Hasta La Gadget!

Snapchat is an application that has been around for a while now for the iPhone. The app allows users to send pictures and short video clips to other users that are supposed to automatically delete themselves. The problem for a lot of users of the application was that a number of hacks have surfaced that make it rather easy to save content sent using the app.

Snapchat has launched a private beta that brings video capability to Android users. Along the with the ability to send video to other users, the app also supports the ability to send photographs that users of the application are familiar with. The app is a pre-release beta build meaning that it should isn’t complete and ready for launch right now.

The official Android update bringing video to the standard application will be coming a later date. Exactly when that update will happen is unknown at this time. The video feature for the iOS application launched in December of 2012.

Many people maintain that Snapchat is only useful for sending certain types of naughty pictures. However, the app has grown significantly with over 60 million snaps sent per day. Users have shared over 5 billion snaps in a bit more than a year reports TechCrunch.

[via TechCrunch]

Snapchat video lands on Android as a private beta is written by Shane McGlaun & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.

EA and Maxis are gearing up for another closed beta for their upcoming SimCity reboot. The companies hosted the first closed beta late last month, and now they’re going for a second round. The beta will begin at 9 am ET on Saturday, February 16 and will run until 9 am ET on Sunday, February 17. Sign-ups for this second beta close on February 11, so be sure to get your name in ASAP.

This second beta will feature an “enhanced version” of the one-hour slice of gameplay that was previously featured in the first beta, although we’re not sure what “enhanced” features we’ll be seeing this time around. However, you can bet that gamers will be seeing a bit more this time around, as opposed to what they saw last month.

Furthermore, Maxis also unveiled a new trailer showing off the Limited Edition version of SimCity, and if you pre-order it, you’ll get the Heroes and Villains expansion pack for free. The expansion pack, which is only compatible with the Limited Edition version of the game, allows you to add organized crime and superheroes to your city, so who knows, maybe you’ll create the next Gotham City?

SimCity will officially be released for Windows in North America on March 5 and in Europe on March 7. A Mac version will also be coming to stores as well, but it won’t hit shelves until the spring. Cross-platform play will be supported with the game, so you’ll be able to play against your friends using different platforms.

SimCity hosting another closed beta on February 16 is written by Craig Lloyd & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.

Back in November when we heard that OS X 10.9 was being secretly tested by a select number of users (most likely various Apple employees), we remained curious to see what kind of progress the new rumored version would make after a few months. Apple has been releasing updates to OS X every year or so, which means that 10.9 will most likely release sometime this summer based on the operating system’s updating cycle.

Back in November, a select number of websites were reporting that they were getting a few visitors that were running OS X 10.9, and now it seems that number has jumped quite significantly since then. AppleInsider has reported that the number of users running OS X 10.9 spiked in January, according to their traffic logs, claiming that they’ve gotten “thousands” of hits from OS X 10.9 machines.

Of course, last year Apple announced OS X Mountain Lion 10.8 during the month of February, so it’s very possible that we could officially hear about version 10.9 sometime soon, although we’re keeping the salt by our side as always. While it seems that 10.9 is really close to an unveiling, we won’t officially believe in it until we see it, of course.

However, it’s obvious that Apple will release a major update to OS X at some point in the future, and they’ve been on a yearly release schedule for the past few releases, so it could be as far ahead as this summer before we see 10.9 show up for download. The biggest question remains, however: What cat will Apple give its next major OS X update this time around?

[via AppleInsider]

Apple OS X 10.9 sees boost in secret beta testing is written by Craig Lloyd & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.

In case you hadn’t heard the news, the open Crysis 3 multiplayer beta kicked off today. Those playing on PC will be pleased to know that NVIDIA is just as excited as you are, releasing its new GeForce 313.95 beta driver that’s said to increase multi-GPU performance by as much as 35% in Crysis 3. Naturally, the boost you get from this beta driver will vary depending on your setup, but those with a serious gaming rig should expect at least some improvement when trying to run the Crysis 3 beta.

This also happens to be NVIDIA’s first driver release of the new year, and with the company claiming improvements in 17 different games, you could argue we’re starting the year off with a bang. While the main focus will definitely be on the improvements made for the Crysis 3 beta, others like Assassin’s Creed III, Black Ops II, and Far Cry 3 are also benefiting from single-GPU and SLI performance boosts. So, if you’re not planning on participating in the Crysis 3 beta and are playing some of 2012′s biggest games instead, you’ll still want to grab this driver.

Of course, part of the problem is that Crysis 3 isn’t even out yet, so it’s hard to know what to expect from the beta. NVIDIA has compiled a list of recommended settings for a handful of its GeForce GTX 600 series cards. Again, keep in mind that you may need to change a few things depending on your hardware setup, but NVIDIA says that these recommended settings should serve as a good jumping off point. Sorry to say, but if you’re using a GTX 650, it looks like a lot of your settings will have to go down to low. Check out the full chart below.

This chart is just the tip of the iceberg though, with NVIDIA posting a series of performance bar charts to show how a number of its GPUs performed before and after installing the driver. NVIDIA has Windows XP, Windows 7, and Windows 8 packages available for desktop setups, while those on laptops will have access to Windows 7 and 8 package donwloads. If you’re interested in downloading the driver, you can grab it now from the official GeForce site.

NVIDIA unleashes GeForce 313.95 driver in time for Crysis 3 beta is written by Eric Abent & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.

Crysis 3 won’t be arriving in North America until February 19, but you can check out the game’s multiplayer mode a few weeks early thanks to a freshly-announced open beta. Today Crytek revealed this open beta, saying that it will go live on Xbox 360, PS3, and PC on January 29. That happens to be next Tuesday, so Crysis fanatics don’t have much longer to wait until they can get some hands-on time with the game’s multiplayer.

Of course, you won’t have access to all of the multiplayer’s modes and maps during the beta, as that would take a lot of fun out of the full release. Instead, Crytek will only let you test out two modes and two maps. The first mode is called Hunter, which cloaks two players and tasks them with hunting down the others. Once you’re been killed by a cloaked hunter, you become one yourself, with the ultimate goal being either to survive or turn all of the other players into hunters before the round ends.

The other mode, Crash, seems to be typical territories fare, with two teams vying for control over crash-landed alien pods. Your team will gain points as it holds the territory, along with gear that will help you defend it from the opposing team. The two maps featured in the beta are called Airport and Museum, and they should support both multiplayer modes on display.

Players will also be given a taste of the game’s leveling system, as Crytek and Electronic Arts will allow them to level up to rank 10 while playing, unlocking new weapons and add-on for their Nanosuits. The beta will continue on for two weeks, after which time it’s a short wait for the launch of the game. To go along with the beta announcement, Crytek has also released a new trailer that focuses on the abilities of the Nanosuit, which you can see above. Who’s ready for some Crysis 3 multiplayer action?

[via Crysis Official Site]

Crysis 3 multiplayer beta kicks off next week is written by Eric Abent & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.