Hasta La Gadget!

As it stands, Intel’s chips power most of the computers around the world. In fact it was almost a decade ago that Apple made the move to Intel processors for their Mac computers, but as ARM-powered devices are starting to gain more ground in society today, there have been rumors that Apple could be turning away from Intel to lessen their reliance on the chip manufacturer. Instead, the rumors suggest that Apple is exploring how to use ARM in their Mac computers. Of course there would most certainly be drawbacks if Apple were ever to do this, which we guess might have prompted one Redditor to ask Intel’s CEO, Brian Krzanich, on how their relationship with Apple is.

Taking part in a Reddit AMA, Krzanich replied to the question by saying, “We’ve always had a very close relationship with Apple and it continues to grow closer. Sure (it’s) grown close over the years, especially since… they started to use our technology in their systems.” As it stands it does make sense for Apple to keep using Intel chips as most apps used today on computers have been designed and optimized for such chipsets in mind, although we guess it still is a pretty entertaining notion to think that perhaps one day in the future, we might start seeing Apple’s own A-series of SoCs powering future Mac computers.

Intel CEO Says Relationship With Apple Has Gotten Closer original content from Ubergizmo.

For those who haven’t been following the drama, T-Mobile, just last week, sent out emails to BlackBerry users asking them to “upgrade” to the iPhone 5s. Naturally this sort of trolling did not sit well with BlackBerry fans who were outraged, prompting T-Mobile’s CEO to look into the matter. In the meantime BlackBerry’s CEO, John Chen, also expressed his outrage and promised that they would have something in store for loyal BlackBerry users. We had thought that this surprise would be the free and expedited shipping that T-Mobile announced, but it turns out that is not the case. It turns out the deal is much sweeter than that.

T-Mobile has just announced their new “Un-carrier + BlackBerry = One Sweet Deal” promotion where customers can bring in their used BlackBerry handset and trade it in for a newer device, with T-Mobile giving them $200 in credit towards the new device. But wait, what’s in it for BlackBerry users? Well for BlackBerry users who wish to remain with the platform but could use a new device anyway, T-Mobile will be offering an additional $50 off the purchase price of a new BlackBerry (either the Z10 or the Q10), essentially offering BlackBerry customers up to $250 in credit towards a new phone. Of course needless to say that the phones must be in working condition, no cracked screens or have signs of water damage. We’re not sure if this is a great deal but hey, if you’re looking for a new phone, why not, right?

T-Mobile Launches “Un-carrier + BlackBerry” Promotion original content from Ubergizmo.

For some, to be surrounded by total silence seems like an ideal way to fall asleep. For the rest of us, a completely quiet room after hours is like a breeding ground for every weird, troubling, eye-opening thought you’ve ever had; some kind of background audio helps calm the nerves. Is there a happy medium?

Read more…

Gamers who have played Halo on the Xbox console will probably fondly remember the Cortana character. Given the character’s role in the Halo franchise, we guess it wasn’t a complete surprise to think that Microsoft would give their upcoming voice assistant feature the Cortana codename. However we had initially expected it to be just a codename, as suggested back in 2013 when news about the feature broke. However thanks to the Windows Phone 8.1 SDK and the MUI files that were extracted from the emulator, it seems that Microsoft could indeed be sticking with the Cortana name for its voice assistant feature, a move which will no doubt put a smile on Halo gamers’ faces.

According to text extracted from the MUI files, it reads, “Your speech language settings doesn’t match your display language settings.  Speech language must match display language for Cortana to function.” Microsoft’s apparent decision to name the feature Cortana is probably helped by the petition that users launched when they asked Microsoft to name the feature Cortana for real. In fact to top things off and to add a bit of authenticity, rumors are suggesting that the original voice actress for Cortana, Jen Taylor, will be lending her voice for the feature as well. Cortana’s release is unknown but it is expected to be part of the Windows Phone 8.1 update, and if the rumors are to be believed, a July-August release date will be likely.

Cortana Could Be The Final Name Of Windows Phone’s Voice Assistant original content from Ubergizmo.

Good news gamers, as you might have heard last week, Microsoft announced the the Xbox One Stereo Headset and headset adapter for the Xbox One console. Unfortunately no release date was given but many had expected it to be released in March. Well the good news is that it looks like Microsoft has managed to surprise its customers by actually releasing the headset and the adapter a little earlier than everyone expected on the 25th of February 2014, which is next Tuesday. Customers who are interested in getting their hands on either the stereo headset or the headset adapter will be able to place their pre-orders either via Amazon or the official Microsoft Store.

As a quick recap, the Xbox One stereo headset will be priced at $79.99 while the headset adapter will go for $24.99. The adapter will come in handy for gamers who might have purchased headphones from before and were using it with the Xbox 360 before the Xbox One was released. We’re sure that these gamers probably don’t want to switch headphones, especially if they paid a lot for them, and they probably won’t wait to wait for an Xbox One compatible model either, which is why the adapter will come in handy. For those who aren’t too fussy, the stereo headset should be able to get the job done and then some.

Xbox One Stereo Headset And Adapter Go Up For Pre-Order original content from Ubergizmo.