch Master & Black Zheep DZ: "Numb or Dumb" (Prod. By Royal)
Martin $ky: "Wood$"
Asher Roth: "Pop Radio x Pearly Gates"
Mick Jenkins: “Pyrite” (feat. Lord of the Fly) (prod. by OnGaud)
Lili K: "Interlude" (prod. by Peter Cottontale)
ShowYouSuck: "Wayne Gretzky (CONGRATS CHICAGO BLACKHAWKS HOCKEY RULEZ)"
Leather Corduroys (Kami de Chukwu & Joey Purps): "Prophet" (feat. The Mind)
Vic Mensa: "Hollywood LA" (feat. Lili K)
[Video] M.I.A.: "Bring The Noize"
[Video] Chance The Rapper Freestyle on Toca Tuesdays
[Mixtape] Nico Segal: "Donnie Trumpet"
[Video] #100Trill X ElevenHundred interview
[Mixtape] Asher Roth: "The Greenhouse Effect Vol. 2"
Blanco Caine: "Front My Move" (Million$Mano Remix)" (feat. Tree & Mikkey Halsted)
Earl Sweatshirt cancels tour dates due to sickness
Action Bronson: "Blackbird" (Equalibrum Remix)
[Free Album] Killer Mike & El-P: "Run the Jewels"
Charmingly Ghetto: "Sleepy People" (prod. by ATG)
[EP] Closed Sessions x Potholes Music: "Potholes In My Session Vol.1"
[Mixtape] Von Vuai: "STANK"
[Video] Brewski: "Cocky" (prod. by Young Chop)
FUN FUN FUN FEST 2013 Artist Leak II
[Event] Netherfriends' "New CHI-t" Release Party at The Burlington Bar
Black Matt: "Don't Blow My High" (feat. Kami de Chukwu)
Gzus Piece: "SummerSlam"
[Mixtape] Netherfriends: "New CHI-t"
[Mixtape] J.K. The Rapper: "ILL LIFE II: Chapter 4"
Probcause: "High Altitude" (feat. Martin $ky)
[Video] Caleb James: "I'm Gone"
[RH Interview] Legitmix wants to revolutionize the way you consume remixes
PIVOT Gang: "Daddy's Home"
[Mixtape] Butch Dawson: Champion Ships
Photography
[Photography] Zombie Land
[Photography] Laid Off From The Chicago Sun-Times
[Photography] The Impossible Smartphone Printer
[Photography] Georgia May Jagger for Muse Magazine
[Photography] Full Metal Jacket
[Photography] Eight of the best Chicago Blackhawks celebration photos
[RH Photos] The Space Migration Tour @ Emo's
[Photography] IG Weekly: denizsuerkan
Contests
[RH Contest] Win a Lions and Reys Blackhawks shirt
[RH Contest] Win a pair of tickets to Pitchfork Music Festival Day 1
Instagram announces Video on Instagram, drops mic in the process
Earlier this week, rumors spread that a new Instagram feature would be announced that would focus on new video functionality. Today, the rumors were confirmed that Instagram will incorporate a video service within the application. Available right now for both iPhones and Androids, the new Video on Instagram is very similar to the popular video sharing service, Vine, but with a few exclusive features.
Video on Instagram features 13 new filters exclusively for video (which resemble the typical Instagram filters, just rebranded under new names). The function also eclipses Vine's six-second capacity with 15 second clips. Also available is the ability to choose a cover photo from your video clips. Video on Instagram also allows users to "rewind" their clips in case a shot didn't come out properly, which further separates it from Vine. However, the biggest feature announced is what the company is calling "cinematic stabilization," which obviously helps stabilize shaky hands and scenes.
Videos will be featured on the Instagram news feed like normal, displaying the cover photo chosen, but with a little video camera in the corner to help distinguish it from typical Instagram photos. As I was telling Virgil a few moments ago, this could lead to shenanigans where users could use a false cover photo to hide video rambunctiousness. Prepare for the pranks! Again, Video in Instagram is available right now, so get those videos going.
[iframe id="http://player.vimeo.com/video/68765934?byline=0&portrait=0"]
Microsoft pulls an Xbox One-80, backtracks from absurd policies
Independent gaming website Giant Bomb broke a news story about Microsoft turning its back on its ridiculous DRM policies for its next generation console, Xbox One. Microsoft has since confirmed their intentions to backtrack from such policies in a desperate attempt to win back consumer support, as well as level the playing field with its direct competitor and rival, Sony's PlayStation 4.
For those not paying attention to the uproar Microsoft's Xbox One announcement created, execs had planned on mandating an internet connection for the system as well as creating a stupid system that wouldn't allow consumers to sell, trade, or simply share their games with others. Microsoft is now stating that the Xbox One will function much like the current Xbox 360, allowing gamers to buy and sell used games, share disc-based games with friends, and only necessitate an internet connection upon first activating the system.
It's very, very surprising that Microsoft would be so willing to pull away from the policies they tried so hard to force upon the gaming community during their E3 conference last week. While it's partially true that the sudden retraction was caused by consumer backlash, it's all a business move to make money; unfortunately, some higher-ups will probably face severe ramifications for the shenanigans Microsoft had to face over the last week. Furthermore, if they can easily change face on their policies right now, who's to say they won't once again following the Xbox One's release?
Then again, if you're smart, you already pre-ordered a PS4 and won't have to worry about such things.
[via Microsoft]