6 hours ago | Posted in: gaming
If ever there has been a desire for gamers to control a small undead army across platforms, spike pits and saw blades, now is the time that those wishes have been addressed. Deadlings, a mobile game on iOS, Android and Windows Phone from Artifex Mundi, tasks gamers to navigate the undead through Death's lab which is littered with traps laid out by the master reaper for his "Deadling Project." Players must work through more than 100 levels across four phases using four different types of zombies in order to teach the undead to be productive members of society. Will the game offer a resurrecting experience for players? Or will it shamble to the end of an unnatural existence?
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7 hours ago | Posted in: industry
Judge Denise Cote issued a ruling which set the rate at which Pandora Radio will have to pay to the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers (ASCAP) for performance rights on streaming radio. The rate is set higher than the 1.7 percent Radio Music Licensing Committee rate for terrestrial radio Pandora argued was appropriate, but less than the tiered rate ASCAP proposed.
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A recent update to the Chromecast software reveals that countries outside of the United States may soon be able to get their hands on the inexpensive smart TV option from Google. The update adds support for over 50 languages on the Android version and 20 on the iOS version as the device readies a wider launch. This supports previous information that Chromecast would be expanding after news surfaced in February about a possible March 1st release date for the device in the United Kingdom.
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11 hours ago | Posted in: software
The relationship between Barnes & Noble and Microsoft seems to be changing after an 8-K SEC filing from March 10, 2014 was discovered, showing a change in the agreement between the two companies. The book store giant will be allowed to halt development of the Nook Windows app in lieu of working with Microsoft on a project dubbed "Microsoft Consumer Reader" according to the filing. This comes after Microsoft had reportedly considered buying parts of the Nook Media for $1 billion last year.
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FXFactory has announced its release of Film Strip Effect for Final Cut Pro X, a plug-in that offers aesthetic options that go beyond a simple slide projector effect. Users have analog controls over each included effect, and can determine the shape, size, and position of each slide. Blurring, scratching, dust, jittering, light flash and more variables are featured, and offer a vintage look for one's production. A free trial of FIlm Strip Effect is available online, with the full plug-in available for $50.
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Sat March 15, 2014 | Posted in: computers, iPad
The mobile space is probably the most hotly contested space in the tech industry at the moment. It used to be the case that when you wanted to get work done on the go, a full-powered notebook was the one and only way to go. While notebooks and ultrabooks still play a vital role in keeping people productive on the go, the rise of tablets has led to a revolution in how people are staying productive on the go -- at least for light Office-style productivity and creative tasks. Three devices staking a claim for this space include the Apple iPad Air, the Microsoft Surface 2 and the HP Chromebook 11, although each is distinctly different. If productivity is an important criteria when choosing a mobile device, which of these is the one to get?
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Eclipse TD has announced the upcoming availability of its wireless speaker system, the Eclipse TD-M1. The M1 aims to reproduce the sound of music played live, incorporating a non-oversampling DA converter (NOS-DAC) for clear listening. Its egg-shaped form is designed to suppress internal standing waves, as well as minimize the diffraction effect that occurs from the front baffle angle. Featuring wireless music playback, the M1 is AirPlay compatible for high resolution sound from any Apple computer or device. Touch sensors and LED indicators provide intuitive use and reduce clutter of its design, removing the need for buttons. The Eclipse TD-M1 has a dedicated iOS app available for remote control functionality, offering power on or off, volume adjustment and input switching functionality. Available for purchase beginning March 31, 2014, the Eclipse TD-M1 speaker system is priced at $1300.
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Sat March 15, 2014 | Posted in: gaming, Apple
Hunted Cow, the developer behind the mobile games such as Ancient Battle: Rome and Arc War, ran afoul of Apple's app store guidelines earlier this week as it prepared to release its next Tank Battle game, Tank Battle: East Front 1942. The strategy game which features tank warfare set in World War II, was rejected by Apple as it was stated to "depict real entity as the enemies" according to an article by Pocket Tactics.
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Sat March 15, 2014 | Posted in: security
The United States government has asked the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) to begin drafting a proposal to transition the National Telecommunications and Information Administration's (NTIA) responsibility of domain name system (DNS) administration away from the United States. Stepping away from governance of ICANN would mark the final phase of DNS privatization that had been set in motion in 1998 allowing ICANN to operate independently.
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Sat March 15, 2014 | Posted in: gaming
Electronic Arts has done another round of layoffs this time affecting PopCap Games. The publisher declined to comment on the number of jobs affected by the layoff, but told Polygon in a statement that the jobs weren't from the PopCap HD team which was responsible for the recent Plants versus Zombies Garden Warfare. PopCap had been split into two teams in the previous month, one to focus on consoles and PC titles and the other for mobile titles. In a statement general manager for PopCap John Vechey relayed his feelings about the loss, but said that the layoffs were "necessary in order to stay on course with our future plans for mobile games, live services and new IP."
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Twelvesouth has released a new version of its BookBook case for MacBook, the Rutledge Edition. Available for MacBook Air and MacBook Retina, the Rutledge is tailored from premium-grade leather, and features two hardback covers with a rigid spine, much like an old hardcover book. The case protects one's laptop with a soft padded interior, and includes dual zippers that keep BookBook closed. Pricing starts at $100, with all size versions of the Rutledge BookBook case available for purchase through Twelvesouth.
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Tired of waiting for Microsoft's flagship suite, Office, to be ported to iOS devices like the iPad, companies have turned to alternative means to create, revise and distribute documents in increasingly-mobile enterprise, institutional, small-business and collaborative workflows -- costing the Windows maker an estimated $2.5 billion annually in potential revenue. Sources say iPad and iPhone versions exist and are ready to go -- simply awaiting a release date complicated by politics.
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Fri March 14, 2014 | Posted in:
The Apple Store apps (separate editions for iPhone and iPad) got small upgrades on Friday, moving to versions 2.9.2 (iPhone) and 1.1 (iPad). The iPhone version improves US in-store alerts utilizing Apple's iBeacon technology, in line with iBeacon improvements in iOS 7.1. The iPad version of the app adds the ability to buy gift cards directly. Users can choose to have physical cards mailed them, or have virtual cards emailed to them (this functionality already exists in the iPhone version).
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The European Parliament has voted to proceed with proposals to require smartphones and mobile devices to use a single common charger. The new draft law was approved by 550 votes to 12 on Thursday, with 8 abstentions by European parliament members (MEPs), with the vote itself bringing the new regulation closer to being implemented in European Union member states in the future.
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Media server software app, Plex, has announced that Chromecast support is now available to all users for free. In the latest update to its iOS and Android apps, users can access streaming for photos, music and videos, as well as content mirroring that displays media on a separate screen while browsing. For iOS users, Plex now offers a new play queues feature, which includes the ability to shuffle all of a user's music content. More detailed music filters are also now available, as to simplify narrowing down one's library when desired. Plex is available for download for smartphone, connected TVs and home theater-geared computers.
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The take-up of Apple's latest iOS point upgrade, 7.1, reached 17.9 percent of all iOS web traffic in North America just 72 hours after its initial launch, according to a follow-up study from mobile analyst Chitika. The firm studied tens of millions of ad impressions to draw its figures, which are in line with recent point releases from Apple. The company says that iOS 7.1 is on track to surpass the recent 7.0.6 update within a few days.
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