A Microsoft smartwatch could appear in weeks
Do you remember Spot? Well, that was Microsoft’s very early smartwatch effort, lost in the mists of bygone technology. Finally, a long time coming, a more modern effort from the company is apparently on its way– and coming soon. According to Forbes’ anonymous sources, Microsoft’s next smartwatch will be able to passively track your heart-rate (meaning less stress on the battery) and work across several mobile platforms. Both points make a lot of sense, but the latter could be especially important if Microsoft wants a hit: Windows Phone is still a very distant third to both Android devices and the iPhone. The rumored product could also explain why the heck Microsoft developed a smartwatch keyboard in the first place. We’ll let you know more when we hear it.
Filed under: Wearables, Microsoft
Source: Forbes
How would you change Huawei’s Ascend W1?
When I reviewed Huawei’s Ascend W1 last summer, I was surprised at how much I liked it, considering its bargain-basement price. Microsoft clearly deserves plaudits for getting Windows Phone 8 to work on such low-power hardware, and Huawei made a real effort to produce a solid feeling, well-made device. Unfortunately, the inclusion of a forward-facing camera couldn’t make up for a paltry 1.88GB of storage, and I couldn’t recommend that you all buy the W1. Instead, I pointed people to the slightly more expensive Lumia 620 – but if you pressed ahead and snapped one of these up instead, what did you think of it? Hop into the forum and share your feels.
Filed under: Cellphones, Mobile, Microsoft
Source: Engadget Product Forums
‘Halo: The Master Chief Collection’ needs 20GB day-one patch
When the long-awaited Halo: The Master Chief Collection gets released next month, the first thing players will have to do is download what’s estimated to be a 20GB update, according to developer 343 Industries. The day-one patch, which is required to unlock multiplayer features, isn’t particularly shocking when you consider that this a 4-in-1 title — still, that’s asking for a lot of hard drive space from users. “Our philosophy has been to give Halo fans the best possible experience and not compromise the quality or features of the collection,” Dan Ayoub, Halo External Development’s studio head, wrote in a blog post. “The result is that Halo: The Master Chief Collection will take up almost all of the usable space of a single Blu-ray (45 GB).” In addition, Ayoub let it be known that Spartan Ops, a co-op mode for Halo 4, won’t be coming to The Master Chief Collection until December, which will likely disappoint a few fans of the franchise. But, most importantly, how do you feel? Let us know in the comments section.
Filed under: Gaming, Home Entertainment, HD, Microsoft
Via: Eurogamer
Source: Xbox
Microsoft wants to make it easier to build Windows Phone apps
Last year, Microsoft created Windows App Studio to get more Windows Phone apps into its Store, and it worked — developers added almost 50,000 new apps in 14 months. Redmond has just updated the beta web app with a feature that should help even more: Windows 8.1 sideloading. All you have to do is scan a certificate when generating a universal 8.1 app, and it’ll install it automatically on your Windows Phone 8.1 device. The update also lets you generate apps in nine extra languages and brings new layouts and templates, among other tweaks. If you want to sign up, the requirements aren’t strict — you just need a Microsoft account and an uncontrollable urge to build Windows Phone apps. Give it a whirl right here.
Filed under: Software, Microsoft
Source: Microsoft
Xbox One update makes multitasking easier and everyone more secure
We knew that the October update coming to the Xbox One would make it act more like the 360, but Redmond has packed a few other features into it too. In addition to double-tapping the Guide button to call up your friends list and achievements, this patch adds what amounts to two-factor authentication for your account (something new for Xbox-only Microsoft logins), according to Xbox Live’s Larry “Major Nelson” Hyrb. A select few markets are getting access to a tweaked Live TV setup option too, which will automatically detect the set-top box plugged into the One’s HDMI-In port (sounds like HDMI-CEC to us). You can hide any games that are cluttering up the “ready to install” portion of your collection now as well. Handy! The 249MB update is rolling out starting today, and you should be able to force the download from the system’s settings menu.
Filed under: Gaming, Home Entertainment, HD, Microsoft
Source: Major Nelson, Xbox Support
Russian hackers used Windows flaw to steal NATO data
According to security firm iSight Partners, hackers from Russia recently gained access to sensitive NATO documents using a major flaw in Windows. The attack, which targeted data from a NATO summit last month, was reportedly part of an espionage campaign against members of the organization (such as the US, UK, France and Germany) to learn more about how it planned to react to Russia’s “military intervention” in Ukraine. Furthermore, the same zero-day flaw is believed to be affecting “tens of millions of computers” that are running Microsoft’s operating system — a definite cause for concern. The great news, however, is that the Redmond-based technology titan is now aware of this security flaw and will be patching it today, the company told Bloomberg in a statement.
For its part, iSight Partners states the Russian hackers were trying to get so much data, so quick, that they made enough mistakes to shed light on spying efforts that have been ongoing for the past two years. “There are only a few people in the world who would be really interested in this stuff and would have the tools to get it,” iSight Partners’ Senior Manager for Cyber-espionage Threat Intelligence, John Hultquist, said to Bloomberg. “It’s just the nature of the game.”
Filed under: Internet, Microsoft
Source: Bloomberg
You can now watch Vine videos on Xbox One, because why not
Vine’s come a long way since its early days, and now it has yet another platform it can shine on: Xbox One. With this new application for Microsoft’s gaming console, released today, users can start watching these six-second (or less) videos on a bigger screen right away. The Vine app on Xbox One comes with an interface that will be familiar to regular fans of the service, featuring Trending Tags, Playlists, Featured Users and other, more-specific categories like Comedy, DIY, Science & Tech and Sports. As Microsoft points out, this marks the fist time Vine has designed a viewing experience with TV in mind — although some people may be disappointed they can’t use Kinect to record Vines and share them directly from Xbox One. Still, let’s not forget it is only the app’s version 1.0. In the meantime, at the very least you have the option host a Vine-looping party, if that’s your sort of thing.
https://vine.co/v/MZZVZvUrAW0/embed/simple
Filed under: Gaming, Home Entertainment, Internet, HD, Microsoft
Source: Microsoft
Teenagers use voice commands most often and really want to order pizza
Teenagers use voice commands a lot and they really want to order pizza. That is just some of what Google found from its Mobile Voice Study. Google looked at 1,400 smartphone users and how they use voice commands from Google Search, Apple’s Siri, and Microsoft’s Cortana. Teenagers (ages 13-18) use voice commands every day while adults are more inclined to “feel tech savvy” because of it.
Here are some notes from the Mobile Voice Study:
- 55% of teenagers in the United States use voice commands every day
- 45% of adults feel geeky when using voice commands
- 89% of teenagers and 85% of adults believe that voice commands will be “very common” in the future
- 22% of teenagers use voice commands in the bathroom
- 45% of teenagers selected “send me pizza” when told to “pick one thing you wish you could ask your phone to do for you”
- Northeasterners are the most active group to use voice commands — 50% use it at least once per day
Teens Use Voice Search Most, Even in Bathroom, Google’s Mobile Voice Study Finds
Study of 1400 smartphone users reveals American teens embracing hands-free search — 45% wish they could use voice search to have pizza delivered
MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif., Oct. 14, 2014 /PRNewswire/ — Google Inc. (NASDAQ: GOOG, GOOGL) today released the results of the Mobile Voice Study, a look at voice search habits among American smartphone users across different age ranges. Among teens 13-18, 55% use voice search every day, 56% of adults said it makes them “feel tech savvy,” and both age groups are talking to their phones while watching TV (38%) — and wish voice search could help them find the remote control (41%).
“Voice search is a key feature of the Google app that’s becoming ever more important as people spend more time on their mobile phones,” said Scott Huffman, Google’s Vice President for Conversational Search. “We wanted to learn more about how people of all ages use Google hands-free on their phones. We found that for teens, voice search comes as naturally as checking social media and they’re getting very creative about how (and where) they use it. The study gives us great ideas about new ways we could help people — maybe even help them find their keys and other elusive objects.”
The Mobile Voice Study asked participants to articulate their opinions about voice search (the most popular examples of which are Google, Siri and Cortana), and to explain how, where and why they use the mobile feature. Respondents prioritize voice search for activities that require safety and efficiency. For example:
- 40% use voice search to ask for directions.
- 39% use the feature to dictate a text message.
- 32% do so to make a phone call.
- 23% of adult Americans use voice search “when I’m cooking.”
- 51% of teens (and 32% of adults) use voice search “just for fun.”
- 27% use voice search to check the weather.
Teens Most Active Users of Hands-Free Search (Even in the Bathroom)
The majority of U.S. teens (55%) use hands-free search every day, and that figure rises to 75% among teens who are wedded to their smartphones (using it 11+ hours per day). While hands-free search is growing more common across all age groups, some self-consciousness remains: 45% of adult Americans admit to “feeling like a geek” when they talk to their smartphone. Despite this, all age groups agree that voice search will be “very common” in the future (89% of teens and 85% of adults agree).
76% of all Americans think voice search is great for multitasking. 59% of teens and 36% of adults use the their phone’s voice search while watching TV and 22% of teens claim to use it “when I’m in the bathroom”. Overall, two-thirds (64%) think voice search is cool and nearly as many (58%) say they feel tech savvy.
U.S. Teens: I Want My Phone to Send Me Pizza
When asked to “pick one thing you wish you could ask your phone to do for you,” 45% of American teens selected “send me a pizza.” More pragmatic adults wished they could ask their phone to “tell me where my keys are,” though “send me a pizza” was also popular among 36% of adults. A nearly equal number of teens and adults (34% and 33%, respectively) want their smartphones to one day tell them where to find their TV’s remote control. With Oct. 31 just a few weeks away, 16% of teens wish their phone could tell them what costume to wear on Halloween.
New Yorkers embrace voice search most; multi-taskers talk to phones while cooking
Google’s Mobile Voice Study also found that:
- Among Americans of all ages, Northeasterners are the nation’s most active voice searchers, with 50% using it at least once per day.
- New Yorkers are the likeliest Americans to use voice search to ask about the weather (43% do so).
- Northeasterners (28%) and Westerners (26%) are the likeliest to use voice search while cooking.
- New Yorkers (35%) also lead the nation in this regard.
The study was commissioned by Google and executed by Northstar Research, a global consulting firm. It examined the smartphone voice search habits of 1,400 Americans, 13 years of age and older (400 ages 13-17 and 1,000 adults ages 18+).
About the Google App
The Google app is available on iOS and Android devices and is the best way to access Google for helpful assistance throughout your day. With it, you can talk to Google to find local information, take actions (like send text messages or set reminders), fetch your stuff (like flight or package details) and get the right information when you need it.
Some of the Google app’s newest features include:
- Restaurant reservation in one easy step by voice
- When trip planning, ask for restaurants or bars near your hotel
- Alternate flight suggestions when your flight is cancelled or delayed
Learn more about the free Google app at http://www.google.com/search/about/trytheapp/
About Northstar
NORTHSTAR is a strategic marketing insights and consulting firm that aligns leading edge, customized research techniques and cultural context with proprietary and proven strategic marketing frameworks and models to drive insights to impact. Northstar’s suite of services relate to the most critical elements of brand, customer and marketing strategy, with sector expertise in travel and tourism, retail, automotive, CPG, food & beverage, financial services, pharma / health care, transportation and fashion / luxury. For more information, please go to http://www.northstarhub.com.
Come comment on this article: Teenagers use voice commands most often and really want to order pizza
Engadget giveaway: win a PS4 or Xbox One courtesy of Mad Genius Controllers!
There’s a new game controller in town and Mad Genius hopes you won’t take the news sitting down, because it’s all about motion control and expanding the scope of your game beyond the couch. The Mad Genius Controller, which recently launched on Kickstarter, is offering precision motion control that’s compatible with any game or console. While it works in normal controller mode, its magnetically connected halves can be split to enable motion tracking features. Aiming guns and bows is said be done with 1/100th inch accuracy and it can translate a player’s movement throughout the room to the on-screen character. The device can also be programmed so that certain movements can trigger combos and holster-reaching motions could replace digging into menus to access weapons. Since the Kickstarter is still underway, Mad Genius wanted to prep two lucky Engadget readers for its arrival with a giveaway for two consoles this week. Along with Mad Genius t-shirts, one winner will receive a PS4 Destiny Bundle and the other will get an Xbox One along with Titanfall. To get in on this opportunity, just head on down to the Rafflecopter widget below for up to three chances at winning one of these consoles.
- Entries are handled through the Rafflecopter widget above. Comments are no longer accepted as valid methods of entry. You may enter without any obligation to social media accounts, though we may offer them as opportunities for extra entries. Your email address is required so we can get in touch with you if you win, but it will not be given to third parties.
- Contest is open to all residents of the 50 States, the District of Columbia, and Canada (excluding Quebec), 18 or older! Sorry, we don’t make this rule (we hate excluding anyone), so direct your anger at our lawyers and contest laws if you have to be mad.
- Winners will be chosen randomly. One (1) winner will receive one (1) PlayStation 4 (CUH-1115A, Glacial White / Destiny Bundle) and one (1) winner will receive one (1) Xbox One (Model 1540) and one (1) copy of Titanfall for Xbox One.
- If you are chosen, you will be notified by email. Winners must respond within three days of being contacted. If you do not respond within that period, another winner will be chosen. Make sure that the account you use to enter the contest includes your real name and a contact email or Facebook login. We do not track any of this information for marketing or third-party purposes.
- This unit is purely for promotional giveaway. Mad Genius Controllers, Sony, Microsoft, EA, Respawn Entertainment and Engadget / AOL are not held liable to honor warranties, exchanges or customer service.
- The full list of rules, in all its legalese glory, can be found here.
- Entries can be submitted until October 15th at 11:59PM ET. Good luck!
Filed under: Announcements, Sony, Microsoft
Skype launches new video messaging app called Skype Qik
Do you remember video streaming service called Qik? Well Skype acquired them a few years ago and closed down the app, but it’s back in a new format. It’s called Skype Qik, and it’s all about video messaging. Basically, it’s just like texting, but with video instead.
You can set up a group of friends and quickly and easily send short videos. If you ever want to delete a video, you can, but the app will automatically delete content after two weeks.
Features
- Create groups in a flash: grab a bunch of friends from your phone’s address book and start a private chat.
- Pre-record and send video clips (Qik Fliks): can’t respond right away? Thumbs-ups, smileys and more, starring you.
- Erase your message and it disappears from the conversation.**
- Keep it fresh—messages are automatically erased from Qik after two weeks.
- Start a conversation any time—no login, usernames, or passwords needed.
* Mobile data rates may apply.. We recommend using an unlimited data plan or WiFi connection.
** It may be possible for recipients to capture and save videos elsewhere before you delete them from Qik.
So if you’re looking for another way of communicating with your friends, Skype Qik might be exactly what you’re looking for. We have screenshots, a video, and download links below.
Click here to view the embedded video.
Come comment on this article: Skype launches new video messaging app called Skype Qik
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