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Samsung Galaxy S4 Users: Please Don’t Ever Do This

Posted by Joe Rossignol at 8:58 am

This video makes total sense, because stalking a girl with your Galaxy S4 is totally going to land you a date. Wait a second, that makes absolutely no sense. You’re more likely to end up with a restraining order against the person, let alone a date. This ad joins the ranks of Microsoft’s peculiar watermelon-chopping ad for weirdest promotional video ever.

[BGR]

How Will Apple Combat the Xbox One?

Posted by Jonathan Kizer at 8:45 pm

xbox one showcase

The Xbox One introduces and expands various aspects of the current Xbox 360, but perhaps most importantly are the upgrades given to the various features that support the Microsoft’s entertainment play. The most visible of these features include further support for streaming content, which makes the Xbox One a very attractive set-top box.

Of the largest players in the set-top box space is Apple, with the Apple TV. While still just a “hobby,” the device’s shipments have steadily grown as Apple has updated both the hardware and software to stay competitive in the set-top box landscape.

But how will Apple adapt its strategy to better take on the Xbox One? (more…)

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Introducing the Next-Generation Xbox One

Posted by Joe Rossignol at 10:21 am

Xbox One

Microsoft has just announced the next-generation Xbox One at a press event on its Redmond campus, featuring voice-based commands such as “Xbox On” and new Kinect motion gestures, interactive TV and apps, Xbox Guide and much more. The console will launch around the world “later this year,” likely alongside the PlayStation 4. No mention of price.

The new Xbox One has a sleek design and brand new controller, with an 8-core CPU, 8 GB of RAM, 500 GB hard drive, USB 3.0, HDMI in/out, Blu-ray drive and integrated 802.11n Wi-Fi. A new 1080p Kinect camera detects the slightest movement of your wrist and even your heartbeat, and can also be used for Skype video calls. The new Xbox uses native 64-bit architecture akin to Windows. (more…)

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Next-Generation Xbox Announcement Commences at 1 PM Eastern

Posted by Joe Rossignol at 9:57 am

Microsoft is streaming live the announcement of its next-generation Xbox console, rumored to be named “Xbox Infinity” or “Xbox 720,” at the Xbox Reveal event on its Redmond campus at 1:00 PM Eastern (10:00 AM Pacific).

Just yesterday, Sony released a teaser video of its latest PlayStation console, which launches by yearend. The forthcoming Xbox, PlayStation 4 and Wii U will comprise the eight-generation of console gaming.

The latest Xbox is rumored to use powerful computer chips to deliver a fluid gaming experience, alongside a potential cloud streaming service and augmented reality integration. Follow the discussion on the iFans forums as the live event gets underway, or on Twitter using the #XboxReveal hashtag.

Samsung Unveils Displays With More Pixels Than the Retina MacBook Pro

Posted by Jonathan Kizer at 5:31 pm

Samsung CES 2013 2

While Apple is hard at work trying to push the retina display to more Mac models, Samsung is pushing a panel that trumps what Apple offers. The 13.3-inch QHD 3200 x 1800 panel with 276 pixels-per-inch (PPI) is going to be available on a range of high-end notebooks this year, likely alongside Intel’s latest Haswell CPU refresh.

Apple shipped the Retina MacBook Pro at last year’s WWDC. Since then, a similar display has made its way to the 13″ MacBook Pro. Rumors point towards more Mac models receiving the retina treatment at WWDC 2013, which is less than a month away. However, Samsung (among others) is busy trying to push the high-resolution display towards the mainstream. Will Apple do the same?

[The Verge]

Samsung Galaxy S4 Ranked as World’s Best Smartphone By Consumer Reports

Posted by Joe Rossignol at 5:17 pm

Consumer Reports has ranked the new Samsung Galaxy S4 as its top-rated smartphone, dethroning the LG Optimus G handset. Its rankings are determined by several critical areas of testing, including the camera. In particular, the report praises the Galaxy S4′s screen:

The S4 has an excellent 5-inch, high-definition (1080p) touch-screen display, as well as oodles of gesture- and sensor-based tools for accessing and sharing content you create and capture on your phone. The display is sensitive enough to use with gloves on—handy during cold weather.

Multitasking is another strong point for the Galaxy S4:

A true multi-tasker, the S4 lets you run two apps simultaneously in a split-screen view. For instance, you can watch a video while checking e-mail, or you can use Google Maps and Messaging simultaneously. We did find that battery life and voice quality varied slightly between cell carriers, as with the LG Optimus G.

I’ll still side with the HTC One as the best Android smartphone, but the Galaxy S4 is still almost equally as impressive.

[Consumer Reports]

Galaxy S 4 Sales Approach 10 Million

Posted by Jonathan Kizer at 4:07 pm

Samsung Galaxy S4 S 4 Flat

The Galaxy S 4 may not have been quite as well received as HTC’s venerable One for various issues, but that hasn’t stopped sales. The device, which is now available in almost all regions of the world, is quickly approaching 10 million sales.

Pushed by a tidal wave of both good press, carrier backing, and a massive marketing push, the device’s sales are understandably great. It’s definitely safe to predict that this will quickly become the best-selling Android device to date, with estimates predicting that the phone may actually hit 100 million sales during its lifetime. No shock there: Samsung is absolutely killing it in the smartphone market. It’s unclear how well the S 4′s chief Android competitor, the HTC One, is doing in terms of sales. While the device has been well-received by reviewers and consumers alike, HTC doesn’t have the marketing budget of the Korean juggernaut, and it often shows.

[Korea Times]

Bill Gates is Again the World’s Richest Man

Posted by Joe Rossignol at 9:45 am

Bill Gates

Microsoft co-founder and leading philanthropist Bill Gates has reclaimed his position as the world’s richest man, despite having donated over $28 billion to charities through the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. The resurgence of Gates as the world’s richest individual is the result of Microsoft shares posting gains of 28 percent on the stock market this year, as his 6.3 percent stake in the corporation makes him the largest individual shareholder.

Gates has an estimated worth of $72.7 billion, which gives the Microsoft chairman the number-one spot on the Billboard Billionaires Index for the first time since 2007. Mexican investor Carlos Slim, who saw his shares of America Movil decline 14 percent this year, was the most recent titleholder of “world’s richest man,” and now sits in second. American businessman Warren Buffett is third-richest with $59.7 billion.

[USA Today]

Windows Phone Leapfrogs BlackBerry for Third Place in Mobile Space

Posted by Joe Rossignol at 8:26 am

Trio-Windows-Phone-8X-HTC Windows Phone is now the third-largest mobile platform worldwide, gaining more than triple its market share year-over-year and leapfrogging the recovering BlackBerry in the midst.

According to the latest numbers from IDC, a leading market research firm, 7 million Windows Phone units were shipped in the first quarter for 3.2 percent market share. BlackBerry moved 6.3 million units, but dropped to 2.9 percent market share. (more…)