Google Wants To Text Message You With Holiday Shopping Deals

A number of startups emerged this year to offer consumers an easier way to shop: instead of immersive, e-commerce experiences, companies like Magic, Operator, Fetch, GoButler, and others, including Facebook, are testing out messaging-based virtual assistants that help you buy nearly anything from airline tickets to dinner reservations, to great gifts, and more. Now Google is getting in on that action, too. The company is currently trialing its own SMS-based alerting service, this time focused on helping holiday shoppers find the best deals.

The service was spotted in the wild earlier today by the unofficial Google-watching blog,Google Operating System, which saw the option to “subscribe” to Black Friday phone deals pop up on their mobile phone after a related search query.

However, the new deals service was quietly announced by Google earlier this month, by way of a Google+ post. It received a little press coverage at the time, but largely on blogs that only cover Google, search engines or SEO, as opposed to more mainstream attention. That may change as consumers turn to their phones to find Black Friday deals in the days ahead.

While framed as something Google is testing during the “holidays,” the move indicates that even the search giant acknowledges that the way consumers will shop, browse, and transact on mobile devices in the future may end up being radically different from on the desktop web.

With our phones, (and now our watches, too), our devices are turning into alerting platforms that deliver us the information we need, when we need it. And instead of searching and comparing dozens of options, we may simply communicate with an assistant – part human, part AI – who helps narrow down our options, present us with the best choices, then fulfill the request. This is what’s called the “invisible app” market, as we’ve referred to it here on TechCrunch, and it makes sense given the rise of mobile messaging, combined with the ability to integrate a virtual assistant-powered experience over familiar communication channels like SMS.

Google’s service today falls far short of a personalized assistant, but the company has already proven with its virtual assistant Google Now that it could expand in this direction, if it choose.

But for now, the idea behind the new deal alerting service is to translate the shift in how consumers shop into a new ad format. These “deal alerts” are actually an AdWords option that’s being trialed with a limited number of advertisers, the company explains.

Google declined to provide information related to ad pricing, or a list of participating advertisers, given the service is considered to be only a “test” at this time.

However, what we do know is that the alerts are  only available on mobile, only in the U.S., and the text messages returned are powered by Google. In fact, Google is creating customized text for those who sign up directly, the company says.

Here’s how it works:

If you search for a general term like “black friday deals” from your mobile phone, you may see an option that prompts you to subscribe to alerts from a Google ad at the top of your search results. If you choose to do so, your phone number will be kept private, says Google, and you’ll be able to opt out of the text messages at any time.

However, while choosing to use the new alerts service, you’ll be sent relevant offers from participating retailers across a number of popular holiday shopping categories, like computers, phones, and gaming consoles.

The Google Operating System blog happened to spot the text-messaging deal subscription service when they searched for “moto x play” – indicating that the ads aren’t only tied to “black friday” or “cyber monday” search queries, but to any matching products from participating advertisers.

You don’t have to wait to see an ad to try out the new service. Google says you can text the word “JOIN” to the following numbers, depending on what deals you want to see:

For Black Friday – 847-904-0608
For Cyber Monday – 847-906-8958
For Holiday deals – 847-904-0596

We did experience a few bugs when doing so, though. For example, a link to “learn more” that’s texted back after sign-up redirects you to a broken web page.

Google says the ads began rolling out earlier this month, following the initial AdWords announcement, but it’s likely that they were still few and far between until Black Friday neared.

If the test is successful, there’s potential for Google to expand this service beyond just tracking holiday deals. If consumers opted in, the service could serve as an app-less counterpart to the “Google Now” virtual assistant, pinging you about other relevant e-commerce opportunities based on search history (if you could get past the creepy factor of something like that), or you could track product categories or brand names, then be alerted to sales.

But it’s unclear at this time what Google will consider a successful test, or if it has any further plans, if that’s the case. It’s also unclear if consumers are even interested in a this sort of deals alerting service.

After all, the benefit to the other messaging-based commerce startups is that human touch. Even when primarily automated, there’s a conversational aspect to using the rival services, and most will also adapt to your preferences over time. Google’s service, for now at least, feels more like opting in to advertisements – as it is – and less like personal assistance.

Visit our website:  www.pixotritechnologies.com  , http://pixotrigames.com/

Half of U.S. iPhone Users Could Start Upgrading Annually

The numerous early upgrade programs that carriers now offer could bode well for Apple.

Call me Captain Obvious, but we all know how important the iPhone business is to Apple(NASDAQ:AAPL). I'll spare you the figures that you've already heard by now about how much of Apple's revenue is attributable to its popular smartphone, but needless to say, it's a lot. Accordingly, the frequency of iPhone upgrades has always been a contentious issue among investors. Elongating upgrade cycles could be very harmful to Apple's results, while accelerating upgrade cycles are (Apple) music to Tim Cook's ears.

This used to be a conversation about subsidies since they used to be the single most important factor determining whether or not consumers decided to upgrade their iPhones this year or not. But with the subsidy model on the way out, the conversation is now all about installment plans, leasing plans, and early upgrade programs.

Accelerating iPhone upgradesPiper Jaffray analyst Gene Munster is out with a new research note, and he's naturally bullish as always. Munster surveyed 236 U.S. consumers and asked what their intentions were about upgrading their iPhone. Currently, the data suggests that the average upgrade cycle is 22 months, but Munster believes that Apple could get this down to 15 months.

In order to accomplish his, Munster thinks that 55% of users will begin upgrading on an annual basis or sooner, with 25% of users upgrading every 13 to 18 months, 10% upgrading every 19 to 24 months, and another 10% upgrading over two years.

Munster has an "overweight" rating on Apple alongside a $179 price target.

Tim Cook agreesApple has never provided first-party data on how often iPhone users upgrade, but it's fair to say that it used to be right around two years due to service contracts. What Tim Cook hasexpressed is a belief that all of the new plans that domestic carriers have launched will be good for Apple. Here's Cook on the July conference call:

However, there's a number of plans that people began signing up for in the last year that could change it. These are upgrade-any-time kind of plans. They may be one-year leases that could actually help the upgrade rate. And I think it'll be interesting to see how that plays out over the next horizon. But generally speaking, I see positive vectors there, not negative, in the aggregate.

And again just last month:

[T]he broader thing obviously is that many of the carriers are offering these plans. And that, if you look at them in the aggregate, we think that it would have a positive impact on replacement cycles. We do like the fact that it creates a market for an iPhone at a different price point as well that is a better product than that customer may be currently buying which would further help from an ecosystem point-of-view and that's not to be underestimated.

Cook also brings up another good point here. Since all of those used iPhones that are traded in are subsequently resold, this creates another secondary market that allows the iPhone to unofficially address lower price points. Sure, there's always been a secondary market for used iPhones, but now it will be more robust and more structured, which will inevitably benefit consumers within that market segment.

Eventually, those consumers will probably upgrade, too.

Visit our website:  www.pixotritechnologies.com  , http://pixotrigames.com/

Math Brain Workout – A Game to give your brain a workout with Math Skills

Math Brain Workout  – A Game to give your brain a workout with Math Skills

Give your brain a Math Workout by playing the "Math Brain Workout" game. Test your math skills with this intuitive and fun game and improve your math. The game trains your brain to respond fast and accurately in a time trial environment.

 

 

Game Features:

• Progress through the game by mastering addition, subtraction, multiplication and division. 
• Get rewarded with score multipliers with each advancing level. 
• Compete against your friends on Facebook by setting High Scores. A fun math game for kids and all ages.

The game is designed to improve your cognitive abilities along with improving math. The game trains your brain to respond fast and accurately in a time trial environment.

Download Math Brain Workout –  in  Google play store!!

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.pixotritechnologies.mathbrainworkout1&hl=en

Download Math Brain Workout –  In App Store !!

https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/math-brain-workout/id1044614627?mt=8

Download Math Brain Workout – in Windows Store !!

https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/store/apps/math-brain-workout/9nblggh5wzmv

Google’s Plan To Accelerate The Mobile Web Will Go Live Early Next Year

Google has plans to accelerate your web browsing on mobile devices, and we’ll start seeing the results of those efforts as early as next year, the company says. According to a new update regarding Google’s “AMP” project – or the “Accelerated Mobile Pages Project,” as it’s also known – thousands of publishers have expressed interest in having their pages optimized, including now a few more big names like CBS Interactive, Thrillist, International Business Times/Newsweek, Al Jazeera America, AOL [disclosure: TechCrunch parent], and others. Additionally, ad partners Outbrain, AOL, OpenX, DoubleClick and AdSense have also now announced their plans to work with the new framework.

Google announced the AMP Project in October, describing it as a technical specification for faster pages – especially those on mobile devices. The project was positioned by some as a competitor to Facebook’s own Instant Articles – a program that hosts publishers’ content in the News Feed.

The idea, with both projects, is that publishers’ sites have become bogged down with extraneous code, tracking scripts, and advertisements that slow down the pages’ ability to load quickly on mobile devices.

Not only does this mar the end user’s experience, it also consumes mobile data, which can still be costly. Plus, users who get frustrated while waiting for a page to load may choose to just exit the site, limiting the effectiveness of publishers’ tricks and tools to keep visitors on the site longer, where they could click on ads, or read or interact with other content.

The problem of slow-loading mobile web pages has become so common that Apple evenintroduced a way for users to block ads and other website content, like tracking scripts, fonts, and more, in iOS 9 by way of third-party Safari extensions.

Publishers have begun to fight back against this approach – either redirecting users to subscription sign-up pages when ads are blocked, or – in more extreme cases – even taking the ad blockers to court to try to get them shut down.

Facebook’s response to the same problem has been to host publishers’ content directly in the News Feed, speeding up load times while still offering layouts and formats that make theInstant Articles feel like publishers’ websites. The New York Times, BuzzFeed, National Geographic, NBC News, The Atlantic, The Guardian, BBC, Slate, Daily Mail, Huffington Post, The Washington Post, Vox Media, and others are already trialing this format.

The publishers keep 100 percent of their ad revenue when they sell their own ads, or 30 percent if Facebook sells the ads, according to reports.

With Google’s AMP Project, the goal is to work with publishers – similar to what Facebook is doing – instead of against them, as with ad blockers. As the original blog post acknowledged, Google understands that publishers want to include rich media, need to implement ads to keep their content free, and need to be able to utilize analytics. AMP is not about blocking this content, but rather optimizing its performance.

An open source initiative, AMP is aimed at making web pages load instantaneously, even when they contain rich media like video, animations or graphics, including things like Twitter and YouTube embeds. The project utilizes AMP HTML, a new open framework based on existing web technologies that allow for lightweight web pages.

When Google first announced the news of the project’s existence, it said that it already had signed up nearly 30 publishers worldwide to participate and was partnering with other technology companies as well, including Twitter, Pinterest, LinkedIn, Nuzzel, WordPress.com, Chartbeat, Parse.ly, and Adobe Analytics. (Oh, and of course, Google.)

Publishers like Vox Media, La Stampa, BuzzFeed, The Washington Post, Mashable, BBC, The Economist, The Guardian, Huffington Post, Daily Mail, The Guardian, The New York Times, TIME, The Wall Street Journal, Financial Times, Gannett, Hearst, The Telegraph, and othershave already indicated their support for AMP. In some cases, these same publishers are also working with Facebook – covering all their bases, so to speak.

Now, Google is expanding its list of publisher names to include R7.com and NZN Group in Brazil; CBS Interactive, AOL, Thrillist, Slate, International Business Times/Newsweek, Al Jazeera America, and The Next Web in the U.S.; El Universal and Milenio in Mexico; The Globe and Mail and Postmedia in Canada; and The Local Media Consortium (LMC), a partnership of 70+ media companies representing 1,600 local newspapers and TV stations.

In addition to the ad partners mentioned above, analytics firms and tool makers including comScore, Adobe Analytics, Parse.ly, Chartbeat, Nielsen, ClickTale and Google Analytics, are also supporting AMP.

Meanwhile, the AMP developer community has grown to over 4,500, and over 250 pull requests on the Project’s GitHub page  – contributions of new code, samples, and documentation – have been made, says Google.

We also now have something akin to a launch date for AMP: According to Google, its search engine will begin sending traffic to AMP pages “early next year.”

Until then, you can give AMP pages a test using a live demo. Click here (g.co/ampdemo) from your mobile device, then search for a news term.

Visit our website:  www.pixotritechnologies.com  , http://pixotrigames.com/

Toy Flight : A Challenging and Engaging Game

Toy Flight : A Challenging and Engaging Game

Toy flight allows you to take control of your toy plane and fly as long as possible, avoid obstacles and refuel to keep flying.  You can master each plane's speed, fuel and fire attributes to get the highest score.

Game Features:     

                      

- Two different controls to choose from (Tilt and Joystick).
- Unlock planes to get increased speed and range.
- You can upgrade the planes to increase its performance.
- Unlock new and cool environments for unique flight experience

Download this Game Free!

Google Play Store :

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.PixotriTechnologies.projectFlight

         

Windows Store :

https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/store/apps/toyflight/9nblggh200nx

App Store :

https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/toy-flight/id1014856043?mt=8 

Math Game - A Game that improves your math skills and cognitive abilities

Math Game -  A Game that improves your math skills and cognitive abilities

Improve your math skills and cognitive abilities. The game will help kids and adults to improve their math skills in a fun way.

The game has a user friendly interface designed to learn and improve your mathematics knowledge..

Progress your arithmetic abilities from addition, subtraction, multiplication and division in a time trial environment.

Download from Play Store:

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.pixotritechnologies.mathgame

Download from Windows Store:

https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/store/games/maths-game/9nblggh5wznc

Download from Apple Store:

https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/math-learn-game/id1039388049?mt=8

Microsoft Admits Bug In Windows 10 Update: Fresh Installs Now Fixed Too

Earlier this week I wrote about Microsoft apparently pulling the recent November update for Windows 10 from its Media Creation Tool (MCT). This meant that anyone installing the new OS from fresh, would have to go through the long process of downloading and installing the November update.

This could add hours to your average fresh install, but thankfully, Microsoft has come clean and admitted that there were issues with the update – both the one it slipstreamed into the MCT install files and the one dished out on Windows Update.

The Media Creation Tool is a great piece of software for advanced users that want to reinstall Windows 10 from fresh.

Pulling the update from the MCT install files was one big headache for many users, especially as there was no indication from Microsoft that it would reinstate the November update into the MCT – this should have been made clear. However, the other side of the story likely brought up the issues of privacy once again for Microsofts new OS.

The issue, Microsoft told me and various other journalists today, was along the lines that the update reset many of the contentious privacy settings that many users have turned off. Users have been reporting that after installing the update, they were unaware that these settings had been switched back on:

Recently we learned of an issue that could have impacted an extremely small number of people who had already installed Windows 10 and applied the November update (Version 1511). When the November update was installed, a few settings preferences may have inadvertently not been retained for advertising ID, Background apps, SmartScreen Filter, and Sync with devices. This issue has been fixed in the update that accompanies KB3120677.

For those customers who previously installed the November update (Version 1511), we are working to help restore their previous settings over the coming days and we apologize for the inconvenience. In the meantime, users interested in checking their settings can find them by going to Settings, thenPrivacy.

• Select General to adjust the advertising ID and SmartScreen Filter.

• Select Other devices to adjust your Sync with devices settings.

• Select Background apps to review the applications set to run in the background.

So it seems that Microsoft is very aware that these settings are been keenly watched by many users, so it’s good to see it did the right thing here. However, what would have been nice is an earlier explanation about what was happening as well as statement that the update would, at some point, be reintegrated into the MCT files. Thankfully, the issue has only lasted a couple of days and everything looks to be back to normal.

Visit our website:  www.pixotritechnologies.com  , http://pixotrigames.com/

The Bubble Girl - Fun and Addictive Bubble Pop Game

The Bubble Girl  -  Fun and Addictive Bubble Pop Game


Bubble Girl is an entertaining game for kids and all age groups.

 

• Pop the maximum amount of bubbles without losing lives.
•  Soothing visuals and engaging sounds for immersive game play.
•  Choose between two difficulty settings. Easy and Hard.
•  Pop the power up bubbles to earn additional points.
•  Beware of the naughty bubble. When you pop it you lose a life.
•  No Ads while playing.

Get it free at Play Store : 

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.PixotriTechnologies.bubbleGirl

Get it free at windows app Store :

https://www.windowsphone.com/en-au/store/app/bubblegirl/2f34f7fd-79d0-4eb1-a438-cd4e8c77788d

Get it free at iTunes :

https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/the-bubble-girl/id998959933?mt=8&ign-mpt=uo%3D4

The Balloon Boy - Free fun Game !!

The Balloon Boy - Free fun Game !!

A boy goes soaring up into the sky after holding on to too many balloons.

• Help him to get back down by popping all the balloons before time runs out!

• Be careful of the dangerous balloons which will result in penalties.

• The stunning visuals and sounds will appeal to all ages.

A fun game for kids and family. Have fun popping balloons and bringing the boy down.

Download this Game Free on Play Store:

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.PixotriTechnologies.BalloonBoy

Download this Game Free on Windows Store:

https://www.microsoft.com/en-gb/store/games/theballoonboy/9nblggh36v6p

Download this Game Free on Apple Store:

https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/the-balloon-boy/id998319746?ls=1&mt=8

Mophie Juice Pack Air (for iPhone 6/6s)

• PROS

  Lightweight. LED battery indicator. Includes headphone extender. Nearly doubles life of iPhone 6/6s.
 

• CONS

  Attracts fingerprints. Slippery.
 

• BOTTOM LINE

  The Mophie Juice Pack Air is an attractive, lightweight case that doubles the battery life of your iPhone 6 or iPhone 6s.

The iPhone 6 and the iPhone 6s are great phones, but both can use a boost in the battery department. Instead of carrying around your Lightning cable and looking for a charge at the nearby coffee shop, you can opt for a battery case like the $99 Mophie Juice Pack Air. The attractive Juice Pack Air charges, syncs, and protects your iPhone, while adding considerably less bulk than many competing battery cases. That said, our Editors' Choice remains the Boostcase, for its unique hybrid design that lets you pop the battery off when not in use. This lets you enjoy a much slimmer profile on your phone when you don't need the extra power.

Design and Protection
The Juice Pack Air measures 6.1 by 2.8 by 0.6 inches (HWD) and weighs 3.5 ounces. For comparison, the Mophie Juice Pack Plus adds a bit more bulk, measuring in at 6.13 by 2.93 by 0.66 inches (HWD) and 3.9 ounces. The Tylt Energi Sliding Power Case add even more, at 6.06 by 2.95 by 0.69 inches (HWD) and 4.48 ounces. Meanwhile, the Editors' Choice Boostcase comes in at 6.06 by 2.71 by 0.70 inches (HWD) and exactly 4 ounces. That case is fairly bulky when the battery is in, but when you pop it out, it weighs just 0.64 ounces.

I reviewed the (RED) model of the Juice Pack Air case, which looks sleek but attracts smudges like a magnet. A number of additional colors are available, including black, green, purple, and pink. The case is made of smooth plastic, which can feel a bit slippery to the touch. It's definitely a step above the naked iPhone in terms of handling, but I prefer a more rubbery matte finish for a stronger grip, like the Boostcase offers.

Once inside the Juice Pack Air, the iPhone feels safe and sturdy. A slightly raised bezel around the edge of the case helps ensure the phone's screen won't crack when dropped to the ground, and rubber pads are used on the inside to help absorb impacts. It's offers a good amount of protection, though not quite as much as the military-ratedOtterBox Resurgence.

Layout and Features

The Juice Pack Air includes openings for your iPhone's camera and headphone jack, the latter of which requires the use of an included headphone cable extender if you want to use wired headphones. There is no Lightning port on the bottom; in its place, there's a micro USB port that charges the case and your iPhone simultaneously. It also lets you sync your phone using the included micro USB cable.

The case's pass-through buttons sit atop your iPhone's mute switch, power button, and volume rocker. Like other Mophie cases, they feature just the right amount of feedback and reward you with a satisfying click when you press them. Flip the case over and you'll see four small battery indicator LEDs near the bottom. They sit between a shallow power button on the left and an on/off switch on the right, both of which directly control the case. The switch feels redundant, since the power button is all you need to activate the case's battery on other Mophie units.

Placing your iPhone inside the Juice Pack Air is easy. You just need to separate the top of the case from the bottom with a bit of pressure, slip the iPhone into the bottom section until the internal Lightning connector meets the phone, then replace the top cap. Removing the iPhone from the case is just as simple.

Battery and Conclusions
The Juice Pack Air uses a 2,750mAh battery that, according to Mophie, adds more than 100 percent extra battery life to your iPhone. In our battery rundown test, the Juice Pack Air added 3 hours and 52 minutes to an iPhone 6s streaming a continuous YouTube video over LTE before the 20-percent battery notification appeared. That's a good result, and should effectively double the iPhone's battery life (4 hours and 21 minutes) if left to run for the additional 20 percent.

For comparison, the 2,700mAh Boostcase added 4 hours and 5 minutes, and the 3,300mAh Juice Pack Plus added 4 hours and 53 minutes. As far as pure battery life results go, the 4,200mAh Power Infinity Case is the winner, adding 6 hours and 48 minutes of battery life.

If you want a sleek, attractive case that doubles the life of your iPhone 6 or iPhone 6s, the Mophie Juice Pack Air is a great option. It doubles the battery life of your device, and looks good while doing so. That said, the Boostcase remains our Editors' Choice for its detchable design, allowing you to ditch the battery when you don't need it. If you want even more battery life, you'll need a bulkier case like the Juice Pack Plus or the Power Infinity. And if the amount of powere offered by a case won't cut it, the 10,000mAh uNU Superpak is an external battery that can add up to 12 hours to your iPhone.

Visit our website:  www.pixotritechnologies.com  , http://pixotrigames.com/