New Kinect Hardware For Windows Coming In 2012, Says Microsoft
Compared with years passed, it’s been a pretty good PR year for Redmond-based Microsoft. The Windows 8 Developer Preview was released to the public a lot earlier than previous iterations, and it seems potential consumers have been impressed by the dramatically faster booting times allied to the sleek Metro-tiled interface.
Xbox 360, the company’s flagship games console, continues to go from strength to strength, having become the users’ choice in terms of units pushed through, as well as its live service also appearing to outshine rivaling Sony’s free PlayStation Network offering.
The Kinect, released just before the turn of the year, brought gaming to a new dimension, allowing 360 users to interact and immerse themselves in a way only previously seen by the rather family-orientated Wii from Nintendo.
Nobody could have foreseen the scale of the Kinect’s success, which became the fastest selling gadget of all time – impressive when you consider some of the retro greats of the past 30 years.
Although the Kinect has been hacked to oblivion by, well, developers and modders, for use with PC and other devices, it now appears Microsoft is embracing it’s successful gizmo for desktop use.
Set to release sometime in 2012, the PC-specific model will house the ability to focus on objects as near as 50cm away from its lens, dramatically improving the current, oft non-participative Kinect, which doesn’t enjoy users getting within a few feet of it.
The hardware will supposedly be “optimized” for the desktop, including – get this – a shorter USB cable. Seems as though Bill Gates and Co. have really been doing their homework, doesn’t it?
On a more serious note, though, whilst Kinect for PC is all well and good, as any Apple Genius would vouch, desk space is at a premium a lot of the time, and those vital cubic centimeters required to use the Kinect could see the lamp, mouse, or worse – the coffee – fly off the desk.
In conjunction with the talk of new hardware, Microsoft is also prepping commercial licenses for Kinect, enabling developers to sell commercial apps based on the SDK for the Windows iteration.
Can the so-called “Kinect Effect“ really take hold at desktop level, or is Microsoft just throwing the idea against the wall and hoping it sticks?
(Source MSDN)
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Everything about Jailbreaking - App! (Cydia)
For the new jailbreakers, this App will definitely help you out and let you know everything about the jailbreaking process!
iAm Jailbroken features a main page that has so many links available to you that you will be knocked off of your feet by all of the information you learn about being jailbroken. If you're already a jailbreak wizard, you might find this information redundant. This application is intended for the newbies that just started and want to learn more about what's possible,
The iAm Jailbroken Tweak is available at Cydia!
Read more here!
Read more: http://www.iphone4jailbreak.cc/2011/11/everything-about-jailbreaking-cydia.html#ixzz1eQPYxgIH
The iAm Jailbroken Tweak is available at Cydia!
Read more here!
Read more: http://www.iphone4jailbreak.cc/2011/11/everything-about-jailbreaking-cydia.html#ixzz1eQPYxgIH
Android 4.0 ICS Keyboard Now Available For Older Devices; This Is The Best Keyboard We’ve Ever Used – Download Now
Folks looking for a new keyboard for their Android device need not to look any further: the critically acclaimed keyboard from Android’s latest release – 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich – has been unofficially released in the form an APK. We’ll be discussing its performance and give away the download link at the end. Check it out after the jump!
We’ve tested the keyboard on a Samsung Galaxy S II on Android 2.3.3 Gingerbread and can confirm that works as claimed. It is simply a joy to type on. The keyboard itself is a little smaller than what came with my GSII but is much, much more accurate with text input. It comes with efficient auto-correction and the other usual features such as auto-capitalization are also here. I’ve been using it all day and besides this one small bug which causes it to force close (double-tapping Caps Lock), it is the best keyboard this writer have ever used and the fact that it is free sweetens the deal. Hopefully this bug will be squashed soon.
If you’re interested, Ice Cream Sandwich Keyboard can be download from the link embedded below. To install the APK, be sure to have Unknown sources enabled from Settings > Applications.
To set it up, go to Settings > Language and keyboard. Enable Ice Cream Sandwich keyboard from the bottom and then choose Ice Cream Sandwich keyboard from Select input method.
Let us know what you think of it in the comments section over on our Facebook page.
Download Ice Cream Sandwich Keyboard:
ICS keyboard is also available from Android Market. We’ve tested the MediaFire link APK only, but Market version is the same, according to reports, so you can get that as well.
Note: For the security conscious, rest assured that the APK is safe as it doesn’t require any unnecessary permissions to the device.
(via Reddit)
If you’ve been following the latest news, you’ll know that the Galaxy Nexus – the first ever Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich-based smartphone – was released in select markets a few days ago. The phone has received critical acclaim, mostly due to ICS being a significant improvement for Android. ICS’ stock keyboard, especially, has been noted for being unbelievably good for text input – finally rivaling keyboards offered by WP7 and iOS.
We’ve tested the keyboard on a Samsung Galaxy S II on Android 2.3.3 Gingerbread and can confirm that works as claimed. It is simply a joy to type on. The keyboard itself is a little smaller than what came with my GSII but is much, much more accurate with text input. It comes with efficient auto-correction and the other usual features such as auto-capitalization are also here. I’ve been using it all day and besides this one small bug which causes it to force close (double-tapping Caps Lock), it is the best keyboard this writer have ever used and the fact that it is free sweetens the deal. Hopefully this bug will be squashed soon.
If you’re interested, Ice Cream Sandwich Keyboard can be download from the link embedded below. To install the APK, be sure to have Unknown sources enabled from Settings > Applications.
To set it up, go to Settings > Language and keyboard. Enable Ice Cream Sandwich keyboard from the bottom and then choose Ice Cream Sandwich keyboard from Select input method.
Let us know what you think of it in the comments section over on our Facebook page.
Download Ice Cream Sandwich Keyboard:
ICS keyboard is also available from Android Market. We’ve tested the MediaFire link APK only, but Market version is the same, according to reports, so you can get that as well.
Note: For the security conscious, rest assured that the APK is safe as it doesn’t require any unnecessary permissions to the device.
(via Reddit)
Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich Will Be The Last Mobile OS To Support Flash
Earlier this month, Adobe made an announcement of its plans to cease development of Flash on mobile browsers. Instead, they would refocus their efforts on the Steve Jobs supported browser technology of HTML5, which can basically display the same content as Flash, but without the need of a plugin.
Now it seems that the company will dish out one more new updates by the end of the year, before they close their doors on mobile Flash for good. Adobe announced the version in the works would support Android 4.0, also known as Ice Cream Sandwich. The new update would replace the current version of Flash 11.1 and would support new and future devices by the end of the year. Adobe will also be releasing the Flash Linux Porting Kit.
The reason for the backtracking is likely due to a commitment between Adobe and Google with the latter heavily promoting and bundling Flash on their Android and Chrome browsers. Android 5.0, nicknamed Jelly Bean, will not be receiving Flash support.
The news should bring joy to current owners of the new Galaxy Nexus which lacks a Flash option in the Android Market. This new update will finally bring compatibility with the Ice Cream Sandwich OS allowing users to experience the “full” web as promised by Google.
The decision to cease development of Flash on mobile browsers is bittersweet. While Adobe seems optimistic of their future, Apple had a big role in the decision since it refused to support Flash on the their popular iPhone and iPad models, calling it buggy. Apple has supported the HTML5 web standards and has held their ground. Even on their Mac models, Flash is not installed by default, although you can seek the software out and install it yourself. Now, it seems other manufacturers may have to follow suit.
By the later part of 2012, most modern phones and tablets will likely be running HTML5 on their browsers. Unfortunately, many iPad competitors used Flash as a central focus of their marketing campaign. They’ll have to concentrate on other areas or features to compete with the Apple devices in the future.
With Adobe abandoning Flash for mobile, maybe believe that Flash Player will fade away too. They may be right.
(via PocketLint)
Apple Tested 3D iPad 3 Prototypes, Says A New Report
Although we know precious little of what’s in store for Apple’s next tablet offering, that hasn’t stopped various rumors and speculation circulating around the Web.
Some – in fact, many – were left disappointed by the iPad 2′s rather negligible set of updates. Sure, it had a dual-core processor, but both added cameras were pretty poor; just as well, since the Retina Display we’d become accustomed to with the iPhone 4 was mysteriously absent.
For a while, it seemed as though Apple would be making up for it with the third addition to its tablet roster. Rumors had been prevalent for a large portion of 2011, dating back as far asMay, with one Hollywood insider at the time stating the likelihood of a 3D iPad 3 as a "dead-cert".
A mere month later, a prototype iPad was spotted in Taiwan sporting a 3D display, seemingly adding credibility to the rumors.
BusinessInsider, citing a reliable source, notes that Apple has indeed toyed with 3D screens."The iPad 3 was often called iPad 3D in early prototypes," so said the source. Apparently though, Apple decided not to go ahead with a 3D screen since, again quoting the source, "they didn’t want it to be a gimmick."
The tipster also gave a little more insight to the type of 3D screen Apple toyed with, noting that it would have been similar to the Nintendo 3DS in that users would not have been required to sport those notably un-cool 3D glasses.
Despite the prospect of an iPad 3D seeming dead in the water, that isn’t to say the fruit company has ditched the idea altogether – despite fearing the gimmicky label.
In fact, the tipster hinted that 3D will likely make a return at some point – but only when it is"useful". Disney is supposedly 3D-fying its expansive catalogue ready for that day – if and when it does arrive.
Apple isn’t renowned for being an early adopter of new technologies (see 4G / LTE), preferring to let rivals discover and iron out the limitations. We shouldn’t read to much into the fact that the Cupertino recently filed a patent for a 3D screen just a couple of months ago, either, since it has done this on many occasions for products which have never reached fruition.
3D iPad in future – gimmick, or game-changer? Discuss!
First Real Facebook Phone From HTC In The Works, Codenamed ‘Buffy’ [REPORT]
Facebook has been actively seeking to tap into the smartphone market for quite some time, and it seems everything is now in place for the concept to become reality.
We’ve had an inkling for a while now that HTC would be the probable manufacturer, and according to an extensive feature over at AllThingsD, the socially-centered device will be hitting stores sometime between the next 12-18 months.
Neither Facebook nor HTC have opted to comment specifically about the device – operating under the pseudonym "Buffy" for the time being – but a spokesman for the world’s largest social network did say the following:
"Our mobile strategy is simple: We think every mobile device is better if it is deeply social. We’re working across the entire mobile industry; with operators, hardware manufacturers, OS providers, and application developers to bring powerful social experiences to more people around the world."
Having only recently categorically pinpointed HTC (also looked at Samsung as a potential device maker), the Facebook phone, as previously stated, is quite a way from reaching the end-user.
Having said that, it’s certainly rather exciting, and with Mark Zuckerberg’s creation boasting near-on one billion active users – one sixth of the world’s men, women and children – it has a huge potential platform for domination in the fiercely-competitive smartphone market.
If Facebook can manage to persuade consumers that sociability is the key smartphone element – and HTC can deliver the goods in terms of the device (or range of devices) – then the 2013 smartphone market may not be the predictable Android/iOS slog.
Many analysts have stated the importance of Facebook entering the smartphone spectrum in terms of future business. 350 million Facebookers log in via some form of mobile device, most of which use the Facebook app – configured for some 475 separate devices – at convenience as opposed to seeing it as a fundamental aspect of their device.
With Apple electing Twitter as its social partner – bringing an integrated Twitter API to iOS 5, Facebook really needs to gain control of its mobile destiny, and Buffy – whilst not certain to succeed – could theoretically provide the perfect tonic.
The social aspect with Buffy will go much deeper than the many Facebook-focused devices hitherto (HTC Salsa and ChaCha, for example), so look out for another solid challenger for the smartphone title in the next year or so!
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