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New Xbox dashboard and backwards compatibility come in November
At E3, Microsoft unveiled a revamped dashboard for the Xbox One that put an emphasis on speed and community. It's now here at Gamescom when the company has revealed when exactly this revamped user interface will be filtering down onto your console: this November. The biggest additional feature is backwards compatibility, which means that around 100 Xbox 360 titles will be available to play on the hardware. Of course, if you've already paid for these games for the older console, you won't be charged again for the privilege.
Twitter's new dashboard simplifies your account security
Twitter unveiled a new data dashboard for users on Wednesday. Its aim: to make managing privacy and security settings across all your devices much easier. The controls, which are accessible at Twitter.com under the main Settings menu, will allow you to manage account access, edit the list of blocked users and see what data is being shared with third-party apps. That way if you notice that your account is being accessed by a device in a city you've never been to, you can quickly change the password. Or, better yet, you can enable two-factor authentication from the same screen. [Image Credit: Bloomberg via Getty Images]
Misfit's Flash fitness tracker will switch on your lights, shame you for being lazy
Misfit's wearable devices are know for their nice aesthetic, but it's the company's ongoing support, that keeps them joining the rank and file fitness trackers. Today, it's a trio of small, but handy updates to both the Shine and the Flash. Most notably, the introduction of a web interface to view your fitness or sleep data online, so you're no longer tied to the mobile app. Back in January, Misfit announced Flash would join FitBit in working with IFTTT's web automation tools, and also be able to control smart home devices via Logitech's Harmony Home Hub. Both of those features arrive today (though Misfit already had some IFTTT integrations). Last up, one for the iOS users. Misfit already feeds your step-count into Apple's HealthKit, but starting today, your sleep and weight data will (if you wish) be included too. So, we're getting mixed messages here? Misfit's saving you a walk to the light switch, but making it harder to hide from your (now lower) step count. Thanks... we think?
The creators of 'Monument Valley' are redesigning your car dash
The developer of Monument Valley, Ustwo, isn't just content with designing beautiful puzzle games and tablet software -- it wants to rethink your car's dashboard, too. The company has partnered with Car Design Research to build a prototype for an instrument cluster display that tosses out much of what you know today. Instead of fixed gauges, it uses an adaptive screen that shows what you need when you need it. When you're stopped, it tells you whether or not you have enough fuel or electricity to reach your destination. Hit the accelerator and it shifts focus to speed and gears, while reversing automatically brings up the rear-view camera. It's even aware enough to notify you about slippery roads, school zones and other situations where you may need to drive with caution.
Tumblr's 'big update' promotes essay writing, fewer GIFs
If we're honest, there isn't enough money in monochrome erotica and Benedict Cumberbatch GIFs to sustain a billion-dollar website. That's why Tumblr is doing its very best to become more of a publishing platform that can attract the sort of writing (and attention) you'd normally find on Wordpress and Medium. The site began this process a few weeks ago by enabling embeds of its pages anywhere else on the internet, and now it's ready to give users a much stronger set of tools.
Nokia Here Auto displays trip info in more places
Nokia first trotted out its Here Auto connected car platform just over a year ago, and at this week's Paris Motor Show, the company is showing off the latest developments. In order to properly equip the rise in heads-up display tech, Here Auto now shows its info in more places around on the dash. In addition to the main display between the driver and passenger, navigation details and more can be beamed to a HUD or under the steering wheel. The central cluster's route data is "context aware," so when you're low on fuel, it'll show gas stations along the way. During the drive, passengers can employ smartphone and tablet apps to examine the trip and make the most of stops. If a nearby national park is selected, the driver can okay (or reject) the detour and directions get automatically updated. And with a new SDK, auto makers can customize Nokia's system as needed, adding in of CarPlay, Google Auto and more.
Google's 'Projected Mode' in-car system possibly leaked by Mercedes-Benz
Job adverts aren't most reliable way to hear about new technology, but interesting ones do crop up from time to time, and that's why our eyes are drawn to one recently posted by Daimler, the parent company of Mercedes-Benz. The ad requests the services of a software engineer who can help the German car maker implement Google's forthcoming in-car system, which is apparently called "Google Projected Mode" and which is described as a way to "seamlessly integrate" Android smartphones into a dashboard's head unit. This head unit would presumably house a bigger display that mirrors a simplified version of the Android UI -- unless the use of the word "projected" implies something more futuristic.
Hands-on with Audi's all-digital dash for the 2015 TT and likely home for its Smart Display tablet
Audi's TT, considered by the German maker as its design icon, gets revamped for 2015 and its dash and all-digital cluster made a break from cover at CES. What's immediately apparent when you hop into the curvy leather-wrapped interior setup at the booth is that the traditional center stack is completely absent. All the information that was once viewable by the entire cabin now seems reserved for the driver alone. It's decidedly odd that the front passenger no longer has access to the display so we'd suggest that the mysterious Audi 10.2-inch Smart Display we saw earlier this week will feature prominently in the next TT, possibly as standard equipment. The entire system is simple to use with the 12.3-inch TFT displaying bright colors and easy-to-read fonts. The display features two main modes, including a driving-centric mode where the tach and speedometer are in the foreground; when in navigation mode, they move out to the edges of the screen to offer as much real estate to the maps as possible. The digital dash navigation is done via either steering wheel-mounted controls or the redesigned rotary push-button control mounted on the center tunnel console. A really swish feature of the jog dial sees the top surface of the control act as a touch surface for entering text by scribbling with a finger when required. Now we just need to see the car to wrap around this interior and we'll be all set, but until then, have a look of the video of the next TT's infotainment equipment in action.
Switched On: The desktop dashboard, take two
Each week Ross Rubin contributes Switched On, a column about consumer technology. The last Switched On discussed the contrast between the $100 laptop concept of 2006 and the $100 tablet reality of 2013. In that case, an idea that didn't bear fruit was succeeded years later by a different approach. However, what's even more rare is to see a failed idea by one small company tried many years later by another small company. This recently occurred with the introduction of the Quirky Nimbus, a physical desktop dashboard that offers four customizable displays that keep track of your digital information, like the weather, commuter traffic, email and calendar updates. The product concept is very similar to the Ambient Executive Dashboard that a yearling Switched On addressed way back in 2005 with two columns focusing on the device and its content. Contrasting that product to the Nimbus reveals that much has changed about technology in the past eight years, but there are still a few things that plague this particular niche product.
Report: Xbox One dashboard, download details leak after consoles ship early [update]
Twitter user @Moonlightswami has posted impressions on the Xbox One after claiming to receive his console early from Target, Engadget reports. Moonlight Swami claimed that in its current state, the Xbox One takes 17 seconds to reach its dashboard during boot up. A 500 MB update was allegedly present after the console was booted for the first time, which could be the day one download that's required to use the system. Moonlight Swami stated he was also able to begin playing games once they were 50 percent installed onto the console's hard drive. The Xbox One Marketplace seems to be partially stocked, as well - Moonlight Swami tweeted supposed screenshots of the marketplace detailing the download size for various games. The photos suggest the largest game available is NBA2K14 at 43 GB, with Assassin's Creed 4: Black Flag trailing at 20 GB, Dead Rising 3 at 19 GB and LocoCycle at 13 GB. Moonlight Swami also installed Call of Duty: Ghosts from a retail disc, which he claims requires 39 GB of hard drive space. Moonlight Swami's tweets offer a glimpse at a supposed dashboard section for "featured challenges," which seem to be time-specific tasks for individual games. The involved picture shows things like playing a game of football within two weeks of Madden NFL 25's launch, or earning 5 million SP during a certain period in Need for Speed Rivals. The early impressions party stopped once Microsoft banned the console, but Larry "Major Nelson" Hryb has reached out to Moonlight Swami for information and to get the scenario "sorted out." Update: In a NeoGAF thread related to the incident, Major Nelson has stated that Moonlight Swami's console "will not be permabanned, that is for sure." Kotaku is also reporting that a Target representative confirmed the shipment of a small number of consoles before their street date due to a "systems error."
Xbox One dashboard impressions: Finding Forza 5
The Xbox One has eyes and ears in the living room, more observant and more attuned to the human voice than ever before. Its Kinect camera can track multiple skeletons (usually inside people) and study your face for a post-workout pulse. It will understand you when you talk to it, and stop listening if you wish. And yes, you can unplug it. The new Kinect camera is not so sophisticated, however, as to detect the tinge of awkwardness that comes with press demos – this one in a San Francisco loft reserved for demonstrating the Xbox One as a platform. I sit on a couch between Xbox's Corporate VP, Marc Whitten, and Chief Marketing and Strategy Officer Yusuf Mehdi, who will show me a product intended for a living room, quite unlike the cold approximation we find ourselves in. I face a giant television as they walk me through the system's standout features, never wavering in politeness and concision. They probably wince invisibly the few times a vocal command fails to register, because goddammit that's probably going into the article, isn't it? The Kinect quickly recognizes Whitten by his face and signs him into his Xbox profile. It does the same for Mehdi, and now they're both signed in on the system. Either one can summon their personal content by speaking, and the Xbox One will know which items to roll out without having to ask, "Sorry, which one of you said that?"
Sony's Shuhei Yoshida takes a quick tour through the PS4 dashboard (video)
Just in case you missed it during Sony's Gamescom 2013 presentation (and our live coverage), the company kicked things off in a fresh way, letting the PlayStation 4 experience do all of the talking. No words were necessary as Mr. @yosp himself, SCE prez Shuhei Yoshida, casually sat in a chair flipping through the new UI and loading up a quick game of Killzone Shadow Fall. Whether you have loved or loved to hate the PS3's XMB, this nearly three minute-long demo should fill in many blanks about what life will be like if you pick up one of Sony's $399 boxes on or about November 15th. Check out the video embedded after the break plus a list of launch window games while you weigh the pros and cons of pre-ordering.
Xbox One dashboard: what to expect
So, you want an Xbox One? Do you really want one though... like, really? How do you know? Maybe the interface is terrible. That's something you'll just have to ponder until you play one. Well, that's only partly true, we sat down with Microsoft today at Gamescom for a bit of a tour. The bad news? Microsoft wasn't quite confident enough to let us show you the interface with photos or video, due to its pre-release nature. The good news? We're going to paint you a word picture instead! The results await after the break.
Android's Jelly Bean contingent finally surpasses Gingerbread
It's a new era, we tell ya. An era where Google can finally say that its latest build of Android is also the one being used by the greatest majority of Android users. For over a year, Android 4.1+ has been the most up-to-date build of Google's mobile OS, and yet, the greatest majority of those accessing the Play Store were using a build that was bordering on antediluvian. According to the official Developers Dashboard, the percentages have slid to a point where Android Jelly Bean -- which encompasses 4.1.x and 4.2.x -- now represents 37.9 percent of Play Store users. Gingerbread (v2.3.3 through 2.3.7) has fallen to second place with 34.1 percent, while Ice Cream Sandwich (4.0.3 through 4.0.4) holds down the bronze with 23.3 percent. Hit up the source link to view the full breakdown, and do us a solid -- if you know someone still using Donut, grab 'em a Christmas-in-July present.
Microsoft shows off Xbox One dashboard, Trending tab for popular TV content
So, we've just seen our first glimpse of the Xbox One, and after watching the console boot by voice command, we've had a peek at the new dashboard, too. It's not a massive departure from the current one, but as you can see, the theme is a little plainer and cleaner than the Xbox 360 dash, while keeping the tile-like appearance also common to the Windows UI. The Home screen can now be personalized, and while you'll recognize most of the tabs running along the top, "Trending" is fresh -- this tab shows what TV's popular amongst your friends, as well as what's hot within the entire Xbox Live community. Also, "My Pins" now gets its own dedicated tab, rather than being a tile on the Home screen. How you use and navigate the dash is where the real innovations lie, like the next-gen Kinect voice control and Snap Mode multitasking.
Android metrics show Jelly Bean adoption overtaking Ice Cream Sandwich
Google's big shake-up of Android version metrics has already given us a better understanding of where the platform's active users truly stand. Now that we're a month into the new methodology, we have a good sense of where those users are going -- and they're moving to Jelly Bean in droves. Android 4.1 and 4.2 combined grew to represent 28.4 percent of regular usage, or enough to finally overtake Ice Cream Sandwich at 27.5 percent. Not surprisingly, the transition to the newer OS involved a balanced mix of users either upgrading from ICS (down by 1.8 percent) or transitioning from devices running Gingerbread or earlier (down 1.7 percent). It will be a long while before Jelly Bean becomes the dominant platform, if it ever does, but we're not expecting a slowdown in adoption when flagships like the Galaxy S 4 and One are luring many of us into an upgrade.
Google changes Android dashboard numbers to count active users, not just pings
The Android device dashboard has been providing a picture of OS version distribution since before Froyo pushed aside Eclair, but now it's seeing some changes. A post on the Android Developers Google+ page indicates that starting this month, numbers are based on devices whose users actively checked Google Play during the reporting period. Previously, it counted all devices that pinged Google servers. The latest stats, updated today, show a jump in the amount of actives (previously devices, now users) on Jelly Bean (Android 4.1 or higher), up to 25 percent from 16.5 percent last month when it counted the old way. The number of devices recorded running Froyo and Gingerbread have taken the biggest hit, down 3.6 and 4 percentage points, respectively. There are a few ways to react to this, particularly remembering that these numbers are meant to help developers figure out how many users are available to target on the various versions of Android and types of hardware. It may help give a clearer picture of what setups the active users that developers hope to reach are using, without being muddied by little-used zombie hardware. On the other hand, it could be seen as a way to juke stats which have been used against Google's mobile OS by its competitors like Apple. Whichever side of the line one finds themselves on, more data is available by clicking on the source link below.
Android Dashboard update shows Jelly Bean on 10 percent of active hardware
The last time we checked out Google's Android Device Dashboard, penetration of the latest version had reached 1.8 percent of active hardware. A couple of months later and Android 4.1 / 4.2 Jelly Bean is accounting for more than 10 percent of devices that accessed Google Play in the last 14 days. The share of Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich devices also grew to represent 29.1 percent of active hardware, and while 2.3 Gingerbread still has the largest slice, it slid below half to 47.6 percent. That means developers can more confidently taking advantage of the latest APIs, but while the environment is much improved over when the dashboard launched in 2009, those fragments still mean some hard choices on exactly what to target with apps. Hit the source link for a larger look at the current numbers.
Xbox unfollows Twitter and unfriends Facebook, apps 'retired' from dash
The Fall 2012 Update currently rolling out removes Twitter and Facebook from the Xbox dashboard, and Microsoft have confirmed the apps are officially being 'retired.' Speaking to IGN, Microsoft said it's "retiring the Facebook and Twitter apps," although the company didn't comment regards whether or not they may ever return. Microsoft is recommending Xbox users instead access Twitter and Facebook via Internet Explorer 9, which is included in the Fall Update.It was three Fall Updates ago when Twitter and Facebook arrived on Xbox 360. Yes, nearly three years ago when everyone logged in on that first day to tweet or post a status update from their consoles, then immediately reverted to however they tweeted or updated their statuses before. Ah, memories.
ICS and Jellybean now on a quarter of all Android devices, but over half still stuck on Gingerbread
It seems like only yesterday that Google bundled Ice Cream Sandwich 4.0 in its little biscuit layers and sent it off into the world (it was December, 2011, actually). That Android flavor has since climbed the charts rapidly, around four percent each month for the last while, and now occupies the ROM on 23.7 percent of robot-based devices -- up from 20.8 percent last month. That's in part due to new devices (like many in China) still coming out of the box with it, on top of older warhorses like the Samsung Galaxy Tab 8.9 finally grabbing some ICS. Meanwhile, its smooth-running younger sibling, Jelly Bean, made a slight gain to 1.8 percent of all Google-run slates and phones -- though that will likely change when the Galaxy Note II hits the market en masse and the Galaxy S III OTA 4.1.1 disseminates to all its owners. Meanwhile, Gingerbread still dominates Google OS installed devices at 55.8 percent, probably thanks to delays or denials of newer flavors to legacy devices.