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The Weekly Roundup for 04.01.2013
You might say the week is never really done in consumer technology news. Your workweek, however, hopefully draws to a close at some point. This is the Weekly Roundup on Engadget, a quick peek back at the top headlines for the past seven days -- all handpicked by the editors here at the site. Click on through the break, and enjoy.
The Adventures of Dash misses Kickstarter goal
After 30-days of fundraising on Kickstarter, Robotoki's platforming project The Adventures of Dash fell short of its $400,000 goal, earning a total of $33,121 from 496 backers over the course of the campaign."We know were not alone now in wanting to see this game come to life," the campaign's final update reads, "and while we're not entirely sure how we're going to make that happen right now, we are going to do everything we can to keep the game alive." The update goes on to say that The Adventures of Dash will have to be placed "on the back burner for now" so Robotoki can focus on its main project, Human Element.The Adventures of Dash, a 2D side-scrolling platformer about a boy with narcolepsy, was originally planned for a November launch on consoles, iOS, Android PC, Mac, Linux and Ouya. The game would have changed both stylistically and mechanically based on whether Dash was awake or involuntarily asleep, as seen in the gallery below.%Gallery-180410%
OUYA promises improved responsiveness, simplified game installs for June retail launch
The OUYA's off to a rough start, with reviewers -- us included -- encountering button sticking and faceplate issues with the controller, and a variety of complaints about the $99 game console's OS software. A variety of backers also received their console in the mail with the controller's removable faceplates already removed, having slipped off during shipment. OUYA's addressing at least some of these concerns by the console's June 4th launch, company CEO Julie Uhrman promises in a letter to backers on OUYA's official site. "Our software is constantly evolving," Uhrman says. As such, OUYA has "a host of features" that it's working on adding to the console ahead of its impending retail launch: "external storage for games, simpler game install process, more metrics for developers, controller support for video players, and more payment options." But first, Uhrman says her team is "focused on optimizing the performance of our software (this mean responsiveness)," directly addressing criticisms of the console's seeming lag between input and on-screen response. As for the controller, OUYA is "considering adding additional magnets" to help with the faceplate issue -- the controller's faceplates are attached via six magnets apiece, currently. It's unclear if the controller will change in any other significant ways ahead of the console's retail availability, but we're hopeful that the button sticking issue is also addressed.
The Daily Roundup for 04.03.2013
You might say the day is never really done in consumer technology news. Your workday, however, hopefully draws to a close at some point. This is the Daily Roundup on Engadget, a quick peek back at the top headlines for the past 24 hours -- all handpicked by the editors here at the site. Click on through the break, and enjoy.
OUYA review (founding backer edition)
Most modern gaming consoles are big, heavy and power-thirsty. They dominate the entertainment centers into which they're placed and suck down hundreds of watts of electricity when they're running. They've evolved this way, growing larger and more powerful to deliver better graphics and more comprehensive gameplay experiences. So too have their talents expanded. It's no longer good enough for a gaming console to simply play games: modern systems have to be complete home entertainment devices. Or do they? When the OUYA was announced in July of 2012, its $99 cost was low and its processing power as simple as its premise: a tiny little box designed to be a haven for those who want to play (or develop) good, original games. Many gamers connected with this idea immediately, helping to drive the system to an $8 million run on Kickstarter. Plenty of others didn't, saying this would be just a cheap distraction on which to play mediocre Android games. The truth, as it turns out, lies somewhere in between.%Gallery-184637%
The Daily Roundup for 04.01.2013
You might say the day is never really done in consumer technology news. Your workday, however, hopefully draws to a close at some point. This is the Daily Roundup on Engadget, a quick peek back at the top headlines for the past 24 hours -- all handpicked by the editors here at the site. Click on through the break, and enjoy.
Unboxing the OUYA (video)
With Kickstarter backer shipments kicking off last Thursday, it's no surprise that some folks are already receiving their OUYA consoles. Two of our US-based, East Coast staffers just got their consoles this morning, and here we are with an unboxing video and screens so that you can share in the excitement with us. Of course, we'll have a full review of the Android-powered $99 game console coming later this week -- long before the console becomes available at retail on June 4th -- so keep your eyes loose and your brains ready. For now, enjoy the melange of media we've prepared for you; should you prefer a deeper dive, our hands-on is right here.%Gallery-184497%
The Weekly Roundup for 03.25.2013
You might say the week is never really done in consumer technology news. Your workweek, however, hopefully draws to a close at some point. This is the Weekly Roundup on Engadget, a quick peek back at the top headlines for the past seven days -- all handpicked by the editors here at the site. Click on through the break, and enjoy.
The Daily Roundup for 03.29.2013
You might say the day is never really done in consumer technology news. Your workday, however, hopefully draws to a close at some point. This is the Daily Roundup on Engadget, a quick peek back at the top headlines for the past 24 hours -- all handpicked by the editors here at the site. Click on through the break, and enjoy.
Editor's Letter: A not-so simple choice
In each issue of Distro, editor-in-chief Tim Stevens publishes a wrap-up of the week in news. At a rather vitriolic (and frequently profane) presentation given to a small group of frequently bemused journalists (myself included), T-Mobile CEO John Legere laid out the company's reinvention. In the interest of keeping things PG I won't repeat the colorful language, but Legere accused the other major carriers of being not only confusing, but also misleading -- ignoring the fact that his own company has, for years, enacted the very same policies. No more. It's time for the UnCarrier to step up. But, it's important to note that you'll be paying full price, or near to it, for your smartphone. First is a series of contract-free Simple Choice plans, which are similar to those the company offered before. It's $50 for "unlimited talk + text + web" -- though the data use is indeed limited to 500MB. Stepping up to truly unlimited everything is $20 more, which is a fair bit cheaper than the biggest plans from competing carriers. But, it's important to note that you'll be paying full price, or near to it, for your smartphone.
The After Math: a million Z10s, the UnCarrier's new plan and a 16-button controller
Welcome to The After Math, where we attempt to summarize this week's tech news through numbers, decimal places and percentages This week, there's been a mixed bag of interesting news numbers, from T-Mobile's New York event and the company's new perspective on the phone network business, to San Francisco (again) for the Games Developers Conference. We also got to take a look at BlackBerry's first financial results since the name change and its BB10 launch.
Ouya ships with native Twitch app
If you're already tired of playing games on your Ouya (see our preview here!), you can easily watch other people playing them. Streaming site Twitch.tv revealed that it already has a dedicated viewing app on the tiny crowdfunded console at launch.Ouya is officially the first console with a native Twitch app ... if only because the Xbox 360 app, announced at E3, has been delayed. "Unfortunately, we ran into some development snags, but rest assured it is slated for release in May," Twitch notes.
OUYA details launch titles, day-one software update
The OUYA Tegra 3-powered Android game console is having quite a day, but now that it's shipping, CEO Julie Uhrman is informing early recipients of what to expect when they open the packaging. According to an email sent out to Kickstarter backers this evening, their new box will have a software update required as soon as it's plugged in. After the Wii U we hope this isn't a trend (but fear it is) although the Ouya promises to take only seconds or at most minutes to complete. Also detailed are the 104 games already available from the 8,000 registered developers including Beast Boxing Turbo, Stalagflight, and Knightmare Tower, plus entertainment apps like XBMC and Flixster. The games are all free to try out, but a credit/debit card is required upfront. We've already offered our opinion of the shipping hardware after a quick hands-on, although backers are encouraged to contribute their own during the preview period before it officially launches. To that end, the company is planning a Reddit AMA next month and will have its own forums available for feedback soon. Until then, you can get the rest of the info directly at the source link below.
Ouya: Joystiq goes hands-on
For being such a little thing, the Ouya is surprisingly heavy. The Kickstarter unit I tested was etched with the names of $10,000 backers, Minecraft creator Notch at the top of the list. Ouya's development kit (the ODK) is in the hands of 8,000 developers, Ouya CEO Julie Uhrman told me. "New games are getting loaded every single day, all different types of genres."The hardware is finalized, she said, having been improved over the original development kits based on developer suggestions. With units now shipping to Kickstarter backers, the next two months will be spent improving the software prior to the official public launch in June. "Like every other sort of typical software platform, it's always going to continue to evolve, and we'll add more features and functionality."%Gallery-184315%
The final OUYA retail console is ready, we go hands-on
It's been a long time coming, and now the Android-powered, Kickstarter-funded OUYA video game console is finally heading to backers. Sure, the final retail units for non-backers won't be available until June, but around 50,000 lucky folks who pledged over $99 to OUYA's massively successful campaign will be receiving their units in the coming days. We've already heard what developers have to say about it, but this week we got our first hands-on with the miniature, Tegra 3-powered game console we've been hearing so much about since last summer. Is it the "best Tegra 3 device on the market," as OUYA's claimed? Let's find out!%Gallery-184319%
The Daily Roundup for 03.28.2013
You might say the day is never really done in consumer technology news. Your workday, however, hopefully draws to a close at some point. This is the Daily Roundup on Engadget, a quick peek back at the top headlines for the past 24 hours -- all handpicked by the editors here at the site. Click on through the break, and enjoy.
OUYA available at retail on June 4 for $99
The Android-powered $99 OUYA game console becomes available at retail on June 4th -- a date which was revealed this week during the Game Developers Conference. OUYA's calling June 4th its "official launch date," despite Kickstarter backers receiving units starting this month. Essentially, the two month waiting period between Kickstarter boxes and retail availability is being used as a consumer beta, giving OUYA time to adjust its software after getting feedback from early adopters. It's not clear if bundles will be available, but the game console itself and a controller (as well as power and HDMI cables, plus two AA batteries for the controller) are included in the $99 package. Major retailers like Amazon, Best Buy, and others are on board, so it shouldn't be too hard locating one in June should your interest be piqued -- and yes, pre-orders are available. Of course, it's a pretty small game console, so it might be a bit tough locating the thing with your eyes.
OUYA ships early backer consoles, staggers delivery over the weeks ahead
OUYA is true to its word: the company has confirmed to us that it's shipping the first units of its namesake game console to the many, many people who crowdfunded at a tier high enough to set aside a production system. If you've received a tracking notice, you should expect to have the cuboid at your door in five to ten days, depending on just which corner of the world you live in. Don't be surprised if your inbox remains empty for now, however. OUYA notes that it's spreading delivery over the "coming weeks," which by necessity will leave a few of us twiddling our (currently gamepad-free) thumbs.
Ouya launches at retail June 4 for $99
Ouya, the diminutive android-powered console, will launch on June 4. The device will be available in the US, Canada and the UK for the asking price of $99. Meanwhile, Ouya's Kickstarter backers should begin receiving their units starting today.We got a chance to try out an Ouya at GDC. Expect our impressions later today.
GAME prices OUYA at £99, opens up pre-orders
American gamers already know where they'll be able to pick up an OUYA. Our friends across the Atlantic, however, only knew that they'd be able order it online direct from the company. Well, brick-and-mortar stalwart GAME appears to be in line to stock the console in the UK (or at least it thinks it is) and has opened up pre-orders for the Android-based machine. What's more, it's been slapped with a £99 price tag -- a predictable, but unfortunately higher price than Americans will be paying. The release date is still listed as TBD, though retail availability is scheduled for sometime in June. If you'd like to help keep GAME afloat you can reserve your OUYA at the source.