Apps

Duterte Fighting Crime app popular among Android users

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It seems Philippine presidential candidate Rodrigo Duterte isn’t just popular among respondents of election surveys; he’s favored among Android users as well. Or at least his image of a crime-busting vigilante is anyway.

A 2D side-scrolling action game called Duterte Fighting Crime has been trending on the Google Play store lately. In it, you take control of the admittedly foul-mouthed mayor as he takes to the streets to dispense vigilante justice using assorted firearms.

Developed by Tatay Games, the app has already hit 100,000 downloads on the Android app store, which is fairly impressive given its novelty and the simple nature of its design.

Controls are straightforward, with the game relying on just three on-screen buttons to move forward or back and shoot. Players earn a point for every enemy killed, unless a multiplier is in effect. The objective is to earn as many points as possible without getting whacked or stabbed by enemies ranging from a bank robber to a Jason Vorhees (of Friday the 13th fame) stand-in.

Duterte Fighting Crime trending Google Play

I’ve played the game, and found the fun doesn’t last past a few rounds. But hey, it doesn’t cost anything so I can’t complain too much. For what it’s worth, I did find the game’s avatar to be a faithful representation of the seven-term mayor of Davao. The app even incorporates audio clips from past interviews.

Interestingly enough, there’s a growing number of Duterte-branded games and apps on Google Play and the iOS App Store, but none for other presidential candidates. Is it just coincidence? Or are these apps cogs of a clever propaganda machine to spread the narrative that Duterte is hope made physical, the unorthodox yet effective challenger to the status quo?

Duterte Fighting Crime app (1)

Major opinion polls suggest Rodrigo Duterte is the front-runner to be the next Philippine president when election results come in on May 9. Duterte represents a paradigm shift for traditional politicians, with his tactless comments and take-no-prisoners approach to crime and desire to radically change the current political system.

He has won millions of supporters after transforming Davao into one of the country’s safest cities, but faces allegations of death squads and human rights violations.

The 71-year-old politician once again found himself in hot water four days ago after a video of him telling a rape joke went viral. Duterte later apologized for the incident, only to flip-flop on the matter later.

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Apps

Disney+ launches a TikTok-coded vertical feed called Verts

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TikTok has changed how we consume media. Everything is now vertical. Even the most established streaming services, often a bastion for traditionally horizontal content, is adopting the different format. Now, Disney+ is getting a vertical feed called Verts.

Like its contemporaries, Verts presents a continuous feed of content but tailored to show the plethora of titles from the Disney+ library. This might include the first scenes of shows or notable highlights. The hope, of course, is to direct users to the longform content.

Directly from the Verts feed, users can easily add the respective title to their watchlist or go straight to the title’s page. In turn, the feed is accessible from the homepage since it has its own tab.

According to Disney, early experiments with the feature have driven engagement to available content. Right now, the feed is mostly for clipping enticing content from shows. However, the platform will experiment further with the format for new ways to tell stories.

Though Verts surely stands for “verticals” in this case, “adverts” might fit better as its full government name. Still, it might be a useful tool if you’re figuring out what to watch for the night.

Currently, Verts is available for Disney+ subscribers in the United States. Disney also has plans to expand the feature to ESPN for sports-related content.

SEE ALSO: Live NBA action on Disney Plus now available in the Philippines

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Apps

Google Maps is finally getting a 3D mode

The app will also have a Gemini chatbot baked inside.

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Some of today’s navigation apps are living in the future. Instead of a two-dimensional map, these apps render the user’s surroundings in 3D. It’s a nifty upgrade that helps drivers more accurately visualize directions on the fly. Finally, Google Maps is getting a much-needed upgrade and will take navigation to the third dimension.

In a new update rolling out today, the new Immersive Navigation feature will bring your surroundings to life. The 3D view creates a render of the surrounding buildings, overpasses, and terrain around the car. It takes the guesswork out of navigation by showing precisely where to turn and what landmarks to look out for.

In the same vein, you can now use Street View to preview your destination before you arrive. Google Maps will also highlight your destination’s entrance, side of the street, and nearby parking.

Outside of how the map is visualized, Google Maps is also infusing its service with Gemini. The new Ask Maps feature will let you engage with the app in a conversational manner. For example, if you’re in the middle of a long drive, you can now ask Maps where the best place is to stop over and have a coffee break. Ask Maps will provide directions, a potential itinerary, and even helpful links to book a reservation ahead of time.

Now, availability for both of these features is still a bit limited. Immersive View is rolling out today to compatible devices and vehicles in the United States. Further, availability will expand over the coming months.

Meanwhile, Ask Maps is available now in the United States and India for Android and iOS. A desktop version is coming soon.

SEE ALSO: Google Maps is finally getting a power saving mode

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Apps

Apple Music, TikTok launch Play Full Song, a new music discovery experience

Rolling out worldwide exclusively through Apple Music

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Ever came across a viral 15 or 30-second music snippet on TikTok that instantly became your jam on repeat?

For years, TikTok has been a regular source of songs that have become part of our playlists. And together with Apple Music, listening to the music you discover has just gotten even easier.

That’s through Play Full Song, a new music discovery experience, which launches exclusively though Apple Music.

With the new feature, Apple Music subscribers can now enjoy full-length tracks that they discover on TikTok. That’s without ever leaving that popular streaming app.

Fans who discover a song that they love on their For You or Sound Detail page can simply tap the Play Full Song button to open up an Apple Music player and enjoy the song in its entirety.

From there, subscribers can continue listening to a personalized stream of recommended songs. That means no more need to switch apps and search separately.

The new Play Full Song experience helps music fans move seamlessly from the moment of discovery to deeper listening. It’s also designed to be instant and all within the same environment.

Moreover, users can also save their favorite songs to Your Music and add them directly to their Apple Music playlists.

Built using Apple’s MusicKit, full-length song playback takes place on Apple Music. This way, streams are paid within the Apple Music service, supporting artists and rights holders while giving fans a smooth, uninterrupted experience.

Listening Party also launched

The feature builds on the success of TikTok’s Add to Music App. This was previously launched to help artists and fans convert discovery on TikTok to a playlist save in Apple Music and other streaming services.

To cap the announcement, TikTok and Apple Music are also introducing Listening Party. This new feature is designed to bring artists and fans together around music.

It creates a shared environment where fans can listen to songs from their favorite artists in real time, interact with each her, and engage directly with the artist during the session.

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