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Google Glass sales now open to the public, still $1500
Posted by Ariel Levin-Waldman Categories: Wearables, Google,
Google wants you to get them while they are hot. Google Glass has made its public premiere, but the company warns that its inventory is limited. When it opened a preliminary sale last month Google burned through the overwhelming majority of its Glass inventory in a single day and were forced to close up shop.
Since then Google has been building up its supply of the long-anticipated gadget. And as of Wednesday morning, they have announced open season on the Google Glass Explorer edition. It's still in the beta, but Google wants this to be its open test, as they announced via company blog this morning.
The Explorer carries a pretty heavy price tag: $1,500 in its current form. It's certainly outside of my range, so it looks like I won't be getting one just yet. Google says it plans a more widespread release of the Glass later this year. If that's the case, we're curious if the price will stay the same, and if not, how the company will handle the unhappiness of those who may have paid much more.
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Disney releases first trailer for new live-action Cinderella movie
Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Movies, Videos,
Disney is set to release a new, live-action version of Cinderella in March 2015. If you can't wait the 10 months between now and then, check out the new teaser trailer that features a close-up look at the infamous glass slipper, after the jump. Let us know how excited you are about this one in the comments!
Click to continue reading Disney releases first trailer for new live-action Cinderella movie
OS X Mavericks 10.9.3 released, includes Retina mode for external 4K displays
Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Apple, PC / Laptop, Software,
This morning Apple released OS X Mavericks 10.9.3, a big update that brings a couple of major new features to the desktop operating system. First, improved 4K display support, which allows easy Retina scaling on external ultra high definition displays. We've been using this functionality for a couple of months since it was included in the beta, and it works as expected. Rather than creating a ridiculously gigantic desktop where you could barely read text, instead you can choose to scale to a Retina mode that just makes everything nice and sharp.
Others will be happy to know that OS X 10.9.3 also features the return of the ability to sync contacts and calendars between a Mac and iOS devices over USB. Hit the Mac App Store to grab the update, and take a look at the full changelog after the jump.
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Apple releases Logic Pro X 10.0.7: Here’s what’s new
Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Apple, Music, Software,
Apple has released a bug Logic Pro X update, bringing the music and sound editing app to version 10.0.7. At the forefront is much improved support for 12-core Mac Pro 2013 models (see our Mac Pro (2013) review) which now allows it to use up to 24 processing threads at a time. The step sequencer now should perform as expected when using Low Latency Mode, and import and export bugs have also been addressed. As for other new features, you can now copy automation info and paste it into Logic Pro X with the Marquee tool, and volume, pan, and effect info can be inserted into an automation track at the current playhead position. We've got the full changelog for you after the break.
You can get the update now if you already own Logic Pro X. If not, you can grab the app for $199.99 in the Mac App Store.
Click to continue reading Apple releases Logic Pro X 10.0.7: Here’s what’s new
iPhone 6 will reportedly sport 1704 x 960 display resolution
Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Apple, Smartphones, Rumors,
It's been rumored for months that Apple will launch two larger iPhone models this year, and now 9to5Mac is jumping in with a report on the new display resolution. If correct, we should see the iPhone 6 sporting a 1704 x 960 resolution. That's way up from the current 1136 x 640 resolution found on the iPhone 5 and iPhone 5s Retina displays, and would allow Apple to release the phones with a larger display while enhancing the Retina quality of its smartphones. No, it's not 1080p (that would be 1920 x 1080,) but it's close enough that at the rumored screen sizes of 4.7- and 5.5-inches, you'd be hard-pressed to notice.
The number we want to look at here is the pixels per inch (ppi), which will tell us how sharp the displays will be. 1704 x 960 at 4.7-inches results in a pixel density of 416 ppi. On a 5.5-inch iPhone, that drops a bit to 356 ppi. The iPhone 5 and iPhone 5s, comparatively, both have a 326 ppi display, so the new iPhone 6 models definitely will look better than the current devices.
iOS 8 won't be much different from iOS 7 in terms of the design and layout, so instead we can likely expect app icons that are sharper and larger on the home screen, and in-app elements to be clearer as well once developers get their apps updated for the new display. Of course, Apple will have its own first-part apps ready at launch.
Word is that we may see Apple unveil the iPhone 6 at a special event in August, but this info seems solid. If you recall, a couple of years ago we reported that the iPhone 5 would get a bump to a 4-inch 1136 x 640 display prior to it being announced.
Monster set to debut a pair of Chanel-branded headphones
Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Wearables, Design, Music,
It looks like Monster's next headphone collaboration will be with luxury fashion brand Chanel. After images of Swizz Beas and Karl Lagerfeld were posted to Instagram showing the two wearing a pair of unannounced headphones that incorporate the Chanel double C monogram, it came to light that they were a product of collaboration between Chanel and Monster. Makes sense, as Swizz Beats is a Monster ambassador. No word on pricing or availability has been announced yet, nor have any specs on the headphones themselves. That said, we'd venture to guess that anyone looking to pick up a pair of Chanel-branded headphones are likely buying them for the brand and not an amazing sound profile.
Why Microsoft unbundling Kinect is a broken promise to all Xbox One owners
Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Editorial, Features, Hardware, Kinect, Xbox One,
As we mentioned earlier, Microsoft has decided to do an about-face, now offering the Xbox One without Kinect for $399. The move continues Microsoft's seemingly cowardly backtracking trend that it's been doing with the Xbox One for about a year now. While many see this simply as a price drop and a way to get the Xbox One without an accessory that they may now want, for all intents and purposes, this kills Kinect dead. Right where it stands.
Allow me to explain. When the original Kinect launched for the Xbox 360, there was a lot of hype and excitement surrounding its release. For the first time, you could use your body as the controller for a new type of gaming experience. It was cool, and about as novel as the original Wii. It was a toy and a gimmick, and soon many folks stopped playing Kinect games, and none really took off at retail. However, Microsoft was getting good data and feedback for what we realized the "real" Kinect would be. The one that launched with the next Microsoft console.
Click to continue reading Why Microsoft unbundling Kinect is a broken promise to all Xbox One owners
Microsoft slashes price of Xbox One to $399 without Kinect
Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Corporate News, Hot Deals, Microsoft, Video Games,
Microsoft surprised the gaming world this morning with the announcement it will sell the Xbox One without Kinect for $399 starting on June 9th in the U.S. This brings the price of the Xbox 360 in line with that of the PlayStation 4, which should bring the two consoles into even more heated competition.
An odd move (though some might say it was expected in order to compete,) since the company wouldn't stop talking about how essential Kinect is to the Xbox One functionality and gaming direction less than a year ago. I guess Microsoft has been feeling the heat if the PlayStation 4 sales, and had to adjust that strategy right quick.
You can pre-order the Xbox One without Kinect now.
Huawei Ascend P7: 1080p, Android KitKat, super-thin smartphone
Posted by Ariel Levin-Waldman Categories: Smartphones, Handhelds,
Huawei is the third-largest smartphone maker in the world, doing brisk business in Japan and Europe, and to a lesser degree in the United States. It wants to increase that ranking and hope that their latest product is enough to corner the US market. With the launch of the Hauwei Ascend P7, it has a hot product on its hands to help reach that goal. Announced Wednesday morning in Paris, the P7 ships with Android 4.4 KitKat and is an impressive piece of equipment. It competes with the other big name brands for system specs, boasting a 5-inch 1920 x 1080 display, LTE network capability, a 1.8GHz quad-core ARM Cortex-A9 processor, 13-megapixel rear camera, and 16GB of storage. Seriously, this things blows my last computer out of the water and is giving my new one a run for its money. At 6.5mm in thickness, it's considerably slimmer too.
Click to continue reading Huawei Ascend P7: 1080p, Android KitKat, super-thin smartphone
Smartphones assist buying decisions for 36% of shoppers
Posted by Ariel Levin-Waldman Categories: Smartphones, Misc. Tech,
The customer service of online shopping. The convenience of a physical store. It might not seem like a winning combination, but the number of people turning away from sales representatives and towards digital apps is rising-- even in brick and mortar stores.
A recent study conducted by financial analytics firm Deloitte has found a massive jump in in-store sales conducted with or aided by mobile and digital technologies. From 2012 to 2013 mobile devices jumped from playing a key role in 5 percent of sales to 19 percent. The use of digital devices in these transactions leaped from 14 percent to 36 percent.
When people go into stores today with a smartphone, they can look up products, reviews, prices and competitors. In the past, you had to make do with a sales representative, and with that the dealer's agenda- to push a product. Half the time I go into a store I do all my research on the spot, whipping out my iPhone to aid my shopping trip.
Click to continue reading Smartphones assist buying decisions for 36% of shoppers
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