Casio Entering the Smart Watch Market

July 4, 2015

Casio Computer Company of Japan has just announced that they will manufacture modern-day smartwatches to compete with the likes of the Apple Watch.

The masters of watch making enter the smartwatch arena

It has been four decades since Casio had introduced the first digital watch, which basically is a point of argument that Casio was the first manufacturer of “smart” watches.

But now The Wall Street Journal reports that Casio will be introducing their smartwatches.

Currently, Casio doesn’t have any smartwatch on its product line to compete with the kinds of Apple Watch. They do have a version of their famous G-Shock Watch that can connect to Apple and Samsung Galaxy devices.

These watches can alert the wearer about incoming calls, texts and calendar notifications that are on the phone. They also allow to control music playback on your phone.

Kazuhiro Kashio, Casio’s President hasn’t disclosed the specific features of the possible smartwatch from the company, offered some idea of what to expect.

The watch will be targeted at men interested in outdoor sports and leisure activities. This will determine the design and appearance of the watch.

Kashio also stated that it will be quite comfortable to wear and have a very stylish appearance.

Casio had in the past introduced watches with some novel features, like the inclusion of a heart rate monitor and tried-out a schedule manager.

Due to the failure of execution the products were pulled off as they didn’t sell well, said Kashio.

“We are trying to bring our smartwatches to a level of watch perfection: a device that won’t break easily, is simple to put on, and feels good to wear.”

The watches are estimated to come with a price tag of around $400 and will have a tough competitive market with companies like Apple and Pebble.

Still people are very well aware of the weight that comes with the brand name Casio and they should have a good market presence.

Kashio says the company will launch in Japan and United States first and hasn’t said anything about plans of international release.

Users of Apple Music having a Nickname Crisis

Nitish Singh

July 2, 2015

It hasn’t been even 24 hours since Apple launched its Apple Music service and already users are finding that the nicknames they want to use are already taken.

Choose Your NickName before It is Taken by someone else

In Apple Music, Nicknames will be of use when commenting and sharing playlists, and if you don’t have one you can’t do those things.

Now if you want something simple and unique with which you want others to associate you, then better hurry up before someone else grabs it.

If that happens only option would be to have an alpha-numero gibberish nickname. And really who wants that?

Now the quickest way to secure your nickname would be heading to the music app on your iOS device and tap the profile button which is at the top left corner.

Your account details will show up. Then tap on the top right-hand corner and just enter a 32- character nickname.

Now if you are using iTunes via desktop to access Apple Music, just fire up the latest update of the app and go to the name on top. Click on your details from there and then enter your name as before.

There is an option to be able to change your nickname anytime you want though it is currently unclear if you can still be addressed by your old nickname if anyone wishes to.

Hence the question: can others get my old nickname after I have changed it and I’m using a new one?

SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket exploded two minutes after launch

Nitish Singh

June 29, 2015

Sunday morning 10:21 am, E.T., SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket was rising above Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida when it broke up in a fiery blast after just 2 minutes.

It launched with a robotic Dragon cargo capsule headed for the International Space Station. This was the third failure of a space station resupply mission in eight months.

Debris from the launch has not caused any land damage though and has fallen into the Atlantic Ocean. A lot of important materials and pieces of equipment have been lost in this devastation.

SpaceX is now in charge of the investigation, along with co-operations from the Federal Aviation Administration. SpaceX crews are also trying to recover debris from the sea, said SpaceX’s chief operating officer, Gwynne Shotwell.

The primary objective of the mission was to deliver the Dragon freighter to ISS (International Space Station). A new docking mechanism was also sent, which would be needed when future astronaut vehicles-one based on the dragon itself- come to service later this decade.

It was also set to deliver two and a Half tons of supplies, equipment, and experiments. However, the astronauts are safe aboad the space station and have sufficient supplies to last until Fall.

Meanwhile, Russian and Japanese launches are scheduled to send more supplies in July and August respectively. Another SpaceX launch is also due on September.

Falcon 9 Launches Suspended for now

Until SpaceX’s findings are signed by the FAA, Falcon 9 Launches are suspended. Shotwell said that it would probably take several months but not a year.

“We appear to have had a launch vehicle failure,”

George Diller, NASA Spokesperson observed. Air Force officials said the rocket

“experienced an anomaly”

148 seconds into the flight.

SpaceX’s founder Elon Musk tweeted

“there was an overpressure event in the upper stage liquid tank”.

Gwynne Shotwell, concurred with that preliminary assessment later that Sunday — but she said it was too early to say anything else about the cause of the mishap.

NASA and Microsoft will send HoloLens into space by the end of this year

Nitish Singh

June 26, 2015

Space is the final frontier. And astronauts are our pioneers. But our boys are very ill equipped. At least our heroes embarking on this journey into the unknown deserves a sidekick. And it turns out; Microsoft with its HoloLens has just got them covered.

Project “sidekick” launched by Microsoft in partnership with NASA will allow all the astronauts to go all IRONMAN.

Currently, astronauts take notes on pieces of paper and receive instructions from NASA by voice only. So old school for people living in space, right!

Well Microsoft previously had demoed their HoloLens technology on stage, and its basically a headsets that create interactive holographic images and embeds them in the real world creating an augmented reality.

Recently Microsoft offered a demo using HoloLens to create virtual Martian (mars) terrain, showing the power and possibilities if its augmented reality headset.

Microsoft will be sending a few HoloLens headsets to the ISS (International Space Station) in the next shipment and speculation is that astronauts will go paperless by the end of this year.

Project “sidekick” is currently said to have two modes. The Remote Expert Mode, which uses Skype to bring real-time annotations and let people sitting at NASA see through the eyes of the astronauts.

Then the Procedure Mode requires HoloLens and brings Holograms into the interactions of the space crew and items they might use.

NASA has reported that project Sidekick and HoloLens will be used and evaluated during NEEMO (NASA Extreme Environment Mission Operation) 20 expedition, which will commence on July 21.

A group of astronauts and engineers will go to the only undersea research station, Aquarius for two weeks, where the whole project will be evaluated.

There is no current date for the exact arrival of HoloLens to the International Space Station, but NASA said

“expects astronauts on the station will first use Sidekick by the end of the year.”

Hopefully by then some of us back home on earth would also have access to the HoloLens

Near Miss Collision by two Self-Driving Cars put a question mark on the technology

Jia Khan

June 26, 2015

Google’s Self driven autonomous cars hit the roads earlier this year but the reliability of the cars is already being questioned as the reports of a near miss between two self-driving cars, owned by Google and Delphi, surfaced this week.

The incident took place in Palo Alto, where other companies are also working on auto-driven cars. The Google car tried to cut off an Audi during a lane change test.

This incident provoked a concern in public about the future of Google cars and self driving cars in general although Chris Urmson, the director of the Google’s autonomous car projects, had made quite some claims regarding the car’s safety.

In his blog post earlier this month, Chris had declared that during 11.7 miles’ Google fleet test, 11 minor incidents were faced but none of them was the autonomous car’s fault.

Google cars are designed to work without a steering wheel or a pedal, but Google announced it will be introducing a brake, removable steering and accelerator in order to turn the car into a drivable vehicle.

Delphi Autonomous vehicles also possess a drivable mechanism as a backup and though it also has reported an accident, the car wasn’t running in self-driving mode at the time.

Google has also admitted that its self-driving vehicles have undergone 13 accidents in the past six years. But surprisingly two of these accidents occurred in the last month which is a bit alarming.

Google still maintains its safety stand and that the past 11 incidents were not the self-driven system’s fault.

A Google spokesman declared that two of the incidents occurred when their car had stopped for a red light and another vehicle crushed the rear end of the car.

Despite the reassurances form Google, the public at large remains skeptical about the safety of these self-driving cars.

Batman: Arkham Knight for PCs Pulled Because of Glitches

Nitish Singh

June 25, 2015

Batman: Arkham Knight has been withdrawn from the market due to numerous bugs and technical issues. Game developers confessed of improper sequence and diverse performance from the game.

Within a few hours of the game’s release, the reports said game play is unpleasant and filled with glitches.

The Batman game will be withdrawn

“While we work to address these issues to satisfy our quality standards”

Warner Brothers, owner of Batman franchise, publicly announced.

Based on the current survey on steam accounts, the game records “mostly Negative” status now. Repeated reports of audio glitches, frame rate drop, and Screen freezing covered the whole page with over 8,700 posts about numerous problems.

According to reports, the largest number of players to report issues were those using AMD Graphics in their PCs.

The game also launched on Xbox One and PlayStation 4 with zero technical issue. People enjoyed playing it on console and has already reached the climax in the game.

But, the game failed miserably on the PC with graphics and other technical issues. Overall frame rates were poor and gamers with high-end machines are also not able to play the game properly.

A refund option is available in steam or any retailer you got your game from and this announcement can save many gamers from frustration. The company is promising a refund for every piece that got sold.

Removal of bugs, glitches, and other technical problems will take time and it is in the best interest of both consumers and company to take way the game from the market.

This might not be the worst game created in the history of gaming, but for a reputed company like Warner Brothers, this type of incident is definitely a setback for them.

Microsoft Office apps for Android Phones are live!

Nitish Singh

June 25, 2015

With Windows 10 launch near, Microsoft is introducing its popular Office apps to Android Phones. The announcement is made by Kirk Koengnsbauer in a blog post published on Microsoft’s official blog.

Microsoft Office is very popular in the PC world, but while its popularity is decent and rising in the mobile world it no where near its PC dominance. According to the blog, Excel, Word and PowerPoint apps will be available for the Android users.

With the release for Android phones, the Android experience for MS Office will be complete as the apps were already available for the Android Tablet versions.

The Office apps for Android phones have been in the testing phase for the past five weeks with hundreds of thousands of Android users participating.

Overall, the app was installed on over 1,900 Android smartphones and spanning across 83 countries, according to the Microsoft blog.

To make sure that users easily transit from Google drive, the latest Microsoft Office apps offers Google Drive connectivity.

So, what makes the App unique? According the official blog, the app offers tons of features including on the go reviews and edits, Presenting from the phone, Quick access to the documents, and of course the biggest one being that it is the most widely available Office solution.

The only limitation is that you need to login into the Microsoft Cloud account to use the app. Many users are complaining with the requirement of account login, but Microsoft needs to accumulate the documents in one place, and hence require the account association.

The downloads for now are separated as Work for Android, PowerPoint for Android, and Excel for Android.

The app has already been download by thousands of users already and the reviews are mixed for now.

We hope that the office apps bring more features compared to already available and powerful Google Drive Apps.

For more information, keep visiting!

Sony releases super thin Android powered 4K TVs

Nitish Singh

June 24, 2015

Sony’s super slim Android powered 4K TVs first unveiled earlier this year at the Consumer Electronic Show CES, 2015 have started hitting stores in the United States starting at $2,499 for the 55-inch model.

Currently, Sony has released pricing for three of the Android-powered super slim TVs. The first one, XBR-55X900C, a 55-inch 4k TV costs $2,499, while price of the 65-inch model is put at $3,999.

The top of the family X910C, which is only available in 75-inch screen will set you back $5,499. All of the ultra HD TVs are planned to release in July and are currently available in the United States for now.

So, what makes them so costly? The higher price is attributed to its super slim size. The 0.2-inch (5.08 mm) thickness is super slim, slimmer than most smartphones.

All the TVs are powered by the Android TV OS and are all Smart TVs. According to many sources, the Sony super slim TVs offers great visual quality with a great color combination.

The 4K TVs also supports Sony’s PlayStation Now, which allows users stream games on their TV.

Sony is one of the big players in the TV market, but there are many speculations from the Sony’s CEO on the future of Sony in the TV market.

The CEO is not sure on the future of Sony’s presence in the TV market. According to him, Sony will move out of the TV industry in the future, to focus on their mobiles.

So, which TV are you planning to buy? The collection is costly and will keep many buyers from buying it, but the enthusiast may have a different plans altogether.

Have anything to add to the story? Comment below and let us know!

Project Cars’ developer is already crowdfunding a sequel

Nitish Singh

June 23, 2015

With only one month of release to the original project cars game, the developers Slightly Mad Studios are aiming for yet another public crowdfunding. This time they are crowdfunding for the Project Cars Sequel.

According to the developers, the Project Cars sequel is aimed at making the game more awesome. The sequel will see an addition of more than 200+ courses, featuring the gravel, snow, ‘loose surface racing’ on dirt and much more.

In terms of graphics, the original game lacked dynamic lightning. The sequel will make sure that all the missing things are present. Other vital stats include 50 unique locations, covering 200+ courses.

The sequel has plans to add more game modes including HilllClimbs, Touge, Rallycross and more. In terms of cars, the game will see an addition of 200+ cars, ranging from 40+ varying vehicle classes.

The most impressive part of the sequel, as promised, would be the co-op career mode. The game will also introduce banned cars and will give the players almost everything they missed in the first part.

The co-op mode is aimed at players to play with their friends and family. It will help create an environment of fun and excitement.

Project Cars 1 was an awesome game and received good ratings from both critics and gamers across the gaming community.

In short, Project Cars 2 (hopefully) will see all the missing aspects of the first game. Customization will also be improved and players will be in more control compared to the first game.

Mad Studios are known for crowdfunding their games. The first game was also crowdfunding from the famous crowdfunding platform, KickStart.

This time, the only difference is the change of platform used for funding. They are using the WMD (World of Mass Development) platform.

Until now, the game is aiming at a funding goal of £7 million, out of which 250,000 Euros is invested by the studio themselves. Will they reach their funding goal? We only need to wait and watch.

Are you a Project Cars fan? Then, comment below and share your opinion.

Windows 10 Insiders will receive the final build for free

Nitish Singh

June 22, 2015

With Windows 10 release drawing near, it is quite evident that everyone is excited and waiting patiently.

Few days back, Microsoft came up with the news of letting all their Windows 10 insiders have the final build upcoming operating system free. The announcement came on the official Windows blog, and clearly stated how the Windows 10 Insiders will gain access to the full build on release date.

So, how does the program works?

It’s simple. The Windows 10 insiders need to keep the Windows 10 insiders preview installed on their machines. Once the Windows 10 is released, they will receive the RTM, i.e., release-to-manufacturing build through the windows update.

For the update to process, the computer should be connected with the Windows 10 insiders account. Anyone, who is currently not enrolled in the Microsoft 10 insiders program, needs to enroll in the account and then download the insiders preview on their computer.

Windows Insiders are a popular group on the internet as they are public testers to all the products released by Microsoft.

The need for the account connectivity is for the sole reason to check that only the insiders get the full version and not the other way around, where people try to download the insider preview to gain access to the full build.

There is no doubt that Microsoft’s new approach is seen as an important way of finding new Insiders for their current and future projects. Whatever may be their intentions, the main beneficiaries are the consumers.

The latest version of the Windows 10 comes with Microsoft’s new browser, Edge. It also includes the Cortana and other pre-final build features.

So, if you are interested in gaining access to the final Windows build, get enrolled in the Microsoft’s Insider preview.

However, users with Windows 7, Windows 8, or Windows 8.1 need not join the preview as they will all get free upgrades to Windows 10 once it becomes available.

Windows 10 will also be their last Windows major release as Microsoft will be shifting to incremental updates similar to the Apple MAC OS.

Update: Microsoft have made some clarification on how the program, works. For Windows 10 insiders to continue getting the new OS free they have to remain part of the Windows 10 insider program, once they leave the program, they will need a license to maintain their Windows 10 on their machine.

Has anything to add to the story? Comment below and let us know.

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