Wordsmiths, get ready: There’s a new game in town. Alphabear is a fun word game featuring adorable bears that grow when you nourish them with good words. Letter tiles are arranged — a la Scrabble — around a bear and are worth different points. Depending on the letters you pick, your bear expands to fit the space, sometimes resulting in comically wide or cone-headed characters. The bigger the bear, the more points you can score, and the aesthetics add a nice level to the game.
If you leave a letter unused for too long, it can turn into a rock and keep your bear from growing. You can also find rare bears as you play, which have powers such as earning you score boosts when you use certain letters. There are in-app purchases in Alphabear. As with many mobile games, you run out of fuel — in this case, honey — after playing and need to either pay or wait to regenerate your supplies. But it’s possible to play without spending real-world cash, and this little game is a fun way for language lovers to stretch their brains. Free, for Android.
Have fun with words
Have fun with words
Apple to update EU browser options, make more apps deletable
- iPhone maker came under pressure from regulators to make changes after the EU’s sweeping Digital Markets Act took effect on March 7
- Apple users will be able to select a default browser directly from the choice screen after going through a mandatory list of options
STOCKHOLM: Apple will change how users choose browser options in the European Union, add a dedicated section for changing default apps, and make more apps deletable, the company said on Thursday.
The iPhone maker came under pressure from regulators to make changes after the EU’s sweeping Digital Markets Act took effect on March 7, forcing big tech companies to offer mobile users the ability to select from a list of available web browsers on a “choice screen.”
The new rules require mobile software makers to show the choice screen where users can select a browser, search engine and virtual assistant as they set up their phones, which earlier came with preferred options from Apple and Google.
In an update later this year, Apple users will be able to select a default browser directly from the choice screen after going through a mandatory list of options.
A randomly ordered list of 12 browsers per EU country will be shown to the user with short descriptions, and the chosen one will be automatically downloaded, Apple said. The choice screen will also be available on iPads through an update later this year.
Apple released a previous update in response to the new rules in March, but browser companies criticized the design of its choice screen, and the Commission opened an investigation on March 25 saying it suspected that the measures fell short of effective compliance.
The company said it has been in dialogue with the European Commission and believes the new changes will address regulators’ concerns.
It also plans to introduce a dedicated area for default apps where a user will be able to set defaults for messaging, phone calls, spam filters, password managers and keyboards.
Users will also be able to delete certain Apple-made apps such as App Store, Messages, Camera, Photos and Safari. Only Settings and Phone apps would not be deletable.
