Most people who dress up like video game characters at conventions do it for the love. In the case of one Anna Moleva, dressing up like a BioShock Infinite character actually landed her a job as the game's mascot.
Know this: Dressing up like a video game character might land you a job. At least, that is, if you like almost startlingly like the game’s character already as in the case Anna Moleva and BioShock Infinite’s Elizabeth. Images of the Russian cosplayer—short for costume play for anyone unfamiliar with the term—dressed as the character first popped up online on her Deviant Art page in late 2011. Irrational Games announced on Monday morning that it has hired Moleva to be the face of their upcoming game.
“We were so amazed by dedication and her resemblance to Elizabeth that we decided to ask her if she’d like to be involved in helping bring Elizabeth to life in our box, our key art, and our upcoming television ad,” reads a post at Irrational’s blog.
The game has had a tumultuous year. Irrational Games confirmed on Nov. 26 that BioShock Infinite will ship in February 2013 without any multiplayer modes, contrary to initial announcements. This announcement came after a slew of staff departures in July and August including the game’s design director.
Valve has announced the public launch of Steam's new TV-oriented "Big Picture" mode, which makes it easier for PC gamers to step away from their desk and enjoy titles from a couch. The new interface was first teased in early 2011 and finally hit beta this September with a positive reception despite minor kinks.
It's not clear how serious Valve is about bringing Steam to the living room, but it might be interesting to see Big Picture be positioned all-around entertainment hub with video streaming -- not unlike what we've seen from online console platforms. For whatever it's worth, the interface currently offers a Web browser.
Big Picture is available worldwide in over 20 languages and can be enabled by clicking the "Big Picture" icon in the upper right corner of the Steam client. Naturally, you'll also have to hook your PC's video and audio outputs up to whatever large screen you intend to play on (many modern GPUs support audio-out via HDMI).
That's about as technical as the process gets, but it could be a little tricky if your PC isn't close to a TV and you have to route wires through your home. As a friendly tip, if you're shopping for a lengthy HDMI cable, Monoprice has some decent rates and they offer a video tutorial on picking the right wire for your needs.
Although the keyboard and mouse are supported in Big Picture, the mode is largely optimized for use with a controller -- particularly the Xbox 360 and Logitech F710 gamepads. Recognizing that fact, Valve is celebrating the launch of Big Picture with a sale on controller-friendly games. Here's a partial list of the sale:
Rumor has it that Intel is working on a way to cut the amount of power consumption on its Ivy Bridge chips, making them perfect for iPads and other tablets.
As technology becomes more and more advanced, the lines between Ultrabooks and tablets are blurring. Intel, one of the most popular chip manufacturers, is working on cutting power consumption of its chips so tablets can run as fast and efficiently as Ultrabooks.
Intel is planning a “significant” cut in power consumption for the current Ivy Bridge chip, which is used in the Macbook Air and Windows Ultrabooks. As of now, Ivy Bridge is the most power-efficient chip today and is rated at 17 watts. Updated versions will be rated “well below this,” according to a source who spoke to CNET. Apparently, they could be as low as 10 watts, which would be a 41 percent decrease.
With the updated Ivy Bridge chips, PC manufacturers could hypothetically use the chips in tablets, including iPads and Microsoft’s Surface. In fact, Microsoft already uses Ivy Bridge chips in it’s Surface Pro tablet.
Why is this such a big deal? According to CNET, most 10- and 11-inch Windows 8 tablets use Intel’s Z2760 “system-on-a-chip.” But, the Z2760 doesn’t compare to the performance of the Ivy Bridge. Usually, the lower wattage means a longer battery life and a thinner product. Current tablets are based on an ARM design that allows tablets to be as thin as 0.3 inches and weigh less than a pound, and offer a battery life that lasts all day, or longer.
While the Intel “x86″ chips aren’t as efficient as the ARM processor, they are a lot more powerful. Because of this, Microsoft created two Surface tablets, the RT and the Pro. The Pro has much better performance, and is equipped with Ivy Bridge chips. The problem with the Pro is that it only has half of the battery life of the Surface RT, according to reports. A potential Ivy Bridge update could rectify that problem.
Intel has already said that it was planning on cutting power consumption on future chips and said that the next generation would be codenamed Haswell and would be as low as 10 watts. While we don’t know when the release date of these chips, don’t expect any new chips this year.
As manufactures are focusing more on mobile devices, like tablets, as opposed to computers, a chip that works for both tablets and computers could be huge for Intel and a huge seller for manufactures. A longer batter life, faster processing, and a thinner chip means our tablets could be replacing our computers sooner than we thought.
The Museum of Modern Art will open its very first exhibition of video games in March 2013. Video games from the last thirty years are represented, but the collection emphasizes the work of American creators.
Are video games art? The question was a hot topic in mainstream cultural criticism just a few short years ago, with pundits of established mediums like film decrying video games’ merit with gusto. “Video games can never be art,” exclaimed Roger Ebert in 2010, triggering an avalanche of nerd avarice towards him on the Internet. Just two years later, with creators reaching ever-expanding audiences through mobile devices like the iPhone, the question simply seems ridiculous. Of course video games are art. The only question is which ones will be canonized and obsessed over by the academics of tomorrow.
The Museum of Modern Art in New York City has taken a step towards establishing a video game canon. In March 2013, MoMA will open its very first permanent video game collection in the Museum’s Philip Johnson Galleries. Focusing on the last thirty years of video games, the collection includes an impressive variety of games born of significantly different platforms and cultures.
Of the fourteen games in the collection, three are Japanese, including Namco’s original Pac-man, Keita Takahashi’s Katamari Damacy, and Masaya Matsuura’s strange PlayStation curio Vib-ribbon.
There’s a significant American presence, including Jason Rohrer’s Passage, Adam Saltsman’s Canabalt ,Valve’s Portal, thatgamecompany’s flOw, the Miller brothers’ Myst, the Adams brothers’ Dwarf Fortress, and finally the twin Will Wright punches of SimCity 2000 and The Sims.
Other than those titles, the rest of the world is sparsely represented. Alexey Pajitnov’s “Soviet mind game” as it was called in the 1980s Tetris and Eric Chahi of France’s Another World make the collection as well.
Icelandic studio CCP Games and their signature MMO Eve Online is included in the collection and it is by far the most fascinating entry in the series. Even more than most MMOs, Eve Online is dependent on its international population of 400,000 players to exist. Those players maintain a living, breathing economy and virtual galaxy, and without them the game ceases to exist. It is in actuality an exhibited art work that can actually “die.” If players abandon the world of Eve Online or CCP’s servers are destroyed, it would be as if MoMA were displaying a blank canvas that had been stripped of paint.
The best thing about MoMA’s exhibit is that it is taking a step towards preservation. While many classic games have been preserved and are available through digital channels, many like the collection’s Vib-ribbon remain inaccessible due to regional availability.
This isn’t inherently shocking or unusual. Apple’s original Macs were assembled in a “factory of the future” in Fremont, California; and throughout the 1990s and into the 2000s, Apple continued to manufacture both Macintosh desktop and PowerBook notebook computers at manufacturing facilities in California and Colorado. However, after Steve Jobs resumed the CEO chair and Apple began to exert its now-infamous control over its component supply chain and manufacturing process, Mac manufacturing largely shifted to Asia by 2004, with only some custom-configured and refurbished products reaching American consumers with an “Assembled in USA” label.
What could an “Assembled in USA” label mean for Apple? Is it just a short-term fluke to get around short-term manufacturing or supply constraints? Or could it say something significant about Apple’s Macintosh business … and Apple’s ability to play politics?
Assembled in the USA
The U.S. Federal Trade Commission defines the criteria for its “Made in the USA” and “Assembled in the USA” labels. The labels have been the target of political wrangling over the years, and some companies have been forced into settlements for making inappropriate claims. Major cases have involved manufacturers of drugs and power tools, but also CD drives and a widely variety of consumer products. Even fabled guitar maker Martin got dinged over the issue in the 1980s with some instruments assembled in Japan.
The labels are intended to help consumers identify products made in (or at least put together in) the United States. The presumption is that purchasing those products helps sustain American businesses and jobs. The FTC does not pre-approve claims. Manufacturers can slap anything they like on their products, and the FTC gets involved only if there’s a complaint. If the manufacturer can’t back up their claim, they’re subject to enforcement action – and their competitors have great grounds for a lawsuit.
An “Assembled in USA” claim requires a product’s “last substantial transformation” happen in the United States even if the components of a product are manufactured overseas. However, this requires more than a “screwdriver” assembly of the parts at the end of the process. For Apple to be putting “Assembled in USA” labels on some new iMacs, the company is claiming that it’s doing more than slapping together components into a finished whole.
In the case of Apple’s new iMacs, no one outside of Apple really knows what that might be, and iFixit’s teardown isn’t particularly illuminating. It might be putting together the individual components of Apple’s new Fusion Drives; it might be the gluing and bonding process for the iMac displays (which, likely, is more involved than “screwdriver” assembly); or it might be those vibration-suppressing gaskets on the hard drives. It might be all those and more – nobody knows.
As is their wont, Apple did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Some possibilities
Why might Apple have shifted some iMac assembly back to the United States? We don’t know, but we can speculate:
Capacity constraints – Although there have been some reports that Apple’s latest iMacs are facing component supply limitations (particularly with their displays), it’s possible that Apple has temporarily shifted some iMac manufacturing to its remaining United States facilities in order to meet projected demand for the systems. Apple already performs (or contracts out) work for built-to-order machines in the United States, and it’s possible those facilities have been shifted to assembling new iMacs on a temporary basis. New iMacs sold outside North America reportedly carry “Assembled in China” labels, although some in the EU also apparently bear “Assembled in Ireland” labels. Like Apple’s facilities in California, Apple also has a facility in Cork, Ireland, where it assembles built-to-order systems. Apparently, that’s in use for new iMacs, too.
Politics – Historically, Apple has not engaged in the kind of lobbying and costly political glad-handing performed by some other tech giants (such as Microsoft, Oracle, Dell, and HP). However, Apple has nonetheless been repeatedly criticized for shifting manufacturing jobs overseas, and it’s worth noting much of that transition was overseen and executed by current Apple CEO Tim Cook. In early 2011, President Obama had dinner in California with a number of Silicon Valley tech leaders, including Steve Jobs. Obama pointedly asked Jobs what it would take to make iPhones in the United States. Jobs’ characteristically blunt reply was reportedly: ”Those jobs aren’t coming back.” The issue flared again in October during the U.S. presidential debates when moderator Candy Crowley specifically asked how the candidates would convince manufacturers to shift jobs back to the U.S., pointing out the iPad, Mac, and iPhone are all assembled in China. For years, Apple has also been taken to task for conditions at Foxconn plants in China that manufacture Apple products. Some of those stories were fabricated, but Apple nonetheless requested the Fair Labor Association investigate working conditions at the Foxconn facilities. Earlier this year, Apple CEO Tim Cook indicated at the AllThingsD conference that he would like to see Apple shift manufacturing back to the United States.
The Mac business ain’t what it used to be – Another intriguing possibility is that the volume of Apple’s desktop computer business is no longer large enough that it makes sense for Apple to assemble all of its systems in China. Apple doesn’t offer model-by-model breakdowns of Mac sales, but the company’s sales figures for the fourth quarter of 2012 (PDF) show that Apple’s desktop Mac sales declined 24 percent compared to the fourth quarter of 2011 to a volume under 1 million units. Compare that to almost 4 million notebook computers shipped in the same period … not to mention 14 million iPads and almost 27 million iPhones. Although Apple doesn’t offer details of its build-to-order program, certainly a greater proportion of the company’s ever-aging Mac Pro line are custom orders rather than stock systems. After all, these are the expandable systems used by video editors and media pros. Similarly, it may be reasonable to assume a significant percentage of iMacs and Mac minis are also custom orders. With many of those systems requiring assembly and configuration outside of China anyway, the volume of “stock” desktop systems may now be low enough that Apple doesn’t gain any significant advantage from doing assembly for the U.S. and European markets in China.
All of the above?
Given Apple’s famously secretive nature, we’ll probably never know why some iMacs carry “Assembled in USA” labels. It seems likely that several factors went into the decision, and the real proof will be whether iMacs retain those labels over time, or if perhaps additional Apple desktop systems (like the Mac Pro refresh Tim Cook promised at WWDC as “something really great”) also bear “Assembled in USA” labels. Wouldn’t it be ironic if Apple were actually shifting assembly jobs back to the United States – even if not for its iPhone and iPad product lines?
Monolith Productions and Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment return to the Lord of the Rings source material well, with an online multiplayer battle arena, available as a digital download.
As early as Wednesday, players will get the chance to return to Middle-earth in Monolith’s digitally distributed multiplayer online battle arena (MOBA) game, Guardians of Middle-earth. So what does that all mean? We had the chance to sit down with producer Bob Roberts and senior producer Ruth Tomandl from Monolith, and discussed what to expect from our next outing in the land of the hobbits.
The first thing to know is that the game is built around the fighting mechanic rather than the story, which may irk some Tolkien purists but opens up it up to a lot of interesting possibilities. Sure, realistically Gollum probably wouldn’t be able to slow down a mace-wielding Sauron for longer than it would take to pick the remains of the creature from the Dark Lord’s gore-covered weapon, but the game gives you that option, and does so in a way that is consistent within its own logic, if not the logic of the source material.
The game is also built on the back of the films, both old and upcoming, as well as the original novels of The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings, but not the larger Tolkien world. It’s a shame that legal disputes and property rights have pushed the additional Silmarillion material outside the realm of the adaptations in all mediums, but it does breed a consistency to the concept art and style that ties all the offerings together with the most recognizable form of the property at the moment. It also doesn’t hurt that the game is heading to homes less than two weeks before the release of The Hobbit threatens to reignite the craze that went along with the previous Peter Jackson trilogy, and it features characters from the upcoming first film of the new Hobbit trilogy.
But while t Monolith vetted their material through Peter Jackson’s Wingnut Films, the team was left to their own devices and given the freedom to expand the game in the direction it felt best served its goals.
“It’s totally just a Middle-earth game, really. We’ve been working with part of the lore that we pulled from the appendix of the books and from all kids of different places,” Roberts said. “So while the visual style and feel is very consistent with Peter Jackson’s The Hobbit film vision, it’s really more broadly a Middle-earth game. There’s definitely going to be characters in here that you’re not going to see in films that we have worked on independently, although there are some you’ll definitely see in the film too,”
Tomandl went on to suggest that roughly one-third of the characters in the game will be taken from the films, one-third will be taken directly from the books, and the remaining third will be a mix of obscure characters and imagination from Monolith, fleshed out specifically for this game. All of these original characters can be found buried deep within the source material, but they may be built around someone that was little more than a fleeting mention from another character in the book, giving Monolith room to create while still holding true to the series.
Unlike many other games of the same style, Guardians was created specifically for a console experience and not PC. The idea behind this was simply that the development decided to focus on the controls using a traditional console controller in order to give that platform the best possible experience. There are currently no plans to bring the game to PC. Besides, the PC market has plenty of MOBA titles, while the console market has only a few by comparison.
In the game you take control of one character, or guardian, out of 22 options each split between an “evil” and “good” orientation, and each with their own style and method. Sauron, for example, is more of a tank character, slow and powerful, but not very maneuverable, while Legolas will be a faster, ranged character, with more maneuverability but less defense.
When you first begin, you will only have access to a small number of these 22 guardians, and more will unlocked via the in game’s currency that you earn and use. Unlike many other games in the genre, however, Guardians will not feature micro-transactions, nor are there any plans to ask for cash in order to unlock aspects of the game.
Regardless of your alignment between good or evil, your character is defined by one of five classes: Defender, Enchanter, Striker, Tactician, and Warrior. The game features 5-on-5 competitions, and the best way to succeed is to balance out your team with a combination of classes and styles.
The class you choose will be defined by stats, allowing you to select a player that best suits what you want to do, and they all fall into molds familiar to any longtime gamer. The enchanter (a magician class) has low health and high damage, the warrior is balanced, the striker is a tank, and so forth.
The guardians each have a basic attack mapped to the right trigger/shoulder button, as well as four unique, upgradeable abilities mapped to the face buttons. Guardians also have four commands that can range from healing to lightning strikes, mapped to the left trigger/shoulder. All characters also carry with them up to seven gems and/or relics, stat augmentation items that unlock as you play.
There isn’t anything that should be too foreign to the average gamer, but the amount of customization means that every online game should be the same. You won’t be able to fundamentally alter one class to make them more like another, but within each class the options are significant, and experimenting with four other players loaded out in their own way should create a new experience every game.
And that level of variety will change constantly, as the game is designed to be played online with a full complement of human teammates and opponents. There is an option to play the game as a single player populated with AI teammates and opponents, but that isn’t what it was designed for. The method of distribution slightly changed the development process for the better as well. Since the game is being released as a digital download only, it ensure that those who purchase the it will already have an online connection. Each time you connect, you will download data that helps to pair you with real life players who are balanced by your rankings, hopefully ensuring a better game every time.
“The biggest thing it [developing for digital distribution] did for me was create a sense of relief that everyone will be connected and download our patches and balance data every time they log on,” Roberts said. “So they’ll have the most up to date version, so that’s kind of a relief.”
Guardians of Middle-earth will be released on Wednesday, December 4. Check out our full review later this week for all the details.
Versions of Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich and higher will be getting an update that brings new features to its Gmail app, the company revealed on Monday.
Google has announced that its Gmail app for Android will be getting some added tweaks and fresh features. This 4.2.1 update includes new abilities for Gmail subscribers, such as pinch-to-zoom functionality and gesture controls that allow for more intuitive navigation.
Android users on Google’s e-mail platform can also re-size emails to fit the screen of their device. This new auto-fit function can be found under Settings > General. The added gesture controls make it possible to swipe left or right to archive messages directly from Gmail’s inbox. To do this, head over to Settings > General settings > Swiping conversation list in the main menu.
Google also added a new function that makes it easier to view attached photos instantly when opening an email. Image attachments are now displayed as thumbnails, and tapping on the thumbnail will launch a gallery mode where users can swipe through all of the attached photos. In addition, Android patrons can now attach videos recorded on their device to emails via Gmail.
These features are available for any version of Android running 4.0 (Ice Cream Sandwich) or higher. However, this means that a large chunk of Android users may be excluded from using Google’s refined Gmail app. According to statistics released by Google in the beginning of November, Android 2.3 (Gingerbread) is still the most widely used operating system. Android 4.0 only accounted for 25.8 percent of the Android market share as of one month ago, and Jelly Bean was only found on 2.7 percent of devices.
Google’s unveiling of these new Gmail features comes about one week after Microsoft made some announcements about its rival Outlook email service. The Redmond, Wash.-based company revealed that Outlook has reached a user base of more than 25 million subscribers, adding that Android will be getting its own Outlook app in the Google Play Store. Microsoft made it clear that it was attempting to coerce some users to ditch Gmail in favor of its own email platform, as the company’s David Law wrote the following in a Microsoft Office blog post:
“We continue to listen to feedback on what enthusiasts want next – including making the switch from Gmail even easier – and build those features,” he wrote.
Both Google’s Gmail update and Microsoft’s Outlook app are available in the Google Play Store for download. Google did not disclose any details on whether or not the update will launch on iOS or any other platforms.
Call of Duty: Black Ops 2 netted Activision $500 million in sales during its first week on shelves, but data suggests the series may be in decline. Leaks from voice recording sessions show that the series will march on with Call of Duty 2013.
The Call of Duty machine rolls on. Even as players settle into the world of Call of Duty: Black Ops 2, released just weeks ago, details about the next entry in Activision’s shooter series are starting to sneak out. Lines from one of the game’s main characters were leaked onto the web in November, providing some insight into where the story of the series is going.
The untitled, codenamed Call of Duty 2013 is said takes place in the continuity of Infinity Ward’s Modern Warfare games. Siliconera reprinted the scripted lines of a character referred to as “Ben Burke,” which might be a codename rather than a proper name. Lines from the script include:
“This is Sentinel Zero One, successful crypto change on C2 net break, requesting immediate update of blue force picture and status of artillery, over. I have you broken and unreadable, I say again, requesting updates to friendly positons and status of arty support. Do you read, over?”
“Reminds you of Phuket, doesn’t it? Only this time the dust gives you cancer… OK, park yourself and get ready. When this thing kicks off, put a hole in anything that moves.”
Phuket, Thailand was a setting in Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3, lending further credence to the expectation that Call of Duty 2013 will in fact turn out to be Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4.
This is the second time in as many months that voice recording plans for the next game in the series have suggested Activision is making Modern Warfare 4. Captain Price voice action Bill Murray said on October 30 that he was meeting with Infinity Ward in early November to discuss the role he’d play in the upcoming sequel. Infinity Ward responded saying that the news wasn’t true and that it hadn’t talking with any voice actors yet.
Activision may be damaging its lucrative Call of Duty brand by producing yet another annual sequel, though. Stern Agee analyst Arvind Bhatia said that Black Ops 2 sales suggest that series sales may finally be slowing. “Our checks show initial sales of CoD: Black Ops 2 at some retailers were down as much as 20 percent,” said Bhatia on Thursday, “Subsequently, it appears sales of CoD did pick up a bit over the Thanksgiving holiday. We think the current sales curve suggests CoD: Black Ops 2 sales in its first year could ultimately be down 10 percent to 15 percent year-over-year.”
Facebook may be acquiring WhatsApp, one of the largest mobile apps on the market. WhatsApp has softly denied that deal, but that doesn't mean the social networking isn't done shopping for another mobile heavyweight to pocket.
What’s the next big acquisition on Facebook’s plate? TechCrunch is reporting that it just might be the popular mobile messaging app, WhatsApp. If true, the deal further proves Facebook is aggressively targeting mobile.
The acquisition could be similar to the social network’s other big mobile deal, Instagram. At the time Facebook bought the photo sharing network, the company’s mobile approach was half-hearted at best. Some speculated that this was what spurred Zuckerberg’s last minute $1 billion buyout for the photo sharing app, although the acquisition value for Instagram depreciated to $700 million. At first the move was contentious and wrought with criticism, particularly fueled by the inflated price. But half a year later, the dust has settled, and the service is being more and more integrated into Facebook.
Now, it appears mobile messaging is the social network’s next conquest. Facebook developed their standalone Messenger app first as a service within its site, then expanded to mobile and desktop. As we all know, mobile growth is critical to Facebook’s future and what Wall Street is keeping a close eye on. Messaging apps have become bankable business, and pressure the SMS market. With Facebook flush with cash, which Wall Street can’t deny regardless of its fluctuating stock prices, the company can afford to pocket a messaging app.
It’s a surprisingly busy market Facebook’s getting into, however. A string of competitors from Asia including including Kakao Talk, LINE, Nimbuzz, and WeChat are slowly etching away at the Western competition. These are apps that Facebook needs to keep a watchful eye out for if WhatsApp is its acquisition target. To reiterate the popularity of these apps, Kakao Talk has 65 million users, LINE has nearly 100 million users, Nimbuzz has 100 million users, and WeChat is topping the charts with 200 million users.
WhatsApp is smaller than some of these popular Asian apps, which could make it a struggle for Facebook to leverage internationally. It’s undoubtedly popular and has demonstrable traction at least presumably in the low hundreds of millions of downloads – WhatsApp doesn’t publicly release its numbers. But WhatsApp in its current state would make it difficult to grow outside of the West. Still, WhatsApp is one of the largest apps in existence – much bigger than Instagram, just to give you a little perspective on how big of a deal this would be.
But looking at the bigger picture, Facebook has slim pickings to begin with as far as messaging apps go. Kakao Talk is based out of South Korea, LINE is already the property of Naver, WeChat is owned by Tencent, and Nimbuzz while wildly popular may not have the brand value that its competitors would bring to the table. The number of Kik users pales in comparison to between the approximate 100-500 million Android installs of WhatsApp’s app (no numbers are available for the iOS version), and it simply isn’t as robust in features as its competitors. Although to Kik’s credit, it recently released an in-app card feature that displays media inside of the app including YouTube videos and drawings.
WhatsApp has been vehemently against advertising, which is the reason that the platform offers its app for $0.99 per year. On Android alone, WhatsApp could be raking in at least $100 million in yearly revenue, which is a sizable chunk of change. And at this point, it’s likely that Facebook wants WhatsApp more than WhatsApp needs Facebook, meaning it could pay a pretty penny for the app. The social network, as a data and advertising company would have access to your phone numbers as well, a very valuable asset.
The challenge at the end of the day is convincing WhatsApp co-founders, Jan Koum and Brian Acton, the value of the direction that its competitors are moving into and a reason for WhatsApp to join in on the trend. According to All Things Digital, the WhatsApp team says the deal isn’t happening: “The TechCrunch article is a rumor and not factually accurate. We have no further information to share at the moment.” Although if you read between the lines, there’s no outright denial of an acquisition. If WhatsApp isn’t the company Facebook acquires, that doesn’t mean the social network isn’t looking around for a mobile messaging app to pocket. And what Facebook wants, Facebook usually gets.
The contents of Microsoft's Windows Store are now accessible via web browser thanks to the efforts of @vlkodotnet, the developer responsible for MetroStore Scanner. The project is purportedly open source and allows users without Windows 8 to slalom through thousands of International Windows Store apps, ignoring geographical restrictions.
Currently, Microsoft's Windows Store is only accessible via Windows 8 -- a disappointment for anyone curious about its contents but have so far managed to shy away from Windows 8. As such, MetroStore Scanner may provide some vicarious thrills for particularly bored individuals with an ostensibly strong fascination for Windows apps.
While Vlko's unofficial expose of Windows Store apps doesn't let users make purchases, it does however provide the curious with a searchable, sortable, filterable version of the real thing. For Windows 8 users wishing to download an app they discover on the site, the MetroStore Scanner provides a link which invokes the app's official Windows Store home via the official client. Just a quick note though: this feature didn't work with Chrome, but worked perfectly with Internet Explorer. Of course, your mileage may vary with other web browsers.
Perhaps surprisingly, Microsoft hasn't provided a web-based way of perusing their Windows Store -- not yet, anyway. Maybe this project will prove to be a kick in the proverbial butt for Redmond to follow Google Play's lead.
Another trick the MetroStore Scanner performs is tallying the total number of apps it finds each time it trawls through the Windows Store. So far, the total is (insert drumroll here): 25,539.
The Consumer Electronics Show, or CES, is one of the largest showcases of new technology in the world. Hosted by the Consumer Electronics Association in Las Vegas, CES 2013 will open to press and exhibitors from every facet of the electronics industry, and TechRadar will be there. We'll descend upon the gambling capital of the world for four days of basking in the glow of the latest computers, televisions, cameras, phones and more.
With plenty of winners and losers, last year's CES 2012 was big news for many reasons. Firstly, the show floor opened on Jan. 9, a week later than usual. LG and Sony unveiled 55-inch Ultra High-Definition TVs, then the largest in the world. Intel gave us a glimpse of the touch enabled Ultrabooks we've been seeing everywhere lately. Lastly, and most notably, Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer gave the company's last CES keynote, introducing the world to Windows 8's Metro interface, and announcing Xbox 360 apps for Fox, IGN and more.
To follow that, CES 2013 will be a mix of keynote razzle dazzle, sneak peeks at the latest tech, and introductions to products that will go from patently unaffordable to a given in every living room, a lot faster than you'd believe.
Before TechRadar hits the CES 2013 show floor from Jan. 8-11, we thought we'd put together a preview of the gadget glory you can expect from our on the ground coverage.
LG gives CPU making a try
The rumor mill is turning ever faster as the days wind down to CES 2013. One thread we keep seeing pop up is processors, and LG is the latest to jump in the mix.
A report out of Korea has the tech firm producing in-house made CPUs next year, starting with chips for its web-capable Smart TVs.
One chip could be the H13, with the H standing for home entertainment and the 13 for the year, and we could see it and others come early January.
There's a good chance we'll see a good number of tablets at the show, but there's two we've heard about recently that could really turn some heads.
Asus is reportedly working on a tablet with the model name ME172V, a slate that could reach no more than 7 inches, come with a microSD slot for expandable memory and flash a price that puts the Google Nexus 7 on notice.
And while Samsung's Galaxy S4 is stealing most of the South Korean company's 2013 thunder, we've heard the firm might be planning a 13.3-inch tablet to take on Asus' Transformer series.
The 13-incher would even feature a QWERTY keyboard dock.
Intel is supposedly prepping the introduction of a next gen processor at CES 2013: the Bay Trail-T.
The Bay Trail-T is rumored as a quad-core scheduled for a 2014 launch, though CES will see the series' debut plus info on what manufactures are building slates based off the Trail-T.
A SoC sibling is also expected at the Vegas show. Dubbed the Valleyview-T, the chip could take on Nvidia's Tegra 3 and Qualcomm's S4.
Look for long battery lives plus 22nm prowess, superior audio, boosted memory capacity and amped up graphics when used in conjunction with the Gen7 Intel GPU. There's even talk 3D video recording could be in the cards.
As the major hardware manufacturer taking up CES real estate, it's no surprise Samsung should (so far) dominate the rumor mill.
This one has a Full HD Super AMOLED display arriving at the show, but that's not all: chances are we'll see such a screen housed inside the Galaxy S4.
A Samsung source reported that the display's resolution will reach 1920 x 1080 and a staggering 441 ppi, but the real point of interest is in the ultra-thin and energy efficient AMOLED technology.
Fingers crossed Samsung decides to bring a SIV with such a screen as its CES carry on.
With Windows Phone 8 reveals by Nokia, HTC and Samsung already in the books, it was easy to forget that a fourth manufacturer received a Microsoft nod to use the new OS.
China's Huawei may take the CES stage to bring its WP8 dish to the party in the form of the Ascend W1.
Though the Ascend W1 will be the last guest to arrive, it may turn out to be the phone everyone flocks to if a cheap asking price is tacked on.
The firm may also introduce the higher-end Ascend W3, a phone with a 4.5-inch display that recently leaked online.
Huawei has kept its lips sealed on whether it's even working on one or more Windows Phone 8 handsets, so CES could be the time it decides to open up.
Can you say "whoa?" Samsung is about to set mouths agape with an 85-inch Ultra HD LED TV, "the world's largest commercialized UHD LED TV."
The company made the over eight million pixel tube official Nov. 12, and we're looking forward to standing wide-eyed before the mondo television that probably makes the lights on the Strip look like dying flashlights.
While we don't necessarily anticipate a radical image reimagining, we do expect Samsung will take advantage of the stage (and a keynote speech) to introduce a new facet to its business identity – a refresh, as it were.
One of CES's exhibit categories is "Digital Health and Fitness," so Samsung will likely tack onto that theme with the introduction of products (or the retooling of current devices) that fit into the health and wellness category.
Samsung has reportedly hired a design team that's worked with Nike on some of that company's branding initiatives, so we'll likely see some dynamic stuff from South Korea in Vegas.
As Samsung continues to grow from an Asian powerhouse to a global one, how it sells itself to a broad international audience will be key to its future.
We expect Stephen Woo, president of Samsung Electronics' device solutions division, to set the tone of the company's refreshed self during his keynote address Jan. 9.
The debut of Ultra High-Definition television
It took a while but CRT televisions have finally become the stuff of garage sales and trips to grandma's house, and 3D screens have just started to crack the home market. Now everyone's lovely flatscreen is about to become a little bit obsolete, thanks Ultra High-Definition.
After a brief flirtation with 4K high-definition, the CEA settled on the name Ultra HD. However, Sony, always one to buck a naming trend (remember Blu-Ray vs. HD-DVD?) has said it will stick with numbered moniker, calling its pixel-dense displays 4K Ultra High-Definition (4K UHD).
LG's 55-incher, we've its since topped
Still, everyone seems to be in agreement over the spec requirements set by the CEA, defining what it takes to be called Ultra HD. According to the group, Ultra means at least 8 million pixels, with a minimum resolution of 3840 x 2160, and an aspect ratio of at least 16 x 9.
Now the question is how big will the screens at CES 2013 be? There's debate between engineers as to whether anyone can even tell the difference between UHD and regular HD on a display that's less than 100-inches. And when will these TVs become affordable? Right now they're around $20,000 (UK£12,515, AUD $19,210), keeping them firmly in Donald Trump and Richard Branson territory.
Intel introduces a new mobile processor, stakes its claim
Intel is probably one of the most recognizable names coming to CES 2013, though it's not the only chipmaker making a stand on the Vegas exhibit floor.
We expect Intel to show up big at the event, schooling the competition on how it's done, and very likely announcing a new mobile processor or two as well as some destined for PCs.
Intel is in an interesting position in terms of its mobile future: although it claims to have 20 Windows 8 tablets sporting its new Z2760 processor coming to market soon, the firm's chips are currently only found in six smartphones.
ARM and its licensees (Nvidia and Qualcomm) are making a killing in the mobile space and all are heading down to Nevada for the show, creating a perfect storm for one-up-man ship on the Strip.
ARM-based chips, while found in major money makers like the iPad and various Android tablets, aren't terribly up to snuff when it comes to processing prowess.
Yet Intel hasn't even breached the realm of relevancy smartphone space, making CES the time where it needs to stake that claim.
There's been talk that Apple may chuck Intel as its CPU provider in the coming years. Cupertino recently developed a poppy processor for its iPad 4 – the A6X – a chip that's reportedly twice as fast as those found in older iPads.
For that reason alone, Intel has got to show why it's relevant in mobile and why it deserves to be considered the top chipmaker in the world now and for years to come.
We'd love to see Intel not only announce a new mobile processor, but unveil a new partnership. It's got to prove it can work well with others (and capture consumer imagination) if it hopes to move deeper into smartphones and tablets.
Nvidia trumps out Tegra 4
Nvidia's Tegra 3 has done quite for itself this year, jumping into phones like HTC's One X+ and tablets such as Google's Nexus 7 and Microsoft's Surface.
That doesn't mean Nvidia doesn't have its eyes to the horizon, and we believe the company will introduce its Tegra 4 processor come CES.
We might see the Tegra 3's successor at CES 2013
Word of the T40 (the new Tegra's model number) got going in April, with a report pointing to early 2013 as the time the Tegra 3's successor would ascend the throne.
At the time, it sounded like the Tegra 4 would fit four new Cortex A15 ARM chips, taking it way past the A9 Cortex chip summit.
Speeds of 1.8GHz are probably going to be average for the new processor, while by the middle/end of the year, 2.0 should be its cruising GHz.
If we're lucky, we might even see an Android or Windows 8 tablet poke about with the Tegra 4 inside.
Microsoft's show no more
The Consumer Electronics Show has long been Microsoft's chance to shine. The software giant has always given flashy presentations, usually involving celebrities. Shaq, Conan O'Brien, Ryan Seacrest, Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson and more have all appeared to help co-founder Bill Gates and current CEO Steve Ballmer show of the company's latest tech.
Sadly, CES 2013 will be the first year where Microsoft won't be giving one of its signature keynote presentations. It gave the world plenty of notice, saying in December 2011 that CES 2012 would be its last. Steve Ballmer's last presentation at the Las Vegas trade show focused on Metro, the new Live Tile-based interface for Windows 8.
Ballmer and Seacrest present at CES 2012
Companies have moved quickly to fill the space left by Microsoft's exodus. Qualcomm has nabbed the open keynote slot. The telecommunications mogul will be giving its Born Mobile keynote on Monday, January 7th. Meanwhile, satellite provider Dish and appliance manufacturer Hisense snapped up Microsoft's booth space in under an hour.
However, Venturebeat has quoted CEA president Gary Shapiro as saying, "Microsoft will have something" at CES 2013. While it's unknown what that something will be, there are plenty of possibilities. More Windows Phone 8 devices? A Microsoft Surface Pro running Windows 8? Its all in the realm of possibility.
LG unveils Smart TV platform underpinned by HP's webOS
While we expect LG to march out a bevvy of phones and TVs, including some we haven't seen before, what's really piquing our interest heading into the new year is word that it may launch a Smart TV service based on webOS.
webOS, the open source system developed by HP, could take the reigns from LG's antiquated NetCast Smart TV interface during the show, a move that wouldn't leave our jaws dropped.
HP delivered on its promise to walk out webOS to the public by September, a vow it made in January, and now it needs a big product and solid partner to get its face out there.
The marriage between the two should be equal – reports have HP providing the OS while LG will plug in its dual-core L9-powered motherboards.
If our expectations pan out, we'll likely see the death of LG's small screen partnership with the struggling Google TV service, a relationship LG championed at CES 2012 yet has since cooled.
Automotive electronics
The CEA estimates that factory-installed automotive technology will generate $8.7 billion dollars in 2013, so it's no wonder seven major car companies will be on the show floor.
Audi, Chrysler, Ford, General Motors, Hyundai, Kia and Subaru will be joined more than 100 auto tech companies displaying the latest in-car tech. This is a record setting presence for the automotive industry at CES.
Displays and presentations will include electric drive technology. GoElectricDrive TechZone will demonstrate electric vehicles paired with their respective charging stations, ones that can be used at homes and in public facilities. The Safe Driver presentation will show more than the typical hands-free devices, highlighting technologies that can help drivers park, watch their speed and avoid collisions.
However, not everything between automakers and car tech designers is completely sunny. With so much hardware being put into cars before they even leave the factory, will the aftermarket industry be facing an all-time low? A presentation titled "Are Automakers Running the Aftermarket Off the Road?" will address the issue.
The new Skyrim DLC Dragonborn will bring a host of new adventures to Bethesda's RPG on Xbox 360 this week, but it will also be the first expansion available for the game on PlayStation 3.
The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim is already more than one year old. How quickly those little dragon slayers grow up! Even though Bethesda the publisher is hard at work supporting studios working on properties like Dishonored, the lost Prey 2, and even The Elder Scrolls Online, the core Bethesda studio remains hard at work on its best-selling RPG, creating new downloadable expansions. The latest DLC for Skyrim, called Dragonborn, will be out this week on Xbox Live bringing with it a host of new content. As the studio says, though, players on other platforms don’t need to fret. Dragonborn won’t stay an Xbox exclusive for long.
“We’re less than 24 hours away from unleashing Skyrim’s next add-on Dragonborn on Xbox Live,” reads an update at Bethesda’s official blog, “It’s one of our most ambitious add-ons ever and we’re excited for everyone to play it. We’re also happy to announce Dragonborn will be available on PS3 and PC early next year.”
That PlayStation 3 release is actually the biggest news in Bethesda’s announcement. Since the studio began releasing downloadable content for Skyrim in July, starting with Dawnguard for Xbox Live, Bethesda’s has had trouble bringing its expansions to Sony platforms. Though they’ve gone onto the PC, Dawnguard, Hearthfire, and even certain features introduced in patches for the game have skipped Sony’s PlayStation 3, but not for lack of trying.
“Skyrim is a massive and dynamic game that requires a lot of resources, and things get much more complex when you’re talking about sizable content like Dawnguard,” explained the studio in August, “We have tried a number of things, but none solve the issue enough to make Dawnguard good for everyone. The PS3 is a powerful system, and we’re working hard to deliver the content you guys want. Dawnguard is obviously not the only DLC we’ve been working on either, so this issue of adding content gets even more complicated. This is not a problem we’re positive we can solve, but we are working together with Sony to try to bring you this content.”
Dragonborn’s release on PS3 isn’t a guarantee that Dawnguard or Hearthfire will be released on the console, but it does suggest that Bethesda’s work alongside Sony has helped work around the technological hurdles that were keeping the content locked to Windows-based platforms.
Bethesda’s been quiet about what features will be in Dragonborn but Eurogamer reported over the weekend that it will have dragon riding in it. About time!
Less than a month ago, Apple released the iOS 6.1 beta to developers complete with early access to new features for Maps and Siri.
This next version of iOS 6 included new tools for the Map Kit framework, which would allow programmers to "search for map-based addresses and points of interest."
The iOS 6.1 beta also brought with it some improved functionality for Siri, and reportedly allows for users to purchase movie tickets by simply telling their iPhone 5s what movie they want to see.
Now a third version of the beta has been released, and along with the aforementioned attributes, iOS 6.1 may be adding improved iCloud security.
Safer on the cloud?
According to Apple Insider's sources, iCloud users will have to answer security questions when the applicable device is first booted.
There was no indication just what these security questions entailed, just that there was another level of protection enabled to prevent any foul play.
The beta build, known as "10B5117b," is currently compatible with the iPhone 5, as well as the iPhone 4S, iPhone 4, and iPhone 3GS.
The iPad 4 (and its two predecessors), iPad mini, and iPod Touch will also work with iOS 6.1, and users of all said devices should find good use of the impending improvements.
iOS 6.1 is believed to be on track for early 2013, though until Apple divulges an exact date, we'll be tracking the beta updates to learn what's coming in the next version.
The world's first tablet-only news source has met its demise. Luckily for the mobile news hounds of the world, there are plenty of apps that are willing to step up and deliver. We've collected some of the best apps that keep users informed.
Today brought the announcement of the end of an era – albeit a short lived one. The Daily – a subscription based, iPad-only (at first) newspaper – is officially closing its digital doors on December 15. Unable to build an audience quickly or turn a profit after nearly two years, the tablet-based paper will disappear from existence just like that. Sad as it is to see an experiment so bold fail, it doesn’t mean users have to walk around uneducated about local and world events. There are tons of news readers that are available to step into the hole left by The Daily’s absence. We’ve collected some of the best options to get your news fix.
Lets face it: The news can be boring sometimes. Stories that don’t directly affect or appeal to us emotionally just won’t have the staying power that news from our direct interests will have. Flipboard allows you to take everything that interests you and keep it in one place, like a newspaper built especially for you. Cover stories from the sources that matter most to you intermingle with the most shared information from your social networks and the day’s top headlines so you can stay informed and engaged at the same time. A nifty content guide and easy social sharing also make it easy to pass along content to others that will enjoy it.
Reading the news is all about learning. There’s new information, new developments, new major players that pop up all the time and create a narrative that is actually happening in the world. We learn from the news, but what if the news also learned from us? News360 does just that with the help of its unique artificial intelligence. With every article you read, blog post you browse, and story you share, News360 learns a bit more about your interests. It then aggregates content that best suites your style and delivers the stuff that seems to hold your attention.
Every generation has certain reference points that are relevant to the time period in which they grew up. There’s a complete culture built around the common events a group of people all experience and it collectively creates a zeitgeist. Because content on the web is full of so many niches now, it’s possible to be immersed in multiple zeitgeists within the all-encompassing one. Stay in touch with it all with Zite. By blending your personal interests with the most important opinions and information that is relevant to our current culture, Zite will keep you in touch with all the worlds that you live in. It’s your own personal zeitgeist.
Pulse is perhaps the broadest option for news aggregation. With a recent update that opened the app up to an unlimited stream of information, Pulse takes top stories from hundreds of well-respected news outlets and plugs them in to an easy to navigate, stylized experience. Users can create custom pages that house their favorite resources grouped however they see fit, then browse them with quick swipes on a tile-style layout. It pulls from a plethora of sources that will be sure to keep users informed no matter what their interests may entail. It doesn’t hurt that you can keep up with Digital Trends on it, as well.
News stories may not always have a black and white moral to them, but newspapers always have that color scheme. Trapit decided it was time to bust out of that old, “black, white, and read all over” mold and institute a new style that doesn’t just deliver the goods in terms of content but with visuals as well. Available on the iPad, Trapit makes use of every inch of the tablet’s display, offering up picture-perfect landscape and portrait visuals that accompany a story. Specializing in news and journalists that sit outside the mainstream, Trapit will bring the content that you might be missing otherwise, and will make it nearly impossible to ignore.
Lots of news apps focus on doing aggregation for you from specific sources, but who knows what you like better than you? You probably already have your favorite blogs and sites bookmarked and available for easy access. You check them daily for new content, but you might not always have time to read them when you see an update. Instapaper knows that and allows you to save a webpage so you can read it later, even if you’re offline. Strip away the clutter like ads and links to irrelevant stories and focus just on the text that brought you to the page in the first place.
News isn’t delivered in just text form. In this world that revolves around multimedia, much of the news of the day is delivered in multiple forms to be consumed based on your personal preference. Whether you’re a reader of stories, a watcher of videos, or a listener of audio clips and podcasts, you get your digest one way or another. Pocket knows that and allows you to keep everything of interest, no matter the medium, easily accessible for later use. Save articles, videos, and web pages that you want to consume later and open them on almost any device. It’s like a DVR for the Internet.
From the ashes of the previously fallen social sharing platform comes Digg. Forget everything you used to know about it, because this isn’t the Digg you remember. Retooled as a way to keep your finger on the pulse of the web, Digg gives you all the content that people are talking about. With a clean and sleek layout, it makes every article fit in a universal format no matter where its from. A handy feature called Reading Sync allows to you put down a story on your computer or iOS device and pick right back up where you left off upon your next visit.
In the lead up to the Wii U's launch, expectations were that Nintendo would have trouble supplying Europe. The console's debut put those fears to rest as Nintendo sold almost double the numbers of Wii U consoles in the UK than were expected to ship.
It was Nintendo’s weekend across European as the people of Germany, France, the UK, and other countries got their first taste of the Wii U. Early reports from retailers said that gaming enthusiasts were coming out to support the console, but that the Wii’s successor hadn’t built up hype to a fever pitch just yet. With the weekend over, how did Nintendo do? Pretty well, but even with decent game sales, Wii U software didn’t take the continent by storm.
British gaming website MCV’s sources reported on Monday morning that Nintendo sold a total of 40,000 Wii Us within the first 48 hours. That figure isn’t an official quote from Nintendo, but an estimation based on numbers turned in by retailers and software sales estimates for “trade sources.”
Speaking of those software sources, the Wii U had a high attachment rate of more than 2:1, meaning that the average purchaser was picking up two or more games alongside the new console. No Wii U title came close to the leading bestsellers in the country, however. The Associated Press reported on Monday morning that the closest Nintendo came to cracking the UK top ten best sellers was with the number 11 NintendoLand, which trailed the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 versions of Call of Duty: Black Ops 2, Far Cry 3, Halo 4, FIFA 13, and others.
Even if the Wii U didn’t sell in numbers that could help its launch games compete with the current bestsellers on competing platforms, the UK sales numbers alone signal an early success for Nintendo. Reports of production problems started emerging last summer and word was that European markets would be the most affected as Nintendo prioritized North American and Japanese Wii U stock. One rumor even hinted that the European launch would be delayed because so little stock would be available. Nintendo themselves lent credibility to those rumors in October. “Wii U stock levels will be tight on day one,” said a Nintendo UK rep, “However we will be providing retailers with regular stock deliveries in the run up to Christmas in order to meet demand as quickly as possible.” One source inside Nintendo’s UK distribution said at the time that there may be as few as 25,000 consoles available for the UK launch. With 40,000 consoles sold, Nintendo certainly beat expectations.
