Bing news search now shows related topics and personalities
Microsoft’s Bing may be a boy among men in the search-engine wars, but that’s not stopping it from piling on new features. The latest are in its news search, where it just added a “trending topics” carousel that shows timely info in the same category as your query (see the above image), along with a sidebar that displays personalities “you might also like.” Clicking on either will bring up further news results, and Bing also said it’s now extended the article index several years back in time compared to the curt two week period it had before. It’s an interesting change-up over Google’s Knowledge Graph, and Microsoft needs all the help it can get in search, given recent survey results.
Filed under: Internet, Microsoft
Source: Bing blog
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Samsung, LG join forces with Korean cable companies to push UHDTV content
No matter how many 4K TVs hit shelves, without native content their appeal will likely remain limited. Samsung and LG are working to change that, at least in their home country, by announcing a memorandum of understanding with five Korean cable operators (Hyundai HCN, CJ HelloVision, C&M, CMB, and T-Broad) to boost 4K TV broadcasts. We could see both live and on-demand 4K programming by the end of this year or early next year, made available via apps on smart TVs and streamed through South Korea’s abundant high speed internet connections. Still not enough resolution for you? Just last week, Japan’s NHK showed off the first 8K Super Hi-Vision narrative film at the Cannes Film Festival. We’ll let you know when all of these developments add up to Ultra HDTV content viewable in your neck of the woods, but for now early adopters will have to make do with mostly upscaled content like Sony’s Mastered in 4K 1080p Blu-ray discs.
Filed under: Home Entertainment, HD, Samsung, LG
Source: Samsung Korea, Korea Newswire
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Remote desktop software Splashtop 2 launches for Windows Phone 8
Slashtop has a proven track record of bringing the full desktop experience to mobile devices, and now its expertise has come to Windows Phone 8 with the launch of the Splashtop 2 app. The remote desktop client for Redmond’s latest mobile OS is free to download until August 31st, and promises to connect you with any PC or Mac running its Splashtop Streamer software. If you want to access computers on your home network, then a Slashtop account and the right software is all you need, but if want to get at your desktop from the road, it’ll cost $1.99 per month for the privilege. We had a brief tinker with the app running on a Lumia 720, so jump past the break for our impressions.
Filed under: Cellphones, Software, Mobile, Microsoft
Source: Windows Phone blog, Windows Phone store
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Samsung GT-i8800 smartphone makes an appearance running Tizen 2.1
Samsung’s relationship with Google seems solid enough for now, but the company is still hedging its bets with Tizen should things turn sour. Several devices running the alternative Linux-based OS are due to launch this year, and the GT-i8800 looks like it might be one of them. If this image from Tizen Greek Community is to be believed, then what you’re looking at above is codenamed “Redwood”. The phone runs Tizen 2.1 (an update on the version we last played with), packs S-Voice and sounds a lot like the the GT-i8805 we found out about yesterday. With over 900 million Android devices now in the wild, Samsung will not have an easy time trying to peddle its new OS, but we’re curious to see where this goes. Click the source for more shots of the phone in action.
Filed under: Cellphones, Mobile, Samsung
Source: Tizen Greek Community
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Intel: Haswell will boost laptop battery life by 50 percent
When Intel launched Haswell, it promised a generational leap in battery life, and now the chip giant’s talking numbers to back that up. Architecture Group VP Rani Borkar said that laptops packing the chipset should get 50 percent more battery life than current Ivy Bridge models and go up to 20 times longer in standby or idle mode — without any cost to performance. She said that lower power requirements will be one factor in the drop in consumption, but an all-new architecture including a power management chip will also help reduce the energy draw. We’ll have to see whether that encouraging piece of news will help the moribund PC notebook market pick up lost ground to tablets, or whether companies will just keep blurring the line.
Source: Computerworld
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Verizon Cloud spreads to iOS devices, Droid DNA and Galaxy S 4
When Verizon Cloud launched last month, it would only back up a few Android devices — not quite the cross-platform utopia that the carrier had in mind. Today’s launch of the Verizon Cloud iOS app should get the company (and subscribers) closer to the original vision. Like its mobile counterpart, the iPhone-focused release syncs or streams documents and media from every platform that Verizon supports, including PCs. Just don’t expect a wide safety net, though, as the iOS app won’t back up call logs, contacts or messages. Still prefer Android? You’re covered as well — Verizon has expanded the compatibility list to include more Google-powered hardware, such as the Droid DNA and the Galaxy S 4. As long as you’re inclined toward Verizon Cloud in the first place, the source links should get all your devices working in harmony.
Filed under: Cellphones, Tablets, Storage, Internet, Apple, Samsung, HTC, Verizon
Via: 9to5 Mac
Source: App Store, Verizon, Google Play
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BBC iPlayer for Android adds support for 10-inch tablets, improves user interface
It’s simple: the numbers don’t lie. Clearly aware of the many, many hours viewers are squeezing out of their tablets, the BBC has, for the better, made its iPlayer for Android more friendly with 10-inch models. Folks using the app will no longer have to rely on a shortcut to the website, with the BBC iPlayer now offering native support for those larger Android slates. The changelog also notes some tweaks to the UI on smartphones and 7-inch tablets, but mum’s the word on what the changes were exactly. Either way, we’re sure owners of, say, a Nexus 10 will be happy to hear there’s less steps to catch up with their favorite shows.
Filed under: Home Entertainment, Tablets, Software
Via: Android Police
Source: Google Play
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Microsoft details how Xbox One cloud servers will tackle processor-intensive gaming chores
One of the Xbox launch’s big reveals was that Microsoft added 300,000 servers to Xbox Live, and now GM Matt Booty has detailed to Ars Technica how that’ll improve game play. He said the improved cloud architecture will speed up GPU- or CPU-heavy chores that aren’t dependent on latency — like lighting or cloth dynamics — by pre-calculating them before applying them to a scene. To make that happen, the Xbox One server cloud will provide three virtual devices for “every Xbox one available in your living room.” It’ll be up to game developers to manage transitions between console-only and cloud assisted graphics, though, since the first few seconds of lighting in a new scene will need to be handled by the console before servers can take over. Of course, that means many titles may look better when you’re online, but he added that you’ll still be able to play if the internet is cut and “the game is going to have to intelligently handle that.”
Filed under: Gaming, Microsoft
Source: Ars Technica
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US Cellular getting ready to launch Home Phone service
Keen to capitalize on the ever-growing segment of landline cutters, US Cellular appears to be launching a home phone service similar to the Home Connect offerings by Verizon and Sprint. According to information we’ve received, all you have to do is plug in a regular cordless or corded phone into the provided base station and voilà — you’ll be able to make calls via US Cellular’s wireless network instead. You’ll get unlimited voice calls for only $19.99 a month, which also includes voicemail, caller ID, call waiting, call forwarding, three-way calling and that all-important E911 service. Of course, as it’s voice-only, you won’t get data or text messaging as part of the plan.
The PCD-made base station seen above has a model name of FT2260 and boasts dual-band support (800/1900 MHz CDMA), a QSC6055 chipset, two phone jacks and a USB port for diagnostics purposes. Also included in the package are a charger, an antenna and a 1500 mAh NiMH battery that promises up to two hours of talk or 36 hours of standby time. We’re not sure when exactly this’ll roll out, but from the looks of it, we won’t have to wait long for yet another alternative to ye olde POTS.
[Thanks, Anonymous]
Filed under: Cellphones, Wireless, Mobile
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