Digg Reader to be available by June 26th, first on iPhone then Android within 60 days

Google Reader is shutting down on July 1st and other RSS readers have recently climbed up in adoption, specifically Feedly, Newsblur and Reeder.

Digg is looking to resurrect their past and become a popular resource for news once again. Version 1 of “Digg Reader” will be released to everyone “by June 26th.” Digg noted that they’ll “doing the launch in phases because, as you might have guessed, RSS aggregation is a hard thing to do at scale, and we want to make sure the experience is as fast and reliable as possible.” However, the ‘freemium’ service promises to have a clean design with “key actions like subscribing, sharing, saving and organizing.” In addition, probably most important for users, is that people will be able to import info over from Google Reader.

Digg said they’ll have “useful mobile apps that sync with the web experience.” On a blog post Digg showed a glimpse of Digg Reader running on an iPhone, but declared they’ll release an Android app “60 days following launch.” No word on BlackBerry or Windows Phone 8 apps.

Source: Digg

Dota 2 expected to launch this summer after extended beta

If you are reading this, then you are most certainly a Dota fan, and what do majority of Dota fans want to know? “When is Dota 2 being released?” Good news for you is that we finally have that information.

Very recently it has been revealed that the sequel for Dota will be coming out of its closed beta which will be available for free to all users. Not only that, but recently in an email by ValveTime the date window for the game’s release has been confirmed. Erik Johnson confirmed with ValveTime that Dota 2 is planned to be released this summer.

As of right now, you can get Dota 2 through an early purchase or through one of the beta keys that you might have in your Steam inventory. People might not see a full release as something spectacular right now but the fact is that the game’s release will definitely give a huge spark of interest after it releases. The release of the game would mean a lot of activity at The International which will be held in August. In case you don’t know, The International is arguably one of the biggest Dota tournaments–with a prize pool of over $2 (USD) million.

Reportedly, when the next two heroes – who are being called Abaddon and Legion Commander – are launched, that is when the game itself will be released.

Source: PocketGamers

Eveready Ultima Mobile Power UM 22

Portable mobile charging pack can sustain deliver full charge of 2200 mAh for a month-enough to charge a smartphone.

PROS

• Decent charging times
• Pocketable form factor
• Overload protection

CONS

• Sharp edges
• Slightly longer recharge time

EDITORS’ RATING

8

Eveready had recently announced mobile charging packs for smartphones as well as tablets. Launched under the new brand Eveready Ultima, the new Mobile Power chargers support a large variety of devices including Apple. We received the Eveready Ultima Mobile Power UM 22 for review after the launch and decided to put it through some real world tests.

Design

Eveready Ultima Mobile Power UM 22 is constructed with thick white plastic material that packs the battery and other circuits inside. UM 22 is about an inch thick and three inches long. This mobile charger is easily pocketable and can be placed at any corner of your backpack or hip-pouch.

The button to start or switch off is located on one of the sides with a micro USB port with IN written under it. This basically means that the UM 22 needs to be connected to a power source for recharging using that micro USB port. Under the start button are four blue colored LED indicators that show the charge remaining in Mobile Power.

Eveready has packed three different adapter ports - micro USB, mini USB and Apple's custom pin adapter. The design of this mobile charging pack is quite pocketable and good enough if you wish to charge your phone at the end of the day. Our only concern is that the sharp edges at the sides of the charger could hurt a bit.

Performance and usage

Eveready has packed 2200 mAh of battery juice in the Mobile Power UM 22. This Mobile Power Bank takes about four hours or a bit more to recharge. With 1 Amp power output, it took about 2 hours and 20 minutes to completely charge the Nexus S's 1500 mAh battery. We completely drained the battery of the Nexus S and recharged it using the UM 22.

The LED indicators showing the charge remaining in the UM 22 were really useful. To top it off, the ability to sustain power for a month is an added advantage.

Another nifty feature we enjoyed is the automatic shut off mode, which basically puts the charger into sleep mode when no smartphone is attached for charging. Eveready promises safe charging and protection from overload.

Conclusion

For those who are looking for a handy and portable solution for recharging their smartphone Eveready Ultima Mobile Power UM 22 is the best choice and costs Rs 1,600. Further, that is the MRP and one can get it for less through several deals and discount coupons from online retailers.

Eveready UM 22 is a must accessory for those who use their smartphones a lot throughout the day-this is the best way of charging your phone while you are away from a charging point.

Microsoft Enhances, Speeds Up Windows Phone Speech Recognition

The voice recognition and speech features included in Windows Phone have just gotten a huge speed boost according to Microsoft.

Speaking for Microsoft at the Windows Phone Blog, Michael Stroh and the Microsoft Bing Team announced this morning that the voice search and voice to text options that are included in every Windows Phone 8 device are now twice as fast as they were before and “15 percent more accurate”.

Bing on the HTC 8X, as well as all Windows Phone 8 devices.

To understand why this is such a breakthrough for the company you first have to understand where voice search and speech to text originate. Having been able to reach across the aisle to use the speech recognition technology that it acquired with the purchase of TellMe, all voice applications in Windows Phone, rely on Bing. It’s that team that partnered with Microsoft Reach to implement new technologies to speed up the process of processing voice.

Right now most voice processing is done by the Bing service itself, not by the device, introducing a slight lag in-between the time a user does something with voice recognition and the time the device actually does anything with what it thinks it heard.

Microsoft is apparently able to use techniques pioneered by the Microsoft Research team to speed up that process saying, “Over the past year, we’ve been working closely with Microsoft Research (MSR) to address limitations of the previous voice experience. To achieve the speed and accuracy improvements, we focused on an advanced approach called Deep Neural Networks (DNNs). DNN is a technology that is inspired by the functioning of neurons in the brain. In a similar way, DNN technology can detect patterns akin to the way biological systems recognize patterns”.

The video, which was posted by Microsoft as part of today’s announcements, best displays the differences between the hold approach and this newer approach.

Currently Bing Voice search is only available to Windows Phone users. Though today’s blog post only points out that voice search has been improved on Windows Phone devices, there are also Bing applications with voice search for iOS and Android users.

It’s also unknown of if these speed improvements will also surface on the Xbox 360. It also features Bing voice search integration for users who have a Kinect sensor.

HTC One SV Android 4.2 Update Pegged for “Near Future

The HTC One SV Android 4.2 and Sense 5 update has been pegged for arrival in the “near future” though there still aren’t any concrete leads when it comes to the actual release date of the big update for HTC One SV owners.

While much of the talk in regards to Android 4.2 Jelly Bean and Sense 5 has been about the HTC One and the HTC One X updates, there are other HTC devices that will be getting the upgrade to Google and HTC’s new software. One of those devices is the HTC One S, whose Android 4.2 and Sense 5 update is said to be in trouble. Another, is the HTC One SV, a mid-range device that sports similar specifications to the HTC One S.

The HTC One SV Android 4.2 update is said to be coming in the “near future.”

According to noted HTC leakster and developer @LLabTooFeR, the HTC One SV Android 4.2 Jelly Bean and Sense 5 update is going to be rolling out in the “near future”. What that means exactly isn’t entirely clear but when it comes to software updates, “near future” can mean a number of things.

It can mean that it’s indeed rolling out extremely soon or it can mean that it’s rolling out several or many weeks from now. Software updates, particularly for mid-range devices like this, are often last in line for major updates so it would be surprising to see the HTC One SV Android 4.2 and Sense 5 update near the front of the line.

Instead, expect owners to receive the update after the likes of the HTC One, HTC One X+ and the HTC One X as those, at least the HTC One and HTC One X, are more widely adopted.

While this isn’t confirmation of an HTC One SV Android 4.2 and Sense 5 update, @LLabTooFeR is notoriously accurate with his information so right now, owners should expect the arrival of the update.

What’s interesting is that the HTC One SV is extremely close to the HTC One S in terms of specifications so that should be good news for owners of the HTC One S who have been dealing with an assortment of rumors that suggest that their updates could be in jeopardy.

Crytek Shows Off iPhone Game With iOS 7 Controller Support

Last week at WWDC Crytek, developers of Crysis and the CryEngine that powers it, showed off a new iPhone game using the upcoming Made For iPhone controllers according to a report from 9To5Mac.

Crytek Budapest showed off the game, currently called The Collectibles during a WWDC session that presumably focused on the new Made For iPhone controllers. The team was able to build support for the controllers into the unannounced tactical strategy game in time for the session, hinting that it’s either easy to incorporate into games, or the company had advanced knowledge of the feature.

The controller used during the session looks very similar to the Logitech Made For iPhone controllerthat recently leaked. The controller fit snugly around the iPhone 5 used to show off the game adding a d-pad and face buttons to the smartphone.

The Collectibles is the second iOS game from Crytek, but the first with the military theme the company’s Crysis franchise is known for. The game as shown puts players in control of a squad of five soldiers in a war-torn tropical setting. Players can control their squad using the touchscreen to guide them through the environment.

Players can also easily switch to using the Made For iPhone controller to select and move their entire group of soldiers. The face buttons can issue specific commands to the soldiers. One button, for example, can send the entire squad behind the closest cover they can find to protect them in a firefight.

The controller can also help players take control of different units. For example, players can use the touchscreen to control their group of soldiers on the ground while controlling a nearby gunship with the controller. The example sounds complicated when described, but may seem easy when actually playing the game.

Crytek’s The Collectibles will likely come to the iPhone sometime later this year, presumably around the same time as iOS 7 with its new controller support. The game may have a different name when it reaches the App Store, however.

XCOM: Enemy Unknown For iPhone and iPad Arrives Thursday

Strategy RPG XCOM: Enemy Unknown will come to the iPhone and iPad this Thursday, June 20, with a price that reflects its status as a port of the fantastic console and PC game.

XCOM: Enemy Unknown will cost $19.99 when it comes to iPhone and iPad later this week. The price is higher than most other games in the App Store, but as a port of a console and PC game, XCOM: Enemy Unknown is almost cheap at $20. The Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 and PC versions of the game all cost $40 for what is essentially the same game.

The iOS version of XCOM: Enemy Unknown won’t have every feature of the console and PC version, however. In order to make the game fit on iOS devices and run well 2K Games removed some of the maps in the game, which may lead to some recycled maps for gamers. The textures are also lower resolution than the other versions. The changes shouldn’t make the game any less fun for iOS gamers, however.

The iPhone and iPad version of XCOM: Enemy Unknown also won’t support multiplayer at launch, though a patch will bring support for online play sometime after release. Gamers won’t have to pay extra for multiplayer modes.

XCOM: Enemy Unknown will support cloud saving over iCloud and Game Center Achievements on iOS. With cloud saving gamers can play the same save game on their iPhone and iPad without worrying about replaying missions. The feature makes it easy to decide which device to play the game on: just use whatever iOS device is easily accessible at any moment.

As a strategy RPG XCOM: Enemy Unknown should work very well on touchscreen devices. The turn-based nature of the game also makes it great for short bursts of play. Gamers can easily launch the game, play a few turns of a mission then pick it back up later. The only hard part is remembering exactly what strategy you had in mind when you made those first few moves against the invading aliens after picking up the game mid-mission.

A $100,000 iPhone 5

Goldgenie, the company behind the $2200Samsung Galaxy S4, is back with another expensive version of a popular smartphone, this time an Apple iPhone 5 sporting both gold and diamonds with a price tag that only a select few will be able to afford.

Earlier this year, Goldgenie, a company that specializes in high-end versions of popular smartphones, announced an extremely pricey version of the Samsung Galaxy S4. Specifically, the device is a Samsung Galaxy S4 that costs $2200 and comes with Gold, Platinum and Rose Gold 24ct. bands. Users have the choice between the white or black Galaxy S4 though the precious metals ensure that the price is far more expensive than the $199 Galaxy S4 price at most U.S. carriers.

This solid gold iPhone 5 can be yours for only $75,000.

Goldgenie though has decided to up the ante with a new limited edition version of the iPhone 5 that comes with solid 18.ct gold, 300 certified diamonds and a price tag that puts the Galaxy S4′s to shame.

The price tag for the solid gold Superstar ICE iPhone 5, as the company calls it, is a whopping £68,000.00. When converted, it means that the device would cost buyers in America over $106,000. Again, this is for an iPhone 5, a device that is $199.99 on-contract on all carriers in the United States. Of course, Goldgenie is offering a less expensive model for those that can’t afford its top-flight Superstart ICE iPhone 5.

For a model without the diamonds, dubbed Solid Gold Superstar iPhone 5, buyers will have to shell out £48,000.00 which is just about $75,000 dollars for buyers in the U.S., a steep discount over the model that encrusted with diamonds.

This diamond encrusted iPhone 5 is over $100,000.

Those with this kind of cash will be delighted to know that the iPhone 5 is SIM-free which means that it can be taken to carriers around the globe. It will also come with the same specifications that come with the regular version of the iPhone 5.

That means a 4-inch Retina display, 8MP camera, HD front-facing camera, iOS 6 and more. And like the other iPhone 5 models, it will be updated to the new iOS 7 which is coming some time later on this fall.

iOS 7 for iPad Screenshots Offer Glimpse of New Features

There is no iOS 7 for iPad beta available yet, but thanks to a bit of iOS trickery we can share a look at how the iOS 7 update could loo kon the iPad’s larger screen.

Apple’s iOS 7 will come to the iPad 2, iPad 3, iPad 4 and iPad mini this fall, and an iPad iOS 7 beta is reportedly coming in the weeks ahead.

Over the weekend Sonny Dickson shared a collection of iOS 7 iPad screenshots which come from a hacked simulator designed to run the iOS 7 iPhone beta on an iPad size display.

This shows us what the new Notification Center Today mode looks like, what Control Center could look like on the iPad and other apps in use on the iPad.

A set of iOS 7 for iPad screenshots arrives via a simulator.

As this is not an iPad specific build of the iOS 7 beta we could expect some changes to come to IOS 7 for the iPad. The screenshot above shows Control Center running on an iPad simulator. There is a button for the flash, which the iPad does not currently come with. This is likely leftover from the iOS 7 beta build for the iPhone and iPod, rather than an indication the iPad 5 will feature a flash.

Other iOS 7 for iPad screenshots show what the new iPad keyboard could look like, and a glimpse at Safari for the iPad. This doesn’t appear to be complete, as it’s not clear if the final version will use the new tab interface found on the iPhone.

Another possible look for iOS 7 for the iPad.

Another collection of iOS 7 for iPad screenshots show Apple Maps running on the larger screen and Game Center for iOS 7 on the iPad.

More iOS 7 for iPad screenshots.

Users who want to try the iOS 7 for the iPad can use the instructions at 9to5Mac to hack a simulator to run the IOS 7 file for the iPhone on a larger display.

Those who want to try the iOS 7 beta on their iPad or iPad mini will need to wait for Apple to at least offer up the iOS 7 beta for the iPad. Adventurous users can follow the iOS 7 beta instructions to get registered, but will need to wait for a download.

Apple will release iOS 7 for the iPhone, iPad and iPod touch later this year, with a fall release near the rumored iPhone 5S looking likely.

Windows Phone 8 GDR2 Update Coming to Users in July

Recent reports indicate that the Nokia Amber Update and with it possibly, the Windows Phone GDR2 Update for other devices may arrive in July.

A support team member for Australian telecommunications giant Telstra posted a list of updates coming to devices on the carrier over the weekend. Among the devices that were listed in the table are the Nokia Lumia 920 and Lumia 520, both of which show that the carrier plans to finish up its round of testing for theGDR2 update for these devices on July 8th and July 1st.

The GDR2 Update Will add Support for DataSense across more wireless networks.

These dates back up the timing that Nokia already disclosed when it announced the Nokia Lumia 928 and the Nokia Amber update this past May. It’s that update that will allow Nokia Lumia users to have a persistent clock on Lumias that feature an AMOLED display. Nokia will also use this update to add its new SmartCam application for taking and adjusting pictures.

Nokia has detailed that GDR2 update and Nokia Amber update are one in the same for Nokia users, though the Nokia Amber update actually originates from Nokia themselves. For its part, Microsoft will also add features to all Windows Phone 8 devices as part of the GDR2 update including widespread support for its DataSense application that was previously exclusive to Verizon Wireless users and most notably, operating system support for FM Radios.

While Telstra’s disclosure does not indicate an exact day of when all Windows Phone users worldwide can expect the update, at the very least it provides actual guidance on when carriers around the world are expecting to get the update from Microsoft and Windows Phone device makers.

Though the Windows Phone update processes is in no way as chaotic as that of Android, Windows Phone updates do have to be tested and approved by individual carriers as well as developed by each device’s manufacturer.

Nokia’s Amber update will bring a huge amount of new features created by the company. However it remains to be see whether other devices will also be treated to new features from their device’s manufacturer outside of what Microsoft will add in the GDR2 Update. For example, Windows Phone’s second largest OEM, HTC has yet to detail any of its plans however, it is at least required to make the update available to users. Telstra’s chart also indicates that the update for their Windows Phones will arrive for testing around the same time as Nokia’s.