Report: Microsoft to Release a Windows Overhaul Next Year

The next version of Windows is slated to arrive by April 2015.

The new iteration, Windows 9, is currently codenamed "Threshold," according to a report from blogger Paul Thurrott. Thurrott claims Microsoft will release more details about its Windows-related plans at its Build developer conference in April 2014.

Those plans might include an update to Windows 8.1 as well as Windows Phone 8.1, both of which should ship in April 2014.

Microsoft will reportedly overhaul its Metro design language in Windows 9, and although it won't be released as an alpha version during the Build conference, the company plans to launch three milestone releases of Windows 9 before the final version hits shelves.

Of course, these plans could change. But it's almost certain that Microsoft isn't too happy with the adoption rate of Windows 8.1, which stood at just 3.60% this month.

Source: Mashable.com

Samsung's Market Cap Loses $8 Billion on Profit Growth Concerns

Samsung is off to a rocky start this year.

Samsung Electronics' stock declined by nearly 5% in trading Thursday on the Korea Stock Exchange, shaving off $8.8 billion from the company's market cap, according to The Wall Street Journal. The drop comes amid growing concerns that Samsung's profit growth is slowing.

The South Korean company is expected to report an operating profit of more than $9 billion for the fourth quarter, according to a survey of analysts. That's more than the overall revenues of many tech companies, but it represents a 9.2% increase from the same quarter a year earlier. By comparison, Samsung's profit in the third quarter was up 26% year-over-year.

Declining profit growth was a top concern for Samsung for much of 2013. Analysts are worried about Samsung's mounting marketing expenses and slowing demand for high-end smartphones, among other factors.

Source: Mashable.com

'The Washington Post' Was the Most-Tweeted Newspaper of 2013

The Washington Post generated the most content-driven tweets of any newspaper in 2013, racking up 275,193 tweets per week on average, just edging out the New York Times at 261,422 tweets per week.

The report from Searchmetrics highlights the newspapers and stories that generated the most tweets last year. USA Today's story "Texas gunman brain dead; may be tied to Colo. slayings" was the individual newspaper story with the most tweets of the year — a whopping 408,816.

WaPo held the title for the next four most-tweeted articles in the list, with the paper's story on gunman Adam Lanza receiving 361,259 tweets.

Twitter has become an important part of media efforts to reach the widest possible audience.Pinterest also drives a large amount of traffic, but Facebook reigns among social media sites. A study from 2013 showed that 10.4% of all publisher traffic originated from Facebook.

Social media sites still pale in comparison to Google, which accounts for nearly 25% of all internet traffic, more than Facebook, Netflix and Twitter combined, according to internet analytics firm Deepfield.

Source: Mashable.com 

The Best iPhone Calendar App Just Came to iPad

The golden age of iPhone calendar apps kicked off a little more than a year ago.

In the span of a few months in late 2012 and early 2013, Fantastical, Tempo and Sunrise all launched smart calendar tools that rethought the traditional design and functionality of calendar apps. Apple later appeared to borrow some of this design with the iOS 7 update to the default calendar app. Now, what is arguably the best of these calendar apps is coming to the iPad.

Sunrise, an app developed by two former Foursquare designers, launched for iPad on Thursday with all the perks of the iPhone version and some new options. You can scroll through a list of the day's scheduled events, as you would with the iPhone version, or take advantage of a new weekly and monthly viewing mode, which offers a clearer picture of how much free time you have. The iPhone version has also been updated to offer a three-day work week view.

Both versions of the app also make it easy to enter in scheduled items on the go. The app offers a quick pull-down list of generic events — call, coffee, meeting, etc — which you can tap to add to the calendar. You can then add a map of the location, select other contacts attending the event and add additional notes.

Sunrise pulls in relevant information from social networks like Facebook and LinkedIn, directions from Google Maps and weather reports. The app supports Google and iCloud calendars.

Source: Mashable.com

CREDO Mobile Publishes Industry's First Transparency Report

CREDO Mobile, a small California cellphone carrier with around 125,000 subscribers, became the first U.S. telephone company to release a transparency report on Thursday, ahead of AT&T, and Verizon, which have promised they'd publish their own at the end of last month.

After the first revelations of secret National Security Agency surveillance programs stared coming out at the beginning of the summer of 2013, Internet giants began to deny their involvement, and push for more transparency. Some companies, like Facebook, Apple and Yahoo, published their first transparency reports.

Verizon, AT&T and other telecom companies, reportedly hand in all their customers' phone records to the NSA. But the companies remained practically silent for six months, except for when they answered a series of questions posed by Sen. Ed Markey (D-Mass.).

Their answers revealed that they had received 1.1 million data requests in 2012. No data about 2013 was released.

Then, on Dec. 19, Verizon announced it would soon publish data on the government requests it had received. And AT&T followed Verizon's lead the next day.

But Verizon and AT&T have still to fulfill their promises. CREDO Mobile, which bills itself as a "business that works for progressive social change," stole their thunder on Thursday.

"CREDO has a decades-long record fighting for the civil liberties, not just of our phone customers, but of all Americans,” Michael Kieschnick, CEO of CREDO, said in a press release. "Despite the shocking revelations of NSA abuses, the U.S. government continues to defend unconstitutional programs to systematically spy on Americans. So it’s up to companies like ours to lift the curtain to the extent allowed by law and fight for our customers’ constitutional rights."

CREDO's transparency report isn't that revealing: in 2013 the company only received a grand total of 16 data requests from federal, state, and local authorities. But it's still a first for a U.S. telephone or cellphone company.

In the report, the company reveals it answered 14 of those requests, but none involved the content of its customers' communications. Interestingly, CREDO also has a detailed break down of each requests, listing the agency that issued it, and even precisely what kind of request it was — whether it was an administrative subpoena, a grand jury subpoena, or an emergency request, for example.

Just like what Internet giants did in their own reports, CREDO also denounced the gag order it is subjected to when it comes to data requests related to national security issues, including those coming from the NSA or the FBI through the controversial National Security Letters.

"It may not be possible for CREDO or any telecom carrier to release to the public a full transparency report," the company wrote on its site. "As the USA PATRIOT Act and other statutes give law enforcement the ability to prevent companies from disclosing whether or not they have received certain orders."

Source: Mashable.com

Any Google+ User Can Now Email You Without Your Address

Google+ is hoping to expand your digital address book.

An update to the social network now allows Google+ users to send and receive emails from other Google+ connections even if they have never exchanged email addresses.

A new setting lets users specify whether they would like to receive emails from people in their circles, extended circles, or anyone on Google+. (They can also choose not to participate in this feature.) Any resulting messages will appear in the recipient's Gmail inbox alongside a note that the message was received "via your Google+ profile," according to Google's blog spot.

Google+ users were already able to message one another through hangouts, but the email functionality adds a more professional messaging option. Instead of a short, instant message-style interaction, users will soon be able to write as they would in other professional email settings while also including the info in their Google profile.

Users who agree to receive email via Goggle+ are not offering up their email addresses. Those remain private unless a user chooses to respond to a Google+ email, at which point the correspondence continues like any normal email exchange. In order to send a message via Google+, a user must share his or her email address with the recipient. In this instance, when a user begins to type a recipient's name into the "To" box at the top of the email, Google+ profile images will crop up alongside potential recipients.

If a user receives a Google+ message form someone outside his circles, the message will automatically appear in Gmail's "social" folder, not the "primary" folder.

Google is rolling out the feature over the next few days and will alert users via email when they have the option to change their settings.

Source: Mashable.com

Samsung ATIV Book 9 2014 Edition: A Sleek Laptop Gets Bigger and Better

LAS VEGAS — Samsung's Book 9 is one of the better laptop designs you can buy, and it's (literally) getting a big upgrade for 2014. The ATIV Book 9 2014 Edition, introduced at CES, is a 15.6-inch model that sports the same curved wedge design that made the original Series 9 apleasure to use.

Like last year's Book 9 Plus, the Book 9 2014 Edition has a full HD display and includes the SideSync software package that makes the Ultrabook your Galaxy phone's best friend: Notifications are shared, for example, and screen mirroring is effortless.

Although the screen is on the big side (most laptops this size have a 15.4-inch display), Samsung still emphasizes portability with its new ATIV model: It's just 0.63 inch at the thickest point, and 3.92 pounds. By comparison, the 15.4-inch MacBook Pro with Retina Display is 4.46 pounds.

Samsung says it's made some improvements to the display, including a better coating for the screen that cuts down on reflectivity but doesn't compromise its touchscreen response. The viewing angle is 178 degrees, and the brightness gets a bump to 300 nits from 250 in last year's model. With the upgrade to Intel's Haswell chips, battery life jumps up, too: Samsung rates the laptop at 14 hours.

Audiophiles will have lots to celebrate about the ATIV Samsung Book 9 2014 Edition since it contains a Wolfson digital-to-analog converter for lossless audio. That means you'll get studio-quality sound from the device as long as the source is lossless, too. As it happens, Samsung is also introducing lossless audio from its Music Hub (both download and streaming) — the first online music service to do so.

Besides the Book 9, Samsung is debuting a new all-in-one PC at CES. The ATIV One 7 has a slim design with curved edges that's a conscious callback to the company's Galaxy Tab tablets, and it has many of the new upgrades of the Book 9 2014 Edition including full HD resolution, a 178-degree viewing angle and an anti-reflective screen.

On the audio side, the ATIV One 7 also supports lossless audio, but with a twist: It can also act as a Bluetooth speaker while in sleep mode, and it has the hardware — a pair of 7-watt speakers, with tweeters — to do it. The machine also supports aptX to help minimize the audio artifacts that can happen over Bluetooth connections.

In sleep mode, the ATIV One 7 can also still act as a remote server for your content for when you need to access it remotely.

Both the ATIV Book 9 2014 Edition and the One 7 will be available in the first half of the year. No pricing has been announced.

Source: Mashable.com

Apple's iPhone 4 most traded-in smartphone of 2013

The iPhone 4 was the most traded-in smartphone of 2013, with owner Apple the brand most consumers chose to exchange for cash

Data collected throughout last year found the 16GB version of the model made up an average 8.94 per cent of all smartphone trade-ins throughout the year, peaking at 9.82 per cent of all trade-ins during the year's final quarter.

Samsung's Galaxy S3 and S2 i900 followed in second and third place, whilst the iPhone 4S (16GB), 5 (16GB), 3GS (16GB) and 4 (8GB) also made appearances in the top 10.

This dominance led to Apple becoming the most traded-in brand of mobile phone, with an average of 28.9 per cent of all trade-ins being an Apple device.

Samsung was the second most traded-in brand, averaging 19.95 per cent of all trade-ins, followed by BlackBerry with 15.3 per cent.

Apple's iPad 2 (WiFi, 16GB model) was the top traded-in tablet of last year, making up 9.3 per cent of exchanged tablets. In fact, eight of the top 10 traded-in tablets were iPads, averaging 74.16 per cent of the sector, with cameo appearances from the Galaxy Tab 2 10.1 in second position and the Nexus 7 (16GB) in sixth.

High trade-in monetary value and increasing memory capacity in newer models is likely to be the reason behind such a high trade-in rate for Apple devices.

However BlackBerry Z10, which was worth £315 in the January of 2013, averaged only £100 by December - a depreciation of £215. Samsung's Galaxy S4's value fell by £161 throughout the course of the year, from £406 to £245.

The data compiled by comparemymobile.com also found six of the top ten mobile phones with the highest trade-in values were devices released that year, with BlackBerry's Porsche Design P9981 model offering the highest trade-in value at £500.

Due to this particularly high value, BlackBerry was the top brand in offering the highest value for a smartphone, followed by Apple with a highest price of £480 and Samsung with £406. Motorola owners may be left disappointed, after their handsets only attracted a high of £151.

Source: telegraph.co.uk

Report: Samsung Galaxy S5 Might Come With an Eye-Scanner

Samsung will release its Galaxy S5 smartphone by April, and the device might include iris scanning technology, a new report from Bloomberg claims.

“Many people are fanatical about iris recognition technology. We are studying the possibility,” Lee Young Hee, executive vice president of the Samsung’s mobile business, told Bloomberg at CES in Las Vegas.

Lee did not reveal many specifics about the upcoming device, but she did mention the company plans to go "back to the basics," with focus on the device's display and the feel of the cover.

Samsung has typically announced its flagship phones a few days before the Mobile World Congress, held in late February each year in Barcelona. It would then hit the market around March or April, and this year will be no different, Lee said.

She also revealed that the new flagship phone will be accompanied by a successor to Samsung's smartwatch, the Galaxy Gear.

“When we release our S5 device, you can also expect a Gear successor with more advanced functions, and the bulky design will also be improved," she said.

Source: Mashable.com 

Galaxy S5 to Arrive by April and Other News You Need to Know

Welcome to this morning's edition of "First To Know," a series in which we keep you in the know on what's happening in the digital world.

Today, we're looking at three particularly interesting stories. Messaging app Confide aims to bring off-the-record messages to professionals. Bloomberg says that Samsung will release its Galaxy S5 smartphone by April. Lastly, T-Mobile announced that it will pay your early termination fees if you join the wireless carrier.

Source: Mashable.com 

Samsung Group Launches Ideas to Boost Sales

In an attempt to boost sales, Samsung Group is launching new ideas. Among these is a new upgrading plan and a “lite” version for those who want a lower cost phone.

Most customers currently have to wait two years to be able to upgrade to a new phone, unless they pay the full cost outright. It causes problems for Samsung Group, since customers in a two-year contract are not really worth promoting to. Very few will choose to buy themselves out of a contract to purchase a new phone earlier than the contract allows.

The new plan for Samsung is to allow customers to get a phone on a plan, but with the option to upgrade at an earlier date. The full length contracts will be 18 months, but there will be a buyback option after six months. Customers will be able to trade their old handsets for the newer ones. The new scheme is called “Stay New.”

Currently there are only a handful of Samsung phones available on this new scheme. They include the Galaxy Notes 2 and 3, the Galaxy S3 and S4, and the Galaxy S4 mini. There are also two tablet computers available on the system, the Galaxy Tab 3 and Galaxy Note 10.1.

This is all possible due to Samsung teaming up with various banks, including Citibank and HDFC Bank. The hope for Samsung Group is that the newly-launched idea will help to boost sales as people will want to buy the newer phones or tablets on the market.

There will be a monthly payment involved in the contracts. The difference is that the payment is made through a credit card from the various banks teamed with the Korean tech giant, instead of through a cell phone company. After six months, and up to 12 months after the start of the contract, users will need to contact Ingram Micro to sell the phone and upgrade.

Another problem for many customers is that new smartphone and tablet technology is expensive. This has prevented many people from buying the latest Galaxy S4 and Note 3 smartphones. To combat this, a likely new plan is to release a “lite” version of the Galaxy Note 3. Currently, the model SM-N7505 has been connected to this idea. The resolution of the screen is likely to be lower than the full version, and there are rumors that the processor and camera will have lower specifications. This is to keep the cost of the handset down. Samsung Group has yet to actually confirm this.

One thing that Samsung Group did confirm recently was the boost of RAM to up to 4GB. This is due to the development of the 8-gigabit LPDDR4 chip, the first of its kind. So far, 3GB of RAM is the most any phone has and that is seen on the Galaxy Note 3. The better RAM will decrease the energy consumption by up to 40 percent and increase the phone’s performance by up to 50 percent.

Samsung is always looking to improve its phones and tablets. These latest ideas that Samsung Group wants to launch could really help to boost sales and affect competition.

Apple Inc iWatch Release Update: Company Reportedly Working Out the Kinks

As Apple Inc. continues development of the iWatch, the company is reportedly working out some kinks along the way. Rumors of the pending product have been circulating the industry for years now, but have really picked up steam over the past year. Originally, it was speculated that the iWatch would be released by the end of 2013, but now industry watchers are guessing that it is more likely to debut in the second half of 2014.

As Apple competitor Samsung has already released its Galaxy Gear, Apple insiders are no doubt anxious to get their own futuristic timepiece up and running. Wearable watch-like devices are the talk of the town at the International Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas this week as well.

According to the latest reports and rumors, Apple is having difficulty with the iWatch on several fronts. One reported issue is the battery life. The device is said “to utilize a 100mAH battery that is comparable to the 105mAh battery in the sixth-generation iPod nano.” Apple reportedly hopes that the device will be capable of operating for four to five days before requiring a charge, but according to last year’s reports was having difficulty getting  beyond two to three days maximum. Rumors have also circulated that wireless charging could be a reality for the iWatch.

Another reported struggle is with the screen. Developers are apparently having trouble deciding on screen technology that will provide for the aforementioned maximum battery life. There was speculation in late 2013 that Apple was still trying to come up with the right screen for the device.

No indication of what the iWatch might actually look like has been officially released by Apple.  However, the company is well known for its attractive designs, so Apple enthusiasts are sure to have high expectations. It has been reported that the device will have a 1.5 inch display, but that information has not yet been confirmed by company. It has also been suggested that the iWatch may be available in multiple sizes to ensure a good fit for a variety of consumers.

As for design, it has been reported that  Apple was “facing yield problems due to the finish treatments for the body of the device.” Other reports have surfaced indicating that Apple has come to an agreement with a manufacturer to greatly increase its production of sapphire glass. Sapphire glass is expected to be used for the product’s display as it is known for its durability.

Another issue reportedly plaguing the development of the iWatch has to do with personnel.  Apple has a team of many employees working on the product, however, a key member of that team was Bryan James who recently left the company to join another former Apple employee, Matt Rogers, at Nest. The two reportedly hold a patent for apple on “a watch-like device.”

The completed product is expected to run a full version of iOS and be an accessory to other iOS devices, including the iPhone. Rumors about its possible unique uses have included, among others, the possibility of it being used to control home automation. No matter what its capabilities ultimately shake out to include, Apple and its enthusiasts are sure to celebrate when Apple finally releases its next big thing.

Source: guardianlv.com 

Samsung Group Rumors Include Galaxy S5 and Galaxy Note 3 Lite

Many tech giants are rumored to have new handsets and devices in the works, and Samsung Group is no different. Some of the rumors surrounding Samsung Group’s new devices include the Galaxy S5 and the Galaxy Note 3 Lite.

It is almost a year since the release of the S4, and most smartphone manufacturers release a new version each year. It makes sense that the emergence of the Galaxy S5 is one such rumor associated with Samsung Group. There are expectations that the new device will make an appearance before March, which was around the time the S4 was introduced.

Some enthusiasts have rumored the reveal will be at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES), between Jan. 7 and 10, but others believe it will occur at the Mobile World Congress in February. The latter is more likely after reports from the head of the design, Samsung VP Chang Dong-hoon, suggested it.

What about CES? Samsung Group does not want to miss out on this, and there are now suggestions that the Samsung Camera 2 will be unveiled, instead.

The aim to release the S5, earlier than the S4 was launched, is likely due to the slowing profit growth for the company.

The style and features of the phone are still to be confirmed. Some of the rumors include a switch from the plastic body to a full metal one. While the plastic helps to keep the cost down, it does not have the same professional look that many other smartphones on the market boast. 3GB of RAM is also expected to match the Galaxy Note 3. This will be an extra gigabyte compared to the S4.

Along with the Galaxy S5, further Samsung Group rumors include the release of a Galaxy Note 3 Lite. This comes after finding a profile of a model numbered SM-N7505. The tech giant is still to confirm that a “lite” version of the Note 3 will be available, but it is possible due to the slow profit growth.

The Galaxy Note 3 is the newest smartphone on the market from the company, and is one of the most expensive. Off-contract the cost of the phone is $700. For a two year contract, most users are expected to pay $300. This is not something everyone can afford, and there are calls for a cheaper version. Compared to another Samsung phablet, it is highly cost-prohibitive; the Samsung Galaxy Mega is $200 less than the Note 3 off-contract, and around $150 less with a two-year contract.

The “lite” version is likely to have similar functions, but with lower screen resolution and processing speed. The operating system will highly depend on the date of the release. At the moment, rumors are that it will have the 4.3 Android system and, if it is released before the Galaxy S5, this is likely. Since the S5 is likely to have the new 4.4 KitKat system, the Galaxy Note 3 Lite will probably have the same; like the S5, it is likely to be unveiled at the Mobile World Congress.

Samsung Group needs to do something to boost profits, and it needs to do something soon. If the Samsung Group rumors that center around the Galaxy S5 and Galaxy Note 3 are true, they will be just in time.

Source: guardianlv.com 

Apple Inc. (AAPL)’s App Store Sales Surge in 2013

Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL)’s App Store customers spent more than $10.0 billion in 2013. The company recently announced that December spending alone accounted for $1.0 billion. Customers downloaded almost 3 billion apps making it the most successful month in the company’s history.

The strong growth in overall sales reflects Apple’s success in building an iOS-based ecosystem that continues to attract app developers. Since the launch of App Store in 2008, Apple has paid almost $15.0 billion to developers, after deducting its 30% share. Apple is estimated to earn $3.0 billion in revenues from App Store in 2013.

The phenomenal success of App Store solidifies Apple’s position against Google’s (GOOG) Android platform. Similar to Apple’s iOS ecosystem, the Android platform has also started attracting developers primarily due to the increasing sales of Android-based smartphones and higher number of apps download from Google Play store.

However, it has been noted that iOS users tend to spend more compared to Android users, making Apple’s platform much more attractive to developers. According to IBM, iOS users spent $115.42 per order, compared to $83.56 per order by Android users during fourth-quarter 2013.

The higher spending is primarily driven by Apple’s affluent customer base and partnerships with leading carriers. Moreover, customer engaging apps, such as the Candy Crush Saga, drove the higher sales.

We believe increasing iTunes sales (fastest growing segment in the fourth quarter) will boost Apple’s top line in the long run. The company’s recent partnership with China Mobile (CHL), revamped product line-up and strategic acquisitions will improve its competitive position against the likes of Samsung and Amazon.com (AMZN), going forward.

Source: valuewalk.com 

What to Do With Your New Xbox One

If an Xbox One was on your wish list this year, and you were very good (or have generous friends), you'll want to rip into that bad boy as soon as you can. But before you pop in Dead Rising 3 for some zombie mayhem, take this opportunity to introduce yourself to your new console and all its features. You'll be spending a lot of time together, after all.

Setup doesn't end with pressing the power button — there are plenty of new features to master before you can move around your new console as quickly as you did with the previous generation. Luckily for you, we've created this handy little guide with everything you need to get started.

Setting Up

First things first: Unbox and set up that new console. Confirm that you have everything you'll need, then remove that ugly warning sticker and position the console near your TV on a stable surface that's free of clutter and well ventilated.

Next, you'll want to connect your console to your TV and set-top box using the HDMI cables included in the Xbox packaging. If you're using a wired Internet connection, connect to your router. You can set up a Wi-Fi connection after you turn on the console.

Microsoft has excellent step-by-step instructions on the more detailed aspects of the setup process, so we won't cover that here, but check them out if you're having trouble figuring out which cable goes where.

Now you're ready to turn your Xbox One on for the first time. Revel in its glory for a moment or two before you go through the process of setting up your Xbox Live account, connecting to Wi-Fi and other basic tasks. We trust that you can handle those on your own.

The Xbox will also prompt you to download an update before you're truly up and running. Once all that is completed, you can move on to phase two: making it awesome.

Prepare Your Living Room

Your Xbox will walk you through the setup process for connecting to your television, but one thing that you shouldn't forget to do is to set up your surround sound in your home theater (if you have one). Go to the Settings menu and select "TV and One Guide," then "Troubleshooting." There will be an option to tick "Surround Sound (Beta)." As noted, this function is still in beta, so you may experience some problems depending on your setup and device.

You might also want to reconfigure your living room. Those who used the Xbox 360 with Kinect will be happy to note that they need about a foot-and-a-half less space than with the last gen console — 4.59 feet as opposed to 6 feet of space to run in place, jump or dance. If this requires a new living room arrangement, start thinking of alternatives while you move onto the next step.

Download Your Apps

Your new Xbox One is an entertainment hub, home to all of your movies, TV and music, but most of these features require an app download. We recommend the following:

• Blu-ray Player to play your Blu-ray discs
• Xbox Video so you can browse the latest movies or shows to rent or buy
• Audio CD so you can play your extensive Kenny G collection at your leisure
• and, of course, all the web apps you'll need: YouTube, Skype, Hulu, Netflix, etc.

Another app you'll definitely want to install is the Upload Studio app, which allows you to edit and share your recorded gameplay clips to Facebook or YouTube. Since Xbox will easily record impressive gameplay with a simple voice command, you'll be able to show off your skills almost instantly.

Install Your Games

Even if you're not playing them at the moment, installing your new games to your hard drive will ensure that you're not thwarted by a scratched disc (or a long download) when it's time to actually play. Games will install as soon as you place the disc in the console.

In the future, however, you have a choice to make: Are you sticking with physical discs or opting for digital releases? There are pros and cons to each. A digitally downloaded game means that you will save tons of physical space by not storing games and cases, and that you'll never deal with a scratched or lost disc. However, an actual disc can be traded back for credit.

Learn the Language

Xbox One's voice recognition feature makes it easy to control your console using only vocal commands, allowing you to switch quickly between apps or pause a TV show without messing with the controller. But first, you need to learn the language of the gaming console.

Don't worry, this is going to be much easier than your high school Spanish class. If you want to learn by the book, try downloading the Speech Tutorial app from the App Store. It's free and won't take up too much space on your hard drive, and you can always delete it when you've mastered the commands.

Here are a few basic commands for those who want to dive right in:

• Xbox, on: "Xbox, on" will turn on your console, but "Xbox, off" will never turn it off (you need to say Xbox turn off). The world may never know why.
• Xbox: Saying "Xbox" at the dashboard essentially tells your Kinect, "Hey, listen up," and you'll see the console listening for a further command. It will also bring up a list of basic, global console commands for you to choose. If you accidentally say "Xbox" in normal conversation, just say "Stop listening."
• Xbox, Select: When said at the dashboard or one of the sub-menus, this command brings up an overlay so you can select the onscreen tile you want.
• Xbox, start a party: This will bring up your party menu. Unfortunately, it will not supply the Doritos and Mountain Dew.
• Xbox, go home: Go back to the Xbox One dashboard immediately, no matter where you are.
• Xbox, go to settings: If you need to access your settings on the fly, this will do the trick. You can also access the settings by hitting the Menu button, which is located on the controller where the 360's Start button used to be.
• Xbox, watch [channel name]: Now we're getting into the good stuff. Assuming you've connected your cable box, your Xbox One will keep track of your local TV listings. No need to remember the channel number, just say "Xbox, watch Food Network" and the console's IR blaster will take care of it for you.

For those of you who fear the Kinect and all its power, you can disable the Kinect from the Settings menu by deselecting "Kinect On." You can also disable Kinect for voice chat if you prefer the headset, or see exactly what your Kinect is seeing by checking out the various camera shots.

Practice Snapping

Snap is one of the most exciting new features of the Xbox One. It allows you to open certain apps in a small side panel on the righthand side of the screen, without leaving the game or app you're currently using. Just say, "Xbox, snap [app name]" to open, and "Xbox, unsnap" to close. The "Xbox, switch" command will allow you to toggle when using two apps simultaneously.

Make It Yours

You'll also want to customize your dashboard by pinning all of your favorite apps to your homepage. Create a new pin by pressing the Menu button while highlighting the app's tile, then selecting "Pin to Home" from the pop-up menu.

You can also change the tiles on the Home screen to one of the 21 available colors by going to your Profile on the Home screen, clicking "My Profile," and then "Choose Color."

Finally, you can upgrade that tiny Gamerpic to a fullscreen, 1080p version by going to your profile settings and selecting "Set Gamerpic." You can choose from a selection or build around your current avatar.

The most important aspect of setting up your Xbox One properly is that you're taking the time to make it yours. Microsoft has added plenty of features to ensure that you're able to use the console for all of your entertainment needs; it's up to you to customize it.

Source: Mashable

You Can Play Old PlayStation Games on PS4 Starting This Summer

Fans will be able to play any Sony-published games for PlayStation 1, 2 and 3 on the PlayStation 4, PlayStation 3 or PlayStation Vita handheld this summer, thanks to streaming service PlayStation Now.

Andrew House, the president of Sony Computer Entertainment, announced Sony Now at the company's CES 2014 presentation on Tuesday. He said it will give people instant access to games they loved from previous generations.

PlayStation Now will allow gamers to rent individual title or pay for subscription plans to play multiple games. The company did not elaborate on pricing. Big 2013 PlayStation 3 titles The Last of Us and Beyond: Two Souls were touted on stage with availability on Sony Now.

A closed beta of PlayStation Now will roll out at the end of January; House said the service will become widely available in the summer.

Along with the PlayStation 4 and Vita, the streaming service will work on "Internet-connected devices" and Bravia TVs down the line. Cloud saves will also allow gamers to resume play from different devices.

While fans bemoaned the lack of backward compatibility when the PlayStation 4 was announced last February, Sony touted its use of GaiKai streaming technology as a solution to that problem, Sony said.

Source: Mashable

Hands On: The World's First E-Ink Wall Clock

LAS VEGAS — Electronic ink technology has some amazing properties. It's ultra-low power, uses no backlighting, can illustrate both images and black-and-white text, and can produce a display that closely resembles paper. All of this has made "e-ink," also known as electronic paper, the perfect medium for e-readers from Barnes & Noble and Amazon. Now, those same properties are helping e-ink move off the page and into a new class of products like ClockOne. 

ClockOne from Twelve24 is a wall clock based on e-ink. At about 1 meter wide and roughly 4 millimeters thick, the lightweight clock hangs on the wall with one screw and a special wall mount. Hanging it is easy; just tip the clock into the holder and balance it until it hangs level.
The clock's interface is comprised of four large digits that flash when the time changes. Until then, it's hard to think you're not looking at a picture.

Perhaps the best part of ClockOne is that it can run for a full year on one small watch battery. The only downside is the $499 price tag, but perhaps that's a small price to pay for cutting-edge time technology.

At this year's International CES, E Ink executives showed off e-ink travel tags powered by RFID (radio-frequency identification), currently undergoing a trial run with British Airways. The tags, which are larger than standard luggage tags but not much thicker, have e-ink interfaces that can be refreshed and updated via a Bluetooth-connected smartphone or tablet.

The luggage tag's screen displays the same travel information that would be printed on a tag: your airline, departure city and destination. It also includes a bar code; because e-ink can mimic paper, the barcodes are still readable using airlines' standard luggage-handling equipment. The RFID technology helps airlines find your lost luggage. 

Source: http://mashable.com/