Monthly Archives: July 2015

Mortal Kombat X brings the rock with Tremor

The final Mortal Kombat X component of the Kombat Pack has arrived in this week’s bundle. The bits and pieces you get here include new skins and a whole new character: Tremor. This fellow is rather rocky. He’s basically Jax, but with rock arms instead of metal. He’s also got less rockets going for him and more magic. Almost like he’s Sandman from Spider-Man, but with more rocks and less sand. You may well have seen him before, too – he first appeared in Mortal Kombat: Special Forces.

Read full post here:
https://www.slashgear.com/mortal-kombat-x-brings-the-rock-with-tremor-20393622/

Galaxy S6 Edge Plus detailed with in-store photos

Today we get to see the Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge Plus in all its pre-release glory. This device is the next in a line of unique Samsung devices with displays that spill over the edge of the phone. While the first “Edge” was a Galaxy Note, this device gets rid of the S Pen and sticks closer to the Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge, the most successful (of the two) Edge devices thus far. This device is as large as a Galaxy Note, but keeps the details of the Galaxy S6, providing a sort of hybrid device for public consumption.

Read full post here:
https://www.slashgear.com/galaxy-s6-edge-plus-detailed-with-in-store-photos-20393626/

Buick: 24-hour test drives to start this week

General Motors’ Buick brand is bringing back something we haven’t heard of since the early 2000’s: the 24-hour test drive. The promotion is to start at participating dealerships this Wednesday, July 22nd, letting potential customers take a Buick vehicle home for up to 24 hours. All they have to do is leave their own vehicle behind overnight. While GM offered similar promotions over ten years ago in hopes of increasing sales numbers, Buick says now it’s more about building their brand image.

Read full post here:
https://www.slashgear.com/buick-24-hour-test-drives-to-start-this-week-20393621/

Fuji S9400W Review — First Impressions

The Fuji FinePix S9400W comes as an update to the SLR-like superzoom S8400W that Fujifilm introduced last March, providing a healthy boost to the zoom range over its predecessor with a new Fujinon lens boasting a 50x optical zoom range and Fuji’s 5-Axial Optical Image Stabilization system. With this new lens, the S9400W has 35mm-equivalent field of view range of 24mm at the wide end to a whopping 1200mm at telephoto. Like we said with the previous model, to get this kind of zoom range with a full-sized SLR would not only put a major dent in your wallet, it would also be some serious weight and bulk to carry around. The Fujifilm S9400W offers this impressive optical zoom range in one single, lightweight and relatively compact package.

Read full post here:
https://www.imaging-resource.com/

Nikon Coolpix S3600 Review — First Impressions

Coming in at the middle spot of what Nikon calls their “Budget Friendly Cameras” line, the Coolpix S3600 is the successor to last year’s Coolpix S3500 and boasts a few notable upgrades.

Moving up to an 8x optical NIKKOR lens (from 7x) it shares additional features with its predecessor such as up to 4x digital zoom, a 20.1-megapixel 1/2.3″ CCD sensor, a 230K-dot LCD and 1280 x 720 HD video at 30p. With the longer zoom, maximum aperture drops from a range of f/3.4-6.4 on the S3500 to f/3.7-6.6 on the S3600.

Read full post here:
https://www.imaging-resource.com/

Here’s what it’s like to play Valve’s VR ‘Portal’ experience

Sure, people can wax poetic about using HTC’s Vive virtual reality headset, but what’s it really like when you’re looking through those lenses? You might not have to make a pilgrimage to one of HTC’s tours to find out. ValveTime has posted a video walkthrough of Valve’s Portal-themed VR demo (used on the Vive since this spring), and it gives you a good sense of what the immersive, room-based experience is like. To put it mildly, this is a tantalizing glimpse of what VR can do for gaming — you can explore every nuance of an Aperture Science workshop, pulling drawers and levers almost like you were there. We don’t want to spoil the whole thing, but it’s safe to say there are robots and a few signature Valve surprises. Can we have a full-fledged title based on this, please?

Read full post here:
https://www.engadget.com/2015/07/19/valve-aperture-vr-demo/

Inhabitat’s Week in Green: electric Corvettes and volcano sharks

Tesla is the hottest electric automaker around, but a mysterious new company calledFaraday Future is nipping at its heels — and poaching its employees. Rumor has it Faraday is working on a next-gen electric car, and it has assembled a crack team of automotive execs and designers from Tesla, GM, Ford, and Fiat. In other transportationnews, Tesla gave the Model S a major upgrade with a new “Ludicrous Mode” that goes from 0-60 in just 2.8 seconds. An all-electric Corvette will soon be hitting the streets — and it could reach a record-breaking top speed of over 200MPH. The Solar Impulse airplane has traveled halfway around the globe on sunlight alone, but it looks like it’ll have to wait until next year to complete its voyage — the plane’s batteries sustained heavy damage while crossing the Pacific Ocean en route to Hawaii. And if you’re still waiting for a working hoverboard, the RevoBot may be the next best thing. The futuristic body gravity board lets you glide along at 7MPH.

Read full post here:
https://www.engadget.com/2015/07/19/electric-corvettes-volcano-sharks/

Master & Dynamic’s MH40 headphones sound as good as they look

When it comes to headphone design, the popular brands don’t venture too far from the prescribed formula. Circular earcups, leather-like padding and a folding frame have become de rigueur for on-ear and over-ear models. Then there’s Master & Dynamic. You may not have heard of the company — I hadn’t until a few weeks ago — but if you’re looking for headphones with some serious style, this is an eye-catching option. For me, looks can only go so far; the cans need to sound great, too. I put the company’s $399 MH40 over-ear headphones through their paces for a couple of weeks to find out if the beauty was more than skin-deep.

Read full post here:
https://www.engadget.com/2015/07/19/master-and-dynamic-mh40-headphones-irl/

Samsung’s big Galaxy S6 Edge Plus reportedly breaks cover

Samsung may not be pinning all its hopes for summer phone supremacy on the Galaxy Note 5. All About Samsung has posted photos of what’s supposed to be a store dummy unit for the Galaxy S6 Edge+, an extra-large version of its dual-curve flagship. There isn’t much to reveal about what’s under the hood, but it’s clear that the screen is about as large as what you’d see on the Note 4 (that is, around 5.7 inches). Also, there are no obvious hardware tricks here — the curve isn’t pronounced enough for a Note Edge-stylestrip, and you certainly aren’t going to find a pen, microSD slot or removable battery.

Read full post here:
https://www.engadget.com/2015/07/19/samsung-galaxy-s6-edge-plus-leak/

Massachusetts grills Uber and Lyft over disability access

Ridesharing outfits make some effort to accommodate disabled passengers, but Massachusetts isn’t sure that they go far enough. Reuters has learned that the state’s Attorney General is grilling Uber and Lyft over the levels of disability access they provide. There aren’t any official actions under way, but this is the first time that any US attorney general’s office has given accessibility a look. That’s bound to make the two companies nervous when both of them are facing lawsuits over their support for guide dogs and wheelchairs.

Read full post here:
https://www.engadget.com/2015/07/19/massachusetts-grills-uber-and-lyft-over-disability-access/

Samsung’s Galaxy Tab S2 is slimmer, smaller and squarer

Samsung has revealed its new 8-inch and 9.7-inch Galaxy Tab S2 models, and they’re considerably different from last year. As revealed by a leak yesterday, it shrunk both oflast year’s models and killed the widescreen (16 x 9) aspect ratio, instead giving them an iPad-like 4 x 3 format. The company said that’ll help “recreate the viewing experience of browsing through traditional print media,” and make it easier to read e-books and web pages. On the other hand, less of the screen is now available for watching movies, particularly since both Galaxy Tab S2 models have also taken a step down in resolution from QuadHD to 2,048 x 1,536.

Read full post here:
https://www.engadget.com/2015/07/20/samsungs-galaxy-tab-s2/

Android M release: HTC One M8 to get upgrade

It seems that one of the very first older-gen smartphones to get the Android M update upon launch is HTC’s very own One M8 handset.

According to reports, HTC has already confirmed that the One M8 is on the list of smartphones getting the upgrade when Google launches its newest mobile platform version, the Android M. Answering a query by aTwitter follower, HTC product manager Mo Versi confirmed that the M8 will receive the OS update.

Read full post here:
https://christiantoday.com/

Microsoft Will Never Give Up On Mobile

When Microsoft announced its wrenching $7.6 billion write-down last week, it was easy to presume that the company was giving up on mobile. At the very least, the financial avalanche sent a strong signal that Windows phone in its current guise has failed in a major way.

The 7,800 people sacked in the process, the majority of whom came from the Windows phone division, simply accentuated that point.

Read full post here:
https://techcrunch.com/2015/07/16/microsoft-will-never-give-up-on-mobile/

Adrenaline overload: 6 hot upcoming games

Here is a sneak peek of the action games that will rule your console in the coming months

For ultimate gamers, this year has brought a plethora of options to indulge in. Newer ver sions of the traditional favourites GTA (V) and Mortal Kombat (X) kept regulars engrossed, even as Batman Arkham Knight, the caped crusader’s new installment sent fans into a tizzy.

Read full post here:
https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/gaming/Adrenaline-overload-6-hot-upcoming-games/articleshow/48131956.cms

Nexus 5 2015 rumors: Is device still on track for an October-November release?

Nexus 5 impressed both critics and users alike in 2013 that Google decided to come up with a newer 2015 version. And ever since its announcement, Nexus 5 2015 has been one of the most awaited Android phones as of late.

Recent rumors say Google’s Nexus-branded 2015 phone will see its release this August. Expert Reviews, however, seems to think it will be later than that, based on latest reports.

Read full post here:
https://www.ecumenicalnews.com/article/nexus-5-2015-rumors-is-device-still-on-track-for-an-october-november-release-31785

Destiny The Taken King DLC Launch Nerfs Gjallarhorn, Fans Less Than Pleased

Since The Taken King has been announced, it seems as if Bungie has done nothing but annoy the people it most needs. It’s possible quite a bit of the annoyances will go away when the rather pricey DLC finally launches, but for now the firm seems to be bringing different features that are only unwanted. Considering that the company has talked about the huge amount of changes coming. It seems likely at least some of those changes will actually be positive.

Read full post here:
https://gamingbolt.com/destiny-the-taken-king-dlc-launch-nerfs-gjallarhorn-fans-less-than-pleased

 

Samsung’s next Galaxy Tab S should be a whole lot wider

Don’t look now, but Samsung’s widescreen Android tablets might be going the way of the Dodo. Tabletmonkeys claims to have leaked images of the Galaxy Tab S2, and the high-end slate appears to be adopting the same wide, iPad-like aspect ratio as theGalaxy Tab A. In fact, it might lose size and resolution compared to the original Tab S lineup — instead of 8.4- and 10.5-inch 2,560 x 1,600 displays, you’d be looking at 8- and 9.7-inch 2,048 x 1,536 panels. That wouldn’t be so hot for your widescreen videos, but it’d be better for web browsing and anything else that benefits from portrait mode viewing.

Not that they’d be taking steps backwards in any other respect. Both S2 models are reportedly wafer-thin at just over 0.2 inches thick, and they’d be the lightest in their respective classes at just under 0.6 pounds (for the 8-inch version) and 0.9 pounds (for the 9.7-inch device). Not surprisingly, you could also expect Galaxy S6-class guts that include an eight-core Exynos 7420 processor and 3GB of higher-performance memory. Curious? You might not have to wait much longer to give these tablets a shot, since they could be announced as soon as July 20th.

(engadget.com)

Riding the $3,000 pickup truck of electric scooters

Scooters are known for having more storage space than the average motorcycle. Because the engine is actually connected to the rear wheel, that leaves a lot of room under the seat for stuff. It’s convenient, but it still limits the utility of the bike when you want to buy more than some milk and bread at the store. The new GenZe 2.0 electric scooter not only has that under-seat space, but also sports a relatively huge bed (called the “BackBay”) behind the seat. It’s like a tiny two-wheeled pickup truck that can handle a few pizzas, a backpack or your dirty clothes as you take them to the Laundromat. I didn’t have pizzas or filthy clothing to toss in the back, but I was able to take this urban utility scooter for a spin on Treasure Island before its launch in San Francisco and Portland, Oregon, this fall.

Read full post here:
https://www.engadget.com/2015/07/18/genze-2-0-electric-scooter/

This is how ‘Shenmue 3’ raked in over $6 million on Kickstarter

Records, like rules, were made to be broken. Shenmue 3‘s Kickstarter campaign recently wrapped and upon doing so it set the bar for video-game projects on the crowdfunding platform by pulling in some $6.3 million in pledges. It’s pretty impressive when you consider that just last month the previous record-holder, the Castlevania spiritual successor Bloodstained, raised over $5.5 million in a similar span of time. Both games come from legendary game developers striking out on their own (thanks to risk-averse publishers) and both are more or less the sequels fans have been asking for for years.

Read full post here:
https://www.engadget.com/2015/07/18/shenmue-3-kickstarter-record/

‘Street Fighter V’ will give you free extras if you earn them

For most of the Street Fighter series’ history, you’ve had to pay for significant new content. Want to get those sweet new characters? Buy the Super Ultra EX Plus Alpha Turbo Championship edition. You won’t have to go through that rigamarole with Street Fighter V, though. Capcom is promising that any post-launch SFV material will be earnable for free, in-game — accrue enough “Fight Money” and that brawler will be yours. You can still use real cash if you want more content without putting in additional play time, but you’re no longer forced to splurge.

Read full post here:
https://www.engadget.com/2015/07/18/street-fighter-v-extras-are-free/

Fujifilm X30 Review

X30 SUMMARY

Remaining largely the same under-the-hood compared to its X20 predecessor, the Fujifilm X30 brings most of its improvements to the exterior: an EVF over the flawed optical viewfinder, a larger, higher-res tilting LCD screen, updated styling and controls, and Wi-Fi. All combined, the X30 is a more capable, easier to use camera. Maintaining its impressive image quality chops and performance capabilities, the X30 brings welcomed improvements to Fuji’s unique X-Trans premium compact camera.

Read full post here:
https://www.imaging-resource.com/

Tesla outlines roadmap: Model X, 3, & new Roadster

Tesla’s news today wasn’t just about “Ludicrous Mode” along with more range and cheaper entry-level Model S, with CEO Elon Musk also discussing the roadmap for the company’s next three new cars. Nearest at hand is the Tesla Model X, the electric SUV, which Musk said is on track for the first deliveries in two months time. However, he also touched upon the Model 3, Tesla’s more affordable EV, and a new Roadster.

Read full post here:
https://www.slashgear.com/tesla-outlines-roadmap-model-x-3-new-roadster-17393419/

Galaxy S6 gains microSD, battery thanks to Incipio

Will the addition of a microSD card slot and a removable battery change your mind about the Galaxy S6? Incipio hopes so. They’ve created an Offgrid battery case that works for both the Samsung Galaxy S6 and the Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge that clamps either phone to a battery pack that adds a cool 3,700mAh of battery power while providing the option of expandable storage. The battery pack itself has a microSD card slot, as odd as that may seem, which uses the same micro-USB port as the battery normally would.

Read full post here:
https://www.slashgear.com/galaxy-s6-gains-microsd-battery-thanks-to-incipio-17393440/

Yahoo Livetext ‘video messenger’ app arrives for iOS

Yahoo is apparently close to formally introducing a replacement for its messaging app, as it recently released a new app on the Hong Kong App Store called “Yahoo Livetext”, a mobile offering described as a video messenger. Livetext has a twist with its messaging feature. Rather than swapping media-less texts or snapping selfies, Livetext is “live video texting” — it presents live video of your friend texting, but with the audio stripped away due to it being inconvenient in many situations. This is said to offer more natural conversations, allowing two people to see each other as they talk.

Read full post here:
https://www.slashgear.com/yahoo-livetext-video-messenger-app-arrives-for-ios-17393458/

Android TV, like Google TV, still too ahead of its time

Name five devices that run on Google’s Android TV operating system. If you managed to do that without hurriedly running to a Google search, you are a rare breed. Ask the average user, even someone who is a longtime Android user, and you will probably get a blank stare.

There is something about smart TV sets that still hasn’t managed to break through to the mass market. Although there have been millions of Internet-connected TVs with their own built-in operating systems sold to consumers, the vast majority of those millions will probably only tell their friends that they have a “smart TV” or, if they are very brand-loyal, a “Samsung TV” or “LG TV.” It would be a very rare event for a conversation to come up, even among roughly-in-the-know tech heads, where you’ll find someone bragging about their “webOS TV” or their “Android TV.”

Read full post here:
https://www.slashgear.com/android-tv-like-google-tv-still-too-ahead-of-its-time-18393541/

Turbocharged Audi R8 planned for new entry-level

Audi is planning an entry-level turbocharged R8, slotting a more affordable version of the supercar in beneath the current V10 models. The existing 2017 R8 – which we tested on the road and on the track recently – is powered by a naturally-aspirated 5.2-liter V10 good for as much as 610 HP and 398 lb-ft of torque, but the V8 of the outgoing car won’t fit into the architecture of this new model.

Read full post here:
https://www.slashgear.com/turbocharged-audi-r8-planned-for-new-entry-level-17393442/

Google Play launches in Sudan

Google’s online store for Android apps and more is available to many people, but not everyone. The number of individuals who don’t have access to it is ever shrinking, however, and today marks another expansion for Google Play: it has launched in Sudan. Google announced the launch via its Google Plus account today, saying that the launch is part of its “commitment to helping more people around the globe use technology to communicate, find and create information.” There is one big limitation, however.

Read full post here:
https://www.slashgear.com/google-play-launches-in-sudan-17393532/

Ferrari’s having its own Takata airbag troubles

The Takata airbags issue has affected several auto makers, and has unfortunately claimed lives. Millions of cars are the subject of recalls as a result, and though the problem has been going on for a while now, it shows no signs of slowing down. Ferrari is the latest auto maker to be affected by Takata airbags, but not for the reason you think. Rather than the current airbag issue, the auto maker discovered a separate problem with some airbags supplied by Takata that deploy incorrectly and could, as a result, cause injury.

According to Bloomberg, Ferrari has recently discovered a problem with driver-side airbags supplied by Takata, and as a result it is recalling eight of its new models. The issue, which revolves around installation at an improper angle and other problems, was discovered by the auto maker when conducting tests on the 458 Italia.

Read full post here:
https://www.slashgear.com/ferraris-having-its-own-takata-airbag-troubles-17393537/

Huawei Nexus specs news: Confirms partnership with Google for Nexus phone

After recent rumors surfaced that Huawei is partnering with Google for the its latest smartphone, an IBT source confirmed that the China-based manufacturer is working closely with the tech giant on the upcoming Nexus device.

Known phone leaker, Evan Blass, have even spilled out the specs, Tuesday, via twitter: “Huawei Nexus sounds impressive so far: 5.7″ QHD w/ metal body, SD820 SoC, fingerprint reader. Ships Q4.”

Read full post here:
http://mnrdaily.com/