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BBC Bitesize app puts revision flashcards on your phone
It's no secret that many teenagers, just like adults, are hopelessly addicted to their smartphones. With this in mind and exam season just around the corner, the BBC has launched an app for its popular Bitesize learning platform in the UK. It offers brief explainers and short, personalised revision flashcards for the core subjects -- English, maths and science. These can include text, audio, video, infographics, quotes and quizzes. Whatever works best to make the information stick, basically.
Google Glass redesign gets pictured, plays nice with a mono earbud
Just yesterday, Google revealed that Glass Explorers will soon be able to to swap out their current hardware for a new version, which will work with future shades and prescription frames. Although Page and Co. didn't divulge just what the next iteration of its wearable will look like, it's only taken a day for them to show us the new kit. The most -- and potentially only -- visible change is the addition of a mono earbud sporting the Glass logo, which appears to connect via the device's micro-USB port. Mountain View's kept mum on what other revisions it's made, but with the hardware scheduled to arrive in the hands of beta testers shortly, more details can't be far off.
Sony revises its 2012 earnings forecast, doubles expected net profits
Just like last year, we're reporting on a revision Sony's making to its expectations for last year's profits, but this time around there's some positive news. According to Sony, selling some of the buildings it owns and a weakening yen have doubled its expected net profit from 20 billion yen announced in February to 40 billion yen ($403 million). The complete results will be announced May 9th, and despite Sony managing its first profit since 2008 investors are hoping to hear how it plans to keep the streak going with business gains next year. The PlayStation 4 is expected to headline CEO Kaz Hirai's plans for future products, we should hear just how optimistic Sony is about those prospects in a couple of weeks.
Google+ web app adds two new features, iOS and Android soon to follow
Twitter recently revamped its web interface, and now Google has decided to do the same for the Google+ web app, bringing two new features that should be a boon for the Big G's thriving social network. You can now see who's been rolling out +1's to your latest Hello Kitty pics with a simple click of the +1 count near the button. There's also a "What's Hot" stream, a section focused on the most interesting shared content that's accessed by flicking your thumb right on the main Circles timeline. The only casualty from this update was the Incoming feed page, which was replaced due to lack of use according to its creator. The iOS and Android applications are expected to make the jump soon, but in the meantime, the web app should satisfy the need to indulge.
New InfiniTV 4 CableCARD tuners feature a simpler (to make) design
It appears we have a new design to thank for solving the long wait times for InfiniTV 4 CableCARD tuners. Keen eyes will note in these pictures from Missing Remote that the newer cards have a much simpler layout (compare to our original hands on) that VP Jeremy Hammer says is easier for the company to manufacture. Most electronics products go through production revisions that make them simpler and cheaper as time goes on and these cards are no different. The new cards have actually been shipping for some time, while we haven't heard anything about a change in MSRP it's good to know we can expect the supply to keep flowing steadily in the future.
Apple Store offline... and back up with no changes
Yup, the US store is down. Couldn't tell you why just yet, but if you really wanted to buy that new MacBook Air this evening, you'll have to wait until it comes back up. When we see something new, we'll post about it here -- or just stay tuned to the comments on this post! What could it be? A Mac revision? A revamped cinema display? The rumored dead white iPhone? Your guess is as good as ours. Update: The store is back up, with no obvious changes. Looks like it was just a maintenance update, which wasn't all that surprising since it went down on a Saturday night.
Code shows future iOS devices currently in testing
I don't know how much of a newsflash it really is that Apple is working on brand new versions of the iPhone and iPad, but just in case you thought that the current iterations were the last, let's set the record straight. Code in the latest iOS release shows that Apple is currently working on "unreleased hardware." The code, which bypasses the required iTunes activation, assuming that you have the right hardware, tends to show up before an iPhone revision -- in other words, while the new hardware is out, about, running the iOS system, and in testing. The code then disappears as the hardware goes off to launch. The code does mention "iPhone 3,2," "iPhone 3,3," and "iProd 2,1," but those names don't tell us anything about the actual hardware, just that they'd be new versions, obviously. And we've seen these names before hidden in iOS documentation, so these aren't new developments -- whatever these versions are, Apple has been working on them for a while. Still, if you haven't been following along over the last few iterations of the iPhone, yes, we can tell you that we'll see new iOS devices at some point in the future. Maybe someone will even leave one sitting around a bar.
iPhone modded with titanium back
Everyone's saying that the next version of the iPhone will have a case upgrade, but Martin Schrotz couldn't wait -- he encased his iPhone 3GS in titanium, and Engadget has a gallery of pictures of the ubercool mod. I thought he had actually put the titanium cover over the plastic back, but apparently he went whole hog and actually removed the back cover and replaced it with this one. The design isn't quite perfect (though it looks great for a one-man mod, don't get me wrong) -- the logo is a tad too big, and the metal looks a little homemade to be Apple's actual brushed metal -- but it is much cleaner than the current plastic design. I wouldn't be surprised at all if the iPhone's next revision does take away a lot from the iPad. Hopefully not just in the hardware, either -- a cool metal back would be great, but I'd like to see the firmware overhauled as well.
Sony PSPs enlisted as study aids by the Royal Navy
Whoever it was at Sony HQ that decided to pursue "military contracts" as a revenue source, kudos! Mere days after the US Air Force expressed interest in expanding its PS3 supercomputer, we're hearing glorious Britannia's Royal Navy has conscripted 230 PSPs into duty as revision aids for its trainee sailors. Loaded with maths and physics materials, the PSPs can be used in a bunk, have familiar controls for the young and mostly male recruits, and are considered pretty tough to break. The underlying reason for this move though is cost cutting: by making the training course more intensive, the Navy is saving on teaching time. Given that the UMD drive won't come disabled -- which is hoped to encourage the sailors to take better care of the device -- the future this paints is of marines who've spent more time with a freebie handheld console than with a pro instructor. At least they'll have a great stable of captured monsters to show for it. [Thanks, pankomputerek]
Guildwatch: Min-E3 edition
Apologies for this week -- I'm at E3 working like crazy, and Guildwatch has ended up on the low priority list. But I'm not going to leave you with nothing: though it's a little shorter than normal, we've still got your downed, recruiting, and dramatic news of the week. Click below to read on, and we'll be back to full strength next week.Got more tips for us? Just send them along to guildwatch@wow.com, and you might see them right here soon.
Nokia prepping updated 5800 XpressMusic with capacitive screen?
It's certainly not unheard of for Nokia to take existing models in its lineup, tweak 'em with slightly improved hardware and software, and re-release them -- see the N85 / N86, N93 / N93i, N95 / N96, and so on -- so we can totally buy that the company's hard at work at updating its 5800 for a future revision. DigiTimes (which admittedly doesn't have a pristine record for nailing these sorts of rumors) cites "sources" with Taiwanese component suppliers as saying that Nokia wants to replace the 5800's resistive touchscreen with a capacitive one -- the S60-based Samsung i8910 does that, by the by -- in an effort to better compete with its rivals. That would certainly make the device more usable and responsive, but in all likelihood, this isn't a simple matter of swapping out a component (how would you use that totally awesome plectrum, after all?) so we'd expect this to be more of an indication that Espoo's looking to move to capacitive going forward, particularly as it transitions over to the Symbian Foundation's builds.
Wii Warm Up: Wiimote revision
It's not uncommon in the least for gaming hardware to be revised and changed. The GameCube controller made way for the Wavebird. The PS3's SIXAXIS controller paved the way for the Dualshock 3. Even the original Xbox controller was slimmed down eventually.So, as perfect as the Wiimote is, how would you change it? Slim it down? Increase the battery life (uh, yes please)? How would you change or improve the Wiimote?
EA staffer plays history revisionist on Wikipedia
We already know that EA changes its screenshots, but is somebody trying to rewrite its history? Shacknews reports somebody with an IP address linked to the Electronic Arts Redwood City HQ is going into the EA Wikipedia page and altering the past. Using a tool called Wikipedia Scanner made by Cal Tech student Virgil Griffith, they discovered this IP address has made numerous alterations, the most damning occurred on Nov. 20, '06 when they erased Trip Hawkins as founder of the company. Later on, the same IP address added a paragraph emphasizing the work of Larry Probst, current EA chairman, and attempted to remove the scandalous EA Spouse saga.Shacknews concludes saying that the IP address is responsible for one third of the 1,351 changes made by EA-registered IPs. Many of the changes made by the EA IPs have since been reversed by the Wikipedia community. EA would not comment on the issue. Maybe this person at EA is just striving to put right what once went wrong, and hoping each time that their next leap ... will be the leap home -- if those pesky Wikipedia people would just stop changing history back to the way it originally happened.
A smaller, cooler Falcon should be soaring this Fall
Falcon. That's the code name for the project that'll not only make future Xbox 360s more reliable and make the hardware cheaper, but will also help Microsoft sleep better at night. Over at The Mercury News, Dean Takahashi talks about the Falcon project and how the new 65nm technology could be the answer to Microsoft's red ring woes. It is expected that the new 65nm CPU/GPU combo could be implemented as soon this Fall and would seriously help with hardware stability as the smaller chips produce less heat. The benefits are enormous and range from cheaper hardware, to more reliable chips, to less heat being generated. With project Falcon being so beneficial it'd be hard to believe that Microsoft isn't pushing to get the technology up and out the door as soon as possible. This Falcon could very well be the single best thing to ever happen to the 360.
Minnie Driver to voice animated Lara Croft
We have a very serious question regarding this particular news item. What happens when you put Minnie Driver into a Mini Cooper S? Would the unusual occurrence of a famous Driver becoming a Mini driver release an unstoppable explosion of meta-energy, forcing the entire universe to infinitely collapse in on itself? We're not sure if anybody has tested this theory, but the more likely outcome would be Ms. Minnie running us over for childishly poking fun at her name and wasting an entire paragraph before talking about her latest role.Ahem.The gist of it, you see, is that GameTap's upcoming ReVision animated series, which initially chronicles the adventures of one Lara Croft, is set to become a star vehicle of sorts for Minnie Driver. Reuters reports the actress and occasional singer will lend her voice to Tomb Raider's gun-toting heroine for ten episodes, the first three of which will come from Aeon Flux alum, Peter Chung. Further episodes will have other artists interpreting the iconic action archaeologist, while future seasons of ReVision will delve into other characters and games.[Via Tomb Raider Chronicles]
How to make a better Nintendo DS
Next-Generation's Eric-Jon Rössel Waugh acknowledges that the Nintendo DS is an industry-changing system, but still sees the portable console as an "unfinished project." He wrote up a wishlist of improvements that he feels would fulfill the handheld's potential, extending its shelf-life. And while we've already seen dozens of message board topics filled with wild-eyed suggestions and what-they-should-really-do ideas in the past, Eric's revisions actually sound half-way sane.So what are some of his seven steps for making a better Nintendo DS? Slap on some internal flash memory, paving the way for firmware updates and a Virtual Console setup for handheld games (GB/GBA/NGPC/etc.). Allow for an expandable, customizable system interface. Flesh out its WiFi support by integrating Pictochat and developing a unified online service. They're all great recommendations, but one has to wonder how implementing those changes would affect the portable's retail price. The DS probably wouldn't have been such a success if it weren't for its impulse-buy pricing. Still, we would love to see Eric's suggestions make it into the handheld's next revision.We're sure that our readers have their own ideas on what the next Nintendo DS should have. VoIP capabilities? A flux capacitor? Maybe just throw some Ds on it? Drop us a comment and let us know what you think would make a better Nintendo DS!
DVD-enhanced Wii hits Japan "latter half of 2007"
A couple weeks back, the UK's Edge Magazine revealed the Wii would be getting a DVD-enhanced variant in Japan, sometime in 2007. Today, Gamasutra reports "California technology company Sonic Solutions have announced that Nintendo has chosen to use the company's software to allow a 'future version' of the Wii console to play DVD movies."Interesting. With a DVD drive already built into every Wii, it seemed logical that a software solution was all that was needed to implement DVD playback on the Wii. Ostensibly, the reason for Nintendo's decision to not include DVD playback was the format's onerous licensing fees relative to the already high market penetration DVD players currently enjoy. Instead of releasing a "future version" of the console to the Japanese market exclusively, why not sell the DVD playback software via the console's online store to recoup the licensing fees?
Xbox 360 CPU drops to 65nm in '07
Part of Microsoft's master plan for the Xbox 360 has always been to own the chip designs, so they'll be able to farm out their production to other firms, enabling them to get cheaper and smaller chips. You can see Sony exercising this option in their slim-PS2 and Microsoft using it to great effect in the Diet Xbox™. Keep in mind, of course, that no such Xbox exists in this world. Microsoft has inked a deal with Chartered Semiconductor Manufacturing of Singapore to manufacture Xbox CPUs using a 65 nanometer SoI (silicon on insulator) process. Chartered manufactured the 90nm SoI processors used in the Xbox 360 currently.The move to a smaller chip should increase yields and lower costs, while enabling the processor to run cooler which will hopefully obviate the (perceived) need for all those crazy cooling schemes. Production of the smaller processor is expected to begin first quarter 2007, which means we can expect the new superslim Xbox 360 revision-B to debut shortly thereafter, right? No? Same box, smaller processor, cooler design? Fine. [Thanks, DocZhivago; via Joystiq]
Commence rampant PSP part deux speculation!
We've already had a fair share of PSP revision B speculation (flash memory, hard drive, mini form factor], and the weeks leading up to the annual gaming gala known as E3 will only bring more. We have here the first two entrants: The reputable Shacknews claims the PSP follow up is "a successor rather than a redesign of the current system" while acknowledging recent rumors of a redesign. They're saying hard drive is in, UMD is out, and the system is known simply as the "PSP 2." Oh yeah, they say it "may" appear "in the next three years." While this may be accurate information, that's like saying we're pretty sure there's gonna be a PlayStation 4.The much more dubious source of New Tech Spy claims a shamelessly DS-esque touchscreen PSP (or PSi, for interactive, get it?) will introduce a smaller form factor, a bevy of wireless capabilities (WiFi, WiBro, UMTS, EVDO, WiMax), and maybe even some transmutational powers to turn that pesky lead into shiny, shiny gold. Yeah, we're skeptical.[Thanks, SuicidalMuskrat and boots]Read - New "PSP 2" in the Works [Shacknews]Read - Sony's new "Smaller" PSP with Touch-Screen [New Tech Spy]
