If Guild Wars is more your bag, this ergonomic scrolling sidekick comes with three main buttons and two sets of six buttons on the side to click your way through. There's 20 pre-programmed MMO buttons as soon as you whip it out of the box and the clickable wheel can tilt to aid comfort and manoeuvrability. If you want to take the customization even further the illuminating thumb panel has 16 million possible combinations to pulse or change colour as you immerse yourself in the world of fantasy.
Available in a range of glossy paint jobs, the mouse that looks like the hand of a Transformer has a 6400 dpi twin eye laser sensor and 10 programmable buttons giving you plenty of options to customize and get a great range of sensitivity. Bluetooth Smart 4.0 support and new GameSmart technology means a longer battery life and compatibility with other Bluetooth enabled devices plus it also has the potential to work with smartphone apps in the future.
A gaming mouse with a brain, the revamped Kone boasts a 8200 DPI Pro Aim laser sensor for high precision tracking and a 32-bit Turbo Core V2 72MHz MCU processor to ensure minimal lag when switching between customizable functions and the eight programmable buttons. There’s 576KB of storage on board to save macro and game profiles and two illuminating light rails down the side of mouse aims to adds a little immersive gaming to proceedings.
To help you in the quest to load up your smartphone with the best time-killers and apps to make the most of the year ahead, we’ve handpicked apps across the platforms that warrant your immediate attention.
So whether you’re an Apple iPhone 5user, a Google Android lover, aBlackBerry fiend, or a Windows Phone newbie, switch on your Wi-Fi or 3G to download our selection of this month’s hottest apps.
Remember you can check out the latest iPhone, iPad, Android, Windows Phone 8 and BlackBerry 10 apps rated and all in one place in the game reviews
Hottest app of the month: Score! World Goals
Formerly known as Score! Classic Goals, the mobile equivalent of Phoenix from the Flames has received a major update which now allows you to recreate an additional 200 classic goals from domestic as well as international games. Graphics and sound effects have been given a polish and a new turn-based multiplayer mode means you can find out who really has a photographic memory of the most iconic strikes.
Whether you a love a selfie or need to do a hands-free snap, the gesture based app lets you take pictures simply by waving your hand in front of the camera sensor so all that is left to do is clear the background of any incriminating objects.
The HTC Butterfly Sense 5 update, which was confirmed several months ago for arrival by HTC, is planned for arrival in May, though no specific release date is known at this point.
Shortly after HTC announced the HTC One, the company confirmed that its Sense 5 update would become available to older devices in its arsenal including the HTC One X, One S, HTC One X+ and the HTC Butterfly. The company said that at least some of the features would arrive for the global versions of the devices in the future.
Don’t expect the Droid DNA Sense 5 update to roll out in May.
Until now, HTC hadn’t released any concrete details on the upcoming Sense 5 updates. Recently though, in remarks made to Focus Taiwan, the company confirmed that it plans to roll out Sense 5 for the HTC Butterfly by the end of May.
Primed for FPS gamers, the M65 has its own dedicated ‘Sniper button’ which lowers the sensor resolution and should increase your accuracy success rate from long range. An Avago LaserStream ADNS-9800 sensor provides the high performance tracking while the solid aluminium chassis should be able to withstand a furious bang on the table or two. Profiles for multiple games can be stored on the device and can be quickly toggled between while Corsair has claims switches have been rated for 20 million clips which means even the most hardcore gamers can get some serious game time in before even contemplating having to replace it.
A sleek new iPhone 6 concept skips the futuristic fluff and shows us what the iPhone 6 could actually look like with a thinner waterproof design, magic trackpad like home button, a better camera and a design that’s believable.
This new iPhone 6 concept sticks the with an iPhone 5 inspired design, but slims down and replaces the small home button with a tap anywhere model, similar to the no home button prototype iPhone 6 concept we shared earlier this month.
We’ve already heard rumors of an iPhone 6 prototype without a home button, and based on the design and iPhone 6 features in this concept, it’s definitely something Apple could possibly deliver to eager iPhone shoppers.
A new iPhone 6 concept with a thin design, waterproof capabilities and a new home button.
iPhone 6 Concept Video
This sharp-looking iPhone 6 concept comes to us from Arthur Reis, who wants to be a designer at Apple. Reis shares his concept on Flickr and on the video below. This iPhone 6 concept looks similar to the iPhone 5, especially in the video, but the iPhone 6 concept photos below highlight key features.
Touch Anywhere Home Button
If Apple does make an iPhone 6 without a home button, expect some new method of activating the home button. It’s not like Apple, a company that stresses over a change in screen size, will up and change one of the primary means of controlling the iPhone without some kind of shift.
This iPhone 6 concept features a touch anywhere home button.
In this iPhone 6 concept Reis imagines an iPhone with a home button that is much like the Apple Magic Trackpad. The concept features a home button that spans the bottom of the screen. Rather than meld this into the iPhone 6 screen Reis chooses to leave the same bezel area in place as on the iPhone 5.
This new home button area allows users to tap anywhere to control the iPhone’s home button. This could potentially cause user input problems, but perhaps he is figuring in some iOS 7 software magic to prevent errant clicks and home button activations.
Waterproof iPhone 6 Concept
While it’s not visible at a design level, the iPhone 6 concept is also waterproof and rugged. This concept shows an iPhone capable of surviving 12m drops, scratches and can survive up to 10m underwater. This may sound far-fetched, but the Sony Xperia Z already offers a slim waterproof design.
A rugged, waterproof iPhone 6 concept.
There are numerous companies that offer waterproofing services direct to manufacturers like Apple and even directly to iPhone owners so this is not out of the question.
A new set of iPhone 6 rumors claims Apple is further cutting ties with Samsung, and could save the rumored Apple A7 processor for the iPhone 6.
The iPhone 6 is a possible name for Apple’s next, next iPhone — one that could launch in 2014 with a new design and many more features than the iPhone 5S which is rumored for a summer launch.
The latest rumors build on the growing conflict between Samsung and Apple in the wake of a long legal battle and point to an iPhone that is as close to Samsung-free as possible.
According to EMSOne, by way of Macotakara, Apple is planning a split from Samsung when the current contract for making the mobile chips in the iPhone and iPad expires this June.
Samsung makes the Apple A series processors found in the iPhone and iPad, including the iPhone 5 A6 processor and the iPad 4′s A6X processor.
Intel may begin making Apple A7 processors, which may end up in the iPhone 5S. Image via iFixit
This latest rumor claims Apple is planning to move the Apple A7 processor production to Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company, a Taiwanese company, when the contract expires. This report claims Apple is planning a smaller 20-nanometer Apple A7 processor for 2014.
Earlier rumors claimed Apple is moving part of the Apple A7 processor production to TSMC in 2014. This previous report also claimed Intel would be tapped to work on 10% of the demand for these A7 chips and that Samsung would handle 50% of the production. The delay of TSMC production is reportedly due to ramping up for the new processor.
To say that Google brought their ‘A’ game to this year’s Google I/O conference wouldn’t do it justice.
The company unleashed a dizzying array of revamped products including a Google Maps application that finally introduces the dynamic routing algorithms we’d seen in other navigation applications, and tools that will allow users to get their hands on the latest and greatest applications more quickly.
Here are 5 things Microsoft should take note of as the company prepares to discuss the future of Windows 8 and Windows Phone 8 at Build in June.
Assess and Address
The company has yet to address the fact that it’s Surface family of tablets doesn’t yet include a popular 7-inch tablet.
Sure, Google didn’t dazzle us with a new Android or updated Nexus hardware, but they hardly needed to. At this stage in the game, it’s really about taking stock of where your platform is in relation to what everyone else in the market is doing. To that end Google also delivered.
Want a music subscription service? The company noticed that’s where the music industry was headed and added one.
Be Likeable
Microsoft’s Steve Ballmer routinely has issues with connecting directly to users.
While it strayed away from Google’s core message a times. The I/O Keynote was all about communicating features –no matter how complicated they were, in a way humans could understand without sounding like marketing spiel. Sure, that didn’t always happen –especially during it’s the presentation for the company’s updated pictures initiative. But it at least tried.
For the last three years, we’ve had to put up with presentations from Microsoft that revolved around “delighting” users. Let the work you’re doing speak for itself and get outta the way. Also, when’s the last time you heard someone outside of marketing mention delighting users?
The so-called "rugged" version of the Samsung Galaxy S4 that is expected to be released water and dust proof, has just been through the GFX Benchmark site and some interesting information has been revealed. First of all, according to the site, the name of the phone will be the Samsung Galaxy S4 J Active. One model (SGH-I537) is believed to be heading for AT&T in the states, while another model (GT-I9295) will be released in Europe. The phone will be unveiled in a matter of weeks, and follows a new trend toward the water and dust proofing of high end models which really took off at CES with the Sony Xperia Z.
Just like the regular everyday version of the Samsung Galaxy S4, Android 4.2.2 will be pre-installed on the Samsung Galaxy S4 J Active, which will still have TouchWiz running over Android and keep the FHD screen. The major difference (besides the water and dust proofing, of course) is that the "rugged" version of the new Android flagship model will have a quad-core 1.9GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 Plus (MSM8960) processor under the hood. That compares with the quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 600 processor or the Samsung Exynos 5 Octa found on the U.S.and International versions of the Samsung Galaxy S4 respectively.
Is there a reason to cut corners a bit with the CPU on the Samsung Galaxy S4 J Active? Could the cost of making the device better able to withstand the elements be so much that Samsung needed to go with the older chip to keep the price down? It is hard to answer these questions right now because the phone hasn't even been reduced and we have no pricing information yet. It simply could be that Samsung figured that those who typically buy rugged version of handsets are in particular fields where using a Snapdragon S4 instead of a Snapdragon 600 or an Exynos 5 Octa simply wouldn't matter.
Results from a GFX Benchmark test reveal specs for the Samsung Galaxy S4 J Active
Lenovo K900 now available in China, priced at $536
The Lenovo K900 was unveiled at CES 2013 and the phablet has been the talk of the town for its impressive build and hardware specifications. The good news is that the device is now available in China and the 5.5-inch phablet will be up for grabs across the globe this summer.
The phablet sports a 5.5-inch display with a 1080 x 1920p resolution with a pixel density of 400ppi. Lenovo K900 is powered by the latest Intel Atom Clover Trail+ processor clocked at 2 GHz, alongside 2 GB of RAM. Furthermore, the device comes with a 13 megapixel Sony Exmor BSI rear camera and a 2 megapixel front-facing shooter.
Lenovo K900 is priced at RMB 3,299 (about $536) and the phablet will soon be available in other international markets.
Photoshop Express comes with the ability to crop, straighten, rotate, flip, remove red eye and other basic functions. The auto-fix feature in the app allows you to adjust brightness, exposure and shadows in one-touch.
The photo editing tool has the one-touch filters, slider controls for exposure, contrast, clarity and many more such options. Furthermore, you can upload your photos to Adobe Revel and sync them across all your devices.
Lastly, Photoshop Express comes with the Adobe noise reduction pack that minimizes unwanted grain and speckling in your photos.
Adobe Photoshop Express for Windows 8 and Windows RT can be downloaded from the Windows Store.
Ford’s Special Vehicle Team (SVT) is responsible for quite a few special vehicles. The F-150 Lightning, the SVT Focus and the Shelby GT500 are just a few of their popular items. In 2010 the SVT produced the Raptor. The Raptor is designed to be a truck that is more capable off-road than on. It is a truck that can run theBaja 1000 straight off the assembly line. For 2013 Ford made a few changes to the Raptor and added some more advanced technology to the package.
We took a look at Ford’s latest off-road offering when we road-tripped across Texas, and had a few surprises along the way.
The Enigma
The F-150 SVT Raptor (here on out known as just “Raptor”) is a bit of a perplexing machine. It is built on the F-150 platform, but it is far from a practical truck. The Raptor has a towing capacity of just 8,000lbs in SuperCrew trim and also only comes available with a 5.5ft bed, which limits space. In that 5.5ft area of space, only 1180lbs of stuff can be hauled. Compared to Ford’s other truck offerings, the 11 city / 16 highway mileage is also poor. The “as tested” price of the Raptor we reviewed is also $53,595. The truck is seemingly built with a single purpose, and it is quite surprising that Ford is able to sell these trucks at all.
The Raptor includes the latest version of Ford’s MyFord Touch system, with a bit of a twist. Instead of all touch-sensitive buttons, like in the 2013 Fusion, the Raptor features physical buttons with nice grips on them. They can be used with gloves as well, making this version of the system preferred in cold climates. The MyFord Touch system in the Raptor also features a different instrument cluster. Unlike the Fusion, the system features just one screen and does not provide redundant information like navigation or music playing. This center screen can also be seen in the current Mustang.
The Truck Apps functionality allows the driver to view information geared specifically for off-road use. This includes the steering wheel angle and front wheel angle. It also includes elevation and vehicle pitch, which is used for rock crawling. Our test vehicle was equipped with the front-mounted off-road camera option, which is engaged through the Truck Apps. This camera activates when off-road driving and allows the driver to see items that may not be visible from the cockpit. The camera features guidelines to show where the vehicle is facing. It also features projected lines that will show where the vehicle is headed based on current steering angles.
With a HTC Butterfly Sense 5 update and others likely on the way, owners of older HTC devices are likely wondering what’s going to be on board the software when it arrives. And while that’s not entirely clear, one insider believes that all Sense 5 updates will be coming with both HTC BlinkFeed and HTC Zoe on board when they arrive.
When HTC first announced the HTC One, it also confirmed Sense 5 updates for a number of older devices including the global variants of the HTC Butterfly, HTC One X, HTC One X+ and the HTC One S. Since then, official information has been hard to come by, with the HTC Butterfly the only device that has seen a full on Sense 5 update leak ahead of its release date which HTC has seemingly confirmed for May.
HTC Zoe and BlinkFeed will apparently hit all devices getting Sense 5.
Despite the confirmation, HTC Butterfly and owners of HTC’s other devices likely still have questions, especially since HTC said that there was a chance that not all Sense 5 features would arrive for all devices. Complicating things was the fact that HTC Zoe was evidently absent from the leaked Butterfly Sense 5.1 Android 4.2 update.
According to @LLabTooFeR though, a noted HTC insider, all Sense 5 update will be coming with BlinkFeed and Zoe on board. These remarks come in response to a question about the features with the HTC One X+ Sense 5 update and come just a few days after he claimed that the HTC One X Sense 5 update would bring both Zoe and BlinkFeed.
By no means is the final confirmation of these features coming aboard future Sense 5 updates, but it’s a sign that there is a strong possibility that they will. HTC did say that some Sense 5 features would not come aboard the software updates, but it’s possible that it may have been referring to other features, including HTC BoomSound and Sense TV, both of which require specific hardware.
The first Sense 5 update is looking like it will be for the HTC Butterfly. HTC has said that it plans to roll the software out by the end of the month but thus far has not committed to a specific date.
Corning’s newest type of glass, the second-generation Lotus XT Glass, will make it easier for smartphone manufacturers to produce better displays.
The new Lotus XT Glass is Corning’s follow-up to the original Lotus, a glass made for high-quality displays, but wasn’t easy to work with. The new glass will work with the high temperatures manufacturers work with for modern devices, making it possible to produce “faster, thinner, brighter, and higher resolution” displays.
Lotus XT Glass should also make it possible to create slimmer and more efficient phones. As displays are typically the biggest power draw on smartphones, the new glass should result in better battery life for smartphones.
With Lotus XT Glass Corning focused on letting manufacturers push display technology forward as opposed to making it as durable as possible like Gorilla Glass. Gorilla Glass 3 is Corning’s other top-of-the-line glass for mobile devices, made with durability in mind.
Microsoft may have a new UI in store for the next Xbox that will keep the same basic look of the Xbox 360 with a few notable changes.
According to The Verge the next Xbox will have smaller Live Tiles than the ones currently on the Xbox 360. Microsoft introduced smaller Live Tiles with WIndows Phone 8, and will likely bring them to Windows 8.1, so bringing them to the next Xbox makes sense.
Sources also tell The Verge the new Xbox dashboard will have lighter or darker themes, which honestly doesn’t say much about what it may look like. There’s no word on if the dashboard (which pops up when users press the Xbox button) will have an entirely new look on the next Xbox, or just a new color palette.
While HTC stated publicly that it doesn’t have an HTC One Nexus in the works to battle the new Samsung Galaxy S4 Nexus, a noted HTC leakster claims that one is still possible with a summer release mentioned as a possibility.
Earlier this week, at Google I/O, Google announced a new Samsung Galaxy S4 Google Edition, also called the Samsung Galaxy S4 Nexus, that will be coming to the Google Play Store on June 26th for $650. This device is going to be an unlocked version of the Galaxy S4 that comes with vanilla Android software, an unlocked bootloader, and quick updates, but also come with the Galaxy S4 design.
There are many advertising networks out there connecting content publishers (i.e. bloggers) with advertisers. The advantage of those networks is that they can tap a wide range of advertisers, something that would be very difficult for a small blogger. Secondly they also have economies of scale to deal with thousands of ads monthly and consequently a higher credibility.
That said, such networks also have a huge drawback, they usually eat half of your money. Text-Link-Ads, for instance, places simple text links on your site. You can decide the amount of links you want to put on your blog, and based on a couple of parameters (traffic, topic, pagerank, etc.) they will calculate a monthly price per link. Suppose the price is $50 monthly per link, this means that an advertiser will pay $50 dollars to put the link on your site, but you will receive only $25 and Text-Link-Ads will eat the other $25.
Subscribing with advertising networks can be an option if you don’t have time to sell advertising yourself or if just want to make a couple of bucks to pay your hosting bills. If you are serious about your blog and if the traffic is starting to grow steadily, however, I highly recommend that you create your own “Advertise” page to deal directly with potential advertisers, cutting out the middle man.
You can customize your advertise page in whatever way you prefer, but a good way to structure it is to divide the page in three main paragraphs. On the first paragraph you need to describe what topic your site deal with, who are your readers (age, geographical locations, profession, or anything else that describes them) and what kind of traffic or exposure the site is receiving. Notice that the more precise you get the better.
