Apps

Life is Strange on Android makes time traveling grief more accessible

Another chance to go back to the past

Published

July 25, 2018

Marvin Velasco

When I first heard Life is Strange was coming to Android, I knew I was in for another round of poor decision making and “hella” cool moments.

I completed all five chapters of the game’s PC port when they came out in 2015. Back then, Life is Strange was a breath of fresh air when open-world, combat-driven titles were all the rage. Being a story-heavy game, it wasn’t exactly light on a gamer’s heart, but was definitely chill enough be an in-between gaming experience.

The game revolves around Max who magically gains the power of time travel to fix mistakes and get her way. Sounds like a sure-fire trip to hell, but this main character’s intentions are mostly pure. With it, she sets out to save the town and her friends from certain doom which she saw in a dream. Yes, I know, totally cliché, but you come for the character interactions and unexpected plot twists.

It’s tough to say more without spoiling anything. Seriously, knowing one major plot point in advance can ruin the experience. Even though the game allows you to make decisions that alter the story’s advancements, you still follow a linear path that unravels like any other save-the-world plot. My advice? Don’t read up on anything about this game unless it’s spoiler-free (like this article).

Another piece of advice: Play Life is Strange on a console or PC before jumping into the iOS or Android version. As accessible as the mobile ports are, they can’t match the visuals and controls introduced by the first release. Even a decent laptop from 2014 can run the game smoothly on low to medium graphics settings.

Life is Strange on Android doesn’t get the touch controls right, making your control of Max feel clumsy and jerky. While the game offers control settings and camera sensitivity, nothing feels quite natural enough to keep you immersed while traversing hallways and strange dreams.

At the same time, even with a high-end smartphone, graphics aren’t that good. The are no settings for adjusting the visuals, and when it rains or stuff starts flying around, the frame rate takes an even greater hit — and consequently, causes the controls to become jerkier.

And that’s sort of my main gripe with Life is Strange on mobile; without the fluidity found in its original release, the immersion isn’t quite there. That’s a problem, because the story requires you to remember every detail, pain yourself over each decision made, and understand all character motives. It’s natural to play a gimped version of full games on mobile, but games like Final Fantasy XV Pocket Edition were able to optimize gameplay for smartphones while (mostly) retaining the atmosphere.

So, who is the Android or iOS port for? Those who want another crack at the game, and need to catch all the foreshadowing early on, because there are lots. I highly recommend playing Life is Strange the way it was meant to be played first, which is with a TV and controller or keyboard-mouse combo.

The title is often available for cheap during Steam sales, and could cost as little as the mobile game’s asking price. But if sitting on a couch or office chair to finish the game is not an option, there’s nothing wrong with downloading the game from the App Store or Google Play instead.

What’s great is that the first of five chapters is free, so you can get a hands-on feel to see if the mobile version is for you or you’re better off experiencing the console or PC release first.

Whichever choice you make, you’re in for a tight story driven by a memorable cast. You won’t feel the need to redo that decision once all’s said and done.

Apps

Grab moves beyond the ride to become a companion for the life in between

Now updated as an everyday guide with 13 AI-powered experiences to navigate life in Southeast Asia!

Published

April 8, 2026

MJ Jucutan

Navigating life in Southeast Asia requires a different mental load.

You decide what to eat while rushing to a meeting; you deal with the anxiety of landing in a foreign airport and wondering how to pay for coffee and your cab. We often look to our phones for answers, but sometimes, we just find more tasks to manage with the information we’re overloaded with.

At GrabX 2026 held in Jakarta, Indonesia, Grab as a Superapp transforms into an intelligent companion that understands our routines. It has just launched 13 AI-powered experiences, designed to act as an everyday guide.

Moving through the city together

Traveling within a busy city requires a delicate balance of time and budget. We want to get to our destinations efficiently, but we also want to share that journey with others.

The new Group Ride feature understands this balance. It allows up to four people to share a single vehicle. The system intelligently sequences pickups and splits payments automatically.

You can save up to 40 percent on your fare when you travel with friends on similar routes. Soon, a Waiting Room feature will let everyone see who is ready in real time. It turns a simple commute into a shared moment of connection.

After a busy day, the “what’s for dinner” dilemma usually begins. Grab More solves the frustration of wanting different things from different places. You can now add another nearby merchant to your order without paying extra delivery fees or meeting a minimum spend. The AI ensures both orders arrive in sync.

For the bigger plans, the Grab AI Assistant acts as a personal concierge. If you’re organizing a team celebration, you can simply tell the assistant your group size and dietary preferences. It handles the restaurant recommendations and the booking in a single conversation. If you are stocking up for the week, the Grab Shopping Agent lets you send a photo or a voice note of your list. It builds a cart across multiple merchants and even suggests smart substitutions for out-of-stock items.

Finding confidence

Navigating a city is about more than just a blue dot on a screen. GrabMaps for Consumers now helps you decide when to leave and what to do when you arrive.

The Journey Planner connects to your calendar and predicts your destination based on your history. You can compare the price of a ride versus the toll fees of driving yourself.

Once you arrive at a massive mall, which are plenty in Southeast Asia, indoor navigation guides you to the exact shop entrance.

You can even use the Custom Voice feature to clone a voice you love for your turn-by-turn directions. *cue Rufa Mae Quinto’s tone* It makes the journey feel personal.

For those moments when unexpected expenses arise, Cash Loan provides a bridge. It offers accessible credit to millions of people who may not have a traditional financial history. The AI uses Grab data to provide a loan decision in seconds. You can customize a repayment plan that fits your budget directly in the app. It’s a safety net built into the platform you already use.

A travel companion

Travel is often beautiful but logistically exhausting. The Personalised Travel Experience turns the app into a travel partner. It consolidates your passport reminders, check-in counter details, and gate updates in one place. When you land, it guides you step-by-step to the correct baggage belt and pickup point.

Finding a place to stay is now just as integrated. GrabStays, built with the AI-first ecosystem Nuitee, is designed for the traveler who needs a last-minute booking. You get competitive same-day rates and earn GrabCoin rewards. Because your payment info is already saved, booking a hotel feels as easy as booking a ride.

Once you are settled, Discover by Grab helps you find where the locals eat. It surfaces authentic food content and uses AI to learn what you personally enjoy.

You can see a review, book a table, and get a ride there all in one flow. When the bill comes, GrabPay for Travel removes the stress of currency exchange.

You can scan national QR codes and pay with the cards already saved in your Grab account. There are no leftover foreign balances to worry about.

Empowering the people behind the business

Grab’s intelligence layer also extends to the entrepreneurs and drivers who keep our cities moving.

For shop owners, the Virtual Store Manager uses computer vision to monitor hygiene and foot traffic remotely. It sends alerts if staffing levels are low or if queues are getting too long. The Cloud Printer automates the workflow between the front counter and the kitchen. Orders print instantly, and the printer even pauses the store if no activity is detected. This prevents customers from ordering when a shop is closed.

Starting a business is also getting simpler. Tap to Pay turns any smartphone into a payment terminal. Merchants can accept cards and QR payments in minutes without any extra hardware.

For the drivers on the road, the Driver AI Assistant provides a hands-free companion. Drivers can ask for advice on policies or get help sending a message to a passenger.

A more human way to grow

All of these features are shaped by the people who use them. The Early Access Programme has grown to 200,000 users who have contributed thousands of improvements. A new “shake and share” feature now lets anyone submit feedback instantly by simply shaking their phone.

Because of these updates, we’re understanding how it feels to have a little more breathing room in our day. Grab is no longer just a way to get from point A to point B. It’s now a companion for the life that happens in between.

Apps

Disney+ launches a TikTok-coded vertical feed called Verts

Published

March 13, 2026

Luigi Leonardo

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.

Apps

Google Maps is finally getting a 3D mode

The app will also have a Gemini chatbot baked inside.

Published

March 13, 2026

Luigi Leonardo

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.