Movies Games and Tech

New beta for Recorded TV HD released

Andrew Edney

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Mar 28, 2012

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Mark Terborg has just released a new beta version of his Recorded TV HD software, taking it to version 1.6.0.

Recorded TV HD allows you to watch your recorded tv shows in Windows 7 Media Center with more style and ease.

This is what is included in the change log:

Version 1.6.16 – Changes since the last official release:

Pretty much all settings are now in the Media Center UI. (Wrench icon in the corner of the screen)

Added sort by season and episode number to the list of sorting options to the series episode list.

No longer show the commercial break viewer while in fast forward 1 (ff1) playback.

Commercial Skip Forward and Back buttons (configured in DVRMSToolbox settings) now work while commercial break viewer is visible if you use Left+Right or 1+3 to skip commercials manually.

Improved file name detection for custom file types.

Improved Season and Episode Number identification for recorded episodes.

Now attempts to download artwork for future recordings even if you haven’t recorded any episodes for the series before.

Detection of movies of any file type. Name the file either “Movie Name (2010).mkv” or “Movie Name.mkv”

Play button while highlighting series allows you to:

Play oldest unwatched episode

Play a random episode

Play all episodes in random order (watched/resume data and commercial skipping will not work)

Play all episodes in order (watched/resume data and commercial skipping will not work)

Option to hide the episode count badge when the episode count is 1.

Option for each favorite list to hide series if all episodes have been watched. (Change in settings program for each favorites list you would like)

Press the clear button on your remote while “resume” is highlighed and you will be asked if you would like to remove the watched/resume information for that episode.

Hopefully fixed problem where, for a few unlucky people, sometimes new recordings do not show up unless the service is restarted. (Hopefully for real this time)

Changed so that if you press the movies button on main Media Center screen you will now go back to the main Media Center screen when pressing the back button instead of going back to Recorded TV HD.

Added an option to use a “Recycle Bin” instead of just permanently deleting recordings. – Improved from last beta.

Tab in settings program for files that are not identified properly. (You can identify them in the settings in the Media Center UI.)

Fix for times when focus is not properly assigned (and remote doesn’t work) when returning to Recorded TV HD from another location in Media Center.

Added additional supported naming conventions for other file types (pretty much any combination of the below in addition to the original formats supported:

Directory names can be used instead of having the series name on the file itself… examples:

Series Name\Season 1\S01E01 – Episode Name.mp4

Series Name\S01E01.mp4

Can now also use 1×1, 01×01, 1×01, 01×1 in addition to S1E1 combinations to indicate which season and episode number it is. Examples:

Series Name\Season 1\1×01.mp4

Series Name – 01×01 – Episode Name.mp4

Series Name.1×1.mp4

Series Name\Season 1\01- Episode Name.mp4 (iTunes naming convention)

Fixed problem with [HD] in filename of Amazon VOD naming conventions not properly being identified.

Added option under Series Override to combine series that have different names. Example: “CSI: NY” and “CSI New York”

Added support for manually created WTV & DVR-MS files. If there is not enough metadata in the file itself it will check if the file is named with the proper file name conventions. If it is the correct metadata will be pulled.

If a movie is recorded and for some reason doesn’t have the proper “movie” designation you can set the genre as “Movie” and it will properly hide it from the standard view if you have the “Hide recorded movies from standard view” checkbox checked.

When on the single episode screen the play button on the remote will now play/resume that episode in addition to the remote’s select buton.

Added more transparency to the menu strip icons that are not in focus to better match the rest of Media Center

If a user uses the green button and then tries to launch one of the Recorded TV HD buttons it will now work properly instead of just returning the user to the last location.

Pressing the right arrow while a preview video is highlighed will move the header option to the right when viewing a list.

Option to “Allow deletions from inside the interface” (Default is to allow)

Download the latest beta version of Recorded TV HD here

Kinect for Windows version 1.5 coming soon

Andrew Edney

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Mar 28, 2012

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Kinect for Windows version 1.5 coming soon

Microsoft have revealed some information on their forthcoming Kinect for Windows 1.5 release.

This is what Microsoft said:

The momentum continues for Kinect for Windows. I am pleased to announce that we will be launching Kinect for Windows in nineteen more countries in the coming months. We will have availability in Hong Kong, South Korea, and Taiwan in late May. In June, Kinect for Windows will be available in Austria, Belgium, Brazil, Denmark, Finland, India, the Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, South Africa, Sweden, Switzerland and the United Arab Emirates.

We are also hard at work on our 1.5 release, which will be available at the end of May. Among the most exciting new capabilities is Kinect Studio, an application that will allow developers to record, playback and debug clips of users engaging with their applications. Also coming is what we call “seated” or “10-joint” skeletal tracking, which provides the capability to track the head, neck and arms of either a seated or standing user. What is extra exciting to me about this functionality is that it will work in both default and near mode!

Also included in our 1.5 release will be four new languages for speech recognition – French, Spanish, Italian, and Japanese. In addition, we will be releasing new language packs which enable speech recognition for the way a language is spoken in different regions: English/Great Britain, English/Ireland, English/Australia, English/New Zealand, English/Canada, French/France, French/Canada, Italian/Italy, Japanese/Japan, Spanish/Spain and Spanish/Mexico.

More information when we get it.

Amazon announce Kindle Touch and Kindle Touch 3G for the UK

Andrew Edney

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Mar 27, 2012

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Amazon announce Kindle Touch and Kindle Touch 3G for the UK

Today, Amazon.co.uk announced Kindle Touch and Kindle Touch 3G are now available for pre-order to readers across the UK.

Kindle Touch and Kindle Touch 3G are the newest addition to the Kindle family available in the UK and feature everything readers already love about Kindle, plus a new easy-to-use touch screen that makes it easier than ever to turn pages, search, shop, and take notes. Kindle Touch and Kindle Touch 3G both feature the most advanced electronic ink display which reads like real paper, even in bright sunlight, with no glare.

Kindle Touch 3G is another new member of the Kindle family in the UK for readers who want the top-of-the-line e-reader. Kindle Touch 3G offers the same design and features of Kindle Touch – small and light, easy-to-use touch screen, extra-long battery life and audio support – with the unparalleled added convenience of free 3G to download content. Kindle’s free 3G connection means you never have to hunt for or pay for a Wi-Fi hotspot – you simply download and read books anytime, anywhere in over 100 countries around the world. Amazon pays for the 3G connection so there’s no monthly fee or annual contract to download content. It also allows for fast, free updates of your newspaper, magazine and blog subscriptions anytime, anywhere.

Simple to Use Touchscreen: Kindle Touch and Kindle Touch 3G feature an easy-to-use touch interface. Turn pages, search, shop books, and take notes quickly and easily.

NEW EasyReach: Exclusive to Kindle Touch and Kindle Touch 3G. Tap to turn pages – no need to swipe, so you can hold Kindle in either hand.

NEW X-Ray: Explore the “bones of a book.” With a single tap, see all the passages across a book that mention ideas, fictional characters, historical figures, places or topics of interest, as well as more detailed descriptions from Wikipedia.

Light & Compact: Sleek design with the same 6″ screen size as previous Kindle models. Kindle Touch weighs just 213g and Kindle Touch 3G 220g, less than the weight of the average paperback.

No Battery Anxiety – Up To Two Month Battery Life: Read for up to two months on a single charge with wireless off.

Most Advanced Electronic Ink Display: Kindle’s high-contrast electronic ink display delivers clear, crisp text and images. Unlike LCD screens, Kindle devices read like real paper, with no glare, even in bright sunlight.

Audio Support: Kindle Touch and Kindle Touch 3G include text-to-speech and mp3 support.

Built-In Wi-Fi: Connect to Wi-Fi hotspots at home or on the go.

Kindle Touch 3G Has Free 3G Wireless to Access Content: Kindle Touch 3G is our top-of-the-line Kindle – no wireless set up, no hunting for Wi-Fi hotspots. Download books anywhere with no plans, contracts, or monthly fees. 3G works globally.

Books in 60 Seconds: Find a book and start reading in seconds with our fast, free wireless delivery. No computer required.

Massive Selection: The Kindle Store has over 1 million books, including new releases, and 82 of the 100 Nielsen UK Bestsellers, plus top newspapers such as The Guardian, The Telegraph and The Times, as well as magazines and blogs.

Free Books: Over 1 million free classics are also available to read on Kindle.

Low Book Prices: More than half a million titles priced at £3.99 or less. The Kindle Store offers regular promotions, including Kindle Daily Deal which offers customers a deep discount on one popular e-book a day.

Free Book Samples: First chapters of Kindle books are available to download and read for free before you decide to buy.

Holds up to 3,000 Books: Kindle Touch and Kindle Touch 3G allow you to carry your entire library in your pocket.

Simple to Use: Ready to use right out of the box – no setup, no software to install, no computer required to download content.

Adjustable Text Sizes: Read comfortably with eight different sizes and three font styles.

Fast Page Turns: Kindle Touch and Kindle Touch 3G have a powerful processor tuned for fast, seamless page turns.

PDF and Personal Documents: Email personal documents and PDFs direct to your Kindle and read and annotate on-the-go.

Free Cloud Storage: Books purchased from the Kindle Store are automatically backed up for free in the Worry-Free Archive where they can be re-downloaded wirelessly, anytime.

“Buy Once, Read Everywhere”: Kindle books can be read on Kindles, iPhone, iPad, iPod touch, PCs, Macs and Android-based devices.

Whispersync: Amazon’s Whispersync technology syncs your place across devices, so you can pick up where you left off.

The Kindle Touch is available for £109 and Kindle Touch 3G with free 3G wireless for £169.

Devices will ship to customers on 27^th April 2012.

Combining gaming and social networking might just get you that new job

News

Andrew Edney

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Mar 27, 2012

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Combining gaming and social networking might just get you that new job

Identified.com, the fastest-growing professional network for young people (according to AppData MAU), today released an infographic on the evolution of gaming and the power of combining social networking with gamification to encourage those aged 18-29 to share professional information.

The gaming technique is helping young people manage their career presence online in a way that resonates with the “Facebook generation.” As a result Identified is experiencing dramatic growth among millennials, reaching 4 million users today and adding one million users per week. Ninety percent of Identified users are under the age of 35.

The infographic, which illustrates the evolution of gamification can be found at [http://bit.ly/GJwffi]. Identified provides a score – based on job qualifications – for participants to easily see how they are ranked by companies. Identified also scores schools and companies.

The gamification technique encourages people to input college major, job title and years of work experience that recruiters seek in job candidates. As people add information and progress in their careers, they gain points to increase their Identified Score. However, these are not the vanity points typical of other “game” centered apps that award users with badges and avatars. The points represent the value of key information currently in demand by employers that helps young students and professionals plan their careers. Identified is part of a growing number of companies using games to empower consumers in areas ranging from dating to fitness, energy use and to healthcare.

“Critical information that recruiters need to hire literally does not exist in one place online for young people,” said co-founder and co-CEO Brendan Wallace. “Generation Y is nearly invisible to employers so this technique is key. We constantly hear that the pain point among employers is sourcing the education and job information of the 18-29 year-old demographic, but Facebook is a great starting point.”

As an example, engineers who attended MIT are now in high demand across the country. Once an individual with this background imports his/her Facebook information to Identified.com and provides more complete work details, the Identified Score will rise quickly. The Identified Score is emerging as the standard of professional reputation online for recruiters and job seekers alike.

Millennial job candidates can rarely be found on existing services like LinkedIn, where 61 percent of users are 35+ years old#. Connecting nearly 850 million people, Facebook is an invaluable source for recruiters to locate and learn more about younger candidates. However, profiles often don’t include all the requisite information that position people as “employable”. In fact, according to recruiters, 92 percent of Facebook profiles do not contain enough publicly available education and employment information (major, graduation year, job title) for recruiters to qualify potential candidates for jobs.

Identified found that more than 72 percent of Facebook users who come to Identified.com add new information that is not part of their Facebook profile to create “short-form resumes” online. The result is that millions of younger candidates who wouldn’t be ‘recruitable’ on Facebook alone can now be found by employers in a way never before possible.
Identified allows people to import their Facebook network and information, and “professionalize it” so they have an active, up-to-date professional profile available to recruiters without having to tailor their existing Facebook Timeline page for job searches, or recreate their friend network.

“We’ve learned that gaming can be used to solve the problem of the “invisible worker” for recruiters while it encourages and empowers millennials to be more strategic with their job and education information,” added Wallace.

Identified has achieved unprecedented growth by allowing people to login to Identified via Facebook and bring their Facebook information and friend networks with them. Identified has also grown virally through Facebook as users have shared their Identified Scores with their friends.

Xbox LIVE now with Comcast Xfinity TV, HBO Go and MLB.TV

Andrew Edney

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Mar 27, 2012

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Xbox LIVE now with Comcast Xfinity TV, HBO Go and MLB.TV

Today three major entertainment apps are now available for Xbox LIVE Gold members – Comcast XFINITY TV, HBO GO and MLB.TV, all with Kinect integration.

This is what Major Nelson posted:

Here are the highlights.

Comcast launched the XFINITY TV on-demand service on Xbox 360, bringing its huge library of when- you-want-it entertainment to a console for the first time, including the new Streampix library. With Kinect, you can control it all with your voice or a wave of your hand – however you like

HBO GO on Xbox 360 launched their entire catalogue of live and on demand original content – that means every episode of every show, from the latest hits like Game of Thrones, to older favorites like The Sopranos. With Kinect, you can voice search the entire HBO catalogue.

MLB.TV transforms sports entertainment by providing live and on demand games in HD, coupled with exclusive personalization features only found on Xbox 360 – jump between the action via the Mini Guide and watch two games at once with Split Screen. With Kinect, you can pause and rewind live games and highlights using just your voice and motion controls.

So there you have it, a huge day for TV on Xbox – starting today Xbox LIVE Gold members who subscribe to Comcast’s XFINITY TV and Internet, HBO and/or MLB TV now also have enhanced access on Xbox 360.

Let us know if you have tried them out!

Harry Potter Books Now Available to Read on Kindle devices and Kindle Apps

Andrew Edney

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Mar 27, 2012

1

Harry Potter Books Now Available to Read on Kindle devices and Kindle Apps

Today saw the release of all the Harry Potter books on the Kindle through an agreement with the eBook shop Pottermore.

J.K. Rowling’s fans have been waiting for her extraordinary series to be available as Kindle books and today, Amazon.co.uk announced that the English-language versions of all seven best-selling and iconic Harry Potter books are now available to read on Kindle devices and any of the free Kindle apps, through an agreement with J.K. Rowling’s new website and eBook shop Pottermore. To start shopping for books in the Harry Potter series, customers can visit the Kindle Store at Amazon.co.uk (www.amazon.co.uk/pottermore).

Customers will find it easy to search and find books in the Harry Potter series in the Kindle Store at Amazon.co.uk. They can visit the detail pages for the books and will be directed to the Pottermore Shop, where they will have the option to purchase the titles and seamlessly push them to their Kindle Library, and to every Kindle device and Kindle app a customer has.

“For years our customers have loved reading Harry Potter books in print, and have made them the best-selling print book series on Amazon.com,” said Russ Grandinetti, Vice President of Kindle Content. “We’re excited that Harry Potter fans worldwide are now able to read J.K. Rowling’s fantastic books on their Kindles and free Kindle reading apps.”

As with all Kindle books, the Harry Potter series is “Buy Once, Read Everywhere” – customers can read the books on the largest number of devices and platforms, including any Kindle and on iPads, iPhones, iPod touches, PCs, Macs and Android devices.

Have you ordered any yet?

O2 providing Ice Cream Sandwich for Samsung Galaxy S2 customers in UK

Andrew Edney

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Mar 27, 2012

2

O2 providing Ice Cream Sandwich for Samsung Galaxy S2 customers in UK

If you are an O2 customer here in the UK and you have a Samsung Galaxy S2, then you can get Ice Cream Sandwich now!

This is what O2 tweeted earlier today:

Do you have one and have you got the update yet? Let us know.

Run Android apps on your PC with the BlueStacks App Player

Andrew Edney

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Mar 27, 2012

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Run Android apps on your PC with the BlueStacks App Player

Have you ever wanted to run Android apps on your PC? Well now you can with the App Player from BlueStacks.

I’m going to give this a try, so I will let you know how I get on!

Have you tried it yet? If so, let us know.

Download the BlueStacks app player from here

Nokia Music app updated to version 2.0

Andrew Edney

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Mar 27, 2012

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The Nokia Music app for Windows Phone has been updated to version 2.0, bringing with it a number of UI tweaks.

Discover a world of music and local gigs with Nokia Music.

With hours of online listening choose mixes from our music experts, recommendations based on artists you love, or created from your personal music DNA. You can even choose mixes to listen to offline.

Play your own music, download new mp3s or find the latest gigs nearby.

Download from the Windows Phone Marketplace

Google adds Play to Google Navbar

Android
News

Andrew Edney

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Mar 27, 2012

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Google have added Play to their Google navbar, meaning you have a quick link anytime you visit a Google site.

Google Play is the new (ish) name for the Android Market, the place you go to select, buy and download apps for your Android devices.

I’m personally still not convinced on the name though!

Apple Releases Safari version 5.1.5

Apple
News

Andrew Edney

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Mar 26, 2012

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Apple has just released an update to it’s Safari browser, taking it to version 5.1.5.

Safari 5.1.5 contains a fix for an issue that could affect website usability when running Safari in 32-bit mode.

The update is a little under 47 MB.

Windows Phone SDK 7.1.1 Update Now Available

Andrew Edney

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Mar 26, 2012

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Learn more from the Windows Blog Today Microsoft has released an update to its Windows Phone SDK, taking it to version 7.1.1.

The 7.1.1 Update is really just that – it’s an update to the existing WPSDK: it doesn’t add much in the way of new features to your WPSDK installation; it updates your existing install to do a few new tricks:

The Visual Studio IDE is patched to enable selection from a list of emulators, and launching it (note that the WPSDK can only support connecting to one at a time, though)
The Windows Phone [512 MB device] emulator image is updated to use build 8773
A second, new emulator device image is included, allowing you to emulate running your app on a 256 MB device
The Microsoft Advertising SDK is updated to the latest version (previously only available as a separate install), which fixes some issues devs were encountering at runtime
IntelliSense now supports specifying the 512 MB device requirement in your manifest file, should you choose to opt your app out from running on the new 256 MB devices
Language support is again consistent both in the IDE (the 7.1.1 Update supports all 10 of the WPSDK 7.1 languages) and in the emulator OS (Malay and Indonesian have been added)

So are you going to develop an app? If so, let us know!

Nokia Lumia 900 Smartphone available to pre-order in the US this week

Andrew Edney

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Mar 26, 2012

0

Nokia Lumia 900 Smartphone available to pre-order in the US this week

We have talked a few times about the Nokia Lumia 900 smartphone here at CDW, and now Nokia have revealed the US release date and pre-order date.

The Nokia Lumia 900 will be available for sale in the US from AT&T on April 8th at a price of $99.99. For those who want to get their Lumia 900 reserved, you can pre-order the phone in cyan or black from March 30 at http://www.att.com/lumia.