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

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. Also included in the package are a charger, an antenna and a 1500 mAh NiMH battery that promises up to two hours of talk or 36 hours of standby time. We’re not sure when exactly this’ll roll out, but from the looks of it, we won’t have to wait long for yet another alternative to ye olde POTS.

[Thanks, Anonymous]

Filed under: Cellphones, Wireless, Mobile

Comments

Every so often when the Moon is especially ginormous or we can see Venus or Mars from Earth, humans collectively freaks out. So cool three exclamation points, we scream. Look how big with thirty i’s, we yell. And it’s warranted! Seeing things that don’t belong in the sky pop up, well, in the sky is fun. So could you imagine if one day Earth developed rings like Saturn? It would be insane.

Read more…

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. Those who want to better understand their mobile world just have to swing by the source links to get the latest beta.

Filed under: Cellphones, Mobile, Google

Comments

Via: Android Police

Source: Chrome Releases, Google Play

Between ads for action figures, micromachines, and sugar-laden cereals, there used to be a time when Saturday morning commercials were just as riveting as the cartoons they interrupted—especially for gullible 8-year-olds. And though the ads themselves no longer deliver that overwhelming sense of excitement and grandeur, Neosignal‘s newest track adopts the same flashy, hyperactive style but with a modern twist.

Read more…

AT&T’s official GoPhone prepaid policy has always officially prevented network data access for iPhones (and other 4G devices except for BlackBerry), but a tipster reports that will change tomorrow. The new policy adds 4G HSPA+ and LTE support as well as Visual Voicemail access to the GoPhone package, with customers able to bring their own device or buy a new one at off-contract unsubsidized prices. According to the details, existing customers with iPhones will be automatically updated with network access on June 21st, however they’ll be able to call in and make the switch manually before that. The new features work on the $65, $50 and $25 monthly plans, however the two lower priced options will require data packages to work. You can get a peek at the leaked terms after the break, although we’d wait for an official announcement before picking up your 4G-capable handset and requesting service.

[Thanks, Anonymous]

Filed under: Cellphones, Mobile, Apple, AT&T

Comments

Please be true, please be true, please be true. After Google announced that it would be selling a pure Android version of the Samsung Galaxy S4 on Google Play, the entire world screamed joys of Hallelujah Halle Berry. An awesome phone running completely stock Android has always been the dream. Now, HTC might be making real life better than any dream by making the HTC One pure Android too.

Read more…

Microsoft’s new Xbox comes with a console, controller and Kinect, but even if you pre-order One for yourself, you may choose to go elsewhere to pick up a matching headset. And, Turtle Beach will be one of the first next-gen headset providers, as it’s just signed a license with Microsoft to build them for the One. Turtle Beach isn’t sharing any more info on the forthcoming headsets, but we’ll be telling you all about them when they’re revealed at E3 in a few weeks. Oh, and before you go thinking that you can save yourself some cash by using your trusty Xbox 360 cans, remember that the One’s controllers have a new proprietary port on them that’s incompatible with your old gear. You were looking for an excuse to upgrade your over-ear gaming audio anyway, right?

Filed under: Gaming, Peripherals

Comments

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 (1GHz 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 a 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? You”ll find a power / lock key, DC socket, micro-USB port (with on-the-go support) and mini-HDMI output on the top edge, plus a 3.5mm headphone jack, volume rocker and microSD card slot on the right side. A microphone and speaker round things up in back.

The tablet runs a mostly stock version of ICS (Android 4.1.1, to be specific) and includes the usual assortment of Google apps along with access to the Play Store. Performance is adequate — not buttery smooth but perfectly usable. Build quality and materials are surprisingly decent for the price (the plastic is color-through), but the display leaves a lot to be desired (viewing angle are poor and the acrylic covering the screen is scratch-prone). Then again, it’s only $65, right? Check out the gallery below for our rose-colored hands-on with this expensive tablet.

Filed under: Tablets, Google

Comments

If you think you’re looking at color palettes of different shades of brownish gray, you’re not exactly wrong. I’m sure people would love to paint their bathroom Roman Rotunda Slate or some made up name like that. But it’s not that simple. You’re actually looking at the seasons—spring, summer, fall and winter—and you just don’t know it.

Read more…