How to upgrade your Xbox One storage by 2TB and more: That’s up to 100 additional games
It cannot be disputed that the new generation of gaming has been an outstanding success, with more consoles shifted than ever before and more games in the first couple of years after launch than many could have dreamed of. However, there is one issue we’ve had with our current gen machines that we’re sure many others will also have experienced already; neither has a big enough hard drive.
In an age where digital downloads are replacing disc media and even physical games require installation to the hard drive by default, 500GB – the size of the HDD on both the standard Xbox One and PS4 consoles – is just not enough. You could opt for a 1TB version or even the 2TB Xbox One S that’s now available, but considering that some games are around 46GB to 58GB (yep, Halo: The Master Chief Collection, we’re looking at you), you will fill up even that internal drive eventually. And, with games of that size taking an absolute age to download over broadband, even with a 100Mbps connection or more, it’s not ideal to have to delete games to make room for new ones.
There is a solution though. You can always add to or replace the hard drive. And on the Xbox One or Xbox One S that’s a doddle. It doesn’t even require a screwdriver.
Unlike the PS4, which can only be upgraded by removing and replacing the original drive, since an update earlier this year the Xbox One recognises external hard drives, as long as they have a USB 3.0 connection. And once installed they can be used in exactly the same way as the existing internal HDD.
We’ve done it ourselves in fact, expanding our own Xbox One hard drive by a further 2TB, which is enough for anywhere up to an estimated 100 games (on an average of 20 – 25GB per game). And what’s more, it runs as smoothly, if not faster than the internal drive that came with the machine. Here’s how…
The drive
First choice you need to make is which external drive you will use. We chose the WD My Passport Ultra 2TB Metal Edition. It’s USB 3.0, doesn’t require an external power source so doesn’t take up an additional socket under our AV cabinet, and its aluminium finish suits the decals on the Xbox One well (even though it will mainly be out of sight in our case). At around £85 for 2TB it’s also good value. Even better value is the conventional version of the WD My Passport Ultra 2TB external drive, which is currently £80 on Amazon.co.uk.
You can pay a bit more and opt for a 7200 RPM drive instead (the My Passport Ultra is 5400 RPM) but we’ve gone for convenience, no noise and price. And after all, the Xbox One internal drive is 5400 RPM too, so the performance will at least match it.
You can also opt for a lager capacity drive. We’re not sure if there’s a maximum (just a minimum of 256GB) but suspect not. Of course, it all boils down to price in that case. Alternatively, you could add multiple drives – after all there are three USB 3.0 ports on the Xbox One. You can’t daisy chain additional drives though as the console will only accept up to three external drives in total.
READ: Xbox One: One year on, how the underdog recovered from painful beginnings
The set-up
Once you have your drive to hand, set-up is simple. Plug it into one of the three USB 3.0 ports (two on the rear, one on the side) when the Xbox One is on. A message will pop up on screen to show it recognises that the drive has been connected.
You can either go to the settings through interaction with the pop-up or head there manually and enter the “System” settings.
In there you will see the “storage” icon. Select it and the next page will show your existing external hard drive alongside the new one.
In all likelihood the drive will need to be formatted before it can be used for anything other than storing video, picture and music files, especially if it’s come straight out of the packaging. The Xbox One needs to do that itself. So choose the new drive and scroll down to the option “Format”. Select “Format storage device” and a new screen will pop up with a keyboard to select the drive’s name.
We kept the default name “External” and chose to install new games and apps to the new drive when asked.
Formatting the drive takes no more than five or six seconds and you’re good to go.
On your main games and apps screen you will now see that the entire storage available, both internally and externally, is accumulated into one statistic.
We also recommend you completely shut down your Xbox One and reboot. We did and the drive worked very well straight after.
READ: 5 reasons why the Xbox One is better than the PS4 one year on
Moving games and performance
In our primary tests we found a slight difference in in-game performance between games stored on the external WD drive and the internal one, specifically in initial loading speeds which seemed a touch faster.
As USB 3.0 is capable of shifting data at speeds of up to 5Gbps, that’s much faster than broadband speeds so you’ll notice no difference in download times in comparison to the Xbox One normally. But it’s considerably faster than SATA II, the connection the Xbox One has with the internal drive, so that might even prove decisive in data transmission for games stored on the external drive.
We also decided to move a few across from drive to drive to see how long it takes and discovered that to move Halo: The Master Chief Collection’s mammoth 58GB took just over 40 minutes in total.
One benefit of moving games from the internal to the external drive is that you will be able to play your downloaded titles on a friend’s Xbox One by just connecting the hard drive to his or her console and signing into your profile. You don’t then need to redownload any games you wish to play. That’s another good reason for opting for a more portable USB 3.0 drive like the WD My Passport Ultra.
Virgin Galactic gets its spaceship license
Virgin Galactic is one step closer to making us all space tourists: it just received its operator license from the US Federal Aviation Administration’s Office of Commercial Space Transportation (FAA-AST). To get the paperwork, which allows Virgin Galactic to use its ship for commercial operations. THE FAA looked into the vehicle’s system design, safety features and flight trajectory analysis. Virgin Galactic’s Senior VP of Operations Mike Moses said: “The granting of our operator license is an important milestone for Virgin Galactic, as is our first taxi test for our new spaceship. While we still have much work ahead to fully test this spaceship in flight, I am confident that our world-class team is up to the challenge.”
As Moses mentioned, the company also took its SpaceShipTwo (the VSS Unity) for a brief taxi test across the tarmac. There’s still plenty more tests and work to be done — fully-powered, independent flights won’t start until some time next year.
Source: Virgin Galactic
‘Pokémon Go’ makers explain why they blocked third-party apps
Gotta catch ’em all. It’s the itch you just can’t stop scratching — and one where a wave of unofficial Pokémon Go apps and web-based maps helped clue you in on exactly where those Jynx were hiding. Unfortunately, alongside an app update last weekend, the team behind the app shut down data access to third-party services like PokeVision. It released a statement to users on its Facebook page, saying these services were “interfering with our ability to maintain quality of service for our users and to bring Pokémon Go to users around the world.” It added that the huge number of users has had an effect on its roll-out plans.
The company says it’s removed its “3-step” Pokémon detection legend “in order to improve upon the underlying design”. The team is working to improve the feature, which means it should find its way back into the app at some point. Niantic also apologized for not tweeting so much during the roll-out of the app, saying that it’ll try to do better in communicating what’s going down in the future.
Source: Pokemon Go (Facebook)
Logitech Releases CREATE Keyboard Case for 9.7-Inch iPad Pro
Logitech today announced that it is expanding its CREATE Keyboard Case with Smart Connector to the 9.7-inch iPad Pro, making the keyboard available for both of Apple’s iPad Pro models.
As on the 12.9-inch iPad Pro, the CREATE case for the 9.7-inch iPad Pro connects to the three-dot Smart Connector on the tablet, allowing for both power and data transfer. Because it’s powered via the iPad, the CREATE case does not need to charge and it does not need to connect to an iPad using Bluetooth.
The CREATE Keyboard Case for the 9.7-inch iPad Pro features backlit keys, a protective case that protects the iPad when it isn’t in use, iPad-specific function keys, and an integrated holder for the Apple Pencil. It is available in black and blue.
“CREATE is like the Swiss Army Knife of keyboard cases,” said Michele Hermann, vice president of tablet accessories at Logitech. “It puts all the tools you need at your fingertips, and the keyboard charges through the Smart Connector so you can just set your iPad Pro into a typing position and go. It brings typing on the iPad Pro to a whole new level.”
When the 12.9-inch iPad Pro launched, Logitech was the sole company to introduce a keyboard case that’s able to use the Smart Connector on the tablet, and it continues to be the only company that offers a third-party Smart Connector keyboard solution.
We went hands-on with the CREATE case for the 12.9-inch iPad Pro when it was released. We loved the backlit keys and the general key feel, but felt like it added too much bulk to Apple’s thin and light ultra powerful tablet.
The CREATE keyboard case for the 9.7-inch iPad Pro can be purchased starting today from the Logitech website, the online Apple Store, and Apple retail stores. It is priced at $129.99.
Tag: Logitech
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2016 Nexus phones may feature a significantly redesigned launcher
It looks like Google is set to radically alter the look and feel of the launcher on this year’s Nexus phones. The updated launcher was obtained by Android Police, giving us a look at some of the key changes.
A notable difference is the lack of an app drawer icon. To access the app drawer, you’ll have to swipe up from the bottom of the screen, or tap the arrow located above the bottom row of the home screen. You can close the app drawer by swiping down anywhere on the screen, or hitting the back button.
Another key change is the lack of a Search widget on the home screen, with a calendar widget taking up its place. There is a G button next to the widget that you can tap to start searching. The changes are likely to integrate Google Assistant into the launcher, and the screenshots suggest that the redesign is a work in progress. There’s no mention if the launcher will be available widely, but it looks like will be offered initially on this year’s Nexuses.
What do you guys make of the changes?
Ishtar Commander is a Destiny player’s best friend (App Review)
You wake up in the early 2700s, long, long after the golden age, the arrival of the fallen and the collapse. You’re greeted by your ghost who informs you that he’s been looking for you for a long time. You look around to find yourself in fallen territory surrounded by nothing but destruction. You have to make it to the wall to get to safety….
And that’s how your journey begins. From that point, you become a guardian of the last city on Earth. Protected by the traveler and bathed in light, the Tower sits above the city as a symbol of hope of what we may be again, one day. Throughout your missions, you begin to accumulate new weapons, new armor, vehicles, shaders, and emblems. You can only carry so much, so the others must remain in your Vault or be deleted.
This is where Ishtar Commander comes in.
In late-game Destiny you’re more than likely running three characters, a combination of Warlocks, Hunters, and Titans (with their tiny little T-Rex arms). Moving guns, gear, and ghosts between characters can be accomplished at the Tower with the Vault, but that’s a slow and painful process.
Usage
When you boot up Ishtar Commander (the app name comes from a location in the game) you’re greeted with a login screen for either your Xbox Live or PlayStation Network account. The app hooks directly into Bungie’s (the creator of Destiny) system to move items around. There are no fancy parlor tricks that leave your items at risk of being lost.
You’re able to move between your three characters and the Vault with simple swipes to the left and the right. The top of the screen lists which character you’re currently viewing and at the bottom, you can click on tabs for Weapons, Armor, Inventory, and Progress. Weapons and Armor are pretty self-explanatory. Inventory covers everything in your Materials and Consumables list in Destiny, as well as Emblems, Shaders Vehicles, Sparrow Horns, Ships, and Emotes. It’s your “catch-all” screen if you will.
In my opinion, where the real power of Ishtar Commander lays is the ability to move things in and out of your Vault and in between character at a moment’s notice. I routinely run the raid with three different characters and use specific weapons during the raid. If I were to have to run to the Tower every time I wanted to move weapons it would take much, much longer.
Another really important feature within Ishtar Commander is the ability to save loadouts. There are many different activities in Destiny and everyone has their preferred weapons for things like the Crucible, the Raid, or Heroic Strikes. Each activity can have its own separate loadout saved for quickly moving weapons and gear over quickly so you can jump into games as fast as possible. You can also hit “maximize light level” to pop your light level up as high as possible for engram decrypting purposes.
Within the settings you can turn on turn on settings for light level, armor grades (for you tier 12 chasers), and hidden stats.
Everything works flawlessly within the app. If you don’t have room to send a weapon to another character, you get a very clear error explaining why. There’s no guesswork. While there have been some issues in the past with functionality, the devs seem to have figured it out recently and we’ve had a long period of silky smooth performance.
Graphics and Sound
With apps that focus on functionality, there is sometimes a letdown in the graphics and sound departments. Luckily, Ishtar Commander avoids any kind of serious issues.
There are very clear sections for each type of weapon (Primary, Special, Heavy) and the icons for each weapon are large enough to easily tell exactly what you’re selecting. My only gripe is the large amount of space between each section. It seems to just be a waste.
There aren’t many sounds in the apps besides a clip from Destiny during your initial boot-up and some error sounds. The sounds are consistent and not annoying so no issues there.
Conclusion
I use Ishtar Commander every time I play Destiny. While that isn’t as much as I may like these days, I can usually get in a couple hours with friends during the week and run the raid. Ishtar Commander saves me so much time and frustration. I no longer have to run back to the Tower and switch between characters to move guns, materials, and consumables.
The devs have been excellent communicating with the community and pushing constant updates. When something breaks, it’s immediately addressed. You rarely see dev support for a free app like this.
If you’d like to pick up Ishtar Commander, you can head over to the Play Store!
Watch the Olympics in 4K Ultra HD on Comcast, DirecTV or Dish
The 2016 Summer Olympic Games are almost here, and despite the issues present in Rio, watching from home should be better than ever. If you’re in need of something else to display on your brand new Ultra HD television then we have good news — NBC will have 4K, HDR footage with Atmos surround sound available that’s actually downsampled from 8K (which you can see for yourself, if you live in Japan). The only problem? Not every TV provider will be pushing it to viewers, and it will be on 24-hour tape delay.
US viewers have four choices for Ultra HD broadcasts from the Olympics: DirecTV, Dish, Comcast and EPB. Chattanooga residents will have to contact EPB for details on how to get channel 803, while DirecTV is promising a linear broadcast on channel 106. Dish Network will not have the Opening Ceremony available initially, but promises a broadcast on channel 146 and video on-demand highlights that will be in 4K, but won’t feature HDR. For Comcast, you should be able to see all the clips, but it isn’t pushing any Ultra HD via its cable boxes at all. Instead, footage will only be available to people who have Samsung or LG Smart TVs with the Xfinity preview app built-in.
Source: NBC
Uber has served 100 million trips in New York City
As Uber strikes million-dollar deals in China, it’s also celebrating a milestone in one of the first places it established itself: New York. The company has announced that it’s now delivered 100 million trips to users in the city, which explains why it’s investing deeply in things like global mapping — to the tune of $500 million. It’s not all happy mergers and expansion: the company is still fighting bans, suspensions and fines across the world; you’re still going to have to hire a normal taxi if you’re planning a trip to Hungary, for example.
On June 30, 2012, we reached 1,000 trips in NYC. Today, we reached 100,000,000. Where to next, New York? pic.twitter.com/s2a0ILX4GC
— Uber NYC (@Uber_NYC) August 1, 2016
Source: Uber NYC (Twitter)
Theranos intros new ‘fingerprick’ testing tech despite its woes
Theranos founder Elizabeth Holmes has introduced a 95-pound testing device called “miniLab” at the American Association for Clinical Chemistry meeting in Philadelphia. The controversial blood testing company, which promised results with just a fingerprick, has been in hot water ever since The Wall Street Journal published a series of articles detailing its flawed results and other issues. In fact, it voided its past test results and lost its contract with Walgreens over the past few months. Holmes was also banned from owning a lab for two years. That’s why the convention’s the attendees were expecting a presentation clarifying the science behind its fingerprick-testing technique, according to Bloomberg.
What they got instead was the announcement of a brand new device different from its old Edison machine. WSJ’s sources said Theranos barely used Edison, because the results it produced weren’t always accurate. But just like Edison, the miniLab was also designed to test for a variety of illnesses, including Zika, using just a drop of blood. Holmes said the machine is even capable of detecting additional strains of the Zika virus. Many attendees were obviously skeptical of the new machine — “I certainly didn’t see anything that lives up to the expansive claims they made,” one pathologist told Bloomberg — but the CEO said Theranos already submitted the new device to the FDA for approval.
Source: Reuters, Bloomberg, Stuart Blitz (Periscope), Theranos
Whirlpool WRB322DMBB Bottom Freezer Refrigerator review – CNET
The Good This Whirlpool bottom freezer offers the best performance of any fridge we’ve ever tested, and it comes at a reasonable asking price, to boot.
The Bad The design is boring and the features are few and far between. Certain build aspects also feel flimsy.
The Bottom Line If you value performance over gimmicks, then this unassuming icebox is the fridge for you.
The Whirlpool WRB322DMBB is a good fridge. Yes, it’s plain-looking inside and out, and no, there’s nothing unique about it. It doesn’t have any flashy features. It isn’t as stylish as today’s French door models are. It won’t make your neighbors jealous.
But this is a good fridge — a really good fridge. At $1,400 (or $1,500 if you want it in stainless steel), it offers cooling performance that’s as strong as any refrigerator we’ve tested, including ones that cost thousands of dollars more. Basic build aside, it’s a solid option, solid enough to unseat last year’s LG LDC24370ST as our pick for best bottom-freezer fridge. If you’re shopping for a bottom freezer and you value performance, I’d have a hard time finding a reason to recommend anything else.
Tall, dark, and powerful: Meet the Whirlpool…
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The Clark Kent of refrigerators
You’ll find 15.6 cubic feet of storage space in the body of the fridge — a decent amount of room for groceries.
Chris Monroe/CNET
Bottom freezer fridges flip the script on the traditional top freezer build that many of us probably grew up with. Like the name suggests, bottom freezers put your frozen goods down below the fridge compartment. This makes it more comfortable to reach fresh groceries, though you will need to bend over a bit to grab a frozen pizza.
As bottom freezers go, the WRB322DMBB is a pretty basic one, with a plain-looking 22.1 cubic-foot interior. 15.6 of those cubic feet are allocated to the fridge compartment — that’s a bit better than the 14.8 cubic feet in the Kenmore Elite 78022 and the 14.9 cubic feet in GE’s Artistry Series bottom freezer, but not quite as big as the 16.4 cubic feet in the LG LDC24370ST or the equally-sized LG LDCS24223S that replaced it this year.
Both of those LG fridges sit atop the bottom freezer storage space scoreboard, but the WRB322DMBB isn’t far behind. We had no trouble finding room for all of our test groceries, and we were very nearly able to fit all six of our large-sized stress test items in, too (the party platter didn’t quite make it in). All in all, it’s a very solid result for a relatively inexpensive bottom freezer model.
Whirlpool vs. the bottom freezer competition
| 15.6 cubic feet | 16.4 cubic feet | 14.8 cubic feet | 14.9 cubic feet | 14.9 cubic feet |
| 6.5 cubic feet | 7.7 cubic feet | 7.3 cubic feet | 6.0 cubic feet | 6.0 cubic feet |
| 22.1 cubic feet | 24.1 cubic feet | 22.1 cubic feet | 20.9 cubic feet | 20.9 cubic feet |
| Yes (in freezer) | Yes (in freezer) | No | Optional (+$89) | Yes (in freezer) |
| No | No | No | No | No |
| Yes (+$100) | Yes (+$100) | Yes (+$200) | No | Yes (+$100) |
| Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| 584 kWh | 608 kWh | 589 kWh | 488 kWh | 572 kWh |
| $70 | $73 | $71 | $59 | $69 |
| $3.17 | $3.03 | $3.21 | $2.82 | $3.30 |
| $1,400 | $1,500 | $1,800 | $1,200 | $1,550 |
| $1,165 | $1,300 | $1,250 | $1,075 | $1,395 |
The klutzy crisper bins come out way too easily.
Tyler Lizenby/CNET
Less solid: the interior design. Specifically, I’m talking about the drawers — they’re wobbly and plasticky, and they don’t catch very well when you open them, which caused me to accidentally yank them all the way out of the fridge on several occasions. They’re my least favorite thing about this refrigerator.
AIVAnet 