Xbox One is now available for £299 through Microsoft UK
Microsoft has kicked off a new advertising campaign to promote the newest price cut of the Xbox One, which is now available in the UK for £299.99 through official channels.
The USPTO awards patent D726,140 to LG for a foldable smartphone-watch mash-up
With the recent release of its Flex and Flex 2 smartphones, LG has advanced the field of flexible devices. It seems that the Korean company is looking further down the line though, according to patent D0726,140 that was awarded to it by the United States Patent and Trademark office last week. This new patent shows a design for a foldable smartphone-watch mash-up.
As you can see from the images, the foldable smartphone is attached to the bracelet/band and wraps around it, conforming to the curve of the wearer’s wrist. There’s no mention of how it is attached to the bracelet/band, and obviously no mention of any possible specifications. Just because LG has been awarded a patent for the idea doesn’t mean it is anywhere near to becoming a reality. It’s an impossible concept with present capabilities, and LG filing for such a patent is simply LG protecting themselves for the future, when the technology for such a device might be possible. Still, it’s an intriguing concept and one that will be teased over and over again in the coming years I’m sure.
Source: USPTO
Via: AndroidPolice
Come comment on this article: The USPTO awards patent D726,140 to LG for a foldable smartphone-watch mash-up
Xbox One’s official UK price falls to £300
Plenty of UK retailers are already selling the Xbox One for under £300, but now Microsoft is making this significantly lower price-tag official. Effective immediately, the console will be available from £299.99, or £30 less than before. A spokesperson for Microsoft told Eurogamer that it’s a “UK-only retail promotion,” which suggests the reduction could only be temporary. However, given how Microsoft handled a similar price-drop in the US, we suspect this’ll be a permanent discount before too long, if it’s not one already. By making this the official price, Microsoft is also encouraging retailers to drop the cost of their bundles even further. The console has few exclusives prepped for the first half of 2015 (Halo 5: Guardians and Rise of the Tomb Raider will change that this autumn) but if you’ve been mulling a purchase anyway, now might be a good time to take the plunge.
The best games. The best exclusives. The best time to buy an Xbox One. Now starting at £299.99 http://t.co/Tbep7mapLC pic.twitter.com/uezLFTujkw
– Xbox UK (@xboxuk) April 13, 2015
Filed under: Gaming, Microsoft
Source: Xbox UK
Enjoy the Game of Thrones Season 5 premiere on your Xbox console for free
Should you happen to be an Xbox Live member plenty of blood and gore are heading your way. Microsoft has managed to team up with HBO to bring the Season 5 premiere of Games of Thrones to Xbox consoles, which is available for viewing through April 16.
Switch to iPhone: For a more private Google experience
Google values iPhone owners so much they make sure most of their apps run on iOS, and that can be a big advantage.
The apps that Google has released for the iPhone include YouTube, Google Maps, Gmail, Hangouts, Google+, Google Authenticator, Chrome, Google Search, Google Drive, Google Play Music, and more. Having them all on the App Store makes it easier for Android owners to switch to iPhone.
The pros and cons of deep integration
The most often cited advantage for using Google apps on Android is the integration. Google Play, for better or for worse, has become one half the sandwich that makes up almost all Android phones outside of China. That means Google apps go deep into the system and allows for everything from Google Now predictions to seamless intercommunications.
Yet every advantage comes with it an equal and opposite disadvantage. To achieve all that integration, you have to be signed into Google everywhere — from the Google Play store to Gmail to Google Maps to Google Calendar to YouTube to Chrome and on and one. Google gets to know what you’re downloading, the contents of your email, where you are, who and when your appointments are with, what you’re watching, and most everywhere you’re browsing.
Again, many people won’t care. For them the quality and “free” price of the services more than make up for the attention and data required as payment. For others, however, attention and data is far more valuable than money, and price we’re not always willing to pay.
The value of disintegration
On the iPhone, if you want to use Gmail, Google still gets your communications. Same with Google Calendar and appointments. There are just some things for which you need an account. There are alternatives, like iCloud, Microsoft, and Yahoo!, but if you’re all in on Google, there’s no way to avoid being all in with Google. Same with Google+, because social network.
Other services, however, you can use perfectly well on iOS without being logged into Google. They don’t make it easy, obviously, and they withhold some conveniences to try and incentive logging in, but you can do it. You can watch YouTube videos without being logged in. You can use Google Maps without being logged in. You can even use Chrome without being logged in.
It may not mean much, there may be a hundred other ways to track you and companies doing the tracking, but if you’re sensitive about Google in general, yet still want or need to use its services, it may mean something to you.
And alternatives
If it ever gets to the point where you decide Google’s interests and yours no longer align enough to use its services, even if they’re free, then the iPhone also makes it easy to switch to alternatives. Vimeo, Apple Maps, and Safari are just a few of the options available. Almost everyone makes app for iOS, so you can choose whoever you want. If Docs becomes an issue for you, there’s Microsoft Office and Apple iWork. If Hangouts starts to creep you out, there’s iMessage, Skype, Whatsapp, LINE, even BBM.
Google offers terrific services for millions upon millions of people, but what’s even more terrific is having a choice in whether you use them or not. Even the choice to flip back and forth between using them and not without having to also flip phones just to do it.
Time to switch!
Privacy is an increasingly important issue. Apple has made privacy, along with security, a front-facing feature from the top down. They want it to be a competitive advantage, and that’s great for customers who value it as a feature. If you want alternatives to Google apps, or even if you want to use some of Google’s apps without being logged into Google, the iPhone is a great way to do it. And it’s just one of the benefits you get by making the switch.
The TWRP custom recovery is now available for the Galaxy S6
Samsung only released the kernel source code for the Samsung Galaxy S6 and S6 Edge smartphones a short while ago, but there’s already some good news for would-be hackers and tinkerers. The Team Win Recovery Project (TWRP) team has just announced the availability of its custom recovery for the Galaxy S6.
Currently, the build has only been tested on the T-Mobile variant of the Galaxy S6, but it’s believed that the customer recovery may also be compatible with other versions so long as the bootloader isn’t locked like it is on the Verizon and AT&T handsets. Naturally, as with all hacking and modding activities, you should follow the instructions to the letter. It’s advisable to get a copy of the stock recovery before flashing the TWRP recovery to your phone and your handset will also need to be rooted before-hand.
Seeing as no one wants a bricked smartphone, you should proceed with caution when tinkering with your handset. If you aren’t sure what a custom recovery is, stop what you are doing and read the instructions again, making sure you understand them fully and ensuring your handset is compatible. Once the TWRP recovery is installed, the path is clear to install custom ROMs, mods and hacks as and when they become available.
Source: TWRP
Via: AndroidPolice
Come comment on this article: The TWRP custom recovery is now available for the Galaxy S6
Research firm estimates one million Apple Watches pre-ordered on day one in the US
Research firm Slice Intelligence estimates Apple received just shy of one million Apple Watch pre-orders on Friday’s launch day in the US alone.
According to the report published by Slice Intelligence:
“According to ereceipt data from 9,080 online shoppers, each Apple Watch buyer ordered an average of 1.3 watches, spending $503.83 per watch. Those ordering an Apple Watch Sport spent $382.83 per watch and those ordering the Apple Watch spent $707.04.”
Slice Intelligence notes that from a panel of two million online shoppers, 957,000 US consumers pre-ordered the Apple Watch on launch day, with 62 percent of those who placed an order favoring the more affordable Apple Watch Sport model. The larger 42mm variant also proved to be the popular option for consumers while 39% opted for the smaller 38mm casing.
“The Black Sport Band was by far the most popular among both Apple Watch and Apple Watch Sport buyers, with 49 percent overall pre-ordering one, followed by the White Sport Band at 16 percent and the more expensive Milanese Loop ($149 versus $49 for the black Sport band) rounding out the top three at around 10 percent. “
Shortly after going live on Friday, Apple started rolling back the pre-order shipping dates for the Apple Watch models. Tim Cook said while chatting to CNBC that pre-orders numbers were “great”, failing to elaborate by revealing figures.
Source: Slice Intelligence, via: Apple Insider
Samsung publishes kernel source code for Galaxy S6 and S6 Edge
So, you’ve just got your hands on a Galaxy S6 or S6 Edge smartphone and you’re already wondering how you can remove some of the bloatware or maybe even install firmware developed by a third-party such as Cyanogen. Thanks to Samsung publishing the kernel source code for both handsets, this possibility is now a step closer.
The source code for the following models can be found at Samsung’s Open Resource Release Center:
- SM-G920F
- SM-G920K
- SM-G920L
- SM-G920S
- SM-G920t_NA
- SM-G925T_NA
- SM-G925F
- SM-G925K
- SM-G925L
- SM-G925S
Just because the source code has been released doesn’t mean that there will be a wide choice of custom ROMs or mods available right from the word go. The use of the Exynos processor in the Galaxy S6 handsets also means that AOSP development will be a little slower than you might find with handsets using Qualcomm’s offerings. Remember to be patient with the developers, the custom goodies will arrive soon enough.
Source: Samsung Open Resource Center
Come comment on this article: Samsung publishes kernel source code for Galaxy S6 and S6 Edge
Supernovae suggest the universe is growing slower than expected
Don’t look now, but what you know about the universe’s growth might have been turned on its ear. University of Arizona scientists have learned that a certain type of supernova (Ia) isn’t the reliable measuring stick for universe expansion that previous data would suggest. By comparing optical and ultraviolet images (such as in the hybrid image you see above), they found that older, farther exploding stars aren’t behaving in the same way as newer ones closer to our own star. In other words, the ancient supernovae aren’t necessarily as distant as you’d think — and if they aren’t, the universe isn’t growing as quickly as textbooks say.
The tricky bit is finding out just how inaccurate our existing model might be. It’ll require combing through legions of optical and UV images to get a clearer answer. When that happens, though, researchers will have a better understanding of what’s happened since the Big Bang, including the amount of dark energy that exists in the cosmos.
[Image credit: NASA/Swift]
Filed under: Science
Via: EurekAlert, Slashdot
Source: University of Arizona
Photoshop Express for Windows Phone gets updated, premium filters free for a limited time
Adobe Photoshop Express made its debut on Windows Phone last year, but there hasn’t been much to talk about in the way of updates. Until now, that is. The app picked up an update to version 1.1.0.17 that brings new functionality to the image editing utility, including a Defog filter that joins the Looks and Noise Reduction filters.
AIVAnet 