Twonky Mobile app for iOS updated to version 2.2

Andrew Edney
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0
Twonky Mobile app for iOS updated to version 2.2

Twonky have just released an update to its Twonky Mobile app for iOS taking it to version 2.2.

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Twonky Mobile lets your iPhone become the ultimate remote control.

Find media on your network, such as the music, photos and videos stored on your computer, and play them on your phone or beam them to your TV or other network-connected media player (e.g. DLNA, Airplay device). Select your media library and player, and then queue your media for instant playback.

You can also access photos, videos and music stored on your iPhone from most networked-connected screens, or beam them to supported devices.

What’s New in Version 2.2

– New TwonkyServer version 7.0
– Reduced memory usage
– Improved support for Music purchased from iTunes
– Improved local Video discovery
– Thumbnails and Titles improved for local and remote libraries
– Fixed mixed queue support
– Added HLS Support
– Known Issue: Pause while playing locally does not work.

Download from the Apple App Store

Sky Go App for iPhone and iPad Updated to Version 2.2

Andrew Edney
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1
Sky Go App for iPhone and iPad Updated to Version 2.2

The Sky Go app for the iPhone and the iPad has been updated with some performance and stability fixes.

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Here is the description for the Sky Go app:

Enjoy live TV from Sky wherever you have a 3G or WiFi connection in the UK or Ireland on your iPad, iPhone 3GS or above or iPod touch 4th gen.

Take the magic of Sky Movies with you this winter.

Customers with Sky Movies 1 & 2 can now watch all 11 live channels including Sky Movies Premiere and Sky Movies Christmas. Plus, hundreds of movies on demand to watch whenever you fancy over a WiFi connection.

Watching live Sky Movies on your iPad, iPhone or iPod touch through a 3G connection will use data and contribute to the monthly allowance set by your mobile network operator. Exceeding this could result in significant charges.

Stay up to date with the latest Sky Sports action.

Sky Sports pack customers can watch all five dedicated live Sky Sports channels including Sky Sports News.

Sky News is also available to all Sky TV customers.

What’s New in Version 2.2

You can now enjoy some of your favourite shows from Sky1, Sky Living, Sky Atlantic and Sky Arts on demand at no extra cost with our new Anytime+ Entertainment section.

Download the Sky Go app from the Apple App Store

Halo 4 Forward Unto Dawn teaser trailer released

Andrew Edney
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0
Halo 4 Forward Unto Dawn teaser trailer released

A teaser trailer for the live-action digital series Halo 4: Forward Unto Dawn has just been released.

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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 short teaser below:

Created in partnership with top Hollywood talent from film, television and new media, “Halo 4: Forward Unto Dawn” brings a brand new “Halo” story to life on a scale never before seen in the “Halo” Universe.   The series will debut this October on Machinima Prime and on Halo Waypoint as a five episode series.  The “Halo 4” Limited Edition game will include access to the “Halo 4: Forward Unto Dawn” Special Edition via Halo Waypoint, with never-before-seen bonus footage, as well as exclusive fiction and behind-the-scenes content.

Stay tuned for more updates as well as the full trailer to be revealed at the San Diego Comic-Con in the U.S., 12-15 July.

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.

Download Issue 3 of The MagPi Digital Magazine for lovers of the Raspberry Pi

Andrew Edney
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0
Download Issue 3 of The MagPi Digital Magazine for lovers of the Raspberry Pi

If you have, or are interested in the Raspberry Pi, then you might want to download the new issue of The MagPi digital magazine.

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This is how the Raspberry Pi guys describe the magazine:

The MagPi, a free online magazine dedicated to the Raspberry Pi, whose first issue was released a few days ago, is a perfect example of that. It’s been put together entirely by volunteers, guided by Ash Stone, Jason “Jaseman” Davies, Meltwater and other names you may recognise from the forums and comments on this site. I was broadly aware they were up to something, but I was amazed at the scope of what they sent me to look at earlier in the week, and I’ve been really, really impressed by the first issue. There are Debian and Puppy guides, articles on computing history, ideas for robotics projects, tutorials in Scratch and Python (with code you can type in yourself, just like in the good old days), features about the Raspberry Pi itself, and other goodies to dig into. I really can’t recommend it enough, and if you haven’t been lucky enough to get to the head of the queue, you don’t need a Raspberry Pi to find it useful (you might actually find the magazine good preparation before yours arrives).

It is a really interesting read – so go download it today, and let us know what you think!

Download the new issue of The MagPi here

Amazon Kindle App for iOS Updated to version 3.1.1

Andrew Edney
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0
Amazon Kindle App for iOS Updated to version 3.1.1

I use the Amazon Kindle app on my iPad all the time, and it has just been updated to version 3.1.1.

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Description

The Kindle app is optimized for the iPad, iPhone, and iPod touch, giving users the ability to read Kindle books, newspapers, magazines and PDFs on a beautiful, easy-to-use interface.

You’ll have access to over 900,000 books in the Kindle Store. Amazon Whispersync automatically syncs your last page read, bookmarks, notes, and highlights across devices (including Kindle), so you can pick up your book where you left off on another device.

Get the best reading experience available on your iPad, iPhone, and iPod touch:
• Shop the Kindle Store by visiting Amazon for the largest selection of books people want to read: over a 900,000* books.
• *New*: Email PDFs & other documents to your new Send-to-Kindle e-mail address and we deliver them to your device. The documents are automatically archived in the Amazon Cloud and available for re-download on your iOS or supported Kindle devices. You can also read PDFs from Mail, Safari, or by transferring them from iTunes.
• Get free book samples – read the first chapter free before you decide to buy.
• Customize your reading experience by choosing the background color, font size, and either portrait or landscape format.
• Instant dictionary word lookup. Tap and hold a word to view the definition. Use the Google and Wikipedia links to get more information.
• Search inside the book to find a character, topic, or section you want to revisit.
• Simply tap on either side of the screen or flick to turn pages.
• You can also read your Kindle books on your Kindle, Kindle Fire, Kindle Touch, PC, Mac, Android-based device, and Windows Phone 7-based device. Our Whispersync technology syncs your last page read, notes, bookmarks, and highlights across devices, so you can pick up where you left off.

What’s New in Version 3.1.1

This update fixes issues with Kindle on iOS 6.

New in 3.1 for iPad users:
– Improved reading experience on iPad: Smaller margins and a cleaner look help you focus on the author’s words.

New features in 3.1 for iPad, iPhone, and iPod touch:
– Search: Quickly locate your content by searching for a title or author.
– Google and Wikipedia: This update fixes an issue that prevented lookup of words on Google and Wikipedia.

Download from the Apple App Store

VLC Player beta for Android now available

Andrew Edney
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0
VLC Player beta for Android now available

You may have used VLC Player on your Mac or PC, and now there is a beta available for Android.

VLC Android

VLC is a free and open source cross-platform multimedia player that plays most multimedia files as well as discs, devices, and network streaming protocols.

This is a BETA version of the port to the Android platform. It is intended for power users and hackers. This version is NOT stable and is slower than the final version.

Download the beta of VLC Player now

Upgrade to Windows 8 Pro for $39.99

Jim McCarthy
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3
Upgrade to Windows 8 Pro for $39.99

Microsoft today confirmed pricing on Windows 8 Pro will be $39.99.  Read on for details.

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Microsoft today confirmed that upgrading to Windows 8 Pro will cost $39.99, and if you upgrade to Pro, you can choose Media Center for free.  Here is what they said:

We set out to make it as easy as possible for everyone to upgrade to Windows 8. Starting at general availability, if your PC is running Windows XP, Windows Vista, or Windows 7 you will qualify to download an upgrade to Windows 8 Pro for just $39.99 in 131 markets. And if you want, you can add Windows Media Center for free through the “add features” option within Windows 8 Pro after your upgrade.

When you use Windows.com to purchase an upgrade to Windows 8 Pro, the Windows 8 Upgrade Assistant makes upgrading simple by walking you through the upgrade process step-by-step from purchase to download and then of course installation.

We believe that your upgrade experience in Windows 8 will be a breeze by offering a faster experience, a single upgrade path, and compatibility from prior versions of Windows. We’ve continued to listen to our customers and have expanded the ability to download to over 100 countries and 37 languages. We have simplified the Windows upgrade experience with the Windows 8 Upgrade Assistant which supports you during your upgrade with everything from selecting your language to pausing your download to built-in compatibility checks – it’s seamless. And if you’re an enthusiast you will have the flexibility to download and control how you upgrade.

If you prefer to shop at a local store, a packaged DVD version of the upgrade to Windows 8 Pro will be available for $69.99 during this promotion.

This upgrade promotion for Windows 8 Pro both online and at retail runs through January 31st, 2013.

Head on over to the Windows Team blog here and check out the full story.  I may upgrade that netbook running XP just so I can boot it up in less than 10 minutes; how about you?

Windows Team Blog Post

StableBit DrivePool for Windows Home Server 2011 Beta 1.0.2.6298 released

Andrew Edney
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0
StableBit DrivePool for Windows Home Server 2011 Beta 1.0.2.6298 released

There has been another beta build from CoveCube! StableBit DrivePool development marches on – now its version 1.0.2.6298.

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Here is how CoveCube describes this application:

  • Combine all your hard drives into one big storage pool (except the system drive with the OS).
  • Add and remove drives from the pool at any time without re-partitioning or manually moving folders.
  • Create duplicated folders on the storage drive pool that are protected against single drive failure. If a drive fails on which a duplicated file was stored, the contents of that file will remain readable even without the drive.
  • All your data is stored in standard NTFS files. You can always access your files even if the Windows Home Server completely crashes or this add-in can’t be used.

This beta version’s change log:

1.0.2.6298

* Fixed disk enumeration, where disks would not come out of a missing state or newly added disks would not immediately show up as being part of the pool.

* [D] Do not fail when a file needs to be extended due to a file mapping object.

* [D] Changes made to dirty pages in a mapped view (section), should be visible to non-mapped reads. In particular, this was breaking the SQL installer.

Download the latest beta version from here

Go Further with Ford 2012: The 2013 Mustang

Andrew Edney
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0
Go Further with Ford 2012: The 2013 Mustang

We spent last week with Ford at their Future Trends event in Detroit, and on the last day we were taken to Ford’s Test Track. One of the things we got to do was see and drive the new 2013 Mustangs, including being driven around by a professional driver.

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The area for this part of the day was called Adrenaline Road, and they were not kidding!

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There were six cars in all – 2 driven by professionals, 2 automatics and 2 manuals.

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We also got taken around the track by a professional driver. This experience was amazing and even 10 minutes after getting out of the car my heart was still racing!

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Towards the end of the morning they had to replace both professionally driven cars because they had gone through all the tyres!

And here is a video showing the new 2013 Mustangs, the Adrenaline Course, being driven around by the two professional drivers and they us having a go ourselves!

Go Further with Ford 2012: The 2013 Police Interceptors

Andrew Edney
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1
Go Further with Ford 2012: The 2013 Police Interceptors

We spent last week with Ford at their Future Trends event in Detroit, and on the last day we were taken to Ford’s Test Track. One of the things we got to do was see and drive the new 2013 Police Inceptors.

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One of the areas was called Police Interceptor Drive and they had the new Sedan and the new Utility versions of the 2013 Police Interceptors available to see and drive – so who were we to turn down such an opportunity!

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Ford have specifically designed and engineered an all-new Police Interceptor vehicle;e to handle the rigors of police work, working hand-in-hand with its Police Advisory Board of law enforcement professionals.

Some details on the vehicles:

  • 3.5-litre Ti-VCT V6 FFV flex fuel-capable
  • Optional 3.5-litre EcoBoost V6
  • Six-speed automatic transmission
  • All-wheel-drive system

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And here is a short video explaining more about the new 2013 Police Inceptors, and also us driving them!

They were a lot of fun to drive and they handle really well. Queue the Cops theme tune…..

Go Further with Ford 2012: The 2013 Ford Fusion Wind Tunnel Test

Andrew Edney
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0
Go Further with Ford 2012: The 2013 Ford Fusion Wind Tunnel Test

We spent last week with Ford at their Future Trends event in Detroit, and one of the sessions included seeing how they test their cars in a wind tunnel.

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We were taken to Wind Tunnel 8 where we would be standing in the wind tunnel during a test.

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Because we were actually in the wind tunnel they only took it up to around 25 mph.

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Using smoke, they demonstrated how the new 2013 Ford Fusion deals with wind and is aerodynamic.

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Here is a short video of it in action – apologies that it was a like shaky in parts, but we were in a wind tunnel!

Twonky Beam Browser app for Android updated to 3.1.1

Andrew Edney
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0
Twonky Beam Browser app for Android updated to 3.1.1

Twonky have just released an update to its Beam Browser app for Android.

Twonky Beam Browser

Twonky Beam Browser provides you with a simple and familiar way to discover and enjoy Internet videos with your tablet or phone and beam them to your TV or other media players on your home network.

When you visit your favourite websites, or discover new ones, Twonky Beam Browser will display a Twonky Beam button over the media files that you are able beam to your TV or sound system. The home page of Twonky Beam Browser contains links to popular websites with great content you can beam. Browse many pages at once through tabs, with the home page always available to you as the main tab. You can also create and manage bookmarks, so that you can easily find your favourite sites.

A simple tap of the screen will beam the chosen content to your selected player, such as your Airplay enabled, UPnP or DLNA certified device. The beaming mode in Twonky Beam Browser can be toggled on and off, allowing you to use the application to discover and enjoy content locally on your tablet or phone.

What’s in this version:

• Better handling of installation errors
• Improved startup time when not connected to the Internet
• UI improvements for certain error scenarios
• Fix for some application crashes
• Improved handling of MPEG2 TS/TTS files

Download from Google Play

VLC Media Player 2.0.2 Released for Mac, brings Retina display support

Andrew Edney
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0
VLC Media Player 2.0.2 Released for Mac, brings Retina display support

The excellent VLC Media Player for the Mac has had an update, taking it to version 2.0.2

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Here are the most important improvements for VLC for the Mac:

  • Enabled drag and drop of playlist items between the temporary playlist and the persistent media library
  • Various video output improvements, notably for crop, zoom, osd and menu support
  • Enabled import of playlist items taken from the service discovery modules to the media library or the temporary playlist
  • Added media key support for keyboards by other manufacturers than Apple. This fix was facilitated through a hardware donation by ZF Friedrichshafen AG manufacturing keyboards under the brand “Cherry”.
  • Added HiDPI / Retina Display save UI artwork
  • Restored the preferences’ fullscreen options, which allows the user to start videos directly in fullscreen mode
  • Keep Aspect Ratio when resizing is back
  • Added controls to manipulate the Subtitles Duration to the Track Synchronization panel
  • Hidden items in the sidebar are being retained for the next launch now
  • Fixed crash when trying to open an Audio CD by drag & drop
  • Improve reliability when opening DVDs or BDs by drag & drop
  • Fixed a crash when attaching harddrives with multiple partitions while VLC is running
  • Improved OSD rendering in fullscreen mode
  • Improved fullscreen behavior when using a smartphone remote based upon VLC’s http interface
  • The selected audio device is retained throughout multiple VLC sessions now
  • Since running the Mac OS X interface as an Extra Interface or Control Interface can lead to undefined results, the respective options will be automatically reset on the first launch, if needed.
    • This fixes issues with unresponsive playback controls and crashes on quit.
  • Updated Growl plugin supporting Growl 1.3.
  • Improved reliablity in detecting VIDEO_TS folders when opened through the “Open Disc” panel.
  • Re-implemented the “Window Decorations” option, which, if disabled, hides all the UI elements from the video output window to give you the cleanest experience possible.
  • Improved the window title behavior when using the dark interface mode. It correctly responds to right and double-click events now.
  • Miscellaneous minor interface improvements

Additionally, VLC 2.0.1 includes the following cross-platform improvements:

Video Output

  • PCs running Windows XP will use the DirectX mode by default now, like in VLC’s 1.1.x release due to a fast number of broken drivers
  • More accurate colorspace conversions for YUV->RGB in OpenGL
  • Misc fixes in the OpenGL module, on all platforms
  • Fixed video output on PowerPC-based Macs equipped with an ATI Radeon 7500, an ATI Radeon 9200 or a NVIDIA GeForceFX 5200 Ultra.[1]
  • Fixed video output of 10bit encoded contents on Intel-based Macs equipped with an Intel GMA 950 chipset running OS X 10.6 or later.[2]

Access

  • Reworked Digital TV module for Windows. DVB-T and DVB-C work again
  • Fixes for RAR compressed files
  • Fixed DirectShow crashes on exit
  • Improved PulseAudio input latency
  • Fixes for HTTP access through a proxy
  • v4l2 webcam outputting H264 can now be used directly (use –v4l2-chroma=h264)
  • Fixed Subtitle auto-detection in subfolders
  • IE http proxy is no longer used by VLC on Windows
  • Accepts more extensions for DVD images
  • Fixed crash in VC1 packetizer

Codecs

  • Fixed crashes in AAC decoder on channels changes, notably in ISDB streams
  • Fixed compilation with multiple FFmpeg and libav versions
  • Fixed G726 support

Demuxers

  • Fixes for MKV segments and MKV title display
  • Fixed some mp4, voc, midi and au crashes
  • Fixed Real .ram and .ra files support
  • Fixed DVB channel file support
  • Fixes for alac, vorbis, DTS, VC-1 and Dirac in mp4

Encoders

  • Fix for MPEG audio encoding. Use Layer2 for the FOURCCs “mp2 ” and “mp2a”
  • Fixed JPEG generation when doing snapshots

Audio filters and output

  • Limitation of the Spatializer output volume
  • Fixed DirectSound device selection
  • Correct PulseAudio volume control
  • Fixed Directsound volume initialization
  • Volume level is no longer applied to the file output
  • Fixed sampling rate for the JACK output

Lua Scripts

  • Fixes for stdin/stdout and for different locale issues

Qt interface

  • Fixed preferences for audio devices on Windows
  • Fixed various crashes
  • Fixed multiple issues in the Open Disc dialog
  • Fixed playlist search and selector behavior
  • Miscellaneous fixes in preferences, buttons, EPG, playlist and customize dialog
  • Fixed tags and file names display

Skins2

  • Fixed mousewheel on Windows
  • Fixes for key events and focus loss

Web interface

  • Fixed display of some buttons
  • Fixed listing of files in the Open interface
Download VLC Player here

BYOB Podcast Episode 90 Out Now

Andrew Edney
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0
BYOB Podcast Episode 90 Out Now

The guys over at the BYOB podcast have just released episode 90.

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Here is what is included in this weeks show:

[box style=”rounded” border=”full”]Tim reports in on Windows 8, RT and ARM. The guys have a loose round table on where they see Microsoft and computing going in the future. Google Nexus 7 is a 7 inch tablet the right way for Google to go? [/box]

As usual you can listen to the show from here.

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