Two for Tuesday 20/05/2014

1. YouTube buys Twitch

Yes, you heard it! YouTube have bought Twitch for 1 billion USD...

Twitch, also known as Justin.tv, is a streaming site where users stream live footage of them playing games. In recent times, Twitch have been smugly boasting over 45 million monthly users. During peak hours, Twitch receives more traffic worldwide than Facebook and Amazon.

Most streamers have a live webcam feeds layered over their live gameplay, so they can interact with viewers through the chat and show their expressions.

This is easily the most significant in YouTube's history, after YouTube being purchased by google for 1.65 billion USD in 2006.

2.The First ever Braille phone to go on sale

Touchscreen phones are not the most ideal form of communication for the visually impaired, and while some firms have designed Braille phones in the past, London-based startup OwnFone has launched what it says is the first one to make it to market – and it’s fully 3D printed too! Read on for all the details!

OwnFone, which makes compact feature phones for the young and old, has now turned its attention to the visually impaired with its new handsets which feature Braille bumps for names and numbers, or raised text for those who cant read Braille. The phone itself can be personalised with two or four Braille buttons, which are pre-programmed for your friends, family, carers or emergency services, with each button 3D printed to show the raised bumps – all you need to do is press that button, and the phone will automatically dial the saved contact.

For More Information on the Braille phones, check out the Gadget Show's News On The Matter

 

Three Things Thursday 15/05/2014

This Week: Android!

1. The New Nexus 5 Flip Case

If you are bored of the plain looks of your Nexus 5 then you might want to have a look at its latest accessory launched by Google.

Google has put on sale a new line of protective cases for the Nexus 5 on the Play Store. Called a Snap Case, these are available in black, aquamarine blue, silver, white, and a clear variant. These cases have not popped up on the India Play Store yet.

For More Information, click here

2. Project Cider appears with a proof-of-concept demonstration

While we can debate endlessly about which smartphone OS is the best or the most advanced, there can be no argument on the fact that Apple’s iOS does have a bit of an advantage when it comes to apps.

Apple got the jump on Google when it comes to apps for the smartphone platform and Android had to play catch up in this department for a long time. iOS held exclusivity for apps such as Instagram, IFTTT and others for a long time. Now, the Play Store has more apps than the App Store and sees more downloads too. Android’s huge market share has helped narrow the gap. It also helps that developers for Android get significantly more freedom to develop what they want than they would on iOS, due to the fairly relaxed publishing policy.

But for many smartphone junkies, the dream still is to have a device that can run iOS as well as Android apps. Android users want a taste of iMessage or while iOS users want to be able to customise their phone’s UI. It could soon be possible with Project Cider.

For More Information, click here

3. EU and the 'Right To Be Forgotten'

In a ruling that could have far-reaching effects on how online search business is conducted in Europe, EU’s top court, the European Court of Justice, has said that individual users have the right to be forgotten by Google, which runs the world’s most used Internet search engine.

Google typically stores data from individual users for purposes of selling it to advertisers for targetted and tailored campaigns. However, the ECJ has ruled that individuals have a right “to be forgotten,” under certain circumstances. For example, when personal data becomes outdated or inaccurate, the court said, users have the right to ask the search giant to forget their data.

For Information on THIS VERY INTERESTING MATTER (for EU Residents!), click here

This 'Three Things Thursday' was courtesy of http://m.tech.firstpost.com/

Mac OS X To Get A New Style

Mac OS X: Set To Have A New iOS-style design?

As Apple's WWDC conference is nearing closer, all sorts of news is being released. One of these is for a new refresh of there operating system, OS X, being said to be a lot like iOS 7!

According to 9to5Mac, the next version of Apple’s Mac OS X, version 10.10, will see a massive refresh, and most of that will be in it’s brand new redesign. The new look is said to be inspired by the flat-style iOS 7, but the core of OS X will remain the same – it’ll still be a desktop operating system at heart, so you won’t have to worry about it becoming too much like iOS.

Image courtesy of  Stu does design

Stu does design are also backing this, saying that the 'Flat windows with border-less icons look clean and sophisticated matching the translucent menu bar, all with Helvetica Neue for text.'

Apple is planning on releasing OS X 10.10 by the autumn, and you can expect to see new hardware options pop up to go alongside it too. I'm looking forward to seeing what Apple has to show during its WWDC conference next month – I'll be sure to bring you the latest news as soon as I hear it (Maybe)

For more information on how the new OS X might look, take a look here

New COD Title Trailer Realeased

Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare Is Your Next COD Title!

Activision has announced today this year’s brand new Call of Duty game will be called Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare, and it’ll be bringing plenty of futuristic tech to the table, including hover bikes, mech suits and even exoskeletons. The new game is developed by Sledgehammer Games, and will focus on a private military corporation that has turned its back on the United States government. The organisation is headed up by none other than Kevin Spacey, and he’ll be sure to bring his acting chops to the villainous role when the game hits shelves on 4 November.

 

The debut trailer for the title hints at new abilities you’ll be able to use, such as the exoskeleton will give you a boost of strength, while there’s also a range of vehicles to commandeer, such as a hover bike, a mech suit and even cloaking devices, giving this new CoD game a Halo-style twinge to it.

So be sure to keep updated with the blog, if more info shall arise, it SHALL be posted!

Clumsy Ninja Arrives On Android

Clumsy Ninja: The Clumsiest Ninja to Ever Grace Your Touchscreen Arrives on Android

After a successful launch on iOS in late 2013, NaturalMotion has released Clumsy Ninja on Google Play for Android devices. The app is described as an ‘interactive character game,’ which utilizes NaturalMotion’s Euphoria technology to make the character as believable and lifelike as possible. In the app, players will help their ninja grow as they complete quests. 

In Clumsy Ninja, players can interact with their ninja by tapping or holding on the screen to lift him into the air, walk around the environment and more. Via the character’s ‘dynamic intelligence,’ the ninja will sense, feel and react to each swipe or touch on the screen, and will evolve and learn as players continue to interact with him.

Since the ninja is literally clumsy as players begin, they’re asked to complete quests and train the ninja to become more agile and athletic. This involves helping him jump on a trampoline or kick a punching bag, among other activities. These training sessions are mini-games, asking players to keep the ninja active for a set amount of time to earn mastery stars and unlock new ninja moves.

The Ninja is also fully customisable, you can unlock new belts, change his outfit, and just play around with him.

Download (FREE)