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Tuesday, March 26, 2013

Unity to bring Qualcomm optimization to its game engine

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2013/03/26/unity-to-bring-qualcomm-optimization/

Unity already supports development for (nearly) all mobile platforms and now the game engine maker's working on an optimized version for those with Qualcomm processors -- ie, quite a chunk of them. On the heels of freshly announced competition, it announced that it's collaborating with the chip-maker to release a new version of its multi-platform engine "in the coming months" to speed up Unity-authored games for Android and Windows Phone 8 devices powered by most flavors of that CPU. So far there are over 1.5 million registered developers building games for around 770 products that pack the necessary Snapdragon / Adreno combo, according to Unity -- meaning there's a decent chance you'll soon see some extra oomph in one or another of the games you play, whether you're in Redmond or Mountain View's camps. Hit the PR after the jump for more.

Filed under: Cellphones, Gaming, Tablets, Mobile

What's the Best iPhone Data Plan?

Source: http://gizmodo.com/5992452/whats-the-best-iphone-data-plan

T-Mobile has the iPhone now. It's only a hundred bucks! There's no contract! Unlimited everything! But before you get too excited about the prospect of jumping ship for forgotten carrier, let's take a look at how exactly that its iPhone 5 data plans compare to the other big dogs.

Following is a chart that compares individual device plans across on-contract iPhone carriers like AT&T, Verizon, and Sprint, as well as unsubsidized vendors with national scope like Virgin Mobile and Walmart's Straight Talk Wireless. Everyone has their own needs, obviously, but the bottom line is that if you use a lot of data, you should definitely start looking beyond AT&T and Verizon .

Click to embiggen!

Over a reasonable two-year lifespan of the iPhone 5, you're looking to spend $2,120 with Sprint versus $2,260 on T-Mobile and $1,730 on Straight Talk. How that compares to AT&T and T-Mobile depends on how much data you use, but even if you stick with just 1GB/month you're looking at $2,240 on AT&T over two years and $2,360 on Verizon.

Other considerations obviously come into play; Verizon will have better reception than AT&T, AT&T will let you do simultaneous voice and data while Verizon won't, T-Mobile doesn't have a functional LTE network yet, Sprint is... Sprint. But in terms of pure value, T-Mo made a strong case for itself today.

Or, you know, just pick up a Virgin Mobile iPhone 4S and save yourself a grand.

Additional reporting by Robert Schoon. Data plan info provided by Apple. AT&T Mobile Share costs were used for more accurate comparison with Verizon's Share Everything plans.

Google Image Search Has Never Looked So Good

Source: http://gizmodo.com/5992448/google-image-search-has-never-looked-so-good

Stop what you're doing right now and start scrolling through this Tumblr of colorful images of planes and bridges and mats and packaging and other everyday items morphing into each other. It's called I'm Google, an ongoing art project that finds beautiful patterns in otherwise benign and boring images Google Image search results.

Dina Kelberman, the artist behind the Tumblr, explains that it's an "ongoing stream of consciousness," where batches of images "move seamlessly from one subject to the next based on similarities in form, composition, color, and theme." Seriously, take a few minutes and watch the pictures just melt together. You won't be able to stop scrolling. [I'm Google via This Is Colossal]

T-Mobile's HD Voice Hands On: A Sweeter-Sounding iPhone

Source: http://gizmodo.com/5992454/t+mobiles-hd-voice-hands-on-a-sweeter+sounding-iphone

T-Mobile just announced its very own iPhone 5 and no-contract plans. One of the little subplots was that this would be the first iPhone to support HD Voice. We just went ears-on with to see if it's a difference you can actually hear.

Calling from one T-Mobile iPhone to another, my caller's voice came through loud and clear. You know how sometimes cell-to-cell voice calls can sound a little fragmented? Like little bits of sounds are being dropped? This didn't have that. It was a much more natural sounded call. It was a bit richer, and definitely fuller. I wouldn't say it was like night and day, but it's definitely a noticeable improvement. I then used the same iPhone to call an HTC One on AT&T and it sounded, y'know, like a typical cell call. It was very slightly broken up, and definitely didn't have as much dynamic range.

It's important to note that this isn't brand new technology; T-Mobile's iPhone 5 HD Voice sounds just like Sprint's Evo 4G LTE HD Voice from last year. But it's definitely the clearest tone you'll find on any iPhone out there, for those rare moments you actually use your iPhone as a phone phone.

Obviously, a noisy environment isn't the ideal testing ground, but for a snap impression, HD Voice is definitely better. We look forward to spending more time with it in the future, though, so we can do a fuller evaluation. HD Voice is also (or will be) available on the Galaxy S III, the Galaxy S IV, and the HTC One to name a few.

BlackBerry Z10 live on T-Mobile website: $100 down payment or $532 up front

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2013/03/26/blackberry-z10-live-t-mobile-website-100-on-contract-/

Just ahead of T-Mobile's event in New York City, we've noticed that the carrier has already listed the BlackBerry Z10 on its website. It looks like the smartphone will be available for a $100 down payment with a $18 monthly installment for 24 months, though the UnCarrier also lists the BB Z10 for $532 up front. Notably, the handset's page says it supports 4G LTE -- and we imagine we'll hear a good deal more about T-Mobile's network plans when the event kicks off in just a bit.

Update: The BB Z10's arrival on Big Magenta is official, with CEO John Legere announcing the previously mentioned smartphone pricing on stage.

Filed under: Cellphones, Mobile, T-Mobile

Source: T-Mobile

T-Mobile LTE speed tests on Note II, HTC One and iPhone 5

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2013/03/26/t-mobile-lte-speed-tests/

Wondering whether T-Mobile's LTE network has the chops to live up to the "smokin'" adjectives we had thrown our way throughout the event? We certainly were, so we headed right to the suite of devices and got our hands-on all the phones we could. Speeds are quite good in general -- but interestingly things did start slowing down as more and more folks fired up Ookla's SpeedTest app, doing all they could to test T-Mo's nascent network. Join us after the break for our findings.

Filed under: Cellphones, Mobile, Apple, Samsung, HTC, T-Mobile

The Samsung Galaxy S4 Will Launch Around May 1 On T-Mobile (DT)

Source: http://www.businessinsider.com/samsung-galaxy-s4-launch-may-1-on-t-mobile-2013-3

samsung galaxy s4 lock screen

T-Mobile announced today that Samsung's Galaxy S4 will launch on its network around May 1.

The news comes from T-Mobile's chief marketing officer Michael Siever at today's press event announcing the carrier's new LTE network and data plans.

The company did not provide pricing or a specific launch date, but it's the most specific any carrier has been about when the Galaxy S4 will launch.

However, it's safe to assume the Galaxy S4 will cost around $99.99 plus monthly payments of about $20 for 24 months. That's the same pricing plan T-Mobile will use for the iPhone 5 when it goes on sale April 12.

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InFocus' BigTouch is a 55-inch all-in-one built for conference spaces, classrooms with large desks

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2013/03/26/infocus-bigtouch-55-inch-all-in-one/

Having not seen every single all-in-one PC that's ever been released, we'll stop short of saying the InFocus BigTouch is the largest AiO ever to grace the Earth. That said, it's pretty damn enormous. What we have here is a 55-inch Windows 8 machine -- far larger than you probably have room for on your desk -- and it's intended specifically for classrooms, conference spaces and office lobbies. Basically, any scenario where lots of people will need to see or use the computer at once. Given that, its connectivity options are perhaps more extensive than what you'll find on a regular consumer desktop: six USB ports, two HDMI sockets and two Ethernet jacks (highly unusual, that last bit).

Other than that, this isn't a machine for spec hunters: it will initially ship with a Core i5 Sandy Bridge processor (that's what was available when the product was being developed) and the screen resolution tops out at 1080p, which is fairly low considering those pixels will be distributed over a 55-inch panel. The 120GB SSD, at least, should do just fine for the above uses cases -- we don't imagine folks will need to store more than that. Additionally, the BigTouch is designed to be easily serviceable, and the processor is part of Intel's vPro family, so the system might meet IT requirements anyway. With a price of $4,999, though, we hope your company doesn't have too many conference rooms to furnish.

Gallery: InFocus BigTouch all-in-one PC

Filed under: Desktops

Havok announces Project Anarchy, a new development engine for mobile gaming

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2013/03/26/havok-project-anarchy-mobile-engine/

Havok's involved itself with mobile gaming for a few years and it's now taken to this year's GDC to announce Project Anarchy. This new cross-platform mobile dev engine will include access to its own physics, animation and AI tools -- the same as those apparently used in notable series like Skyrim, Assassin's Creed and, er, Skylanders. It will also integrate Havok's Vision engine, adding in "game samples" and tutorials to ease mobile devs into crafting plenty of beautiful mobile games that hopefully involve less bird physics and approach something resembling our (admittedly zealous) mock-up above. We're itching to see those beastly smartphone processors pushed to their limits.

Filed under: Cellphones, Gaming, Software, Mobile

Source: Project Anar! chy< !--//-->

Engadget Giveaway: win one of two Oppo Find 5 smartphones, courtesy of Oppo Style!

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2013/03/26/engadget-giveaway-oppo-find/

It's not too often that a pair of Chinese smartphones shows up in our office, but we try to take advantage of the opportunity whenever it comes around. Thanks to Oppo Style, a trade company that sells Oppo devices directly, we have two 16GB Find 5 handsets ready for the taking! As a refresher, the phone offers a 5-inch 1080p display, Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 Pro chipset, 13MP rear camera, 2,500mAh battery, Android 4.1.2 and 2GB RAM, to name a few. The 16GB version normally retails for $499 in the US, while the 32GB goes for $569, so it's definitely worth taking a few seconds to enter. Good luck!

Note: Please enter using the widget below, as comments are no longer valid methods of entry. The widget only requires your name and email address so we know how to get in touch with you if you win (your information is not given out to third parties), but you will have an option to receive an additional entry by following us on Twitter if you so desire.

Filed under: Announcements, HD, Mobile

The 8 Best Smart TVs You Can Buy

Source: http://www.businessinsider.com/best-smart-tvs-2013-3

panasonic smart tv interface

Smart TVs have become more prevalent as the technology becomes cheaper and more widely available.

These are web-connected TVs that come prepackaged with apps and streaming services like Netflix and Hulu, meaning you don't need to buy a separate box like an Apple TV or Roku.

Just about every major manufacturers has its own take on a Smart TV.

We rounded up our favorites here.

The Samsung LED F8000 is one of the company's flagship models for 2013

Samsung recently announced its 2013 line up of Smart TVs.

Samsung's Smart TV technology is some of the most advanced around. Users can interact with their television using voice, gestures, or the remote control.

But what really makes Samsung's 2013 models stand out is built-in software called S Recommendation that helps you find shows to watch and the integrated web cameras and sensors for motion and voice control.

Price: The LED F8000 comes in three sizes: 46 inches, 55 inches, and 65 inches, and are priced at, $2,199, $2,699, and $2,999, respectively.

Samsung's 2013 Plasma Smart TV is the company's other flagship.

Samsung's other 2013 flagship TV, is the the F8500 Plasma.

Samsung promises the F8500 will offer the ultimate picture quality with the deepest blacks and the brightest picture available.

"The F8500 delivers the same brightness levels and eight times the black expression of regular LED TVs, thanks to new luminance enhancements and Samsung’s proprietary Deep Black Algorithm and Real Black Pro II for improved black expression," according to Mark Hodgkinson.

But besides hardware features, the F8500 is also packed with all of Samsung's current SmartTV software. Users will have access to the SmartHub, five panels that show: what's on TV, Movies & TV Shows, Photos, Videos, and Music, Social, and Apps.

Besides these intuitive hubs, the television can give viewers recommendations tailored to what they like and you can speak with it telling it to change the channel to ESPN for example.

You'll be able to buy it at the end of March.

Price: The set comes in two sizes: 60 inches and 64 inches, and sells for $3,199 and $3,699, respectively.

LG's 60-inch 3D LED SmartTV is easy to set up and comes with a "Magic Remote"

LG's Smart TVs are some of the most advanced around. Each set has built-in WiFi and comes with LG's Magic Remote Control.

The Magic Remote Control allows you to simply wave and click while browsing the Internet or using the LG Dashboard t! hat mana ges apps and content.

Price: Currently on sale at Best Buy $1,299.99

See the rest of the story at Business Insider

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Article: Researchers create hollow fiber optic cable, almost reach the speed of light

Fiber optic cables are usually made of glass or plastic but those materials actually slow down the transmission of light ever so slightly. Researchers at the University of Southampton in the UK have created a hollow fiber optic cable filled with air that's 1000 times faster than current cables. S...

http://www.engadget.com/2013/03/26/researchers-create-hollow-fiber-optic-cable-almost-reach-the-sp /

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Hon Hai shows record profits, keeps making money from making iPhones

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2013/03/26/hon-hai-profits/

Hon Hai Precision, also known as Foxconn Technology, has reported its earnings for the year and notched a net income of $3.2 billion according to the Financial Times. Most familiar as the manufacturing muscle behind Apple's iPhones, iPads and the like, the Taiwan-based manufacturer beat analyst predictions on high margins for those products. Its subsidiary, Foxconn International Holdings, is the world's largest cellphone maker and produces devices for companies including Nokia and Motorola, but suffered a net loss of $316.4 million. As a result, some are concerned about Foxconn's heavy reliance on Apple as a customer going forward.Still, the company is reportedly continuing a plan to increase vertical integration, by manufacturing the parts for devices and not just putting them together -- we'll see if anyone notices changes in the final product anytime soon.

Filed under: Cellphones, Mobile, Apple

Source: FT, BBC, Bloomberg

T-Mobile's 4G LTE goes live in Phoenix, San Jose

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2013/03/26/t-mobiles-4g-lte-goes-live-in-phoenix-san-jose/

T-Mobile has started to roll out 4G services in the Phoenix and San Jose ahead of a press gathering today, according to our tipsters. Screen grabs show the service alive and kicking out speeds in the 20-30Mbps range, though we've yet to verify it for ourselves. The company already outed its "UnCarrier" plans on its site earlier featuring non-subsidized smartphones -- including LTE models -- along with unlimited voice, text and basic data plans. We should be able to color in the rest of the details later this morning.

[Thanks Nick, Dustin]

Filed under: Cellphones, Wireless, T-Mobile

NVIDIA's GTX 650 Ti Boost lives up to its name for $149

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2013/03/26/nvidia-gtx-650-ti-boost/

By NVIDIA's own admission, the lower registers of its Kepler-based GeForce graphics cards "couldn't always tackle [their] originally stated goal" of powering 1080p games with the settings amped up to high. So, after the GeForce GTX 650 and 650 Ti, maybe the third time's a charm. The latest card goes by the name GTX 650 Ti Boost, reflecting the fact that it brings NVIDIA's GPU Boost technology into the mix, which can vary the chip's clock speed as need allows. Stacked against the 650 Ti, this unit's got 782 CUDA cores (up from 768), a base clock of 980MHz (up from 928MHz) and a TDP of 140W, (compared to 110W). Another big draw is two-way SLI, so you can pair up cards when your wallet regains its strength. On the benchmark front, NVIDIA promises you can run Starcraft 2: Heart of the Swarm at highest settings and get a frame rate of 62fps, an order of magnitude higher than the 39fps promised on the 650 Ti. Sitting above the 650 Ti and below the GeForce 660, the 1GB version will set you back $149 (£124), with the 2GB edition priced at $169 (£144). In behind-closed-doors tests, the company has found that it comes out on top against AMD's $249 Radeon 7850, but we'll be rounding up independent reviews shortly in o! rder to verify that claim -- as well as seeing if it can make the 7790 think twice about getting out of bed.

Filed under: NVIDIA

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