Monday 31 December 2012

Next-gen BioWare games to use Frostbite 2 engine


Everybody, including both the developers and the players, is eagerly awaiting the next generation of consoles. According to Gameranx, the latest issue of Game Informer has revealed that the titles that BioWare developers for the PlayStation 4 and the next Xbox will be running on DICE's Frostbite 2 engine.

This was revealed through an interview when Aarynn Flynn, General Manager of BioWare Edmonton, was asked if BioWare's next games will be using Frostbite 2 engine. Flynn said, "I think so. When we look at Frostbite and the success we’re having with it with Dragon Age 3 and the support we’re getting from teams around EA, it’s fun being a part of an organization and community that’s doing good work with that technology."
The Frostbite 2 engine will see big use in the next gen
The Frostbite 2 engine will see big use in the next gen


Back in November, a screenshot of BioWare's upcoming Dragon Age III was leaked online. The screenshot had originally popped up at the Bradford Animation Festival. While the screenshot only stayed on screen for three seconds, a fan took a picture and posted on the BioWare forums. Alongside showcasing the screenshot, Director of Art and Animation at BioWare Neil Thompson talked about making the game in the Frostbite 2.0 engine, created by DICE.

“That is Dragon Age: Inquisition,” he said. “It's the first time anyone has seen a frame of it outside BioWare studios.” Thompson also answered a question about how the use of Frostbite 2.0 is affecting the development of Dragon Age III. “Mass Effect was done on Unreal of course,” he replied. “Dragon Age was done on the proprietary engine Eclipse. I think anyone who played Dragon Age 2 would agree that engine was starting to creak a little bit by the time that was released."

“Obviously Frostbite is the Battlefield engine built by DICE. It's a beautiful, beautiful engine. And what we've found is an improvement with DA3, is the artists who were really battling with the Eclipse engine have just embraced Frostbite. The work they're doing now is stunning."

He continued: “It makes my job easier because then it's all about discussing the aesthetic and what you want to achieve. When you're a character artist or an environment artist you're focusing on a small aspect of the greater whole of the game. As an art director you're concerned about the whole, the frame and everything it contains and how everything sits and the consistency. An engine like Frostbite allows you to focus more on that rather than the technological challenges of just getting the damn thing to run.”

Dragon Age is set in a dark fantasy universe that is more or less a deconstruction of typical high fantasy, like Lord of the Rings. The world is under threat by an evil subterranean race known as the Darkspawn. Sometimes, the Darkspawn tend to form armies and attack the surface world en-masse. This event is known as the Blight and is one of the worse things that the surface races have to face. In response to the Blight, the Grey Wardens were formed. The Grey Wardens is a group of the best fighters and spell casters in the world and its specific job is to combat the Blight.

Verizon's NFL Mobile App Gets Slightly Less Terrible With Free Tablet Streaming For Verizon FiOS Subscribers

We've lamented the various restrictions on NFL Mobile's streaming audio and video before: the fact that it costs extra even for games on public broadcast, the fact that you can't use it with HDMI output, and most of all, the fact that it's only available on Verizon. Today the app gets a little less restrictive, at least assuming that you use Verizon FiOS for your home Internet connection. The latest update indicates that FiOS subscribers will be able to access NFL Mobile live streaming on their tablets for free. I guess they figured that they've got enough of your money.The update text reads as follows: "Now Verizon FiOS customers can enjoy Live video on Android Tablets." We don't have a connection to test, but we suppose that means that WiFi tablets are fair game for streaming, so long as you have a FiOS account.

First CyanogenMod 10.1 Nightlies Come To Samsung's Galaxy Tab 10.1 (Wi-Fi, T-Mobile, Verizon), And 10.1v

If you're still toting Samsung's Galaxy Tab 10.1, good news – CyanogenMod let loose a flurry of new nightlies for the device today, all carrying the CM 10.1 moniker, meaning owners of Samsung's ten-inch Tab from 2011 can enjoy a stock Android 4.2 experience with some key improvements. Among those receiving the new nightlies are the Wi-Fi only Tab (p4wifi), Verizon and T-Mobile connected variants (p4vzw and tmo), the p4, and even the p3, which is the Galaxy Tab 10.1v.If you've been waiting to get a taste of Android 4.2 with CyanogenMod enhancements on your Tab 10.1, just hit the appropriate link below and grab the nightly.

LG details LCD, plasma HDTV lineup for 2013: 4K, Miracast, NFC, WiDi and more


LG's details LCD, plasma HDTV lineup features for 2013 4K, Miracast, NFC, WiDi, and more
As LG continues its slew of CES pre-announcements, it's revealed details about the new HDTVs it will be showing off in Las Vegas next week. Predictably, they include three lines of plasma models (fewer than previous years, but still kicking) in 42- to 60-inch sizes, and new LCD HDTVs in various levels of trim and sizes from 22-inches up to 60-inches. Most notably, this year all of its new LCDs are LED, as it's kicked the old CCFL tech to the curb. LG has already detailed upcoming changes for its voice/gesture Magic Remote control and a couple of Google TV models, however other new features for 2013 include an "On Now" recommendation system that learns what you watch and offers relevant selections from live TV and video on-demand services. Expect new tie-ins to be announced with both streaming and local TV providers to help fill out the selection around the world.
Hardware-wise, new feature boxes checked this year include NFC, thanks to a new "Tag On" sticker smartphones and other devices can easily pair with. Getting content from mobile devices to the display will also be easier thanks to Miracast andWiDi support, and MHL ports will be readily available as well. LG's FPR 3D tech isn't going anywhere, and Smart TV features should be speedier than ever thanks to CPUs with a promised 120 percent speed boost, and 300 percent faster GPUs. As seen in the pics, the design has also been altered slightly with a new stand that both swivels and rolls, plus a reduced bezel size.
If you're looking for the latest and greatest however, LG will be showing off the 84-inch Ultra HD 4K set it just started shipping and the 55-inch OLED display we're waiting for. No word yet on shipping dates or price for any of the new models, but as we surmised from LG Display's plans, we should see a couple of 55- and 65-inch Ultra HD TVs appear before the year is out. There's a couple more pictures of the new HDTVs in the gallery plus a press release with all the details after the break. Beyond that, HD Guru has a model-by-model breakdown of the available information -- we'll check back with our in-person impressions in a few days.

Samsung reportedly launching Tizen-based phones on NTT DoCoMo in 2013

According to Japan's Daily YomiuriNTT DoCoMo is parterning with Samsung to develop phones running the open-source Tizen operating system, with the first handsets reaching the market next year. According to the Yomiuri, other mobile carriers are also getting behind the development of Tizen because they "fear the hegemony" of Apple and Google. We've heard about Tizen as far back as September of 2011 -- this Linux-based (and Intel-backed) software came about when Nokia's MeeGo OS bit the dust, and we've already seen evidence of a Tizen-based Galaxy S III.

Microsoft confirms loophole in IE 6, IE 7 and IE 8

In a security advisory that it issued this past week, Microsoft confirms that it is investigating a certain loophole found to affect Internet Explorer 6, Internet Explorer 7 and Internet Explorer 8. Elaborating on the vulnerability, Microsoft states that it is a remote code execution vulnerability. What is worrying is that once the attacker manages to successfully crack the vulnerability, he can obtain for himself the same user rights as the current user. "Users whose accounts are configured to have fewer user rights on the system could be less impacted than users who operate with administrative user rights," Microsoft's security advisory reveals further. 

The attacker may even go ahead and host malicious websites and then 'convince a user to view the website'. The vulnerability in question has not been found to affect Internet Explorer 9 and Internet Explorer 10. Microsoft, in its advisory, has revealed further that the vulnerability is in the way IE gets through an object in memory that has been deleted or 'has not been properly allocated'.
Newly identified bug found in Internet Explorer
Newly identified vulnerability found in Internet Explorer


Elaborating on this, Microsoft goes on to explain that in a web-based attack scenario, an attacker could host a website with the webpage used to exploit this loophole. However, the advisory agrees that there is no way that an attacker can force a user to access these malicious websites. What he can do instead, is convince them; this he can do by getting them to click links in an email or IMs. 

On its part, Microsoft has affirmed that it will take necessary action once it finishes investigation. The solution may be by the way of offering a solution through its monthly security update release process or an out-of-cycle security updates – depending on user needs. 

Microsoft's security advisory reads further, "We are actively working with partners in our Microsoft Active Protections Program (MAPP) to provide information that they can use to provide broader protections to customers. In addition, we are actively working with partners to monitor the threat landscape and take action against malicious sites that attempt to exploit this vulnerability."

Earlier this month, a security loophole discovered in Internet Explorer was found to be potent enough to track a user's cursor movements, even if their window was inactive, minimised or unfocused. Naked Security reported that the vulnerability was first brought to light by spider.io, vendor of a hosted platform that the company says allows users to distinguish between human website visitors and bots in real time. Interestingly, Spider.io informed the existence of the flaw to Microsoft in October, while adding that the IE version 6-10 were affected. While Microsoft Security Research Center admitted to there being a flaw, it informed spider.io that it has "no immediate plans" to patch it in existing browser versions; it was then that it revealed the flaw. 

The security loophole essentially allows attackers to track an IE user's mouse movements, even if they haven't installed any software as such. All that attackers have to do is buy a display ad slot on any website. Spider.io adds, "This is not restricted to lowbrow porn and file-sharing sites. Through today’s ad exchanges, any site from YouTube to the New York Times is a possible attack vector."

Your Snapchat and Poke secret messages can be saved

Snapchat has become one of the most loved ‘secret messaging’ app amongst youngsters these days. The highlight of the app is that it can self-destruct a message within seconds of the receiver reading it, making it very popular as an app to send images you might not want anyone but the receiver to see. Facebook, on the heels of Snapchat, has also launched a similar app called ‘Poke’.

But these apps both have a flaw. The image you send can be saved by the receiver without the sender ever knowing about it.
The Indian government wants a private eye
Your images may not completely self destrcut!


Buzzfeed.com revealed that there is a ‘straightforward’ way to saving images and videos received through Snapchat without the sender ever knowing about it. “Both Snapchat and Poke locally store copies of videos sent to users, which are easily accessible with a free iPhone file browser,” says the report.

Here’s how you can view an image or video locally, according to the article:

Receive a video in Snapchat or Poke. Don't open it! Just tap to load it. Again, don't open it. Plug your iPhone into your computer, and open up an iPhone file browser like iFunBox.

Navigate to the Snapchat folder. Open up the folder called "tmp." For Facebook's Poke, videos are stored a little deeper in the app's files, in library/caches/fbstore/mediacard. Copy the videos to your computer. Critically, Snapchat's videos remain in this folder even after they're viewed; Poke videos appear to be deleted as soon as they're viewed. Photos don't show up, at least not in any place we checked.”

This pretty much violates what both Snapchat and Poke stand for, as messages are supposed to be deleted from not just the receivers’ phones but also the app servers as well. You can also save images received on Poke or Snapchat by taking a screenshot, even though senders are notified if the receiver takes one.

Snapchat founder Evan Spiegel told Buzzfeed, “The people who most enjoy using Snapchat are those who embrace the spirit and intent of the service. There will always be ways to reverse engineer technology products — but that spoils the fun!

Facebook, on the other hand replied to this saying, “Poke is a fun and easy way to communicate with your friends and is not designed to be a secure messaging system. While Pokes disappear after they are read, there are still ways that people can potentially save them. For example, you could take a screenshot of a photo, in which case the sender is notified. People could also take a photo of a photo you sent them, or a video of a video, with another camera. Because of this, people should think about what they are sending and share responsibly.”

Facebook launched Poke a couple of weeks ago to take Snapchat head on after several blitzkrieg changes to its existing messenger app. The Facebook Messenger app was updated to embrace non-Facebook users by allowing them to use it to communicate with friends, using only their names and mobile numbers. This change came after it was rumoured that Facebook was out to purchase cross-platform messaging service, Whatsapp.

Refresh Roundup: week of December 24th, 2012 Mobile


Your smartphone and / or tablet is just begging for an update. From time to time, these mobile devices are blessed with maintenance refreshes, bug fixes, custom ROMs and anything in between, and so many of them are floating around that it's easy for a sizable chunk to get lost in the mix. To make sure they don't escape without notice, we've gathered every possible update, hack, and other miscellaneous tomfoolery we could find during the last week and crammed them into one convenient roundup. If you find something available for your device, please give us a shout at tips at engadget dawt com and let us know. Enjoy!

OFFICIAL ANDROID UPDATES

  • Motorola Droid RAZR and Droid RAZR Maxx: Some Verizon customers found an extra Christmas present this week, as the original Droid RAZR (and its Maxx counterpart) are now eligible for an update to Jelly Bean. The software appears to be rolling out in phases and brings Android 4.1.2 to the table. This is an OTA install and weighs in at approximately 330MB. [Android Central]
  • Toshiba Excite 7.7 and Excite 10: Similar to its recently announced Excite 10 SE tablet, Android 4.1.1 (Jelly Bean) is now available for this pair of Tegra 3 slates from Toshiba. [Android Community 12]
  • Samsung Galaxy Note II: Like AT&T, US Cellular released its Multi Window update for the Galaxy Note II this week. The software also brings improvements to burst mode shooting and resolves 3G connectivity issues. [Android Police]

UNOFFICIAL ANDROID UPDATES, CUSTOM ROMS AND MISC. HACKERY

  • Samsung Vibrant: Nightly builds of CyanogenMod 10.1 (Android 4.2) are now available for T-Mobile's member of the original Galaxy S series. [Talk Android]
  • Alltel: A clever individual who identifies as cole2kb has released a clever patch that allows custom ROMs for Verizon phones to be applied to Alltel's counterparts. Users merely need to apply cole2kb's patch within recovery after flashing the Verizon ROM. [Android Central]

REFRESHES WE COVERED THIS WEEK


Humble Indie Bundle 7 gets more games

The Humble Indie Bundle 7 was an already great collection of games and now it’s even better. The folks at Humble Bundle have made three additions to the ‘pay more than the average’ part of the bundle–Cave Story+, Offspring Fling and The Basement Collection.

The Basement Collection is a collection of seven flash games made by Edmund McMillen of Super Meat Boy and The Binding of Isaac fame. The collection includes Aether, Coil, Grey-Matter, Meat Boy (which was the prototype for the insanely successful Super Meat Boy), Spewer, Time Fcuk and Triachnid.

Cave Story+ is the enhanced version of the original Cave Story, which was originally published for free in 2004. The enhanced version contains additional levels and was released on the Wii. It also has lets you pick the original graphics or the enhanced ones.
More games!
More games!


The Humble Indie Bundle 7 is a typical pay-what-you-want affair, with the proceeds going to the developers, the people at Humble Bundle and the Child's Play charity, with the split decided by you. Paying over the average price, which is $6.57 as I write this, will net you two more games—Legend of Grimrock and Dungeon Defends with some of its DLC. You also get access to the soundtracks for the games in both MP3 and FLAC formats.

Back in November, THQ collaborated with Humble Bundle to bring the Humble THQ Bundle. The bundle gave six AAA games in the Humble Bundle's pay-what-you-want format. The games included in the Humble THQ Bundle were Darksiders, Metro 2033, Red Faction Armageddon, Company of Heroes, Company of Heroes: Opposing Fronts and Company of Heroes: Tales of Valor. The games you got if you paid over the average price included Saints Row The Third. Later on, more games were added to the bundle, including Titan Quest and Dawn of War: Game of the Year edition. While Humble Bundle games are usually cross-platform, the THQ Bundle required Steam on Windows.

Also available at the time was the Double Fine Amnesia Fortnight Bundle. Those who paid for the Bundle got the five top-voted prototypes, besides the prototypes of Costume Quest and Happy Song. Those who paid more than the average price also got a bonus prototype—Brazen. Double Fine also live-streamed the development of the prototypes.

Originally, there were 23 game ideas on the Amnesia Fortnight bundle page and players could vote on which games would be developed. The top four games from the ideas would become prototypes.

Amnesia Fortnight is the name for Double Fine’s annual prototyping period. They apparently take two weeks off from whatever they’re working on, split the company into small teams, and each team gets two weeks to make a game. Double Fine says they do this to test new ideas and to test new project leaders who feel ready to have a project of their own. Many of the games Double Fine has released in the last few years have come from the Amnesia Fortnight process. Tim Schafer says, “It’s really a great morale boost for the team, and a highly effective way to develop new game ideas.”

IRL: Wacom Bamboo Splash, Triggertrap Mobile and the iPad 3


Welcome to IRL, an ongoing feature where we talk about the gadgets, apps and toys we're using in real life and take a second look at products that already got the formal review treatment.

We've got a mixed bag this week. Billy, who's reviewed a bunch of Wacom products on this site, talks about what it's like to live with the Bamboo Splash pen tablet. James, meanwhile, uses a mobile photography tool to ensure his reflection doesn't show up when he's shooting tablets and such. Rounding out the list, Darren takes a closer look at the iPad's display. He thinks it's alright.

WACOM BAMBOO SPLASH PEN TABLET

While it may not have all of the bells and whistles that the Intuos 5 touch does, theBamboo Splash does come in handy for me from time to time. I use the aforementioned larger pen tablet when I'm working from home for all of the added custom commands, finger swiping and extra real estate. When I'm traveling, though, a larger peripheral just isn't that practical for carrying around in the ol' backpack. That's where the Splash fits in quite nicely.
Sure, the smaller stature isn't ideal for my intense regular work sessions, but it does make for a handy accessory that doesn't take up much space in my rucksack. I just connect via USB, which adds an extra cable to the fray but is at least straightforward. While I do find myself trying to use those touch gestures from my regular kit, that's really the only issue that might slow me down while I'm working on the go. The Splash is quite adept when it comes to pen input, and the size actually complements smaller (read: 13-inch) laptop screens quite well.
For the price, you can't beat this as an add-on to your road pack or for your first leap into the pen-powered peripheral realm. Sure, the pricier options with additional features and buttons (and surface area) are better for your permanent work flow, but when you're working from Starbucks -- as I often am -- the Splash offers just enough without weighing me down.

TRIGGERTRAP MOBILE

IRL Wacom Bamboo Splash, Triggertrap Mobile and the iPad 3When you spend a lot of time peering at gadgets through a viewfinder, you soon get tired of your own reflection. That's why anything that helps alleviate the issue is greatly appreciated. TheTriggertrap mobile dongle in one such thing. Sure, there's a bigger version that will let you fire off shots from your DSLR in number of exotic ways (with sounds, lights and whatnot), but the dongle is more appealing if you're just looking for a small, tidy way of setting off your camera without you standing right behind it. Not only that, but it rolls in some extra functionality for your trusty shooter too.
The dongle comes in a variety of editions that cover most big-brand DSLRs. Mine is a Canon, but the back of the box tells me that there's support for over 300 cameras in total. The device itself is great because it's small and about as simple to set up as you could hope for. One end plugs into your Android or iPhone's headphone jack; the other into the camera's cable-release port.
The companion app, however, is where the fun is really at. From here you can take shots using the phone as a trigger (which is how I'm mainly using it) to avoid those self-portrait reflections, but there's a stack of other options that many will find useful. Timelapse, is one of the more obvious, but distance lapse is interesting too -- letting your phone's GPS trigger the camera at certain distance intervals. For me, it's more of a glorified shutter release tool, but one that's really easy to integrate into my workflow (after all, I always have my phone). And at $25, it doesn't cost all that much, either. Most importantly, thanks to this little thing you'll be seeing a lot less of me peering back at you in product reviews. No complaints about that, I'm sure.

Apple lowers iPad mini sales expectations to 8mn for Q4 2012



Apple seems to have lowered its sales expectations for the iPad Mini. According to GSMArena, the company expects to ship approximately 8 million units of the tablet in the last quarter of 2012, as opposed to the originally projected 10-12 million.

While these numbers may suggest otherwise, this is no indication of any lack of interest towards Apple’s smaller tablet. The dropped expectations are due to an insufficient supply of touch panels that has been slowing down the production of the tablet. Shipments are projected to go up to 13 million units in the first quarter of 2013.
The price point is higher than expected
Not shipping as many as originally expected


The Apple iPad mini was launched in India early this month and is available at authorised Apple resellers for a starting price of Rs 21,900.

The 16GB iPad mini Wi-Fi only version is available for Rs 21,900, while the 32GB and 64GB versions cost Rs 27,900 and Rs 33,900, respectively. The iPad mini Wi-Fi + cellular version costs Rs 29,900 for the 16GB version, and the 32GB version is priced at Rs 35,900. The high-end 64GB iPad mini Wi-Fi + cellular version sells for Rs 41,900.

With the iPad mini starting at Rs 21,900 (16GB), it can compete directly with the Nexus 7 and the Galaxy Tab 2 (310), both of which are priced slightly below Rs 20,000.

The iPad mini has an aluminium and glass design 7.2mm thick, and weighs only 308g. This 7.9-inch tablet features a front-facing FaceTime HD camera and a 5-megapixel iSight camera at the back, which allows for recording full 1080p HD video. The iSight camera includes video image stabilisation and both cameras feature backside illumination, which Apple claims will allow users to capture great pictures in low light. The iPad mini also allows easy sharing of photos with friends and family using iCloud’s Shared Photo Streams.

While the tablet is doing well, the Cupertino-based company is speculated to be working on the next generation for the iPad Mini. According to an earlier report, the company will be focusing on cramming in a higher resolution for the tablet’s screen.

As of now, details are a bit sketchy about Apple’s plans with respect to enhancing the resolution of the iPad mini and whether or not it will use Apple’s Retina Display technology. However, market observers said that this feature is highly likely as Apple uses Retina Displays on its iPhone and 9.7-inch iPad models.

If Apple does enhance the resolution of the iPad mini, the next generation device will boast a resolution of 2058 x 1536 with a pixel density of 326ppi.

The report also mentions that Apple will restructure the lighting from two LED light bars to one in order to decrease the device's overall weight.

The launch date for the tablet is as of now is yet unknown and we have to wait and see if Apple sticks to the first quarter to launch its next generation iPads or waits till the third quarter to unveil its popular tablets.  

Sunday 30 December 2012

iberry launches tablets with inbuilt 3G SIM

Technology firm iberry has launched two new models of tablets equipped with third generation (3G) subscriber identification module (SIM) slots for making phone calls and internet browsing. One model is equipped with a dual-core processor, while the other one is having quad-core processor.

"When the current Indian tablet PC market is flooded with price-driven tablet PCs, we take immense pleasure and pride to announce the launch of India's 1st dual-core CPU and quad-core CPU based tablet PCs, both with inbuilt 3G SIM slot for calls and Internet," iberry said in a statement.
The iberry Auxus CoreX2 3G tablet
The iberry Auxus CoreX2 3G tablet


The first model called Auxus CoreX2 3G comes with a seven-inch IPS panel display with 1280x800 pixel resolution. This model is priced at Rs.10,990.The second model Auxus CoreX4 3G is the first ever attempt in India to equip a quad-core CPU on a 9.7 inch tablet PC, the company said. Consumers will have to spend Rs.15,990 to get this model of tablet.

"With most of the current Indian tablet PC companies focussing on low-end low-price tablet PCs, we at iberry take a leading edge in the market with our new ventures, Auxus CoreX2 3G and Auxus CoreX4 3G," iberry said, adding consumers were now giving more importance to speed than cost.