Activision hires Rudy Giuliani for Manuel Noriega’s Call of Duty lawsuit
If you think that ex-dictator Manuel Noriega’s lawsuit over his appearance in Call of Duty: Black Ops II is more than a little ridiculous, you’re not alone. Activision has filed a motion to dismiss the former Panamanian leader’s complaint before it ever reaches a courtroom, citing a California statute that prevent lawsuits threatening free speech. As attorney Rudy Giuliani (yes, that Rudy Giuliani) explains, it’s “absurd” that a ruler convicted of crimes against his own citizens would demand compensation from a company that’s exercising its civil rights. If Noriega won, he could set a precedent where historical personas and their families could ban appearances in any media format.
Activision’s response to the lawsuit is a bit hyperbolic, but the company has a point. Noriega isn’t a celebrity that makes a living from his looks; he’s a political figure (from outside the US, to boot) that just happened to fit into Black Ops II‘s plot. It’s accordingly hard to see the court sympathizing with his arguments, even if his case isn’t dismissed out of hand.
Filed under: Gaming
Source: Activision
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Microsoft makes it easier for students to get Office 365 at no cost
Back when it launched the Student Advantage program, Microsoft made it possible for 35,000 educational institutions across the globe to receive free access to Office 365. As part of that, students and teachers alike could get a subscription to the productivity software at no cost to them, so long as their school had enrolled in the initiative. Problem is, since then, each student depended on the school to be the one to create an Office 365 account they could use — until today. Microsoft’s now simplified the process, opening up a self-serve service for students to get the license without the need to check with the school’s IT department first. Those who qualify will need a valid .edu email address to receive the free subscription, from a school that’s currently participating in the Student Advantage program, and that’s about it. The only caveat is that this is limited to US students at the moment, but Microsoft says it plans to bring the sign-up feature worldwide later this year.
Filed under: Internet, Software, Microsoft
Source: Office Blogs
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New reversible USB connectors will carry audio and video, too
We’ve told you all about the upcoming USB cable’s high-powered abilities, but now audio and video have joined the mix. Working alongside the USB 3.0 Promoter Group, the Video Electronics Standards Association (VESA) has leveraged a DisplayPort “Alt Mode” to sort full audio/video on monitors with resolutions of 4K and above with the Type-C tech. What’s more, with the help of an adapter or converter cable, the new standard can be made to play nice with regular DisplayPort, HDMI, DVI and VGA jacks on existing displays. To wrangle video and sound, the alternate mode leverages a couple of the Type-C connector’s so-called SuperSpeed lanes to deliver the goods to that external monitor — leaving the others to data transfers alongside that 100 watts of power. Of course, DisplayPort tech has been available in Thunderbolt cables/jacks for some time, but the new USB kit looks to be “a single-cable solution” that’s sure to clean up that mess of wires under your desk.
Source: VESA
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Popular podcast app Pocket Casts is headed to the browser
Shifty Jelly, the developer of the Podcast app Pocket Casts, had a surprise on Twitter last night. The company is finally bringing the app to desktop browsers. We will soon have access to all of our favorite podcasts on all of our devices. This app was recently featured on our sister site, Chromewatching; be sure check it out here.
For those looking to get their hands on the browser-based experience it will be released first as a beta. The signup page is here so get your name on the list. As many of you know, the mobile app is available on Android and iOS platforms.
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The post Popular podcast app Pocket Casts is headed to the browser appeared first on AndroidGuys.
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New Reversible USB Type-C Standard Gains Support for DisplayPort Video
The Video Electronics Standards Association (VESA) today announced a DisplayPort Alternate Mode for the upcoming USB Type-C connector standard, which will let USB-Type C connectors and cables deliver DisplayPort signals.
As noted by AnandTech, DisplayPort technology built into USB Type-C has the potential to connect monitors, cables, docking stations, and more. With the ability to support displays and carry video data via USB, USB Type-C could potentially serve as the next Thunderbolt connector, powering 4K and higher resolution displays.
The DisplayPort Alt Mode repurposes some or all of the four existing SuperSpeed USB lanes to deliver full DisplayPort performance, and uses other signaling available in the USB Type-C connector for DisplayPort’s AUX channel and HPD (Hot Plug Detection) function. This enables computers, tablets, smartphones, displays, and docking stations to implement the new USB Type-C connector at both ends while using the DisplayPort Standard over USB Type-C to transmit high-resolution A/V along with USB data and power.
Finalized in August, the USB Type-C connector specifications are much improved over previous USB generations. The slim connector is entirely reversible, making it easier to plug in, and due to its thin design, it’s suitable for both mobile device and larger computers. It’s also certified for USB 3.1 data rates of up to 10 Gbps and can deliver a maximum of 100W of power.
With an alternate DisplayPort mode and four lanes of signaling, one USB Type-C cable could be used to provide power to a device while also driving a connected display. According to VESA, Type-C ports and the first DisplayPort Alt Mode capable devices (using DisplayPort 1.2a) will be available beginning in 2015.
Earlier this morning, a rumor suggested Apple’s upcoming 12-inch MacBook would take advantage of the new reversible USB Type-C connector, which is plausible as that device is rumored to begin shipping in mid-2015.
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PlayStation TV launches October 14th in US and Canada
Sony will be releasing its PlayStation TV here in the US and in Canada on October 14th. What’s more, as it looks to get people amped up for it, the company also let it be known that the mini console is set to have nearly 700 playable games from day one, giving interested folks Stateside and in The Great White North something to look forward to come launch day. That amount of games, naturally, is made possible thanks to the PlayStation TV’s flexibility — it provides access to a variety of content in different ways, including through PS Vita titles, PlayStation Now and via Remote Play with a PlayStation 4. The PlayStation TV is going to be available for $99 (system-only), or you also have the option to get a $140 bundle which includes a DualShock 3 controller, 8GB memory card and The Lego Movie Videogame.
Filed under: Gaming, Home Entertainment, HD, Sony
Source: PlayStation Blog
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Rockefeller fund to move its fortune from oil to green tech
If you’re in any way familiar with the history of energy, then the name Rockefeller is synonymous with oil. That’s why it’s such a surprise to learn that the Rockefeller Brothers fund, worth $860 million, has pledged to dump its remaining investments in fossil fuel production over the next five years. The Rockefeller fund is the most notable name in a list of billionaires and funds that have pledged to shift anything up to $50 billion away from coal, oil and gas and into renewable energy as part of the divest-invest movement. It’s a timely announcement, too, designed to coincide with the Tuesday’s UN summit on climate change, designed to galvanize green activity in the face of the recent, damning, scientific evidence.
It’s hoped that others will lead by example, although according to the New York Times, several institutions are trying to avoid engaging with the issue. Harvard University, for instance, which benefits from a $32.7 billion endowment that has some fossil fuel investments, has said that it won’t be following the Rockefeller’s example. University president Drew Gilpin Faust told the paper that she believes that the money is not an “instrument to impel social or political change.”
Still, it appears that Dr. Faust* might be behind the trend somewhat. Steven Rockefeller, believes that there’s a moral, but also an economic dimension to the decision. As the price of solar, thermal and wind energy falls and green initiatives may limit the future profitability of coal, oil and gas, it’s wise to get the money out while you’re still ahead. Still, if there’s a way for a cigar-chomping billionaire to keep raking it in that won’t cause us all to die in a weather-related cataclysm, then that’s gotta be something.
[Image Credit: DON EMMERT/AFP/Getty Images]
*Honestly, we did not make that name up.
Via: The Guardian
Source: The New York Times, UN Climate Change Summit
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Get 30GB free OneDrive storage in limited time promotion
Recently, we have seen cloud storage costs dropping significantly, and it has become extremely affordable. However, companies are still increasing the amount of free storage they are offering, and Microsoft has joined in. A post on the OneDrive blog explains that Microsoft is giving away 30GB of OneDrive storage to its users. This is mostly focused towards iOS users, but thankfully Microsoft did not forget those using Android. If you are using the OneDrive camera roll, then you qualify for the offer, but if not, you can still download it and be eligible, as well. Now go get some free storage!
Do you use OneDrive or another cloud storage option? Tell us in the comments!
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The post Get 30GB free OneDrive storage in limited time promotion appeared first on AndroidGuys.
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iPhone 6 Plus Display Judged ‘Best Smartphone LCD Ever Tested’, iPhone 6 Also Solid
DisplayMate, which routinely performs thorough testing of display quality on a variety of electronics, has released its iPhone 6 Display Technology Shoot-Out, taking a look at the performance of Apple’s latest handsets using new “Retina HD” technology. While DisplayMate’s Ray Soneira has not shied away from criticizing Apple’s displays on some recent devices, he found the iPhone 6 Plus to have the “best performing Smartphone LCD display that we have ever tested” while the iPhone 6 also scored well in testing.
While the “best ever” designation includes the caveat of applying to LED displays and DisplayMate continues to rate the OLED display from the Samsung Galaxy Note 4 as the best overall smartphone display, the gains seen in the iPhone 6 and particularly the iPhone 6 Plus are impressive.
Based on our extensive Lab tests and measurements, the iPhone 6 Plus is the Best performing Smartphone LCD display that we have ever tested. It delivers uniformly consistent all around Top Tier display performance. The iPhone 6 Plus is only the second Smartphone display (LCD or OLED) to ever get all Green (Very Good to Excellent) Ratings in all test and measurement categories (except for Brightness variation with Viewing Angle, which is the case for all LCDs) since we started the Display Technology Shoot-Out article series in 2006, an impressive achievement for a display. The iPhone 6 Plus has raised the bar for top LCD display performance up by a notch.
In particular, the iPhone 6 Plus display sets new records among LCD displays for peak brightness, low reflectance, and several measures of contrast and accuracy.
DisplayMate finds the iPhone 6 display to have many of the same strong areas of performance as in the iPhone 6 Plus, but the lower resolution and pixel density hold the smaller model back somewhat.
Most rescaled images look noticeably better on the iPhone 6 Plus with 2.1 Mega Pixels compared to just 1.0 Mega Pixels on the iPhone 6. In addition, even at the native display resolution, fine text and graphics look better on the iPhone 6 Plus if you look carefully and closely at the screen (because you may want to or need to).
The display on the iPhone 6 is none-the-less still a Very Good display, and most buyers will be happy with its performance, but it’s somewhat disappointing that Apple went for satisfactory as opposed to the best.
DisplayMate’s report includes a variety of charts and tables comparing the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus to the iPhone 5/5s that are worth a look, as well as some discussion of how LCDs such as those found in the latest iPhones compares with OLEDs favored by Samsung.
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iPhone 6 Adoption Easily Outpacing iPhone 6 Plus [iOS Blog]
Apple’s iPhone 6 Plus may be the most talked about iPhone model due to its larger screen and bigger battery, but early adoption rate metrics (via Mashable), suggest more customers are choosing the smaller iPhone 6 over its bigger counterpart. How much of the difference is due to customer preference versus constrained supplies of the larger model is unknown, however.
According to ad impression data provided by Chitika, the adoption rate for the iPhone 6 is more than 7x higher than the iPhone 6 Plus. On the Monday following launch, the smaller iPhone accounted for 1.5 percent of North American web traffic, compared to 0.2 percent for the iPhone 6 Plus.
Mixpanel, which measures mobile app usage, reports similar results with the iPhone 6 reaching 2.72 percent of measured traffic and the iPhone 6 Plus trailing with 0.54 percent. Mobile analytics firm Fiksu provides a third set of mobile metrics that also suggest the iPhone 6 is more popular among launch day iPhone purchasers.
Chitika explains these results by suggesting that the iPhone 6 Plus may be less popular among consumers because it is niche product due to its larger screen size. Supply constraints also may be a factor, with the iPhone 6 Plus selling out quickly online and reportedly being available only in limited amounts this weekend in stores.
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AIVAnet 