Xbox chief: we have a product for people who can’t get online, it’s called Xbox 360

Xbox chief we have a product for people who can't get online, it's called Xbox 360

Did you think the Xbox 360 was being kept around just for the budget market? It turns out Microsoft’s got another sort of customer in mind for the revamped last-gen hardware: the crews of nuclear submarines. Xbox chief Don Mattrick, in response to the backlash over the Xbox One requiring an internet connection, said that “fortunately, we have a product for people who aren’t able to get some form of connectivity, it’s called Xbox 360.” As an example, he referred to a crew member on a nuclear submarine, who would be better off with the 360, as it’s an “offline device.” The full quotes are after the break, along with the video — oh, and Sony’s message to submarine crews too.

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Via: NeoGAF

Source: GameTrailers

Vudu Player update allows movie downloads on iPhone, iPad

Vudu Player finally allows movie downloads on iPhone, iPad

Coming months after the feature’s introduction on Android and PCs, Vudu has updated the iOS version of its app with the ability to download movies for viewing offline. Unlike the Android version, this feature is not restricted to tablets however, with downloads of your Vudu / Ultraviolet collection on iPads and iPhones. Other tweaks include making the Player “easier to use” and adding closed captions on iPhone. The Flixster app already allowed for Ultraviolet movie downloads on iOS, however Vudu has access to some movies that may not be available there. The updated version of the free app is available on on iTunes, although you will need an associated account (with updated password info) with unlocked videos to get any use out of it.

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Source: iTunes

The entire nation of Syria goes offline yet again

The entire country of Syria goes offline yet again

Entire countries can go offline. Syria’s done it before, and now it appears that the troubled nation has dropped its web connection again, according to Google’s Transparency Report and other online sources. The outage appears to have begun just before 3PM ET, according to Google’s report, and has yet to be resolved nearly three hours later. It’s not entirely clear what’s caused the outage, but based on educated speculation surrounding previous incidents, it wouldn’t be out of the question to conclude that the government was behind this latest interruption. For now, the country remains in the dark — we’ll update this post just as soon as that’s resolved.

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Via: Google+

Source: Google Transparency Report

Offline Google Drive now automatically saves files, lets you create and edit drawings

Offline Google Drive now automatically saves files, lets you create and edit drawings

Well, it looks as if the Drive news just keep pouring in. Shortly after outing a couple of new features that make the service a little more friendly with collaborators, Google’s rather quietly taken to its own social network to announce some offline tidbits. Starting today, users of Mountain View’s cloud-based storage goods can easily create and edit any drawings without the need for an internet connection. What’s more, Docs, Sheets and Slides will now be automatically available offline — something that should come in very handy while you’re, say, 20,000 feet up in the air with no Gogo in sight. Fret not if you don’t see these changes the next time you log in, as Google says “it may take a few days” before the rollout is carried out.

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Source: Google Drive (Google+)

Google Translate on Android gains offline support for thrifty globetrotters

Google Translate on Android gains offline support for thrifty travelers

Travelers face a dilemma: they’ll often leave a phone in airplane mode to avoid expensive roaming rates or a foreign SIM, but staying offline can break the translation services that might prove vital in a strange land. Google must have heard their plight, as a new version of Google Translate on Android adds the option to download offline packs for 50 different languages. They aren’t as full-featured as their cloud-based equivalents, although there’s good reason for the trimmed dictionaries — at least some packs are over 150MB each. Unless space is just too tight, however, anyone with at least Android 2.3 can ask dónde el baño es without risking some bill shock.

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Via: Android Official Blog

Source: Google Play

Google Slides gets offline editing, begins rolling out today

Google Slides

Google made Docs available for offline editing this past summer and now it’s extending the capability to Slides. In a rollout slated to begin today, users of the web-based app (formerly known as presentations for Docs) will be able to edit, comment and control r/w privileges on Drive-hosted slides without being tethered to the internet — those tweaks will simply auto-upload the next time a connection is established. You’ll need to be currently enrolled in offline editing for Docs to take advantage of this new feature, as it’s not enabled by default. But if not, don’t stress, Google’s included detailed instructions in the source below. So, what’s next in line for offline editing? Oh, that’d be Google Sheets.

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Source: Google Drive Blog

Comcast Xfinity TV Player update adds downloads for offline viewing on iOS, Android

Comcast Xfinity TV Player update adds downloads for offline viewing on iOS, Android

Comcast has brought video on-demand streaming to subscriber’s mobile devices since early last year, but now an update has added the option to download (some) content for offline viewing. Arriving simultaneously on iOS and Android, the Xfinity TV Player apps support downloads from premium channels Showtime (which was also one of the first up for streaming when that launched), Starz, Encore and MoviePlex. We downloaded the app on both platforms and found it to work in similar fashion, assuming you’re already logged in (and have any of those channels in your package) the option to download is right next to the usual stream button with options available for two different levels of picture quality. The high quality option wasn’t quite HD quality to our eyes, but certainly passable for viewing on a flight or subway. We did run into a hiccup on Android however, with an “unknown error” stopping us from downloading files to our Galaxy S II running ICS. If there were more content available it would be a decent no-additional-hardware-needed matchup for solutions like TiVo’s Stream or DirecTV’s Nomad, while we wait for that you can get a taste of the apps for each platform at the source links.

[Thanks to everyone who sent this in]

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Source: iTunes, Google Play

Rhapsody Android app goes 3.0, adds offline playback

Rhapsody Android app goes 30, adds offline playbackRhapsody fans with Android handsets, listen up, because your subway rides just got a little more bearable. The latest version of the music streaming service rolled out on the Google Play store this week, bringing with it the promise of downloadable tracks and albums, for your offline listening pleasure. The update also allows you to pick precisely where you want those downloads to go, so you can stream Gaga to your hearts content without eating up your data. More details can be found in the source link below.

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Rhapsody Android app goes 3.0, adds offline playback originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 20 Sep 2012 12:50:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink Phandroid  |  sourceGoogle Play  | Email this | Comments

SiriusXM for Android update brings On Demand and offline listening

SiriusXM for Android update brings On Demand and offline listening

If you’re an Android-toting SiriusXM fan, you’ve probably spent the last month wondering when your smartphone would get the newfound flexibility to tune in beyond live radio. As of Sirius XM’s version 2.2 update, Android is back on equal footing. The upgrade supplies On Demand streaming, both for catch-up and the occasional classic, as well as downloadable copies to keep the music and talk flowing offline. As before, the access is considered a free perk of a SiriusXM subscription; if you enjoy Howard Stern’s cynicism enough to want it at odd hours of the day, your angsty fix awaits at the source.

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SiriusXM for Android update brings On Demand and offline listening originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 17 Sep 2012 06:21:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink Android Police  |  sourceGoogle Play  | Email this | Comments

BBC iPlayer for iOS update coming with downloads and offline viewing, on Android soon

BBC iPlayer for iOS update coming with downloads and offline viewing, on Android soon

The BBC has revealed that an update arriving Tuesday for its iPlayer app on iPhone and iPad will add the ability to download shows for viewing offline, instead of being streaming only. First reported by The Guardian, it will let those with paid up TV licenses load their phones and tablets with plenty of programming to view when and where (including abroad) they want, for up to 30 days or within 7 days of being watched. Those restriction will keep viewers from building up libraries they can truly keep with them indefinitely, and it should be noted that the app will only let users download shows over WiFi for now, not surprising when we remember how long it took to add 3G streaming. Also interesting is the Beeb’s decision not to charge extra for downloads, but we’ll have to wait and see if competitors like ITV follow suit. The app is not live in iTunes yet, but we’ll keep an eye out and let our UK based friends know when it’s available to download. That here in the US we’re (still) waiting for global iPlayer access hasn’t made us jealous at all.

Update: Version 2.0.0 is out, check the gallery for screenshots or the BBC’s blog post for a few more details and stats on how people are using iPlayer.

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BBC iPlayer for iOS update coming with downloads and offline viewing, on Android soon originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 03 Sep 2012 20:50:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink Pocket-Lint  |  sourceGuardian, iTunes, BBC Internet Blog  | Email this | Comments