Hasta La Gadget!

In Africa, only 15.6 percent of residents have an internet connection and that figure clocks in below half of the global average. Google, Carlson Wireless and several other outfits are teaming up to employ Cape Town’s unused TV frequencies, or white spaces, in order to bring high-speed connectivity to the masses. Darren Murph made the trek to South Africa get a behind-the-scenes look at the project and his account nabs top billing in this week’s issue of our tablet mag. Eyes-On ogles Organic Transit’s ELF; Weekly Stat tallies up the heroes of YouTube; and Modem World pleads the Hyperloop’s case. Grab a copy from the source links below if your slate of choice hasn’t already alerted you to do so and get comfy for another large dose of tech e-reading.

Distro Issue 103 PDF
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Filed under: Announcements, HD, Mobile

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Source: iTunes, Google Play, Windows Store

The Syfy for iPhone app is relaunching as SyFy Now, while the old Syfy app for iPad is reborn as Syfy Sync, dedicated solely to the network’s second screen ambitions. Why the changes? Now is all about TV Everywhere with streaming of full episodes of Syfy’s original series the day after they air and bookmarks that sync across devices with iCloud. This app can’t put Alphas back on the air, but it can bring Defiance, Robot Combat League and Being Human to wherever you are, assuming you have a compatible TV provider. At launch, customers with Armstrong, AT&T U-Verse, Cablevision’s Optimum TV service, Charter, Comcast’s Xfinity TV, DISH, Mediacom, Suddenlink, Verizon FiOS, and Wide Open West (WOW) are ready to go, and others are coming soon.

Don’t have authentication? The show clips and behind the scenes video previously featured in the app are still available. Syfy’s app for Android isn’t updated yet (and still isn’t ready for the new Nexus 7) but the press release promises Now will launch there in September — hopefully the network can figure out how to include TV movies like Sharknado 2 in the package by then.

Filed under: Home Entertainment, HD, Mobile

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Source: iTunes, Syfy

For some, Grand Theft Auto 4‘s multiplayer mode was a promise unfulfilled — it had the open environment of a massively multiplayer online game, but none of the genre’s persistent content. Rockstar is making amends by unveiling Grand Theft Auto Online, an independent counterpart to GTA5 with a few MMO components. While only 16 players can participate in a given session, they all have permanent stakes in the game world: they can raise cash, buy property and build a reputation that unlocks new gameplay. There are “ambient” events, and gamers can even design custom battles or races to share with others.

The new title should also represent a break from Rockstar’s usual business model, which emphasizes blockbuster releases with few (if any) updates. Although GTAO will be available for free to GTA5 buyers on October 1st and start off with that game’s resources, it should receive a steady stream of new missions and purchases. Ultimately, the two GTA games may have little in common. Rockstar hasn’t said whether or not it will charge players for any extras, but we wouldn’t be surprised if they carry price tags.

Filed under: Gaming, HD

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Via: Joystiq

Source: Rockstar Games

No matter how engrossed you are in a live sports stream, there’s a good chance that you’ll want a quick peek at other events. Thanks to an update to WatchESPN for iOS, that’s a simple matter. iPad owners now have access to the Live Toolbar, a ticker that shows both a channel guide, live scores and links to highlight videos. If there’s ever a lull in the middle of a game, users can even watch highlight clips side-by-side with live streams. The WatchESPN upgrade doesn’t have any major improvements in store for iPhone and iPod touch owners, but iPad-bound sports fans will have a good reason to grab the new release at the source link.

Filed under: Home Entertainment, Tablets, HD

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Via: AllThingsD

Source: App Store

As much as we lust after 4K monitors, we need all that cash for, you know, boring stuff like rent and food. For now, we’ll make do with screens that are a little lighter on the wallet, and today Acer has announced three new LED offerings for Joes and pros alike. First up is the T272HUL 27-inch multitouch monitor aimed at consumers, with a WQHD panel (2,560 x 1,440 resolution), 5ms response time and various inputs including old-school VGA. Arriving in late August, the T272HUL is expected to retail at around $999. Another 27-inch model, the B276HUL, drops touch support but sports the same WQHD res, a 6ms response time and a DisplayPort input among several others.

Intended more for pros, the 29-inch B296CL rocks a widescreen 2,560 x 1080 resolution, 8ms response time and the same connectivity credentials as the B276HUL. Both non-touch models are on sale now for around $599. In case you were wondering, all three displays have 178-degree viewing angles both horizontally and vertically — because if you’re not looking almost entirely at bezel, you’re doing it wrong. PR after the break.

Filed under: Displays, HD, Acer

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Via: Electronista