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DTS:X for home theater comes to Xbox One
After releasing its Sound Unbound spatial audio for headphones on Xbox One, DTS is doing the same for home theater systems. The company has just released its Sound Unbound DTS:X home theater support on Xbox One to Xbox Insiders, following testing on the Alpha Ring.
Windows 10's Start menu is getting a visual refresh
Microsoft has rolled out the latest Windows 10 Insider Preview build, giving us a glimpse of a new Start menu that was redesigned to look cleaner and more coherent. Insiders in the Dev Channel will now have access to a refreshed menu that no longer uses solid color backplates behind logos in the app list. A subset of Insiders now also have access to a new Microsoft Edge feature that shows all open tabs in one panel simply by pressing Alt + TAB.
Skype previews texting feature for PCs
Skype has given Insiders on Android a sneak peek of an upcoming feature called "SMS Connect." Windows Blog Italia has spotted an option in the latest version of Skype Preview's settings that would allow you to send and receive texts using Skype on Mac or Windows PC. Say, a friend texts you on your Android phone -- you can reply to that message straight from the Skype app on your computer. You can only see the feature right now if you're an Insider with Skype Preview on Android, but it looks like you still can't switch it on. Rest assured that the feature is real even if you can't see it: Skype Insider's Twitter account has confirmed that it's something the team is working on.
Windows 10 testers get access to experimental Sets features
Microsoft took some major cues from browsers to create Sets, which lets you group together Windows apps in tabs. Now, the tech giant is rolling out experimental features to testers that give Sets tabs evenmore browser-like behavior. If you're a Windows Insider who has opted to Skip Ahead, you can now drag and drop tabs within Sets and combine several tabbed app windows into one. Those make it easier to organize open apps, so long as it's not an Edge tab -- you can't drag and drop Microsoft's browser tabs into Sets yet and doing so could crash your system.
Microsoft makes it easier to preview Windows apps
If you're looking to get a peek at what cool features are coming to Windows apps in the future, then you pretty much need to run an Insider build. But Microsoft realizes that some folks don't want to run beta software on their machine, which is why it's developing a way to test apps inside retail versions of the OS. Right now, a handful of Windows 10 apps have been opened up to let users see what's coming down the pipeline, regardless of their Insider status.
Microsoft starts testing Windows 10's built-in Eye Control
The latest Insider preview build for Windows 10 is rolling out, and it's bringing that eye-tracking support Microsoft recently mentioned. Users with a compatible eye tracking device (which right now means certain hardware from Tobii) can control their PC and even type just by looking at the relevant spot onscreen. Still, the most surprising change is available via the command prompt. As described on the Command Line blog, it's overhauling the default colors in the Windows console for the first time in 20 years.
Microsoft borrows from Xbox and PCs to improve enterprise services
Microsoft is taking inspiration from its Xbox and desktop beta tests, and bringing faster updates to its (admittedly tamer) Windows Server arm. Starting later this year, the company plans to deliver two rounds of updates each year, one in spring and one in fall, for Server customers. It's started things off with a new Insider Preview for Windows Server -- just like Microsoft does with other services. It has been planning a beta program for a while, and this should bring some of its enterprise offerings closer to the faster (and yeah, we know, more interesting) Xbox and Windows 10 desktop updates.
Beam, Windows 10 Game Mode tests start tomorrow on XB1 and PC
Starting tomorrow, Creators Update features coming in for testing are integrated support for Beam streaming on both platforms, Cortana updates on Xbox One, and for PC gamers, the new Game Mode and gaming settings section. With Snap Mode on the way out, it's time to see what the sacrifice will bring to the table.
Microsoft's Paint 3D app arrives on Windows 10 preview
Microsoft has incorporated its revamped Paint 3D app into the latest Windows 10 Insider Preview build. First announced as part of the Windows 10 Creators update, it has nothing to do with the crude raster tool that has been the butt of jokes since Windows 1.0. Rather, it's more of a 3D app for the masses that lets you create complex scenes with relative ease. You can scan real-world objects using a smartphone camera, use 3D "clipart" created by by the Remix 3D community and even output your final models to a 3D printer.
Microsoft rolls out new Windows 10 preview with Cortana and Continuum
We spent a decent chunk of our Wednesday getting a load of what Microsoft's added to Windows 10 since the last time we saw it, and now the bravest among you can take (most of) that new stuff for a spin. The company launched the next build of the Windows 10 Technical Preview earlier this afternoon, and with it comes long-awaited features like Continuum -- for when you're running Windows on shape-shifting devices -- and a new Xbox app that focuses on "the basics."
How to photograph a leaked Apple product
So you got your hands on an unreleased Apple product -- maybe even a prototype (oooooooh, yummy) -- and you want to let the whole damn world know about it? Good news! There's a tool that people like you often use to share their good fortune with the rest of the world, and it's called "The Internet!" Here in this wonderful digital land, there are writers and publications that will spread just about anything you can throw at them, as long as it can't actually be verified in any possible way. There are more of these types of websites than you can count on all your fingers and toes, but the good news is that if you get one of them to pay attention to you, the rest will follow suit! This is all dependent on one thing: having a fantastic, perfect, amazing photo to sacrifice to the rumor gods. Here are the rules you need to follow to become an anonymous Apple deity. Rule #1: Don't take a photo of a complete gadget It doesn't matter if you have an entire, functional version of Apple's unreleased phone, tablet or watch, because rumors aren't good if they don't have a little mystery to them. What you really want is a nondescript component that could really be used for absolutely anything. This way you give the rumor sites a bit of room to work in their own theories. The first thing you need to do is disassemble the device in question and find the most unremarkable part of it to focus on. The first two photos in this lineup won't get the rumor juices flowing, but that tiny, mysterious metal chunk really makes you wonder. What is it? What could it be for? Does it fit inside the new iPad or does it house the long-rumored NFC chip for the iPhone 7s? That's the kind of photo that gets clicks, ladies and gents. Tip: You get big bonus points if you can make it look like the photo was taken in a manufacturing setting. Rule #2: Obscure, obscure, obscure It might be tempting to take a great photo of a meaningless piece of glass or metal and just call it a day, but while it's a fantastic start, it's just doesn't pop unless we make sure there's some sort of unnecessary barrier to viewing the image clearly. There are a lot of tricks you can use, including placing the object behind a piece of glass, adding a ton of unnecessary glare to the photo by taking it at a weird angle or making sure the object is covered in plastic or other packaging materials. Because if you're going to take the time and substantial risk of leaking a product made by one of the most successful companies on the planet, there's zero reason to remove the sticky plastic. Tip: Do your best to make sure nobody can read any text on the object. Things like item numbers, manufacturing codes or other information that could lend credence to your claim aren't important to anyone. They just want a vague blob. Rule #3: Maximum excitement! If you have access to an unreleased Apple product, you're going to be pretty damn excited about it. The best way to express your excitement is to shake your hands violently as you snap the photo. This technique adds credibility to your claims by showing everyone that you're really nervous about getting caught. If you accidentally snap a perfectly still photo, you can add this "excitement" later in a program like Photoshop. The final rule If you've followed these steps, you should have a photo you can be proud of, and one that the internet will eat up with a jealous fervor. Many sites will argue over whether it's true, resorting to social media to vent about why someone does or doesn't believe it, but in the end, none of this matters, because you're the real winner even if nobody knows your name. That is one gorgeous leaked product photo. What is it? What does it do? Is it for the iPhone? Can we at least pretend it's for the iPhone? Of course we can! I took the photo, so I know what it really is. You don't. That means that I have the power, and I'm not giving it up. And I'm most certainly not going to tell you the truth, because that's the fourth and final rule of Apple rumormongering: Always leave them wanting more. [Photo credits: Ivyfield, Smemon, Uka0310, Parislemon, Mvchi, Dafe]
EVE Evolved: The human casualties
This time last year, EVE Online developer CCP Games was an untouchable powerhouse in the games industry. In addition to servicing around 350,000 EVE subscribers, the company was also developing the World of Darkness MMO and the full scale MMOFPS DUST 514 set on the planets of EVE. Everything seemed to be going fine, but with the release of Incarna at the end of June, CCP faced the biggest crisis in the company's history. Due to a series of missteps and internal leaks that has come to be collectively known as Monoclegate, player confidence in CCP plummeted to record low. Following the CEO's recent letter of apology promising a refocusing of development on in-space EVE features, news of highly requested features due for inclusion in EVE has gone a long way toward restoring confidence in CCP as a developer. With the return of ship spinning earlier this week and news of updates from hybrid turret rebalancing and implants being added to killmails to the release of the player-designed Tornado battlecruiser, the process of refocusing on EVE is well underway. Unfortunately, the good news of upcoming gameplay updates has been marred by the sobering reality that over 20% of CCP's worldwide staff have been laid off as part of the refocusing effort. In this week's EVE Evolved, I look at the human casualties of the recent EVE drama and speak to an insider at CCP about what's going on within the company. Unless quotes or facts in this article are specifically attributed to this insider, they are my own views and opinions based on publicly available information.
LucidLogix Virtu in action, discrete graphics and Sandy Bridge together at last
At CES, LucidLogix's Virtu software solution promised to get discrete and Sandy Bridge GPUs together in graphical harmony -- giving you both Sandy Bridge's greased-lightning video transcoding and the horsepower of an NVIDIA or ATI rig. The code also lets you watch content from Intel's forthcoming Insider movie service while running a discrete GPU. Now that Chipzilla's 2nd-gen Core i5 and i7 CPUs are getting to market en masse, the gang at Hot Hardware put an RC of Virtu through its paces to see what it can do. As expected, the software waxes chumps and smokes fools when encoding HD video, but gaming performance suffered slightly (in FPS and 3DMark 11 tests) with the technology enabled. The other nit to pick was that Virtu renders the control panel of your discrete card unavailable, so any graphics adjustments must be made in-game whenever the software is running. Time will tell if the final release has similar shortcomings. Hit up the source link for the full rundown.
Intel to launch Insider movie service with 1080p content, WiDi 2.0 will let you stream it to your TV
We knew it was Intel's plan to launch its Sandy Bridge or Core 2011 processors at CES, but leave it to Chipzilla to throw in some total surprises ahead of the show. Yes, you read the headline right -- Intel's planning to launch its very own movie and video service in the first quarter of 2011. Unlike iTunes or really anything else out there, Intel's Insider will allow those with Core 2011-powered laptops or desktops to purchase or rent the latest movies in full HD -- yes, good ol' 1080p. But, why exactly is Intel teaming up with studios, content owners, and video distributors when so many others out there are trying to do the same thing? In essence, the company sits in a good place to combat a lot of the issues movie studios have had with HD video distribution -- Insider is tied to the new 2nd generation Core processors, and thus provides hardware protection, rather than software protection of the content. According to Intel's Erik Reid, the company has already struck deals with CinemaNow and Warner Brothers, and the plan is for all content to be made available at the same time as the DVD or Blu-ray release. It is unclear whether there will be an Insider portal for all this content or if other services will just be certified to work on the hardware platform, but we will be finding out much more once the show starts. Naturally, Intel doesn't only want you to watch those brand spankin' new 1080p movies on your laptop screen -- it is pushing WiDi in a big way, and the second generation, which will be baked into new Core 2011 systems, will support 1080p streaming and will eventually enable streaming of protected content, including DVDs and Blu-ray discs. WiDi 2.0, as they are calling it, will work a lot like the original version we like so much and allows you to extend your desktop to an HD monitor, but unfortunately, it will require a new HDTV receiver to enable the full HD capability and it still has that two second lag. No word yet on who is making those boxes or how much they'll cost, but we're hoping to learn a few more details about Intel's big push to tie video content to its new processors at its CES press conference in just a few days.
Apple secrets leaked early by inside traders, arrests reveal
We don't normally cover the "business crime" beat, but there's a pretty interesting gadget angle here. As part of a larger crack down on insider trading, three technology executives and a "salesman for an 'expert network'" have been arrested for leaking confidential tips to hedge funds. What sort of secrets, you ask? A certain executive for Flextronics, Walter Shimoon, happened to pass on information concerning an iPhone update and the iPad well before they became official (Flextronics supplied Apple parts). "At Apple you can get fired for saying K48 ... outside of a, you know, outside of a meeting that doesn't have K48 people in it. That's how crazy they are about it," he said during an October 2009 phone call intercepted by authorities, where K48 was the codename for the iPad, which didn't see the light of day until 2010 (we're assuming here that's not all he said). The others arrested hail from AMD (leaking financial details) and Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing, and a fifth person already pled guilty (a former Dell global supply manager). Remember, kids, crime doesn't pay.
Nokia software engineer says 'hardware rules,' software follows
Care for a little more insight into Nokia's smartphone development habits? In an email to our pal John Gruber, a former Nokia software engineer has laid out his perspective on why the Finnish phone maker seems to be struggling in that lucrative high-end smartphone market: "Here's the problem: Hardware Rules at Nokia. The software is written by the software groups inside of Nokia, and it is then given to the hardware group, which gets to decide what software goes on the device, and the environment in which it runs. All schedules are driven by the hardware timelines. It was not uncommon for us to give them code that ran perfectly by their own test, only to have them do things like reduce the available memory for the software to 25% the specified allocation, and then point the finger back at software when things failed in the field." He goes on to say that Nokia's haughtiness extended to the point of turning an assessment of the iPhone's relative strengths into a list of reasons why it wouldn't succeed, which -- considering that the doc was compiled at around the 3GS' launch -- seems like a distinctly foolish thing to do. The really interesting bit here, though, is where that leaves Nokia today. As far as its Design chief Marko Ahtisaari is concerned, the future's MeeGo all the way, but that new platform was nowhere to be seen at Nokia World this year, and Gruber raises the question of whether Nokia shouldn't perhaps switch to the already ubiquitous Android or soon-to-be-everywhere Windows Phone 7. Neither makes a ton of sense on the surface, as Nokia's proud tradition doesn't exactly mesh with dancing to Microsoft's stringent spec tune or becoming yet another Android phone manufacturer. But in the current fast-moving market, a good smartphone software platform today might just be better than a great one tomorrow -- more to the point, we probably wouldn't be pondering this if Olli-Pekka Kallasvuo was still in charge, but now that a software guy has finally taken the helm, maybe the winds of change might blow once more in Espoo?
Midway creditors upset by possible insider dealing
Midway's bankruptcy proceeding has gotten even more dramatic, as accusations of fraudulent insider deals enter the mix. The full story gets very complicated, but the main issue involves the relationship between former Midway owner Sumner Redstone and the relatively unknown Mark Thomas, whom the billionaire sold his stake in Midway to for a paltry $100,000 last December.A motion has been filed on behalf of several Midway creditors asking: "Who is Mark Thomas?" and "Why did Redstone essentially gift the company to this man?" Given Thomas' current holdings in Midway, when money starts getting divided out to creditors from the bankruptcy proceedings, he is apparently set to make out like a bandit, ahead of the laundry list of others owed money.Source - Creditors Allege Shady Insider Dealing In Midway Bankruptcy [GamePolitics]Source - Guessing game over Mark Thomas vexes Midway Games' creditors [Chicago Tribune]PDF - Creditor motion, hosted by GamePolitics.
Forum post of the day: Idiots, children, and oldschoolers. Oh my!
At one point in time or another, most guilds face at least a little bit of drama, from loot distribution, to relationships, to guild bank robbery. Zeida of Tichondrius has created an list of guild member archetypes for folks she does not want in her guild. The list of stereotypes covers the first four posts in the thread so there is a considerable amount of reading. The list includes newbs, n00bs, trolls, elitists, and many more. The original poster went into detail on each of these archetypes. Here's the short version:
WoW Insider is back, HKO Insider canceled
Apparently HKO Insider hasn't worked out as well as we originally thought it would. After a day full of covering Hello Kitty Online, readers have sent us an overwhelming message: they love WoW Insider, and World of Warcraft is the game we all want to see covered.So you get your wish: starting right now, WoW Insider has returned, and HKO Insider is no more. And none too soon -- our writers, especially Rossi, who would rather wrestle a tiger than write about the Flower Kingdom, were planning a revolt if we didn't change the site format back. And our poll this afternoon pretty conclusively showed what you all felt about the changeover.So we're changing things back. From now on, we'll stay WoW Insider, and be your number one source for news and views about World of Warcraft and the upcoming Wrath of the Lich King expansion. From classes to professions to strategy and community news, we'll only cover World of Warcraft all day every day, from level 1 to 80 and beyond.Unless, that is, they create a Spongebob MMO anytime soon...
The best of WoW Insider: February 27-March 4, 2008
Joystiq may be your source for Brawl news this week, but when you want to know what's up in Azeroth, there's only one place to turn: sister site WoW Insider. Things are hopping over there -- we're on top of the patch 2.4 news, and every single day we've got guild information, addon tips and tricks, and everything you need to know about the World of Warcraft. Here's a sampler platter. News PTR Notes: Shaman buffs, Lifetap "change," and moreWarlocks got a little Lifetap nerf this week, and the gnashing of teeth hasn't stopped since. Wealthy elves I have knownMaking cash (and lots of it) with little effort. How to maximize your bag space with 20-slot bagsWhere to get the satchels with lots of empty space. Hacked and robbed blind: One guild's cautionary taleA tough case of guild treachery. Are raiders becoming obsolete?Blizzard's opening up the endgame and giving out epics. Is raiding worth it anymore? Features Know Your Lore: Oshu'gunDid you know there's a Naaru secret in Nagrand? Encrypted Text: Raiding as a rogue, part 1Stabby stabby on the big raid bosses. Insider Trader: Rounding up 2.4 profession changes, part 1What's new for the professions in patch 2.4. Forum Post of the Day: PuG player archetypesWe've all seen these guys out there, unfortunatey playing right next to us. Farewell, my friendA touching tribute to a guildie and a friend.
