Aviary lands on Windows Phone 8, paid content made free for a limited time

Aviary has come a long way from its humble origins as a Flickr plugin -- over the last year it's graduated to a standalone app, been given a makeover and has even been ported to Windows 8. Today the popular photo-editing software lands on yet another platform: Windows Phone 8. As on iOS and Android, the app itself is free and comes with a bunch of filters and stickers. Extra packs can usually be purchased for two bucks a pop, but WP8 users can get them for free for a limited time -- not bad for a digital lizard sombrero. Follow the source link below to check out the (temporarily) gratis photo editor yourself.

SOURCE: Aviary (Windows Phone Store)

Amped Wireless' ACA1 802.11ac WiFi adapter launches July 22nd for $89.99

"It's not me, it's you," scolds the distant WiFi hotspot as your connection drops for the ninth time in an hour. As much as you may dream of buying a 20 meterEthernet cable, Amped Wireless is determined to curtail that flirtation with its latest piece of 802.11ac hardware, the ACA1. The USB 3.0-powered unit clips to Windows and OS X machines, utilizing the company's long-range mojo to ensure that you'll be the envy of frustrated tweeters on the periphery of a public router. The gear arrives on July 22nd, but pre-orders begin today with $89.99 securing you a piece of the action -- and if the idea of that big Ethernet lead still appeals, we've got a video to convince you otherwise after the break.

SOURCE: Amped Wireless

Sony Xperia Z successor due later this year: 20MP Xperia i1 Honami incoming?

While Sony’s Xperia Z is still making headlines, it seems the company is already thinking ahead about what will replace the flagship device. We’ve heard rumors and have seen leaks of the so-called Xperia i1 “Honami”, which looks to be a worthy successor to the Xperia Z from what we’ve seen, and Sony Korea’s CEO thinks such a device will launch later this year.

A report notes that Sony’s Korea CEO Kenji Sakai says that the successor the Xperia Z will be out sometime later this year. This phone is suggested to be the Xperia i1 Honami, which we’ve seen in the recent past as a 20MP smartphone that is said to pack the new Qualcomm Snapdragon 800 processor.

With the rumored phone’s upgraded camera, it will take on the recently-announced Nokia Lumia 1020 and the Samsung Galaxy S4 Zoom. The 1020 comes with an impressive 41MP camera that aims to revolutionize smartphone cameras, and while we still have yet to try the phone’s camera out for ourselves, Sony will mostly likely have to out something big in order to overthrow the 1020.

As for a focused release window for the i1 Honami, Sony isn’t saying much, but we wouldn’t be surprised if we saw the rumored device make an appearance at IFA 2013 in September. The only question that remains is when the device will release in the US. Like some of Sony’s past phones, the US may not see the i1 Honami until after its initial release over in Asia.

VIA: PhoneArena

SOURCE: EconomicDaily

Microsoft “Lab of Things” will connect your devices at home

As a part of Microsoft’s HomeOS project, the company will expand with what’s called “Lab of Things”, making the case for researchers giving big boosts to devices in your living space. Microsoft’s “LOT” will work with the public as well, sending out an SDK (Software Development Kit) to creators of software for the expansion of home-based systems in the wild. This system has been deployed during and in conjunction with the first day’s events at this year’s Microsoft Research Faculty Summit event.

As an extension of HomeOS, Microsoft’s Lab of Things will also work to bring “teaching and research on connected homes and drives”. As an extension of Microsoft Research, software is licensed to academic institutions as well as developers aiming to push the environment to homes. Lab of Things (LOT) is aimed at running entire institutions – or homes, of course – from a single dedicated machine.

This single machine runs Microsofts HomeOS and goes by the name of HomeHub. While the system can be utilized to work with systems of many different types, its in home automation, energy management, and healthcare that Microsoft aims for at this time.

HomeOS currently works with devices such as televisions, cameras, routers, printers and PCs. Developers have also connected gaming consoles, surveillance equipment, mobile phones, and medical equipment. The whole system is licensed to developers and prospective institutions for free – for non-commercial use, at this time.

Lab of Things (LOT) is currently available for download as an SDK for users of all types. You can access this SDK at Microsoft Research and hit the ground running – and make sure you let SlashGear know what you’re working on while you’re at it!

VIA: ZDNet

Apple iPhone 5S to start production this month

According to Jefferies analyst Peter Misek, the Apple iPhone 5S will start undergoing production later this month. This dovetails with a report that we passed along to you the other day about Foxconn going on a hiring spree. While this information is sure to warm the heart of any iOS fan, we still have some time before the phone is actually launched. 

Misek sees Apple releasing the Apple iPhone 5S in the fall and expects 25 million to 30 million units to be shipped in the third quarter. That, says the analyst, will be followed by shipments of 50 million to 55 million Apple iPhones for the holiday quarter. The Apple iPhone 5S should bring a faster processor, an improved camera with a longer lasting battery and according to one of sources, it will support NFC.

The analyst also stated that production has started on the Apple iPhone Lite, the low-cost version of the phone for emerging markets. Despite the apparent destination of the phone, Misek pegs the price of the handset at $300 to $400 and says it is more like a mid-range model at that price. If the Apple iPhone Lite is priced in that range, "it will not be competitive in emerging markets," he says.

We wouldn't necessarily take Misek's comments to heart and certainly wouldn't take them to the bank. It seems forecasting production of the next iPhone is a quarterly ritual for the analyst who also said back in March that he expected production of the phone to start that very month with a June or July launch. The good news for the analyst is that eventually, he might be right.

source: BusinessInsider via SlashGear

Shadow of the Eternals Crowd-funding Campaign Relaunching on June 25th

After a heap of controversy, including Denis Dyack’s inclusion in the team (along with several other Silicon Knights veterans) and child pornography charges against co-founder Ken McCulloch, Precursor Games has announced that it will be restarting its crowd-funding campaign for Shadow of the Eternals on June 25th. This includes the campaign created on Kickstarter and the one run through its own site.

An action-adventure title, Shadow of the Eternals was marked as the spiritual successor to Eternal Darkness: Sanity’s Requiem, developed by Silicon Knights. The game was to be divided into a number of episodes and developed for the PC and Wii U.

The original campaign was halted last month when the developer stated that it came across “a host of a new exciting opportunities that will make the game better than we envisioned.” How that will play out is unsure, but look forward to more details as the new Kickstarter gets underway.

Capcom Announces Ultra Street Fighter 4

Capcom recently announced at Evo 2013 that it would be bringing out a new version of Street Fighter 4 in early 2014, titled Ultra Street Fighter 4, and will feature tons of new content on top of the original game and Super Street Fighter 4. Even more intriguingly, you’ll be able upgrade your current version of the game for just $14.99 to avail of the new content. New users will have to pay $39.99 for the full release.

The developer also announced that the game will be available on PS3, Xbox 360 and PC. There will be five new characters added – including Poison, Hugo, Rolento, Elena and a mystery character never before seen in a Street Fighter game – along with a re-balancing of the current roster. There will also be 6 new stages, and past DLC outfits will also be included.

There will be more costumes to come though, as indicated by pre-order bonuses for the same from Udon. The Japanese version of the arcade game will also has NESiCa support, though again there’s been no announcement for a date when it will hit arcade.

Destiny: Bungie Reveals New Information on Weapons, Customization and Races

In the latest Mail Sack of Champions post on its own site, developer Bungie took to answering questions regarding its persistent online shooter Destiny, which is coming next year for PS3, Xbox 360, Xbox One and PS4.

Regarding whether there will be visual customization of weapons, Bungie answered, “Yes! And not only visual. Your weapon in Destiny will be one of many ways in which you’ll tell your own story – and that story will become more interesting the longer you write it.

“The various implements of destruction that you wield (and there are a lot of them) will tell the world who you are, where you’ve been, what asses you have kicked, and (most importantly) how you like to fight. The more you use them (did we mention there are a lot of them?), the more they’ll be an extension of your own legend.”

As for how a Guardian measures up to a Cabal: “Depends on the Cabal. The Guardians won’t be the only fighting force in Destiny teeming with unique warriors. Take the Fallen, for example. When people saw them at E3, they were all too quick to compare them to the Elites you fought in Halo. In truth, the Fallen are as varied and diverse as the Covenant as a whole.

“The Cabal, along with the Vex and the Hive, are equally rich in their varieties. There are a lot of bad guys in Destiny. We need heroes to push them back whence they came. Apply within.”

Finally, it’s been revealed that Destiny will feature integration with Bungie.net. “We’re making strides right now to make sure that your experiences with playing Destiny are extended beyond the console in similar, and in some cases, very different ways.” However, aside from that, “there will be a lot of ways to strut your stuff in Destiny, and we’ll tell you about them someday soon.”

Minecraft Meets Left 4 Dead

Fortnite, the zombie survival game from Gears of War developer Epic – which was announced several moons ago but stayed under the radar – will apparently be a mix of “Minecraft meets Left 4 Dead”.

As reported by Eurogamer, Tim Sweeney spoke at Develop about the game and the studio’s approach for development. “Now we’re building several games at different scales. We’re building Fortnite, a PC online game which is a fun, sort of Minecraft meets Left 4 Dead.

“It’s a 35-person team. It’s not aiming to beat Call of Duty in terms of graphics. It’s more of a Pixar art style and a limited project in scope, just aimed at fun as opposed to massive breakthroughs in scale.”

“We’re building a bigger, triple-A shooter project that hasn’t been announced yet. And we’ve also internally started developing really tiny projects with two or three guys working together as a team for a few months in small scale game development.

“It’s really cool. We’re testing our development at all scales and learning it as we go. We’re trying to master development at every scale.

Warframe PS4 Development Took Only Three Months

Of the free to play multiplayer titles arriving on the PlayStation 4, one of the bigger wild cards is Digital Extremes’ Warframe. Already available on PC, the game was recently announced to be heading to Sony’s console as well. One would assume that the decision was taken far in advance but according to creative director Steve Sinclair, it actually took less time.

Speaking to VG247, Sinclair stated that,“They [Sony] approached us actually. I guess it’s coming up to about four months ago. We were in our open beta and rocking the Steam charts there, and Sony got in contact with James, who’s the owner of the company and said, ‘Hey what would you think about bringing Warframe over to our next gen console?’

“We had, probably, a 30-second conversation about if we should do it. [Sony] squeezed themselves to send us as many dev kits as possible and three months later we were on the [E3] show floor at PlayStation 4 showing Warframe playable.”

Not that it was too difficult to accommodate the PS4′s requirements. “Warframe supported 64-bit and DirectX 11 for a long time and there’s a lot of commonality in that sort of architecture with what they’re doing on PS4. They’ve got a lot of cores on there, so, I was every surprised how fast we got up and running – I think Sony was as well. When we went to [E3] people said, ‘Holy smokes this is on PlayStation 4? It looks amazing.’”

As of now, Warframe’s PS4 release date is still to be announced.

Dead or Alive 5 Ultimate to Receive Three Pre-Order Bonus Packs

The Ultimate version of Team Ninja’s Dead or Alive 5 will be getting even bigger as Tecmo Koei Europe announced three bonus packs that players can obtain by pre-ordering the game.

For those who pre-order from GAME, you’ll be able to avail of a costume pack for Kokoro, Leifang, Hitomi and Mila. Amazon pre-orders will receive two costumes each for Kasumi and Ayane. The third pack will contain – you guessed it – costumes for Christie, Helena, Tina, Lisa, Momiji and Rachel. It will be made available via indie retailers through the CentreSoft Group.

Dead or Alive 5 Ultimate, recently announced for the PS3 and Xbox 360, will see new characters like Jacky, Leon and Ein and features such as the “Move Details Plus” mode for improved training and changes made to the tag-team gameplay. It will also release on September 3rd alongside a free to play version of the game, Dead or Alive 5 Ultimate: Core Fighters.

Mark Cerny: PS4 is “Easy to Learn and Difficult to Master”

PlayStation 4 chief architect Mark Cerny recently spoke to CVG about the innovation that the console brings to the market, and pointed out that all developers will have a place for Sony’s next generation of gaming.

“The hardware is an enabler. We are very intentionally trying to make the hardware easy to learn and difficult to master. When you think about innovation, I think that is going to be satisfied by the larger user experience that surrounds the games.

“I’m talking about a true friends’ network, the ability to download as you play, the ability to see what your friends are doing in real-time, sharing screenshots and videos. The experience is that, when you play a game, you feel like you’re on an adventure with your real-world friends.

“We are trying to make PS4 open, and we are looking for those stars, those brilliant minds of this generation, and we want to bring their games to the front and centre. From indie games to triple-A titles, there’s a place for all of them. The whole variety of appeal is key to PlayStation.”

The PlayStation 4 is currently slated to release during the Holiday season.

WWE 2K14 Expected to Feature The Ultimate Warrior as Playable Character

World Wrestling Entertainment has been teasing as much on Twitter regarding a big announcement for the upcoming WWE 2K14 to happen today. Given the hints they’ve provided, it seems that the famous (and infamous) Ultimate Warrior would be part of the game.

According to The Wrestling Observer, it’s looking more and more to be the case according to different sources from the company. It also seems that in the August issue of WWE Magazine, the Warrior makes an appearance in an ad for WWE 2K14. The legend also reportedly filmed a commercial for the game recently, face paint and all.

The Warrior is expected to be a special attraction to the game much in the same way earlier titles like WWE 12 and WWE 13 had Brock Lesnar and Mike Tyson respectively. Stay tuned to the official announcement in the meantime.

WWE 2K14 is developed by Yuke’s and Digital Concepts, with 2K Sports publishing the same for Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 on October 29th in North America and November 1st in Europe.

F1 2013 Announced for Xbox 360, PS3 and PC

codemasters has announced that F1 2013 will be releasing for Xbox 360, PS3 and PC this year in Autumn. A reveal trailer and screenshots for the same have been released and the developer has revealed that there will be two different editions when the game ships: the regular edition and the Classic edition.

The regular game will feature all the circuits, cars and drivers from the 2013 season of the Formula One World Championship. The Classic edition will be the so-called Limited Edition for the game, which will include content from the 1980s and 1990s such as tracks and the like. This includes classic drivers such as Nigel Mansell, Mario Andretti, Emerson Fittipaldi and Gerhard Berger, along with five cars from Ferrari and Williams & Lotus.

Of course, the core game will be adding new features with game modes and enhancements to the experience. This include full RaceNet integration, the return of Grand Prix mode, mid-session saves and an expanded Young Driver Test.

Never settle

Mediatek MT6592 8-core could be clocked at up to 2Ghz with multicore GPU

More details of the Mediatek true 8-core processor have been announced including details of claimed speeds and the GPU it will run.Mediatek’s 8-core MT6592 processor is a very exciting piece of equipment! Not only will the chipset be the world first true 8 core processor (i.e. each core will will be able to run simultaneously) but it will also usher in a new breed of low-cost Chinese phones which will be able to rival the likes of Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 800 SoC!

New details published today claim that the MT6592 could be clocked at speeds of up to 2Ghz with early test units already scoring well over 30,000 points in Antutu. In addition to the high speeds Mediatek are also reportedly going to use a SGX544MP GPU.

The Power VR SGX544MP GPU is and updated version of the older single core GPU, MP standing for multiprocessor. So how many processors with the SGX544MP GPU have? Well according to official documentation it can be equipped with between 2-16 cores currently with 8 to 64 cores coming in the future!

The first lot of 8-core MT6592 chipsets will be shipped out to companies by the end of this month, with the first phones expected around November time!

Rovio announces an epic sequel: Angry Birds: Star Wars 2

As promised, Rovio has just announced a sequel to its massive hit title –Angry Birds: Star Wars on its blog.

Set to launch on September 19, the next iteration of probably-the-most-successful-mobile-game-ever will continue the Star Wars saga and feature over 30 “never-before-seen” characters from its universe. The cherry on top? Rovio has pretty much confirmed that beloved Jar Jar Binks will rank among them:

“At this point we will not comment on rumors or speculation that Jar Jar Binks will be in the game. “

Speaking of characters, the Disney-wannabe has taken its merchandising effort to the next level – collectible 'telepod' figures will be available from Hasbro – Rovio says that placing the telepod on top of a smartphone's or a tablet's camera will prompt the app to scan it directly into the game. Pretty awesome stuff.

We may soon have a winner at our hands, for the Finnish-based company has taken a cue from its Bad Piggies spinoff – Angry Birds: Star Wars 2 will also allow you to choose your side!

Without any further ado, treat yourself to a Chewie-smashing-Darth Vader type action in the video below:



source: Rovio

Samsung Galaxy Mega 6.3 DUOS leaks

Well, well, well, what do we have here? What you're looking at is allegedly the dual-SIM version of one of the biggest smartphones known to man - the Samsung Galaxy Mega 6.3 DUOS. As you can see, the DUOS variant's styling is pretty much identical to that of the single-SIM Mega 6.3, and apart from the ability to cram two SIM cards into that plastic shell, anything else seems to have stayed the same.

What this means is that the handset, which can easily make your 7" tablet redundant, is going to come equipped with a 6.3", 720p LCD display, 1.7 GHz dual-core Exynos processor, 1 GB of RAM, 8MP camera (2MP front one),microSD card slot and, who would expect, Android 4.2.2 Jelly Bean.

The Samsung Galaxy Mega 6.3 DUOS will reportedly have the SCH-P729 model number, which has already acquired its Bluetooth certification. We don't know exactly when it's going to become available, but having in mind that the regular Mega 6.3 is already wreaking havoc on the market, we're pretty sure that it won't be long before you can purchase your very own jumbo phone.

source: @leakschina

Whether you think you can or think you can't, you're right

Whether you think you can or think you can't, you're right

Muku Shuttr Bluetooth Remote Camera Shutter Looks Pretty Cool, Already Funded On Kickstarter

Professional portrait photographers swear by their expensive wireless shutter triggers - those little remote gadgets that let them take photos while waiving a stuffed bear at a toddler. Now someone is trying to bring the same functionality to smartphones with the oddly-named Muku Shuttr, a tiny Bluetooth remote that lets you snap photos without holding your smartphone. It's a novel idea, and the Kickstarter campaign has already passed its modest $10,000 goal with more than three weeks left.

The device itself is incredibly simple: just a button and a keychain hole. Start the camera app on your phone (front or rear-facing camera, it doesn't matter), position the phone, press the button, and you've got your photo. Compatibility seems to be a bit hit-or-miss: all the recent iOS devices are supported without an addition app, as are the Samsung Galaxy S4, SIII, Note II, 8.0, and 10.1, and the Nexus 4. According to the description on Kickstarter, a separate app enables the use of the Muku Shuttr on the HTC One, One X+, and the Sony Xperia S and Xperia Z. Other Android phones are explicitly not supported: "We do NOT recommend other Android phone which is not mentioned above." That seems a bit strange - surely if the Nexus 4 works without an app, other AOSP phones would be OK as well?

The campaign reached its goal in under a week. Pledge goals that include hardware (plus a suction cup kickstand) start at $29, and the earliest deliveries are scheduled for October... but I wouldn't hold my breath, considering how Kickstarter deliveries tend to slip. (I'm still waiting on Star Command, you jerks.) Also, a bit of warning: the English on the Kickstarter page is pretty rough.

Muku Shuttr on Kickstarter - thanks, WinDroidGuy

Acrobits Softphone SIP client coming to Windows Phone in Q3

Windows Phone 8 build in some hooks to make it easier for VOIP apps to integrate with the OS, but so far only Skype has really made use of it.

If however you use a generic SIP implementation the good news is that Acrobits are in the process of developing an app in Windows Phone that will allow access to most SIP servers.

This is according to Rafael Torreblanca, VP of Business Development from Acrobits S.R.O, who on enquiry said:

HI,

Thanks for your email. Yes we pare actually working on it, and we will release a version but only for end Q3 this year…

Best regards

Rafael Torreblanca
Acrobits S.R.O
VP Business Development
www.acrobits.cz
www.cloudsoftphone.com

Their current iPhone client supports both SIP and Google Voice integration, which will hopefully carry over to their Windows Phone app also.

Read more about their apps at Acrobits here.

Thanks Blago for the tip.

Microsoft Planning To Unify Windows OS For Mobile And Tablet Devices

According to Russian blogger Eldar Murtazin, Microsoft has started planning for Windows/Windows Phone OS that will release in 2015, which will unify phone and tablet OS.

He claims Microsoft has formed a working group to create a blueprint for the next major version of Windows Phone, and that this may include a complete review of the critically acclaimed but divisive Metro user interface.

Eldar is also reporting that the new OS will be built from scratch just like Windows Phone 8 was developed after Windows Phone 7, and that it may once again break compatibility, explaining why Microsoft increased the support date for Windows Phone 8 from 18 to 36 months.

The first designs are expected to be presented internally in the fall, with the launch of the unified OS expected in 2015.

Eldar has been an annoying but relatively reliable source, meaning the leak should probably be taken seriously.

A review of the UI of the  OS for its next major version is probably a good idea, to stop the fresh Metro UI from going stale, but breaking compatibility is sure to set the OS back tremendously, something we clearly saw demonstrated in the switch from Windows Mobile to Windows Phone, when sales dropped from 4 million per quarter to 0.5 million per quarter, and Windows Phone 7 to Windows Phone 8, which also saw a precipitous drop in developer interest and a major slowing in the growth in the Windows Phone Store following this.

What do our readers think of this development? Let us know below.

via: unwiredview

Huawei also developing an app to clear Other Storage problem

If there is one issue Microsoft has failed spectacularly to address it is the Other Storage bug, which results in the storage memory of Windows Phone users being slowly eroded over time by the collection of temporary files which the users are unable to delete themselves.

Nokia was as usual the first to release their own fix for the issue, meaning for users who have access to Nokia’s Storage Check app this is no longer a problem.

Now it seems Huawei is also developing their own app, according to Wp7forum.ru, who report the app will allow users to delete cached files, temporary files and application installation packages.

Unfortunately a release date for the app is not know, but given that Huawei has released smartphones with only 4GB of internal storage I am sure for their users the fix can not come soon enough.

Nokia Lumia 1020 Teardown Manual Now Available

We are just 2 weeks away from Nokia Lumia 1020 launch in the US. Even though consumers have not yet started pre-ordering the device, the service/teardown manual for Lumia device service centers. This manual explains each and every part of Lumia 1020 and how to assemble it after tear down with near diagrams.

If you are a person who would like teardown your device, then this manual is for you. For rest of us, the service centers will be ready to repair our Lumia 1020 with the help of the above manual if anything bad happens.

You can find the manual here.

via: Windowsmania