Jul 03
Grilling and patriotic holidays go together like stars and stripes, so New Jersey-based designer Jacob Riley-Wasserman’s Star Spangled Spatula is a perfect fit for your July 4 barbecue.
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Jul 03
The folks at Yahoo have made another purchase this week with the group known as Xobni, here aiming for Smarter Contacts in a rather basic way. With this service, Yahoo will expand its current app user base with email and social services, taking expertise from the development team at Xobni for what must be assumed to be their own already-developed apps. This sort of acquisition is one of those made more for the talent, rather than the app the developers have in play.
With Xobni, Yahoo racks up a total of two (that we know of) businesses that they’ve acquired in so many days. This trend isn’t new – they’ve been collecting startups and small groups of developers and services for several months now – and we bet you can guess who’s behind it all. Earlier this week they purchased a group known for their short-movie sharing and power to take on Vine.
That same app – Qwiki, it’s called, was seen by former Google higher-up Marissa Mayer. As Mayer is now the CEO of Yahoo, she’s seen this and a variety of apps like it as powerhouses worthy of being picked up by this original search giant. With her aim to pick and choose some of the most powerful up and coming names in the app universe, Yahoo is positioned well for growing from without.
At the moment, according to Xobni itself, most of its services are about to be done for – or at least sucked up into Yahoo in full.
“Xobni is no longer accepting new purchases of premium products. This includes Xobni Pro, Xobni Enterprise, Xobni for Teams, the Xobni Salesforce Gadget, and the Xobni JIRA Gadget.”
The full collection of licenses for services with Xobni will continue through July 2nd, 2014 – one year from now – while “Premium Support” for the full set of apps and services will continue “throughout the duration of your premium subscription.” Nice of them, yes?
Yahoo acquires Xobni for address book boost is written by Chris Burns & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2013, SlashGear. All right reserved.
Jul 03
When I was growing up, the Atari 2600 was a staple in family rooms everywhere. But despite the countless hours of entertainment these gaming systems provided, there’s no question they had primitive graphics. Imagine though if the Atari 2600 could have had real-world backgrounds for its games. It might look something like this…
For his Atari World series, digital artist Carlos Pérez combined idyllic real-world scenes with the rudimentary pixel graphics from an Atari 2600. The end result is both surreal and beautiful.
It would be cool if somebody went back and remade classic Atari 2600 games with these backgrounds. While their gameplay still might lack depth, they’d certainly be a feast for they eyes.
[via it8bit]
Jul 03
Sony’s UHD 4K media player is now available to order for a whopping $700. It comes with 10 movies and rentals are $8 a pop. In case you forgot, this is some real rich people stuff.
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Jul 03
Microsoft details Xbox One’s Reputation system, keeps gentle gamers together
Posted in: Today's Chili
Good-natured Xbox Live gamers sometimes face a tough choice: they either have to isolate themselves in parties or risk playing against griefers and other ne’er-do-wells. Microsoft could avoid that horrible scenario in the Xbox One era with its recently unveiled Reputation system, which the company just explained in detail to OXM. We already know that the system will punish frequently reported players, but it should also reward contributors. Xbox Live Rewards participants may get a higher Reputation score, for example. The system also pressures troublemakers by ranking parties based on the lowest common denominator — one misfit can spoil the whole bunch. We’ll have to wait until November to verify Microsoft’s promises, but we’re expecting more harassment-free public matches in our future.
Filed under: Gaming, Microsoft
Via: Joystiq
Source: Official Xbox Magazine
Jul 03
It’s no secret that Xbox Live is filled with all sorts of mean people. While many of these young, naive gamers are laughable at times, cyber-bullying has been proven to be a pretty serious matter. In order to get gamers to behave on Xbox Live, Microsoft is looking into a reputation system to add into Xbox Live with the Xbox One.
Speaking with OXM, Microsoft’s senior product manager Mike Lavin said that the company has researched different reputation systems and have learned about what to do and what not to do when it comes to implementing their own system. Lavin says that the company is “trying to take it to the next level” with a reputation system of their own, and it seems pretty straightforward.
Lavin says that “there’ll be very good things that happen to people that just play their games and are good participants. And you’ll start to see some effects if you continue to play bad or, or harass other people en masse. You’ll probably end up starting to play more with other people that are more similar to you,” similar to match-making that we see in a lot of games, but this will be based on skill, as well as on reputation.
Lavin also says that it’s a system that works “over a period of time.” For instance, he says that if gamers “don’t like playing with you, that you’re consistently blocked, that you’re the subject of enforcement actions,” then you will most likely see your reputation score go down. Plus, it’ll be play an “important role” in Xbox Live, with Lavin saying that your reputation score “will be as fully visible as Gamerscore in your profile.”
Some gamers might wonder, then, how they can get their reputation score back up if they’ve had a change of heart. Lavin says that you can participant in various Microsoft community programs, such as Xbox Live Rewards, and if you just haven’t been reported in a long time, your reputation score will begin to slowly go back up.
SOURCE: OXM
Xbox One to get reputation system in Xbox Live to encourage good behavior is written by Craig Lloyd & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2013, SlashGear. All right reserved.
Jul 03
Jul 03
I’m a bit of a computer nut, and I love tinkering with new hardware. It’s fun to get a new piece of equipment in, and see just how much of a difference it makes on your system. It’s also a lot of fun to see how far you can push it. If you want to maximize your performance, you can do something called overclocking, which makes the processor run faster than it was originally meant to. This is especially helpful when you want an older machine to still perform like new. Now if only we could do the same thing for our brains.
According to FOC.US LABS, you can actually push your brain to perform more quickly. They have developed a specialized headset to do this very thing. The foc.us headset is supposed to help your synapses fire faster by using a method called Transcranial Direct-Current Stimulation. This sends small amounts of current into your brain, and is used to help stroke victims.
So what is the point of “overclocking your head”, as they put it? They are marketing this as a device for gamers to use. The idea is that the faster your brain can process information, the faster you can react. While this seems like a logical conclusion, I don’t really feel like zapping myself in the brain to get a competitive edge. If you think it’s worth a potentially fried brain, then you’ll need only lay down $250 to get your own.
Source: Dvice
[ Foc.us headset wants to overclock your head copyright by Coolest Gadgets ]
Jul 03
Apple’s long-overdue stab at a cloud editing service has finally come to, well, some of the masses. If you happen to be an Apple developer, iWork for iCloud
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Jul 03
Cambridge Audio’s Minx Go Couples Crazy Battery Life With Great, Portable Sound
Posted in: Today's Chili
A little while ago, I reviewed the Cambridge Minx Air 200 and found it a solid new performer in the UK-based company’s new lineup of wireless speakers. Today, I’m looking at the Cambridge Audio Minx Go, a portable Bluetooth speaker with 18 hours of advertised battery life and a $149 price tag. It’s bigger than cheaper competitors like the Jawbone Jambox, but it’s got plenty more juice, too, and Cambridge’s high-quality pedigree.
- Bluetooth
- 3.5mm input
- Built-in digital signal processing
- USB charging port for phones and devices
- 18 hours battery life
- MSRP: $149
- Product info page
Cambridge is sticking to a common design language with its Minx line of wireless speakers, and the Minx Go resembles its older sibling the Minx Air almost exactly, but shrunk down to about a quarter of the size. That still makes it larger than the comparably priced (though more expensive) Jawbone Jambox, arguably the most recognizable competitor in this category.
The size is still fairly portable, however, and the same design principles that give the Minx Air 200 such room-filling sound are at work here, too. The arc of the front grille projects sound out, and the narrow base is supplemented by a small, extendable foot that keeps it upright. It can do without, as well, in my experience, but those wary of the thing toppling off a deck railing will want the foot.
As far as Bluetooth speakers go, the Minx Go is pretty barebones. It connects to your smartphone, tablet or computer via Bluetooth, and streams audio from that source (or from a hardwire connection via the 3.5mm jack). The device itself features a volume up, volume down and power button for controlling music, without any kind of back/forward or play/pause features like you might find elsewhere. It’s simplicity defined.
Simplicity is nice in terms of offering a straightforward user experience, but competitors like the Jambox offer speakerphone capabilities, and remote control is nice if the speaker is more portable than your source, for instance. Plus with gadgets like the Boombot Rex, which I also just reviewed, that speaker function is very useful, especially when hanging out lakeside.
One very nice feature is the USB charging port, however, which unfortunately only works for pass-through charging when the AC adapter is plugged in. The Minx Go also charges very quickly, topping up completely in just two hours.
The battery is the real star for features: 18 hours of advertised battery life isn’t an extreme exaggeration. I’ve used the Go extensively, and have charged it only twice during that time. It’s been a cottage companion, and a daily work soundtrack provider, and it goes so long you forget it isn’t plugged in. Truly a category leader in this regard.
Battery is impressive, as mentioned, but audio performance is also obviously important in a Bluetooth speaker. And in my experience, the Cambridge is one of the top contenders in that area. Cambridge has a long pedigree of building high quality audio products, and the Go is no exception. It delivers plenty of clarity at even high volumes, along with impressive bass performance from such a small package.
At least one other review I’ve read suggested that the bass performance on the Minx Go led to undue case rattle and distortion, but I haven’t found that at all with my unit. To the contrary, the bass remains strong and clear at even high volumes, which is in contrast with more muddy speakers like the otherwise excellent Big Jambox. The Cambridge at $149 rivals many AirPlay speakers that cost $200 and up, in my opinion, which is all the more impressive since it’s primarily using Bluetooth as its source.
Cambridge’s Minx Go is a new bright spot in the portable wireless speaker category, and the battery life along paired with the relatively low price tag should turn a lot of heads. If you don’t mind missing a few bells and whistles like a speakerphone function, this is the Bluetooth speaker I’m recommend, for summer adventures and beyond.
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