The new $350 Oculus Rift virtual reality headset is now shipping
We were expecting to see the new iteration of the Oculus Rift arrive on developer’s doorsteps earlier this month, but unfortunately it hit a couple of delays. Road to VR points out a Reddit thread where pre-orderers confirmed their credit cards have been charged ahead of shipping. Community manager cyberreality confirmed in the thread that it’s happening, and the “DK2″ hardware we (and Mark Zuckerberg) were so impressed by is ready to roll. The initial production run is only supposed to cover some 10,000 of the 45,000 units ordered, so for some your wait is just beginning (until next month). In the meantime, you can check out our hands-on video of the latest and greatest in virtual reality after the break (or the new X-Men related Comic-Con demo) — hopefully Sony’s Project Morpheus team responds to this as quickly as they did on Blu-ray 3D.
Filed under: Displays, Gaming, HD, Facebook
Via: Road to VR
Source: Reddit
Google Maps’ new, context-savvy local guide reaches Android
Google quietly slipped out a big upgrade to Maps’ local discovery features on iOS a couple of weeks ago, and today it’s Android’s turn. Once your device gets the refresh, you should see a new Explore guide that offers suggestions for things to do based on both context and your tastes; it knows not to point you to a nearby park when it’s raining, and can suggest breakfast spots the night before you need them. In that sense, Google Maps could become a solid alternative to familiar location-based recommendation apps like Yelp and Foursquare. Don’t be surprised if it takes some time for Explore to arrive, though. It’s just starting to reach Android this week, so you may have to rely on other tools for a little while longer.
Filed under: Cellphones, Internet, Mobile, Google
Source: Google Maps Blog
HTC: Watch from our recent video is not a real product
We’ve seen a brief cameo of an unknown watch yesterday in HTC’s official Design Video. Rumors started that the watch is in fact HTC’s Android Wear smartwatch which is about to be released in the near future. It seems that’s not the case, HTC released an official statement in which they said the following: HTC encourages… Read more »
The post HTC: Watch from our recent video is not a real product appeared first on SmarterWatching.
Read the rest at SmarterWatching.com!
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Appointment with F.E.A.R. will be Tin Man Games’ first interactive Comic Book
Tin Man Games has been one of the most prominent names in the games industry when it comes to interactive story books with huge success in multiple adventure book franchises, including the Fighting Fantasy and Gamebook Adventures series. While Tin Man Games has used their trademarked interactive book mechanic to great effect, I’ve always wondered what else could be done with these unique story-telling abilities, but it looks like my question has now been answered. Tin Man Games has today announced Appointment with F.E.A.R., an interactive comic book adaptation of Steve Jackson’s gamebook of the same name.
This will be Tin Man Games’ first attempt at an interactive comic book format, and I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t already extremely excited by the screenshots they’ve shown in the announcement. Appointment with F.E.A.R. takes the original 1985 gamebook and gives it its own, virtual spin, allowing readers to customize their superhero avatar including “superpower, gender, looks, costume design, and most importantly, their supername.” Using this character, you will assume the role of defender of Titan City
As a neat social feature, the game will allow you to collect randomly dropped trading cards which will be tradeable with Facebook friends. Appointment with F.E.A.R. will be officially released at the end of August on Google Play, Amazon Appstore and iOS App Store.
I’m properly excited about this new format from Tin Man Games; what are your thoughts on this new interactive game format? Let us know your thoughts.
Press Release
Choose Your Superhero Adventure! KAPOWWW!
A new interactive comic book engine that allows the player to become the superhero and choose their own path via a stylised comic-like interface has been developed by Tin Man Games. The company, best known for its Gamebook Adventures and Fighting Fantasy adaptations, will soon be releasing Steve Jackson’s classic gamebook, Appointment with F.E.A.R., in a new and exciting digital comic book format.
Neil Rennison, Creative Director for Tin Man Games, said: “This is our first foray into a new area for interactive fiction and gamebooks. Appointment with F.E.A.R. cried out to be presented in a new and stylised way and as the new engine started coming together visually, we knew we were on to something pretty special. We’re looking forward to getting our teeth into some other comic book licenses in the future too!”
Designing their own super-powered defender of justice in Titan City, the reader makes choices that guide them towards new villains, super dilemmas and, ultimately, the Titanium Cyborg and the F.E.A.R. meeting. Unlike the nearly thirty year old gamebook, players can now customise their character choosing superpower, gender, looks, costume design and, most importantly, their supername!
The interactive graphic novel also allows the player to randomly collect trading cards, which will be swappable with other players via Facebook. By making clever decisions during the adventure, the reader also increases the possibility of getting rare cards. “We’re very excited by this feature because as well as the large number of paths driven by the character in this game, collecting the trading cards will add an extra dynamic as players try and collect them all.” Neil continued.
Appointment with F.E.A.R. follows the life of the superhero across a handful of days as they deal with their everyday normal life, whilst saving the citizens of Titan City from over thirty supervillains using narrative based combat, which unfolds as the combatants trade quips. The aim is to collect vital clues and information that lead to the arrest of these villains, helping them gain hero points and discovering the location of the F.E.A.R. meeting.
Appointment with F.E.A.R. will be released at the end of August on the iOS App Store, Google Play and the Amazon Appstore. A desktop edition for PC, Mac and Linux will also be released via the Humble Store, which also comes with an Android version.
The Gamebook Adventures website can be accessed at http://www.GamebookAdventures.com and Tin Man Games also runs a developer blog at www.TinManGames.com.au.
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Sony’s $15 million PSN hacking settlement pays out in free games
Way back in 2011, PlayStation Network services and websites went dark due to “an external intrusion.” Anonymous claimed responsibility, names, passwords and possible payment information was lost in a data breach, and everybody in general had a bad time. Sony apologized for the fiasco with a “Welcome Back” package, handing out free (older) games to anybody willing to turn their PlayStation back on — but that wasn’t the end of it. The company still had to face a class action lawsuit for losses caused by identity thefts and the needs of gamers who failed to participate in its apology giveaway before it closed. Now the company has reached a $15 million settlement. The short version? More free stuff.
Claimants who didn’t participate in the original “Welcome Back” program will be offered one of 14 PlayStation 3 or PlayStation Portable games and three PS3 themes, or a three-month subscription to PlayStation Plus. It’s not all giveaways, though — folks with documented identity theft charges will be able to reap up to $2,500 per claim, and users of Sony’s old Qricity service will be able to get a month of Music Unlimited service in recompense. MMO gamers who lost time in virtual worlds are eligible for a $4.50 credit to their SOE accounts, too. You can check out the full court decision below. Forgot all about the 2011 breach? Well, “welcome back.”
Sony agrees to $15M settlement
Filed under: Cameras, HD, Sony
Via: Polygon
Source: Washington Examiner
PS4 will add Blu-ray 3D support soon
That was fast. After Microsoft announced the Xbox One is going to get Blu-ray 3D support in an update soon, Sony’s PlayStation Europe arm has responded by finally revealing the same feature is coming to the PS4. There’s no word yet on any other other home theater related features we’d love to see make the jump from PS3 to PS4 (Bluetooth remote, DLNA, MP3 playback), or a specific release date, but software update 1.75 is the one we’re looking forward to. It’s hard to say which is the bigger coincidence — that this feature is confirmed just days after the XB1 or that it comes as we’re finding out about the PSN outage settlement. Hey, at least it’s not another stability update.
Coming soon: PS4 system software update 1.75 adds 3D Blu-ray film support. #4ThePlayers
– PlayStation Europe (@PlayStationEU) July 24, 2014
Source: PlayStation Europe (Twitter)
Engadget Daily: OS X Yosemite, the top 12 tablets available and more!
Today, we take OS X Yosemite public beta for a test-run, learn about robots in the American workforce, look at the top 12 tablets available and mull an interesting YouTube copyright infringement lawsuit. Read on for Engadget’s news highlights from the last 24 hours.
OS X Yosemite preview: the Mac gets a major makeover
The public beta of Apple’s next desktop OS goes live tomorrow, but before you dive in head first, check out our preview. Click through for Dana Wollman’s take on OS X Yosemite.
The top 12 tablets you can buy right now
Deciding to buy a slate is easy. But choosing which one, that’s a different story. Check out the Engadget Buyer’s Guide for our top 12 favorite tablets that you can buy right now.
Technology and recession are cutting into blue collar jobs
Robots haven’t taken over just yet… but they are chipping away at the blue collar work force. According to the National Bureau of Economic Research, a combination of technology and recession is forcing companies to give more work to machines.
YouTube star sued for copyright to the tune of $150,000 per song
Internet video stars, take heed before posting your next drum cover or pop tunes mashup. Michelle Phan, an uber-popular makeup expert, is being sued for using over 50 tracks on her YouTube channel without permission.
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Samsung Galaxy Alpha images and details leak
We’ve been hearing a lot about Samsung’s upcoming powerhouse smartphone, which was once referred to as the Galaxy S5 Prime. Bits and pieces have trickled out about it having a QHD display and an aluminum body to match the build quality of the HTC One. But it seems like the “Galaxy S5 Prime” turned out to be the Galaxy S5 LTE-A, which was essentially the same build but with Samsung’s first QHD display, a Snapdragon 805 chip, advanced LTE support and 3 GB of RAM.
But now we have some of the best evidence that Samsung indeed has another “iPhone Killer” up it’s sleeve, dubbed the Galaxy Alpha.
According to SamMobile, the device will include a 4.7 inch screen with aluminum sides and a back very similar to the Galaxy S5, which provides a good grip on the device. The source is calling it a relatively high-end device with a fingerprint scanner, but it will have the display of the Galaxy S III. Yes, you read that right. It is still unsure if that statement only means the same size as the S3 or the same resolution as well (which we certainly hope it doesn’t). The phone will feature Samsung’s new Exynos ModAP processor, which is said to compete with the speed of the Snapdragon 805 chip and deliver LTE-A speeds.
As you can see from the leaked photos below, the Galaxy Alpha is more rectangular than the Galaxy S5 and looks a lot more like an iPhone, really. We still have the same type of back as the S5, and aluminum that covers all the sides. One thing that is interesting, however, is that the screen almost looks like it won’t be AMOLED. The reason I say this is because when AMOLED screens are held under a light, you can see a blue aura surrounding the light reflection, like in the Galaxy S5 picture. But in all the Alpha pictures, the screen remains a greenish tint. This could be because it’s a dummy model or just a prototype, but maybe it will use a different screen technology.
The Galaxy ‘Alpha’ is about as real as it gets now, but does it grab your interest?
The post Samsung Galaxy Alpha images and details leak appeared first on AndroidGuys.
[DEALS & STEALS] Get Anker’s Astro E3 10,000mAh external battery for $25.99 (68% off) on Amazon
Many people would say that battery life is the main problem when it comes to today’s smartphones. I personally tend to agree with that. It’s always a good idea to have some extra juice on you if possible and external battery can be a great solution.
Well, if you’re in market for one we have a great offer for you. You can get Anker’s Astro E3 10,000mAh external battery on Amazon for just $25.99 which is 68% off. This is one of the best-selling battery items on Amazon right now. If you purchase it you’ll also get an 18-month warranty and along with that Anker also promises over 500 charge cycles.
This is one of the best deals you can get right now when it comes to external battery packs, if not the best. If you’re interested follow the source link below.
Source: Amazon
Via: Android Police
The post [DEALS & STEALS] Get Anker’s Astro E3 10,000mAh external battery for $25.99 (68% off) on Amazon appeared first on AndroidGuys.
[DEALS & STEALS] Google Play Summer Sale has already kicked off although there’s no official announcement just yet
It’s summer. Many of you are out there on a vacation of some sort. Perhaps you want to play a game or do something productive on your Android device while you’re lying around resting. If that’s the case then we have some news for you.
Android Police released a list of apps and games which are on sale right now. This list will probably keep on growing, and even despite the fact that Google didn’t officially announce a summer sale or anything of the sort, many of these apps mention it in their description. Here’s a few of them: (follow the source link for more)
- Bright Weather $0.99 (
$2.79) -> in-app purchase - Beautiful Widgets Pro $0.99 (
$2.75) - Dead Space $1.99 (
$7.99) - NBA Jam $0.99 (
$4.99)
As we said, this list will probably keep on growing. We’re still not sure if Google will make this official or not. Either way you can get some rather expensive apps on the cheap right now.
Source: Android Police
The post [DEALS & STEALS] Google Play Summer Sale has already kicked off although there’s no official announcement just yet appeared first on AndroidGuys.
AIVAnet 