Internet Explorer test release lets you peek at the browser’s long-term future
While Chrome and Firefox have had experimental browser releases for a while, you’ve usually had to wait for betas to try new Internet Explorer features. Starting today, however, you can be as impatient as you like: Microsoft has launched an Internet Explorer Developer Channel. So long as you’re using Windows 7 or 8.1, you can try new web rendering, interfaces and other features well before they’re part of finished products. In this first release, you can use any USB game controller (including the Xbox 360 pad) for web games that would benefit from console-quality input.
As with other super-early browsers, you’ll likely have to live with some bugs and a general lack of polish. You won’t have to toss out the regular Internet Explorer to use the developer build, though, so there’s should always be a fallback if something goes wrong. As such, you have every incentive to jump in with both feet if you’re the curious type — hit the source link to get started.
Filed under: Internet, Software, Microsoft
Source: IEBlog
Domino’s Pizza picks up voice ordering thanks to Nuance
If you thought calling in to order a pizza was an inconvenience then you might have turned to using apps or online ordering systems. Domino’s Pizza is one of many food chains that has a plethora of ways to order a meal without having to call a real person. Today they have announced one more way to get that hot pie to your door. Now you can open the app and place your order with your voice.
Domino’s Pizza teamed up with Nuance and their Nina Mobile voice speech recognition to give you the ability to launch the app and place a verbal order.
“There will be a day where typing on keyboards or with thumbs on mobile devices will come to a close; we want to be the ones who continue to advance the technology experience – hand-in-hand with our customers,” said Patrick Doyle, Domino’s Pizza president and CEO. “Our mobile app users who are a part of this launch are truly helping set the foundation for the innovations of today, that will soon enough become the standards of tomorrow.”
Together, the platform delivers a human-like, conversational customer service experience that allows users to speak an order and quickly add items to their cart.
The voice enabled update is available in the Play Store, so go pick it up if you must. For me, I’ll stick to calling in my orders and talking to real people.
//<![CDATA[
ord = window.ord || Math.floor(Math.random()*1E16);
document.write('’);
//]]>
BlackBerry launches BBM Protected, bringing secure IM to the enterprise crowd
While BlackBerry has traditionally been a favorite among business users, Android and iOS have made significant inroads into the enterprise area in the past few years — bad news for a company that’s already been struggling this year. The BBM maker is still in the game, though, having just launched a product aimed at its base of government, insurance and banking customers: BBM Protected, the first piece of its eBBM suite. The “e,” of course, stands for enterprise, and the BBM Protected app lets BlackBerry owners instant-message with several layers of encryption to protect sensitive data.
Originally announced earlier this year, BBM Protected allows users to communicate securely with colleagues and chat with friends and family from the same app. As BlackBerry’s customers require, the protection is pretty heavy-duty: each message has its own encryption key, making it very difficult for anyone to decode an entire conversation. Protected chats aren’t limited to users within a single company, either; all BBM Protected users can exchange messages, even if they’re not on the same BlackBerry Enterprise service. Currently, BBM Protected is available on smartphones running BBOS 6.0 or later as well as handsets running BlackBerry 10 in Regulated mode. Expect versions tailored for Android and iOS — as well as one for BlackBerry 10 using BlackBerry Balance — to arrive later this year.
Filed under: Software, Mobile, Blackberry
Source: BlackBerry
Angry Birds Transformers Headed Our Way Soon
Rovio‘s big franchise, Angry Birds, took off like a bolt of lighting when it first debuted on the mobile scene. Whether or not you have all, or some, of the various installments on your device right now, you are surely able to admit that you have played many of them over the years. The last Angry Birds game was Angry Birds Epic. That would be the RPG styled variation of the bird flying game. Another variations that is still on track for a fall release, as far as we know, is Angry Birds Stella. It would seem that Rovio has no intentions of letting the birds go by the wayside though as we have just learned that Angry Birds Transformers is in the works with a Hasbro.
The game will be similar to how Rovio approached Angry Birds Star Wars. You will have your various characters from the Transformers as birds. Surely they will have their own special little powers and various power–ups you can purchase/earn to make your journey a little easier.
Unfortunately Rovio states it will be out “later this year”. Not exactly what I was hoping for since Transformers 4 is slated for theaters June 27th. Keep an eye out on the official landing page for the new title.
Source: 9to5Google
//<![CDATA[
ord = window.ord || Math.floor(Math.random()*1E16);
document.write('’);
//]]>
AllCast Update Out Now With Tablet UX, Slideshow Mode and Auto Pause on Calls
A new update has been released this morning for AllCast. The update offers up some pretty nice new features that many have been dying for. As always, there are a ton of bug fixes. Literally, Koush says so. While bug fixes are great, new features are better. One such addition is a new slit screen Tablet UX that will let you browse your media while having full control over the playback at the same time.
Additionally the update also brings in a new photo slidehsow mode to let you continuously, and without any effort on your part, cast you photos from your device to your TV. To use it you simply tap the little play button in the upper right hand corner of the image. It simply moves through your photos with a nice little fade effect on your Chromecast connected TV, of through one of the plethora of other devices that AllCast connects and streams through.
The changelog also lists out a full screen swiping UI for photos and a nifty auto pause features when you get an incoming phone call on the device you are casting from. All-in-all, a really great update that everyone with the app should pick up today. If you don’t have the AllCast app, then be sure to check out the free version of the app to see what you think. You get 1 minute of cast time as many times as you want, if it wors for you and you like it, then you will want to grab the premium version for $4.99. We have both links down below for you guys.
//<![CDATA[
ord = window.ord || Math.floor(Math.random()*1E16);
document.write('’);
//]]>
[Discussion] Problems with Android 4.4.3: How deep does the rabbit hole Go?
We reported yesterday that a number of Nexus devices, namely the Nexus 5 and Nexus 4, have been experiencing problems with Android 4.4.3. While it appears that not every owner is experiencing the quoted issues, it does still seem very widespread, and some of the issues are quite debilitating considering the software update was supposed to fix the existing issues in Android 4.4.2.
Unfortunately, it doesn’t seem like the issues are only restricted to the Nexus 5 and Nexus 4. Issues on the Nexus 7 and Nexus 10 have also been reported and reader Rachine S Vernon commented that the issues have even been spotted on the Motorola Moto X, which has apparently negatively impacted the dialer app.
The Android 4.4.3 update is only available to a handful of devices at the moment, however it’s clear that this wasn’t the update that many of us expected or were hoping for. Whether Google is willing or even able to issue fixes for the new issues is currently up in the air as Google has not yet responded to these issues, however, the fact that it took so long just to release Android 4.4.3 as an incremental update isn’t a comforting omen.
We want to hear from you if you are suffering issues on a device that you currently updated to Android 4.4.3; let us know what device and what you are currently experiencing in the comments below.
//<![CDATA[
ord = window.ord || Math.floor(Math.random()*1E16);
document.write('’);
//]]>
These are the biggest Nintendo games at E3 2014
Nintendo’s in a weird place. The company’s got a game console that no one’s buying, the Wii U, and it’s the only place to play some of gaming’s biggest franchises: Super Mario, The Legend of Zelda, Metroid, Donkey Kong. The list goes on. Nintendo’s also got a tremendously popular handheld game console, the 3DS, but Wii U software was the focus of E3 2014. Rather than a press conference like in the past, Nintendo chose to unveil its E3 news in a digital venue: a Nintendo Direct video stream. Much of Tuesday morning’s announcements were available to play at E3, impressions of which we’ve shared below.
And yes, we played a lot of Smash Bros.
YOSHI’S WOOLLY WORLD
For those who don’t remember Kirby’s Epic Yarn, the cutesy platforming game that came out on Wii in 2010, allow us to jog your memory. It’s a standard Kirby platforming game — relatively easy, the same chameleon mechanics Kirby is known for — but the world (and all of its characters, including Kirby) is made of yarn. As if a fluffy pink ball of a character wasn’t cutesy enough, eh?
In 2015, the Yoshi’s Island-themed iteration of Epic Yarn is coming to Wii U in Yoshi’s Woolly World. Like Yoshi games before it, you jump on enemies, consume them to create shootable eggs, and exaggeratedly jump across gullies as Mario’s goofy green dinosaur. Like Epic Yarn, well, everything’s made of yarn. Rather, it’s made of “woolly” things this time around. The levels are gorgeous and look like real, living worlds, only everything’s made of craft store items. Secrets abound, and the textured cloth effect is hidden everywhere. In the demo we played, there weren’t any GamePad-specific features beyond off-screen play.
We’re not exactly upset, but the GamePad not being featured was a theme among the demos we played.
CAPTAIN TOAD: TREASURE TRACKER
Super Mario 3D World was a highlight of 2013, if not the best game released on game consoles last year. And a highlight of Super Mario 3D World was Toad’s puzzle levels, wherein you navigate a twistable 3D maze using a light helmet-wearing Toad. They were a welcome aside, and a notable deviation from the usual Mario formula. Nintendo apparently recognized their excellence as well, awarding Toad his own game — Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker — and making the puzzles better than ever.
In 3D World, Toad’s worlds were limited. In Captain Toad, they range in size dramatically, from the standard-ish 3D cube to a vertical world inside a volcano. On one puzzle, we had to carefully time our movements based on the attacks of a fire-breathing lava monster. On another, we struggled with deciphering the twists and nooks of a floating world. We’re told it’s not a digital game, but a full release; Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker arrives this holiday.
Oh, and most importantly, there’s a button reserved for making Toad say silly things. Perfect. If we could somehow get a level that involves Toad wearing an astronaut suit on the Moon, that’d be great. Thanks Nintendo.
SUPER SMASH BROS. FOR 3DS / WII U
You’ll have to excuse me as I break format here for a moment: I come to Super Smash Bros. for Wii U/3DS as a longtime player of the series and a total Smash nerd. I’m going to restrict this piece to a broader approach, but I welcome your questions on Twitter. That said!
Super Smash Bros. for Wii U and Super Smash Bros. for 3DS are completely different beasts. The issue isn’t so much that they’re different games — they are, but not that different — but that the control methods for each are so wildly different. Even on a 3DS XL, which we used to play Super Smash Bros. for 3DS, it’s really tough and kind of painful. Blocking is a central component to any fighting game, and in Smash Bros. it’s handled by the shoulder buttons. In practice, this means discomfort at least and, more likely, frustrating hand cramps.
3DS control issues aside, both games play a lot like you’d expect. Nintendo favorites return and new favorites are added; it’s the same raucously fun affair it’s always been. We loved Little Mac — he’s fast and brutal — and Samus — she’s better than ever. Mega Man was seemingly less powerful than we expected, but with only 10 rounds to play, we’ll need much more time before leveling any real judgment. Though the 3DS version is noticeably pared down, both games are very pretty and run just as smoothly as we hoped. Both versions of Super Smash Bros. are set to arrive this holiday, with the 3DS version launching a bit sooner in October.
HYRULE WARRIORS
The folks behind Dynasty/Samurai Warriors were given access to the world of The Legend of Zelda. The result is Hyrule Warriors, a third-person action game that revolves around quickly disposing of large quantities of enemies to achieve an ever-changing set of goals. It’s fun, quick, and light. There are plenty of Zelda references embedded, from the loading screen 8-bit animation to the trademark jingle that plays when treasure chests are opened, but this is pretty far from a main series Zelda game.
Hyrule Warriors is fine, but nowhere near the grandeur or delivery of a standard Zelda entry. Sadly, all we have for now is a 2015 window and a brief tease of the actual next series entry from longtime producer Eiji Aonuma.
MARIO MAKER
We’re not even gonna bother with this one — check out Brad Molen’s lengthy writeup right here. We can confirm that Mario Maker is a treat!
Google Play Fitness is going to be announced at Google I/O, Android’s answer to HealthKit
Every year, every Android enthusiast waits with bated breath for Google I/O to arrive and wow us with what to look forward to in the immediate future of the operating system. Google I/O 2014 is shaping up to be a particularly exciting one with new Android hardware and software a possibility as well as the addition of Android Wear related technology which is expected to also make an appearance. One other frontrunner to headline the event has been uncovered recently, as Google is rumoured to be launching a new fitness tracking service called Google Play Fitness, or Google Fit.
As Android Police explains in its exclusive report, Google Play Fitness is expected to be similar in theoretical functionality to Google Play Games, wherein it would collect, organize and spit out fitness information for users to peruse. It’s expected to be a separate entity within Android, much like Play Games, Play Fitness is expected to also use Google Play Services as its conduit to providing its services. This would inevitably mean Play Services will be seeing some kind of an update come Google I/O time. It’s also alleged that with the launch of Play Fitness, Google may be announcing partnerships with fitness manufacturers who will have wearable devices to show off at the event.
Fitness is clearly increasingly important to the mobile community and Google introducing Google Play Fitness and its associated API would be huge for making it far more mainstream in the Android ecosystem. What do you think about Google Play Fitness? Are you looking forward to what the new services will provide? Let us know your opinion in the comments.
Source: Android Police
//<![CDATA[
ord = window.ord || Math.floor(Math.random()*1E16);
document.write('’);
//]]>
Nexus 5 and Nexus 4 owners are experiencing issues with Android 4.4.3 update
The Android 4.4.3 update started going live earlier this month, hoping to fix the issues that have plagued the devices since Android 4.4.2, from which the Nexus 5 appears to have suffered the worst. While it’s expected that not all bugs will be fixed in any given update, we’re already hearing reports that Nexus 5 and Nexus 4 owners have issues with Android 4.4.3 after updating their devices. Some of the issues include Wi-Fi connection issues, lag in the dialer app and random reboots that were supposedly fixed in Android 4.4.3 have resurfaced on the Nexus 4. Other users have reported 3G issues, problems with battery life and notifications, and to top it off, some of these issues have also been spotted on the Nexus 7 and Nexus 10.
This isn’t particularly good for Google seeing as this update was supposed to fix all the issues that owners have been living with for some time now, though with Google I/O just around the corner and the possibility of Android 5.0 having been teased, it’s possible Google’s full development efforts were diverted elsewhere. Whether Google will fix these issues before moving all the way up to 5.0 remains to be seen, but you may just have to make do until then.
Have you updated to Android 4.4.3 and also experienced some of these issues? Let us know if you have down below in the comments.
Source: Android Origin via Phones Review
//<![CDATA[
ord = window.ord || Math.floor(Math.random()*1E16);
document.write('’);
//]]>
Android 4.4 update for the Huawei Ascend P6 released in Europe
Way back in March, the Android 4.4 update for the Huawei Ascend P6 was spotted rolling out in Huawei’s native China. We expected the update to roll out shortly after that to the rest of the regions, however from the comments you have made on that post, it appears that hadn’t happened. Thankfully though, the update has been officially announced for Europe and has been seen rolling out in Western Europe as of just a few days ago. I would say that this is good news and that other regions can expect the update soon, however considering that it’s been 3 months since the update rolled out in China, I’m not going to suggest getting too excited yet.
The update comes in at a pretty hefty 789MB, so make sure you’re on Wi-Fi when you’re updating. That size is to be expected, particularly seeing as the Ascend P6 is being updated from Android 4.2 to Android 4.4.2 and its heavily skinned Emotion UI is also being updated from version 1.6 to 2.3. The list of new features and optimizations pictured in the screenshot looks suspiciously short considering this is a pretty significant software jump, but you can probably be sure that all the Kit Kat goodness is in there.
Are you happy that the Huawei Ascend P6 is finally getting its Android 4.4 update? Let us know what you think in the comments below.
Source: Huawei News, Twitter via Jelly Bean Android
//<![CDATA[
ord = window.ord || Math.floor(Math.random()*1E16);
document.write('’);
//]]>
