How would you change the Chromebook Pixel?
What’s the point of a halo device? After all, it’s designed to grab headlines and eyeballs more than it is a device that’ll be used by consumers. We put Google’s $1,500 (yup) Chromebook Pixel through its paces and found that its limited functionality couldn’t justify the ridiculous price, even if it was beautifully made and gorgeous. But what about you? We’re faintly sure that someone out there bought one of these things, possibly as a museum piece, so why not tell us just how much you liked or hated the experience? Dive on in to Engadget’s product forums and talk us some Chromebook.
Source: Engadget Product Forums
Weekends with Engadget: Surface Pro 3 review, Samsung VR headsets and more!
Head past the break to find some of the top stories from the past week!
Surface Pro 3 review: Has Microsoft finally made a tablet to replace your laptop?
Microsoft surprised us by announcing the Surface Pro 3. We got to spend some quality time with the device and shared impressions in our review. Can this laptop / tablet hybrid take on the latest and greatest tablets and computers from Apple, Lenovo and others?
Samsung is making a VR headset for its phones and tablets
According to sources within Samsung, not only is the company working on a virtual reality headset, it expects to announce it this year. Between Samsung’s future headset, Sony’s Project Morpheus and Facebook’s Oculus Rift, this is shaping up to be an exiting year for VR hopefuls.
WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT NET NEUTRALITY
The concept of net neutrality is simple, however, its implications are enormous. Read on as our own Ben Gilbert breaks down the arguments behind an open internet and dissects how ISP regulation could affect you.
Google ads could be coming to thermostats, refrigerators and car dashboards
A Google filing with the SEC hinted that it’s considered displaying ads on a variety of devices that include “refrigerators, car dashboards, thermostats, glasses, and watches.” The company has since commented on the issue, saying that, “Nest, which we acquired after this filing was made, does not have an ads-based model and has never had any such plans.”
A week with Leica’s T, the most beautiful mirrorless camera money can buy
What’s it like shooting with the latest camera from Leica? It’s pure bliss! Machined from a solid block of aluminum, this camera is a work of art. However, if you want to join the club, you’ll need to fork over nearly $2,000. Is it worth it? Find out.
eBay asks all users to change their passwords following cyberattack
eBay looks like it’s the latest company to suffer a security breach after it alerted users that an attack had “compromised a database containing encrypted passwords and other non-financial data.” Change those passwords, stat!
WATCH MICHAEL JACKSON’S HOLOGRAPHIC RETURN AT THE BILLBOARD MUSIC AWARDS
Just after releasing his posthumous record called Xscape, Michael Jackson made a holographic appearance at the Billboard Music Awards. And yes, there was moonwalking.
Microsoft wants its new pen to be a big part of the Surface Pro 3
During the Surface event, Microsoft placed a lot of focus on their new pen, emphasizing that theirs is meant to mimic a real, ink-based pen and isn’t yet another stylus.
The real-life hacking behind Watch Dogs’ virtual world
Ubisoft’s Watch Dogs is finally going to be released next week. How realistic is its portrayal of the world of hacking and cyber-espionage? To make it as real as possible (while keeping gameplay fun), the publisher consulted with digital security firm Kaspersky Labs.
What you need to know about vaporizers
Smoking’s a tough habit to break, but there’s a number of products available to help cope with nicotine addiction. One way that’s grown exceedingly popular in recent years is vaping. Our own Sean Cooper takes a closer look at the world of vaporizers and the questions surrounding the technology.
Four Quick Videos Show Off the LG G3′s Features
Anticipation is building for the LG G3, and we have two days until the event in which LG will unveil the new flagship. Today though, we get four new videos showing off various features of the LG G3, posted on two different LG Mobile channels
The four videos give a brief look at the display, camera, design, and grip-ability. The grip-ability video let’s people know that even the the LG G3 will have a 5.5-inch display, it won’t feel that large in your hands. Somehow I doubt that, but the design is still pretty sleek and sexy. Check out all the videos and let us know your thoughts about them.
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Apple Debuts Two New ‘Your Verse’ iPad TV Ads Emphasizing Music and Travel
Apple has debuted two new video ads for its “Your Verse” iPad Air campaign that showcases the tablet being used in a variety of situations. The pair of ads profile Esa-Pekka Salonen, a Finnish conductor who composes music with the iPad Air, and travel blogger Chérie King, who uses various apps to map her journeys and translate foreign languages on the fly.
Salonen’s Your Verse ad displays the musician taking a simple musical concept and developing it into a full composition, using apps such as Touch Press’ The Orchestra and Notion to sound out various instruments. The composer is also seen using Pianist Pro, which is shown being used before a whole orchestra plays a musical piece.
Meanwhile, King’s one-minute spot shows the writer traveling to various places including Morocco and Vietnam while using the iPad Air in a number of ways. Apps such as WordPress, Facebook, and Twitter are shown being used to record the journey, while Triposo and iTranslate are used to find popular destinations and translate foreign languages in real time, respectively.
As with the other Your Verse ads, both videos have corresponding sections on Apple’s website which go into details about the stories of both individuals and how the iPad Air has helped.
Apple debuted its initial Your Verse iPad ad in January alongside a corresponding website that shares a number of experiences. Other stories have noted the iPad’s use in mountaineering, sports, choreography, oceanography, and more.
PlayStation 4 to get pre-loading of all pre-order games starting with Destiny
Tired of making sandwich after sandwich, idly waiting while the ol’ PlayStation 4 downloads Metal Gear Solid: Ground Zeroes? Though we’d never encourage you to stop making delicious sandwiches, we do sympathize with the situation. Thankfully for you, Sony’s adding pre-loading of all pre-ordered upcoming games to the PlayStation 4 starting this fall with Bungie’s next big game: Destiny. That means you can download the whole shebang ahead of the game’s “official” launch on September 9th, and when midnight strikes, you’re ready to go. Bizarrely, the news comes via PlayStation Network message from Ubisoft; as seen above, Watch Dogs (which launches this Tuesday) won’t have pre-loading. Sorry Charlie! Come September, however, you’re good to go.
Filed under: Gaming, Software, HD, Sony
Source: NeoGAF
Joystiq Weekly: ‘Transistor’ review, ‘Metro’ director’s cut and a book about ‘Earthbound’
Welcome to the Joystiq Weekly wrap-up where we present some of the best stories and biggest gaming news from our sister-publication.
- The grim, irradiated Russia of Metro 2033 and Metro: Last Light is getting a makeover in Metro Redux for the PC, PlayStation 4 and Xbox One.
- This TV actor gave up his visual craft and wrote a book about the cult Nintendo role-playing game, Earthbound.
In the end, it’s the unique digital world of Cloudbank and the refreshing combat that drive Transistor. The perfectly executed turn is consistently rewarding, while uncovering the dark side of Cloudbank and untangling the motives of the Camerata proves enticing enough to draw you along, even if the story doesn’t strike all of its intended chords.
That’s it folks! Be sure to head over to Joystiq and catch the news as it happens.
[Image credit: Adafruit Industries/Flickr]
Filed under: Gaming, Home Entertainment, HD
Source: Joystiq
Feel Flappy Bird-like frustration in Geometry Dash [App of the Day]
I bet most of you have played the infamous Flappy Bird, the most wrote and talked about mobile game in the last year or so, for sure. We’ll hear from Flappy Bird in the forseeable future for sure, until that time I’ve unfortunately stumbled upon a game that gave me more grief than that darn bird.
Geometry Dash is simple action platformer game that has a similar principle to Flappy Bird, you have to tap the screen at the right time to avoid all kinds of obstacles. Unlike Flappy obstacles here are not all the same, we have all kinds of obstacles though they are mostly spike variations of all sorts. Trust me when I tell you that the levels will feel different when you play the game, it’s definitely not repetitive, you can even customize your character. I can’t say I got far in the game because I’m probably one of the worst players that have ever played it, but it never felt boring, just extremely, extremely annoying… did I say extremely yet?
There are 2 versions of the game, free lite version and a full version that will set you back about $2. You’ll get lots more fun in the full version though, like building your own levels for example and it will also rid you of ads for example. You can find a full list of features for each version in the links below.
The post Feel Flappy Bird-like frustration in Geometry Dash [App of the Day] appeared first on AndroidGuys.
Following Microsoft, Sony’s PlayStation business officially enters China
It’s only been about a month since Microsoft announced that it’ll be bringing the Xbox to China come September, courtesy of the local government lifting its somewhat lax ban on imported video games and consoles. Today, Sony finally confirmed that the PlayStation will indeed be joining Redmond’s console in the Far East. Just like Microsoft’s collaboration with China’s BesTV, Sony’s also be working with a local company called Shanghai Oriental Pearl Culture Development (OPCD in short). As pointed out by Sina Tech, the interesting thing is that both BesTV and OPCD are part of the massive Shanghai Media Group.
Sony and OPCD’s joint venture will form two companies: one to manage the manufacturing and sales of the hardware, and the other to manage the services plus the sales, licensing, distribution and R&D of the software. Sony China will own 70 percent of the newly formed Sony Computer Entertainment (Shanghai) (which presumably handles the non-hardware part), but just 49 percent of the other new company dubbed Shanghai Oriental Pearl Sony Computer Entertainment Culture Development.
As you’d expect, the announcement stresses that the joint venture “will introduce quality, healthy games that are suitable to China’s national conditions and the preferences of domestic players, as according to the relevant government policies.” This means we’ll likely see many censored PlayStation games over there (and also fewer games in general), plus our guess is that the consoles might not even be compatible with games released in other countries. That said, it’s worth remembering that Nintendo’s China joint venture, iQue, never applied this kind of regional restriction onto the DS and 3DS it sold there.
What’s unclear is when and which of the PlayStation products will officially hit the stores in China, but given Sony’s earlier attempts plus its long preparation for this launch, we wouldn’t be surprised if the Japanese company beats Microsoft to the race here.
Via: Engadget Chinese
Source: SSE (Chinese PDF)
IRL: A few weeks with HTC’s One M8 Harman Kardon Edition
When HTC CEO Peter Chou first confirmed the existence of the Harman Kardon edition One M8 at a small press event in New York City, I leaned over to a reporter friend sitting next to me and mouthed a few choice expletives. Wasn’t this Sprint event supposed to be about Spotify? And HD Voice? Where the hell was this coming from? After a few weeks of using the thing, I’m still not entirely sure why this needs to exist… but I’m sort of glad it does.
Let’s back up for a moment first: What’s new about the Harman Kardon edition One? It’s nearly identical to the version we reviewed back in March, albeit with a few twists. There’s the kinda, sorta fetching black-and-champagne trim, for one. It may just be my finicky fingertips, but I can’t shake the notion that the Harman Kardon One’s black finish feels just a little smoother than the gunmetal gray that graces nearly ever other M8 floating around out there. The cosmetics are just a distraction, though — this One’s apparent raison d’être is to knock the socks off audio buffs who just can’t deal with lousy, compressed mobile music quality.
I’ll admit it: I was a skeptic at first. BoomSound did wonders for the original HTC One, but could the company capture some of the same lightning in a new bottle? Further testing revealed that yes, this One’s once-exclusive sound software really does make a difference… even if it’s not always what you were hoping for.
The Harman Kardon One’s musical might shines through thanks to two features you can toggle in the settings. Clari-Fi aims to lift your compressed audio tracks out of the mud, injecting additional oomph and dimension to the gems in your collection. It generally does a good job of it too: The feature manages to help my slew of MP3s sound brighter, more vivid and more alive. Clari-Fi seems to work mostly on mids and highs, so vocals seem crisper and rhythm sections seem bouncier and more percussive… even though thrumming basslines tend to get de-powered a hair. I did notice a dramatic difference as I worked through a spate of low bitrate mp3s, but the effect became more subtle once I started working with higher-quality examples. I’ll be the first to admit that my ears have taken a drubbing from years of loud Japanese rock, so it’s very possible you’d pick up on more nuanced shifts than I did — that said, Clari-Fi does make a difference. While we’re on the subject of high quality files, HTC also talked up this One’s faculty with incredibly high-fidelity 24-bit/192kHz FLAC files… files which I had a hard time finding in the first place. My small suite of FLAC test songs had to suffice, and the HK One rendered them just fine.
LiveStage is a different beast entirely, as it tries to make your music sound (what else?) more live and natural. The cynic would say it just adds more reverb to the mix… and that person wouldn’t necessarily be wrong. If you’re at all familiar with the sort of LiveAudio trickery Jawbone uses in its Jamboxes, you’ll feel right at home with LiveStage. The effect manages to impart your tracks with a little simulated depth, but it just doesn’t jibe with some songs that have been mixed in particular ways — they’ll feel different, and not necessarily right. Perhaps it’s best to think of it as a mixed blessing: LiveStage can make a track sound more lifelike and atmospheric at the cost of losing some of its sheer oomph. Oh, and a minor niggle: When Clari-Fi and LiveStage are enabled, the status bar can get so crowded that the time actually gets pushed off the screen.
All of this hinges on having a solid pair of headphones to work with, and the Harman Kardon AE earbuds that come in the box (boom, you just saved about $80) are no slouch. Despite the crisp mids, jubilant highs, and rumbling basslines these ‘buds bring to the table, they can be a little quirky. Take the clearly marked controls on the in-line mic, to start: the two buttons are emblazoned with plus and minus symbols that would normally correspond to volume controls but they actually change tracks instead. I also found that the included tips just don’t fit right for certain people, and its angular edges can dig into the fleshy cartilage of your ear without remorse.
So, with all that said, should you buy one? If you’re on Sprint and don’t mind a questionable color scheme, the Harman Kardon edition One is probably the way to go — you’re getting the same top-tier smartphone we know and love with a really solid pair of earbuds for an extra $30. Should you find the prospect of a two-toned phone utterly tacky, though, or if you’re handy enough to install all of that supposedly exclusive software on your lonesome, feel free to steer clear and save your money.
Filed under: Cellphones, Mobile, HTC
Apple Forgets to Renew SSL Certificate, Breaking OS X Software Update
Several readers have noted a strange error message appearing when trying to perform software updates from the Mac App Store.
An Error has occurred
The certificate for this server is invalid. You might be connecting to a server that is pretending to be “swscan.apple.com” which could put you confidential information at risk.
Swscan.apple.com is one of several servers that Software Update uses to communicate with Apple. The apparent problem is that the security certificate for the server appears to have expired. Originally valid from May 22, 2012 to May 24, 2014. This is a problem that Apple will need to fix on their side. In the meanwhile, users can manually download updates from Apple’s support site.
AIVAnet 