There’s one thing every comic fan has been yelling about for years: Why isn’t there a subscription service that lets you pay for an all-you-can-eat monthly dose of comics? Marvel just did it. Marvel Unlimited, formerly MDCU, is on iPads and iPhones now. More »
Remember that ZTE teased the MWC debut of its upcoming Firefox OS phone? Well, according to this spec sheet spotted by a tipster at ZTE’s MWC booth, said device will be appropriately named ZTE Open, and it’ll come with a moderate set of components: a Cortex-A5-based Qualcomm MSM7225A (which is known to clock at either 600MHz or 800MHz), a 3.5-inch HVGA TFT display with capacitive touchscreen, 256MB DDR SDRAM, 512MB NAND storage and the usual set of radios like WiFi 802.11a/b/g/n, Bluetooth 2.1 (with EDR3), GPS and FM radio. Interestingly, there will be a 3.2-megapixel front-facing camera, but it appears that there’ll be none on the back. The Open will be available in three SKUs with different UMTS bands: 850/1900, 850/2100 and 900/2100. As always, we’ll be sharing the full announcement and hands-on once we see the phone at MWC, though we have a feeling that we’ve already played with it before.
Update: As some of you have pointed out, yes, the “FF” may actually mean “fixed focus” instead of “front-facing,” and the former seems more likely.
[Thanks, anonymous]
Filed under: Cellphones, Mobile
Ubuntu’s Touch Developer Preview was originally put forward as something for “enthusiasts” as well as developers. Well, having been hands-on with the code that will be made public tomorrow, we’d say it requires enthusiasm a-plenty — perhaps even amateur coder quantities of the stuff. That’s because a lot of core functionality is still missing from the OS, such as the ability to play music files or import real-life contacts, and there’s a long way to go if it’s to be signed off as “code complete” in October.
On the other hand, this is really just a statement of the obvious. Canonical has been pretty clear that the main purpose of this early release is to lure in developers and get them to contribute to the fundamental stages of the project. Furthermore, the video after the break shows that there are many aspects of the OS which work fine — such as the gallery and video apps, the “side stage” and HUD features, and also general performance on the Nexus 10‘s hardware. The UI merges some Kindle- and Windows 8-esque features with things that are totally original — like responsive design which allows the exact same OS and apps to run on a phone, tablet, TV or desktop. We certainly hope it generates interest — not only among developers but also among device manufacturers who want to do more than just talk about differentiation.
Filed under: Cellphones, Tablets, Software, Mobile
It was just going to be another boring President’s Day on the Internet, when along came a spastic, hilarious hacker with a taste for McDonald’s, Gucci Mane, and caps lock. Is a criminal mastermind behind the @BurgerKing (and likely @Jeep) takeover? Nope—just a guy who plays shows in Rhode Island who left an unfortunate Internet paper trail. More »
Beck and Chris Milk’s version of Bowie’s Sound and Vision with 167 musicians was amazing on its own right, as a linear video. But the 360-degree immersive version with binaural sound and facial tracking truly redefines how we can experience live music remotely. Whether you like Beck or not, you really have to watch it here. Make sure to use the high definition option with headphones on. More »
There’s never been anything like Beats By Dre. The bulky rainbow headphones are a gaudy staple of malls, planes, clubs, and sidewalks everywhere: as mammoth, beloved, and expensive as their namesake. But Dr. Dre didn’t just hatch the flashy lineup from his freight train chest: The venture began as an unlikely partnership between a record-industry powerhouse and a boutique audio company best known for making overpriced HDMI cables. More »
Having already ploughed through Warner Bros.’ catalog, execs at Sky have just added the latest wares from Sony Pictures Television to their UK and Ireland playlist. Forthcoming titles like After Earth will arrive on Sky Movies six months after they’ve finished in cinemas, and will join other Sony pictures — like Men in Black 3, The Amazing Spider-Man and Django Unchained — in being Sky-only for another twelve months after that.
Filed under: Misc, Home Entertainment, HD
While many of us love playing games on the iPad, we often lament the lack of physical controls inherent to the platform. Audojo is hoping to change this with an iPad gaming case which is launching today on Kickstarter. The accessory works with any iPad 2 or newer, and features a pair of analog joysticks, two shoulder buttons and stereo speakers. Unlike other mobile game controllers like iFrogz’s Caliber Advantage or PowerA’s Moga / Moga Pro, Audojo skips Bluetooth for a low-latency microphone-based interface.
The case slides open just enough to accommodate an iPad and, once closed, wraps around both ends of the tablet without interfering with any of the cameras, buttons, or the 30-pin / Lightning port. Audojo automatically connects to the iPad via the standard 3.5mm audio jack, which is replicated at the bottom of the case next to a power switch, LED and mini-USB connector (for charging). It’s important to note that the accessory is not designed to charge the iPad, something that would require a larger battery and increase complexity / cost. We spent some time with a prototype iPad gaming case and came away pretty satisfied — head past the break for our impressions.
Gallery: Audojo iPad gaming case hands-on
At first sight, Audojo’s prototype looks a little clunky since it adds quite a bit of bulk to the iPad’s figure. Once you pick it up, however, that’s all quickly forgotten — it’s light and well balanced and feels comfortable in hand. The analog joysticks and shoulder buttons are in just the right place — if you’re used to playing console games, you’ll be right at home. If there’s any room for improvement, it’s with the pods that house the shoulder buttons, electronics and batteries at the back of the case. These are currently too wide but Audojo plans to remedy this before production thanks to an improved circuit board layout. We were impressed with the prototype’s build quality (it’s CNC machined), especially the design of the sliding mechanism used to capture the iPad. Production units are slated to be thinner, with flush PSP-like analog joysticks and two headphone jacks (instead of one). Battery life presently beats the iPad when blasting the built-in speakers, and stretches to several weeks (!) when listening with headphones.
Audojo currently integrates with Unity (with a package available in the Unity Asset Store) and provides a native Objective C SDK. The company is very interested in connecting with developers and is offering special packages ($600 and up) that include prototypes as part of its Kickstarter campaign. A few games already support the iPad gaming case, including 1948: Dawn of Future and Cowboy Guns (both available in the App Store) plus the Unity demo Angry Bots and the unofficial iOS port of Quake III — it’s even been used to control Parrot’s AR Drone and Sphero. The accessory is expected to ship in July 2013 and retail for $99, but Audojo is making it available today on Kickstarter for $55 (first 200 backers) and up. Take a look at our gallery and hands-on video above, then follow the source link below to check out the campaign.
Filed under: Gaming, Tablets, Apple
Source: Audojo (Kickstarter)
After opting not to offer its Total Equipment Protection (TEP) service to iPhone customers, Sprint appears to have turned over a new leaf. An anonymous tipster has shared an internal screenshot with us noting that starting on January 25th, the carrier will start allowing its iPhone users to select TEP as an equipment insurance option. Similar to its policy with AppleCare+, Sprint will give customers 30 days from the date of purchase to add TEP to their account at a monthly charge of $11. However, unlike Apple’s in-house coverage plan, Total Equipment Protection claims come with hefty deductibles ranging from $150 – $200, instead of a one time upfront charge. So, if you were looking to pick up an iPhone from Sprint and AppleCare+ wasn’t exactly ringing your bell, you’ll soon have an additional insurance option in less than a fortnight.
[Thanks, anonymous]
Filed under: Cellphones, Mobile, Sprint
After riding into town on Snapdragon S4 benchmarks, we’ve now got some pictures of Samsung’s incoming smartphone, one that’s bound for Verizon. If you liked the curves and capacitive button quartet of the Stratosphere II, you’ll probably be happy with what’s on offer here too. Specifications have been cranked up to a 720p display, Android 4.1.2 (confirmed on-screen after the break) and NFC support within the back cover, although the physical keyboard hasn’t made it into this model — another death knell for the slider. We’re still waiting on an official name from Verizon, likely something to do with clouds or the sky, but suspect the official word shouldn’t be far off.
[Thanks, Anonymous]
Filed under: Cellphones, Mobile, Samsung, Verizon
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