Today is the launch day for Kinect Star Wars, and we reviewed it this morning. Apparently in London this morning a certain Dark Lord of the Sith was seen with some Stormtrooper friends following around R2-D2 looking to buy the game.
Did you see them?
All day, every day – that’s how much you use your smartphone. With its impossibly thin and lightweight design, Motorola RAZR MAXX boasts features with the wow factor and a battery that can handle even the most demanding lifestyle.
Customers across Europe and the Middle East will be able to start talking, texting, typing, watching and more for even longer from May 2012.
RAZR MAXX delivers up to 17.6 hours of talk time so you won’t spend your day plugged into the wall. However its 1GB RAM combined with a dual-core 1.2GHz processor and Android™ operating system will ensure you are always entertained, delivering a lightning-fast user interface and the power to multi-task like never before. You can rock your playlists while checking email, breeze through photos – all day, every day, all at the same time.
Still seriously thin at just 8.99mm, RAZR MAXX is the exact opposite of frail. It’s made strong with KEVLAR® fibre, while Corning® Gorilla® Glass defends the hyper-vibrant 4.3-inch Super AMOLED Advanced display from scratches and scrapes. And every part of the Motorola RAZR MAXX is protected by a splashguard coating, which even extends to the electrical boards inside, ensuring a go anywhere, do everything attitude.
Smart Actions, the remarkably intelligent application exclusive to Motorola Mobility, pushes the limits even further by automating everyday tasks based on triggers like time of day, location, battery levels and more. Never forget to put your phone on silent in meetings, turn up the volume when your boss calls and even maximize your last ounce of power by dimming the display and turning off power hungry services.
Motorola RAZR MAXX also comes preloaded with the Motorola MotoCast™ app, giving you the power to stream or download content from a home or work computer straight to the device so your docs, pics and music are always available – anytime, anywhere. No uploading to a third party means no wasted time or forgetting to upload that crucial presentation, and everything stays protected, right on your computer.
“RAZR MAXX isn’t changing the rules – it’s creating a whole new game. Building on the RAZR heritage it combines the pinnacle of design with mind-blowing power and an incredible battery life that is perfect for people who want to push their smartphone to the limits,” said Maurizio Angelone, vice president and general manager, mobile devices, EMEA, Motorola Mobility. “Whether you want to watch hours of movies, or don’t want to worry about charging between meetings, this latest smartphone from Motorola redefines boundaries and banishes the low battery beep to history.”
Motorola smartphones offer some of the industry’s most powerful enterprise features available, and Motorola RAZR MAXX is no exception, including government-grade encryption and productivity tools that rival the capabilities of desktop PCs. Collaborate in real time with GoToMeeting® and create and edit files right on your phone with QuickOffice®.
Motorola RAZR MAXX is expected to be available in select markets in Europe and the Middle East starting from May 2012.
The guys and girls over at LogMeIn have just released an update to the LogMeIn app for the iPhone and iPad so you can access your PC or Mac from your iOS devices.
From your couch, on the train or in the air – get anytime, anywhere access to your PC or Mac.
Remotely control your PCs and Macs over WiFi/3G with the free LogMeIn app on your iPad or iPhone. It works with LogMeIn’s free award-winning software installed on as many computers as you like. You can remotely access your files, run your applications and control your desktops from anywhere. With everything at your fingertips, you’re finally free to go.
Access your information and get stuff done.
• Access your home and work computers on the go.
• Control your Mac or PC as if you’re sitting right in front of it.
• Get to your computer files and edit them from your iPad or iPhone.
• Remotely run any application on your computer from your iPad or iPhone.
• Fix computer problems remotely for business or personal IT.
Upgrade in-app to experience these LogMeIn Pro features, and more:
• HD video and sound streaming for seamless remote control from any device or Pro enabled computer (available for Windows, Mac coming soon)
• My Cloud Bank integration that links your LogMeIn app with popular cloud services
• File Manager for transferring files and folders between computers and saving them to your device
• Remote printing to any AirPrint compatible printer
• Photo App Management for accessing and transferring photos from/to your iPad or iPhone photo library
Remote control features include:
• Intuitive and flexible control modes
• Multi-monitor support
• Supports use of special key combinations
• Start a sleeping computer with Wake-On-LAN
How does the in-app subscription upgrade to LogMeIn Pro work?
• Downloading the app is free, and includes FREE remote control of all your computers
• If you choose to upgrade to a LogMeIn Pro subscription, simply select yearly ($39.99)
Update includes additional purchase options in app for users to experience LogMeIn Pro; 3 month and 6 month. Additional performance and stability improvements included for all users.
Download LogMeIn from the App Store now
The Sky Go app for the iPhone and the iPad has been updated to include the ability to pause and resume Sky Movies on demand.
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.
Search – you can now search for your favourite Sky Movies on demand to watch on Sky Go.
Pause and Resume Sky Movies on demand – Sky Go will now remember where you stopped watching so you can pick up where you left off.
Watch every second of the BBC’s 2012 Olympics coverage on Sky with the help of 24 brand new channels, dedicated to the London Games.
More than 10 million Sky homes will be able to watch the 2012 London Olympics through two dozen brand new BBC channels which will be dedicated to the BBC’s live coverage of the games. In addition, more than 5 million Sky homes with Sky+HD set-top boxes will be able to watch the coverage in stunning high definition (HD), to make their Olympics experience even richer and more immersive.
The innovative agreement will mean that Sky homes will have access to comprehensive coverage of this summer’s Olympics, with up to 24 live dedicated HD and SD channels running simultaneously at peak times during the games. The 48 brand new channels, which are being created specifically for the Olympics, will launch into Sky’s Electronic Program Guide (EPG) and will show every sport from cycling to archery, swimming to wrestling, tennis to the 100 metre final. Alongside coverage on the existing BBC channels, Sky homes will be able to enjoy 2,500 hours’ worth of live BBC coverage throughout the Games.
What’s more, because Sky homes will be able to view the channels via the Sky EPG, Sky+ homes will be able to record the coverage to watch at a time that suits them so that they can record every one of their favourite events and not miss any of the action.
As with the rest of the HD channels on the Sky platform, the new channels will be broadcast in 1080i and in wide-screen to enhance the viewing experience. The BBC’s Olympics coverage will also be accessible via the BBC Red Button.
Stephen van Rooyen, Managing Director of Sky’s Sales and Marketing Group, said: “The London Olympics is a huge event in 2012 and one that we are all looking forward to here at Sky. We believe that the best way to watch the Olympics is in glorious HD as it offers viewers the best possible viewing experience and, supported by Sky+, the flexibility of watching the action at a time that suits our customers. We’re delighted that every single Sky home will have the opportunity to enjoy unprecedented coverage of the biggest UK sporting event in a generation.”
When watching the coverage with Sky+, customers will be able to record, rewind and replay crucial moments throughout the Olympics and also use this feature to record their favourite sports and events from the games automatically on their Sky box. The Sky+ Remote Record option also allows customers to set their Sky+ or Sky+HD box to record from mobile devices or the web.
The 48 new channels will be added to the Sports section of Sky’s Electronic Programme Guide from the 24th of July. The channels are free-to-air and available to any Sky home, including Freesat from Sky homes. The HD channels are available on any Sky+HD box and do not require a subscription, but do require an HD ready TV. Customers will require a Sky subscription in order to use Sky+.
In addition to the live Olympic coverage scheduled to broadcast over the 24 new BBC channels, comprehensive Olympic coverage will also be available on BBC One, BBC One HD, BBC HD, BBC Two, BBC Three and the BBC News Channel, of all which will also be available to all 10.3 million Sky homes.
Hightech Information System (HIS) have announced the launch of HIS 7850 Fan 2GB graohic card.
The card offers outstanding graphics quality and excellent cooling technology for enthusiasts. With core and memory clocks at 860MHz and 4800MHz, the card ensures the highest graphics quality whilst gaming, watching movies, playing music or browsing the internet. Equipped with an outstanding cooler, the card provides a quiet environment for daily tasks.
The card also comes with the innovative overclocking software called the iTurbo. The user can control the temperature, speed and power all at once.
iTurbo
The iTurbo also acts as a software tool, which enables the user to control the noise of the graphics card ensuring a quieter experience. This can be easily done by the touch of the iTurbo Button!
HIS uses only the finest materials and the most advanced techniques to build our cards, making them one of the most stable and durable products in the industry. The iTurbo consists on a Fan control capability will offers the User to easily adjust the card providing maximum cooling performance. It is also compatible with both AMD and Nvidia cards. The smart auto overclocking function demonstrates a slight performance boost for the selective HIS graphic cards, which allows the User to have more control and maximises the user experience overall.
The card is armed with 1x Crossfire Connectors and is ready for up to 2-way hardware crossfire Multiplied performance!
Being able to Multi-task
The card is an ideal solution for all those who rely on having several applications visible simultaneously for extra productivity. Multi-tasking and multi-display video conferencing just got a lot simpler! Make your computer a multi-display workstation!
Much Quieter when playing or watching movies
It’s extremely quiet and noise level is less than 28dB. You can see the difference when watching movies in the UVD mode, checking your mail, viewing your photos or just simply browsing the web. The card is HDCP compliant, enabling users to play copy protected content, such as commercial DVD movies.
The HD experience
With the Full HD 1080p support, the card delivers high quality 1920X1080 graphics, enabling seamless full-screen video playback. The Quad HD videos have up to four times the resolution now shown in HD movies! The card features 2 Mini display Ports for enhanced workspace flexibility. You can easily connect to two displays, including the 27” Apple LED Cinema.
More graphics, New Design, New Experiences
The new design offers PCI-e 3.0 Support, Armed with the latest PCI-e 3.0 bus designs, the card delivers double the amount of bandwidth per lane of PCI-e 2.x.
The new architecture of the card allows the User to obtain more processing power. When playing, it enables better frame rates at high resolutions. In addition, with AMD PowerPlay™ & AMD PowerTune technologies, you can optimise the balance between performance and the power consumption of your system- this can be done by adjusting the engine clock during the runtime of the card.
3D and display capabilities
The User can enjoy the latest 3D games illustrating stunning graphics, allowing the gamer to have an immersive experience with AMD Eyefinity 2.0 The gamer can maximise their whole gaming experience by playing across up to 4 displays!
The card supports 30” LCD monitor and any large size TV up to 80″ feature with 16:9 ratios in amazing 4096 by 2160 resolution. Up-scaling your computer into a multimedia centre with the biggest display!
Stereo 3D Experience
With the full Microsoft DirectX® 11.1 support, the card is now ready for next generation DirectX games. Equipped with AMD HD3D technology, you can enjoy a stereo 3D experience in the latest 3D games. The card also offers up to 2x faster tessellation and faster DirectCompute over the earlier cards. The Output protected high bit rate 7.1 channel surround sound over HDMI with no additional cables required, heightening the sense of reality!
List of approved monitors for AMD HD3D Technology:
· Samsung SA700
· Samsung SA750
· Samsung TA950
· Samsung SA950
· Samsung TA 750
· LG D2342P
· LG D237IPS
Learn more from the HIS website
Last week saw the Spring Update for Battlefield 3 released for the PC, and today it will be released for the Xbox 360.
Here are some of the update highlights:
This update sees a number of improvements to the commo rose on PC, partially based on feedback from the community. Some of the tweaks we have made are detailed below:
New global call-outs
We have added a number of new commo rose call-outs that you can make to the entire team whenever you want. Where you previously had to look at a Support player to get the option to request ammo, you can now use the commo rose at any time to request ammo, health, or repairs. Using these requests will trigger appropriate icons on the minimap.Moved orders to commo rose
We moved orders so that they are now exclusive to the commo rose. This means that you will no longer accidentally place an order when you in reality wanted to spot an enemy standing near a flag, for example.Improved mouse handling
The mouse movement is now always tracked from the center of the commo rose, to make navigation more intuitive.Quicker activation
You now activate a call-out simply by releasing Q, which should be snappier than the previous implementation.Improved readability
We tweaked the layout and design of the commo rose to improve readability and give clearer and quicker confirmation of which call-out is currently highlighted.Look for these flashing icons on the mini map. They mean your team mates are trying to tell you something!
The available call-outs in the commo rose is context sensitive and will change depending on what you are currently doing in the game – for example, vehicles and infantry each have separate call-outs. Each function should trigger appropriate voice messages as well as icons on the minimap for increased team play possibilities. Players should keep an eye on the minimap for these icons. If you see them flashing, a team mate is requesting aid via the commo rose.
Improved minimap
After listening to community feedback, we have implemented alternative new ways to display the minimap. You can now choose between Map, Satellite or Hybrid view mode.Map mode shows the most important tactical geometries such as buildings, objects, roads and water.
Satellite mode displays a top-down photograph of the level for increased terrain detail.
Hybrid mode combines the Satellite view with a Map overlay, offering a mix of quick tactical awareness and terrain detail.
You can change the minimap mode on the fly by pressing [B] (this key is mappable). You can set your preferred default map mode in the Options menu, where you can also alter the opacity level for the satellite textures.
Select the minimap display that suits your map and play style.
Beep beep! We have horns!
Yes! We have added horns to all jeeps in the game! Nothing says “Get in and man the machine gun so we can take back the airfield!” like three short beeps of the horn. Just press [SPACE] to make your presence known to friendly forces. Warning: Beeping also heard by opposition. Suggest limiting beeping when in enemy territory to keep vehicle in working order. This feature is also present in the PlayStation 3 update that went live yesterday (activated by L1).Giving all players IR flares
To balance the battlefield and give budding pilots a fighting chance from day 1, we are now giving IR flares to all players. These will be automatically available to you in all air vehicles in the game. So if you’ve had a hard time staying up in the air previously, it should be easier to dodge incoming threats from now on. We hope this small but significant change will mean more players take to the skies and mix up their play style. This feature is also present in the PlayStation 3 update that went live yesterday.More awards for skillful heli flying
One of the balancing items we have done in this game update is to better reward skillful heli pilots. To do this, we have increased the pilot’s score for transporting passengers who make kills from the heli. The assist score for heli pilots is now 50 points/kill. In a fully loaded transport, four passengers who make 1 kill each will give the pilot a sum total of 200 points. This balancing change is also present in the PlayStation 3 update that went live yesterday.Making the SOFLAM a passive income gadget
The Recon gadget SOFLAM (laser target painter) has been given a new feature. Now, when a Recon player places it and then leaves it, it will continue to paint targets entering its area of control, continuously giving the Recon player a passive points income. This means a Recon player can place a SOFLAM in a strategic position, then leave it to find a good sniping spot. Combined with fixing a few scoring error in the SOFLAM, it should now be a much more viable source of experience points for Recons. This balancing change is also present in the PlayStation 3 update that went live yesterday.Suppressing is team play, too!
Another balancing change that reflects how we want every player to be able to contribute to the overall effort is the lowered threshold for achieving the Suppression Ribbon. From a previous requirement of 7, players now only need to perform 3 suppressions in a game to be rewarded the Suppression Ribbon. This means the Support Kit player can rack up scores by skillful use of his LMG. We’ve always know suppression helps – now we are more generously rewarding those team players who help disorient the enemy so we can move in for the kill. This balancing change is also present in the PlayStation 3 update that went live yesterday.
Have you updated yet? If so, tell us what you think.
Listen in ultimate comfort with the new MA series headphones from Sony.
Treat yourself to a more spacious, relaxed listening experience with a new range of open-type headphones from Sony. Beautifully styled and comfortable to wear, the MA series is tailored for great sound in the home – whether you’re watching TV, listening to a hi-fi, gaming or browsing videos on your PC or tablet.
The Full Open style of the flagship MDR-MA900 delivers an extremely natural and expansive soundstage. Enhanced by an elegantly light, high-comfort design in premium materials, it’s the closest you’ll get to the sensation of headphone-less listening.
The newly developed extra-large 70mm driver units on the MA900 assure detailed, spacious sound with an exceptionally wide dynamic range and an extended frequency response. It is the first time that a driver of this size has been implemented on an open-backed headphone from Sony. The unique Acoustic Bass Lens focuses low-end notes for a weighty bottom-end punch that ordinary full open-type headphones struggle to match. The integration of an impedance compensator helps maintain a fuller, more even bass response than can be experienced in other open-type headphones, when driven by different audio sources.
The clean, modern styling of the MA900 is accentuated by weight-saving aluminium and magnesium components and the slim headband’s flexible head cushion adapts naturally to your head shape, for an exceptionally comfortable listening experience.
Comfort comes first across the entire MA series. The MDR-MA500 and MDR-MA300 offer a flexible ear fit mechanism for ultra-relaxing wear during lengthy movie, music or gaming sessions. Powerful 300 kJ/m3 neodymium magnets assure clear rich bass and clear mid-range reproduction.
The MDR-MA100 includes soft fabric earpads for hours of comfortable listening. The MDR-MA102TV offers all the same features as the MA100, adding an extra-long 5m cord and handy in-line volume control. It’s great for TV viewers who want to enjoy their favourite shows without disturbing others.
The new MA series of open headphones from Sony are available in the UK from May 2012.
A few weeks ago we gave you a sneak preview of Kinect Star Wars, and now it’s time for our review.
Kinect Star Wars brings Star Wars to life like never before. Harnessing the controller-free power of Kinect for Xbox 360, Kinect Star Wars allows fans to physically hone their Jedi skills, wield the power of the Force in their hands, pilot iconic ships and vehicles, rampage as a vicious Rancor monster or even dance with iconic Star Wars characters. Using full body motions, players can live out the ultimate Star Wars fantasy to use the Force, battle with a Lightsaber and more — no controller required.
· Enter the Galaxy. True to the Star Wars you know and love, “Kinect Star Wars” brings to life the “galaxy far, far away” with stunning visuals, complete with iconic characters, vehicles, ships, Droids and much more.
· Use the Force. Drawing on iconic moments from the entire saga, “Kinect Star Wars” invites you to experience a wide variety of physical play, including harnessing the powers of the Jedi Knights with your fingertips.
· Customize your training. Experience the breadth of the Star Wars Universe as you wield a Lightsaber, train to be a Jedi Master, soar in command of a speeder bike, become a champion Podracer, wreak havoc as a rampaging Rancor, battle the Dark Side in one-on-one duels, dance for Jabba the Hutt, and much more.
· Join forces. Share the Force with friends through co-op, competitive and duel modes. Easy jump-in and out lets a second player join in instantly on the Jedi action.
Each games is different and brings it own challenges, and fun. For example it is a lot fun controlling a podracer and racing around the track using only your body, and the sheer amusement you get out of smashing up buildings and eating people as a Rancor cannot be beaten. And yes, ok, there is the Galactic Dance Off as well. It feels a little strange at first, but it’s actually quite fun, and I can certainly see the younger players enjoying that.
And the Duels of Fate levels – wow, being able to have a light sabre battle with Darth Vader himself it just fantastic. What I wouldn’t have given for this game back when I was a kid when Star Wars first came out! The gameplay within these levels is a little limited – lots of blocking, swiping and kicking, but who cares, you are fighting against Darth Vader!
I even played it in 3D (which usually I am not a fan of) but in this case the 3D works really well and really makes you feel that you in the game.
I can see the diehard Star Wars fans hating the Galactic Dance Off level – it’s a bit of fun, but I think it will be a source of contention for a while to come. You can “dance” in four different locations – Jabba’s Palace on Tattooine, Bespin’s Cloud City, Coruscant or the Death Star! I wonder if the Death Star Disco has glitter balls that look like the Death Star? The songs are Star Wars “themed” remakes of popular songs (I will let you find out for yourself as there are 15 of them). Yeah, probably enough said on that!
It took me a little while to get used to the controls – or rather get used to me being the controller, but eventually you get the hang of it. One thing to say though, as with most Kinect games, you really do need a decent amount of space to play it otherwise you find yourself constantly having to move back at really inconvenient moments in the game!
The graphics and gameplay are good and I can see a lot of time being spent playing Kinect Star Wars. Will it appeal to everyone? Maybe not, but is it fun and worth a go, yes indeed!
So are you going to buy it? If so, let us know what you think of it.
Here are some more screenshots:
And here’s one of the Galactic Dance Off level!!!
Facebook for iOS has been updated to version 4.1.1 bringing with it some new features.
In this release, we added some features and fixed some bugs so now:
– You can go offline in chat
– The right profile picture appears for everyone
– Your list of friends always includes all your friends
– In sets of photos, your name is displayed correctly
– Photos of people who like Facebook Pages load correctly
– Your friend-request notification only lights up if you have a request
– You can change your language to Czech, Danish, Greek, Indonesian, Malaysian, Norwegian (Bokmal), Portuguese (Portugal) or Thai
– If you’ve got a new Retina iPad, you’ll see a crisp, high resolution interface
StableBit DrivePool has finally come out of beta – yes, that’s right! The first full build release is 1.0.0.5974.
Here is how CoveCube describes this application:
This version’s change log:
1.0.0.5974 ———-
* Added translations for Spanish, French and German.
* [D] Tweaked timing between pool mount and pool part volume enumeration. This addresses disappearing shares on really fast booting servers (typically using SSDs).
* Disable file system I/O tracing by default.
* Stop keeping track of UI state in service, if no UI present for some time.
* Smooth out internal disk updates. Do not query for disk information too often.
Learn more from the new Stablebit DrivePool home Download Stablebit Drivepool build 5974 here
As you know, we are big fans of Fractal Design, and they have just launched a new Silent Series R2 fan range.
*Hydraulic bearing (superior to sleeve bearing)
*Fully-Sleeved cables
*60mm – 140mm come with both metal and rubber screws
*120mm – 140mm come with a adapter to lower the speed
These fans have been specifically developed to deliver significant airflow while maintaining low noise levels. Silent Series R2 fans are available in sizes from 40mm up to 140mm.
All new Silent Series R2 fans are equipped with high performance hydraulic bearings, increasing both fan performance and reliability. Each fan 60mm and larger is packaged with both 4 metal screws and 4 rubber screws to ensure maximum fan-mounting options. Using the rubber screws allows mechanical decoupling from the case itself, reducing vibrations and decreasing the noise level (40 and 50mm feature metal mounting screws only).
The cable on each Silent Series R2 fan is fully sleeved for effortless cable routing and enhanced aesthetics.
Learn more from the Fractal Design website
Ceton have posted some new screenshots of the Q companion apps for Windows Phone on their blog, along with some further details.
This is how Ceton start their blog post:
At CES in January, when we first showed off the new Q companion apps for Windows Phone 7, we showcased a few main features. The most obvious was that we believe breaking the content into key segments like television, movies, music, etc. would be the most natural way for people to navigate the app. In addition, within each of these we really wanted to show live content, like what shows were recently added or which ones were coming up next. We got some great feedback at CES and have been working hard since then to flesh out more functionality and some new designs. So today we want to show you our latest revision to the WP7 companion apps home screen.
To read the rest and see more images, click here.
DVBLogic have released a DLNA server patch for DVBLink.
This patch contains the following two important fixes:
– DVBLink Server hangup on start/shutdow because of DLNA server hangup
– Not recognized media format during playback start in some DLNA clients (for example XBMC Eden)
Installation instructions:
– stop DVBLink server WIndows server
– copy attached dlna_server.zip to <dvblink installation path>\sinks\dlna_server, overwriting existing file (make a backup of this file first!)
– start DVBLink server WIndows server
