Clear skies ahead as EASA approves gadget use during take-off and landing
European air travellers will soon be able to use their personal electronic devices throughout flights, with the continent's air safety regular confirming new guidelines will come into play by the end of the month.
Following the lead of their American counterparts, the FAA, the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) said passengers need no longer shut down and stow their gadgets during taxi, take-off and landing.
Once the new rules take effect, flyers will be able to use smartphones, tablets, e-readers, MP3 players and other devices, as long as they're in flight/airplane mode. That still means calling, texting, and using mobile data is still off limits.
The new guidelines will be published before November comes to an end. From there it will likely be up to individual airlines to adjust their policies as they see fit, as has been the case in the United States recently.
No bulky laptops
The EASA still wants "bulky" laptop computers to be stowed during taxi, take-off and landing stages of the flight, but today's announcement represents a major step forward.The EASA said it was looking for safe ways to allow phone calls, but wants to ensure passengers listen to those all important safety instructions, first and foremost.
In a press release, sent out on Wednesday, the regulator wrote: "In the long term, the Agency is looking at new ways to certify the use of mobile phones on-board aircraft to make phone calls. EASA recognises the wide proliferation of personal electronic devices and the wish of the travelling public to use them everywhere.
"The aim of the Agency is to ensure safe and harmonised use of PED on-board aircraft operated by European airlines. Safety is EASA's priority; it is important that passengers continue to listen to the safety briefings conducted by the crew and follow their instructions."
The swift action of the European regulator will pleasantly surprise the UK's own Civil Aviation Authority. A spokesman recently suggested it'd be "months" before the EU red tape was cut.
     |
Read More ...
Facebook Messenger app expands phone number integration to iOS, Android
Facebook has announced that the Android beta testing of its refreshed Messenger app has come to a close and the new version is available to download on iOS and Android devices.
It should come as welcome news as the limited beta had an appealing iOS 7-friendly look and added the ability to message real-life contacts who aren't on your Facebook friends list.
"Now you can text your phone contacts, even if you're not Facebook friends," wrote the social networking company in today's release notes for the app.
"It's easy to add new contacts - just enter a phone number."
SMS may send an SOS
Facebook's focus on a "reliable mobile-to-mobile messaging experience" means that users won't have to open up other chat programs like SMS and WhatsApp to message non-Facebook friends.The in-app ability to send a Facebook message, text, initiate a phone call, view previously sent photos and browse the contact's timeline puts a lot more information at a user's fingertips.
The redesigned Messenger is also faster and feels more lightweight than its previous iteration.
Although Facebook is no longer trying to completely co-op SMS conversations on Android, it still includes the convenient chat heads circles that can pop up throughout Google's mobile ecosystem.
All of this makes for more instantaneous communication.
With Google integrating SMS into Hangouts and Apple having done the same with those highly encrypted iMessages, costly SMSs may be sending SOS messages and not much else.
| |
Read More ...
Pocket app gets better at organizing, discovering content with latest update
Pocket held a press event in San Francisco today where founder Nathan Weiner focused on unveiling an updated version of the popular bookmarking tool for the mobile platform.
Freshly dubbed Pocket 5.0, the app holds two big changes to help streamline custom content for users. First up was Highlights.
The tool essentially organizes content it sees as the best and most relevant to you based on the items already in your Pocketed list. Your list includes sites you frequent the most, tags you've created and authors you follow.
New color-coded badges mark your Pocketed sites to help differentiate entries - those hundreds of items are now better organized into categories based on impact (Best Of), popularity (Trending) and length (Long Reads and Short Reads).
Joining Highlights was a new developer tool called Pocket Preferences. The tool lets third party apps integrate the topics, sites and authors you save most, then allows you to connect them to other apps via your Pocket account. Bookmarking on mobile devices is ostensibly much easier and quicker, plus content is now better curated to your interests.
For iOS and Android, plus more?
The app update also includes better side bar navigation, making it easier for you to access your List, Highlights, Tags, Favorites and Archive and quickly filter your content, much like the Facebook app.The update hits iPhones and iPads today and will be available on Android devices November 20. The company is also working to move the app to other platforms "soon."
| |
Read More ...
The year of the APU: AMD says 2014 is shaping up to be a big one
At a conference called APU13, you can expect the subject matter to follow the script pretty much to the letter. But it's evident AMD is expecting more from its multi-part processors well beyond this week in San Jose.
"Yes, it's shaping up that way," said Gabe Gravning, director of marketing, AMD Client Business Unit, when TechRadar asked whether the company is positioning 2014 as a big year for the APU.
"Between Mantle, HSA, bringing TrueAudio DSPs, integrating more and more in the security code processor, more IP with these processors - it's pretty good. It's probably one of the best lineups that we've got going into 2014."
"The million-dollar question is what form factors and devices stick based on where the market is," he continued. "How many Windows devices are going to be sold this year as we try to bridge to Android and other platforms as well."
A new dawn
Gravning spoke to us following a briefing on AMD's newly announced Beema and Mullins APUs, the latest to join its 2014 mobile APU roadmap.The company is keeping many details close to vest, promising more to come at CES 2014. It's then we expect to meet OEM partners, handle the first devices and learn if AMD's performance figures really add up.
With Kaveri, AMD decided to skip over mobile at first and go straight desktop. The first machines packing the HSA-featured part will launch on January 14. Beema and Mullins, which scratch into Puma cores and boast 2x the performance per watt than their predecessors, will be available before Computex in June.
With Intel's Bay Trail lapping up plenty of tablet attention, AMD will have to have a good year indeed - starting with an impressive at CES - for its 2014 APU line-up to really take off.
- Haven't read our updated hands on PS4 review? What are you waiting for?
| |
Read More ...
10 Xbox One Launch games that will blow you away
It's fair to say that consoles live or die by their content - and the launch games can be a huge boost in the race to our gaming hearts.
The Xbox One arrives soon and we already have an idea of which games will be vying for the title of 'killer app' and follow in the footsteps of such legendary titles as Halo and Call of Duty 2.
Of course, some massive titles like Titanfall and Watch Dogs will not be among the opening salvo, but those queuing up for an Xbox on day One will not be short of choice, so we've picked out 10 titles that have already piqued our interest.
FIFA 14
Although it arrived for last-gen consoles in September, there's no doubt that FIFA 14 will be among the most played launch titles for Xbox One. With some lucky enough to get a bundled digital edition with their pre-ordered console, the FIFA franchise is a big deal for gamers and the opportunity to play it with a whole new set of next-gen bells and, ahem, whistles.These upgrades include a crowd that no longer looks like a strange deck of pixelated sprites and players that move more convincingly. It may be a bit of a next-gen open goal, but it's pretty much guaranteed to be a top scorer.
Call of Duty: Ghosts
CoD is a bona fide superstar of gaming, and the next arrival in the series, Call of Duty: Ghosts, will be looking to showcase what the next-generation of first person shooters can provide in a world where the US has been conquered.Xbox One owners will also be getting timed DLC exclusives that will expand your Ghosts world and give you even more missions to explore, as Infinity Ward continues the success of its award-winning series.
Dead Rising 3
An Xbox exclusive, Dead Rising 3 is shaping up to not only be a slice of unmitigated zombie-bashing fun but also a game that will take advantage of the much improved SmartGlass app for your tablet and phone.Faux phonecalls, offline character customisation and the vast maps will add to a game world that is all about escapism, ridiculous costumes and wanton destruction. And let's not forget more customisable weapons than you can shake an 'ultimate grim reaper' at.
Forza Motorsport 5
Racing games have always been a little bit divisive for gamers, but for every person looking for the ejector seat button is another vociferous group who desperately want to be customising the paint on their Audi supercar and ghosting past 'cloud powered' opponents which borrow real racing data from your friends and the Forza community.There's a Top Gear tie-in which means you can Stig it to the man as well but, let's be honest, the fun really stems from driving the kinds of supercars that you'll only ever normally see double-parked outside Harrods.
Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag
Assassins! Pirates! Conspiracies! Yes alright, the Assassin's Creed series is only dinosaurs and Bruce Lee short of a 10-year-old's best short story ever, but Ubisoft's third person actioner has deservedly won a loyal audience.Seafaring fourth incarnation Black Flag is promising to show off exactly what the Xbox One can do. AC has always been graphically impressive and the showcases so far have done nothing but whet our appetite for just what kind of world can be wrangled from the One.
Battlefield 4
Shooters are well represented at launch, and as well as the latest CoD there will be another massive and successful franchise looking to capture some next-gen market with Battlefield 4 hoping to bring multiplayer massacre to the masses.With simultaneous 64-player maps - significantly bigger than the 24 player offerings for Xbox 360 and PS3 - BF4 on Xbox One is shaping up to be a potential mega-hit and we couldn't be more excited.
Ryse: Son of Rome
With the likes of Gladiator and Spartacus lighting up cinemas and television screens, a game that deals with swords and sandals was always likely, and in Ryse: Son of Rome the Xbox One has an exclusive title that has won early admiring glances.Originally envisioned as a Kinect title, this has now evolved into a controller-led hack-and-slash-em-up that sees you rise from humble beginnings to a general of Rome as you seek revenge for your family and slaughter thousands with your righteousness. Beautiful looking and allowing you to use the Kinect to order around your legions - Ryse is shaping up to be a memorable game.
Just Dance 2014
Dancing? Are we kidding? Hang on a minute while we explain. If you're like us then you might well need to justify your Xbox One purchase to the softcore gamer members of your household and the Just Dance series provides the party appeal that just may make the new Kinect your Trojan Horse to getting a next-gen console under your television from launch.Of course, we could just be saying this to disguise our secret desire to perfect our Call me Maybe boogie before we hit the clubs. We couldn't possibly say.
Crimson Dragon
Last but not least is Crimson Dragon which has excited the retro gamer in us by being labelled the 'spiritual successor' to Panzer Dragoon. For those who no longer gaze fondly at their old Dreamcast, Panzer Dragoon was an on-the-rails shooter that saw you piloting your drago(o)n through levels of fiery destruction.Designed by PD's Yukio Futatsugi Crimson Dragon will see you remounting your trusty flying lizard steed. We're already getting hot under the collar.
LEGO Marvel Superheroes
If you haven't yet played a LEGO game on a console through some misguided idea that they are for kids then we urge you to have a rethink. Child-friendly, certainly, but awesome for adults as well and we can't wait to see whether Marvel Superheroes will knock our blocks off.Expect plenty of Iron man, Thor and Hulk but also a healthy dose of Spiderman and X-Men as Marvel's finest stick together to the end
| |
Read More ...
How Xbox One is the true definition of next gen
2013 will be known as they year that next-generation gaming finally entered our living rooms. But, what does this actually mean? Just what is the definition of next-gen gaming? The answer is simple: the Xbox One.
Microsoft's latest games console is one that pushes the boundaries of gaming like never before. Offering a complete home-entertainment solution – whether watching television or playing games – the Xbox One is packed with innovation that makes the machine the most-advanced console around.
Not only is the Xbox One stuffed with computing architecture that gives games a cinematic spin, it is truly a console for the digital age – making great use of the power of the cloud, second screen technology and hands-free gaming.
The Xbox One marks the spot for the future of gaming, so here are some of the innovations that make this console the true definition of high definition...
Graphical power
You can't be a next-gen console without the horsepower to back this fact up. It's lucky then that at the core of the Xbox One is, well, eight cores. An 8-core x86 processor lets you switch seamlessly between any game that you happen to be playing and your favourite entertainment apps with ease.Alongside this there is a whopping 8GB of RAM, as well as a 500GB hard drive. This means that you have plenty of memory for all your downloads – whether it be games, demos, movies, apps or music.
And the Xbox One isn't just about downloads, either. It also comes equipped with a Blu-ray drive so you can watch all your favourite disc-based movies through the console as well.
No more switching
The Xbox One has been perfectly designed so that it becomes the centre of your living room experience. This is all because of something called HDMI pass-thru. This feature that is housed in Xbox One enables you to watch TV through your Xbox without the need to switch inputs. Essentially, you can connect your compatible cable or satellite box to your Xbox One and then effortlessly watch television through the console.
A Windows of opportunity
As the Xbox One has been created by Microsoft, this means that the console can tap into the Windows ecosystem and take advantage of some fantastic features.The Xbox One has been fused with Windows OS, so you can run a whole load of apps on the console alongside your games and even have them working on the same screen at the same time. Top of the picks is Skype in Full HD – the video service is baked into the Xbox One so you can use contact people from your console. You can pin your favourite apps, such as Xbox Music, to the home screen and also search the internet straight from the console too.
Control yourself
There are two fantastic ways to control gaming through the Xbox One: Kinect and a new innovative controller. Kinect has been re-engineered for the Xbox One. Kinect Real Vision technology means that the controller's field of view has been dramatically expanded. Real Motion means that tiny hand gestures are now recognised and you can now use your voice to launch any Xbox One experience from anywhere in the system. From the moment you say "Xbox on" Kinect will spring to life.As for the Xbox One controller. Microsoft has added 40 innovations to the controller, including redesigned thumbsticks, a new shape that fits more hands and Trigger Impulses which mean you will feel every nuance of the games you play.
Seconds out
Away from the console, Microsoft is also redefining apps with its SmartGlass technology. This is something that truly defines the next generation. Offering a unique cross-screen experience that taps into a multitude of games and entertainment services, the app is available for Windows 8, Windows Phone, Android and iOS. Downloading the app means that you can use your tablet or phone to extend, enhance and control what's playing on your Xbox One.
Game on
You can't truly be next-gen unless you have the games to back it up – and the Xbox One has. Because of the unique architecture found in the Xbox One this allows creators to build fantastically realistic, cinematic experiences that look superb in Full HD.The facts speak for themselves: the Xbox One won over 100 awards for its exclusive games at gaming expo E3 and there are a mountain of exclusives to choose from. From unique content found in FIFA 14, to a new Halo and Kinect Sports Rivals there is something for everyone with graphical prowess that will impress all.
Then there's multiplayer. Innovations such as Smart Match, a new reputation system and Game DVR, where you can record your greatest gaming moments, push multi-player gaming to the absolute max on the Xbox One. And with 300,000 servers powering things behind the scenes, this is what next-gen gaming looks like and it looks fantastic.
| |
Read More ...
Why multiplayer gaming is better than ever on Xbox One
Xbox Live has built up an incredibly passionate fanbase of gamers over the past few years, and Microsoft has learned a lot about its community in that time.
With Xbox Live on the Xbox One, multiplayer gaming is bringing out the big guns. Xbox Live is now smarter, more attuned to your personality and, above all, a whole load more fun.
A perfect match
There's nothing more tedious than waiting in a lobby only to be matched up with a bunch of trolls and someone's gran who thought she'd try out the Xbox One "for a laugh". But we've got good news: those days are well and truly over.Using some clever algorithms, Xbox One's Smart Match feature will ensure you're paired with others based on skill, language and reputation. Over time, Smart Match will learn more about you and your friends and continue to evolve, always improving its accuracy in matching with the right players.
But this might be the even better news: Smart Match lets you go off and do other things while it's pairing you up. Taking advantage of Snap mode, you can watch TV, browser the web or use another app. Heck, you can even play one game while Xbox One is matching you up for another. Once it's found your perfect match, Xbox One will notify you so you can jump in and start playing.
Caught in the act
The Xbox One's DVR features offer an incredible way to capture and share your most amazing gaming moments. And if that wasn't enough, you can harness the power of Upload Studio to create your own personal mini movies, mixing in slow motion, voiceovers and other cool features for a reel of highlights.As for the achievement chasers, Xbox One DVR will automatically record your achievement unlocks, so you can be sure you've got evidence at hand when it comes to rubbing in your friends' faces.
Eight's company
Think local multiplayer has had its day? Gaming laughs in your face. While Xbox One will impress you with the power of the cloud, it also supports up to eight controllers for those more intimate multiplayer experiences.How will game developers harness the power of eight-player multiplayer? We're excited to find out - there's so much potential here it's mind boggling. But Xbox One is just as much about sharing experiences with friends and family as it is with competitors from across the globe.
Riding the cloud
There's nothing that showcases the power of the cloud quite like Xbox One, and multiplayer gaming is where that power really takes off. With over 300,000 servers, Xbox Live is more impressive than it's ever been, and games like Forza 5 are truly taking advantage of this by using the cloud to build AI with human intelligence.With server-based gaming, not only can you have more players in on the action but everything is much more reliable. None of the interruptions and problems you get with peer-to-peer gameplay - just smooth sailing all the way.
Follow me
Xbox One now lets you add up to 1,000 friends on your Friends list, which you can share your game statistics and achievements with every single one of them too. Then you have followers to consider - these are friends with different levels of privacy, and you can have an infinite amount of them too.Anyone can follow anyone and you can choose how much information your followers see. It's this awesome community that forms the foundation of the Xbox One's multiplayer experience.
Achievement unlocked
Of course, we couldn't talk about multiplayer gaming on the Xbox One without discussing the great new enhancements to achievements. Xbox One takes the achievement system we all know and love and carries it across all of your games, meaning your accolades are no longer limited by title.As well as the achievements you're already familiar with there are now time-based challenges to go for, which will only be available for a limited period of time. Some challenges even require the gaming community to work together to complete them. Keep a keen eye out for those ones.
Don't feed the trolls
There are passionate gamers and then there are just jerks. The Xbox One solves this problem with Xbox Live's new reputation system, which takes into account your behaviour online based on feedback from other players.If you're a "Good Player", you're in the green, yellow means "Needs Improvement", and red is a worrying "Avoid Me". This reputation is available on every player's gaming card so you can be sure that the trolls stay in the dungeon.
| |
Read More ...
AMD unveils Beema, Mullins APUs for fanless tablets, 2-in-1s and notebooks
AMD's Kaveri APU is getting clearer by the day (with yet more details due at CES 2014), but the chipmaker wouldn't let its APU13 Developer Summit pass without outing more of its 2014 mobile APU roadmap.
AMD has announced two more APUs destined for fanless tablets, 2-in-1s and notebooks: Mullins and Beema.
The figure AMD is hanging its hat on with Beema and Mullins (codenames, of course) to start is that each has twice the performance per watt than their predecessors.
Mullins, designed specifically for fanless tablets, 2-in-1s and notebooks, trounces Temash, while Beema, which will make its way to mainstream and entry-level 2-in-1s and notebooks bests Kabini. AMD CTO Mark Papermaster said the new APUs are designed to deliver better performance at lower power.
Mullins is clearly the favored child: Papermaster said "we're very excited about Mullins" during his APU13 keynote with no such attention showered on Beema.
Both APUs will be available before Computex 2014 and AMD will have them on hand for CES demos.
Mullins and Beema features
Specifics are still scare for the new accelerated processing units, but AMD was willing to share some secrets.Unlike Kaveri, which features up to four Steamroller CPU cores, Beema and Mullins will be available in dual- and quad-core Puma variants. Graphics Core Next Radeon graphics cores are also a strumming through the new APUs, and everything is housed on a 28nm SoC.
Beema's wattage is from 10 watts to 25 watts, and Mullins can reach down to a 2W SDP.
The APUs will also support Microsoft's InstantGo for faster wake times, up-to-date apps and data, and extended battery life, said Gabe Gravning, director of marketing, AMD Client Business Unit, during a pre-brief.
Beema and Mullins also support AMD's DockPort solution. Through a single cable, DockPort supports up to four monitors and other device peripherals over USB 3.0. What's more, users can power their DockPort device over the same solo cable.
One important note: Neither Beema nor Mullins include HSA features. AMD informed us that for 2014, HSA features are on the top of the performance stack with Kaveri.
New Security Processor
Beema and Mullins also come stocked with AMD's ARM Cortex-A5-based Security Processor, featuring ARM's TrustZone. The zone, Gravning explained, provides a trusted execution environment for security solutions by protecting against software attack.Security solutions can include everything from secure boot and user authentication to anti-malware and online payments.
Within the Security Processor, apps can operate in both the normal world by accessing TrustZone through an API, or they can be written as trusted apps in the "secure world," Gravning said. The apps are able to communicate with one another across the two worlds.
"There are certain apps you want to in a completely trusted environment," Gravning explained. "The notion is that the whole app itself is a trusted app. The core mobile payment app will be a completely trusted application, for example. It will be a mobile payment app on my tablet, and that will be a secure app that will store my credit card information.
"Other apps will then access it. I have an Amazon app, so it could ask if there is a mobile app on this device, and when you want to purchase something, the information would communicate between the two worlds."
A new APU Android future?
AMD's new APU roadmap members are optimized for Windows 8.1, but there seems to be plenty of room for Android in the passenger seat.Gravning would only say that the company hasn't announced native Android support for the new APUs at this time, "but we are working with partners to put Android over Windows."
BlueStacks, which enables Android apps to run on Windows, is AMD's solution for this, Gravning said, and consumers can expect to see a demo with the new APUs at CES.
"Have you seen the demo?" Gravning said during our briefing to an AMD colleague. "It's good. It's fast."
| |
Read More ...
The anatomy of the Xbox One controller
Next-gen graphics, cutting-edge design and a supercomputing performance are all very well but if you haven't got the right controller then you are simply not offering up the best gaming experience.
Microsoft knows this and that's why it has designed a controller for the Xbox One that has been created with the sole purpose to elevate your gaming.
Anyone familiar with the Xbox 360 will feel right at home with Xbox One controller. However, to make use of all of the new features the Xbox One delivers, Microsoft has made over 40 improvements. Everything about the new controller has been rethought and re-imagined. A better ergonomic design means that you have never had a controller that is better equipped to help you with your gaming.
From improved triggers to D-Pad enhancements, there is a wealth of innovations hidden within the new controller making it the perfect accessory for the Xbox One. To help get you acquainted with the controller, here is our pick of the best new features that reveal just why Microsoft has named its Xbox One controller the best it has ever made.
Trigger happy
The Xbox One features a fantastic new innovation called Impulse Triggers. These have been created to make your gaming more realistic. Whether you are a first-person shooter fanatic or prefer a polished platformer, with Impulse Triggers you will feel fantastic feedback throughout your gaming experience. Unlike feedback offered by controllers of old, these new Impulse Triggers offer much better precision – bringing realism to every rock and ricochet. The triggers and bumpers have been designed in such a way that your fingers will find them quickly and with very little effort, so the only thing you have to worry about is what is happening on the screen and not what's going on in your hand.Taking control
The ever-trusty D-Pad is back with the Xbox One controller and we wouldn't have it any other way. This time though it's much more responsive, offering improved sweeping and directional movements. When it comes to the thumbsticks, these have been given a brilliant new shape and texture. They have been completely redesigned to enhance your gaming. Not only does the new texture and shape help with the responsiveness of the sticks but their shape makes them easier than ever before to handle.
Button it
The Xbox One controller wouldn't be complete without Microsoft's heralded button layout. Design changes to the controller means that the X, B, Y, A buttons are easier to access then ever before. In fact the design of the whole controller has been improved to make sure that a wider range of hand sizes are catered for. To help with the ergonomics, Microsoft has managed to hide the battery completely within the chassis of the controller. This means that there's no unnecessary bulk to get in the way of your gaming needs.Pair and share
Microsoft has taken the sting out of controller pairing with the new Xbox One. Not only can eight controllers be paired with the console, there are seamless profiles and controller pairing. The controller works effortlessly with Kinect, too. Kinect tracks each individual controller through its infrared LED so it knows exactly where you are in the room to help with the precision of your gaming.And it doesn't matter where you are in your living room either – the Xbox One controller has a massive 30-foot wireless range. So even if you decide to game from afar, the Xbox One controller will be just as responsive as if you were sat right in front of the television. The placement of the menu and view buttons means that these are also within a finger's reach so navigation couldn't be simpler.
Expanding your gaming
The Xbox One controller comes with the ability to expand your gaming further than ever before. Found on the bottom of the controller is an expansion port and on the top a micro USB connection. These can be used in collaboration with an Xbox One Play and Charge Kit and Xbox One Chat Headset.Connect the Xbox One Play and Charge Kit to your controller and you will be able to replace the AA batteries with a rechargeable kit that will charge a controller in under four hours. Using this add-on will keep your controller powered so you will never need to swap out batteries mid game again.
You can enhance your gaming even further with the Xbox One Chat Headset, which will allow you to interact with other players during online play. Couple this with high speed data transfer that enables clearer chat audio when using a compatible headset, and what you have the best online gaming experience available.
| |
Read More ...
Just how smart is your Xbox One?
If you still think gaming consoles are just passive entertainment stations, you haven't met Xbox One. There's a lot more to this box that meets this eye. A hell of a lot more.
Better Kinect-ed
Kinect for Xbox One is like nothing that's ever been done before. While the original Kinect was designed to recognise gross human motion, Kinect 2.0, with its 1080p HD camera, is about true human understanding. Fun fact: it can even read your emotions.The new Kinect is also more dynamic, working in small and large spaces alike, while its active IR can also recognise you in the dark. Oh, and there's even a heart monitor, meaning Kinect might just become your new personal trainer.
The new Kinect can also recognise up to six different people in a room, and with the array microphone it can zoom in on the person talking and listen to their commands in isolation. And as it can recognise exactly who's who, it knows what controller you're holding, meaning you can switch gamepads with another player and Kinect will know so you keep playing exactly as you were.
Smart(Glass)er than your average
With Xbox SmartGlass your smartphone, tablet or laptop becomes an extension of your Xbox One experience. It's matured a lot since the Xbox 360, not least in how quick it now is to set up. Within just seconds it will create a connection to your Xbox One, and once you're synced, reconnection time is even less.But SmartGlass really lives up to its name when it comes to multiplayer matchmaking. Even when you're in the middle of a big match you can start searching out your next session by matchmaking with SmartGlass. No need to pause the action.
Xbox One now lets even more of you get in on the second screen action, allowing up to 16 SmartGlass devices to be connected to the console at a time. There are a load of SmartGlass compatible games too, including Dead Rising 3, which brings your in-game phone out of the virtual world and adds a whole new level of immersion.
Dashingly clever
The Xbox One has the Billy Dee Williams of user interfaces - super smooth. Every user can have their own personalised home screen, laid out so access to favourite games and apps is as quick as possible.Multitasking master? Then Xbox One's Snap mode is what you've been waiting for. Why jump between the TV and your gaming when you can do both things at once? So your favourite show's on but you want to get in a bit of FIFA 14 in the advert breaks? Not a problem - you can easily snap the TV alongside your game to make sure you don't miss a moment when you're making that penalty shootout.
Getting vocal
The Xbox One is built for the future. A future where your voice is the true controller of the living room. Say "Xbox on" and it will power up your console and television. Say "Xbox mute" and - surprise, surprise - it will instantly mute your TV.Just scored a phenomenal goal on FIFA 14? Say "Xbox, record that" and it will grab the last 30 seconds of gameplay so no need to take your focus away from the game. Want to open something in Snap mode? Using your voice makes the process a whole lot faster here too.
And of course we're going to see some really neat ways to use our voice to interact with our games on Xbox One. Just don't get so immersed that you start dicing up your living room.
Xbox Learns
Xbox One is truly your console. With the power of the cloud, Xbox One will learn more about you over time. One way game developers are doing this is with adaptive AI that learns to play just like you. Forza Motorsport 5's Drivatar system is a perfect example of this, but it's just the beginning - just think how far developers could go.Your online profile among other gamers is also something that will continue to grow, and the new reputation system means the way you behave affects the way you'll be matched with other players. Be a good sport and you'll be out against like minded players. Be a jerk and you'll be thrown in the troll pit.
| |
Read More ...
10 ways the Xbox One will become your new living room hub
In an age where we're increasingly packing our homes out with more tech, it helps to have something to tie it all together. Not only is the Xbox One the pinnacle of next gen, it's ready to take the living room limelight and make your entertainment experience more intelligent than ever.
Here are ten reasons why Xbox One is about to take centre stage.
It lets you tell it how it is
"Xbox On" is one phrase you'll definitely be using a lot, but there are plenty of other Xbox One commands to learn too. "Xbox, watch TV" is another key one that will switch over from the current game and into the console's television mode.Using simple phrases such as these you're able to switch between games, TV, music, Internet Explorer and other applications. You can even browse the web using your voice. How handy is that?
It's a communication station
Skype for Xbox One has been designed with your living room in mind. Opening Skype in Snap mode means you can continue to chat while you watch TV, all in crystal clear HD thanks to Kinect's 1080p camera. There's no effort required to send or receive a Skype call either - just say "Xbox Skype Dad", for example.Meanwhile, the wide-angled camera also means that everyone in the room can chat comfortably from where they are, while Kinect's ability to block out sound from the TV and focus on your voice means you don't need to worry about background noise.
Appy days lie ahead
Xbox One will be a new home for all your favourite apps, but you'll want to make sure they're all arranged for instant access. Xbox One lets you pin your favourite applications to the home screen so whatever it is that's important to you, it'll always be easy to find. And yes, you expert multitaskers can also use Snap mode to run two apps simultaneously alongside one another. Boredom isn't an option.This time it's personal
Xbox One brings a personalised home screen to every person in your family and you can customise until your heart's content. But here's the best part: sign into Xbox Live on any other Xbox One and you'll instantly be met with your customised home screen along with all of your achievements and game saves.
It's going big on TV. Really big
Xbox One really can do it all, and its TV features are a perfect demonstration of why it's about to take your living room by storm. Connect your supported cable or satellite box through the Xbox One and take control of your viewing like never before. Plus, Xbox One will in the near future even let you find what your friends are watching and see what's currently hot in the Xbox community.It turns SmartGlass into your new living room controller
The cross-screen experiences between Xbox One and SmartGlass mean that your living room experience is taking a more intuitive shape. Because SmartGlass is an app, it means you can use the phone or tablet you already own to take even more control over your Xbox One experience.SmartGlass and your Xbox One communicate to enhance everything from TV shows to music and games. Immerse yourself further in your favourite show by letting SmartGlass deliver information and interactive companion guides. The SmartGlass app is free for Windows 8, Windows Phone, iOS and Android.
It's a multitasking master
Xbox One is ready to show you just how well it can perform under demand, and there's no better way to demonstrate its aptitude for multitasking than with Snap mode. Letting you run two applications side by side, Snap mode acknowledges that jumping back and forth between your gaming and your music playlist can be frustrating - so why not make life easier by keeping all the action on screen?It lets you stay in control of your privacy
Xbox One is completely tailored to your wants and needs, and this includes privacy settings and the way your data is used. It's completely in your hands to decide whether anything or anyone has access to it, so you can be rest assured that everything is under padlock and key if you want it to be.
It's built for the future
Not only will Xbox One stream all your favourite content straight to your TV, it also packs in a Blu-ray player to let you enjoy all the latest movies (and of course games) in stunning HD. It really has got everything covered. But if you want a real look into the future, Xbox One expertly harnessing the power of the cloud, especially when it comes to multiplayer gaming, to deliver an experience like nothing you've ever seen - right to your living room.It's focused on the game
Finally, but most importantly, Xbox One is your ultimate gaming station. It's a whole new generation of graphical horsepower and - with eight controller support - massive multiplayer potential. From launch day you'll be able to get your hands on the likes of Ryse, Forza Motorsport 5, FIFA 14 and Dead Rising 3, while there are plenty more huge titles on the horizon, including Titanfall, Destiny, Sunset Overdrive and, of course, the next instalment in the Halo franchise.
| |
Read More ...
Why your favourite gaming franchises are better than ever on Xbox One
You can't keep a good franchise down and with the arrival of the Xbox One things are about to get a whole lot more interesting. The Xbox One isn't wasting any time in bringing these experiences either, with a truckload of titles to get your hands on from launch day.
Here's how your well known franchises are about to take a bold step into the next generation on Xbox One.
Dead Rising 3
Welcome to the city of Los Perdidos. Population: aggressively antisocial, also hungry. Thought the zombie hordes couldn't get any tougher? Dead Rising 3 is bigger, badder and bloodier than ever. But don't worry - that also means you also have a tonne of more novelty items to chuck at the unfriendly undead.You've also got a brand new tool in your pocket: SmartGlass. Using your SmartGlass-enabled device you can access special missions, request drone support or even call in an airstrike when the flesh eaters start to overwhelm. George Romero, watch and learn.
Forza Motorsport 5
If there's a game to show off the potential of cloud power, it's Forza Motorsport 5. Sure, it looks more photorealistic than ever, it runs at 60fps at 1080p (full HD), it's packed with more vehicles than you can shake an oily rag at - everything you'd expect from the latest instalment of the acclaimed racing series.But it's the introduction of Drivatars, Forza 5's brilliant answer to lacklustre AI, that's a real road-based revolution on the Xbox One. Drivatar learns your driving habits, good and bad, to create a virtual version of you.
You're then added to a network of opponents that other players can race against. This means your competitors will always be real people, and they don't even have to be sat at their Xbox One console at the time. They could literally beat you with their hands tied behind their backs.
Call of Duty: Ghosts
The blockbuster Call of Duty franchise makes a welcome debut on Xbox One, and this time it's really raising the bar. Powered by the next-generation Call of Duty engine and with the Xbox One's dedicated server support, the experience is more explosive and immersive than it's ever been.Even better, Call of Duty: Ghosts DLC will be available first on Xbox One, meaning you can get your hands on the latest content before anyone else. It's the Free Fall dynamic multiplayer map we're most looking forward too though, which throws you into the heat of combat in a collapsing tower building hundreds of feet above the streets below. Makes John McClane look like a pencil pusher.
Battlefield 4
Powered by DICE's Frostbite 3 engine, the next generation of Battlefield promises to be like nothing you've seen before. Don't worry, there will still be explosions aplenty. But Levolution introduces a way of playing you've never experienced before, ensuring no two matches are ever the same.Every action has a reaction, and everything you do affects the interactive environment in some way. Variety is the spice of life - and death.
Of course, all that destruction is going to look a heck of a lot better with enhanced animations, crisper visuals, and all running at 60 frames-per-second, which is why it's an Xbox One must-have for any shooter fan.
FIFA 14
FIFA 14 may have just hit the Xbox 360 but on Xbox One it's aiming much higher. Most of this is down to EA's next-gen Ignite engine, enhancing the AI with Human Intelligence to make other players much more lifelike in their reactions. True Player Motion, meanwhile, makes in-game players move and behave just like their real-life counterparts.On top of that, the crowds look more alive and realistic than ever before, helping to create an incredibly immersive atmosphere that's closer to the real thing than it's ever been.
Oh, and if you're feeling a tad nostalgic, remember that FIFA 14 also introduces Ultimate Team Legends, which lets you bring back players from football years gone by. Don't worry if you think they're a bit past it now - you'll be getting prime time Pelé.
Just Dance 2014
Just Dance 2014 is grooving its way onto the Xbox One with huge expectations from its fanbase. Kinect now tracks your moves far more accurately and can also track up to six players - more than ever before. There's even some new acrobatic choreography involved this time, including human pyramids, which you'll only get in the Xbox One experiences.Alternatively, One Stage mode lets one player take centre stage while their friends step behind the limelight and take the role of the backing dancers.
SmartGlass is also front and centre of the new Just Dance experience. You can control the experience from the sofa with your smartphone or tablet, editing playlists without interrupting any of the action.
Then there's Party Master mode on SmartGlass, which lets you get more involved by choosing dance moves for the players to bust. Just Dance 2014 also arrives in full HD on Xbox One, meaning that this isn't just the most packed-out Just Dance experience yet, it's also the best looking. Set phasers to funk.
| |
Read More ...
Hands-on review: Moto G
Motorola's back, and it's kicking off its global smartphone revival with the keenly priced Moto G handset. A mid-range handset with a low-end price tag - okay Moto, we're listening.
First things first: the Moto G price. You'll be able to pick the handset up in two storage sizes - 8GB and 16GB. The former will set you back just £135/$175 (around £190), while the larger size is still a very palatable £159/$199 (around AU$215).
So where does this place the Moto G in the market? Well at that price it has the likes of the Samsung Galaxy Fame, Nokia Lumia 520 and LG Optimus L3 2 for company, but dive into the spec list and you'll note the Moto G wipes the floor with them.
In terms of design the Moto G takes most of its cues from the firm's first post-Google takeover handset, the US-only Moto X.
Weighing in at 143g the Moto G has a pleasing, well balanced presence in the hand without being overbearing, and while it may measure 11.6mm thick in the middle the tapered edges make it feel thinner than it is.
Couple that with a rubberized rear plate which slightly hugs the side of the handset too, and the Moto G fits comfortably in the palm, providing a decent amount of grip.
The smaller phone features a water repellent coating which means you'll be able to whip it out in the rain without fear of a short circuit, but note it's not waterproof, so no jumping in the pool with it while playing Real Racing 3.
You can even take the rear cover off and swap it for a different color, which Motorola is pushing as a big customizable feature of the phone. In reality it just reminds us of our Nokia 3310.
Sure changeable covers are fun for all of five minutes, but the novelty soon wears off. Not to mention the back cover is also pretty tricky to remove - you need to really dig your nails in at the base of the handset to get it free.
The left side of the Moto G is devoid of any features, while the top of the handset only sports a centralized headphone jack. Both the power/lock key and volume rocker switch are located on the right of the G - both of which are easy to reach and responsive to the press.
On the base is a microUSB port, while under the removable cover is a microSIM port - but no microSD slot. That means if you want to expand the onboard storage you'll have to take to the cloud.
Thankfully, Motorola has struck a deal with parent company Google to offer Moto G users an additional 50GB of Google Drive storage on top of the 15GB already provided.
If we've done our math correctly that means you'll get 65GB of cloud storage for free if you pick up a Moto G.
The Moto G comes with a 4.5-inch, 1280 x 720 display and can boast a 329ppi pixel density. To put that into perspective that's a bigger, higher resolution and more defined display than the iPhone 5S - not bad for a handset which is a third of the price.
Everything looks bright, crisp and clear on the display and while it doesn't match up to the full HD offerings you get on the top end phones, for a handset with such a low cost you'll be more than happy - and it puts the competition to shame.
Of course a HD display isn't the only key factor in a smartphone, but Motorola has managed to equip the Moto G with a 1.2GHz quad-core Snapdragon 400 processor and 1GB of RAM.
That power is in charge of running Android 4.3 Jelly Bean, and while Android 4.4 KitKat may be creeping onto the market, it's not coming to this Moto-created device at launch.
There is good news on upgrades though, with Motorola confirmed the Moto G will get a KitKat boost by January 2014.
Android purists will be pleased to learn that the Moto G is running the stock version of Jelly Bean, with Motorola opting against applying an overlay to the operating system - claiming instead it's focused on things which add real benefit to users.
These include a faster boot up time and improved audio, data management, web speeds and general navigation.
We found that the Moto G did boot up quickly, but Motorola's claims that it performs various tasks quicker than the Samsung Galaxy S4 will have to wait until our full review to be tested.
During our brief play with the Moto G general operation was fluid and smooth, and while it may not have been as lightning quick as the top end handsets, the quad-core chip is doing a good job - especially when you remember the price of the phone.
Chrome is the default browser on the Moto G, which isn't a huge surprise, and on the strong Wi-Fi connection our handset saw web pages loaded up in good time.
The desktop version of TechRadar managed to render in an impressive five seconds, while the mobile site took just a couple of seconds - once again a strong showing from a phone which costs so little.
In terms of an input method you get the stock Android keyboard, which is a serviceable offering with word prediction and auto-correct, although we'd still recommend downloading a third party offering such as SwiftKey if you're planning on doing a lot of typing.
The responsive 4.5-inch touchscreen aids typing speed, as well as general manipulation of the Android Jelly Bean operating system on the Moto G.
Motorola has done some work in the camera app, providing a minimalist interface which sees all the settings hidden from view and the whole screen made into a shutter key.
This makes snapping a photo easy as you don't have to aim for a small shutter button on screen, while the settings are easily accessed by sliding from left to right.
There isn't a great deal of options to play with, but the Moto G does offer HDR and panorama modes - just don't expect a wealth of effects or technical tweaks.
Shutter speed is pretty quick, although we were less than impressed with the 5MP snapper on the Moto G which provided average quality photos during our quick test.
There's a 2070mAh non-removable battery housed inside the Moto G, and Motorola claims that it will give you all day battery life. We were unable to test this during our brief hands on time with the handset, but we'll see if it can live up to the claim in our full Moto G review.
Early verdict
On paper the Moto G looks like an awesome handset for the price, and in practice it appears to pretty much live up to its billing.There's a decent screen, the latest version of Android and a quad-core processor that keeps everything ticking along nicely. Overlook the dodgy rear camera and lack of expandable storage and the Moto G has the makings of a top notch, low cost smartphone.
| |
Read More ...
In Depth: Oculus CEO teases future Oculus Rift features, including support for 12K
Oculus CEO Brendan Iribe believes it's finally time for virtual reality. And while its first Oculus Rift VR headset has yet to reach commercial availability, Iribe is already teasing future features.
One of those is support for supremely high-res screens.
"Somewhere in the far future, you'll get resolutions in the 8K, 12K, where it will start to kind of plateau out in terms of what you see," he said during an AMD APU13 keynote, adding "that you can imagine the kind of GPU you'll need as this continues to improve and increase."
As mobile screens, which Oculus Rift uses for its headsets, get to higher resolutions and better quality, Rift will follow.
"The resolution will only continue to go up," Iribe went on. "Cell phone resolution will only continue to go up. We're going to continue to push for higher resolution in the headset. It really makes a difference."
Millisecond by millisecond
Iribe segued into Oculus' push towards faster motion to photon speeds and the levels the headset needs to reach in order to lock in at 60fps."The developer kit we are shipping today is around 40-50ms from motion to photon," he explained. Because it doesn't lock at 60fps, stutters occur, like frame dropping as you move your head. CTO John Carmack describes the sensation as like "getting hit in the temple," Iribe relayed.
Add to this "incredible motion blur," and it's an experience Iribe said is "just not good enough for mass market, not good enough for consumers. " There is a solution, albeit only inside Oculus' walls.
"What we're looking at internally for the future is to actually deliver a much faster experience. What we're looking at is delivering something on the order of 15ms, less than 20."
"Seven to 15 is sort of the Holy Grail, [but] this is awfully hard to do. We now have internal prototypes inside of Oculus, [and] Valve also has internal prototypes they've been working with us on R&Ding where we are able to reach this kind of performance. And the experience is magical. It literally changes everything."
"You go into VR in the future, there will be no pixel smearing, there will be no motion blur," Iribe continued. "It will be very comfortable. This latency will be a checked off solution. We're not there yet today, but it's coming very quickly."
It's unrealistic to get the game engine to run at a necessary 500-1,000fps, he added, but said there are ways to push the rendering thread to 80fps or 90fps and have game time run slower, thus achieving (even through tricks of the eye) a faster, smoother gaming experience.
Unfortunately, it's not as simple as fiddling with render times as the CPU, for one, gets eaten up decoding more camera sensor data.
Wave to the VR
Iribe sounded optimistic, as one would expect the CEO of a VR company to be, that Oculus can overcome these technical obstacles."This is just the beginning," he said. "Today we're really just focusing on vision. Today we are already starting hit the limits of the CPU and GPU."
The "Oculus face" - the agape expression wearers tend to take on when using Rift - is well documented, but Iribe acknowledged that after the initial amazement, users inevitably wonder where their hands are.
"Imagine more cameras, and we try to get your hands in the game," he said. "You want to see your hands. You're going to want eye tracking. You're going to want mouth tracking. You really do want to be fully immersed in the game. It's not going to happen for v1 - we're probably not going to see hands for v1 - but it is going to come."
He went on to say that immersion will go beyond wearers' person.
"You will engage with players. You'll engage with both multiplayers [and] you'll engaged with bots. From the first time you make eye contact and when you're moving around, they're going to follow your eyes. You're going to emotionally feel like you're really there and emotion is going to be a part of VR."
Good glasses
Like Google Glass, Oculus Rift isn't forgetting about four-eyed users."We are working on supporting glasses and supporting people who have near-sightedness and far-sightedness," Iribe said.
"It is on the top of the priority list. We'll have to let you know more in the future, but it will definitely be there."
| |
Read More ...
Updated: Retailers stem Chromebook 11 sales thanks to faulty chargers
Update: An HP spokesperson sent TechRadar the following statement:
:Google and HP are pausing sales of the HP Chromebook 11 after receiving a small number of user reports that some chargers included with the device have been damaged due to over-heating during use. We are working with the Consumer Product Safety Commission to identify the appropriate corrective action, and will provide additional information and instructions as soon as we can.
"In the meantime, customers who have purchased an HP Chromebook 11 should not use the original charger provided with the product. In the interim they may continue using their HP Chromebook 11 with any other Underwriters Laboratories-listed micro-USB charger, for example one provided with a tablet or smartphone. We apologize for the inconvenience."
Original story below…
Bad luck if you were hoping to pick up the HP Chromebook 11 after the laptop was announced last month, but you hadn't gotten around to it yet - it might be too late.
The Chromebook 11 was taken off shelves at Best Buy and is no longer available in online stores.
Best Buy store managers have reportedly received rather urgent instructions to halt sales of the Chromebook and move all remaining stock "to a secure location in the warehouse," according to The Verge.
The laptop's listings on Best Buy, Google, HP, and Amazon's websites have also been removed, though before being taken down Amazon's Chromebook 11 listing reportedly noted that there may be problems with the device.
What's going on?
Besides Google's and HP's own online stores, the Chromebook 11 is being sold exclusively at Best Buy and Amazon, so it seems for now the device is not available at any retailers.Based on what's going on it seems there may be an official recall underway, though it's unclear exactly what might be wrong with the laptop.
TechRadar's own Chromebook 11 review noted some minor issues with Chrome OS performance and battery life, but overall we liked it, awarding it 4.5 out of 5 stars.
We've asked Google, HP, Best Buy, and Amazon to clarify what's going on with the Chromebook 11, and we'll update this article when we hear more.
For now, consider framing your Chromebook 11 if you have one; it may have just become a collector's item.
| |
Read More ...
Western Digital's biggest personal cloud holds up to 16TB
Western Digital (WD) has unveiled the newest member of its MyCloud family of external storage devices, the EX4. Billed as a high performance network attached storage (NAS) drive, WD is aiming the new model at 'prosumers' and small business owners looking to store and backup larger quantities of data to a personal cloud.
The device, which is available in sizes ranging from 8TB to 16TB, gives owners access to data stored locally over a network or the internet either through a browser or using third-party apps.
It's equipped with RAID 0, 1, 5 and 10 for redundancy in the event of data loss, and the machine comes with WD's SmartWare Pro data backup software for PC (Mac users have the option of backing up to an Apple Time Capsule).
Its hot swappable drives can be replaced without the need for special toolkits, and on the back you'll find a number of connectivity options including USB 3.0, a pair of Gigabit Ethernet ports and dual power connections for redundancy. Inside is a 2.0 GHz Marvell CPU, 512MB main memory and 256MB flash memory.
Business boost
The
EX4 is being offered with a number of business features, including
Active Directory to connect the device to a company domain, iSCI,
virtual folders (DFS) which allows multiple MyCloud devices to connect
together through a virtual folder, and volume encryption for security.
The
drive is available now in various forms. An 'unpopulated' version (one
with no included drives) will set you back £319 (around $510, or
AU$548), which rises to £679 (around $1,085, or AU$1,167) for 8TB (4 x
2TB drives).At the top end, a 12TB (4 x 3 TB drives) drive costs £799 (around $1,277, or AU$1,373), which rises to £999 (around $1,597, or AU$1,718). All models are compatible with WD's mobile apps for iOS and Android devices that let you view (but not edit) documents and other files stored on the device.
| |
Read More ...
Official PlayStation app on iOS, Android arrives ahead of the PS4 launch
Sony has reworked its official PlayStation app for iOS and Android devices in the UK and Australia, and has finally launched a version of the app in the US today.
Available in the iTunes and Google Play stores for smartphones and tablets running iOS 6 and up and Android 4.0 and up, the app is just in time for the PS4 launch in North America on Friday.
It goes along with the new user interface of Sony's forthcoming console and allows gamers to connect to a PS4 or access a few non-gaming PlayStation Network features.
Users can exchange messages with their PSN friends and see who's online as well as check notifications, trophies, game alerts and invitations while away from the console.
Non-game gaming capabilities
The PlayStation app ports over some minor PSN features to smartphones and tablets, but it doesn't extend PS4 ganeplay in the way that the Wii U can with its tethered tablet-like GamePad.Most of the true gaming that happens away from the main TV screen is reserved for the Remote Play feature that links up the PS4 and Sony's portable system, PlayStation Vita.
Instead, the app can be used for unspecified second-screen features when it's available in certain titles and other gaming-related tasks like providing an on-screen keyboard of the PS4.
The closest this official PlayStation app comes to real gaming is being able to browse and download PlayStation Store games and add-on content, then push the updates to the a PS4 over WiFi.
However, even these purchases are just off-loaded to the device's native browser and not handled through the PlayStation app itself.
- If you haven't already, read our ongoing PS4 review
| |
Read More ...
Motorola built Moto G to 'compete with iPhone 5S' at a fraction of the price
Motorola chief executive Dennis Woodside says the company's new, affordable Moto G smartphone is ready to match up against the iPhone 5S, despite hitting the market at around a fifth of the cost.
The new Moto G, announced Wednesday, touts a 4.5-inch 1280 x 720 display (329ppi), along with a 1.2GHz quad-core Snapdragon 400 processor, 1GB of RAM and up to 16GB in storage.
Although the specs aren't bleeding edge like the Galaxy S4s and HTC Ones of the world, the low asking price redefines budget smartphones, starting at just £135 ($179, around AU$215).
Woodside said the Moto G, which will be fast tracked from Android 4.3 to Android 4.4 KitKat, ends the misery for those on tighter budgets who're forced to settle for a substandard experience.
Tackling the big problems
He told the Telegraph: "It's really a poor experience [using cheap phones]. That's a big problem we wanted to go solve," he claimed.Mr Woodside said: "The Moto G solves that problem for one fifth of the cost of an iPhone 5s. We really built this to compete with the iPhone: it's got a 25per cent bigger display than the iPhone 5s, Qualcomm's latest quad processor, 18 different combinations of backs and a guaranteed update to the latest Android experience."
As well as touting the fiscal superiority of the the Moto G, Woodside also hinted that the Google-owned company may bring handset manufacturing to Europe, following the 'Made in the USA' Moto X experiment.
"Our manufacturing strategy is to manufacture closer to the consumer in general," he added, while pointing out that a move into European manufacturing would be dependent on the company improving its market share in the region.
| |
Read More ...
Hands-on review: Amazon Kindle Fire HDX 7
We get our hands on the latest bit of Amazon kit – but will a stronger CPU and supercrisp screen be enough to take on the Nexus 7?
The Amazon Kindle Fire HDX 7 is a tablet that's entering choppy waters. The seven inch segment is getting crowded, but retail giant is playing smart: the HDX is a super-powerful device for not a lot of a cash.
The specs are very impressive: a 2.2GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon 800 processor is coupled with a 1920x1200 resolution display. That means you're looking at slick performance and a screen that has an eye-popping 323PPI pixel density.
On top of that there's Dolby Digital Plus sound, capacity up to 64GB internal storage as well as LTE and a big improvement to the user interface, there's a lot to like about this tablet that only costs £199 / $229 at the base level.
There's also an LTE-enabled version on offer, and comes with contracts from networks pre-installed, which are enabled at purchase. These add £70 / $100 to the price of the tablet, but only comes with a chunk of data which you'd then need to add to.
In actual use the Kindle Fire HDX 7 is a solid piece of kit, coming with the more angular sides compared to the rubberised finish of its HD predecessor. The improvement in screen clarity is the most impressive, as the display is pin sharp and finger action glides across the surface.
There will be those that don't like the Fire OS, the skin Amazon uses to hide the Jelly Bean Android operating system it uses underneath. There's been a lot of work from the online retailer to bring its own spin to Android, which includes its own curated app store.
The interface is exceptionally easy to use though; the main spine scrolls across the middle of the screen and shows the content you've been using in chronological order. A swipe upwards now takes you to a grid of all your apps, making it much easier to see the things you've downloaded.
A new option will even allow you to delete the files or content you're not longer using to free up space, popping it back onto the cloud so you don't need to worry about using up storage.
That's less of an issue with the larger capacity models, but at the 16GB iteration it makes sense to help users stay fresh.
There's a lot to like on the Kindle Fire HDX 7, but there are still some things that Amazon needs to do to improve things – for instance, even in our early testing the browser is still laggy and jumps around when you're trying to scroll through the web.
Trying to zoom in and out of text can be a little hard at times as well, with the screen failing to recognise presses each time.
We're still to fully test the browser over a variety of connections to ensure this problem prevails, and there are some other impressive elements: for instance, there's a Flash player that pops up when you need it for the websites still clinging to the older version of the internet.
We also had some trouble connecting to the Kindle store on our device, although this seemed to be a temporary issue and could be easily solved by pushing purchases from the internet to the tablet.
The screen is really impressive on the Kindle Fire HDX thanks to being clear and sharp through the increased resolution, and for the most part it makes the tablet look really next-gen.
However as an ereader it's not as good, as the edges of the screen show some light-bleed that will brighten or darken the edges to prevent a unified glow. For most tablets this isn't an issue, but Amazon is pushing hard on this Kindle being great for books, so it's noticeable.
On the other hand, video looks superb. Flicking through the central spine of apps and content is brilliant. Everything works as you'd expect it to, and looks great too thanks to the improved screen.
Amazon even had to re-tool Android to allow these larger icons to flow through at such speed, and we have to say the effect is worth it.
We'd also like to throw out a special mention to the origami cover. This is a magnetic cover that folds cleverly around to make itself into a stand when you play with the shapes, but provides a pleasant leather barrier to the outside world for your new Kindle Fire HDX.
It's a little thick and weighty compared to the standard tablet, but we love the way it fits together to become a portrait or landscape stand. Well done there, Amazon.
Early verdict
The Amazon Kindle Fire HDX is cheap, powerful and has access to a huge amount of excellent content.The new screen and uprated CPU all impress for the most part, and the new angular design, along with the origami cover, are definitely a step forward.
We've noted a couple of stutters with things like the internet browser and we've yet to stress the battery or gaming capabilities, but we'll be giving these a thorough test in our imminent full Kindle Fire HDX 7 review.
| |
Read More ...
The perfect gift this Christmas
With over 60 titles, you'll find the perfect present for that special someone. We publish magazines on interest areas as diverse as cars and cycling, gaming, tech, craft, design, photography and computing.
And at these low prices, you'll want to treat yourself to a subscription as well!
Magazine subscriptions make the perfect Christmas gift and they last all year, so take advantage of our biggest savings of the year by saving up to 50% off the cover price. Check out the range available.
If you're buying for someone else we will send you a free gift card you can personalise to announce your gift.
Savings available for UK and overseas subscribers.
Offer ends 31st January 2014
| |
Read More ...
In Depth: How to use video marketing to boost your business
How to make marketing videos
Whatever the size of your business, it's time to take video seriously. Video is shared more than any other kind of online content, meaning that if you get it right, it's the most efficient way to spread your message. It's also effective: research by video marketing strategist Invodo reveals that over half of consumers feel more confident about buying a product or service after watching a video.That means that if you're not doing video, you're missing out on sales.
The fall in the cost of the necessary equipment means that businesses of all kinds can make their own videos. An excellent recent example of video marketing is the Dollar Shave Club, which uses humour to promote its product. EuroLuxAntiques takes a more factual approach, using video to explain the world of antique collecting to potential customers.
Videos don't have to be long or complex to make an impact, as Instagram has shown with its 15-second video hosting and Twitter has proven with Vine. This format is being embraced by many of the world's largest brands including Nike and Virgin America. Often short video bursts can be highly effective and easy to share.
Businesses in the service industry can also make great use of video for their marketing. Systems such as My Web Presenters offers an effective way to place video content onto a website. Whether your business wants to showcase a new product or service, teach customers new skills, or enhance customer service, video is the ideal medium.
Lights, camera, action!
Creating video is relatively straightforward and inexpensive. Any of today's camcorders can record in high definition. Video cameras including the Flip and most of the compact digital cameras such as the Lumix range from Panasonic (including the Panasonic Lumix GF6) or Sony's CyberShot can also record video. Smartphones and tablets also have video capability. The new Nokia Lumia 1020 sports a massive 41-megapixel camera.Tools including Jing and ScreenFlow let you can create videos that capture your computer's desktop for software demonstrations. And your business doesn't have to record its own live video: services like iStockphoto and Getty have huge stocks of video to choose from.
The next stage is editing. Low cost desktop tools are available including iMovie for the Mac and Movie Maker for Windows. It's even possible to edit your video on a tablet PC or a smartphone with apps such as Splice.
Alternatively, you could turn to an online animation service such as Wideo, GoAnimate or FlixPress. And if you need more support, Vimeo, one of the leading video hosting services, even has a school where you can learn to make professional videos now.
James Hakesley, COO of Nideo has this advice: "Keep your videos as short and professional as possible. On a landing page you want a video between one and one-and-a-half minutes that sums up the what, why and who of your business. These can be of real people or an animation explainer, [which is] becoming popular and cheaper to commission."
Video dos and don'ts
Do:
Hakesley
suggests that it's a good idea to look for video concepts that can work
as series, to keep viewers coming back. Sarah Platt, Managing Director
at webcasting serving Kinura
offers another option. "Many companies are also using webinars, which
can be fairly simple to put together," she says. "You can livestream
audio or video with many platforms including Google Hangouts, YouTubeLive, or Livestream.com."Do:
- think about series of videos.
- ask customers what they would find useful.
- check viewer stats.
- think about branding and production values.
- take your time - don't rush, get it right.
- autoplay video. This can be very annoying.
- put the boss on screen if they're not the best presenter.
- waffle. Get to the point.
The webinar approach can be a way to establish a strong reputation for expertise, Platt explain: "A regular livestream with a Q&A via a twitter hashtag can be really good for building up an audience and positioning yourself as a knowledgeable person in your field."
Distribution and promotion
The main problem in hosting video is that there has never been a standard video format supported by all browsers. In all cases, today's browsers use a number of plug-ins (for example, Flash) to show video content. However, this is about to change with the arrival of HTML5, which allows embedding on webpages within all the major browsers. HTML5 looks set to be the standard for the future.You could develop your own video player, but there are a number already available that your website could use to embed HTML5 video into its a pages: VideoJS, JW Player, MediaElement.js, FlareVideo and SublimeVideo are all options worth looking at.
It is also a good idea to have a fallback, by formatting your video in Flash. If your visitor is using a browser that isn't supported by the video player you have chosen, it will automatically look for any other formats the video is available in. Flash is still widely supported, so ensure your video is also available in this format as well.
You can't ignore smartphones and tablets. Video on these devices needs to be handled carefully to ensure it is delivered at the highest quality. In most cases you'll want to use H.264 standards and MPEG-4 AVC (Advanced Video Coding) to encode your video so it can be played on all mobile devices.
And there is a way to bypass the problem altogether. Platt says: "Most video sites like YouTube and Vimeo support video streaming to devices, so if you use one of these, you don't really need to worry about formats."
Spread the word
Data from Unruly shows that video is more influential when it's encountered by recommendation rather than through browsing. That's why businesses need a balance between investing in quality and distribution: good video is useless if you can't reach the people who would enjoy it.One vital thing to consider when approaching video is how your company's social media strategy will support it. Video technology company Unruly reports that viewers who find videos through recommendations are much more likely to act than people who find them by browsing.
Helpfully, social media services are making video an integral part of their service, and that's making it easier for brands to share their videos. For instance, GoPro uses Vine video to highlight videos made with its cameras. The publisher Simon & Schuster fills its Twitter feed with visual cues to promote current books. And HubSpot invites its customers into its offices with stylish short films.
Rob Crombie, Head of Video at Sneak (the dedicated video production arm of Group FMG) says: "Video is one of the most versatile and valuable marketing tools. Craft a message you're happy with, told in the way you'd want to tell it and publish it everywhere." Making effective videos, uploading them and getting people to talk about them takes planning and creativity, but the rewards for your work can be huge.
- Read on to learn more about how video streaming works.
| |
Read More ...
Google all out of black 16GB Nexus 5 handsets (for now)
Barely two weeks old, and already it's pulled a vanishing act! The most popular model of the latest Nexus-branded smartphone appears to have succumbed to the wallets of eager buyers.
PhoneArena reported Tuesday that the black 16GB model of Google's Nexus 5 handset is now showing as unavailable, presumably the victim of insatiable demand from those looking to break off a piece of Android 4.4 KitKat.
"We are out of inventory. Please check back soon," the black 16GB Nexus 5 product listing page on Google Play's Devices section currently reads.
Of course, it's not the first time the Nexus 5 has sold out - the device quickly depleted available inventory when it was first launched nearly two weeks ago, with subsequent shipping times ranging from two to five weeks.
Supply and demand
Google's latest Nexus handset manufactured by LG continues to be available in other flavors, with the 32GB black and 16GB white variations showing two to three week ship times.The 32GB white model has an even more specific timeframe, with orders estimated to leave the warehouse by November 26.
Google Play's "out of inventory" status comes on the heels of Sprint launching the Nexus 5 last Friday, with T-Mobile next in line for online orders kicking off this Thursday and in-store availability on November 20.
Sadly, that's little consolation for those looking to buy direct from the source, but patience should be considered a virtue for those waiting until Google Play restocks its virtual shelves.
- It's heeere! Get a hands-on look at Sony's latest PlayStation 4!
| |
Read More ...
Opinion: Gravity proves there's life in 3D - let's not let Hollywood ruin the tech again
According to Warner Bros, the takings for Gravity show that a whopping 89% of people have chosen to watch the movie in 3D.
Chosen 3D. These aren't words we thought we would write in the same sentence in 2013, given that it is a technology that has been lambasted by many and proven to be a dud in the home.
But Gravity has shown that if 3D is done right - director Alfonso Cuarón superbly weaves the tech into the fabric of his movie, not tacking it on for money's sake - the public is more than willing to give watching in another dimension another go.
This is how 3D should have been from the start of its rebirth, which began with Avatar back in 2009.
James Cameron promised that the film would use the technology to strengthen the plot, putting 3D first and even creating new cameras to fulfil his wish. By and large, Avatar succeeded as an actual movie. Watching Avatar without 3D is like watching a Technicolor film in black and white, it hobbles the experience.
Instead of Cameron creating a 3D standard that all should adhere to, though, all he did was inadvertently wave dollar signs into the faces of Hollywood execs. They wanted us all to see double so they could double their money.
Hollywood tacked 3D on to movies such as Clash of the Titans and treated the technology as a way to squeeze more money out of movie-goers. It became a premium tax, with glasses used to bump up ticket prices.
Double vision
This created an unfortunate perfect storm of cinemas demanding movies in 3D, movie studios demanding 3D be added in post and directors tearing their collective hair out as bad 3D was smeared over their well-composed shots.What directors and cameramen needed to do was take the technology out of the hands of the money men and make 3D relevant again.
This is what Cuarón has thankfully achieved and he is the latest in a growing number of directors who are embracing 3D and the positives the technology can bring to a movie.
Before Gravity, Martin Scorsese went meta in his attempt to make 3D work. His vision, Hugo, is a brilliant tale of the birth of movies told using the latest 3D technology the world has to offer. This melding of old techniques with new was what tempted Scorsese to 3D and it shows on the screen.
Ang Lee brought life to Life of Pi with his beautiful use of 3D, again proving that if you work with the technology and not against it, it will pay dividends with the final outcome.
And this is what Cuarón did with Gravity. Even though the film was post-converted into 3D – usually a no no – it used the technology as a character in the movie and not a gimmick.
Gravity is finally another 'event' movie for 3D, perhaps the first proper one since Avatar. So, here's where we plea with Hollywood: you don't get second chances very often, so please don't screw 3D up again this time around.
Instead of looking at Gravity's box office and circling the films already in production that can have 3D slathered on them with no care or real attention, ring up the auteurs, those that truly care about 3D, and ask them to deliver something special.
Or at least, give filmmakers time to perfect 3D. Pacific Rim worked well because Hollywood gave director Guillermo del Toro enough time to get in a 3D expert in to post convert his movie.
After the success of Gravity, let's not fall back down to earth with another Clash of the Titans – give us movies with as much depth as Gravity has and 3D will be here to stay.
- If you don't like 3D, then don't worry as 4K is the new AV king
| |
Read More ...
Updated: Moto G launched as surprisingly affordable smartphone
Motorola has finally taken the wraps off the much teased Moto G handset, as the firm looks to reinvigorate its brand under Google's watchful eyes.
The Moto G rocks up with a 4.5-inch, 1280 x 720 display with a 329ppi, 1.2GHz quad-core Snapdragon 400 processor, 1GB of RAM and the choice of 8GB or 16GB internal storage.
Under the hood you'll find Android 4.3 Jelly Bean, and Motorola has guaranteed an update to Android 4.4 KitKat on the Moto G by January 2014.
The biggest news about the Moto G however is the price - the 8GB model will set you back $179/£135 (around AU$190), while the 16GB variant is $199/£159 (around AU$215).
Considering the line up of specs it puts the Moto G head and shoulders above the competition at this price point - with the likes of the Samsung Galaxy Fame, LG Optimus L3 2 and Nokia Lumia 520 to contend with.
In terms of design the Moto G borrows its style from the US-only Moto X handset, but the difference here is its inter-changeable backs, allowing you to get a colour which suits you.
The Moto G goes on sale on November 13 in Brazil and parts of Europe inlcuding the UK with more of Latin America, parts of Asia and the rest of Europe getting it soon after.
The US, India, Middle East and more of Asia will be treated to the Moto G in January and in total the handset will feature in over 30 countries worldwide.
| |
Read More ...
Report predicts Europe to become world leader in 3D printing by 2020
It's getting harder to ignore the 3D printing boom wherever you are in the world. UK supermarket ASDA recently introduced a service that prints 3D 'mini-me' figures for customers in-store, and Australian company Cartesian is attracting funding for a 3D printer that can print circuits for smartwatches.
Now, research firm MarketsandMarkets has served up its prediction as to which nation will lead the 3D printing pack in its new report '3D Printing Market by Technology, Application, Consumer, Healthcare, Government & Defence'.
The Americas is currently the leader in terms of revenue share in 3D printer machines, materials and related services, but will be surpassed by Europe by 2020, according to the report.
Global impact
MarketsandMarkets has also put a figure on how big the global 3D printing market could grow by 2020, and it's a big one: $8.4 billion (around £5 billion, or AU$8.6 billion), to be exact.According to the report, 3D Printing's global value will be driven by "advanced technologies, customised products, governments funding, wide unexploited application market, rapid development of products at a low cost, and less time to market".
That low cost part will likely form one of the major driving forces behind its adoption, according to analyst house Gartner, which reckons that 3D printing will have a transformational impact on business within five to 10 years as lower cost models infiltrate the market.
| |
Read More ...
Available Tags:Facebook , Android , AMD , Xbox , gaming , CEO , Western Digital , PS4 , iPhone 5 , Motorola , iPhone , Amazon , Kindle , Google , 3D , smartphone ,
No comments:
Post a Comment