Last month at the Mobile World Congress we seen the new entry-level phone from HTC, the One V. HTC only revealed a charcoal-colored version of the device however it seems that the phone will also be released in two other colours; black and purple. Two new renders of the HTC One V have emerged on Japanese site Blog of Mobile.

The HTC One V brings back the Android chin and offers a 1GHz single-core processor, 512MB of RAM, 4GB of storage, 3.7″ SLCD2 display and a 5-megapixel rear camera. It will be running on Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich. It will also feature the new HTC ImageChip which allows camera perks such as taking pictures while recording video.

Although no-one has seen a working handset yet it is expected to go on sale in the US for under $100. The last time HTC released a purple phone (the Gleam) it ended up on Verizon Wireless, so it could well be heading there again.

source [Blog of Mobile]

Apple iPad 3 ... Will go on sale in 10 countries this Friday at 8am

If you pre-ordered an Apple iPad 3 you were amongst 65.6 million people who are expected to purchase an iPad this year, up from an original projection of 55.9 million units. In 2013 the tablet sales are expected to increase with sales of 90.6 million iPads predicted, up from an original projection of 79.7 million units. Part of this success is due to Apple launching the new iPad simultaneously in ten countries this Friday; the biggest for an iOS device launch, according to CEO Tim Cook. The huge amount of pre-orders means new orders in some countries have been pushed back with the earliest shipping date being “2-3 weeks”.

Other manufacturers are currently struggling to compete with the iPad but Canaccord predicts Windows 8 tablets could be its biggest competitor in the future… “while Samsung appears to have the most competitive Android tablet offering, we view Windows 8 as a greater longer-term threat to Apple’s dominant iPad share than Android tablets.”

The Apple iPad 3 will be available in Apple retail stores across the US on Friday 16 at 8am. It will also be available from Best Buy, Target, Walmart, Radio Shack and Sam’s Club, although these stores will have incredibly limited quantities.

Apple also said that the new iPad will be available on Friday in Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Hong Kong, Japan, Puerto Rico, Singapore, Switzerland, UK and the US Virgin Islands. On March 23rd, the iPad will launch in additional markets, including in Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Macau, Mexico, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain and Sweden.

The new iPad features a Retina Display with a resolution of 2048×1536, a dual-core 1Ghz processor and quad-core graphics, 1GB of RAM, and 16 through 64GB of storage. It has a rear five megapixel camera which is capable of 1080p video recording. LTE models are also available for both AT&T and Verizon.

Spotify’s chief content officer Ken Parks has confirmed during SXSW that Spotify family plans are “definitely coming.” He was at the event hosting his “Future of Music” panel but outside of the panel he confirmed the news. Currently the Spotify subscriber base can choose from a $4.99 monthly plan that offers unlimited music listening with no advertisements or a $9.99 monthly premium plan which offers the same benefits plus the ability to use the service on a mobile device.

Parks would not comment on how much the family plans will cost, however, Rdio who are Spotify’s largest competitor offer plans at $17.99 per month for two users and $22.99 for three which is pretty reasonable. We expect Spotify will offer something better which means customers should experience solid savings each month. The goal with these new plans is to “get more people to spend in a household.”

via [The Verve]

The Windows 8 slate is packing a new Intel Core i7 Ivy Bridge processor which is likely to dual-core rather than the quad-core version that features in desktops. It features a hybrid user interface for PC gaming along with a pair of integrated game controllers with analog sticks, each of which offers force feedback. It also features a multi-touch screen 10.1″ 1280×800 display.

The Windows 8 OS means that it will run all PC games without the need for any porting. The touch-screen means it will also support games designed specifically for tablets.

Speaking about Project Fiona, Razer CEO Min-Liang Tan said:

The user interface we have designed for Project Fiona allows all existing PC games to be played right out of the box and also provides game developers new opportunities as they develop next-gen games on a highly-intuitive platform. Both developers and gamers are going to love the new user interface that combines the best of a gamepad, multi-touch screen and accelerometers for an all-new gaming experience on-the-go

Developer units will be available “soon” with Razer suggesting that those interested in porting a significant title to Project Fiona should get in touch.

Technical Specifications

Hybrid user interface for PC gaming
Intel® Core™ i7
10.1″ 1280×800 display
Full-screen user interface supporting multi-touch
3-axis gyro, magnetometer, accelerometer
Force feedback
Dolby® 7.1 surround sound
WiFi 802.11b/g/n
Bluetooth® 3.0

source [Razor]

To attack you push your arms towards the screen and you can even draw your sword by shouting “LONGSWORD”. If that’s not enough for you, dragon shouts are activated by saying “FUS RO DAH”. Some of the motion controls such as the bow and arrow still need a bit of work but it’s being updated as we speak and is starting to look quite impressive.

The content below was taken from the YouTube video description:

Skyrim Kinect is my latest PC game adapted to work with the Kinect. It allows for full character control using both gestures and voice.

Update: I’ve been reading your comments, and you guys have been very positive! There’s always going to be debate over motion controls, so keep the discussion going. It sounds like you guys have really enjoyed? the voice controls. Lucky for you, a new video is in the works, which includes Fus Ro Dah, and the ability to perform any shout you know, on the fly. Also, the new voice commands now include drinking potions and more spells. Video coming soon, so please subscribe! Cheers.

The gestures are simple and intuitive, yet allow for gameplay depth never before seen with the Kinect. Simply swing your right arm forward, up, left, or right, and your character will hack with his sword. Or, if you have a spell in your right arm, simply raise your hand or push it forward to cast. Use your left arm to control your character’s view; if you have something equipped like a spell or shield, your left arm will control that as well.

Movement is also easy. Put your right foot just inches forward to run, and even further forward to sprint. Your left foot forward switches to a slow walk, while leaning left, right, or back moves your character in that direction.

Reach down with your left arm to draw or sheath your weapon, reach down with your right arm to activate objects. Crouch to sneak, and raise your right foot to jump.

This established gesture-based control scheme has worked well in my previous videos, but what is new in Skyrim Kinect is the use of voice controls:

Yes, this means Dragon Shouts!

Voice control also allows for much easier access to the menus and the 8 hotkeys. Each hotkey item has its own word or phrase, and the word ‘double’ before most hotkeys will equip it to both hands. Voice controls really do help create a seamless Kinect experience that would otherwise be burdened by accessing menu’s using gestures.

Some features that are implemented, but not used in this video include:
- saying “Left hand” or “Right hand” to equip an item to a particular hand when in menu
- saying “Hello” to activate a conversation with a store owner or NPC
- saying “Journal” to access the journal
- saying “Skills” to access the skill trees
- saying “Switch View” to change between 1st and 3rd person perspectives.

So what kind of technology is behind the Skyrim Kinect video?

Well, gesture control is handled by the Kinect using a program called FAAST. FAAST, a middleware that operates using the OpenNI framework, converts user movements into keystrokes. Unfortunately, the openNI framework does not support voice control for the Kinect.

As a way around this, voice control in the Skyrim Kinect video is handled by a program called VAC (Voice Activated Commands). VAC allows you to pair spoken words with keystrokes.

Trying to avoid any type of controller, wires, or anything that might impede movement, I have used a RazorFish bluetooth headset to send voice commands to VAC. This device was relatively inexpensive, and probably accounts for some of the gameplay moments where a command is unrecognized.

I hope that you enjoy this Skyrim Kinect video. I look forward to suggestions about which PC games you feel should be Kinected in future videos.

FAAST:
VAC:
Music clips: Kevin MacLeod

source [KinectFAAST]

HP have assured us that they remain active in the development and support of the webOS but it has been offered up to the open source community where both applications and web services will be developed for the next generation of mobile devices. Regarding the decision to make the Operating System open source Sam Greenblatt, CTO of the outfit’s advanced technologies division said:

We looked at all the various options we have on the table. We think this option is the best for the tech industry and HP.

webOS is the only platform designed from the ground up to be mobile, cloud-connected, and scalable. HP paid $1.2 billion for webOS maker Palm in April 2010 and they came up with a strategy to integrate it into its core PC products as well as a new family of mobile devices. However, HP’s webOS-based smart phones and tablets didn’t sell well. By mid-2011, the company realized it needed a change in strategy. So it ceased development of webOS devices and began examining an exit strategy. HP CEO Meg Whitman said on Friday:

By contributing this innovation, HP unleashes the creativity of the open source community to advance a new generation of applications and devices.

Despite this good news for the webOS, HP’s webOS hardware lineup is still dead for now, at least. Greenblatt emphasized that HP might later choose to build devices running webOS, the same way any other OEM would evaluate any other operating system.

TechCrunch managed to get a copy of Meg Whitman’s memo to the HP staff:

From: CEO – Meg Whitman
Sent: Friday, December 09, 2011 2:03 PM
Subject: webOS to be contributed to the open source community

Meg Whitman
CEO

TO/ All Employees

SUBJECT/ webOS to be contributed to the open source community

Today, we announced that HP will contribute our webOS software to the open source community and support its development going forward. We believe that this is the best way to ensure the benefits of webOS are accessible to the largest possible ecosystem.

Since we announced the discontinuation of our webOS devices last August, the executive team has been working to determine the best path forward for this highly respected software. We looked at all the options in the market today and we see a clear need for a platform that is both open and has a single integrated stack.

webOS is the only platform designed from the ground up to be mobile, cloud-connected, and scalable. By providing webOS to the open source community and other hardware vendors we have the potential to fundamentally change the landscape.

HP engineers, partners, other developers and hardware manufacturers will be able to contribute to the development of webOS. Together, we have an opportunity to make it the foundation of a new generation of devices, applications and services to address the rapidly evolving demands of both consumers and enterprises.

I would like to thank the webOS team for continuing your efforts under very difficult circumstances during these last couple of months. Your dedication is very much appreciated.

This is a very positive move for the development of our people, our software and HP overall.

We strongly believe that the best days for webOS are still ahead.

Best,

Meg

Developers interested in this intriguing change should stay tuned to HP’s webOS Developer Blog.

Version 1.1 has arrived, which brings support for the previously mentioned smaller screens, as well as custom chords for the “Smart Instruments.” More features are listed below.

• Create custom chords for Smart Instruments
• Support for 3/4 and 6/8 time signatures
• Reset song key without transposing original recordings
• Transpose songs in semitones or full octaves
• Additional quantization options for recordings including, straight, triplet and swing
• New audio export quality settings for AAC and AIFF (Uncompressed)
• Arpeggiator available in Smart Keyboard
• Adjustable velocity settings for Touch Instruments
• Numerous enhancements, including automatic fade out and improved audio import options

It’ll be interesting to see how many small iDevice owners enjoy using GarageBand on the 3.5-inch display. Like many other feature-packed iPhone apps, it can sometimes be difficult to get used to doing complex tasks on a really small screen.

The GarageBand app is $4.99 for all iPad, iPhone (3GS and above) and iPod Touch (3rd and 4th gen) users. Current owners of the iPad app obviously get the 1.1 update for free.

via [TechCrunch]

However, computer performance eventually caught up and Windows XP really started to take off. Windows XP was the operating system for years on end. It was to the point where if you had a Windows PC and weren’t running Windows XP, people would look at you funny. At its peak, XP was installed on 80% of all computers.

Windows XP brought a completely new look to computer OSes. From Windows 95 to 2000, the graphical user interface mainly stayed the same. However, Windows XP raised the bar and then some with its all new look and feel.

Even though it seems that Windows XP is now long and gone thanks to Vista and Windows 7, you might be surprised that 50% of computer users are still using the 10-year-old operating system. We don’t blame them — it’s still a great piece of software to have. Users even got upset when Microsoft wanted to stop OEM pre-installations back in 2007.

In any case, I don’t think we’ll ever see another operating system still garner 50% of computer users after 10 years of being on the market. It’s very possible, but with the way Microsoft and Apple are outing new OSes every 2-3 years, it doesn’t seem likely.

via [Ars Technica]

However, the real damage is that Netflix stock took a nose dive during the past month and went down by 37% to around $75 per share, which is a far cry from the $300 per share that Netflix maintained during the summer months.

Despite all of the recent backlash that the company has received, Netflix reported $822 million in revenue for the third quarter and earnings per share of $1.16. This beat estimates of $811.79 million revenue and earnings per share of 96 cents.

In a letter to Netflix shareholders, the company mentioned it handled the September price increase and the separation of DVD rental and streaming services rather poorly:

“What we misjudged was how quickly to move there. We compounded the problem with our lack of explanation about the rising cost of the expansion of streaming content, and steady DVD costs, so that … many perceived us as greedy. Finally, we announced and then retracted a separate brand for DVD. While this branding incident further dented our reputation, and caused a temporary cancellation surge, compared to our price change, its impact was relatively minor.”

They’re very correct on the fact that announcing and retracting separate brands for DVD rental and online streaming made them look pretty dumb, and while they say that the impact of this has been fairly minor, we’ll have to wait until next quarter’s results to really see if Netflix screwed the pooch on this one.

via [Mashable]

If you have an iPad 2 with a Smart Cover, try this out for yourself to see if it works for you:

1. Lock a password-protected iPad 2.
2. Hold down the power button until the iPad 2 reaches the power-off slider.
3. Close Smart Cover.
4. Open Smart Cover.
5. Click cancel on the bottom of the screen.

After that, you should be at the home screen, where you can view and even delete any of your apps, but cannot open any of them. However, if you leave an app open and then lock your iPad, someone who does this trick will have complete access to that app.

This issue only affects iOS 5 users, but it’s said that it may also occur in earlier versions of iOS 4.3.

The only way to “fix” this as of now is to go to Settings, then General Settings and switch the “iPad Cover Lock/Unlock” button to Off. Hopefully the bug will gain Apple’s attention enough to release a minor update for the iPad iOS.

via [9to5Mac]