Skype now offers free group video calls on desktop and Xbox One
In order to compete with Google Hangouts, Skype has made group video calls free on the desktop and Xbox One consoles. Previously, the multi-pal chats were available via a premium subscription on the aforementioned platforms, but it’s now accessible at no extra cost. And Microsoft’s video-chatting service says its going to be free on more platforms “in the near future.” Now that those visual conversations won’t mean a hit to your wallet every month, Skype could be an attractive alternative to Mountain View’s offering.
Filed under: Internet, Software, Microsoft
Source: Microsoft
Windows Phone thrives in Europe, but struggles in China and the US
Microsoft’s quest for smartphone market share is hitting a few roadblocks, it seems. Kantar estimates that Windows Phone is still gaining ground in Europe, where it’s up year-over-year to 8.1 percent of sales in the first quarter of 2014. However, it’s taking a bruising in other areas. In the US, Windows swung from increases this fall to a slight dip in the winter; while it’s still doing relatively well at 5.3 percent of US share, it’s not posing much of a threat to Android or iOS right now. The platform also took a drubbing in China, where its share was nearly cut in half to exactly one percent thanks to the rise of budget Android handsets.
Not that it was all sunshine and roses for the industry heavyweights. Android made strides in China, the US and parts of Europe, but it sank in Australia, Europe and Japan. Some of these losses were due to a recovery from Apple, according to Kantar. The iPhone is still having trouble in China and the US, but it clawed back share in Australia and Europe. It’s also dominant in Japan; 57.6 percent of local smartphone buyers chose iOS hardware this quarter.
Whether or not these trends continue through the spring isn’t certain. Windows Phone may get a helpful boost from the launches of the Lumia 630 and 930, while Android may get a lift from Samsung’s Galaxy S5 flagship. There’s also the wildcard of the 8GB iPhone 5c. Although it’s not dramatically cheaper than its 16GB counterpart, it could draw a few mid-range buyers to Apple. It’s safe to say that Microsoft will be watching very closely — now that it owns Nokia’s device business, it has even more incentives to see Windows Phone succeed.
Filed under: Cellphones, Mobile, Apple, Microsoft, Nokia, Google
Source: Kantar Worldpanel
Hidden codes for your Android device you probably didn’t know
Baked deep into Android is a bunch of secret codes that will enable of a variety of statistics and settings on your device that you probably didn’t know existed, as well as some diagnostic tests you can perform on the hardware.
These settings are not enabled by default, and that’s for a reason. Take care when using these and we’re not responsible if you mess your device up.
1. Get information from your phone and battery, including usage and statistics.
*#*#4636#*#*
2. Factory format your device
*2767*3855#
3. Get information your camera
*#*#34971539#*#*
4. Open a file copy screen to backup your media
*#*#273283*255*663282*#*#*
5. Enter service mode
*#*#197328640#*#*
6. Perform various tests on your device
*#*#232339#*#*- WLAN test
*#*#232338#*#* – Shows WiFi MAC address
*#*#1472365#*#* – GPS test
*#*#1575#*#* – Another GPS test
*#*#232331#*#* – Bluetooth test
*#*#2664#*#* – Touch screen test
Drop us a comment in the section below if you found out any useful information about your device that you didn’t know before by using these codes.
The post Hidden codes for your Android device you probably didn’t know appeared first on AndroidGuys.
Google’s self-driving cars can now understand cyclists’ gestures
Whenever we see a self-driving car, we’re always nervous that it won’t see us and steamroller us straight into the tarmac. It’s a fear that Google is trying to quell with its latest video, revealing that the vehicles are constantly tweaked to better understand and navigate the obstacles of California. In the clip we learn that the cars can now spot a cyclist’s arm-waving, and will wait until they’ve passed before moving along. The rides can also now spot pedestrians from behind, will slow for on-road construction and won’t enter a railroad crossing until the exit is clear. Now all we need is for some bright Googler to get William Daniels to voice the on-board computer and we’ll pre-order two.
Filed under: Transportation, Google
Source: Google
Xbox Entertainment Studios has at least 12 projects in production, committed to half
There’s a lot to know about Microsoft’s push into original programming with Xbox Entertainment Studios. Why now? Why carry Xbox branding? Will XES content only run in certain regions? Is it free to all Xbox Live members, or only Xbox Live Gold? Will XES content also head to other digital video services, like Netflix, Hulu, Amazon Instant and elsewhere? What about other Microsoft platforms, like Windows Phone and Windows 8? How will interactivity with the content work?
Much of that information is still up in the air, according to XES president Nancy Tellem (former president of CBS Television Studios, among other accolades) and executive producer Jordan Levin. The duo walked us through Xbox Entertainment Studios’ first projects last week, and left us with more questions than answers.
Here’s the high level: there are at least 12 projects in the works, and Microsoft’s only “committed” to half (full list below the break). That means that six are paid for and in production, while the other six are in various stages of creation and may never make it to our eyeballs. The first, a multi-camera, multi-stage, interactive version of Bonnaroo, premieres this June.
The six committed projects include announced works, like Steven Spielberg’s Halo project and the E.T. documentary, as well as new stuff like a Ridley Scott-produced Halo “digital feature” (due later this year, alongside the launch of a still-unannounced Halo game we’re betting) and a co-production with the UK’s Channel 4 of Humans (an adaptation of Swedish show “Real Humans“). There’s also Every Street United, a documentary TV series about street soccer (aimed at South American and European Xbox owners), and the aforementioned Bonnaroo experience.
But where will you watch these shows? For now, the only option is on an Xbox 360 or Xbox One, but support for other Microsoft platforms is in the works. How about competing services, like Amazon Instant Video or Netflix? Never say never, but there aren’t any plans to distribute XES content outside of Microsoft platforms just yet (either individually or in an XES app of some sort). Both Tellem and Levin repeatedly spoke to the 84 million strong worldwide Xbox userbase (the collective number of Xbox 360s and Ones sold), though they recognized that only about half of that group pays for Xbox Live Gold membership.
it’s still unclear which content will be free to all Xbox owners versus what’s locked behind the Xbox Live Gold paywall. The only certainty right now is that all Xbox Live Gold members will get all Xbox Entertainment Studios content for free (er, included in the $60 annual membership).
Tellem said that the content is being aimed at “millenials” (18-35 year-olds) especially the male portion of that group. That’s reflected in the selection of projects: two Halo-based shows, sports, and sci-fi. There was also a smattering of game universes mentioned: Halo, Fable, Gears of War, State of Decay, Age of Empires, and Forza Motorsport. The project list diversifies somewhat when looking beyond the six committed works.
Optioned or Given a Pilot:
- Deadlands: Xbox Entertainment Studios has committed to a script based on the successful pen-and-paper role playing game created by Shane Lacy Hensley. “Deadlands” is a genre-bending alternative history of the Weird West, filled with undead gunfighters, card-slinging sorcerers, mad scientists, secret societies, and fearsome abominations.
- Extraordinary Believers: Xbox Entertainment Studios is developing an innovative, hybrid stop-motion show dubbed “Extraordinary Believers” (working title) with Stoopid Buddy Stoodios, creators of the Emmy-Award winning “Robot Chicken,” the longest running stop-motion show on television. The executive producers on the project are Seth Green, Matt Senreich, and creators/writers/executive producers are Eric Towner and John Harvatine IV.
- Fearless: “Fearless,” (working title) is an unscripted series currently in pilot production starring Paul de Gelder, an Australian Navy bomb clearance diver and shark attack survivor who takes on an adrenaline-fueled quest to aid individuals who risk their lives to make the world a better place. “Fearless” will be produced by Australia’s International Emmy-Award winning production company, Cordell Jigsaw Zapruder (CJZ).
- Gun Machine: Xbox Entertainment Studios acquired the rights to “Gun Machine,” a hardboiled detective thriller based on the New York Times bestselling novel by Warren Ellis. Ellis will executive produce with Brett Conrad (“The Killing,” “Sons of Anarchy,” Netflix’s upcoming “Marco Polo”) who has signed on to write the pilot script about a detective tracking a serial killer who is tied to a mysterious collection of guns used in infamous New York murders.
- Untitled JASH Comedy/Variety Half Hour: In this unique comedy format developed by Xbox Entertainment Studios with JASH (a comedy collective founded by Sarah Silverman, Michael Cera, Tim and Eric and Reggie Watts), the biggest names in comedy will showcase the people that make them laugh. Each week, a different comedian will host/curate a show featuring new and unsung talent, in various video formats. Sarah Silverman will host the pilot episode and Daniel Kellison (“Late Night/Late Show with David Letterman,” “Jimmy Kimmel Live,” “Crank Yankers”) will executive produce. The series has a pilot commitment and will begin shooting in June.
- Winterworld: Xbox Entertainment Studios and IDW Entertainment are co-developing a limited event live-action series based on Chuck Dixon and artist Jorge Zaffino’s seminal graphic novel series “Winterworld,” in which our world has been encased in ice from pole-to-pole. The surviving humans have formed tribes that war, enslave and trade with one another in an effort to survive the infinite winter. Ted Adams and David Ozer from IDW Entertainment, and Rick Jacobs and Dave Alpert from Circle of Confusion (“Walking Dead”) will executive produce.
As for interactivity, it varies dramatically from project to project. In the case of Bonnaroo, users can jump between stages, different camera views, and even head backstage to participate in a Q&A with the musicians performing at the show. Tellem said that interactivity isn’t her priority with XES content, but that it’s actually entertaining. Functionality will also vary depending on the system you’re using — as every Xbox One comes with Kinect, there are opportunities there that may not exist on the aging Xbox 360.
It’s early days for Xbox Entertainment Studios, as you can tell by the previous 900 words explaining how little about the group and its projects is set in stone. Microsoft certainly has the resources and leadership pedigree to make XES a serious contender with the likes of Amazon and Netflix, but whether it has the execution and content to contend remains to be seen.
The director behind Alien and Blade Runner is producing a Halo project
That’s right, folks: the man behind sci-fi classics like Alien and Blade Runner, Ridley Scott, is executive producing a Halo-based “digital feature” (read: short film) for release “later this year.” The project is headed by Microsoft’s in-house Halo studio, 343 Industries, and Scott Free Productions — Sergio Mimica-Gezzan was tapped for directing duties.
This is a pretty different project from the other Halo show in the works; that one’s helmed by Steven Spielberg and is live action, whereas this sounds more like the digital Halo work we’ve seen in the past. Color us seriously surprised if this doesn’t arrive alongside the release of a new Halo game; one of those is even planned for 2014! How about that!
Filed under: Gaming, Home Entertainment, Software, HD, Microsoft
Leaked HP video hints at a 14-inch laptop running… Android
Android on laptops is normally reserved for hybrid devices or units no bigger than 10 inches. If this leaked video is correct, however, then HP is planning to launch an Android laptop with a 14-inch display. The clip, found by Notebook Italia, shows a Slatebook 14 with a 1080p display, controlled by a quad-core NVIDIA chip and running a recent build of Google’s mobile OS. The video also shows that the Android soft keys will remain on the bottom of the screen, as well as adding them to the keyboard where you’d normally find the Esc and Windows keys. There’s not much more than that to go on right now, but we’ve pinged HP to find out if this is really coming, or just the hopeful fantasy of someone who really hates Chromebooks.
Filed under: Cellphones, Laptops, Google, HP
Via: Ars Technica
Source: Notebook Italia (Translated)
Skype Makes Group Video Calling Free for Mac, PC, and Xbox One Users [Mac Blog]
Skype today announced that it is making its group video calling feature free for select users. The feature was introduced in 2010 and was made available to Premium users on a Windows desktop, Mac and the Xbox One. Now, group video calling will be accessible for free to anyone on those platforms, with support for additional devices coming at a later date.
Skype is proud that, since our beginning, we’ve created opportunities for people to communicate freely and easily, no matter where they are; from keeping in touch with remote family members or calling home when traveling to chatting daily with your close circles of friends. While Skype is known for one to one video calling, we know it’s also essential to connect with the groups of people who matter most, whether friends, family or colleagues. For the last few years, we’ve offered group video calling to Premium users on Windows desktop and Mac and more recently Xbox One. Today, we’re excited to announce that we’re making group video calling free – for all users on these platforms. And, in the future, we’ll be enabling group video calling for all our users across more platforms – at no cost.
Group video calling debuted on the Mac platform with Skype 5 in early 2011. Much like Google Hangouts, Skype video calling allows customers to hold a video conference with a group of other Skype users who can talk using the webcams on their devices. The feature was available for free in the beta version of Skype 5 and required a Premium subscription when it officially debuted in the shipping version.
You can download Skype for Mac from Skype’s website. It is available for free and requires Mac OS X Snow Leopard and above, a webcam for video calling and a microphone.
Hail HAL 9000: An orchestra of drones plays the ‘Space Odyssey’ theme
KMel’s flying robots have pretty freaky abilities, but luckily they seem more interested in show-biz than terrorizing humanity. Though they’ve already done a crude James Bond number, this time they’re rocking more instruments and playing challenging pieces like Also Sprach Zarathustra (aka the “2001: A Space Odyssey” theme). The piece de resistance is two quads playing a guitar-like string, with one tapping it and the other changing pitch. Actually, the whole thing is pretty great — be entertained and disturbed all at once by the video below.
Via: Hack A Day
Source: KMel (YouTube)
Mosquitoes bred with suicide genes to combat disease
With the World Cup just six weeks away, Brazilian authorities have approved the widespread, commercial release of a strain of mosquito that has been genetically reprogrammed to wipe out its own species. These Aedes aegypti mosquitoes are a major carrier of dengue fever, and bed nets are useless against them because they bite during the day. While some have experimented with using lasers and other techniques to wipe out the disease-carrying bugs, Brazil’s preferred solution begins in the lab: Male mosquitoes are given a deliberately flawed gene and then released into the wild so that they can reproduce, at which point the implanted gene rears its head and causes any offspring to die before they reach sexual maturity.
Local trials have already seen a 90 percent reduction in aegypti numbers, according to the biotech company that developed the mutant gene. Critics have raised a number of objections, however, including the fact that other mosquito species also carry dengue fever, so the potentially fatal disease won’t necessarily be eradicated by this risky approach. Others have pointed out that there have only been very small trials so far, so we don’t know what happens if GM females, rather than males, are accidentally released into the wild (potentially causing allergic reactions in bite victims), or if some mosquitoes somehow inherit the modified gene but don’t die from it. Either way, if Mother Nature does have some sort of retribution in store, then Brazil is about to find out.
[Image credit: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention]
Filed under: Science
Source: Oxitec
AIVAnet 