compatibility
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A new Steam tool can check your library for Steam Deck compatibility
The device doesn't support 'Fall Guys' just yet, sadly.
Firefox and Chrome versions '100' may break some websites
As both the Chrome and Firefox browsers approach their 100th versions, what should be a reason for the developers to celebrate could turn into a bit of a mess.
Microsoft blocks May 2019 Windows update on the Surface Book 2
Microsoft has blocked the latest major Windows 10 (May 2019, version 1903) update on its own Surface Book 2. According to the company, a compatibility issue caused some apps and games that used the Nvidia GPU to crash after the update was installed. Until that glitch is resolved, Surface Book 2 owners won't be able to download the update.
The Galaxy S10 will support Samsung Gear VR
Things have been quiet for Samsung's Gear VR recently. Once upon a time the company would launch a new headset alongside its latest Galaxy flagships, but it hasn't done that for a while. That's not to say that the Gear VR is dead, though, as Samsung has just confirmed that it'll be supported by the new Galaxy S10, which was unveiled yesterday.
Apple's HomePod speaker needs an iOS device to work
If you were hoping to use the HomePod as a regular Bluetooth speaker, forget about that. Apple has revealed more about the wireless capability and audio sources for its Siri-powered device, and while it has the necessary hardware for Bluetooth streaming, currently it only supports third-party services through Apple's proprietary AirPlay protocol. As was expected, that pretty much eliminates Android and other devices as sources, even if you're running Apple Music, making the HomePod a product strictly for Apple device owners.
Latest macOS kills pro video editor favorite Final Cut Pro 7
When Final Cut Pro X (FCP X) launched to replace version 7, it sent shockwaves through the professional editing community. Many users had moved to FCP 7 from Avid because it was cheaper, and after much development on Apple's part, was capable of doing professional jobs. However, FCP X was widely aimed at consumers and lacked a lot of professional features, so many stuck with the original. That's going to be difficult now, though, as Apple has told users via email that its latest version of macOS, High Sierra will not run the older version anymore.
Firefox version 40 set to roll with new Windows 10 features
Firefox has hit a new landmark today with the release of version 40. The biggest change is improved Windows 10 compatibility, though previous versions of Firefox certainly work fine with Microsoft's new OS. Instead, the changes are mostly aesthetic to bring the browser in line with Windows 10's design and make it easier to use on a touchscreen. For instance, the "close" buttons on tabs are now bigger so that they're easier to use on a touchscreen, and the address bar has bigger fonts. It also has revised tabstrips and toolbars plus a custom Windows 10 theme.
Lab Zero reveals driver to make PS3 fight sticks work with PS4
Shelling out for a comfortable fight stick makes sense if you're going to pour months or years into a fighting game, but updating with each console generation can get pricey. Thankfully, Skullgirls Encore developer Lab Zero Games is collaborating with Naughty Dog's John "Cowboy" Bellomy on an upcoming driver that will make some PS3 fight sticks compatible with PS4 titles, as reported by Polygon. Lab Zero CEO Peter Bartholow told Polygon that "any stick that reads as a generic USB gamepad or joystick will work," explaining that this covers MadCatz TEs and "other smaller brands and custom options such as the GodLike Controls' Cthulhu boards." The driver is not officially supported by Sony, but Lab Zero will allow other developers to use and adapt it for their own titles, so long as they share their work with Lab Zero. Bartholow explained that the team "thinks it's better for the consumer and the industry" for money to go toward new games instead of replacing fight sticks every console generation. Lab Zero intends to have PS3 fight stick compatibility present when it launches Skullgirls Encore on PS4 and Vita in 2015, but in the mean time, you can see it in development-kit action in a demonstration video after the break. [Image: Lab Zero Games]
Microsoft tries to clarify Windows 8 app support on Xbox One
Dell's been claiming that all your top Windows 8 apps could run on and be synced with the incoming Xbox One -- but Microsoft's saying that's not exactly how it is. According to AllThingsD, and echoed by the spokespeople we've contacted, not all Windows 8 apps will run on Xbox One. Does that mean that some of the apps will be compatible between the two? It could depend on what Dell judges to be "your favorite Windows 8 apps" and MS isn't saying outright that no apps will work cross-platform. Similarities between Microsoft's PC OS and the one found on its next-gen console should in principal, make universal apps something easier to accomplish. Microsoft told us that it is "committed to making it easier for developers to bring an app from one platform to another," but added that right now, it had nothing more to share when it came to apps on Xbox One. Only a month to go.
DualShock 4 will work with Windows for 'basic functions'
The PlayStation 4's DualShock 4 controller will have compatibility "for basic functions" on Windows PCs out of the box, Shuhei Yoshida, President of Worldwide Studios for Sony Computer Entertainment has confirmed via Twitter. When asked on Twitter if Sony would release a driver for the DualShock 4 to make it compatible with Windows PCs, Yoshida tweeted back, "the analog sticks and buttons will work just fine." When pressed if this meant the controller would feature Windows compatibility by default, Yoshida responded it would, for "basic functions." What those functions are remains to be seen. What's also unclear is whether Windows will recognize the DualShock 4 as a DualShock 4. Many non-Microsoft controllers feature the XInput API, which makes them register to the computer as though they were an Xbox controller. The current-generation DualShock 3 lacks Xinput, so it would mark a significant change if the DualShock 4 supported it. When asked if games on PC would automatically recognize the controller as a DualShock 4, Yoshida said to wait until a post-launch field report. Waiting may not be the most fun thing in the world to do, but this wait won't be too long: the PlayStation 4 launches November 15 in North America.
Apple offering 'last compatible version' of iOS apps for older hardware
With iOS 7 arriving tomorrow, Apple is extending some love to the owners of older iOS devices that have been left behind. New compatibility features, first spotted on Reddit, will now kick into action if you attempt to download an app that is not supported by your current firmware. Instead, the company now asks if you'd like to install the last compatible version, which, for some apps, can be over a year old. We've successfully installed an older version of Instagram to an iPhone 3GS with iOS 4.3.3 and Twitter to an iPhone 3G running iOS 4.2.1. Although Instagram was "out of date," the last compatible version of Twitter (featured above) was version 4.3.2, and hit the App Store back on August 18th, 2012. If you're feeling nostalgic and you've got an aging iPhone, iPad or iPod touch that could use a bit of exercise, Apple's latest tweak might teach your old device some new tricks.
Modder adds Oculus Rift support to Crysis and CryEngine 3
Modder Nathan Andrews, last seen working on an Oculus Rift mod for Half-Life 2, has set his sights on making the head-tracking 3D rig compatible with another popular shooter: Crysis. Andrews has released a video showing off Crytek's initial suit-powered shooter being controlled with the head-tracking system and a Mag II gun controller, and says that Crysis Wars and CryEngine 3 compatibility aren't far behind.There's still a bit of work to be done, as Andrews notes the head-tracking isn't quite right yet with the crosshairs on the screen. Still, it look impressive, and considering how far the Rift itself has come, both software and hardware are getting polished up. The Rift headset went out to developers starting last year, with a consumer version supposed to arrive sometime in the future.
Switched On: Compromising positions
Each week Ross Rubin contributes Switched On, a column about consumer technology. Windows powers tablets and PCs. It supports desktop and "Windows 8-style" apps using touch and keyboard / mouse and can run on x86 and ARM CPUs. You can even get it on hardware from Microsoft and third parties. Microsoft refers to this as creating a "no-compromise" operating system. Some of its users will run Windows on an Intel Ultrabook, which an Intel blog post has referred to as a "no-compromise" notebook. But it won't run on the Google Nexus 7, which Google describes as a "no-compromise" Android tablet. And it certainly won't run on a Wang 2200 SVP from the early 1980s, which was hailed by a sales brochure as "the low-cost, no-compromise computer."
CES 2013: Nest updates to version 2, fights for more compatibility
We're big fans of the Nest custom controlled thermostat here at TUAW -- it's a great product that got better last year with an update to version 2. Along with a thinner, updated design and brand-new firmware, the version 2 update also jumped up to be compatible with 95 percent of home HVAC systems, up from around 70 percent for the previous model. Nest was at the CES Digital Experience last night, and talked with us briefly about the new model and how it's coming along. The version 2 model just became available to the public late last year, and "we're selling lots," the Nest rep said, while declining to provide any more concrete sales numbers. The holiday was apparently a big sales boost for them, and Nest is obviously hoping to see more sales going forward. There are no new versions of the thermostat planned, so 2013 will see Nest just focusing on the current product, with possibly a few firmware updates and bugfixes coming down the line as the year goes on. Nest is continuing to improve and grow over the next year, and we'll look forward to seeing just what the company is working on next.
30-pin to Lightning adapter: early users test compatibility
We got a message from developer David Stanfill this morning, who's had an opportunity to start using Apple's 30-pin to Lightning connector. As early pre-orders are just now arriving, we were curious as to how things were working. "I can confirm," he writes, "That the 30-pin to Lightning cable works with none of the previous Apple Accessories. I tested the SD card reader, USB reader, VGA/HDMI out adapter and the Withings Blood Pressure monitor. We're one for three for car stereos at the office." So any good news? Stanfill writes that his speaker systems are working. It's still early days -- perhaps Stanfill received a defective unit. With millions of dollars in gadgets and adapters on the line, however, the transition may not prove as easy as we had hoped. Has your adapter arrived? How is it working for you? Drop a note in the comments and share your experience. The Lighting/30-pin adapter sells for $29 and is currently shipping two to three weeks out. Those who ordered on the first day are now receiving units. Update: Commenters are having much better results than Stanfill with their adapters, especially with the Withing monitor. Some of his items were tested off-label and were not meant for use with the iPhone.
Tesla's Supercharger not compatible with competitor's EVs, keeps electricity within the family
Planning on juicing up your Chevy Volt, Mitsubishi i-MiEV or Nissan Leaf with Tesla's Supercharger? Hold your horses, vaquero. The nighttime unveiling stressed that the quick-charge solution was Model S-friendly, but we should also note that it's only compatible with the firm's automobile. Vehicles from other automakers won't be able to jack into the station thanks to a 20-kilowatt hour converter, which would zap other batteries with too much electricity, and a proprietary plug. Unless something changes, those planning cross-country trips using EVs from other manufacturers will just have to find an alternative to Musk and Co.'s white obelisk.
Google Senior VP of Mobile: Aliyun OS 'under no requirement to be compatible', but it won't get help from Android ecosystem alliance
Andy Rubin has added another response to Alibaba's Aliyun OS, after Google's insistence that Acer put the launch of its new smartphone on pause. He focuses (again) on the Open Handset Alliance (OHA), which OEMs agree to when they work with the platform, promising to keep Android a happy (and relatively compatible) platform. Amazon dodges any similar issues with its Kindle Fire tablets, because it didn't sign up to the same alliance. Rubin says that because Aliyun uses Android's framework and tools -- as well as housing some suspect Android apps (and pirated Google programs) within its own App Store -- the mobile OS "takes advantage of all the hard work that's gone into that platform by the OHA." Google's looking to protect how Android behaves as a whole, and the senior VP suggests that if Alibaba's new OS wanted "to benefit from the Android ecosystem" then they could make the move across to full compatibility. We're still waiting to hear what Acer (and Alibaba) plan to do next. [Thanks Jimmy]
AMD's Hondo tablet chip will happily run Windows 8 and Linux, but not Android
Today's business jargon gem: TAM, Total Addressable Market. AMD feels that Windows 8 comes with plenty of the stuff, so it sees no commercial need to make its forthcoming tablet chip -- codenamed Hondo -- play nice with Android as well. Speaking to The Inquirer, corporate VP Steve Belt said it was a "conscious decision" not to go after compatibility with Google's OS, because AMD doesn't want to spread itself into "other markets." What could this mean for us tablet-buyers? No dual-booting Windows / Android magic on AMD devices, for one thing, which is perhaps a shame now that ASUS has shown off the combo's potential. On the other hand, Belt made it clear that Hondo will support Linux, which -- for now, at least -- is more than can be said of Intel's rival low-power silicon, Clover Trail.
Google wants 'better compatibility' for Android, Alibaba says 'Aliyun is separate,' Acer takes the brunt of it
On Thursday, we starting hearing claims that Google had strong-armed Acer out of launching its A800 CloudMobile in China with the Aliyun operating system. We reached out to the search giant for its response, but they declined to comment. Over the last 24 hours, though, Google has attempted to explain its stance, but at the same time has potentially created some confusion about how open Android really is. Below is the initial statement received by Marketing Land: "Compatibility is at the heart of the Android ecosystem and ensures a consistent experience for developers, manufacturers and consumers. Non-compatible versions of Android, like Aliyun, weaken the ecosystem. All members of the Open Handset Alliance have committed to building one Android platform and to not ship non-compatible Android devices. This does not however, keep OHA members from participating in competing ecosystems." This is clearly outlining Google's intention to prevent forked Android spin-offs from diluting the platform and the user experience. Fair enough. The trouble seems to be, however, defining when something is Android compatible, rather than its own separate (albeit Android-based) operating system. Amazon's Kindle Fire will instantly spring to mind. The new tablets run on Ice Cream Sandwich, but are fenced-off from the official Play store and other Google offerings. As you can imagine, the debate has started to get a little heated, we go into it in more detail past the break.
Use the Xbox 360 controller on your Mac
TUAW reader Jon emailed in the other day to ask about possible game controllers for Mac, and while we've covered this issue before, it has definitely been a while. In short, the best way to use a game controller with your Mac is just to use one of the better controllers out there: the wired version of Microsoft's Xbox 360 controller (or, if you wish, any compatible third-party version). The port on it is just a standard USB, so it should plug right into your Mac. And in some cases that's all you need -- the OnLive app, for example, will make use of your controller right out of the box (which is actually easier than it works on Windows, incidentally, where you need to install an official driver), and there are other games around (I've been playing AirMech in my Chrome browser quite a bit lately) that will work great right away. I haven't tried Steam's Big Picture mode on my Mac yet, but I presume it too will work just as well. If the game you're trying to play doesn't directly support the controller, however, then things get a little more complicated. There is a very nice driver for the Xbox 360 controller available for free online, and it will cover you for a lot of games that already support controller setups. But every once in a while you'll come across a game that requires you to use a keyboard, and for those times, you'll need to download a helper app, something like the Gamepad Companion (from the Mac App Store). That app will let you map the Xbox 360 controller's buttons to standard mouse and keyboard functions, so you can use your controller to do anything you want. Apple seems closer than ever to actually bringing full apps to the Apple TV, and when it does, you have to think it will also create some kind of controller device (or include that functionality directly in iOS somehow). Until then, however, Microsoft's controller works perfectly well, and with a little bit of tweaking, you can get it to do whatever you need.
