Category: News

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Best Buy and Microsoft REALLY want you to stop using Windows XP

windows xp microsoft trade in creditNo really. You HAVE to let go of Windows XP. It’s time.

Support for XP is really ending, for real, we mean it this time. You’re off the reservation, no more updates. Those who write malware will be able to find exploits to damage your system.

To ease the transition both Microsoft and Best Buy are offering up $100 trade in to give up your older XP system and move up to a shinier new system. I’m sure both companies would prefer you take the plunge on a Windows 8 machine.

Microsoft’s trade in deal is already live, and Best Buy should be unveiling theirs over the weekend. Let’s get a move on people. Windows XP is almost thirteen years old. We’ve moved on from there…

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WSU Engineers Teach One Computer to Teach Another Computer How to Play Pac-Man

Pac-Man (1980), will go on show at MoMA in New York in 2013Well I for one welcome our robotic overlords…

Matthew E. Taylor, Allred Distinguished Professor in Artificial Intelligence at Washington State University has published a paper detailing a system where one computer can share information and processes with another computer. The first practical demonstration? Video games!

One system “taught” another how to play Pac-Man, and the “student” system was eventually able to surpass its “teacher”.

A system for delivering “advice” could be an exciting breakthrough, especially if these systems can share information and processes between computers with different hardware builds. Often a set of instructions wont work if you change hardware parameters.

If you’re worried about Skynet happening soon, Taylor had this to say:

“They’re very dumb.”


(via WSU News)

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Google Completes Stock Split – Shares Trading at $570

google stock price split april 2014Google’s been planning on splitting this stock for a while now, and following several months of trading at over $1100, the split has finally arrived.

Today, in a straight up 2 for 1, if you’re lucky enough to own some Google Stock, you just doubled your shares. This split also creates a “Class C” stock where people can own a chunk of the company but forfeit voting rights. It’s a smart play for Google as it helps insure company control as stocks are often used for acquisitions and employee compensation.

It’s not without a little controversy however as some analysts are claiming this move is intended to dilute voting rights.

Shares split today and traded as high as 580, at the time of this writing they’ve settled down to the high 560’s. Do you own any Google stock? Will this split affect your investments?

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Google Considering Becoming a Wireless Carrier in Fiber Areas?

Google-Fiber1Market disruption. Seriously. Think about it. Do people buy standalone GPS devices anymore? No. We “Google Map” things on our phones. Google has done a remarkable job of examining popular business models and then turning them on their collective ears.

Rumors are flying that in addition to offering up home data connections, Goog could be considering a move to also offer up wireless services in areas where they’re already flirting with fiber. It makes sense as they’ve already invested in the server infrastructure in those areas, but they’d need to work out deals on wireless spectrum if they’re going to operate their own towers.

They could also be considering some sort of MVNO like WalMart does with Straight Talk, but augmented with their own data services. We know Google has worked to try and light up cities with WiFi in the past, and combining WiFi with another carrier’s traditional cell network, and tying that to Google Hangouts/Voice could be a really compelling solution. Much like Vonage or Republic Wireless, you’d have a proper phone number which works over WiFi, and switches to traditional 3G/4G when you’re no longer connected to a hotspot.

Is a Google Phone service one you would consider? Drop us a comment below!

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Microsoft Releases 16 Minute Preview Video For Windows Phone 8.1

windows phone update microsoft videoAfter their keynote today from Build, Microsoft has followed up their announcements with this sixteen minute long video hands on, detailing all the changes coming to the Windows Phone OS.

Hang out with Joe Belfiore as he walks you through all the updates coming soon to a Live Tiled phone near you.

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Nokia Unveils Lumia 930 – An International Version of the Lumia Icon

I totally called it! My review of the Icon was LITERALLY labeled “A Glimpse of Things to Come”, and I was absolutely on the right track! The unveiled Lumia 930 will be an international version of the Icon currently available on Verizon Wireless.

nokia lumia icon nano sim tray long term review somegadgetguyThankfully, in true Nokia fashion the Lumia 930 will arrive in a variety of colors instead of stingy VZW and their black or white options. The hardware looks largely unchanged from the Icon, the same metal and polycarb build, the same wireless charging built in.

We’ll likely see the Lumia 930 release closer to the proper release of Windows Phone 8.1. It’ll likely follow the Lumia 630 as the second phone to launch with the WP8.1 OS.

If you’re curious to see how the Lumia 930 is going to perform, we’ve been producing long term reviews of the Icon, including speaker and camera tests, all available below!

Long Term Review!
Continue reading “Nokia Unveils Lumia 930 – An International Version of the Lumia Icon”

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Microsoft BUILD 2014 Developer Conference Kicks Off with Windows Phone 8.1, New Phones

micromax and prestigioIt’s  a big day for Microsoft. Kicking off their BUILD Developer Conference, Joe Belfiore took us through an on stage demo of  Windows Phone 8.1 and the new Cortana digital assistant.

New Phones

Microsoft announced new partnerships with MicroMax and Prestigio to develop hardware. These companies should help expand Windows Phone’s presence in European, African, and Asian markets.elop lumia 930 b

lumia 930 bOf course the premier line of Windows Phone handsets is the Nokia Lumia line. Stephen Elop took the stage to show off the Lumia 930, which looks like an international version of the Lumia Icon we’ve been reviewing over the past several weeks, only now we’ll have more colors than stingy Verizon was willing to offer up.

dual simNokia also has two mid range phones on the way, the Lumia 630 with 3G and dual sim variants, and the Lumia 635 with 4G LTE. The dual sim 630 will show off different colored Live Tiles for each of the sim accounts.

The Lumia 630 will be priced at $159 for single sim, $169 for dual sim, and $189 for LTE, and it’ll be the first phone to land with Windows Phone 8.1. It wasn’t announced what the screen resolution of the 630 will be, but it is arriving with the newer 3 rows of Live Tile arrangement found on the 1520 and Icon. Cortana will also be arriving for these entry level handsets.

ALL Nokia Windows Phone 8 Lumias will be upgraded to WP8.1 this summer, which is exciting even down to customers who opted for a sub-$100 Lumia 520, especially when compared to the Android market at that price point.

Windows Phone 8.1 Updates

A ton of new features and polish are coming to the Windows Phone platform. Demonstrated on stage, here’s a short list of some of the highlights!

word flow keyboardWordFlow keyboard is getting gesture “Swype” style typing. You can now slide your thumb around the keyboard to create words. This new keyboard now holds the Guinness Book world record for fastest text entry. Continue reading “Microsoft BUILD 2014 Developer Conference Kicks Off with Windows Phone 8.1, New Phones”

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Amazon Fire TV: A $99 Streaming Media & Gaming Console – Available Now

amazon_fire_tv-640x480Amazon is getting into the TV hardware game. Following Roku, Apple TV, Chromecast, and myriad game consoles – Fire TV will be another solution for streaming content over a data connection to your television.

A small, flat, square-ish box hooks up to your TV over HDMI and connects to your home network over WiFi to serve up streaming vide from a variety of sources. Of course Amazon’s videos are available, but at launch you’ll also have access to Netflix, Hulu, ESPN, Showtime, Crackle, Vimeo, Plex and more. Streaming audio services like Pandora, iHeartRadio, and TuneIn will satisfy music junkies.

AmazonFireGameController-FrontAmazon is also pushing gaming with Minecraft, The Walking Dead, Riptide GP2, Asphalt 8 and more available at launch. A separate game controller is available to purchase for gaming.

Fire TV will have parental controls, and the ability to mirror Kindle tablets on your TV. If you want to share a photo slideshow for instance, you can “fling” it to your TV. You can also control the box via voice commands (demonstrated by Gary Busey below).

The unit is powered by a Qualcomm quad-core processor, and comes with 8GB of storage. There is a USB port for additional connectivity, and you can utilize Amazon Cloud Storage to augment you media streaming.

Fire TV is available to purchase now for $99, and the game controller is selling for $39.99. It’s walking into a highly competitive market with some established solutions. Do you think Amazon has the marketing muscle to make a dent here? Leave us a comment below!

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