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'Fortnite' adds split-screen multiplayer on PS4 and Xbox One
Fortnite players on PS4 and Xbox One might not have to yell at their teammates through a headset anymore -- they could just complain (or give props) to their buddies IRL while they play on the same screen. Following Epic's latest update for the battle royale behemoth, you can team up with friends for split-screen action in duo or squad games. Sure, you'll have a little less screen real estate than if you were playing solo, but Fortnite joining the ranks of couch co-op titles is a great move for friends who like to hang out and play games together.
Researchers' app extends battery life when you're multitasking
Battery life on a phone is bad enough most of the time, but it can be particularly rough if you're fond of split-screen multitasking. Researchers might have a way to wring a little more power out of your device, however. They've developed an app, MultiDroid, that promises to extend battery life on Android phones with OLED screens. The software dynamically lowers the brightness in non-critical parts of the screen depending on how you switch between apps and how long you've left a section idle. Fire up a YouTube video on one half of your screen, for example, and the browser you've left idle in the other half will grow darker.
'Halo' will bring back local multiplayer
When I critiqued Halo 5: Guardians, the lack of split-screen co-op was low on my list of gripes with the game. But that's not to say it wasn't a problem. In the lead-up to the 2015 game's release, developer 343 Industries crowed that there were no sacred cows on the road to hitting 60 FPS in the campaign mode -- including the local co-operative play that'd been a part of the series since 2001. That's changing, though. "I would say for any [first-person shooter] going forward we will always have split-screen," 343's head Bonnie Ross said recently at the DICE summit in Las Vegas, according to Polygon.
Dropbox for iOS lets you sign PDFs, adds iMessage app
Dropbox isn't a company that makes flashy, high-profile changes to its products. Instead, they're all about refinement, making small changes over time that end up making things faster and easier for customers. That's happening today with the Dropbox iOS app: the company is rolling out five new features, with another important one, iPad split-screen multitasking, coming soon. None of the new features are groundbreaking on their own, but they take advantage of some new iOS 10 features and add up to a Dropbox experience that makes it easier for the company's customers to Get Things Done.
Sky Q's Split Screen puts two matches on one TV
If you love sport, picking a match to watch on TV can be a nightmare. Murray's semi-final against Wawrinka? Or Nadal's clash with Djokovic? When both are happening simultaneously, you have to pick one or the other (or find a second screen and keep it nearby). Sky is trying to fix this problem with "Split Screen," a new feature for Sky Q which lets you watch two games side-by-side. It should work for "any multi-match or multi-camera event" broadcast by Sky through its Red button service.
Evernote adds sketching and split-screen features on iOS
Sketching has been available in Evernote's Penultimate app for quite some time, but now the company's main productivity app is handling your scribbles on its own. With an update for its iOS apps, Evernote now lets you sketch notes with a Jot stylus or Apple Pencil and stores them for safekeeping. What's more, if your input device of choice supports 3D Touch, you'll notice the line weight vary based on how much pressure you apply. You can also adjust the line thickness manually between five settings and choose between 10 color options. When you're done, those drawings sync just like any other Evernote entry and the app's handwriting recognition makes those scribbles searchable, should the need arise. The new version of the app also delivers split-screen multi-tasking that's made possible by iOS 9, so long as you're using it on a iPad Pro, iPad Air 2, or iPad Mini 4. Ready to give it a go? The update is available now from the App Store.
iPad mini 4 split view support clues hidden in El Capitan
iOS 9's split-screen feature will only work properly on the iPad Air 2, because it's only one in the existing lineup with hardware capable of supporting it. 9to5mac and developer Hamza Sood, however, found proof in OS X El Capitan that Apple's releasing a new iPad mini, and that it will also be capable of supporting split-screen apps. They found a resource file from within the upcoming platform's Safari browser that clearly states that an iPad mini will get "half screen" capability, as you can see below the fold.
'Halo 5' doesn't have split-screen, but 'never say never'
Halo 5: Guardians doesn't have split-screen cooperative play. This is a drastic shift for the series -- every console Halo game has featured local co-op, including the recently released Halo: Master Chief Collection, a bundle of the franchise's major titles. Plenty of longtime Halo fans have hit Twitter with messages ranging from disappointment to some that promise to cancel their Halo 5 pre-orders. Microsoft doesn't have any plans to launch the game with split-screen, but in a world of constantly updating consoles and streams of downloadable content, there's a sliver of hope for couch co-op fans, according to Microsoft General Manager of Games Publishing Shannon Loftis.
9to5Mac: Apple's working on iOS tweaks for 12-inch iPad
Still holding out for a larger iPad? Well, you're certainly not alone. Thanks to new details from 9to5Mac, it looks like Apple's prepping for a reveal as well. The site has a solid track record when it comes to rumors, and it reports that both hardware and software tweaks are in the works for the 12.9-inch slate. Two models, code-named J98 and J99, are reportedly in the testing phase alongside tweaks to Apple's mobile OS to outfit the extra screen real estate. As you might expect, the difference between the two is one is WiFi-only and the other carries both WiFi and cellular connectivity. Among the changes to iOS is a split-screen feature that could be announced for current iPad models as early as WWDC in a few weeks.
Split-screen multitasking on an iPad could work like this
In the run-up to the reveal of iOS 8, there was a frission of eager rumors that Apple could add split-screen multitasking to the iPad, but then... nothing. Well, the good news is that code referring to it has been found nestled inside Apple's incoming mobile OS upgrade, although we can't regard this as confirmation that it'll ever launch on iOS 8. More hopefully, however, Steve Troughton-Smith has gone as far as to tinker with the iOS 8 iPad Simulator to enable (at least partially) said split-screen skills, with a two-finger swipe to the side. The Safari web browser, at least in this test, can be swiped to take up specific quadrants of the screen, down to 75 and 50 percent, while at 25-percent size the browser looks awfully similar to the iPhone iteration -- which, well, makes a lot of sense.
Riptide GP2 brings six-player split screen to Xbox One
Back in my day, we squinted at a small square of GoldenEye on a cathode ray tube and we liked it. Split-screen multiplayer gaming may have diminished in light of the internet connecting us with hurtful, bigoted strangers, but it does creep into modern games on occasion. The makers of Riptide GP2, a futuristic watercraft racing game picked up through Microsoft's indie games initiative, have opted to split the screen up to six ways in their port for the Xbox One. If you don't have six controllers handy at home (you don't?!), you can swap out local players for online ones. Riptide GP2 comes from portable platforms, having done a successful circuit on iOS, Android, Windows 8.1 and Kindle. The Xbox One version - more akin to the current Steam version – will ship with 24 tracks and a host of customization options for your rocket-powered hydro horse. Beyond its predilection for screen fragmentation, developer Vector Unit is known better for its work on Xbox Live Arcade's well received Hydro Thunder Hurricane. [Images: Vector Unit]
MLB.tv lands on Xbox 360, gets cozy alongside ESPN and UFC
You knew it was coming, and now Microsoft's ready to make MLB.tv on your Xbox 360 official. Just like previous sporting efforts on the console, Redmond's gone and built a custom layer atop a partner's content in hopes of creating a richer and more immersive experience. A premium MLB.tv subscription still applies here, which'll grant you access to HD streams of every out-of-market game -- all of which are watchable live, in recap or archived forms. We liked the "My Teams" functionality which enabled us to quickly earmark content from teams we cared about, which makes triaging through MLB's rather large catalog far more palatable. There's a spiffy mini guide too, which makes for swapping between games a painless affair, in addition to split screen view, where two games are splayed side-by-side -- each which can be paused, or rewound to your hearts content. And it wouldn't be a party if gesture and voice controls, courtesy of Kinect, didn't make an appearance here too. So go peep that dashboard for the update, or hop past the break for a demo video of the whole shindig.
Starhawk shows off improved two-player splitscreen, more
Split-screen multiplayer used to be the norm, back before playing games on the Internet became so commonplace. But these days it's essentially a feature, and one the upcoming Starhawk is determined to do right. The game will make use of empty screen space to provide a bigger and more detailed radar map than Warhawk did.Starhawk will also let two players sign in on one PS3, which means you and your friend can both get permanent credit for rewards while in the same game. Four-player splitscreen is also supported, but Sony says it wasn't used as much as expected in Warhawk, so that will be more standard.The game is out on May 8. Meanwhile, you can browse through pictures of co-op action and a few other shots from various parts of the game below.%Gallery-151033%
LG Cinema Screen LCD HDTVs slice bezel to 1mm, let two players share one TV
LG has been pushing its flavor of 3DTV as Cinema 3D, and now it has slipped the theater related nomenclature onto another feature, the 1mm thin LCD bezels it has dubbed "Cinema Screen". It claims this move brings the experience closer to the theater, but that's not the only new feature for 2012. LG announced it will offer Dual Play, where it uses polarized glasses to let two different players see only their perspective on the full screen at once in games that support it. Vizio demonstrated the feature last year as Versus and Sony brought it to market in the PlayStation 3D display. We'll likely get more time with those razor thin bezels once CES is truly underway, for now check after the break for the press release.
Playstation 3D Display hits shelves November 13, Sony answers your burning questions
We'd imagine come November 13th, the above will be the scene inside many a PS3 owner's house. That's when Sony's hot little 24-inch PlayStation 3D display will officially be available in the US, Canada, Europe and parts of Asia. Sony took to its US PlayStation Blog today with the news, along with a lengthy FAQ to keep your GAS at bay in the meantime. If you'll recall, the 240Hz 1080p display packs a single set of component inputs, two HDMI 1.4 ports, stereo RCA outputs, a headphone jack, an integrated subwoofer, and of course, 3D-capability with supported titles. For five hundred bucks you'll get the PS 3D Display, one pair of USB-rechargeable 3D Glasses ($70 for each additional pair), a copy of Motorstorm: Apocalypse and even an HDMI cable. Notably, its fancy (and exclusive) SimulView feature will let two sets of 3D shades grab either the left or right side feed in supported 3D games for a private 2D view. Disappointingly, this puppy isn't wall-mountable, but hey, that 24-inch panel surely makes it ideal for a desktop setup, no? Full details at the links below, along with a refresher shot of those 3D specs just past the break.
Xbox 360's ESPN3 app updated with more voice control, split screen and more
The PlayStation 3 may have NFL Sunday Ticket but the Xbox 360 still has exclusive access to ESPN3's slate of games, shows and replays, and today the app was updated with a new look and a few new features. Viewers can designate their favorite sports and teams to bring related content right to the front, while a new mini-guide gives easy access to other streams while you watch. If you're trying to keep track of more than one game there's also support for split screen viewing (with independent control of each stream) and upgraded voice control for Kinect owners. Other tweaks include a college football scoreboard to keep track of all the games at once, reminders, live alerts on score changes and the addition of ESPN's BottomLine. Unchanged is the restriction that you need to subscribe to a TV provider that includes ESPN3 in its package, but if you do have the service (and shell out for XBL, of course) it should be available the next time you load up your console. Check out the YouTube videos embedded above and after the break along with a press release for a runthrough of some of the new features.
Symbian Anna now available for download on Nokia N8, E7, C7 and C6-01
Just a day after popping up on NaviFirm, Nokia's Symbian Anna has finally arrived for download, right on schedule. Available for N8, E7, C7 and C6-01 users, the new OS brings a fresh new UI and a virtual portrait QWERTY keypad to Symbian smartphones, along with split-screen messaging, richer maps and speedier browsing. The update also brings NFC capabilities to the C7, in particular, allowing users to share contacts, photos and other goodies by simply tapping their handsets together. If you're interested in upgrading, you can download Anna using the latest version of Ovi Suite (3.1.1), or with an OTA update, though availability and method of delivery vary from market to market. Find more information in the full PR, after the break. [Thanks to everyone who sent this in]
Sony's 24-inch PlayStation 3D 'dual-view' monitor: here's how it works
Sony's got some wonderful ideas here at E3 2011, but the company's left quite a few threads for journalists to sew up -- what's the battery life like? How much will continuous client gameplay cost? Just how does that split-screen 3D monitor work? Sony's 3D gaming czar Mick Hocking flew in from Liverpool to talk stereoscopy with the press, and we've got some answers for that last one. What you see above is an LCD panel that refreshes at 240Hz, and delivering 3D at 60 frames per second to each eye, by using the typical active shutter glasses technique of blocking light to your left eye when the "right" image is displayed, and vice versa for the right eye. However, the glasses have a special button that makes both lenses of one player's glasses display images for the left eye, and both lenses of another player display images for the right, allowing each to have their own 60fps feed all the time for private split-screen gaming. While that potentially means you could use these glasses on non-Sony 3DTVs too and get the same effect (or, you know, just pick up a Sharp Quattron 3D or Vizio Versus, which do much the same thing). Hocking told us that this particular unit also does additional software processing to reduce ghosting. But what of games? The 3D guru said there'll be a number of titles supporting the feature when the monitor hits this fall, and that other 3D titles could potentially (and easily) be patched if they also support split-screen to begin with. Hocking says developer enthusiasm's been particularly intense for split-screen, even more so than the holographic and head-mounted display technologies that Sony's working on, and we may see the feature integrated in Bravia televisions should the idea take off.
Pirate Galaxy refreshes its website
The hardcore MMO connoisseur is always looking for the next great adventure in the online space, right? Well, have you thought about piracy? We don't mean the Dread Pirate Roberts; we mean space pirates. We mean spinning around in your own spaceship, pillaging the galaxy. Splitscreen Studios just relaunched the website for its browser-based MMO Pirate Galaxy, and the team wants you to check out the new features: a new forum, improved support, fresh community management, and more details about the game, all in one revamped site. While you're there, join the game. It's completely free-to-play, and you can jump in any time you want. What are you waiting for? We know you like pirates; we know you like spaceships. Why not jump over the Pirate Galaxy and give it a try? If you need more inspiration, we received some new sceenshots that we placed in the gallery below. %Gallery-119681%
3D Vision hack uses active shutter glasses to display 3D content in 2D (video)
Stereoscopic display sharing -- or using one monitor to show two separate programs simultaneously -- has piqued quite a few people's interest lately. Both Microsoft and Sony have been developing ways to do this, and now there is a post on the 3D Vision Blog outlining how to modify your NVIDIA 3D Vision glasses to accept either the left or right image from a 3D display. You'll be opening the glasses up (careful!), soldering things like shutters and IR receivers, bridging this and that, but by the time you're done you'll be able to watch TV in the way that nature intended, beautiful, glorious 2D! (You can see it in action after the break.) Now, if only we could figure out how to watch color TV programs in black and white...
