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PSA: XBox 360 Dashboard Beta re-opens, offers 500,000 more slots
Microsoft is working on another update for the Xbox 360 dashboard, which means some lucky individuals will be able to get a sneaky peek thanks to the company's closed beta. Our tipsters have told us it's adding a further 500,000 slots for users on a first come, first served basis for this year's annual refresh -- expected to include Internet Explorer, Pins, and Smartglass amongst others. If you're interested in getting involved, we suggest sprinting on down to the source link to try and beat the rush. [Thanks, Anonymous!]
Microsoft patent applications take Kinect into mobile cameras, movie-making
Microsoft has never been shy about its ambitions for Kinect's depth sensing abilities. A pair of patent applications, however, show that its hopes and dreams are taking a more Hollywood turn. One patent has the depth camera going portable: a "mobile environment sensor" determines its trajectory through a room and generates a depth map as it goes, whether it's using a Kinect-style infrared sensor or stereoscopic cameras. If the visual mapping isn't enough, the would-be camera relies on a motion sensor like an accelerometer to better judge its position as it's jostled around. Microsoft doesn't want to suggest what kind of device (if any) might use the patent for its camera, but it's not ruling out anything from smartphones through to traditional PCs. The second patent filing uses the Kinect already in the house for that directorial debut you've always been putting off. Hand gestures control the movie editing, but the depth camera both generates a model of the environment and creates 3D props out of real objects. Motion capture, naturally, lets the humans in the scene pursue their own short-lived acting careers. We haven't seen any immediate signs that Microsoft is planning to use this or the mobile sensor patent filing in the real world, although both are closer to reality than some of the flights of fancy that pass by the USPTO -- the movie editor has all the hallmarks of a potential Dashboard update or Kinect Fun Labs project.
Mountain Lion 101: Dashboard changes
Apple introduced the Dashboard and Widgets with OS X 10.4 Tiger. Mountain Lion introduces the first big update it's seen in a long time. Here's what's new. Apple has changed the process of adding a widget to your Dashboard. To begin, click the "+" in the lower left-hand corner, as usual. Now, a grid of available widgets appears instead of the widget bar that used to slide in from the bottom of the screen. Click any widget to install it and return to the Dashboard screen. Removing widgets is also new. To remove a third-party widget from widget selection screen, either click the "-" in the lower left-hand corner or click and hold on any widget icon in the grid. They'll start to "jiggle" and those available for deletion will present a small "x" in the upper right-hand corner. Sound familiar? To remove an active widget from your Dashboard and send it back to the selection screen, either hover over that widget and press Option or hit the "-" while viewing the running widgets.
Xbox's 'Kinect PlayFit' dashboard keeps track of cross-game calorie burning
"Kinect PlayFit," first seen in leaks, is now officially announced – and officially released today! That means we can finally understand what Kinect PlayFit is: a special "fitness dashboard" that tracks your calories lost across multiple Kinect games, "from Dance Central 2 to Your Shape Fitness Evolved 2012 to Kinect Star Wars," according to Microsoft.The dashboard also features leaderboards and social "activity challenges," two ideas that probably either motivate you to keep up your fitness routine or make you feel very uncomfortable, depending on how fit you already are. It even has its own Achievements.
Google: Ice Cream Sandwich now accounts for 7.1 percent of Android user base
Well, it's about time that Ice Cream Sandwich made some headway -- even if the process is much slower than consumers deserve. According to the Android developer hub, Android 4.0 now accounts for 7.1 percent of all Android smartphone and tablet installations, which is a sharp and welcome increase over the 2.9 percent figure that we reported just two months ago. Naturally, Gingerbread users still account for the lion's share of the Android ecosystem with 65 percent, but it's worth pointing out that this segment also grew during the last month -- no doubt at the expense of Froyo and Eclair. Don't know about you, but we like our desserts fresh, thank you very much. Go ahead and hop the break to see the full breakdown.
Report: Microsoft readying 'Woodstock' music service for Xbox 360, to debut at E3
When you think modern, digital music, your mind probably immediately jumps to 30-plus-year-old music festivals. Microsoft clearly understands this, as the company is allegedly preparing a relaunch/rebranding of its Xbox 360 Zune music service to be debuted at E3 2012, dubbed "Woodstock." The Verge's report comes from "sources familiar with the company's plans;" said report paints Woodstock as functional across a variety of platforms beyond the 360: Windows 8, iOS, and Android. Despite an E3 introduction, the service isn't planned for launch until this fall when Windows 8 and Windows Phone 8 arrive.iTunes Match-esque functionality is also said to be part of Woodstock which will upload your library and match it with anything you've snagged from Woodstock. The report calls the service, "Spotify-like," with Facebook integration intended to allow collaboration on playlists and let users share tracks between libraries. We've asked Microsoft for a response to the report, but aren't expecting much beyond a wordy "no comment." We'll update this post if we hear anything else.Update: Shock! Microsoft reps tell Joystiq, "Microsoft does not comment on rumors or speculation." Back to listening to our Woodstock live album for now.
ICS reaches 2.9 percent of active Android devices, 63.7 percent still on Gingerbread
As we check back in on Android's Platform Versions dashboard for the first time since January, we can finally see notable growth in the percentage of devices running some flavor of Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich, up for 0.6 percent then to 2.9 percent. That's likely fueled by the release of updates for the Samsung Galaxy S II and HTC Sensation family of devices, and is a sharp uptick from last month when it registered on 1.6 percent. Gingerbread (2.3) still reigns supreme, running 63.7 percent of the Android hardware that accessed the Play market in the last two weeks, but its growth seems to finally be slowing. Last year at this time that position was filled by Android 2.2, with 2.3 on just one percent of the hardware and Android 3.0 barely registering at all, a point which highlights the long cycle of upgrades. Call it fragmentation or flexibility, app developers can use these stats to plan their releases going forward, although it may be a little while still before the majority of the crowd can access any Ice Cream Sandwich-specific features.
Xbox 360 apps now live for Comcast Xfinity TV, HBO Go and MLB.tv
Anxiously awaiting the arrival of those brand spanking new apps for your Xbox 360 console? Well, the wait is over. Video apps for Comcast Xfinity TV, HBO Go and MLB.tv have arrived on a number of consoles here at Engadget HQ. Major Nelson dropped the official word a little while ago, leaving you mere moments away from live and on demand television and baseball just in time for the start of the season. Keep in mind all three of these high profile applications feature Kinect integration -- but don't worry, you won't be forced to swing any bats in your living room. If you're looking for more info, details on the HBO Go and MLB.tv offerings await in the PR below.
Xbox 360 Comcast, HBO and MLB.tv apps arrive today on consoles used more for video than games
Microsoft has confirmed via multiple mainstream media outlets that today is the day for several more high-profile video apps to appear on its Xbox 360, namely Comcast Xfinity TV, HBO Go and MLB.tv. There's not a lot of detail on the apps themselves, although the HBO Go and MLB.tv services are familiar due to their availability on other platforms, while we've already heard the Xfinity TV app will mirror the experience and content already seen on the PC. All three naturally include significant Kinect integration, and bring the total number of video apps (already including recent additions like Verizon FiOS and YouTube) available to 36. Interestingly, another stat Microsoft is focusing on is that the time spent using its consoles to watch online video is now over half, outpacing the time users are spending playing its games for the first time. Head of marketing and strategy for Xbox Yusuf Mehdi is quoted by the LA Times as saying usage is up 30 percent from a year ago. We're not sure if that just reflects gamers powering through to (and possibly being disappointed by) the ending of Mass Effect 3, but we'll be keeping an eye on our dashboards for the new apps all the same.
Ford sends out OpenXC beta, vehicle-aware apps should be just around the corner
It's six months since Ford partnered with Bug Labs to build OpenXC and now the system is ready for third-party developers to get involved. Rather than following Renault and others down the Android route, OpenXC is a dedicated platform designed to bring together third-party apps and hardware. It comes with an Arduino-based interface module that hooks up to the car's own systems, allowing the software to work with sensors, audio interfaces, safety devices and whatever other add-ons an owner might want to rig up. One app, developed by India's HCL Technologies, is already complete: it sends location updates to selected contacts to warn them if a driver is running late for a meeting. (Finally, Arduino gets to do something useful.)
Xbox 360 system update gets its colors in order, makes it mandatory
Remember those color problems experienced by some Xbox 360 users after last year's dashboard update? Microsoft appears to have fixed the issue in its latest system update, although it will take time for the fix to roll out across the associated apps -- we've been told this will happen over the next few months. Its Sony rival also rolled out its own (optional) update for the PS3 yesterday, improving "certain aspects" of the UI. The Xbox team promise that their update will also increase performance, but don't take their word for it; the update is rolling out now -- let us know how it goes.
Microsoft acknowledges Xbox 360 color space problem in last update, is working on a fix
While we found a lot of things to like in the last Xbox 360 dashboard upgrade, not everyone was happy after it finally rolled out in early December. We've received word from multiple owners who saw and reported color output problems since the beta began, and today Director of Programming Larry Hryb aka Major Nelson tweeted that the company is "aware of the color space issue w/ some Xbox video apps & are working on a fix". While that should take care of some issues, more recent reports also indicate problems with the HDMI output having HDCP authentication problems with certain TVs or receivers that blocks video output, as well as reports confirmed by Eurogamer that 1080p output appears to be downscaled to 720p internally. We're waiting for a response from Microsoft about these or any other issues and will let you know when we hear more. Let us know if you've noticed anything else in the new Xbox 360 update that needs tweaking in the comments below.[Thanks, Vinny P, Brad R. and everyone else who sent this in]
PSA: UFC, VUDU, other video apps now available on Xbox 360
A slew of new video apps have debuted through Microsoft's updated Xbox 360 dashboard, including the UFC app and VUDU. Here's the full list: 4 on Demand (C4) -- United Kingdom ABC iView (Australian Broadcasting Corp.) -- Australia Dailymotion -- Australia, Austria, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Columbia, Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hong Kong, Hungary, Ireland, India, Italy, Korea, Mexico, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Poland, Russia, Singapore, South Africa, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland , Taiwan, United Kingdom, United States, South Africa Demand 5 (Five) -- United Kingdom M6 -- France MSN Video -- France UFC on Xbox LIVE (UFC) -- Canada, United States VUDU (Wal-Mart) -- United States You can download each app through the video tab on your Xbox 360, assuming you're in a region that supports it.
Xbox 360 fall dashboard update 'slightly' delayed (update: it's live!)
Still haven't received that fresh new Xbox 360 dashboard update? Don't worry, no one else has either. Major Nelson tweeted "The timing for Xbox 360 update has been slightly delayed" from the planned 10AM ET launch, and promised a status update later today, but for the time being there's no other word on why, or when it will arrive. In the meantime, feel free to read our review again, make sure your Kinect sensor is tuned, or maybe take a swing Geometry Wars for old times sake. We'll let you know when there's more information available. Update: Looks like it's rolled out for a bunch of you. A screenshot from a tipster awaits after the break and let us know how you fared in comments! Major Nelson just tweeted it's rolling out to all users now, so go ahead and log in and you should have an upgrade waiting. Update 2: Well, getting the update may be tricky, with Xbox Live inaccessible for many right now. Some have suggested signing in on Xbox.com and accepting the new TOS as a way to make it work on your console, but until tings are back to normal we'd suggest keeping an eye on the XBL status page. [Thanks Andy]
PSA: Xbox dashboard update 'slightly delayed' (Update - rolling out to subscribers now)
(Update: According to Major Nelson's Twitter feed, the dashboard update is being pushed to accounts in batches, and should be widely available over the next few hours.) After Microsoft announced several new services would miss the December 6 launch of the Xbox dashboard update, it has revealed that another major component will also miss the planned launch, namely the dashboard update itself. Major Nelson tweeted the news, noting, "the timing for the Xbox 360 dashboard update has been slightly delayed." Concerned citizens will receive a status update "later today." Given the last minute nature of the delay -- so last minute that it didn't halt this morning's press release announcing the rollout -- we can't yet say for sure whether it's a matter of hours or days.
Xbox 360 Dashboard update review (fall 2011)
Kiss that old "New Xbox Experience" goodbye -- the Xbox Dashboard just went full Metro. Microsoft teased the console's latest overhaul back at E3, promising to "change living room entertainment forever." The following months saw leaks, previews and betas, all leading up to today, the eve of the Xbox 360's Fall Dashboard update. Is the new dash the game-changer it hopes to be? Hit the break, and we'll find out together.%Gallery-141009%
Friday Favorites: Unit Converter
Welcome to Friday Favorites! Every Friday, one of us will get all sloppy over an app, web service, or Mac feature that we feel is indispensable. To me, Dashboard feels like the forgotten relative of OS X, the one that sits quietly in the back of the room during the family reunion that has surprisingly good stories. There's some amazing widgets for Dashboard, and Unit Converter is one of them. It can convert a number of categories including area, currency, power, pressure, speed, weight, volume and more. It's a free converter that might not have all the units you're looking for (compare more than 130 currencies in Currencies to 40 in Unit Converter). I'm in a marriage that requires regular translation of meters to inches, stone to pounds (weight), Celsius into Fahrenheit and pounds (currency) into dollars, and the Unit Converter widget is an indispensable tool in sorting out what my husband is telling me. If you need a quick converter, Unit Converter is free and already on your Mac.
Revamped Xbox 360 dashboard to launch on December 6th, Microsoft confirms
Earlier this month, Microsoft announced that its Xbox 360 dashboard would be getting an upgrade "in the coming days." Today, the company has clarified that statement, declaring that the revamped interface will launch on December 6th. As we've previously noted, the update promises to bring deeper Kinect integration (including sharper voice recognition capabilities), Facebook sharing mechanisms, and a cleaner interface. Redmond also says that the fall cleanup will introduce "a wealth of new content," including live TV, music and movies, available for streaming. For now, the dashboard is still in beta, though it certainly won't be long before the masses get their hands on it. Update: Read Microsoft's e-mailed announcement in full, after the break.
Xbox.com upgrade will add new Social features, support for Xbox Live Beacons
The Xbox 360 hasn't received its new coat of paint for the fall yet, but Microsoft just announced Xbox.com will be seeing similar changes in "the coming days." The old "My Xbox" section is getting the boot in favor of a "Social" area that lets you keep track of your XBL friends, thanks to some of the new features enabled by the upcoming dashboard update. Before the dash update is released, Xbox.com users can check out Beacons that let them mark which games they're willing to play, or check out a friends activity page that resembles recent additions to Facebook and Twitter by informing you what friends are up to in real-time. Also revamped is the video section that lets users buy or rent movies and TV shows for viewing on their console, Windows Phone or Zune. Hit the source link for a few more screens of its Metro UI-fashioned new face and additional details, we'll let you know when it all goes live.
Mac 101: Use web clippings to put a Mickey Mouse clock on your Mac
Dashboard has several fantastic features, including the ability to turn any web clipping into a widget. Macworld readers decided to use this feature to grab the functioning Mickey Mouse clock from the iPod nano home page and use it on your desktop. Here's how to recreate it: Visit the iPod nano's home page in Safari. Right (or control) click on an empty part of the page and select "open in dashboard." Center the box that appears on the Mickey Mouse clock, or any other section of the page you wish to save. Hit the "add" button that's appeared at the top of Safari. Adjust the handles that appear to get the size you want. There's more to it, and we encourage to read the rest at Macworld. How does this work? Macworld explains it's because Apple doesn't use Flash on its site. The clock is created from HTML, CSS, JavaScript and images.