If you you eBay then a good app to have is the official eBay app for your Windows Phone, and it has just been updated to version 1.18.
The eBay Mobile application is designed specifically for Windows Phone. Using a streamlined interface that’s as elegant as it is practical, eBay members can search, bid, and check their activity on the go. Buyers can submit that last-minute bid on a hard-to-find item, sellers can check on their sales, and act on time-sensitive information on the spot without a computer. eBay is open for business anytime, anywhere on Windows Phone!
As usual there doesn’t seem to be any specific information on what is included in the update, so if you notice any changes let us know by leaving a comment below.
Last year we reviewed the Kymera Magic Wand remote control from the Wand Company, and for their next offering they have the 11th Doctor’s Sonic Screwdriver remote control. Bring on the Sonic!
Widely considered to be the result of highly advanced Gallifreyan technological experiments, the Sonic Screwdriver is an indispensable tool for any travelling Time Lord. But whether you’re an original member of the Prydonian Chapter, or simply a massive fan of the popular TV series, it’s been impossible to get your hands on the Mark VII. Until now.
Immaculately designed and packed full of features, this die cast metal model is hand detailed, with polished copper plating and an authentic soft touch grip. Painstakingly built to last; with a little bit of care and occasionally replaced batteries you’ll be able to use this Sonic Screwdriver up to your 13th incarnation (and beyond?).
But it’s not just a spectacularly detailed collectable replica, oh no; the Doctor Who Sonic Screwdriver is also a fully programmable, gesture based Universal Remote Control! Utilising infrared technology to control everything from TV’s and DVD players to stereos and iPod docks, you’ll be able to make changes with just a flick of the wrist.
With the blessings of the BBC, the Sonic Screwdriver boasts 13 authentic special FX sounds from the Whoniverse and comes in a gorgeous presentation case. Including detailed instructions straight from the Doctor himself, you’ll be able to get started learning how to use it straight away.
With 4 Operational Modes, you can practice and program your gestures; use it as a full blown replica, or control your Earthly devices in either full FX mode or Quiet Control mode. Plus, just like the Doctor, you don’t want it falling into the wrong hands so when not in use you can lock the Sonic Screwdriver using your personal authorisation code.
Product Features:
Advanced gesture recognition technology – 3 banks of 13 gestures
Die cast construction, copper plated, soft touch grip
Control any infrared device including iPod docks, TVs and Blu-ray players
Guided Setup – spoken prompts help you program your controls
13 authentic special FX sounds
Illuminating tip lights up when in use and pulses on standby
Personal Lock Code
High quality presentation case
Double sided illustrated instruction manual
To learn more, click here. We hope to have one soon for review, so watch this space.
It will be available to buy on the 31st August for £59.99.
Apple has just updated it’s iPhoto for Mac application to version 9.3.1.
This update includes:
– Addresses a problem during the migration of albums from MobileMe Gallery that may cause photos to be moved from their original events into a new event called “From MobileMe”
– Fixes an issue that in rare cases could cause iPhoto to hang when upgrading libraries
Do you iPhoto? If so, tell us what you think of it by leaving us a comment below.
As mentioned previously, we have now moved into a monthly development cycle, in which we merge new features at the beginning of the month and then perform bug fixes through the rest of the month. This means, at the end of every month, developers, bug-reporters, and those willing to deal with potentially highly unstable builds can try a snapshot from the current development cycle, and the organization, in turn, will have a more stable and predictable development process. For those of you who would prefer a stable version of XBMC, we will always recommend the most recent stable release (XBMC 11.0), but for the brave, you are welcome to try the end of the month build. To give an idea of just how unstable/alpha these builds can be, there will almost certainly be months in which some platforms won’t actually have usable builds. As always, we recommend you backup your userdata folder before upgrading.
With that said, let’s review some of the more notable changes in the June Changelog.
Airplay Updates
Two major updates have occurred on the Airplay side. First, AirTunes have finally been implemented on the Windows side. This means you can send both music and video from your iOS and iTunes devices to XBMC for Windows.
Second, when sending AirPlay music to XBMC, XBMC can now read the metadata sent in the stream and display the music information (e.g. title, author, coverart, etc.) on the screen. Unfortunately, this is only possible when sending audio from iTunes. iOS devices use FairPlay encryption, which XBMC is not totally compatible with at this time.
GSOC Updates
The efforts of our GSOC students are beginning to come to fruition. Montellese has been working over time to make the XBMC library faster and smarter. This month he has managed to push two fixes/updates to the library. First, movie sets now sort in a manner that better fit the rest of the library. In the past, movie sets were simply listed at the front of the movie library, like folders in front of files. Now, they are sorted based on the category. For example, the average rating of the movies inside the set would determine where the set would reside in a “sort by rating.”
A second new GSOC feature by Montellese should drastically speed up movie listings over JSON-RPC, which will greatly benefit mobile remote users and anyone else accessing the library from non-local devices. In the past, every call to XBMC’s movie library required spitting out every item in that library, even if the remote device was only looking for a few items. Now, a device can just pull those items it needs at any given point, for a massive time saving.
Conclusion
That covers some of the more notable and easily visible changes in this cycle. For a full list of all the May changes, feel free to take a look at our list of June milestones. Also, keep an eye out for the July Cycle. Or, if you are feeling a bit brave and a bit lucky, just start downloading here for Windows (OSX should be available within 24 hours)! Look here for Apple TV and iOS installation instructions.. Given the additional complexities of distribution, builds for Linux are not yet available at XBMC.org.
Also, as you no doubt may notice, there are fewer big features this month as more man hours are spent continuing to improve the features already recently added to XBMC (e.g. AudioEngine) and performing work to get XBMC ready on all platforms. As such, it is likely that we may begin intentionally winding down adding on additional new features in an attempt to get Frodo out sooner than later. When a roadmap has been established, we will, of course, update everyone.
I look forward to seeing what they do next!
Do you use XBMC? Tell us what you think of it by leaving us a comment.
The full trailer for the live-action digital series Halo 4: Forward Unto Dawn has just been released following it’s world premiere at Comic-Con.
Premiering this October on the new Machinima Prime channel on YouTube, and on Halo Waypoint, “Halo 4: Forward Unto Dawn” is a live-action digital series that takes fans back to the terrifying beginning of the Human/Covenant war, when the Master Chief inspired a young cadet who would eventually become a leader aboard the UNSC’s greatest vessel: the UNSC Infinity. “Halo 4: Forward Unto Dawn” tells a story leading into the events of “Halo 4,” the biggest entertainment event of 2012.
Check out the cool trailer below:
“Halo 4: Forward Unto Dawn” tells an exciting story of heroism and sacrifice on a scale never before seen in the “Halo” universe, taking fans back to the beginning of the human and Covenant war and leading into the events of “Halo 4.” Set against the backdrop of a United Nations Space Command (UNSC) military academy, a group of highborn cadets are training to be the next generation of soldiers in the UNSC’s ongoing war with insurrectionists in the outer colonial planets. Among these cadets, Thomas Lasky struggles with his doubts about this war, and with the burden of expectations he may not be able to carry. As Lasky comes to terms with his potential as a military leader, the terrifying alien alliance known as the Covenant arrives and turns his world upside down. Inspired by the Master Chief, he must decide what it means to be a hero. “Halo” fans that experience Lasky’s thrilling origin story in “Halo 4: Forward Unto Dawn” will be rewarded with special insights into the story of “Halo 4” and the “Halo Infinity Multiplayer” experience.
Directed by Stewart Hendler (“H+,” “Sorority Row”) and written by Todd Helbing and Aaron Helbing (“Smallville,” “Spartacus”), “Halo 4: Forward Unto Dawn” features a diverse cast of established and up-and-coming Hollywood talent, including Tom Green (“Dance Academy”) as Thomas Lasky, Anna Popplewell (“The Chronicles of Narnia”) as Chyler Silva, Daniel Cudmore (“X2,” “X-Men: The Last Stand,” “The Twilight Saga”) as the Master Chief, Ayelet Zurer (“Angels & Demons,” “Munich”) as Mehaffey, Mike Dopud (“Mission Impossible – Ghost Protocol”) as General Black, Enisha Brewster (“Footloose”) as April Orenski, Masam Holden (“Grey’s Anatomy,” “Elizabethtown”) as Michael “Sully” Sullivan, Osric Chau (“2012”) as JJ Chen, Iain Belcher (“Supernatural”) as Vickers, and Kat De Lieva as Dimah.
“Halo 4: Forward Unto Dawn” is backed by a top-tier production team led by executive producers Lydia Antonini and Josh Feldman, former Warner Bros. and Playtone executives, respectively. Continuing its involvement with the “Halo” franchise, Legacy Effects (“The Hunger Games,” “The Avengers,” “Avatar”) is creating specialised costumes and armor, and visual effects are being designed by an award-winning team led by John Sullivan (“The Pacific”). Production services are provided by Herzog & Co.
An extended, 90-minute Special Edition featuring additional footage and bonus content will be available Nov. 6 in the “Halo 4” Limited Edition and on video on-demand services.
Set almost five years after the events of “Halo 3,” “Halo 4” takes the series in a bold new direction and sets the stage for an epic new sci-fi saga, in which the Master Chief returns to confront his destiny and face an ancient evil that threatens the fate of the entire universe. In addition to a rich story and campaign, “Halo 4” introduces a groundbreaking new multiplayer offering, called “Halo Infinity Multiplayer,” that builds off of the “Halo” franchise’s rich multiplayer history and promises to continue to innovate and redefine the way people think about storytelling and multiplayer experiences.
WP Central is reporting that the official London Olympics app for Windows Phone has landed. Read on for details!
WP Central is reporting that the official London Olympics Windows Phone app is now available. Here is what they are saying:
The official 2012 Olympic Games app has landed in the Windows Phone Marketplace. London 2012 was developed by the London Organizing Committee of the Olympic Games (LOCOG) and is designed to keep you up to date with the latest Olympic action and Paralympic action.
The app is laid out nicely with the following pages.
Live Updates Page that currently displays a countdown timer to the Olympic Opening Ceremony. From there, the page will display updates from the games.
Sports Page that breaks down the events by sports. Each sports tile will pull up the specific events, news items for that sport, a photos page and an About page that covers any rules and venue information on that sport.
Calendar Page breaks things down by date. Tap on a date and you’ll pull up an time listing of events by sport. Tap and hold an event to set a reminder so you won’t be late.
The Favourites Page lists any sport you’ve tagged as favorite or reminders you’ve set.
The Menu Page has links to view the games schedules and results, medal tally, athlete profiles, access the My Games section and access the app’s settings. The My Games section can be set to a specific Country to pull up news, reminders and favourites for the Country.
If you are an Olympics fan and are on Windows Phone, go ahead and download the app now!
AMC was recently dropped by DISH in the US as part of a contract dispute. AMC fired back today…read on for details!
AMC fired back at DISH for dropping them today. AMC announced that they would provide a free video stream of the Breaking Bad season five premier to current DISH customers and is actively encouraging their fans to switch from DISH. First, the DISH announcement that they were dropping AMC:
DISH to Replace AMC With Commercial-Free HD Movies
New Programming Also Slated to Replace IFC, WE
ENGLEWOOD, CO–(Marketwire – Jun 29, 2012) – DISH (NASDAQ: DISH) will replace three AMC Networks channels — IFC, WE and AMC — tomorrow at 11:59 p.m. ET with what the company believes is stronger movie and entertainment content.
DISH will be providing HDNet Movies to replace AMC, and is offering Style and HDNet to replace WE and IFC.
“HDNet Movies and HDNet are exciting offerings for our customers,” said Dave Shull, senior vice president of programming for DISH. “These are networks that will bring great entertainment, including first-run, commercial-free movies in high definition to our customers. DISH is the only pay-TV provider that did not raise its core package prices in 2012. We will continue to fight hard for choice, control, and value in home entertainment.”
DISH notified AMC Networks earlier in the year of its decision not to renew its contract due to the channels’ high costs compared to their relatively low viewership.
DISH’s actions come as AT&T and AMC Networks negotiate over what AT&T this week called an “excessive rate increase.”
“A significant portion of any pay-TV bill goes to fees for content providers like AMC Networks,” said Shull. “AMC Networks requires us to carry low-rated channels like IFC and WE to access a few popular AMC shows. The math is simple: it’s not a good value for our customers.”
AMC Networks has further devalued its programming by making its handful of popular shows available to consumers via iTunes, Netflix and Amazon.com.
“One of AMC’s biggest historical draws has been movies. However, their performance has been trumped by other DISH movie offerings, including the many thousands of titles available on Blockbuster @Home and from top-quality providers such as HBO, Showtime, Starz, EPIX, MGM HD, IndiePlex, and RetroPlex,” Shull said.
Beginning Saturday, HDNet Movies will be available on Channel 130, Style will be on Channel 128, and HDNet (soon to become a new entertainment and music channel called “AXS.TV”) will run on Channel 131.
This is displayed when you bring up the AMC website:
USA Today is reporting that Office 15 will be announced on Monday. Read on for details.
USA Today is reporting that Office 15 will be announced on Monday. Here is the relevant part of the story:
Microsoft plans Monday to unveil software features crafted to jazz up Office 15, the next big upgrade of its ubiquitous suite of office-productivity programs, industry sources say.
Much is at stake. Microsoft’s core engine of profit — selling licenses for Windows systems packaged with the Office suite that includes Microsoft Word, Excel and PowerPoint — is under intense pressure as competitors roll out products aimed at taking away market share.
Office 15 is scheduled to be available early next year, bristling with hooks into Windows 8, the latest upgrade of Microsoft’s operating system software, which will be generally available in October, according to several sources familiar with Microsoft’s plans. They declined to speak on the record because they were not authorized to discuss details. Microsoft declined to comment.
We are expecting to see a beta of Office 15 this summer, so this scans, but we’ll have to wait and see if it gets announced. I am curious to download the beta and try it out on Windows 8, so as soon as we know something definitive, we’ll let you know.
Peter Souza IV has released a new build of his excellent Media Center Master software.
What is Media Center Master?
Here is how Peter describes Media Center Master for those of you who don’t know what it is:
Smooth, powerful interface to organize your media collection.
Support for the built-in Windows Media Center Video Library strip (dvdid.xml) as well as MediaBrowser extension (mymovies.xml).
Movies, television, and adult title search from a variety of configurable meta data sources.
Built-in, fully-automated episode torrenting from multiple sources. Keep your T.V. series updated through the internet for free.
Full meta-data editor with tools to automate movie and T.V. episode renaming.
Theatrical trailer downloader with options for automatic re-encoding.
Extendable fetcher system allows other programmers to write fetchers — sample source code included in the forums.
Configurable to download actor/actress thumbnails and movie/T.V. posters, fan art, backdrops, and banners.
Flexible post-processing allows command-line operations after a movie title has been fetched — works great with Stark Covers.
…and a whole lot more…
Most of the changes in this update aren’t really visible. Millions of people depend on SkyDrive to automatically sync files, so as with most updates, this one improves performance, reliability, and compatibility of SkyDrive.
With the upcoming release of Windows 8, the time was right to redesign the SkyDrive logo. The refreshed logo is a natural evolution of the work we’re doing across Microsoft to deliver a more consistent experience across all of our products.
Are you using SkyDrive yet? Leave us a comment below.
Today we are happy to release aTV Flash (black) 1.7 which, among other things, features seamless access to trakt.tv. trakt.tv is a free service that automatically tracks the movies and TV shows you watch, and provides recommendations for related content you may find interesting.
trakt.tv Scrobbling and Ratings
With our trakt.tv integration on the Apple TV, watched movies and TV shows are automatically ‘scrobbled’ back to your trakt.tv profile. You will also have the option to submit ratings for each video right from the Apple TV menu. Support for 2-way sync is also in the works, and will be available in a future version.
To learn more about trakt.tv, or to signup for a free account, please visit http://trakt.tv/.
Full Changelog
Added trakt.tv integration (scrobbling and ratings)
Added advanced read-ahead buffering for SMB and NFS shares
Added Simplified Chinese translation
Added ‘Update All’ option
Added support for secure web logins
Improved metadata fetching speed
Improved video rotation detection for MOV files
Improved support for YUVJ420 & YUVJ422 formats (used by digital cameras)
Improved top-level menu layouts
Resolved crash when accessing ISO files on certain shares
Resolved potential streaming issues when using an unstable network
Resolved AFP related memory management issues
Other minor improvements & fixes
Great! Where can I get it?
If you’re already running a version of aTV Flash (black) the new 1.6 version can be installed through the Maintenance –> Manage Extras menu. Links for the new version can also be found in your account under the Downloads tab.
If you’re new to aTV Flash (black) you can learn about all the great benefits here.
Let us know what you think by leaving a comment below.
Parallels Desktop 7 for Mac has just been updated to version 7.0.15104, bringing with it a number of fixes and improvements, including enhanced support for Retina displays and Windows 8.
This update for Parallels Desktop for Mac (build 7.0.15104) includes the following fixes and improvements:
Run Windows 8, Ubuntu, and Fedora on the latest models of Mac computers (MacBook Air (mid 2012), MacBook Pro (mid 2012) , MacBook Pro with Retina display).
Run Fedora 17 in virtual machines.
Install Parallels Desktop on Mac computers running OS X Mountain Lion.
Use IMG disc images for the virtual machine CD/DVD-ROM drive.
Use USB 3.0 devices in virtual machines.
Improved Parallels Mobile connectivity with Mac.
Improved Linux distributions detection during Express installation.
Enhanced Retina display support.
The update is a little over 312 MB in size, so go update now.
If you have ever wanted to check who was in a movie or directed it, chances are you have used the Internet Movie Database (IMDb). Their app for iOS has just been updated to version 2.7 brining with it a lot of new features.
IMDb is the world’s largest collection of movie, TV and celebrity info. We aim to list every detail about every movie and TV show ever made, including who was in it, who made it, the plot, user ratings, trailers, photos, reviews, quotes, goofs, trivia and much more.
What’s New in Version 2.7
Check in to share what you’re watching, and join the discussions on the IMDb Message Boards. Find out where your favourite movies were filmed, and what songs are on the soundtrack. Quickly browse through all the episodes in a TV series. Discover new movies and TV shows as you explore.
– Movies & TV shows: check in and share what you are watching to Facebook and Twitter
– Message Boards: access general boards, or dive into discussions about your favourite people, movies, and shows
– Filming Locations & Soundtracks: find even more IMDb data to satisfy your curiosity
– More Like This: discover new movies and shows while you browse
– Watchlist: tap the plus sign on posters to build your Watchlist
– TV shows: easily dive into each season, and tap ‘previous’ and ‘next’ to browse through episodes
– Your History: long-press on the Back button from any page to access pages you’ve recently viewed
– Various bug fixes and performance improvements
Last month at E3 I was lucky enough to get a preview of the 1.3 update for Star Wars The Old Republic. That update is now available to everyone, so what are you waiting for?
Game Update 1.3: Allies, brings a number of exciting new features to Star Wars: The Old Republic including a Group Finder tool and Legacy Perks! This Game Update also includes an update to the Alderaan Warzone, Adaptive Gear, and more.
Game System: Group Finder
Game Update 1.3 brings a Group Finder tool that will help you quickly form groups to take on the many Flashpoints and Operations in The Old Republic. You will be able to select your preferred role within a group, as well as the type of content that you and your friends want to tackle, whether it’s Flashpoints or Operations.
Game System: Legacy Perks
Allies expands on the Legacy System by adding new bonuses which will allow you to travel the galaxy and customize your gaming experience. This includes Advancement Perks that grant you experience bonuses for taking part in Warzones, Flashpoints, or Space Missions. Some Legacy Perks will even grant you extra experience for continuing a character’s story!
Other Legacy Perks that you can unlock include a spawnable item repair droid, the ability to pilot speeders at level 10, and a number of bonuses for your Companion which increase their affection, improve their item crafting abilities, and decrease the time Companions spend selling items to vendors.
Game System: Adaptive Gear
Game Update 1.3 will allow you to coordinate with your allies and dress up as a band of Sand People or a squad of Republic pilots to tackle any of the exciting missions in Star Wars: The Old Republic.
Essentially, any social gear in the game can now be adapted to match your character’s combat gear, fusing it with the corresponding armour bonuses and adding slots for your best armour modifications.
Game System: Augment Unlocks
For players interested in keeping their gear optimized, Allies offers the ability to craft and sell kits that unlock an augmentation modification slot, previously only obtainable when achieving “critical” success while crafting. Players can now add an augmentation slot to any piece of equippable gear, making it easier to dress.
Here are some more images from the 1.3 update:
There are a lot of exciting updates and enhancements coming throughout 2012.
“We are living up to our commitment in setting a new bar for what players should expect from a premium MMO service,” said Matthew Bromberg, General Manager of BioWare Austin. “In just six months, we have already released three major game updates that have added new content and game features that have addressed the feedback from our fans. And we are just getting started. By the end of this year, we are adding more Warzones, more Flashpoints, more Operations, more updates to the Legacy System, new companions, new storylines and more. We are very excited about the future.”
Do you play Star Wars The Old Republic? And if so what do you think of the new update? Leave us a comment below.
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