Posts Tagged ‘the-end’

One of the Xbox launch’s big reveals was that Microsoft added 300,000 servers to Xbox Live, and now GM Matt Booty has detailed to Ars Technica how that’ll improve game play. He said the improved cloud architecture will speed up GPU- or CPU-heavy chores that aren’t dependent on latency — like lighting or cloth dynamics — by pre-calculating them before applying them to a scene. To make that happen, the Xbox One server cloud will provide three virtual devices for “every Xbox one available in your living room.” It’ll be up to game developers to manage transitions between console-only and cloud assisted graphics, though, since the first few seconds of lighting in a new scene will need to be handled by the console before servers can take over. Of course, that means many titles may look better when you’re online, but he added that you’ll still be able to play if the internet is cut and “the game is going to have to intelligently handle that.” Filed under: Gaming , Microsoft Comments Source: Ars Technica

More:
Microsoft details how Xbox One cloud servers will tackle processor-intensive gaming chores

Keen to capitalize on the ever-growing segment of landline cutters, US Cellular appears to be launching a home phone service similar to the Home Connect offerings by Verizon and Sprint . According to information we’ve received, all you have to do is plug in a regular cordless or corded phone into the provided base station and voilà — you’ll be able to make calls via US Cellular’s wireless network instead. You’ll get unlimited voice calls for only $19.99 a month, which also includes voicemail, caller ID, call waiting, call forwarding, three-way calling and that all-important E911 service. Of course, as it’s voice-only, you won’t get data or text messaging as part of the plan. The PCD-made base station seen above has a model name of FT2260 and boasts dual-band support (800/1900 MHz CDMA), a QSC6055 chipset, two phone jacks and a USB port for diagnostics purposes.

Read the article:
US Cellular getting ready to launch Home Phone service

Internationally savvy Chrome desktop users are well acquainted with the translation bar’s ability to quickly make sense of sites using foreign languages . Courtesy of the new Chrome 28 beta for Android, they can take that linguistic power on the road: the translation bar now shows up on mobile when visiting pages in non-native text. The test release also gives tablets the same fullscreen mode that phones have in the stable build , and everyone can see graphs illustrating the data usage savings they get from compression .

Visit link:
Chrome 28 beta for Android brings translation bar, fullscreen on tablets

It’s true that cheap affordable Android tablets are a dime a dozen at most trade shows these days, but here at CTIA 2013 we stumbled upon something that caught our eye — a 7-inch dual-core tablet running Ice Cream Sandwich that costs just $65. The Maxwest TAB-7155DC aka. Ippo Y88 measures 182 x 122 x 10mm (7.16 x 4.8 x 0.39inch), weighs 187g (6.6oz) and comes in several hues (black, white, silver, red, blue and pink). It features a 7-inch 1024 x 600-pixel capacitive multitouch LCD, an Infotmic IMAPx820 SoC (dual-core Cortex A5 CPU with Mali 400 GPU), 512MB of RAM, 4GB of built-in storage, dual VGA cameras (front and back), WiFi b/g/n and 2800mAh battery. The screen isn’t covered in glass and there’s no sign of any Bluetooth or GPS radios, but then again, what do you expect for $65?

Read More:
Hands-on with Maxwest’s $65 7-inch dual-core ICS tablet at CTIA 2013

Box just recently snapped up Crocodoc to improve the web component of its cloud storage, but what about tuning the native apps? It’s addressing that side of the equation by acquiring the technology behind Folders, a third-party cloud storage app for iOS. Box loves Folders’ code and design enough to want both of them inside the next generation of its iOS client . Folders creator Martin Destagnol (pictured here at center) has already been working on this for weeks, Box says. While there’s no word on a similar treatment for Android, we should see the iOS partnership bear fruit in updates spread throughout the year.

More:
Box acquires Folders technology with its next-gen iOS app in mind

Is Russell Holly a seer of the future, or did he just manage to get lucky? That’s the question we’re currently kicking around at Engadget. You see, when he first revealed that a Galaxy S 4 would be introduced at Google I/O with stock Android, we quickly dismissed it as something that’d never happen in a million years. Then it came true the very next day.

Read More:
Rumors persist of HTC One with stock Android, despite the official denial

Tags are so 2008. Google doesn’t want you to waste time tagging your photos, except for the people in them. The web giant wants to be able to recognize more abstract concepts like “sunset” or “beach” automatically and attach that metadata without further input.

Originally posted here:
Google uses computer vision and machine learning to index your photos

Samsung will be releasing developer editions of the Galaxy S 4 for AT&T and Verizon, according to the company’s site. At least for now, the phone will only be offered in Black Mist, and internal storage is listed as 16GB. It’s not clear exactly when the devices will come to their respective carriers, but they likely won’t be offered with a subsidy when they do. For those considering purchasing Sammy’s latest flagship handset, this offers an alternative to the several variants across service providers, not to mention the stock Jelly Bean version announced at Google I/O.

More:
Samsung Galaxy S 4 Developer Edition coming soon to AT&T and Verizon

Huawei’s upcoming Ascend P6 must be as slim as we’ve heard, because it just keeps slipping out — this time, in an official rendering obtained by @evleaks . The imagery appears to validate what we’ve previously seen in photos, including the wafer-like 6.2mm thick body, a metal chassis and an iteration of the Emotion UI layer that we just saw on the Ascend Mate . And in case there’s any lingering doubts, we’ve even received a possible launch window from the company itself. In a quickly deleted Sina Weibo post, Huawei Device Chairman Richard Yu told his followers that the leaked device is indeed part of the P series, and should be revealed at the company’s June 18th event in London. At this rate, all that’s left for the company is to walk on stage and make its skinniest Ascend official

See the original article here:
Huawei Ascend P6 leaks in official imagery, may launch on June 18th

Sure, Evernote is great for jotting down recipes and syncing notes to the cloud, but users lacking in the memory department still had to rely on external alarm apps to remind them of their to-do lists. That all ends today with the introduction of Evernote’s Reminders feature for Mac , iOS and web applications. Simply tap the alarm clock icon on each note and set the desired date and time you want to be reminded of it. You’ll then get an in-app alarm or an email reminder sent to you if you’ve set it up that way.

View post:
Evernote adds Reminders to Mac, iOS and web applications (video)

When a TV, movie or games series is a big deal, it deserves, no, demands a limited edition box-set, preferably including either artwork or an article of clothing — something that shows your commitment to the cause . Fortunately, Rockstar’s decided to prep two different collector editions for Grand Theft Auto 5 players. The $80 version will include the physical game, artbook, and a blueprint map, alongside in-game ability boosts, stunt plane trials, bonus outfits and weapons. Dial the price up to $150, and you’ll also get a branded security deposit bag, logo key, cap and even more extra content in-game.

Read this article:
Grand Theft Auto 5 collector’s editions priced at $80 and $150, coming September 17

You might still be getting your thumbs around that Q10 , or the waiting for that BlackBerry 10.1 update , but already some future tidbits for the platform have come to light. Michael Clewley, product manager at the firm, let slip that version 10.2 of the OS brings with it support for standard unicode emojis, multiple alarms and level 1 notifications (for email). With the 10.2 SDK said to be coming in June, you can expect the update to follow later in the year.

View the original here:
BlackBerry 10.2 OS update brings emojis, level 1 notifications plus alarm features

Amazon’s Kindle Fire HD 7- and 8.9-inch slates have only seen limited shores since they were formally announced , but today the company said they’re now available for pre-order in more than “170 countries and territories around the world.” We could try and list all the new tablet markets, but it’s easier to say that until now, they’ve only found spots in Amazon stores in the US , Europe and Japan . We’re not surprised to see the hardware get a much wider release, given that the e-tailer revealed its plan to take the Appstore global last month. The only other nugget in the PR is an expected shipping date of June 13th. Head over to your local Amazon portal to confirm if your region is one of the lucky 170. Update: Amazon’s issued a second PR saying those international plans for the Appstore are no longer plans — it’s now up and running in “nearly 200 countries.” Filed under: Tablets , Amazon Comments Source: Amazon

Follow this link:
Kindle Fire HD 7 and 8.9 now available for pre-order in ‘over 170 countries’ (update: Appstore open in ‘nearly 200′)

Google Ventures has a reputation for backing tech winners early on — it gave a boost to this little startup called Nest , for example. It wants to exert influence every step of the way, however, and it’s launching Google Capital to make this happen. The new fund is investing in firms that aren’t quite so young, but are doing “amazing things” aligned with Google’s interests, according to general partner Mike Pearson.

See the original article here:
Google Capital to make investments in maturing tech firms

Lenovo’s just announced its Q4 and full year 2012/13 financial results, and it’s touched new highs on the two most important indices. It earned $127 million on $7.8 billion in revenue for the quarter and $34 billion for the full year, both records for the company, while netting $635 million in profit for the full year — another all-time high. The only sore spot for Q4 was Lenovo’s laptop business, which dropped two percent over last year to $4.2 billion, but that’s a far milder plummet than many PC makers saw — thanks to a 74 percent revenue growth in China. Otherwise, desktop PCs held flat for the company at $2.4 billion during an otherwise down period, and it held firm as China’s number two smartphone manufacturer, seeing shipments grow at 206 percent year-over-year, double the average rate. It remains to be seen if Lenovo can continue to buck the downward PC trend that’s continued unabated with the release of Windows 8 — but if not, maybe we’d finally see some of its smartphones over here.

View article:
Lenovo pulls in best-ever revenue of $7.8 billion for Q4 2012/13, record $34 billion for the year

HTC’s Desire line of mid-range Android smartphones have typically used the alphabet to denote different models, but the company is now switching to numerals. At least according to a Taiwanese certification page, we can expect a Desire 200. Some leaked benchmark results also indicate that a Desire 600 will head to market. We don’t know much about the Desire 200 apart from its name.

Continued here:
HTC Desire 200 and Desire 600 turn up in leaked certification page, benchmark results

Although ASUS recently delivered the $150 7-inch MeMo Pad and PadFone Infinity combo device, it’s been a while since a premium Android tablet graced the lineup. A recent FCC filing from the company, however, reveals an unannounced K005 model equipped with the venerable Snapdragon S4 Pro (APQ8064) SoC clocked at 1.7GHz. The listing is light on further details, but G4Games notes that it reveals AT&T compatible GSM, CDMA and LTE connectivity, a 6,560mAh battery cell — not to mention model number suggests a 10-inch frame. Check out the FCC filing for yourself below and rest assured that we’ll fill you in when we hear more. Filed under: Tablets , ASUS Comments Via: G4Games Source: FCC

Original post:
ASUS K005 tablet hits the FCC, Snapdragon S4 Pro hints at top-tier performance

Northrop Grumman’s MQ-4C Triton unmanned aircraft is one step closer to serving the Navy in reconnaissance and surveillance missions, having just completed its first flight. The drone spent 80 minutes in the air, reaching an altitude of 20,000 feet. That’s child’s play compared to the aircraft’s full potential: according to the Navy, it can soar at up to 60,000 feet and stay airborne for as long as 30 hours, due in no small part to its 130-foot wingspan. By 2015, the Triton will undergo operational testing and evaluation, and the Navy hopes to add additional aircraft to its existing fleet (currently just two strong)

See the article here:
Northrop Grumman’s MQ-4C Triton long-range drone completes first flight (video)

It’s certainly been a long time coming, but the latest version (2.2.1) of Twitter for Mac finally brings support for Notification Center in OS X Mountain Lion. Aside from the side-pane pings for your @replies and DMs, a number of fixes have been implemented that should stabilize your experience some more. Most notably, Growl users on Lion and Mountain Lion can enjoy receiving notifications again.

Taken from:
Twitter for Mac 2.2.1 brings Notification Center support, various bug fixes

We still haven’t actually touched the redesigned DualShock 4 destined to ship with Sony’s PlayStation 4, but we’re getting another look at it in this FCC filing. Appearing in wireframe form to show off where its FCC label will be placed, what’s available reveals very little. As we were told, it’s still a Bluetooth 2.1+EDR device and carries a CUH-ZCT1U model number, and its PS Eye-compatible light bar can be seen in the diagram. Of course, what we’re really waiting to see is the system that will accompany this remote control and do battle with the Xbox One for console supremacy, but barring a leak or unexpected revelation that will have to wait until E3 . Hit the source link to check out the docs yourself, or get a better angle on it in our galleries below

More here:
PlayStation 4′s DualShock 4 controller passes through the FCC solo

Larry Page just picked up another bird for his flying craft collection , and this plane doesn’t even carry passengers. In fact, it’s not used for transportation at all — the aircraft is tethered to the ground. Google X , the tech giant’s experimental arm, recently acquired the device’s designer, Makani Power. That company is currently in the process of creating a flying wind turbine system.

Read More:
Google X acquires Makani Power, an airborne wind turbine manufacturer

We’ve come across a number of GPS-based tracking devices over the years but most are rather bulky and difficult to setup. eTrak’s attempting to remedy this here at CTIA 2013 with GPS+, a fob-like product that combines WiFi, cellular and GPS tracking in a small, light and easy-to-use package. The device, which is about the size and weight of a box of licorice-flavored Tic Tacs, features a panic button, multicolor status LED and charging contacts,. It’s meant to be attached to a keyring, and comes with a matching charging base which includes a standard micro-USB connector

Original post:
eTrak GPS+ melds WiFi, cellular and GPS tracking, launches at CTIA 2013 (hands-on)

GM and OnStar were on hand at CTIA to demonstrate a few ideas of what its new service could look like once bolstered with AT&T’s LTE network. The system, which we originally heard about in February at Mobile World Congress, is still in its infancy, but with all the ideas being bounced around during our whirlwind tour it’s apparent that’s changing fast. Without question, big change is what is driving this whole endeavor, specifically adding infotainment to its stalwart safety, security and diagnostics offerings. GM and OnStar envision a curated app ecosystem with downloadable apps, remote car management — including streaming video to remote devices from your car’s onboard cameras — access to U-Verse and even a built in hotspot to share with your passengers. Developers will have access to APIs that can interact with the car to grab info about speed, performance, fuel economy and other interesting metrics but are locked out of anything potentially dangerous.

Continue Reading:
GM and AT&T demo LTE-enabled OnStar connected vehicle (hands-on)

It was only a matter of time before Google got around to cleaning up the clumsy 3D interface of its Play Magazines app. With both Books and Music already sporting a spiffy new design, we’re happy to report that its periodicals portal is now just as flat and user-friendly. Like its recently updated brethren, Play Magazines makes itself easily identifiable through color alone — in this case a robust purple. If you’re looking for some exciting new features, however, you’re bound to be disappointed. Play Magazines is still pretty barebones

Read the article:
Play Magazines receives UI overhaul to match Music and Books apps

Google’s like the gift that keeps on giving. Following earlier news of a Drive for Android update, the team from Mountain View today rolled out a new version of its Chrome browser for mobile devices. This update brings the same features we saw a little over a month ago in the Beta channel , however Google’s now deemed them ready for prime time.

Read More:
Chrome for Android updated with tab history on slates, fullscreen for handsets