The mark that Steve Jobs left on the industry is a deep one, indeed. But aside from regular product announcements, we didn't see all that much of the Apple founder. Jobs's appearances at the All Things Digital conference certainly do a little to remedy the late-executive's notoriously private nature, and now you can watch them all from the comfort of your own Apple-branded media player. All Things D has released Jobs's six lengthy interviews in video and audio format via iTunes.
Engadget
Fans of XBMC who've wanted their HTPCs to replace the higher-end components of a home theater setup, like Blu-ray players and higher-end receivers, are having their wishes fulfilled through a completely reworked sound system. AudioEngine, as it's called, can processevery stage of audio encoding and decoding, even with 7.1-channel formats like Dolby TrueHD and DTS-HD Master Audio. As the code uses more precise floating point math, the improvements can bolster heavily compressed audio and allow for upmixing from stereo to a native surround format. Sound should sync more closely to video and avoid any jarring interruptions from system sounds, too. The AudioEngine u pdate is still limited to experimental nightly builds of XBMC, so don't be surprised if something goes awry, but it's slated as part of the main development track and should be a boon for just about any XBMC media junkie before long.
Engadget
Until now, it seemed like Microsoft was gearing up to unveil the almost-final Windows 8 Release Preview in the first full week of June, just in time for what is sure to be the world's premier Ultrabook trade show. As it turned out, though, the folks in Redmond couldn't contain their jubilation any longer: the company is now rolling out the Release Preview several days ahead of schedule. The update, free to anyone who wants to try it, offers a few notable enhancements, including a trio of new apps, a "Flip ahead" browser gesture, Flash support and a couple of updated multi-monitor features. A few heavy hitters like Wikipedia and Box.net are also using the occasion to debut apps in the Windows Store. And the OS is now available in 13 languages. Mostly, though, this update brings performance and stability fixes, along with granular tweaks like being able to pin stocks to the Start screen. Certainly, a two-hour press conference was not necessary this time around.
Ready to upgrade from the Consumer Preview? Just remember that you'll need to a do a clean install, which means unless your user account is tied to a Microsoft ID you're going to lose your personal settings. Got it? Good. Get your download on now, and then meet us past the break for some early impressions and a video walk-through of the new features.Windows 8 Release Preview detailed impressions
Starting with some of the more major changes Microsoft's made this time around, the engineering team has added a few more native apps and a trio of Bing-powered hubs: travel, sports and news. Across all the apps -- even the ones that aren't new -- Microsoft unified the look of the app bar that drops down from the top of the screen. The options are app-specific, of course (favorite sports and trending news, for instance), but the look of the icons doesn't change. Now that we've got that cosmetic tweak out of the way, let's jump into the new apps.
Bing Travel
Even when Bing first launched, trip planning was touted as one of its specialties, so it makes sense that travel research and flight / hotel booking get their own dedicated app. Using the app bar at the top, you can choose to book flights or hotels, or view certain destinations, which you can pin to the Start Menu. If you don't already have a fantasy vacation, the main page is home to a selection of featured locales, along with a motley collection of pictures, panoramas and travel articles. Once you dig into a specific destination's page, you'll get more detailed inf o: everything from maps to weather forecasts to fare stats. While sharing isn't an option in every native app, you can pass on lots of things here, including travel guides and particularly fetching photos.
Bing Sports
New in Release Preview is a sports hub, where you can follow your favorite teams or digest the top stories across all athletics -- yes, even Formula One racing. When you enter, you'll be greeted by a top story (not unlike the new Bing News app described below), with other articles listed over on the right. Scroll far enough and you'll find schedules, followed by a self-explanatory area called "Favorite teams." Adding these is as easy as clicking a plus sign and then typing your team into a field, which spits back autocompleted suggestions in record tim e.
You can add as many teams as you want, and each team's page is pinnable as a live tile. Click on one and you'll notice the general layout is the same: news, followed by a schedule. In the case of teams, you'll also get more detailed info, like standings, a roster, batting and pitching leaders, etc. Right now, you can't share anything in Bing Sports, but fear not: your ability to rub the Mariners' losing streak in your Yankee friend's face is apparently "coming soon."
Using the app bar at the top, you can also search by sport. We're sure someone will suggest a pastime that's not listed, but the options already cover the basics: there's baseball, hockey, basketball, various soccer leagues and golf.
Bing News
Similar to the new sports app, Bing News' main page is crowned by a top story, though as you scroll to the right you'll see top headlines in various categories, such as business. Click the app bar up top to view news by trends, or by source. These media outlets, include a mix of newspapers and websites (ours included!) and are broken down into categories such as technology and business. Each is accompanied by a shortcut with that outlet's icon, making it easy to spot your favorite among the bunch. We like that you can pin not just categories that interest you (politics, say), but custom topics (think: "Julian Assange").
Existing Metro apps
Weather and Maps
Nothing new to see here. Just the same app bar that you'll see across all the Bing apps. In Maps there's one subtle change, and it's that there used to be a dedicated search button, but now search has moved to the Charm bar (just where you'd expect it to be, frankly).
Finance
Bing's Finance app delivers the same news and stock quotes it always did, but now you can pin various bits of information to the Start Menu. These include watchlists (e.g., "Tech Movers and Shakers") or individual stocks you happen to follow. That seems like a logical feature to add -- after all, every native and even third-party app should support pinning. Still, it would be nice if you could glance at the Live Tile and see General Electric's closing price for the day. We caught ourselves glancing after US markets shut down, and were met with a blank tile that had the stock's name on it and nothing more.
Web browsingThough many of the changes here amount to stability improvements or fit-and-finish tweaks, the Metro version of IE has actually benefited from an honest-to-goodness new feature. It's called "Flip ahea d," and it uses crowd-sourcing to figure out what page you're most likely to click on next. Then, instead of clicking on it, you can either swipe the screen or click the onscreen forward arrow to advance. (There will also be a corresponding touchpad gesture, but our test machine wasn't set up for this.) Interestingly, you don't need to be surfing in Bing for this to work; you can choose any search engine, so long as you're using Metro IE as a browser. The feature is also disabled by default, so you'll need to venture into Internet Options to turn it on.
So far as we can tell, the algorithm is smart, but then again, Flip ahead only seems to work in no-brainer situations. If you search for something in Bing, it knows your next click is likely to be the second page of results. (But not the top-rated item? Hmm.) Or, if you're reading a lengthy web article broken into seven different pages, the browser knows you're going to want to move onto the second page after you've fi nished page one.
Beyond that, the feature doesn't come in handy often. If you're looking at something Flip ahead understands, you'll see a forward arrow on the right side of the screen. Most of the time, though, it's missing. Understandably, Flip ahead doesn't know what to recommend if you click on a site's home page, or even a tag link (next Justin Bieber story, anyone?). If you're shopping online, it won't push you toward the next dress in the collection, or even something that other customers looked at. That's not to say we're demanding this -- we don't want IE making assumptions about what pair of pants we want, thank you very much. It's just that there don't appear to be many cases where Flip ahead can actually be useful.
Moving on, IE now has the Share feature baked in (it was previously in Mail, but not the native browser). That means you can share webpages with individual people and also social networks like Facebook and Twitter.
But that's not a ll. Internet Explorer has also received another, less visible update: both the desktop and Metro versions have Flash 11.3 built in. Since Metro IE is plug-in-free by default, Flash works without any additional setup required. (If you want to disable Flash in the desktop version, though, you'll find that option in the add-on manager.) And in case you're wondering about Flash's diminished role on mobile devices, well, we're told it'll work with both x86 and ARM devices.
MailMicrosoft admits Mail wasn't the smoothest or most complete app when it launched in the Consumer Preview, but says it's made behind-the-scenes tweaks to make it more stable. Feature-wise, users can now pin an inbox (or several) to the start screen, making it easier to differentiate between, say, your work and personal addresses. (It doesn't make it any easier to avoid emails from your boss while on holiday, but who really expects you to do that?) Additionally, when you open the Mail ap p, your inboxes will be listed separately in that left-hand pane.
That's a good start, and Microsoft is right that this version of the app performs reliably -- we haven't suffered a single crash or blip yet. Despite all that, the Metro Mail app still doesn't feel anywhere near as feature-rich as Outlook on the desktop. Heck, even Gmail and Hotmail are more sophisticated. And we don't ask for much, really; just being able to view threaded conversations would be a welcome upgrade.
Media
This release hasn't brought any real cosmetic changes to the Pictures and Music apps, though Microsoft's happily gotten around to integrating Zune Pass, which means all of the cloud-based music you downloaded using your all-you-can-eat subscription will roam from one device t o another.
Particularly after reviewing the latest version of Chrome OS earlier this week, we can really appreciate that Zune Pass music can be made available offline. This doesn't exactly happen automagically, of course -- you need to manually download songs and albums you think you'll want to listen to on that five-hour flight. But we're glad Microsoft remembered that feature at all. In Chrome OS, all your cloud-based music stays there -- if you want anytime music, you'll have to load it on an SD card. This way is better.
Oh, and you'll want to keep this in mind: the Release Preview is meant to mimic the Pro version of Windows unlike, well, the Consumer Preview, which means that Media Center does not come installed by default. Rather, you'll have to download it from the Windows Store. A minor inconvenience if your permanent version of Windows will be of the consumer-friendly variety.
Lock screenTaking a cue from pretty much any mobile de vice ever, Microsoft rejiggered the OS so that you can adjust the volume of music tracks even when your Win8 laptop or tablet is locked. Even better, you can actually pause songs or skip tracks while your device is locked up, which is more than we can say of most handsets that come through our labs.
Third-party appsIt would be futile for us to attempt to review every third-party app, but as the selection grows it's worth pointing out a few big players that have been added to the list. Some highlights that just went live in the store this afternoon: Wikipedia, The Financial Times, The LA Times, Fruit Ninja, Slacker Radio and Box.net.
One thing we couldn't squeeze out of Microsoft reps: an estimate of how many applications are currently on offer. All a product manager would say is that there's been "tremendous" interest from developers building all manner of apps. You heard it here first.
Monitor support
As promised, Windows is getting some additional multi-monitor support in the Release Preview. Specifically, the engineers over in Redmond added the ability to drag an app across the screen and onto an external monitor, and it'll automatically park itself there, no tweaks to the settings needed. If you move an application, the pinned shortcut in the taskbar will move to the monitor as well, since the desktop is extended, though you can also choose to clone pinned apps so that they appear on both your PC and secondary display.
It's also worth noting that both your PC screen and external monitor have four "hot corners," which means even if you've extended your desktop, you don't need to drag your cursor all the way to the edge of your 20-inch display in order to pull up the Charms bar on the right. You can do that just by moving to the right end of your PC's screen, even if that's technically no longer where your desktop ends.
Although you don't need to adjust any settings to drag individual apps onto secondary screens, you will have to specify if you want your desktop and accompanying wallpaper to extend, or if you'd rather just mirror it.
Touchpad guidelinesBy the time Windows 8 launches, most touchpads will be optimized to support all the native Win8 gestures -- swiping to expose the Charm bar, etc. Behind the scenes, Microsoft is still engaged in quite a bit of back-and-forth with trackpad makers like Synaptics, and we've yet to see a final product, but for now we know this much: touchpads will be subject to guidelines, at least if they're to support Windows 8 gestures (and why on earth wouldn't they?). In particular, these rules will dictate how sensitive a touchpad should be, and how small it can get before it becomes too cramped to comfo rtably pull off gestures. Alas, though, this feature wasn't enabled on our test machine (a new Samsung Series 9), so we didn't get to try this out.
Etc.Other than all that, you'll notice a bunch of tiny changes as you poke around. The lower-right corner of the screen now says "Change PC settings" instead of "More PC settings." Dig inside those menus and you'll see there are more color themes to choose from. It's obvious Microsoft had a long checklist of things to sort out, and simply didn't get to all of them in time for the Consumer Preview launch.
Wider availabilityFor starters, the Windows Store will now be available in 13 languages, including Arabic, Chinese (traditional and simplified), English, French, German, Japanese, Korean, Portuguese, Russian, Spanish, Catalan and Swedish. Further, Microsoft will accept app submissions from 38 countries, up from five.
Wrap-up
When are new apps and performance enhancements not welcome changes? As you'd imagine, the Windows 8 Release Preview is an improvement over the previous milestone, though none of these additions fundamentally change the user experience. For better and worse, this is the same OS you've been getting to know: it brings the same gestures, the same slick animations and the same learning curve. If you were expecting the Start button to reappear in this more final version, you'll be sorely disappointed. But if you already warmed to the Consumer Preview, you might appreciate how relatively polished this version is: sharing and pinning are more prevalent, Zune Pass integration has arrived and key apps like Mail run more smoothly. And hey, a Charlotte Bobcats live tile never hurt anyone, right?
Tim Stevens and Zach Honig contri buted to this preview.
Show full PR text Microsoft Announces Availability of Windows 8 Release Preview
May 31, 2012
Windows Upgrade Offer introduced, which gives consumers a path to Windows 8 upon general availability.
REDMOND, Wash. - May 31, 2012 - Microsoft Corp. today announced the availability of the Windows 8 Release Preview, the next milestone of the highly anticipated Windows 8 operating system. Available for download today in 14 languages at http://preview.windows.com, the Windows 8 Release Preview delivers a fast and fluid experience, along with a new user interface that responds equally well to touch as it does to keyboard and mouse. Since the February release of Windows 8 Consumer Preview, which was downloaded more than 1 million times in the first 24 hours, Windows 8 has become the most tested Microsoft operating system of all time, and with today's release, it enters its final phase of development befor e it releases to manufacturing.
"We're thrilled to be at this milestone with the Windows 8 Release Preview," said Steven Sinofsky, president of the Windows and Windows Live Division at Microsoft.
New Apps Provide an Even Richer Experience
Windows 8 Release Preview delivers new apps from Microsoft and partners. Highlights include Bing Travel, News and Sports apps, as well as Gaming and Music Xbox apps that integrate with your Zune pass. The Windows 8 Release Preview also features notable improvements to the Mail, Photos and People apps that initially debuted with the Windows 8 Consumer Preview. In addition, Microsoft has worked closely with its partners to deliver apps from around the world through the Windows Store.
Beyond the new apps from Microsoft and partners, customers testing the Windows 8 Release Preview will also experience tens of thousands of refinements across the product, such as increased personalization option s for the Start screen, improved multimonitor support, refinements to the way people find and download apps through the Windows Store, and new Family Safety features. The new Internet Explorer 10 redefines browsing, particularly for touch-enabled devices. The Web is as fast and fluid as any app, and with new capabilities in the Windows 8 Release Preview such as "flip ahead," it is just as intuitive. A touch-friendly and power-optimized Adobe Flash Player is now integrated into Internet Explorer 10, and it is also the first browser to feature Do Not Track "on" by default, giving customers more choice and control over their privacy.
The Path to Windows 8
Beginning June 2, 2012, Microsoft will roll out the Windows Upgrade Offer in 131 markets, including the U.S. and Canada. Consumers who buy eligible Windows 7-based PCs through Jan. 31, 2013, can purchase an upgrade to Windows 8 Pro for an estimated retail price of $ 14.99 (U.S.) during the time of th e promotion. More information about the Windows Upgrade Offer will be available June 1. In addition to the Windows Upgrade Offer designed for consumers buying new Windows 7-based PCs, Microsoft will also announce other offers in the coming months that will help consumers with existing Windows 7-based PCs upgrade to Windows 8 when it is generally available.
In the next month, Microsoft will further detail the value Windows 8 brings to businesses at TechEd North America. More information about Windows 8 and how to download the Windows 8 Release Preview is available at http://preview.windows.com.
Engadget
Just shy of a year ago, we reviewed the Sony NEX-C3, a mirrorless camera that quickly became our benchmark when it came to entry-level interchangeable lens cameras (ILCs). We praised its excellent image quality, generally consistent performance, overall solid design and, best of all, its $ 600 price tag -- including an 18-55mm kit lens. Since then, the landscape has shifted drastically for this particular type of compact shooter, with the Olympus OM-D E-M5 raising the bar for focusing performance, Nikon's cute J1 winning the hearts of many (likely due to a heavy marketing budget and adorable design) and the Fujifilm X-Pro1 pushing the envelope when it comes to price and body size. For its part, Sony also attracted plent y of attention with its flagship NEX-7, which appears to have been the inspiration for the company's brand new NEX-F3.
Based on its price tag and release schedule, you might have assumed that the NEX-F3 is here to dethrone Sony's NEX-C3. That may or may not be the case (we're hoping for the latter) -- the F3 is much more a scaled-down version of the NEX-7 than an update to the C3. Sure, designs can change drastically from one year to the next, but we were quite fond of last year's model, and many of you were, too. From a specification perspective, the F3 has a new APS-C sensor (though resolution remains unchanged), with a higher top ISO setting of 16,000, a 3-inch LCD that can flip 180-degrees to face completely forward, a new NEX-7-esque pop-up flash and a bulkier design. But do es bigger mean better in this case? Click past the break for our take.Sony NEX-F3 review
Sony received a bit of heat for the size of its NEX-C3. That concept may be a bit hard to grasp, given that the camera is on the small side, even for mirrorless ILCs. However, the device looked quite petite when paired with the company's standard 18-55mm kit optic, and may have been difficult to grip f or some giant-handed users. The F3 looks much more proportionate with the lens attached, but that also means a less svelte appearance -- you might even consider it to be a step back, from a design perspective, at least.
That larger housing does come with extra benefits in tow. There's a new pop-up strobe, located on the top panel, just to the right of the lens mount. The flash works just fine -- it's elevated enough to project beyond the standard kit lens with hood removed -- and considering the camera's top sensitivity of ISO 16,000, it'll probably come in handy more as a fill flash than it will as a dedicated light source. Beyond the added flash release button, control placement has remained unchanged for the most part, with the exception of the shutter release (now on the extended front grip) , the playback button (located to the left of record) and a new dedicated power toggle -- the same control that you'll find on the NEX-5N, which should help to eliminate issues we experienced with the C3, where it would power on accidentally while in a bag.
Also up top is Sony's proprietary connector, which supports older accessories like the external shotgun mic, along with recent additions, like the $ 350 OLED viewfinder attachment that we first saw as an option for the NEX-5N. On the left side of the camera, there are micro-USB and HDMI ports, followed by a tripod socket, SD/MS slot and battery compartment on the bottom. Unlike the NEX-5N, there are separate doors for storage and power here, but the memory card slot is just to the side of the tripod socket, making it impossible to swap cards when the camera is mounted on a tripod.
As you may have guessed from the price tag and optional attachment, there's no built-in EVF here. There is a fairly sharp 3-inch LCD on the rear, however, with the same 921k-dot resolution found on the NEX-C3. Like its predecessor, the F3's display is mounted on a tilting hinge, but this year's model has been completely redesigned, with a brand new fixture. The new mechanism enables you to flip the LCD completely forward (180 degrees) -- for taking self portraits, we presume. Unfortunately, such functionality came at significant cost, with Sony eliminating the 45-degree down-facing mode, which we used quite often on the NEX-C3 for capturing overhead shots. You can still tilt the new display down, but only by about five degrees, which won't help much. Viewing angles are decent at best -- you can forget about seeing the display clearly at a 45-degree angle in bright sunlight.
Performance and battery life
Like its price tag, the NEX-F3 finishes in the middle of the road when it comes to performance. It won't be your first choice for the NFL sidelines, with a top continuous shooting speed of 5.5 frames-per-second and a focusing system that can't hold a candle to the Olympus E-M5 (or any full-size DSLR, for that matter), but if you're an amateur photographer on a budget looking to capture family fun, the F3 will do just fine.
One issue we continue to experience with the C3 is focus hunting during video capture, which seems to be less of a concern with this year's model. The F3 may take a second or two to make your subject sharp, but once it does, you should be able to move the camera slightly without prompting the lens to shift focus as you record a clip. We did experience some i nconsistencies during still shooting, however, with the camera confirming focus and snapping a frame even though the image was completely blurred. You can work around this issue by simply forcing the F3 to refocus before pressing the shutter release the rest of the way, but it's an annoyance nonetheless.
Sony has upped the video capabilities with the F3, adding 1080/24p and 1080/60i AVCHD options, as well as a 1440 x 1080 mode in MP4. There's also a VGA capture option, though the company removed the 720p modes that we've grown to love on the NEX-C3, leaving only the aforementioned selections for HD shooting. As we've already covered, the focus hunting we experienced with the C3 appears to have been corrected here, so that should bring some relief to video shooters. Overall, video looks just fine and audio is clear, espe cially with the optional shotgun mic attached.
All of the NEX cameras we've used have offered excellent battery life, and that's still the case here. The F3 ships with the NP-FW50 battery pack, which offers a capacity of 1,080mAh and dates back to the very first NEX models that launched in June 2010. That means you can swap batteries and chargers with other cameras in the series, beginning with the NEX-3 and NEX-5. In fact, based on the condition of the battery that shipped with our review sample, it appears that Sony has done just that, sending on an older power pack. Despite the battery's appearance, performance didn't take a hit -- we were able to snap nearly 1,000 frames, including several multiple-exposure HDR shots with a single charge, along with more than 10 minutes of HD video.
Image quality
As with the NEX-C3, image quality is in line with what you'd expect from a $ 600 mirrorless camera -- it's not the best we've seen, but it's far from the worst. The F3 boosts the top sensitivity from ISO 12,800 to 16,000, which should provide a negligible bump in versatility for low-light shooting. While high-sensitivity images appear with significant noise on the LCD -- perhaps as an artificial warning to rookie shooters -- the entire ISO range is perfectly usable for web placement, though you'll want to stay at ISO 3,200 or below for all your billboard-printing needs. We also didn't notice an improvement compared to the C3, so if you're looking for a reason to upgrade, that wouldn't be it.
We spent th e majority of our shooting time with the F3 set to the new Superior Auto mode (more on that below), which resulted in some slightly over-saturated and contrasty images. You'll notice these throughout our samples gallery -- none of the images were modified (or even opened) in Photoshop, so any effects came directly from the camera. Generally, the ILC did an excellent job of exposing, focusing and selecting the appropriate white balance (almost all images were shot with AWB). Video also appeared natural, with acceptable exposure, color balance and sharpness.Sony NEX-F3 samples gallery
For better of worse, the user interface has seen almost no change since last year's NEX release. The most significant settings menu addition is probably a new camera icon that more closely represents the size and shape of the F3, compared to the C3's menu, which displays a mock-up of that model instead. The lack of major UI changes means initial setup and settings adjustments will still require a bit of digging, but once you configure your three custom buttons (to control frequent settings like white balance and ISO), you'll seldom need to jump into the main menu.
Another UI addition is a second auto mode. There's the Intelligent Auto mode, which we've seen on previous NEX models, along with an additional mode called Superior Auto. According to the Sony menu description, this new option "enables a wider range of shooting settings than Intelligent Auto including automatic scene detection, auto HDR and image saving," compared to Intelligent Auto, which simply "automatically identifies the scene's characteristics and shoots a photo." So, there's a traditional auto mode, and then there's a super auto mode that gives the camera a bit more creative control.
These are in addition to the Scene Selection mode, which lets you dictate some settings, rather than leaving it up to the camera to determine that your landscape scene needs to be shot in Landscape mode. Overall, both modes worked just fine, though we'd prefer to make the call to snap a multi-frame, HDR image on our own, especially considering there's little warning from the camera beyond the clearly audible triple-fire.
The competition
There's an excellent Sony ILC priced at $ 600. But it's not the NEX-F3. The NEX-C3 packs nearly identical performance, but with a more compact, sleeker design and an LCD that tilts downward for overhead shooting. It doesn't include 1080p video capture or an option to shoot at ISO 16,000, but if you can get by with 720p and ISO 12,800 -- and no built-in flash -- we find little reason to skip over last year's model. If you can't get your hands on a C3, the NEX-5N would also be a solid choice, with a smaller build and comparable feature set.
If you're dying to best the C3's performance, this may be the time to exit the Sony ecosystem. The NEX-7 is a fine shooter, but it's pricey and doesn't come without faults of its own. The Olympus E-M5 is worth considering, if incredibly speedy performance is more of a priority for you than video shooting (focus hunting is the issue there, from our experience). The Panasonic Lumix DMC-GX1 is also a solid shooter, and we're quite fond of the matching (though pricey) 14-42mm X-series optic, thanks to its performance and compact size. That camera also includes a pop-up flash. Both the E-M5 and GX1 feature Micro Four Thirds mounts, making them compatible with dozens of lenses from a handful of manufacturers.
Wrap-up
The NEX-F3 is an excellent mirrorless ILC, but it's n ot the best entry-level camera -- not even from Sony. There's little here to push us to make the jump from the company's NEX-C3, which we find to be the better option, even at the same price (we're told to expect C3 price reductions beginning next month). If you're considering picking up an F3, you'll likely be best served by the camera's predecessor, which you may even be able to pick up at a discount. Even at $ 600, however, we find the C3 to be the better buy, and continue to stand behind it as one of the category's top values.
Engadget
PowerA's best known as a company that crafts controllers and accessories for console gaming systems, but at E3 this year the firm is announcing its first foray into the mobile space: a Bluetooth controller for Android. Called the MOGA, its got dual analog sticks and shoulder buttons, along with a fold-out, spring-loaded center portion that holds phones of all sizes in place while you get your game on -- not unlike Gametel's controller we saw at CES. The front of the device is glossy black plastic, while the rear is swathed in rubber, with ribbed portions on the grips to keep it firmly in hand.PowerA Moga Bluetooth game controller press shots
A companion app, available for free through the Google Play store, is also a part of the Moga experience. Called the MOGA Pivot app, it scans your phone for games compatible with the controller, lists them, and lets you launch them direct from the app. Not only that, it'll periodically update the games list as new games are acquired and it'll download patch kits automatically for existing games as they become compatible with the controller. Additionally, it's got a store (powered by Google Play) that'll let users download new compatible games, and titles in the Pla y Store will have a badge to let folks know which games work with Moga. Currently, the company has 14 games on board -- including Duke Nukem 3D, Virtua Tennis Challenge and Sonic CD -- and are in talks with some other big publishers, so more titles will be supported in the coming weeks and months. We got a sneak peek at the MOGA ahead of E3 and talked with the folks from PowerA about their newest bit of kit, so join us after the break for our impressions.PowerA Moga Bluetooth game controller hands-on
In our time with the MOGA, we found that it fit well in our hands, and our sweaty palms appreciated the rubberized grips round the back. The controller is solidly constructed, and its spring loaded clamp worked quite well holding a GSII in place while we played. MOGA's buttons have a shorter throw than we'd like and that results in a hollow clicky feeling when pressed -- as opposed to a satisfying snick you get from say, a Sixaxis unit. That said, we had no problem timing our ground strokes while playing Virtua Tennis. The analog sticks are shallow as well and will feel familiar to anyone who's used the nub on a PSP Go, and we had no issue tracking enemy planes in our Sopwith Camel in Sky Gamblers: Rise of Glory. In short, we found the MOGA to be a good option for folks looking for some tactile controls to use while gaming on their phones. As we said above, it's currently an Android-only peripheral, but PowerA has plans to put it in the hands of iOS and Windows Phone users as well. We don't have an official price for the thing just yet, but we do know it'll be available during this year's holiday season, when it'll be joined by the MOGA Pro -- the MOGA's bigger, more console-like cousin. Good news is, that gives you plenty of time to peruse our gallery of photos while you wait.
Engadget
Skype CEO Tony Bates just took the stage here on the final day of D10, and he got right into the news delivery mindset: as of now, there are 250 million monthly connected users. Said Bates, "When we closed [the Microsoft deal], we had 170 million monthly users, so haven't skipped a beat in terms of momentum." Continuing on when asked from Kara Swisher about integration with Microsoft, Bates said: "I'm not going to talk about future products, but I'll steal a line from Tim Cook. We're going to double-down on integration with Windows 8, and we're doing to double-down on secrecy." Specifically, he mentioned that there'd be some "great integration points" with Windows 8, noting that Skype is viewed as an "experience, with most folks viewing it as a Swiss army knife, regardless of where and how it's used." Kara followed up with a question on Kinect, and Bates did his best to dodge the question by re-referencing intent on Windows 8 and Windows Phone -- there wasn't a peep mentioned in either direction on if it'd end up there.
Kara asked what his most important smartphone platform was, and Bates said: "I wouldn't classify it as one most important. As far as download numbers, it's absolutely iPhone, but Android is gaining momentum. Our top priority is mobile; we made two acquisitions in that space. The Android marketplace -- as many know -- is quite fragmented, and this was a big challenge for us from an engineering standpoint. This team in the Qik acquisition really helped us there. I'm very hopeful -- Windows Phone is very exciting for me because of that people-centric nature." Kara pushed to see if Windows Phone would get a "special" version of Skype, and Bates simply said that he "hopes they can add value." Given that both Windows Phone and Skype now live under the same roof, though, we're guessing that he's underselling things in the effort of "doubling-down on secrecy."
From a more broad perspective, Bates confessed: "We still have a ways to go on the overall communication method. A simple example that bothers me a little bit -- over 50 percent of our traffic is now video communications, and we've worked hard to make that a better experience over time. But, none of these new phones have indicators that video is rolling -- in my world, why shouldn't we have a pervasive way to have full video communications?"
Kara followed up by asking if there'd be a Skype Phone, and Bates stated: "To clarify, there was a Skype phone with Three in the UK. It is a very strong brand -- but, no plans right now for a communication device surrounding Skype."
Kara just had to go back to Kinect, asking the same question in a different way. In response, Bates said: "Well, my kids love Kinect. It's more powerful than just an input for a gaming device. Microsoft sees a whole suite of inputs; Kinect is about human recognition and gesture control in general. Where we'd play with that is just one of many inputs. For us, it'd be adding a communications layer as a service. I can't talk about anything in the future. We see the world as having what you want, when you want it; the living room is a very important area. Sometimes families and businesses, they want a simple way to communicate. There were questions on whether that leanback experience was right, but I just see it as one of many inputs. We've been focused on the living room to not just enable Smart TVs, but we launched a product that kind of neutralizes that in some ways by just plugging it into any HDMI port."
When Kara asked what was "most important to Skype," Bates o ffered: "Without a doubt, mobile. There's a shift to mobile apps; I'd like to see a more pervasive communications experience and I think Skype can contribute to that. Mobile brings differences in architecture, so we're working very hard on that right now. One of the things we've done in the past seven months is the ability to leverage very strong data assets. We've converted 25 percent of the client base, silently, to a new backend. It's helping us to scale the mobile architecture. We've done some things with Bing; integrated the Bing Toolbar in the integration -- some of the early pieces of it."
Kara then pivoted to Facebook, to which Bates stated: "Facebook approached us (or we approached Facebook at the time) with a shared vision. We're sort of the inner circle of many lives. It's the story of someone overseas who gets to see their baby being born on Skype. When we talked to Facebook, we share a lot of things regarding communications. When I sat down with Mark, there was a great match there. We deployed a very integrated service with Facebook, and it's gone extremely well. There's opportunities in the future, potentially, but right now we're on the same page with the partnership."
Kara then asked how he gets to the next 250 million users, and if Facebook plays a part. Bates then stated: "They're the partner of choice. I think the bigger part is the assets we see in Microsoft -- with Windows Reimagined, there's huge opportunities. On mobile, we're at the very early stages. We're not disclosing individual mobile users, but the majority is still PCs. My job is to create experiences that work across all forms -- the living room is just as important, and tablets I view as crossing from desktop to mobile."
From there, Kara asked if tablets were g rowing as fast as mobile, but Bates said that "no, mobile is definitely fastest."
Taking things in an entirely new direction, Kara then asked if Tony would ever be interested in "running Microsoft." Tony said: "The simple answer is that I'm loving what I'm doing at Skype. I've only been at Microsoft seven months. Steve [Ballmer] has been great, but it hasn't come up in discussion. Would I like to run a company? Well, I did run a company, and I enjoyed running it. Let me tell you what I enjoyed about it: I had wanted to become a CEO before I was 45 -- it's just a goal I wrote down. We write them usually on New Year's Day with our kids, and we review them the next year. It's kind of amazing how many come true; you don't keep changing them or anything. The thing that I enjoyed about being a CEO was shaping the culture, and sort of revitalizing the product focus and taking us into new areas. Skype is kind of amazing -- look at Skype in the classroom, those are things that can really excite your organization. That's what has been really great to me."
Kara then ventured into reasons for acquiring GroupMe and Qik: "Well, they're both in mobile," said Bates. "The way we use Skype is in groups, and there was great underlying technology there."
Kara reverted back to goals for this year, to which Bates said: "Well, they're quite personal this year. Kinect isn't on there [laughs]. There's really a vision to accelerate Skype -- if get to a billion, I think we'll be really happy with that."
When it came time for Q&A, The Verge's Josh Topolsky asked Bates is he had any plans to overhaul the user interface for the Mac build of Skype, which Josh clearly was no fan of. After receiving some applause from the (obviously in agreement) crowd, Tony offered: "All I can say is that we're going to continue to look at it and try to offer the best user experiences. User interfaces are certainly subjective."
When questioned about interoperability from a YouTube employee, Bates stated: "We have developer kits, and yes, it's very critical to what we do."
Finally, it's clear that Bates is thinking about long-term changes, noting that "it's clear that we aren't done. Look at webcams -- soon, we'll have them everywhere, and then 720p and then 1080p." Talking specifically about carrier relationships after questioned by ABC News' Joanna Stern, he offered: "You can't talk about them in a broad brush way; everyone's different in their business models. In some cases, carriers see Skype as a threat. At last count, we're doing 1.4 billion minutes of voice and video per day. But, we're generating a huge amount of data. We know we can work together. This morning, I saw that Verizon's pushing Skype as a major app on LTE phones. We're working through those, but I see the model evolving. We tend to work really well together. I think you'll see more positive relationships than negative over time."
Engadget
Round Rock just rolled out some new consumer machines this week, so it comes as no surprise that it's doling out some fresh computing goodies to the enterprise as well. First up is the new Dell Latitude E series laptops that come with a variety of ports for your connecting pleasure: one eSATA/USB combo, two USB 3.0 ports, a serial connector, 3.5mm headphone jack, plus HDMI and Gigabit ethernet. All those sockets come embedded in a chassis made of magnesium alloy that's been powder-coated on the bottom, giving it a lightweight, yet sturdy look and feel. In keeping with the to ugh-but-light theme, the top of these Latitudes are sheathed in aluminum, and the hinges are made of steel. Additionally, though it's a new machine, it's backwards compatible with many previous-gen Latitude docks and batteriesDell Latitude E6430s hands-on
The E series comes with a variety of Sandy or Ivy Bridge silicon packing Intel's latest vPro technology to make it easy for IT folks to keep company machines up and running. Up to 8GB of memory's available, as is up to a 750GB HDD, or 256GB SSD if spinning storage doesn't suit you. A DVD-burner is another option for those who still need an optical drive, and discrete graphics will also be on offer whenever the E series lands -- unfortunately Dell's not telling when the Latitudes will arrive, nor how much they'll be when they do. We do know that there are two lower end E5 laptops sporting 14- and 15.6 inch displays and packing Sandy Bridge CPUs, while there's six of the higher-end E6 series models. They range in size from 12.5 inches to 15.6 inches, plus there's a ruggedized ATG version (think Panasonic's Toughbook) and a E6430s model that packs a 14-inch panel in a 13.3-inch chassis. You can get a gander at the E6430s in our gallery below.
As for desktops, Dell's making its inaugural AIO for the enterprise with the new OptiPlex 9010 All-in-One. As you can see in the gallery below, it's virtually identical on the outside to it's recently revealed Inspiron cousin. It comes with a 23-inch 1920x1080 LCD on the front, plus four USB 3.0 ports, HDMI, VGA-out, and Gigabit Ethernet ports round the back. Up to 1TB of spinning storage is available, along with up to 16GB of memory, which'll come in handy if you add the optional Blu-ray drive. Naturally, the AIO is joined by a refresh of the entire OptiPlex desktop line, and if you're itchin' for more, check out our galleries below, and the PR after the break.Dell OptiPlex 9010 AIO hands-on
DELL ENABLES BUSINESSES TO DO MORE THAN EVER BEFORE WITH STATE-OF-THE-ART MANAGEABILITY AND DATA SECURITY IN UPDATED COMPUTING LINE
· Lightweight laptop and sleek all-in-one desktop broaden company's most complete lineup of computing solutions for organizations of all sizes
· New offerings help customer s maximize productivity and organizational control while maintaining high levels of data security
· Dell Precision tower workstation availability and details announced
ROUND ROCK, Texas – May 31, 2012 – Dell today announced a completely refreshed portfolio of its Latitude and OptiPlex business laptops and desktops, featuring durable, consumer-inspired design that appeals to today's professionals coupled with state-of-the-art manageability and data protection. The new Dell business computing solutions integrate seamlessly into today's evolving business technology ecosystems which require secure, anytime and anywhere data access and outstanding productivity to meet the demands of an increasingly mobile workforce.
"Dell's heritage is delivering business client solutions that help customers drive productivity and achieve results. Today we offer our strongest-ever portfolio of products, integrated solutions and services, b uilding upon our history to help organizations of all sizes do more than ever," said Sam Burd, vice president, PC Products, Dell. "Dell's new client lineup helps customers thrive with mission-driven devices and solutions that empower end-users –in the boardroom, the classroom, the hospital, or on the battlefield- while providing the state-of-the-art manageability and data protection that IT departments require."
Dell Latitude E-Family & Dell OptiPlex
The new Dell business client solutions offer dynamic, flexible and intuitive interfaces, stylish and sophisticated design and business-class control. Ranging from entry-level to premium and desktop to ultra-portable, the new laptops and desktops offer the following:
Long-lasting durability: StrikeZone™ shock absorber, Fast Response Free-Fall Sensor, and with newly-added rubber hard drive isolation helps protect data from drops and vibration;
Productivity: Long bat tery-life with up to 32.7 hours with an optional 9-cell battery + slice + bay, 2GB* of memory, integrated graphics, Third Generation Intel® Core™ processor technology, and optional 128GB* SSD* and ExpressCharge™ for 80 percent recharge in an hour (select configurations);
Industry's most manageable business PCs: The latest Intel™ vPro systems management Intel Active Management Technology 8.x with Dell's unique vPro extensions that support remote BIOS management and remote hard drive wipe enabling IT to remotely manage Latitude E-family laptops and OptiPlex desktops, including easy out-of-band management;
High-level data protection: Dell Data Protection | Encryption offers the highest level of FIPS (Federal Information Processing Standards) 140-2 Level 3 certification commercially available with the optional Dell exclusive Hardware Encryption Accelerator;
USB 3.0: USB 3.0 enabled for fast wired data transfers for local sto rage and sync – delivers 10 times faster speed than USB 2.0 and USB Powershare to charge USB 3.0 devices when in sleep mode;
Enhanced Connectivity: Available with optional LTE Mobile Broadband and Bluetooth 4.0; and,
Performance: Third Generation Intel® Core™ processor options, as well as increased memory and discrete graphics options.
Building upon the highly-praised previous business client portfolio, which saw more than 100 refinements of fit, finish and consumer-inspired appeal, Dell extends this leadership with the following enhancements:
· The Latitude E6430s, a new design, strikes the balance between portability and is go-anywhere productivity in a highly mobile, lightweight, 13.3-inch chassis paired with a broader 14-inch display.
· The Latitude E6230, E6330, E6430, and E6530 laptops with 12.5-inch, 13.3-inch, 14-inch and 15.6-inch displays, respectively, are designed to suppor t a diverse array of mobile professionals and provide durability, and on-the-go productivity with long battery life, as well as seamless connectivity with a high-performing antenna and the latest wireless and mobile broadband* options.
· The Latitude E5430 and E5530 laptops with 14-inch and 15.6-inch displays, respectively, are ideal for professionals looking for a budget-friendly blend of mobility and office productivity. The Dell Latitude E5 series laptops are also now offered with Intel™ VPro systems management.
· The ruggedized Latitude E6430 ATG laptop is designed for extreme temperatures, vibration, dust and high altitudes and helps boost workforce productivity regardless of location or terrain with its reinforced 14-inch display and an optional easy-to-carry handle.
· The Dell OptiPlex family provides day-to-day productivity for critical business tasks and is designed to be the industry's most secure, flexibl e and manageable business desktops. The refreshed lineup includes the new OptiPlex 3010, 7010, 9010 desktops and the OptiPlex 9010 All-in-One desktop.
- The new desktop family features wireless connectivity options, microphone and headset mini-jacks for voice-over-IP and Microsoft Unified Communications certification for optimal video conferencing, as well as support for up to three digital native monitors and up to four front or side USB ports.
- The OptiPlex 9010 XL, available through Dell OEM Solutions and supported by Dell ProSupport for OEM, has fewer component changes during the life of the product, advanced notification of potential component changes, and a managed end of life transition process, providing manufacturers greater stability and less need for costly recertification.
- The newly designed, sleek OptiPlex 9010 All-in-One empowers productivity while preserving precious desk space with an integrated power supply, VESA mounting, and optional wireless mouse and keyboard.
Dell Precision Family
Dell is also announcing additional details on the new entry-level Dell Precision T1650 tower workstation, which provides powerful performance on a budget. The T1650 is designed for demanding professional applications and workloads like 2D and mid-range 3D models, editing photos, CAD drawings and web development that push beyond a standard desktop. The T1650 offers a new industrial design with tool-less features, broad range of Intel Core and Xeon CPU options, increased memory speed of 1600MHz, four USB 3.0 ports and Intel Smart Response Technology*.
Dell Integrated Solutions
Dell's business computing portfolio, combined with experience gained through more than two billion interactions with customers each year, uniquely positions the company to provide customers with tailored solutions for cost effective security, management, and end-user productivity. These solu tions include Dell Data Protection | Encryption, Dell Data Protection | Access, Dell Desktop Virtualization Solutions, the Dell KACE Family of Systems Management Appliances, Dell Cloud Solutions and Dell Pro Support* Services.
Quotes
"As end point computing models continue to evolve so do the requirements of organizations to create a productive, manageable and secure environment," said Bob O'Donnell, program vice president, Clients and Displays, IDC. "End-to-end solutions are extremely important to Dell customers as they strive for greater end-user productivity while maintaining IT control."
"The Dell Precision T1650 tower workstations help our renowned oceanographers visualize their research by importing Fortran and Matlab models into Autodesk Maya presenting jaw-dropping movies of the Baltic Sea," said Mats Olsson, systems administrator for the department of Earth Sciences at the University of Gothenburg. "It has enabled us to deli ver fast, high-quality results and we've been very impressed with how quiet and powerful the system is."
Pricing and Availability:
Availability information and pricing for Latitude and OptiPlex systems will be released in the coming weeks.
The Dell Precision T1650, along with the recently introduced Dell Precision T3600, T5600 and T7600 tower workstations, are now available for purchase globally.
Additional information:
Dell Image Gallery
Direct2Dell Blog
Dell Latitude & OptiPlex
Dell Precision
Dell on Twitter
