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AfterDawn: News

Microsoft: Like we've said before, there is no Xbox handheld coming

Written by Andre Yoskowitz @ 05 May 2014 11:22

Microsoft: Like we've said before, there is no Xbox handheld coming Xbox head Phil Spencer has denied rumors that a handheld Xbox console (or Xbox Surface) is on Microsoft's short list of upcoming projects.

"I don't think we'll do a dedicated handheld gaming device," he confirmed.

For the time being, all of Microsoft's mobile gaming will be dedicated to Windows Phone and Windows-based tablets, with a possibility that future Windows Phones could use Xbox controllers and stream to the large screen without lag.

This is not the first time Microsoft has denied a gaming handheld is in the works, and it probably won't be the last but it truly seems like Microsoft wants nothing to do with that industry dominated by the Nintendo DS/3DS line.

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AfterDawn: News

Coming soon: Comcast to stream EA video games via cable boxes

Written by Andre Yoskowitz @ 05 May 2014 9:52

Coming soon: Comcast to stream EA video games via cable boxes According to "five sources" close to the company, Comcast may soon begin offering streaming video games from major publisher EA via their X1 cable box.

The companies have allegedly been testing the service for two years, and the streaming games will include hit franchises like FIFA and Madden.

Comcast's X1 cable box, the most high-end in the industry including a full interface, operating system and apps, also has the ability for voice control.

If accurate, the move would be the boldest by a cable company trying to get into the gaming world and fend off powerful rivals like Amazon and their set-top FireTV, which includes the ability to play games with a full-sized controller.

Comcast is currently in the process of acquiring Time Warner Cable for $45 billion, combining the biggest cable companies in the U.S. into a behemoth.

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AfterDawn: News

Xbox Studios to partner with Showtime for 'Halo' series

Written by Andre Yoskowitz @ 05 May 2014 8:56

Xbox Studios to partner with Showtime for 'Halo' series According to sources, Xbox Studios is in negotiations with premium cable channel Showtime to develop a live-action 'Halo' series.

The drama is supposedly high priority for Microsoft's Nancy Tellem, who is in charge of bringing original content to Windows and Xbox devices.

If the deal is struck, it would be a first in the industry as the series would air on Showtime and on Xbox as well, with more interactivity built in for gamers. Showtime would get the episodes first.

Steven Spielberg's Amblin TV has been developing the drama with Xbox Studios for over a year, with a script by screenwriter Stuart Beattie.

Xbox Live has 48 million users, but has lacked original content.

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AfterDawn: News

SanDisk announces 4TB SSD with 8TB in the pipeline

Written by Andre Yoskowitz @ 05 May 2014 7:48

SanDisk announces 4TB SSD with 8TB in the pipeline SanDisk has announced this week the launch of the world's first enterprise-class 4TB SSD using 19nm process technology.

Additionally, the company showed off new Lightning II performance SSDs with capacities up to 1.6TB.

Looking into the future, SanDisk confirmed Optimus MAX branded 6TB and 8TB SSDs at the 2.5-inch form factor for 2015, promising they will be first to market.

"We see reaching the 4TB mark as really just the beginning and expect to continue doubling the capacity every year or two, far outpacing the growth for traditional HDDs," Manuel Martull, SanDisk's product & solutions marketing director said.

The 4TB SSD can reach 400 MBps sequential reads and writes and up to 75,000 random I/Os per second (IOPS) for reads and writes, notes the company. The drive is aimed at those with data warehousing, media streaming and web server needs.

Pricing was not revealed since pricing for enterprise-class drives are determined by the third-party sellers.

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AfterDawn: News

Apple acquires power-efficient LED startup LuxVue

Written by Andre Yoskowitz @ 04 May 2014 9:45

Apple acquires power-efficient LED startup LuxVue Apple has acquired the power-efficient LED startup LuxVue, although financial terms were not disclosed (Apple never does).

The micro-LED maker will be integrated to help Apple in its "hardware innovations areas" say sources, which could mean the tech will be used in upcoming iPhones or iPads (or maybe even an iWatch).

There is also the potential that Apple may be looking to start building their own device screens in-house, cutting out other manufacturers like Samsung and Sharp and Japan Display.

So far, LuxVue has allegedly seen a breakthrough in display tech, allowing for much better power efficiency than currently seen in LED.

The company has raised $43 million in venture capital funding to date.

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AfterDawn: News

Jury awards Apple $120 million in Samsung patent infringement case

Written by Andre Yoskowitz @ 04 May 2014 8:20

Jury awards Apple $120 million in Samsung patent infringement case Earlier this week, a federal jury ruled in favor of Apple in its ongoing patent war against rival Samsung.

Samsung infringed on two patents, ruled the jury, and Apple was awarded almost $120 million in damages, a fraction of the total $2.2 billion it had demanded.

On the other side, Apple was also found to have infringed on a Samsung patent, and Samsung was awarded $158,400.

The ruling follows Apple's victory in 2012 where it was awarded $1 billion in damages from a few more serious patent violations.

"Today's ruling reinforces what courts around the world have already found: that Samsung willfully stole our ideas and copied our products," Apple spokeswoman Kristin Huguet said at the time. Among the software, code and patents that Samsung allegedly stole were related to word correction, slide to unlock, quick links, background syncing and universal search.




AfterDawn: News

New Vine site goes live with search, playlists, editor's picks and more

Written by Andre Yoskowitz @ 04 May 2014 2:08

New Vine site goes live with search, playlists, editor's picks and more Popular video clip sharing platform Vine has updated its Web site, adding search, navigation and discovery features including playlists, Editor's picks and more.

Best of all, all the content is available to everyone without the need for a Vine account or even to login if you do have an account.

In addition, users will have access to trending tags, channels and popular pages, similar to the mobile apps.

Vine has kept the recently launched TV mode, which allows for full-screen and TV playback.

The company, which was acquired by Twitter last year, has been relatively quiet with plans and features so the newly revamped site is certainly a pleasant surprise.




AfterDawn: News

Nintendo denies it is preparing to unveil new hardware at this year's E3

Written by Andre Yoskowitz @ 04 May 2014 1:30

Nintendo denies it is preparing to unveil new hardware at this year's E3 Nintendo has denied the rumor that it will be revealing a new console at this year's E3 event, squashing hopes that the company could be preparing a sequel to its failed Wii U.

"I can confirm Nintendo is not revealing any hardware at this year's E3," reads the official statement.

There have been rumors for the past year that Nintendo is working on its new "Fusion" console. Most recently, IGN and other outlets reported that trusted sources including third-party developers and former Nintendo employees had confirmed the new hardware.

While the company may not be unveiling new consoles, there certainly could be a revision to the Wii U or a new accessory or peripheral.

For a look back at the rumored specs of the Fusion, check our previous report here.

Nintendo's keynote at E3 is scheduled for June 10th.

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AfterDawn: News

Android, iOS still dominate tablet market, Windows reaches 6 percent share

Written by Andre Yoskowitz @ 04 May 2014 12:30

Android, iOS still dominate tablet market, Windows reaches 6 percent share Thanks to the end of quarter research report from Strategy Analytics, we have a better look into how the major operating systems are faring in the tablet market.

Overall, global shipments reached 57.6 million for the Q1, with Android and iOS dominating as expected. Android had a near 66 percent share, followed by iOS at 28 percent and Windows moving up slowly to a 6 percent share.

Peter King, Director of Tablets at Strategy Analytics, said, "Global Tablet shipments reached 57.6 million units in Q1 2014, up 19 percent from 48.3 million in Q1 2013. Android continues to make steady progress and now commands two thirds of the tablet market share.

Apple iOS shipments (sell-in) were 16.4 million iPads in Q1 2014 which declined 16 percent annually, but Apple claimed that due to channel inventory changes which were reduced significantly from the same period last year, sell-through only declined 3 percent. We believe that the disappointing performance in the early part of the calendar year is because Apple has changed its product release cycle to the holiday timeframe. iOS will likely lose share over the next several months to refreshed Android products, but we believe Apple will win back meaningful high-end market share during the final months of the calendar year."

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AfterDawn: News

T-Mobile USA has another huge quarter, adds 2.4 million subscribers

Written by Andre Yoskowitz @ 04 May 2014 11:34

T-Mobile USA has another huge quarter, adds 2.4 million subscribers T-Mobile USA had another great quarter, adding 2.4 million new net customers for the Q1.

The carrier, which remains the fourth largest in the nation, once again saw bigger net additions than rivals AT&T and Verizon, and revenue grew 47 percent quarter-over-quarter to $6.88 billion.

Despite the growth, aggressive discounting took its toll as the company lost $151 million for the quarter.

T-Mobile has attacked the wireless industry of late, offering cheap unlimited plans, no-contracts, easier phone upgrade plans, free international roaming and texts and paying off ETFs from other carriers.




AfterDawn: News

Kim Dotcom: RIAA, MPAA, DOJ deserve some thanks for Mega's explosive growth

Written by Andre Yoskowitz @ 04 May 2014 11:06

Kim Dotcom: RIAA, MPAA, DOJ deserve some thanks for Mega's explosive growth Kim Dotcom's latest venture, MEGA, has seen explosive growth in the last six months, with uploads tripling and now totaling 500 million per month.

The founder, always one to challenge authorities, has thanked industry trade groups RIAA and MPAA, (as well as the US Department of Justice) for their lawsuits and added publicity for the sites. The entertainment industry was key in shutting down file sharing colossus Megaupload in 2012.

"There are several growth factors. People spend more time at the computer due to the cold weather, the lawsuits by MPAA and RIAA which advertised Mega, and the ongoing advertising from the dumbest ever U.S. Department of Justice case," Dotcom noted.

"We are experiencing massive growth. We can't add new servers and bandwidth fast enough," Dotcom concluded.

MEGA, which has prioritized security and privacy, also started to get a boost when it was revealed that the NSA was using surveillance techniques on U.S. and foreign citizens. MEGA uses encryption on all files and servers.

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AfterDawn: News

ZeniMax accuses John Carmack of stealing IP when he left for Oculus VR

Written by Andre Yoskowitz @ 04 May 2014 9:47

ZeniMax accuses John Carmack of stealing IP when he left for Oculus VR John Carmack, the legendary creator of Doom and new CTO for Oculus VR, has been accused of stealing intellectual property (IP) when he left for his new position.

id Software, the company he co-founded (and now owned by ZeniMax) sent a claim to Oculus with bold accusations: "It was only through the concerted efforts of Mr. Carmack, using technology developed over many years at, and owned by, ZeniMax, that [Oculus founder] Mr. Luckey was able to transform his garage-based pipe dream into a working reality."

Of course, Oculus VR has responded and denied the allegations: "It's unfortunate, but when there's this type of transaction, people come out of the woodwork with ridiculous and absurd claims. We intend to vigorously defend Oculus and its investors to the fullest extent."

Carmack defended himself, as well, adding: "No work I have ever done has been patented. Zenimax owns the code that I wrote, but they don't own VR."

ZeniMax, when asked for comment, offered a long response.

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AfterDawn: News

Samsung holding health-based event later this month, new fitness band updates coming?

Written by Andre Yoskowitz @ 04 May 2014 1:26

Samsung holding health-based event later this month, new fitness band updates coming? Samsung is preparing a new event in which it will unveil upcoming health-based apps or devices.

The event will take place on May 28th and promises a "new conversation around health."

Samsung recently unveiled its Gear Fit fitness band, and its Galaxy line of devices have been using a powerful S-Health app for the last couple of years.

Most likely, Samsung will unveil upcoming components for the Fit and future iterations, and a conversation about health related apps.

Source:

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AfterDawn: News

New render leaked for alleged Amazon 3D smartphone

Written by Andre Yoskowitz @ 04 May 2014 12:54

New render leaked for alleged Amazon 3D smartphone According to BGR and 'trusted sources,' we may have an authentic render of the alleged upcoming Amazon 3D smartphone.

The device does not appear to be anything special, with a standard metal body, curved edges, dual speakers and a "home" button like the Galaxy and iPhone lines.

Of course, the most notable feature is the extra cameras to add the depth, eye tracking and "3D" sensors to the device. For its standard cameras, the device will have a 13MP rear camera and a 12MP selfie camera.

Additionally, the phone is expected to have a 4.7-inch display, a quad-core processor, 2GB RAM, Amazon's Fire OS operating system, and a special data and content plan known as Prime Data but otherwise a mystery.

Amazon is said to be preparing a launch at the end of June.

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AfterDawn: News

Analyst: Cloud company Box must sell itself

Written by Andre Yoskowitz @ 04 May 2014 12:34

Analyst: Cloud company Box must sell itself Box, the popular cloud storage service, will need to sell itself to survive, says at least one tech analyst.

The company, which had been planning to go public this year, has supposedly delayed those plans following a "wreck" in technology stocks over the past few months where some stocks have fallen over 25 percent, including Facebook, Amazon and many newer IPOs like FireEye and Splunk.

Supposedly, founder and CEO Aaron Levie originally denied his board the ability to sell the company but there may be a search for buyers again now that the IPO has been delayed.

Sam Hamadeh, CEO of PrivCo, an analyst firm for private companies, left a tough assessment of the company's prospects: "Box was not and is not ready for prime time for the IPO market, and it would have difficulty surviving in the wilderness of the public markets ...Box's only realistic option is to sell the company."

"Box was bleeding cash, could not seem to decide if it is a consumer app company or an enterprise software company, and has powerful competitors in Amazon, Google, Apple and others who were initiating a price war," he adds. "And Box simply cannot ever win a price war against rivals like those."

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