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1
Mar

Everything you need to know from Mobile World Congress 2015!


Mobile World Congress is the biggest event of the year for mobile. Gone are the giant halls of televisions, washing machines and refrigerators you get at something like CES. It’s all mobile, all the time. Mobile Nations is on the ground in Spain all week to bring you, our community, the very best the show has to throw at us.

There will be a lot of posts, not just from Windows Central, but from all of the Mobile Nations sites. Fortunately we’ve made it really easy for you to see everything MWC related in one place. So be sure to bookmark our dedicated event page, and thanks for joining us!

1
Mar

DirectX 12 for Windows 10 could allow GPUs from NVIDIA and AMD to work in one PC


A new rumor about DirectX 12, the upcoming graphics API from Microsoft that will be include with the launch of Windows 10, suggests that it will allow graphics cards from both NVIDIA and AMD to be used in one PC gaming rig.

1
Mar

Save 55% today on this 2-pack of screen protectors for BlackBerry Q10


Truprotection has utilized the highest grade materials and cutting-edge technologies to create a screen film worthy of protecting your BlackBerry Q10. Equipped with a high-gloss crystal finish and specially formulated for the display, installation is simple with an innovative static cling adhesive and a precise die-cut fit. Yours today for only $8.95

1
Mar

Get these iPhone 6 anti-glare screen protectors on the cheap today—only $4.95!


Shield your iPhone 6’s display from annoying fingerprints and scratches while preventing glare at the same time with these precision cut protectors from Ventev! Including two per package, these protectors are simple to apply and leave absolutely no sticky residue when removed. Get yours today and save 50%

1
Mar

How would you change Siri?


Siri, originally created as a stand-alone App Store app by Dag Kittlaus, Adam Cheyer, and Tom Gruber, was bought by Apple and integrated into iOS 5 for the iPhone 4s launch in 2011.

A digital assistant with sequential inference and context awareness, Siri answers questions and executes commands not in a vacuum but in relation to whatever questions and commands came before. As Siri to find you a Starbucks and it will pull up a list of locations close to where you are. Ask for directions and it knows Starbucks is where you want to go and brings up the best route to get you there.

Apple has been steadily increasing Siri’s abilities as well. The company has added partnerships with OpenTable and Fandango so you can plan dinner and a movie. It’s also been tied into sports results, entertainment information, Wikipedia, Wolfram Alpha, and more. Most recently, Apple added “Hey Siri” for hands-free voice activation when your device is plugged in, streaming voice-to-text so dictation happens while you’re talking, and integration with CarPlay and HomeKit so you can not only drive safer but control your house with a word.

Siri also boasts industry-leading language accuracy in English, French, German, Japanese, Mandarin, Cantonese, Italian, Korean, and Spanish, and has additional languages now in beta, including Russian, Danish, Dutch, Portuguese, Swedish, Thai, and Turkish.

There are still a lot of things Siri doesn’t do, however, including “Google Now”-style predictive assistance — sifting through your data and crunching it on the cloud to try and anticipate your needs and present reminders and help in advance. It’s hard to see that part changing in the near term, since Apple currently believes they shouldn’t be aggregating and manipulating your personal data on their servers.

What else would you want to see from Siri in iOS 9?

  • On-device voice-parsing to avoid having to go online for local commands like “set alarm”.
  • “Hey Siri” alternatives for multi-iOS device homes. (Read more)
  • “Hey Siri” option for when not plugged in. (With battery life warning.)
  • “Send ETA” to message your estimated time of arrival during navigation.
  • Return of “Rise to Speak” for Siri.
  • Text input so you can access Siri results via Sportlight. (Read more)
  • Siri “Faces”-informed search so you can find photos of your kids.
  • Sir for Mac
  • Siri API for developers. (Read more)

The Apple Watch is going to have Siri as well. Increasingly, it will be an interface through which we control and communicate with all the technology in our daily lives. So, if Apple asked you what you’d like to see in Siri for iOS 9, what would you say?

1
Mar

Save 50% today on this protective skin case for HTC One M8


Made from multiple thermoacrylics, this HTC One (M8) skin case is highly elastic and resistant to oils. Say goodbye to annoying fingerprints! The back features a matte finish with a glossy edging that enhances the grip around your device. Yours today for only $4.95!

1
Mar

Spacetime Studios to launch MOBA game Call of Champions for iPhone and iPad


Spacetime Studios has announced their next game — Call of the Champions!

Creators of hit mobile MMORPGs like Arcane Legends and Pocket Legends, Spacetime Studios says Call of Champions will be a free-to-play MOBA-themed fantasy game and, what’s more, it will be released for the iPhone and iPad sometime this year.

In the Call of Champions arena, players will be able to control one out of over twenty different Champions across five distinct classes, each coming equipped with their own unique playstyle and special abilities. Players will be immersed in a fiction that takes place in a time beyond the cosmos as they take on the role of a godlike entity that controls Champions in the arena for sport.

Call of Champions is a next-generation MOBA designed for competitive gamers with tablets and mobile devices. Matches have a 5-minute limit in order to deliver exhilarating action and swift outcomes in each session while enabling players to enjoy quick games on the go. With competition in mind, Call of Champions features an expansive social toolset for players to recruit team members, plan matches, earn achievements and loot through the Call of Champions social hub, plus view or broadcast matches live.

Spacetime Studios will show off Call of Champions next week at the Game Developers Conference in San Francisco. People who attend the South by Southwest (SXSW) Interactive Festival in Austin, Texas from March 13-15 will also be able to get some hands-on time with the game before it’s officially launched.

1
Mar

Microsoft close to releasing next Lumia 535 update to fix display issue


Windows Central has learned that Microsoft plans to release another over-the-air update for its Lumia 535 smartphone sometime in the next few days. The update has been designed to fix a persistent touchscreen sensitivity issue that some owners of the smartphone have encountered.

1
Mar

IKEA to integrate Qi charging in some furniture starting in April 2015


Everyone’s favorite build-your-own furniture store IKEA has just announced a partnership to start integrating Qi charging for devices into some of its furniture. Starting in April 2015, IKEA will offer bedside tables, lamps and desks with Qi charging built in, meaning you won’t need to drop any extra cables or charging bases to keep your phones topped up.

1
Mar

Acer’s upgraded Liquid Leap+ Smart Activeband offers waterproof play for all


With an updated design and support for Android, iOS, and Windows, Acer is hoping the Liquid Leap+ will take off.

With the original Liquid Leap Smart Activeband barely leaving shelves, Acer has decided their wearable plan needed a refresh. Today at Mobile World Conference, the company has revealed their plans for an updated version of their first wearable. It’s being called the Liquid Leap+, and chief among the features Acer is hoping will excite users is support for the three largest mobile operating systems in what they call an “OS agnostic” approach to the market.