Xbox One Revealed

Yesterday at the Xbox Reveal event, Microsoft revealed the new console called XBOX One.

It's a cloud-based home-entertainment console sporting an improved Kinect camera, along with a redesigned controller with a new d-pad and integrated battery compartment.

Design

Sharp corners and clean lines makes XBOX One a sleek, modern console that complements any decor. The controller is also redesigned. The two analog sticks have ridges instead of bumps. The start and back buttons are now replaced with menu and app switcher buttons.

Specifications

XBOX One is powered by a 8-core x86 processor with 8GB of RAM and a 500GB hard drive. Graphics is provided by AMD, has a Blu-ray drive with USB 3.0, HDMI in/out support. However, XBOX One is not backwards compatible with XBOX 360 Discs.

Games

Activision already stated at the end of the teaser trailer for Call of Duty Ghosts that the game will be available for XBOX One. EA introduces FIFA, NBA Live, Madden & UFC. Obviously, Microsoft Studio's Halo 4 will also be available for XBOX One.

Other games announced include Max Payne, Alan Wake & Forza Motorsport 5.

Availability

The Xbox One will be available in Q4 2013. More details on pricing will be announced at E3 2013.

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Google I/O 2013 Roundup

Google I/O - Google's annual conference kicked off with some exciting announcements. It is the most anticipated event of this year. For Google, this was a big day to unveil the company's future plans.

Senior Vice President Vic Gundotra started the Google I/O 2013 keynote, in which many new features and updates to Google's services and offerings were announced.

Take a look at the announcements made at the keynote -

Android & Google Play 

• Google announced 900 million Android activations in total and 48 billion apps downloaded from Google Play store.


• Google Play Services updated to bring new APIs (Google Maps and Location) and a cross platform Google+ sign in feature to easily sign in to various services using Google credentials. Also, the Google Cloud Messaging service is now a part of Google Play Services. Google Play game services introduced with Cloud save, achievements, leaderboard & multiplayer.


• New Integrated Development Environment (IDE) called Android Studio announced for Android Developers to build Android apps.


• Google Play Developer Console updated to include optimization tips, app translation service, usage metrics, revenue graphs & beta testing.


• Google Play Music All Access - Music subscription service that plays music depending upon the user's liking. Google Play Music All Access is priced at $9.99 / month (US) with a 30 day free trial.


• Samsung Galaxy S4 Google Edition - Android Product Management Vice President Hugo Barra announced the new version of Samsung Galaxy S4 with a stock Android user interface. The version will be directly available on Google Play in the US from 26th June for $649.

Chrome & Chrome OS

• Support for WebGL in Chrome for tablets.


• All Google I/O attendees got a new Chromebook Pixel as a gift.

Google+

• New Google+ user interface for web.


• New Google+ Hangouts stand alone app for Android.


• New features in Google+ Photos introduced like tonal distribution, skin softening, noise reduction, white balancing, sharpening, vignette, structure, red eye removal and more.

Google Search

• Google Now updated with new set of cards for public transit, books, music albums, tv shows, video games and reminders.


• Reminders feature of Google Now lets you set reminders which will remind you at the right place at the right time.


• 'Hot wording' feature for Google search on the web lets you search the web without typing. Just start by saying “Ok Google” and it will know that you're about to ask a question.

Google Maps

• Google previews next version of Google Maps for iOS and Android, including an iPad app coming this summer.


• New suggestion engine to help you find relevant places nearby.


• New features like incident reporting and traffic-rerouting.


• New version of Google Maps for the web.


• WebGL is used to augment the new views and produce a more interactive and detailed imagery.

At the end of the keynote, CEO Larry Page came to the stage and shared some personal stories and his views on the importance of technology followed by Q&A.

Watch the recorded Google I/O 2013 keynote here.

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Blackberry Z10 Review

Blackberry's market share has been declining over the past few years as the likes of Android and iOS have aggressively taken over the smartphone market. The company is trying to revive its declining fortunes with a new range of smartphones featuring a brand new BB10 operating system. The first among them is the Z10, the company's flagship smartphone which brings along a capable package suitable for high-end users. Let us review this fabulous handset.

Design

Blackberry phones have never been known for their design as the company stuck to its tried and tested QWERTY smartphones which gave more importance to functionality than styling. However, with the Z10, the company has never a step in the right direction by coming up with a design that looks attractive without compromising on the functionality. The phone has an understated and clean design which will certainly not win any design awards, but will impress most of the users thanks to its simplistic nature and the comfort it offers while handling. It has a plastic casing with a removable back panel that measures 130 x 65.6 x 9 mm and tips the weight scales at 137.5 grams. On the top side, there's the 3.5 mm headphone jack and the power key, while the right side is occupied by the volume rocker. The microUSB port and the microHDMI port are present on the left edge. Overall, the Z10 might not overwhelm you on first glance, but it certainly works thanks to its clean and sleek design.

Display

The 4.2-inch LCD display at the front of the Blackberry Z10 sports a resolution of 1280 X 768, which leads to a pixel density of 356 ppi. The colors reproduction, viewing angles, brightness levels and sunlight legibility of the screen is excellent and will impress most users. Since the OS relies on gestures and touches, it is extremely important that the touchscreen is responsive and Blackberry has managed to that quite well. The display registers touches, swipes extremely quickly without any issues.

Camera

The Blackberry Z10 has an 8 megapixel autofocus camera along with an LED flash on its rear side. The sensor manages to capture excellent images in outdoor conditions during day time. However, the quality is quite average in low light conditions and during night time. Most of the standard settings and features are available in the camera interface. The best among them being the TimeShift mode, which captures a series of photos before and after you tap on the shutter key. Users can then scroll through these images and choose the best image for saving. The primary camera also records videos of HD 1080p at the rate of 30 frames per second. The secondary front-facing camera has a 2 megapixel sensor and it supports 720p@30 fps video recording.

Performance

Inside, the Blackberry Z10 has a dual-core Qualcomm Snapdragon processor running at 1.5 GHz, Adreno 225 graphics processor and 2 GB of RAM. The performance of the phone is very good due to the heavy optimization on the software front. Users will be able to move through menus, switch apps, multi-task, etc. with ease without experiencing slowdowns. However, since the OS is quite new and hence is prone to bugs which cause the phone to hang-up sometimes.

Software

The BB10 OS running on the Z10 marks the rebirth of Blackberry as the company shifts its focus to a more touch-friendly and feature-rich software approach. The new operating system does away with the traditional navigation of other platforms like iOS and Android but instead is built around gestures. The main feature is the Blackberry Hub which contains all your messages, e-mails and social updates. It's pretty awesome as you can read, delete and reply to all your messages from a one-stop location with ease. The phone also offers apps like Remember, Blackberry Maps, Twitter, Facebook, Browser, Linkedin, Foursquare and much more.

Conclusion

The Z10 marks a new era for Blackberry, as it is a totally different smartphone compared to the earlier handsets from the company. It's beautiful and runs a software which is smooth and feature-rich. Unfortunately, the OS doesn't bring any new features to the table except the new gesture-based UI. Also, the hardware seems a bit outdated compared to the new flagship phones like the HTC One and Galaxy S4. That said, the Z10 is a great start and Blackberry fans will find it hard to resist.

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Call of Duty : Ghosts Officially Revealed

Activision recently released a teaser trailer for the new game in Call of Duty series - Call of Duty : Ghosts (see below). The teaser is a live-action trailer, titled "Masked Warriors". It features glimpses of people wearing historical battle attire, among them one of a group of soldiers putting on the skull mask.

Infinity Ward is developing this game with an all new engine.  It will feature all-new characters, story, and experience. Call of Duty : Ghosts will be released on November 5th 2013 for Microsoft Windows, Playstation & Xbox.

We will get to see more of Ghosts at the Xbox Reveal event on 21st May 2013.
Till then, watch the trailer and tell us what you think in the comments section below :)

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LG Optimus G Review

Over the past few years, LG has not managed to deliver a flagship smartphone which could match the popularity of the Galaxy series flagship phones. But now, the company is trying to make a comeback with the Optimus G, a powerful and stylish Android smartphone which has a package that can match up against any smartphone available in the market. Let us find out more about this handset in our review.

Design

The LG Optimus G has a simple design, yet it manages to stand-out in the crowd thanks to its glass covered body and gorgeous HD display at the front. The edges are covered with a stainless steel rim which looks great and feels nice in the hand. Despite being large, the phone does not pose any major problems when you are operating it, thanks to its clean lines and rounded corners. As far as control keys and ports are concerned, you'll find the power key on the right and the volume rocker on the left. The top edge is occupied by the 3.5 mm audio jack whereas the microUSB slot is available at the bottom edge. The phone doesn't have a removable back panel so you won't be able to access the battery. All in all, LG has managed to put together a smartphone that is attractive as well as robust.

Display

The LG Optimus G offers a 4.7 inch IPS LCD display built with ZeroGap touch technology which means all the layers are laminated together to reduce glares and provides a top-notch viewing experience. The screen is protected from scratches by Corning Gorilla Glass and has a true HD resolution of 768 x 1280 pixels. As far as the picture quality is concerned, the display offers rich and realistic colors, crisp whites and excellent viewing angles. However, sunlight legibility is average compared to its competitors.

Performance

LG Optimus G runs extremely fast thanks to a quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 Pro processor with a clock speed of 1.5 GHz and 2 GB of RAM. The phone doesn't suffer from any lag or slowdowns even while executing high performance tasks like multi-tasking. The battery is a 2100 mAh non-removable unit which offers up to 13 hours of talk time. In terms of everyday usage, moderate users should be able to get through a work day with ease on a single charge. The internal memory available is 32 GB, but since the phone doesn't have a removable back cover, there is no microSD card available to expand capacity.

Camera

LG has included a 13 megapixel rear camera and a 1.3 megapixel front camera on the Optimus G. In well-lit surroundings, the primary snapper provides stunningly sharp photos and videos, but like most smartphone cameras the quality deteriorates in low light conditions or during night time. Nonetheless, users will be able to capture 4320 x 3240 pixels and record videos of 1080p at 30 frames per second which is as good as it gets. The secondary camera also supports full HD video recording of 1080p so you'll be able to make video calls in high definition.

Software

The LG Optimus G arrives with Android v4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich which has been skinned with LG Optimus user interface v3.0. The UI has a lot of additions like custom effects, bright colors, unique icons, etc. which give the phone's software a distinct look compared to the stock Android version. LG has also added a feature called QSlide which makes multi-tasking easy by allowing you to view three apps all at the same time. Overall, users will be quite happy with the software of the phone.

Verdict

The Optimus G is undoubtedly one of the best phones manufactured by LG. It has a gorgeous design, large and vivid display, and packs in an impressive set of hardware under its hood which makes it a great choice for users looking for a top-tier Android smartphone.  Unfortunately, it doesn’t have any major advantages over the current stars in the market like – the Galaxy S4, Nexus 4, Xperia Z or HTC One, which might work against it. That said, LG’s latest smartphone suggests we can expect better things from the company in the near future.

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HTC ONE - Simply brilliant

HTC One the flagship device of HTC has arrived to market. Its design has a unique style which looks elegant and feels premium while holding in hand. Handset comes with several HTCs premium features. Thickness of HTC One is only 9.3mm and weighs only 147 grams. Display of HTC One is 4.7” full HD (1080p) which is amazingly stunning and very impressive where all the text appears very sharp and crisp. The massive 468 ppi density screen provides vibrant colors and wide viewing angles. The 4.7” screen gives all the enjoyment of watching movies and videos. Capacitive touch is very responsive. For better and smooth operation, handset is flavored with the latest flavor of Android OS - JellyBean v4.1.2 and HTC claims that it can be upgraded to v4.2. The handset is powered by powerful Qualcomm Snapdragon 600 Quad Core CPU which is clocked at 1.7 GHz and packed with 2GB (DDR2) of Ram and HTC’s latest version of Sense UI.

The handset comes with Dual frontal speakers with boom sound and beats audio technology. The dual speakers deliver lively audio and video experience to user. The frontal speakers of HTC One deliver loudness equal to Portable Bluetooth Speakers. The most innovative work done by HTC is handset’s 4 Ultrapixel camera on backside. But quality wise it is beyond imagination. The camera has some features like Optical Image Stabilization, BSI Sensor, and Slow Motion video and we can shoot video and can capture photos simultaneously. This camera comes with HDR option as well. HTC Claims that Ultrapixel Sensor can capture 300% more light in low light conditions than any other camera in smartphones. Beside camera there is single Smart LED flash which can trigger up to 5 levels of flash. There is also a Front Facing Camera of 2.1MP. Both cameras can Shoot HD videos. The connectivity options are 2G, 3G, 4G LTE in Selected countries, NFC, Bluetooth v4.0, Wi-Fi, DLNA, GPS with GLONASS , Micro USB with MHL and 3.5mm Audio Jack.

There are some debut features in this handset like Blink Feed, your favorites directly streamed on home screen and the Boom Sound Technology. The Capacity of the battery is 2300mAh and delivers the talk time of 9-10 hours. There are some basic sensors like Accelerometer Sensor, Gyro Sensor, Ambient Light Sensor, and Proximity Sensor. This Handset comes in two variants 32GB and 64GB and there are no slots to Expand Storage. Handset runs on single micro sim. Looking at above amazing HTC One specifications, it is clear its price will be good compared to other competitors.

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Best iPhone games that test your IQ

Here are a few apps for the iPhone that will test your IQ. The hardest part about finding apps to test your IQ is that they are all pretty similar. The IQ test was developed by psychologists quite a while ago, and the way the tests are taken has hardly changed since that time. Basically, you answer a few questions that test the various (supposed) intelligence factors of a person. The answers are then used to determine a person’s intelligence.

Obviously, you should take IQ tests and tests that check your potential with a pinch of salt. They are based upon sound principles, but they are a very blunt tool for testing IQ and potential. No IQ testing device has ever been found to be 100% perfect, and human nature dictates that there will always be anomalous results when you test how people think (and their intelligence). Nevertheless, here are a few apps that are a bit of fun.

IQ Test - Original

For just 99c, this app gives you thirty three questions that you have to answer within thirty minutes. The app will then display your IQ, as per the classic intelligence test (the one people used before IQ tests were popular). The questions probe various different intelligence factors such as you knowledge retention, math skills, logical reasoning, spatial relations and language abilities. 

IQ Test Master
This IQ test has tried to turn IQ testing into a little bit of a game. It is a more fun version of the classical IQ test. Instead of having to answer different questions using different intellectual skills (like with the IQ Test - Original mentioned above), you can answer questions using just one of your intelligence skills. For example, you can answer questions that only test your logical skills or your language skills, etc. The app is well laid out, and has nice graphics to make playing with it a little less sterile.

You have to answer forty questions per test, and the questions appear in varying difficulties. Each test lasts for forty minutes and the questions appear randomly so that it is harder to memorize the answers or the sequence that they come in. The app is just 99c.

IQ Test - Calculate your IQ Now

Clearly the marketing department for this app does not have much respect for the people using it, since they explain the meaning of an IQ test within the name of their app. Nevertheless, the user will be able to prove their intelligence once they have used the app. For just 99c you may use one of their fifty items that test your mathematical, logical, memory and spatial intelligence. The tests may be completed within a few minutes, and you may then compare your score with other people who have used the app. 

The app brags that it was created under the supervision of psychologists, to be sure that the tests are fair and that they measure your supposed IQ correctly. However, many of the IQ apps are developed on the principals that have been around for years. Nevertheless, the app developers have employed psychologists to help them.

IQ test

This app is just 99c, and is supposed to help improve your IQ through testing. You are asked to answer a number of questions whilst being timed. Once the test is complete, you are given your IQ score. The app has a good user interface and as a few features that other tests do not. For example, you can pause the test and come back to it later. Other tests forget to install such features because you cannot pause a real test, but people on their iPhones are not taking the test in a quiet room. They are probably using the app during their lunch break or whilst waiting for a train.

Another good feature is that you can skip questions and come back to them later. This is something you would be able to do if you were sat in a quiet room and taking the test on paper, so the app developers have added it into the app to make the process a little more realistic. To help to keep you entertained, the app also has lively sound effects and a well animated user display.

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Bio: Kate Funk is a passionate blogger and math tutor at Rushtutor.

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Samsung Galaxy S4 Reviews: Seeing the future at present

The expected price that was shown before the launch of Samsung Galaxy S4 had created much turmoil in the mobile world. It was a matter of utmost curiosity for everyone to see if Samsung Mobile came to the level of its self set expectations. When the product was launched in the market, there was havoc. It was a matter of attraction of interest and curiosity for both the clients and the other rivaling enterprises. For a certain period of time Samsung Galaxy S4 was welcomed with the disparaging remarks of the rivals. This for some time intimidated the users holding their impatience for quite sometimes. But as soon as the fragrance of its features and qualities came to the fore, the rivals silenced their discrediting remarks and with the Samsung Galaxy S4 reviews appearing on the public domain and all other fronts, the clients took a sigh of relief and now Samsung Galaxy S4 rules the roost of the modern mobile market with its luxurious features and commendable qualities.

Which features does Samsung Galaxy S4 offer? How is it different form the other handsets of the identical segment? Why does Samsung Galaxy charge that high price? If you are person of twenty first century, you can imagine what it is to pay that much of amount. Yes, Samsung galaxy S4 offers you much more than what is available in the mobile phones of topmost categories. Along with the prevalent highly sophisticated features and qualities of mobile world it offers you such luxuries and comforts that you would never ever realize how much you paid for it.

Running on both 2G, 3G and 4G network with display of 4.99" 16M-color Super AMOLED HD capacitive touch screen with a resolution of 1920 x 1080 pixels (441ppi) it is such a device that you would feel a wonder in your hands. The processor of 1.6 GHz Quad-core ARM Cortex-A15 and 1.2 GHz quad-core ARM Cortex-A7 / 1.9GHz Krait 300 and the operating system Android 4.2.2 (Jelly Bean) make it a device to function with incredible smoothness.

Apart from the host of mobile apps, it has such multimedia features that you find the joy of whole world in your hands. The features like 13 mega pixels primary and 2 mega pixels secondary camera, numerous video and audio formats supports along with many other exquisite features make you feel the joy of future at present and you find much more than what you see in Samsung Galaxy S4 reviews.

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Smartphone Wars - Sony Xperia Z vs Samsung Galaxy S4

Earlier this year, Sony unveiled its latest flagship smartphone - the Xperia Z, becoming the first major manufacturer to show off its flagship smartphone. Now, Samsung has announced the launch of its new Android flagship - the Galaxy S4, with the promise of delivering the ultimate smartphone experience. In this article, we'll be looking at how these handsets stack up against each other.

Design

The Xperia Z is arguably the better handset among the two in terms of looks and design. It has a stylish and elegant body measuring 139 x 71 x 7.9 mm and weighing 146 grams. Both sides - the front and back are covered with shatter proof and scratch-resistant glass which results in a fairly robust handset. The icing on the cake is that the phone is IP57 certified to provide protection against exposure to dust and water. On the other hand, the Samsung Galaxy S4 looks a lot like the S3 due to its similar styling and polycarbonate body. It measures 136.6 x 69.8 x 7.9 mm and weighs 130, which makes it a bit more compact and lightweight than the Xperia Z. However, it lacks the robustness and the premium feel of the glass body.

Display

Both the phone have a 5-inch full HD display with a resolution of 1080 X 1920 pixels but they use different panels. The Xperia Z is equipped with a LCD capacitive display with DragonTrail glass protection and Sony Mobile Bravia 2 engine, whereas the S4 has a Super AMOLED capacitive touchscreen unit with Corning's Gorillas Glass 3 protection.

On the image quality front, there's not much to choose between the two as they deliver sharp and crisp results. But, the S4's screen is slightly better thanks to its infinite contrast, great viewing angles and excellent outdoor visibility.

Camera

The Samsung Galaxy S4 has a 13 megapixel rear-facing camera with a single LED flash and a front-facing 2 megapixel camera. Sony's flagship has a similar set of cameras with a 13.1 megapixel sensor on its back and a 2.2 megapixel sensor on its front. All of them are capable of full HD 1080 pixel video recording at 30 frames per second. In terms of megapixels and lens, both the handsets are evenly matched, but Samsung offers a far superior camera interface with features like dual shot, screen share, dual-video recording, dual video calls and much more, which the Xperia Z lacks.

Hardware Package

Samsung's flagship is slightly faster on the processing power front. It comes with either a Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 quad-core 1.9 GHz processor or a Exynos 5 octa core 1.6 GHz processor. The Xperia Z ships out with a Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 quad-core 1.5 GHz processor which is a bit slower than both the variants of the former. However, in terms of performance, both the smartphones can process almost anything you throw at them with ease. Other hardware on the phones include 2 GB of RAM and a microSD card slot capable of supports cards of up to 64 GB. As far as the internal memory is concerned, the S4 is available in three versions - 16 GB, 32 GB and 64 GB, whereas the Xperia Z is available in only the 16 GB version. Clearly, Samsung's latest smartphone manages to win the hardware battle.

Software

The Samsung Galaxy S4 ships out with Android 4.2.2 Jelly Bean, while the Xperia Z comes with Android 4.1.2 Jelly Bean straight out of the box. Sony is also working towards an upgrade which will bring v4.2 to its flagship. Unfortunately for the Sony's flagship, Samsung provides a host of other software features like S-Translate, S-Voice with Drive, S Health, Smart Pause and much more, which it lacks. On the software front, the S4 is clearly the superior smartphone.

Battery

The Xperia Z comes with a non-removable Li-Ion 2330 battery whereas the S4 offers a removable Li-Ion 2600 mAh battery with wireless charging (market dependent). The option to replace the battery with a spare unit and charge the phone wirelessly along with the larger capacity of the primary unit again tilts the balance in the favor of the Samsung flagship.

Final Words

Undoubtedly, the Xperia Z and Galaxy S4 are among the best smartphones in the market. While Sony's flagship has a lot going for itself, it clearly lags behind the S4 in almost all areas except the design. By the looks of things, Samsung has an ace up its sleeves which could very well go on to become the best-selling handset of 2013.

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Google launches "Google Keep"

Google launched a note-taking service called "Google keep".

Google Keep is a note-taking service that allows users to create quick notes to be saved in Google Drive and accessed either online or using an Android phone or tablet. It was eagerly awaited service since Google hints it a few days ago. Google Keep is somewhat similar to the service provided by Evernote and Pocket.

With Google Keep you can quickly save notes and even include checklists and photos. All the notes are saved in Google Drive and synced to all your devices.

Google Keep also has an Android app which has a nice and clean user-interface and offers some great features like home-screen widgets & voice notes. You can also change colors for each note and convert a note into a checklist.

For those using Android 4.2 Jelly Bean, Google Keep has a lock-screen widget, which can be placed on your Android lock-screen, which would enable users to add a note without even having to unlock their device.

Availability

Google Keep is available on Google Play for devices running Android 4.0, Ice Cream Sandwich and above.

To access Google Keep on the web, browse to https://drive.google.com/keep/
Google says that in the coming weeks it would be possible to access, edit or create notes directly from Google Drive.

Check out the video below :)

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