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Microsoft's prototype keyboard cover has an e-ink touchscreen
Tablets are becoming more useful for getting real work done. Looking to further bridge the gap between slate and laptop, Microsoft Applied Sciences built a prototype device it calls the DisplayCover: a keyboard cover that houses an e-ink touchscreen display. The 1,280 x 305 resolution panel not only provides access to app shortcuts, but it can also handle touch gestures for navigation and accept stylus input. The stylus feature seems to make things like signing documents and scribbling notes a breeze, based on the demo video. In the case of an app like Photoshop where you need constant access to tool palettes, those items can be parked at the top of the keyboard so they don't take up valuable space on the tablet's display (in this case a Surface).
OnePlus kills its unique swappable covers before they had the chance to live
Although more people have been able to get their hands the OnePlus One than ever before, new handset owners won't be able to accessorize them as thoroughly as was first thought. After two months of teasing its bamboo, silk white and sandstone black "StyleSwap" covers, the company has been forced to kill its custom backplates before they got the chance to go on sale. According to a company blog post, "technical difficulties" during mass production meant that covers suffered from creaks or became slightly loose, risking damage to the non-removable battery that it was meant to protect.
Damian Lillard trail-blazes to NBA Live 15's cover
The cover athlete of NBA Live 15 is Portalnd Trail Blazers point guard Damian Lillard, the NBA revealed via Twitter today. Lillard was voted by his peers to play in the NBA All-Star Game this year and led Portland to the playoffs in April before eventually losing to the now-champion San Antonio Spurs. NBA Live 15 will launch October 7 for Xbox One and PS4. It will be the second game since the series' resurgence last year, which underwhelmed at its launch. NBA Live Executive Producer Sean O'Brien even apologized to fans in June, admitting that the first entry in four years "fell short in two major areas" as the first game for PS4 and Xbox One. NBA Live 14 was also the first to launch since NBA Live 10 arrived in October 2009, as both NBA Live 13 and NBA Elite 11 were canceled in September 2012 and November 2010, respectively. [Image: EA Sports]
One-man band covers Banjo-Kazooie theme, all instruments included
Covering the intro theme from the Nintendo 64 platformer classic Banjo-Kazooie is a daunting task for any group of musicians. For one thing, it uses a million instruments -- aside from the obvious banjo and kazoo parts, other sections of the melody employ the trumpet, trombone, saxophone, violin, and piccolo, along with various percussive surfaces and cartoonish bear grunts. YouTuber SquidPhysics has assembled the necessary musical arsenal for the one-man performance above, and the results are as impressive as you might expect. Guh-huh! [Image: SquidPhysics]
Limited edition Frozen PS4 only announced for Japan, let it go
If you're a fan of Disney's animated musical Frozen, the sight of Sony's new limited edition PS4 might make you want to sing with joy - give us a sec to get the earplugs. Unfortunately it's currently limited to Japan, where the Frozen-covered system will be available on July 16 for 42,980 yen (around $424). If you're wondering, the answer is no, it doesn't come with a copy of Frozen - that would make too much sense. If you're surprised to see Frozen of all things on a PS4 in Japan of all places, the film's been the country's box office number one for the 16 weeks prior to this one. The film that finally toppled it? Disney's Maleficent. [Image: Sony]
John Cena sucks up the spotlight on WWE 2K15's cover
2K Sports revealed the cover art for WWE 2K15 this week, the second game in the series from the publisher. The cover art features the face of the WWE and current champion John Cena, posing in a way that indicates he's contemplating his unwavering commitment to his unchanging "never give up" persona. Fans will have the chance to make Cena give up via submission when WWE 2K15 launches on October 28 in North America and October 31 internationally. The game is in development by Yukes and Visual Concepts for PS4, Xbox One, PS3 and Xbox 360, and will be the first WWE game to step into the next generation's squared circle. [Image: 2K Sports]
The US military wants walls that automatically pop out of cans
Many soldiers dream of having instant cover on the battlefield, and it looks like they might just get their wish. DARPA is soliciting proposals for BlockADE (Block Access to Deny Entry), a system that would automatically form a barrier from material stuffed into a canister 1ft by 6.5ft or smaller. If US troops needed to block off an entrance or create a makeshift building, all they'd have to do is hit a button -- much more effective than sandbagging or pitching a tent, we'd say.
OnePlus One phone and its swappable covers leak out in new pictures
Former Oppo exec Pete Lau announced his plans to make "the perfect smartphone" a few months ago, and now the OnePlus One is almost here. Its launch is scheduled for April 23rd, but Android Authority points out these pictures posted on a forum that claim to show press renders of the device itself and "StyleSwap" covers that will let owners customize its looks. Not-so-shockingly, what we're seeing looks a lot like the Oppo Find 5, although the only question left is whether they're authentic or just a fan's creation. We've already gotten a sneak peek at the CyanogenMod software it will run, and we know how much it costs, but official word on everything else will have to wait until Wednesday.
What does Twitter want with Cover's Android lock screen? A smarter smartphone, duh
Imagine your Twitter app immediately surfacing tweets about a nearby earthquake or disaster without you having to enter a single keyword search. Or one-step switching between Instagram and Twitter so you can see if that filtered photo of your cat received any favorites. Or a notification that brings up a favorite restaurant's Twitter account around dinnertime so you can see its daily specials. And imagine if it was all only possible because you had an Android phone.
Twitter takes context-aware lock screen app maker Cover in-house
Twitter wants to be smarter. Or, rather, it wants your smartphone (and, presumably, tablet) to be a lot smarter. To do that, it's bringing app maker, Cover, in-house. The announcement, made today via Cover's blog, is light on any financial details, and instead focuses on the team's potential to make the mobile Twitter experience "more useful and more contextual" as that social service continues to scale up. As a refresher for those of you just learning of Cover's existence, the startup's responsible for a contextually aware Android lock screen -- hence the acquisition -- that's been available in beta since last fall. But, it remains to be seen, whether or not that app will continue to receive support from the team. At present, Cover has no plans to abandon its users and pull the app from Google Play. Although, it's likely that app will sunset as the team gets to work on serving up Twitter when you most expect it.
Cover's context-aware Android lock screen launches on Google Play (video)
Context-sensitive interfaces like Aviate and Google Now are on the rise in the Android world, and Cover is taking advantage of that spotlight by releasing its dynamic lock screen on Google Play as a public beta. The updated front end works much as it did in the invitation-only test, automatically changing app shortcuts and settings as you move from place to place. It's also easy to peek into apps or switch between them. Most of the improvements lie below the surface, Cover says -- the new version maintains an app's exact state while peeking, improves KitKat compatibility, includes tutorials and offers more customization. Whether or not you're a Cover veteran, you're now just a click or two away from trying the updated software for yourself.
Logitech reveals iPad Air keyboard cases starting at $99
While Belkin hit the ground running with its iPad Air keyboards and covers first, Logitech has just announced its own bounty of four such accessories. The $149 (£129) Fabricskin Keyboard Folio tops the list with its two-sided case that supports the Air at two angles, housing a water-resistant Bluetooth fabric keyboard with up to three months of battery life. It also uses the SecureLock entry system and comes in red, black or yellow. The Ultrathin Keyboard Folio, meanwhile, has similar features and comes in four colors, but eschews the water-resistant case and keyboard for a lesser sum, $99 (£89). The $99 (£89) Ultrathin Keyboard aluminum cover, meanwhile, protects only the front side of the iPad Air while supporting it as a stand. Available in black, white or a combo of the two, it provides instant sleep/wake functionality and about three months of battery life for the Bluetooth keyboard. Finally, Logitech's $49 (£39) Folio Protective case offers two-sided, water-resistant protection without a keyboard, along with an adjustable stand that can support the Air at almost any angle. Sure, Apple went to a lot of trouble to slim down its flagship tablet, but if you can't resist the siren call of turning it into a notebook, Logitech's new goodies will be available in early November.
Zombie Studios outlines cel-shaded shooter Phantom Army
Blacklight: Retribution developer Zombie Studios has given Destructoid the first glimpse of Phantom Army, its collaborative effort with SmileGate on a free-to-play, third-person, cover-based shooter. Before a round in Phantom Army begins, each team will pick an L-shaped portion of the match's map. Once both are locked in, the center is filled with a random square. Zombie Studios head Jared Gerritzen explained that it's meant to stave off boredom and avoid the problem of having players "just run their routes" through the game's maps. Rushing to a firefight might not just be a street-level sprint through alleyways, either. The game's mechanics will let players vault over obstacles and crawl into holes, diversifying path options and gameplay strategies. Gerritzen also described his dissatisfaction with the "let's charge the fans for this premium gun" mentality that some free-to-play games fall into, so hopefully Phantom Army stays away from such a pitfall. The game will use the Unreal Engine and is planned to launch on Steam in 2014.
Cover promises contextual lock screens and smarter task switching for Android
Lock screen replacements for Android aren't exactly new -- some even come as part of a larger overlay that customizes your home screen experience entirely. However, few lock screen replacements do as much as Cover, a new invite-only solution that launches today, promises to do. Not only is Cover contextual so that it provides different lock screens for different locations and different times, it even learns which apps you use and places them front and center so you can return to them much quicker. Todd Jackson, Cover's CEO and co-founder, tells us the app recognizes your location not through GPS, but via geofencing with WiFi networks and cell towers. So when you're at work, it might display stock and weather apps, while entertainment options like Netflix and Pandora could be more prominent at home depending on your smartphone habits. Further, Cover's able to detect if you're in the car versus when you're on foot based on your phone's accelerometer and gyroscope. "It looks to see if the phone is moving on a single axis with constant acceleration -- that's how it knows you're in the car." This way you can have it come up with GPS apps when you're on the road, but walking directions when you're on foot. What has us particularly intrigued, is a unique "Peek UI" feature that lets you take a glance at an app without unlocking the phone -- simply hold down on the icon and slide right to reveal it. "As you're pulling it back, you can actually launch the app from scratch." The effect is surprisingly instantaneous.
Amazon offering up Origami covers for those fancy new Kindle Fires
So, imagine you just shelled out $200 or $300 for one of those new Kindle Fire HDXs, only to have it scratch in your backpack as you pull it out to gloat to one of your friends. Oh, you poor, poor soul. If only you'd had the foresight to pick up an Origami cover. Like the new tablets, the case goes up for pre-order today -- and will start shipping at the same time as their respective devices. Jeff Bezos was pretty keen to show the accessories off today, demonstrating how built-in magnets allow them to fold together in such a way that the tablets can be positioned in either landscape or portrait modes. Neater still for the 8.9-inch version (the one with the rear-facing camera, mind), is a feature that triggers the photo app when the cover is slid down on the slate. Behold, magnetic magic that would leave the Insane Clown Posse pondering scientific inquiry for months to come. Amazon's made cases for both HDX models and the new HD. The polyurethane versions of the 7- and 8.9-inch HDX cases run $50 and $55, respectively, with the leather versions coming in at $65 and $70. The covers for the HD run $45 and $60. Philip Palermo contributed to this report.
Updated FIFA 14 cover keeps it Real with new shirt for Bale
We wondered what the ramifications might be for the FIFA 14 Euro-cover, given it pictured Premier League superstar Gareth Bale in a Tottenham shirt amid rumors of his impending transfer to Real Madrid. Sure enough, one record-breaking €100 million deal later - that's around $133 million - and the cover for the unreleased game is out of date - or, it was. Despite the game only being two weeks away, EA Sports was able to whip a new cover that correctly reflects Bale's status as the latest Galactico; check it out in full after the break. This isn't the first time EA Sports has pulled a switcheroo like this; fans of the other type of football no doubt remember the Madden NFL 09 cover of Brett Favre in a Jets shirt. The former Green Bay quarterback signed for the New York team just five days before the game was due. That's not enough time to do a Bale-like swap, so EA Sports concocted a printable PDF cover, which seems kind of ludicrous some five years on. Anyway, all's well that ends well as far as FIFA 14 is concerned, as long as Lionel Messi doesn't suddenly decide to quit football and become a ballet dancer (he'd be a very good ballet dancer, we're sure). The game has a demo out ahead of its September 24 arrival on PS3, Xbox 360, and PC, and it'll be out on both next-gen consoles too. Don't forget, Xbox One Day One pre-orders in Europe will nab it or Forza 5 for free.
Surface Power Cover rumored to ship after the Surface 2, provide the whole family with extra juice
Despite Microsoft's claims that the Surface family of tablets was a representation of "no compromise," many road warriors have found the battery life to be... well, compromised. In order to address said concerns, it's looking as if Microsoft will be launching a line of Power Covers. In a nutshell, these battery-inclusive Type Covers will snap onto Surface tablets as the existing ones do now, but a bump in thickness (from 0.21-inches to 0.38-inches) will add "significant" life. Interestingly, WinSupersite is reporting that the covers won't ship until after the Surface 2 and Surface Pro 2, and the original Surface RT won't be compatible. Oh, and as for pricing? Mum's the word, as you might expect for an unconfirmed accessory.
Samsung Galaxy Note 3 S View covers hands-on
The S View cover made its debut as a protective-flip-case-with-a-window for the Samsung Galaxy S 4, and the accessory made enough of an impression that the Korean manufacturer decided to give it an even bigger presence on the Galaxy Note 3, as you'll be able to grab one in a rather wide variety of different colors designed by. Just like the GS4 version, this cover integrates a removable back as a clever way of trimming down unnecessary thickness and making the whole combo look much more elegant. So what makes this particular case stand out from the vast ocean of third-party models that will likely start floating around in the not-too-distant future? The "window" on the front takes advantage of a special film capable of recognizing S Pen touches. When the window lights up, you have the option to look at caller ID, time, date and temperature, and the notification bar -- it looks a lot like an evolved quick glance screen from previous Galaxy flagships. It doesn't actually show any of those notifications, but it will allow you to answer phone calls; you can also slide the S Pen to unlock the device (fingers work, though we had a hard time getting the screen to recognize our touch), which then allows you to slide over to an adjacent screen that offers large buttons for camera, music player and action memo access for jotting down notes without opening the cover. There's no word of how much these will be priced, but if the GS4 version is any indication, we'd wager that functionality is apparently worth a few bucks. Have a look at our gallery showing off some of the different cover colors and functions below, as well as a brief video after the break. Follow all of our IFA 2013 coverage by heading to our event hub! Alexis Santos contributed to this post.
NVIDIA Tegra Note tablet poses for glamor shots with stylus and cover in tow
Not satisfied with tiny, blurry photos of NVIDIA's self-branded tablet? We don't blame you -- and neither does ChinaDIY, which just posted clear snapshots of the unannounced device. Labeled with a previously rumored Tegra Note badge, the 7-inch slate on display has a Galaxy Note-like detachable stylus and a removable cover that doubles as a stand. While there aren't many other details to learn from the powered-off unit, we've noticed both a micro-HDMI port and a microSD card slot. We're still left with the question of who the Tegra Note is for, however -- it's not certain whether this is a reference design or a consumer product. While we wait for answers, you can check out a photo of the tablet's front after the break or visit ChinaDIY for the full gallery.
LG G2 QuickWindow case revealed ahead of phone's unveiling
The curtains on the LG G2 won't be pulled back until August 7th, but that hasn't stopped the South Korean firm from announcing a case for the smartphone. Dubbed QuickWindow, the sheath sports a slot on its front that reveals a portion of the device's screen à la Samsung's S View Cover. Just slide a finger against the exposed display and a special QuickView UI will light up the area with incoming call details, text messages, a clock, weather report, alarm or music player. Though a release date for the G2 is still MIA, the case is set to launch alongside the phone in black, blue, mint, pink, purple, white and yellow. In a world filled with case leaks for unannounced hardware, we can't help but feel strange seeing a bonafide cover before we've officially laid eyes on the device it's made for.
