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PSA: Xbox 360 Fall Dashboard update rolling out today
Your chance to shout voice commands at Engadget is coming today, as Microsoft is rolling out its Fall Dashboard update to the Xbox 360 today, headlined by the inclusion of Internet Explorer. The update also adds a version of its popular "pinning" functionality, a variety of specialized sports apps (NBA, NHL, and Monday Night Football from ESPN), the ability to recommend and rate content, and some UI tweaks across all of the 360 Dashboard's categories. Xbox Music is also in there, as is SmartGlass support, though the latter won't have any functionality until October 26, according to Microsoft's Major Nelson. The update may not come immediately, as it's being rolled out gradually across various regions. 3 million folks get in this week, while others may not see it until a week or two from now, says Microsoft. We've got a full hands-on right here for you to read in the meantime, of course.
PSA: $25 Google Play credit for Nexus 7 ends this weekend
Those who have been keeping a close eye on Google's 7-inch, Jelly Bean-loaded Nexus 7 would know that the company kindly includes 25 bucks worth of Play credit with any purchase of said tablet. Unfortunately, as the famed cliché would tell us, all good things must come to an end -- and, well, such is the case with this neat promotion, which will expire on Sunday, September 30th. Here's the good news, however: there's still a relatively good amount of time for folks interested to get it on the Google Play deal, so now would be the perfect moment to snag what some are calling the best $200 tablet -- and who knows, this might even lead to a post-order Gangnam Style celebration of your own.
PSA: Minecraft's 1.3.1 update goes live, go get your trade on
Ready to get your virtual trade on with virtual people in virtual villages? Minecraft's latest update for PC is here to enable that – the "1.3.1" patch – and it's got more than just value-less trading. It also has ... uh ... the Ender Chest? And writeable books?Oh, right, it also combines single-player and multiplayer modes into one, unified mode. Well then! For a full list of patch notes, head past the break.
PSA: Apple to shut down iWork.com beta today, iCloud patiently awaits you
In the months leading up to this very moment, we've seen Apple introduce a full set of new MacBook Airs and an extremely high-res Pro of its own -- but today the company's taking a slightly different route, shutting down its doc-sharing iWork.com for good. Not all is lost, however, as this is a natural move from the Cupertino outfit to make an expected transition to a more iCloud-heavy ecosystem -- a place where you'll essentially be able to accomplish similar things. The good news is you still have the rest of the day to clean out your invisible locker and save your must-have documents, and in case you need help with that, Apple's support page (linked below) will fill you in on all those step-by-steps.
PSA: Verizon's Samsung Galaxy S III finally arriving in stores today
Despite some lucky folks claiming they'd received their GS3 order a bit earlier than expected (and others still patiently waiting for delivery), a good chunk of Big Red customers were eagerly looking forward to this past Tuesday, only to be brought down by an unexpected delay. Thankfully for them, though, it looks like today's the day the Verizon faithful can finally snag one of Samsung's chart-busting Galaxy S IIIs. As you may or may not know, the network's offering both the Marble White and Pebble Blue flavors of the device, with the 16GB running at $200 and the spacier 32GB selling for $250 -- naturally, this will require a fresh two-year deal. If all that sounds good, then head over to your nearest retail store to get in on the human-centric experience -- or you could always take the easier route and snatch one up straight from Verizon's site.
PSA: Skyrim's 'Dawnguard' DLC arrives tomorrow 'for English territories,' mid-July elsewhere
Your chance to become a vampire lord and block out Skyrim's sun forever becomes (virtual) reality tomorrow with the launch of Skyrim's first major expansion, "Dawnguard." Of course, if you can't speak English (how are you reading this?!) but can speak French, Italian, German, or Spanish, it won't be available for another few weeks. If you speak something else ... well, you might be skunked. But again, you're probably not reading this if that's the case. Also, you smell like feet. Take that, person who can't understand what we're saying!
AT&T's HTC One X available once again: now up for sale online, coming to retail on June 10th
Now that the ITC conundrum is partially over, it's time for the HTC One X to get back on track and make its way onto AT&T shelves yet again. For starters, the Rethink Possible outfit has the Sense 4-loaded handset up for grabs now via its online store, while brick and mortar shops are said to be expecting it as soon as June 10th. Other than that, pricing remains the same, which means you'll still have to shell out those $200 (with a two-year deal, naturally), or $550 without a commitment -- and, if you're feeling like spending some additional cash, you could grab that Media Link HD wireless dongle on your way out for an extra $90. Sound good? The source links below will take you there.
PSA: LG Optimus Elite available today on Virgin Mobile USA for $150
If you were one of those who jumped on last week's pre-order, chances are you're eagerly waiting for this Virgin-branded Optimus Elite to show up at your doorstep today. For those who decided to wait it out, however, you'll be happy to know LG's Gingerbread slab is now up for grabs at "major" retail shops in the States as well as Virgin Mobile USA's site. The contract-free flavor of the Optimus Elite carries a $149.99 price tag, which isn't a bad deal when you take into consideration its NFC and Google Wallet capabilities -- that said, its biggest trait's likely to be that lack of a two-year commitment. So, hit the source link below if you'd like one of these for yourself, or you could always take a quick road trip to one of your favorite stores.
PSA: Sprint HTC EVO 4G LTE up for pre-order today, May 18th release date hinted at Wirefly
In case you took a pass on that Sprint-branded GNex or the LG Viper 4G in order to wait it out for HTC's EVO 4G LTE, well, now's the time to get your wallet ready and unleash the cash. As promised, The Now Network has the LTE-friendly EVO priced at $199.99 (50 bucks less on Wirefly) with a beloved two-year contract, while those ineligible for an upgrade will have to shell out around $550. That being said, chances are you won't get to surf those Long Term Evolution waves when you get device, but at least you'll be all set once the rollout finally commences. While Sprint's yet to give an official release date, Wirefly (somewhat reliable in the past) does say the ICS / Sense 4 slab will be shipping on May 18th. Be sure to hit either of the source links below to get your pre-order on. Update: And just like that, Wirefly's May 18th date has mysteriously vanished. What does it mean? [Thanks to everyone who sent this in]
PSA: Google Play offers 24/7 phone support for apps, books, movies and music
Maybe it got lost in the transition from Android Market to Google Play, but it's come to our attention that Mountain View's now offering phone support for any issue related to its shop. The deal's fairly simple; if you happen to run into any troubles with apps, tunes, books or movies purchased from Play, then you can head to a dedicated support page, pop in your G credentials, let 'em know what the problem is, and within minutes a "specialist" should be ringing you. Indeed, a good move on Google's part. Now you know where to go the next time your favorite app goes missing.
PSA: Fez finally for really real available to buy and play and everything
Ready to get your Z-axis adventures on, all the while wearing an adorable (and potentially magical) hat? Polytron's Fez is finally (finally) available for you to do just that via Xbox Live Arcade. Better yet? It's just $10!But you haven't heard of Fez, you say? Well, frankly, that's kinda weird. We're saying we think you're kinda weird. If that is the case, however, there's a brand new launch trailer for Fez just above so you can learn all about it. Oh, and hey, we think it's pretty great, in case that wasn't already clear.
PSA: HTC One X priced up to £330 in the UK, also available for free (update: $800 in Canada)
Chances are you're still melting over the impressive HTC One X benchmarks, and that's just the dual-core Snapdragon S4 taking care of business. As you may know, those of you in the Old Continent will see a quad-core flavor hit the shelves, and it's looking like that version is getting priced a wee bit earlier. So, just how much will you have to shell out to snag one of HTC's latest? Phones4U and Carphone Warehouse both have the One X listed as high as £329.99 (about $527) on contract, though you can also grab a free one if you take on a longer, more expensive plan on Orange, O2 and Vodafone. Carphone's site shows you can expect the device to land at your doorstep in the week of April 2nd. In the meantime, take a look at our hands-on to remind you how badly you need it. Update: It looks like Canadians can now also pre-order the HSPA+ version of the phone courtesy of NCIX, although they'll have to part with a hefty $800 (off-contract, of course).
PSA: Angry Birds Space blasts off
You've likely already called out sick today, but just in case, we figured it prudent to remind you that Angry Birds Space is available now.The game is the first true sequel to the Angry Birds phenomenon, which slingshotted onto hundreds of millions of devices across the globe and became a popular merchandising brand. It's all helped some formerly unknown little Finnish developer become valued in the billions off of one game (now, hopefully, two games).Head past the break for a list of links to the various digital storefronts selling the space-faring fowls.
PSA: AC Revelations 'Mediterranean Traveler' DLC out today
It's not unusual to feel as if you can't get enough of Ezio -- that's part of his legendary charm, after all -- and today you can break off a little more with the Assassin's Creed: Revelations Mediterranean Traveler DLC pack. Mediterranean Traveler includes new trophies/achievements, and three new and three fan-favorite maps from Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood: Jerusalem, Constantinople and Dyers for the new, and Firenze, San Donato and Siena for the old.Mediterranean Traveler is part of the Revelations Season Pass for PC, a $23 deal that includes all DLC for 20 percent less than purchasing the packs individually. For those condemned to paying full price, Mediterranean Traveler is available to download for $9.99 on PSN and PC, and for 800 MS Points (while they last) on XBLM.%Gallery-145549%
PlayStation Network down for 13 hours of maintenance today, starts at 8AM Pacific
The PlayStation Network will undergo "routine scheduled maintenance" today from 8AM until 9PM Pacific (that's 11AM to Midnight for those on the Atlantic).
PSA: Call of Duty Elite iOS App now available
As promised, the Call of Duty Elite app for iOS is now available via the iTunes App Store, and just like its console counterpart, it's totally free. The Elite app offers a chance for Modern Warfare 3 players to track stats, player progression, revisit past matches, and a variety of other services, though we're told it's all the more thrilling if you're paying for the annual Elite subscription. The application is expected to arrive on Android devices next week.
PSA: Minecraft is out!
In an explosion of streamers and cheers, the Mojang team officially launched Minecraft 1.0 as a final(ish) product today from the stage of the Mandalay Bay Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas, kicking off this weekend's "MineCon" convention. Surprising absolutely no one, the servers selling the game have been crashing from server loads intermittently. Oops! Just as soon as they're more stable, the launch version of Minecraft can be purchased on PC and Mac for $26.95. Maybe for now you could spend some time with that mobile version of the world builder? Or just keep refreshing. That's probably a better idea. [Image credit: @2PProductions]
PSA: FEMA to test nationwide Emergency Alert System today, emphasis on 'test'
Don't freak out or anything, but at 2 PM EST today, the US government will sound a nationwide alarm. Barring a coincidence of cataclysmic proportion, however, it will only be a test. It's all part of FEMA and the FCC's Emergency Alert System (EAS), which is slated to be tried out on a nationwide level for the very first time. If, like us, you've spent a healthy portion of your life sitting in front of the TV, you're probably familiar with those monthly local alerts that tend to flash across the screen smack dab in the middle of a Saved by the Bell rerun. That's basically what's gonna happen today across the nation's television and radio networks. Some TV viewers will hear that familiar "this is a test" message during the trial, though most will simply see the word "test" run across their screens. The EAS would allow the president to disseminate information to the public in times of real emergency, which is why the government is so eager to make sure it actually works. All told, it'll last about 30 seconds, so plan your End of the World party accordingly. For more details, hit up the source links below.
PSA: You [probably] won't be banned for playing MW3 early - we think
At this point, you'd be forgiven for not knowing up from down with regards to early copies of next week's Modern Warfare 3. Is it safe to play online? Will you be banned? Where could you even find a copy of Modern Warfare 3 early? We can't blame you. Even we haven't even been sure – after some vaguely foreboding comments from Xbox Live's Stephen Toulouse earlier today, we felt compelled to warn you all that maybe, just maybe you should put that $1700, three-day early copy of Modern Warfare 3 on the shelf until Tuesday. But, in the event your neck isn't sore from all the back and forth over the last 36 hours, we've got the final definitive word from Activision itself... we hope: "We value and appreciate the community's support. We have no interest in banning legitimate copies in these last few days. We just ask for everyone to wait for Tuesday when everybody can play the game together." So, we guess you can play Modern Warfare 3 – assuming you've committed the dark retail magic necessary to acquire it early that it. Us? We'll be over here in the corner, where we don't have to look right or left for a while.
PSA: How to open your ports for Battlefield 3
Are you getting into games of Battlefield 3, but still having issues? Are you finding yourself dying before you think you should possibly be dead, or seeing an absurd delay between when you pull the trigger and when bullets come out of the end of your gun? Are you screaming at your television about how fast your network connection is and how bad your lag in Battlefield 3 should not be? We might be able to help. You got to open your ports, dawg.
