Hasta La Gadget!

The official Cloud Print app has finally been released on Google Play, possibly rendering the third-party apps you’ve relied on over the years superfluous. Using the standalone software will likely be a familiar affair if you’ve ever printed via mobile devices in the past. Just choose a file saved on your phone, tablet or the cloud, and it’ll make its merry way to your Cloud Print-ready device. Note that your photo or document still has to be funneled through your computer if you use a classic, wired printer. Head over to Google Play via the source link below to give Cloud Print a spin.

Filed under: Cellphones, Misc, Handhelds, Tablets, Mobile, Google

Comments

Via: Droid Life

Source: Google Play

The 7-inch Android tablet with a game controller cradle — the Wikipad — launches in the United States on June 11th for $250, with a worldwide launch following later this summer. As for the initially announced 10.1-inch variation, that remains unclear — it’s not even mentioned in Wikipad’s press release from today. The same can be said for Gaikai / PlayStation Cloud support, though it’s possible we’ll hear more when Sony’s ready to unveil its streaming plans; Wikipad’s in a weird place in that relationship, having worked with Gaikai on streaming ahead of Sony’s purchase of the company. We’ve been repeatedly promised by Wikipad representatives that the functionality is still on the way.

The device is perhaps the largest outside of Sony internal products to carry PlayStation Mobile support, which gives owners access to a variety of classic PlayStation titles (think Crash Bandicoot, Jet Moto). Of course, at $250, the Wikipad costs the same as Sony’s own PlayStation Vita, which packs an arguably much nicer (though smaller) OLED screen and access to a much larger library of PlayStation games. The choice will be in consumers hands come June 11th.

Filed under: Gaming, Handhelds, Peripherals, Tablets, Software, Mobile, Sony

Comments

Google Play game developers and players alike are getting a quartet of game-changing additions today: real-time multiplayer, leaderboards, cloud saves and achievements. And that’s not all — the latter three services will function cross-platform between Android, iOS and the web. The whole initiative is called — unsurprisingly — “Google Play Game Services,” and it’s available today in a smattering of games. Unlike Apple’s Game Center application, what Google’s offering is backend support for developers rather than a standalone application. Think of it more like OpenFeint than Game Center — you can sign in using your Google+ login in-game, and that login will track your identity (including leaderboard scores, achievements and saves) across various games and devices.

Any developer launching a game on the Google Play store has access to game services, though Google isn’t making it an obligation. “We won’t make it a mandatory exercise, or have any certification process around it,” Google lead product manager Greg Hartrell told us. “We create fantastic services that allow developers to create these great game experiences, and help promote their discovery, help retain their users and keep them engaged.”

Filed under: Cellphones, Gaming, Handhelds, Tablets, Software, Mobile, Google

Comments

NVIDIA’s “project not a product” just became a product: Project Shield is now NVIDIA Shield, and it’s arriving this June for $350. The specs haven’t changed — it’s still rockin’ a Tegra 4 processor with 2GB of RAM, a 5-inch “retinal” IPS display (1280×720), and 16GB of storage (expandable to 64GB via microSD). The concept remains nigh identical with what NVIDIA head Jen-Hsun Huang introduced back at CES: a console-quality controller with an HD screen mounted to it for on-the-go and streaming PC gaming.

Beyond the price point and release window, the Shield is also getting a few new game announcements in Double Fine’s Broken Age and Costume Quest, not to mention a new iteration of Chip’s Challenge named “Chuck’s Challenge.” The AR.Drone folks are also adding in support for the Shield, enabling controller-based inputs over the motion-based usual. NVIDIA’s also promising monthly OTA updates for the system, including the latest version of Android (the system ships with Jelly Bean 4.2.1). The company also warns that not all Android apps will work out of the box — specifically, any that don’t support landscape mode (the Netflix login screen, for example, has an issue here). Kinks aside, should you wish to be the very first to get a Shield, it’s available for pre-order starting right now on NVIDIA’s website (if you’re on the mailing list, that is), or on May 20th everywhere else. Or you could sign up for the mailing list, of course.

Filed under: Gaming, Handhelds, Mobile, NVIDIA

Comments

Love music? Sure you do — but can you really claim to be a true music lover if you’re not plunking down $1,300 for the latest MQS (Mastering Quality Sound) player from iRiver? The AK120 looks a fair bit like its predecessor, the AK100 (albeit slightly larger), and features a 2.4-inch IPS touchcreen. Inside, you’ll find two digital-to-analog converters, dual Wolfson WM8740 DAC chips and 64GB of memory, which is expandable up to 192GB via two microSD card slots. The AK120 can handle a slew of formats, including WAV, FLAC, WMA, MP3, OGG, APE, AAC, ALAC and AIFF, with DSD on the way. And just in case you were worried that the price tag was a bit steep, keep in in mind that it includes “the finest handmade Italian-designed leather case.”

Filed under: Handhelds, Home Entertainment

Comments

Source: Astell&Kern