Ghost Volta

Tesla, Xbox One, and Google Chrome: GV Quicky for May 22, 2013

Molly Cushing — Thu, 23 May 2013 04:59:03 +0000

Tesla Motors pays back their loans nine years in advance, Xbox One will not be backwards compatible with Xbox 360 games, and Google’s voice search is now available on Google Chrome. This is your news for today in your GV Quicky for Wednesday, May 22nd, 2013. Link Up: Tesla Pays Back Loans Xbox One Not Backwards Compatible New Voice Search Now Available On Google Chrome Featured Song: ”Last Night” by The Strokes

Call of Duty: Ghosts Comparison Video Shows Off Next-Gen Graphics

Molly Cushing — Thu, 23 May 2013 02:28:28 +0000

Now that we’ve seen the release trailer, it’s time to see what Infinity Ward will do with their new engine in Call of Duty: Ghosts. In the video above (which was also shown at the Xbox One event), you’ll see comparisons to Infinity Ward’s previous title, Modern Warfare 3 and the improvements made graphically in their upcoming Ghosts. Infinity Ward says that each sequence shown is running in realtime on their newest engine. The dogs certainly look more adorable.

New Voice Search Now Available On Google Chrome

Molly Cushing — Wed, 22 May 2013 23:39:50 +0000

Google’s conversational search feature is now available in the latest version of Chrome. In Chrome 27, you can click the microphone icon in the search box on Google.com, opening a search page that listens for your voice commands. I’ve tested the feature, searching for generic things to asking specific questions like, “How old is Miley Cyrus?” The results turned up quickly and accurately (she’s 20, in case you were wondering) and are given back to you with a lovely robot female voice. I also asked questions about the weather and traffic, both of which returned answers relative to my location. The new update adds the ability to understand and link queries using Google’s Knowledge Graph, relating successive searches to the same subject. For example, when I asked “How old is Miley Cyrus?,” I could then (and did) follow up with “Did she get married?” and Google’s contextual search algorithms relate that search to your original question. Oh, and apparently, her marriage to Liam Hemsworth is still to be determined… in case you were wondering. In the near future, Google Search will offer the option to say “OK Google” which will then prompt Chrome to respond without the need for buttons. It will also personalize results if you opt-in to Google’s search experiments. Via: The Verge

Xbox One Will Allow Xbox 360 Media Transfers But Not Games

Molly Cushing — Wed, 22 May 2013 18:38:14 +0000

Microsoft’s corporate vice president Phil Harrison confirmed with Polygon today that Xbox 360 users will be able to transfer music, movies, and television from the Xbox 360 to the Xbox One. However, when asked to clarify if the Xbox One would be backwards compatible with Xbox 360 games, Harrison confirmed that Xbox 360 games will indeed not be compatible with Xbox One. “Actually, to be clear music, movies, television will. All that comes across. Anything that you’ve acquired from Xbox Video or Xbox Music will move across.” When asked to clarify why Xbox Games on Demand and Xbox Live Arcade games could not transfer across to the Xbox One, Harrison attributed a ”long architectural technical reason,” which he has yet to share. Update: In an interview with The Wall Street Journal, Don Mattrick, president of Microsoft’s Xbox division said, ”If you’re backwards compatible, you’re really backwards.” Mattrick claims that only 5 percent of players play games from a previous generation on a new system. With such a small percentage, it didn’t make sense for Microsoft to invest in backward compatibility for Xbox One. So, is backwards compatibility really ‘backwards thinking’? Which percentage are you in? The 5% or a the 95%?

Song of the Day: “One Way Trigger” by The Strokes

Joshua — Wed, 22 May 2013 18:07:17 +0000

“Comedown Machine is the fifth studio album by American indie rock band The Strokes.” (Wikipedia) Never been a huge fan of The Strokes but this album speaks to me. Huge variety of vocal range in each song and instrumental arrangements that go from upbeat and quirky to relaxed and kickback . Fan’s of The Cars “an American rock band that emerged from the New Wave music scene in the late 1970s” (Wikipedia) will find the song 80′s comedown machine particularly awesome.

Xbox One Reveal Recap: GV Quicky for May 21, 2013

Molly Cushing — Wed, 22 May 2013 04:44:26 +0000

Xbox revealed official hardware specs for the Xbox One, EA showed us it’s new engine, Quantum Break looks pretty awesome, and a new trailer for COD Ghosts. This is your special GV Quicky of the Xbox One reveal for May 21st, 2013. Link Up: Xbox One Specs EA Ignite Quantum Break Call of Duty: Ghosts Featured Song: “The One” by Backstreet Boys (get it?)

Song of the Day: “Take a Walk” by Passion Pit

KelseyWho — Tue, 21 May 2013 23:58:58 +0000

Passion Pit never fails to put me in a good mood, and “Take A Walk” from their new-ish album Gossamer is no exception. The band continuously puts out catchy, upbeat songs that are mellow enough to not drive you mad when they’re stuck in your head. Even my boyfriend, who dislikes a lot of my musical preferences, enjoys this one. Although it’s mostly because he can drive fast cars while listening to it in Forza Horizon. And if you like “Take A Walk” definitely make sure you check out the rest of Passion Pit’s stuff. It’s a prime example of what they do best.

Bendable, Flexible Displays Are The Future

Erika Childers — Tue, 21 May 2013 21:28:18 +0000

Display Week is happening at SID2013 this week and the star of the show seems to be LG’s new 5-inch flexible plastic OLED display. In January at CES 2013, we saw something similar from Samsung’s Youm with OLED flexible display and Android Authority reported on Sunday that Samsung was granted a patent on the Youm display model. The plastic panel makes the display unbreakable and super flexible, so all you Clumsy Clara’s out there have no fear! According to Engadget, the plastic piece will be shielded by a glass counterpart, which of course will be breakable, but the OLED panel will remain intact, making repair costs much lower. It’s also much cheaper to manufacture, which means the resulting device will be (or should be) cheaper for consumers. “big things for the future of our phones and tablets” When the display debuts (rumors tell us it will show up an actual smartphone later this year) bigger or smaller sizes will be available, so it could ideally be fitted for anything from the iPhone to the Planar Helium tablet. We’re not sure of the exact resolution of the current prototype, but it should be adjustable as well to accommodate a variety of displays. “repairing or replacing damaged screens will no longer cost a fortune…” This means big things for the future of our phones and tablets. It means repairing or replacing damaged screens will no longer cost a fortune or be as labor-intensive. It sets a precedence for being able to fold my tablet down to smartphone-size, and vice-versa. And I personally think something this innovative will take off within the industry. Do you agree or disagree? Let me know in the comments! Sources: Android Authority, Engadget

Latest Wolverine Trailer Arrives Online!

Jade Stallworthy — Tue, 21 May 2013 20:15:41 +0000

Marvel are really stepping things up a gear this year! With Iron Man 3 being one of the best Marvel sequels seen to date, and Thor 2 set to be bigger than ever, it’s no surprise that The Wolverine looks just as epic! Hugh Jackman is back in the role of Logan, now a citizen in Japan with a very shady past. Awesome Japanese location shots and a wide range of martial arts, The Wolverine really encapsulates that oriental feel shown in the official poster released a couple of months back. The trailer offers an old face we thought we’d never see again, Famke Janssen’s Jean Grey/Phoenix in the opening sequence. And as if that wasn’t exciting enough, the glimpses of Silver Samurai squaring up to Logan make the film extremely amazing. Gold star Marvel! The Wolverine will arrive at theatres on July 26th Source: Den of Geek

Quantum Break is Next Game From Remedy, Coming to Xbox One

Spencer Higgins — Tue, 21 May 2013 19:19:26 +0000

Leave it to Remedy to feature a mostly live-action trailer at the Xbox Reveal. But hey, if anyone can do it, Remedy can. Details are scarce, of course, but it is of course coming to the newly announced Xbox One. Quantum Break