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PSA: Windows 8 and Pro upgrades will jump to $120 and $200 on February 1st
This should come as no surprise -- we reported the increase back in October -- but Windows 8 upgrades will become a bit more pricey come February 1st. That means you have the better part of two weeks to take advantage of introductory online upgrade pricing of $40 (for the Pro version), before the sticker jumps to 200 bucks. Fortunately, you'll be able to utilize current pricing for the rest of January, including a DVD Pro upgrade available at retailers for $70. After the switchover, you'll pay $200 for a Pro upgrade, a standard edition of Windows 8 will run you $120, the Pro Pack will be available for $100 (upgrading from standard to Pro) and a Media Center Pack will cost $10. You could, of course, stick it out with Windows 7 or Vista or even XP for the indefinite future, but if a fresh OS is in the cards, now'd be as good a time as any to make the jump.
Sprint puts its Upgrade Now program on hold
Sprint has been scaling back its upgrade perks for more than a year, and another just met its end -- momentarily. The carrier has confirmed to us and Android Central that it's freezing its Upgrade Now program, which lets subscribers pay extra for a quicker hardware refresh than usual. While Sprint can't provide an explanation at present, or say how likely it is we'll see a revival, it does offer a glimmer of hope: the company asks that we "check back later" to see if Upgrade Now returns. No doubt many customers would rather have it be matter of when, not if, they can resume upgrading on a quicker schedule.
Clearwire moves forward with Huawei in network upgrades after federal consultation
China's Huawei has found itself followed by a cloud of suspicion from governments and national security agencies, both in America, and further afield. A recent announcement from Clearwire stating it will use the firms hardware in a network upgrade, however, could see some sunshine of confidence finally poking through. Reuters reports that the service provider consulted several technical departments from various federal agencies before making the decision. Clearwire already uses some Huawei equipment in its infrastructure, and it's in these areas that the hardware will be used for upgrades. The firm went on to assure that, overall, less than 5 percent of its LTE budget involves Huawei gear, and irrespective of origin, all vendors are subject to approval from US government approved third parties.
Daily iPhone App: Jumping Finn Turbo provides an addictive cycle with the Adventure Time crew
Cartoon Network has been putting out some really impressive iOS apps lately under its Adult Swim brand, including the really great Monsters Ate My Condo. Jumping Finn Turbo is a new game outside of the Adult Swim banner. It's not quite as good as those offerings, but it is pretty addictive anyway. The title is based on the popular Adventure Time cartoon by Pen Ward, though instead of following the show's storyline, it's a "jumping" arcade game, where Jake has to kick Finn as high, far and fast across the show's setting as he possibly can. The best part isn't necessarily the kicking mechanic, which is actually kind of boring. You basically just wait for Finn to try and hit something and hopefully go farther than before. It's the game's deep and surprisingly satisfying upgrade mechanic that's the most intriguing. Kicking Finn earns you stars, which you can use to upgrade Jake's kicking power or put more items and power-ups into the world. That core cycle is actually really satisfying, and it means that Jumping Finn Turbo will probably have you saying, "well, just one more kick," more often than not. You can see the game in action in the video below, or you can buy it for US$1.99. The price is a little high for a simple game like this. It's well worth it if you're an Adventure Time fan, but odds are that there are plenty of cheaper and free games that you haven't checked out yet, so you probably wouldn't regret waiting for a sale on this one. But, if you like the game's idea and would get a kick out of seeing your favorite Adventure Time characters mashed up like this, definitely grab Jumping Finn Turbo.
Samsung announces Android 4.1 availability for Galaxy S III in South Korea
It was pretty much inevitable, and true to its promise, Samsung has announced the availability of Android 4.1 for the Galaxy S III. Now before you get too excited, it appears that the upgrade applies only to the SHW-M440S variant, which is specific to Samsung's home turf in South Korea. Nonetheless, if the translation is correct, the new Jelly Bean release is said to bring usability improvements to the home screen, along with the ability to pause movies during recording and a smart rotation feature to the camera. Samsung's Kies software is specifically mentioned in the announcement post, although it looks as if an over-the-air install may be possible as well. Hopefully this news is a sign that certification for the global model and its domestic counterparts is just around the corner.
Patch 5.1 coming to the PTR soon
When they said they wanted to get patches out faster, they appear not to have been kidding, because patch 5.1 is already slated to head for the PTR soon. And it looks like it's going to be chock full of improvements. The Brawler's Guild, allowing you to engage in solo PvE content against various difficult monsters, similar to the Proving Grounds concept from a while ago. The ability to upgrade the rarity of pets in the pet battle system via an as yet undisclosed method. Wrathion's legendary questline will advance. You'll be able to spend valor points to upgrade items. All of this and news of the advancement of the Horde/Alliance conflict. If you're wondering how that will move forward, patch 5.1 will have the answers for you. Coming soon to a PTR near you. The complete text of the announcement is behind the break.
Clearwire starts building LTE network this month, wants to salve (and profit from) Sprint growing pains
Clearwire doesn't have much time left before its promised LTE rollout goes live in early 2013, so it's with some relief that we know the deployment is getting underway. CFO Hope Cochran told those at Goldman Sachs' Communacopia Conference this week that construction of the first cell sites starts this month, with efforts truly swinging into full gear during the fall. The executive also reminded us of a very pragmatic reason why many of the 5,000 LTE sites due by June 30th will target high-traffic areas -- as Clearwire is only selling the faster data access to other providers, it should pocket more money in any regions where Sprint needs all the help it can get. Call it a virtuous cycle. Cochran certainly does: while Clearwire is free to make deals with others, Cochran says her company weighs any alliances against what it still considers a very special pact with Sprint. No doubt the 4G pioneer is hoping that it's making the right choices, as other carriers aren't waiting around.
Refresh Roundup: week of September 10th, 2012
Your smartphone and / or tablet is just begging for an update. From time to time, these mobile devices are blessed with maintenance refreshes, bug fixes, custom ROMs and anything in between, and so many of them are floating around that it's easy for a sizable chunk to get lost in the mix. To make sure they don't escape without notice, we've gathered every possible update, hack, and other miscellaneous tomfoolery we could find during the last week and crammed them into one convenient roundup. If you find something available for your device, please give us a shout at tips at engadget dawt com and let us know. Enjoy!
Fallen Earth unveils new weapons and bosses in time for its third anniversary [Updated]
Anniversary gifts require careful thought, but Fallen Earth seems to know just what its players want. So patch 2.5 adds three powerful new weapons for players to use across the wastelands as well as three new bosses that carry required components for those weapons. It's not really the traditional gift for a three-year anniversary, but some traditions are going to go out the window when the entire world is a ravaged wasteland dominated by crazed survivalists. The three G.O.R.E weapons each have three tiers and can be upgraded, although the process is greatly enhanced by players who find G.O.R.E. enhancements. Not coincidentally, these can be found on the three new bosses added with the patch. The full patch notes also include a few art fixes and minor quality-of-life improvements, the sort of things that go very nicely with your new anniversary guns. [Update: The team has updated the patch notes to clarify that not all of the new weapon components can be purchased through the cash shop. Specifically, "all components that are required to build the weapons are earned in-game using resource harvesters, killing boss mobs, and from high-level merchants (for in-game currency only)." Players may purchase optional G.O.R.E. enhancements and new boss baits through the cash shop, although both of these drop from monsters as well.] %Gallery-48606%
PAX Prime 2012: World of Warplanes
Tanks are old news. This is the time for warplanes -- World of Warplanes, in fact. Happily, we can talk about just that because we took some time at PAX and sat down with some Wargaming.net folks to take a look at the upcoming game.
Google enables Play Store delta updates, helps you conserve precious data
At Google's developer conference, the company announced that it would soon offer the ability to download delta updates in its Play Store, and we're starting to see the promise fulfilled before our very eyes. These delta upgrades, which save time and bandwidth when updating larger apps by only downloading the actual changes (rather than the entire program), were spotted earlier by Android Police and verified by our staff. While it may seem like a minor feature, you'll likely be happy that you don't have to think twice about updating your graphically-intense games when you're not within range of a hotspot. Head below for a video showing the delta updates in action.
Dear Aunt TUAW: Disappointed over AirPlay Mirroring hardware cutoff
Dear Aunt TUAW, With the new launch of Mountain Lion and its new features, I have somehow started looking at my old mid-2009 MacBook Pro with disdain. One of the features I looked forward to was AirPlay Mirroring which unfortunately my older model can't support due to hardware limitations. [This is causing no small amount of consternation among Mountain Lion upgraders, many of whom expected the feature to work universally. –Ed.] So my question now is, do I really need a new laptop? My hands are itching to get one. Maybe my question should be, what should be the cycle for upgrading laptops (but this is probably more personal). Would appreciate your help and guidance. Thanks. Your loving nephew, Dare Dear Dare, It's never the wrong time for a nice new Mac, if you can afford it. If not, AirParrot is just ten bucks and gives you the same kind of AirPlay mirroring, albeit with more burden on the Mac's CPU and some quality tradeoffs. In return for your $10, AirParrot offers two killer features that Mountain Lion does not. First, you can limit mirroring to a single window. Second, you can use it with an HDTV/Apple TV combo to extend your desktop! Why just mirror to your HDTV when you can use it as an extra monitor? As for Auntie's laptop upgrade cycle, it goes like this: she only buys hardware when she absolutely utterly cannot avoid doing so. It looks like a new Mac mini is in her future, although she hopes to hold off for a 2012 refresh. If not, she's buying a refurb 2011 mini and upgrading it to within an inch of its life. It will fit in perfectly with Auntie's lace doilies and Precious Moments figurines. Hugs, Auntie T. #next_pages_container { width: 5px; hight: 5px; position: absolute; top: -100px; left: -100px; z-index: 2147483647 !important; }
Sony backpedals on Android 4.1 upgrade statement, is now 'actively investigating' all Xperia updates
Let's chalk this one up to something being lost in corporate translation. After a UK company rep issued a statement just days ago confirming the lack of an Android 4.1 upgrade path for certain 2011 Xperia handsets, Sony's delicately backtracking and claiming that public info was made "in error." While this official retraction may soothe previously irate owners' concerns, it's still not an outright commitment to Jelly Bean, as the company's only now pledging to "actively [investigate]... upgrades for all devices" -- a carefully worded PR promise par excellence. To the Japanese electronics giant's credit, it has been pretty transparent and diligent about delivering ICS updates to its elder smartphone progeny, so we have plenty of reason to remain cautiously optimistic Google's newest OS will make the transition, too.
Jelly Bean now available to Nexus S via OTA download, we coat our phones in more sugar
It's already possible to force Android 4.1 onto your Nexus S without much trouble, but for those of you that prefer life on easy street, then kick up those heels: many carriers have now made Jelly Bean available for OTA installation. The good news comes from Google itself, which has listed T-Mobile, Three, Rogers and Vodafone among the carriers. It doesn't stop there, however, as MobileSyrup also reports that Mobilicity and Wind users are also receiving a similar bit of Android 4.1 love. We've confirmed the rollout here in the US with T-Mobile, where the 114MB download is currently only available for download via WiFi. Seeing that it's Friday night, seems like a perfect opportunity to take Google Now for a spin, no?
Raspberry Pi announces Raspbian, an optimized OS upgrade with performance improvements abound
No software update is quite so sweet as one that brings improved performance, and that's exactly what Raspberry Pi users can expect from the latest Debian-based OS known as Raspbian. Optimized specifically for the $35 computer, Raspbian introduces more comprehensive support for floating point operations, and with that, a faster web browsing experience. The latest release also brings improvements to the firmware, kernel and applications, and is recommended as the distribution most appropriate for general users. An SD card image of Raspbian is now available for download, so do yourself a favor and snag it today.
Crucial ships mSATA-based m4 SSD upgrade, your Ultrabook never felt better
Crucial has already managed to stuff its m4 SSD into Ultrabook sizes, but the 7mm thick design may still be too portly for the thinner laptops in the pack. With that in mind, the flash memory guru has just started shipping the m4 mSATA, a barebones card that sits cozily next to the motherboard either as a cache for a rotating disk or as a main drive. It's still as speedy as many of its bigger cousins, with read speeds of up to 500MB/s per second. We suspect most buyers will be lured in by the low prices: at just $53 for a cache-friendly 32GB SSD and no more than $226 for a 256GB example, it's entirely feasible to give that spinning-drive Ultrabook a shot in the arm.
Intel pumps SSD 330 capacity up to 240GB, trims other drives' prices to match
If you haven't already dropped a solid-state drive into your computer, Intel just gave you a not-so-subtle nudge in that direction. Its entry-level SSD 320 has jumped in capacity from 180GB to 240GB, saving a few diñeiros for anyone who would rather not leap to the SSD 520 just to land a primary system drive. Either end of the price spectrum is also becoming a little more reasonable: the official reseller pricing has been slashed on the 320, 330 and 520 lines, even if Intel hasn't said by how much just yet. Intel's changes should be in immediate effect for those among us who just can't endure spinning storage one moment longer.
Refresh Roundup: week of July 9th, 2012
Your smartphone and / or tablet is just begging for an update. From time to time, these mobile devices are blessed with maintenance refreshes, bug fixes, custom ROMs and anything in between, and so many of them are floating around that it's easy for a sizable chunk to get lost in the mix. To make sure they don't escape without notice, we've gathered every possible update, hack, and other miscellaneous tomfoolery we could find during the last week and crammed them into one convenient roundup. If you find something available for your device, please give us a shout at tips at engadget dawt com and let us know. Enjoy!
Finally: BlackBerry App World gains 'upgrade all' command
Ready for some good news out of Waterloo? Well, hold onto your hats, BlackBerry fans, because the latest update to App World introduces a feature that's been a long time coming: the ability to upgrade all apps at once. That's right, now, whenever you see a notification for multiple app updates, you'll no longer want to bellow at the top of your lungs out of sheer frustration, as the "upgrade all" button will manage everything for you with a single click -- which really beats the hell out of the individual update method. The latest version of App World also brings the ability to view and share lists of installed apps with friends via NFC and adds Finnish language support. So go ahead and snag the latest update, and while you're at it, you might as well upgrade all of those apps that you've been neglecting.
Samsung Galaxy Note for AT&T devours Ice Cream Sandwich and Premium Suite apps
Here it is, just as you'd expected: Android 4.0 and Samsung's Premium Suite of apps is now available for the Galaxy Note on AT&T. While the update won't be made available over-the-air, both PC and Mac users may download and install the latest OS from within Samsung Kies. As for the S Pen-enhanced apps within the Premium Suite, you'll find a new version of S-Note that sports integration with Wolphram Alpha, along with an S-Memo widget that syncs to both Evernote and Google Drive. Finally, the My Story app is available as an add-on download within Samsung Apps, which allows users to write letters, create cards and multimedia albums. For full installation instructions, just hit up the source link below. [Thanks to everyone who sent this in]
