Hasta La Gadget!

In each issue of Distro, Editor-in-chief Tim Stevens publishes a wrap-up of the week in news.

There are times when you need to stay strong, ignore the criticism and do what you know is right. Then, there are some times when the masses are right and listening is the smart thing. With Windows 8, Microsoft made many radical changes, not the least of which being the deletion of the fabled Start button. This week we got our first taste of that operating system’s first major update, Windows 8.1, and it includes a number of notable upgrades and improvements. Perhaps the most notable? The return of a Start button. Well, sort of.

It’s now called a “Start Tip” as it isn’t a proper button, but you can click on it and bring up the tiled Start Screen interface. So, the Start button is back, but not the Start menu. That’s fine by me, as I don’t think hidden, contextual elements make much sense in a keyboard-and-mouse environment. And the other tweaks are nice, including a far more comprehensive Settings section, a functional lock screen and, finally, the ability to adjust the size of applications that you’ve snapped to either side of your screen. Maybe in Windows 8.2 we’ll get fully resizable windows!

Filed under: Cellphones, Misc

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US Cellular is looking to compete with the other major carriers on a home phone solution that uses mobile phone towers. We’ve heard about US Cellular’s own offering earlier this month, but now the carrier has announced that Home Phone is coming June 7 in stores and June 20 for those that want to order online.

The service will allow you to use any standard home phone, and the $20-per-month plan comes with unlimited nationwide calling over US Cellular’s network, and it also comes with voicemail, caller ID, call waiting, call forwarding, and three-way calling. Users will also be able to keep their own home phone, so there’s no need to get a whole new one, thankfully.

The device itself, which essentially just looks like a wireless router, costs just one penny after signing a two year contract for the service. We’re guessing you could buy it outright without a contract, but US Cellular hasn’t detailed unsubsidized pricing. The device can support up to two corded phones or “multiple” cordless phones via two phone ports, though no internet connection is required.

According to Engadget, the device that’ll handle all of your calls is a PCD-made base station with a model number of FT2260. It sports dual-band support (800/1900 MHz CDMA), a QSC6055 chipset, two regular phone jacks and a USB port (for diagnostics purposes only, however). The device also has a 1500 mAh rechargeable battery that claims to get two hours of talk time or 36 hours of standby time.

US Cellular’s $20-per-month option is quite a steal, although Verizon‘s offering is the same price for unlimited calling as well, with a $10 plan to share minutes, and since this technology uses cell towers, we imagine that Verizon has quite a few more than US Cellular does. Nonetheless, if you’re an area that reigns with US Cellular, this is certainly another option to consider.

US Cellular Home Phone plan suggests mobile isn’t everything is written by Craig Lloyd & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.

(Credit: CNET/The404)

Leaked from today’s 404 episode:

– Steve endorses the VPI Industries turntables built in Cliffwood, N.J., and the VTF-3 MK4 subwoofer from HSU Research.

– Sony MDR-R10: The world’s best headphone?

– The top 10 reasons why music is compressed.

– Compare your favorite albums in the Dynamic Range Database.

– Catch Steve on a panel with Avery Lipman, COO of Republic Records, at the New Music Seminar 2013.

– Follow Steve “Sphere” Guttenberg on Twitter.

Ep. 1279: Where we get Spherical bacterial

Episode 1,279

Listen Now: … [Read more]

Related Links:
Micromega MyZic: Ooh la la, a French-made headphone amplifier
Rate your AV receiver’s autosetup program
Sony MDR-R10: The world’s best headphone?
Take it to the limit: Fostex TH600 headphones
Crave giveaway: Sennheiser Momentum headphones

What you see above is an alleged iPad 5 panel that has hit the Internet, although it could be a red herring by Apple to throw sniffing journalists off the trail.

Like It , +1 , Tweet It , Pin It Original content from Ubergizmo.

The Hulu Plus living room experience has had a user interface update today, bringing Hulu’s Seattle-born vision for non-desktop streaming video to various devices. This update has brought on a new vision for the streaming video platform, now working with in-app Hulu Plus signup, Hulu Kids – an extension of the Hulu Kids child-friendly selection of programs available to web-based users, and simplified controls all-around.

The updated Hulu Plus living room user interface will be working with – most obviously – larger and easier to digest artwork for each media bit and piece. Easier navigation is provided through this enhancement as well as through a system called Trays. With Hulu Plus’ new Tray-style format, users will be able to scroll through selections with much greater ease that the slightly more convoluted system presented in past iterations of the software.

Search functionality has been enhanced in this latest update, this interface simplified once again to add to the overall easier top-to-bottom refurbishing of the user interface. Search now shows results directly beneath the search where before they were – again – not part of as smooth an experience.

This update comes right on the tail of an announcement by Fanivision of a device by the name of Fan TV. This machine will quite likely be featuring Hulu Plus by the time it is released in the future – release date remains unknown at the moment.

The Hulu Plus living room experience update is on its way first to Samsung Smart TVs and Blu-ray players, inclusive of 2012 and 2013 models of Samsung Smart TVs and a select number of Blu-ray players from their recent collection. Roku will also be seeing this update starting today, while the Nintendo Wii will have to wait – soon, and very soon!

SOURCE: Hulu

Hulu Plus living room experience update hits Samsung and Roku first, Wii second is written by Chris Burns & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.