As Microsoft is about to announce the next-generation Xbox tomorrow, this may be the last day on which we use the term Xbox 720 (“Xbox Infinity” is rumored, but that seems like a very “final/ultimate” type of name… but why not?). Microsoft entered the console market at a time where many doubted that it could be successful as a new comer. After more than a decade, Microsoft now sits at the top of the market, with U.S console and game sales higher than both Sony and Nintendo. The company is about to introduce its next-generation game console, let’s take a look at what it’s likely going to be.
Read full post →Xbox 720: Everything To Look For

Soon after Google I/O 2013 in which the company announced Hangouts, we reported that video calls initiated through Hangouts app while on AT&T’s data network were not going through. It seemed like as if video chats from this new app were blocked like AT&T had blocked FaceTime when it came out. The company soon released a statement after that, throwing the ball back in Google’s court, saying that it was the Mountain View company that ultimately had the switch in its hands. AT&T also said that they don’t block video chat apps that are not pre-loaded on any Android device.

Today in yet another statement, AT&T assured us that it just might rolled out across the board support for all video chat apps by the end of this year. AT&T says that throughout the second of this year, their aim is to enable pre-loaded video chat apps over cellular for all of their customers, regardless of the device or data plan that they have. As far as the Hangouts issue is concerned, Google has yet to issue a statement of their own, for now AT&T has transferred the onus to them.

Some four months ago the Boeing 787 Dreamliner aircraft was grounded by the FAA following a number of safety related incidents that had been caused to the battery system. In March, the manufacturer was finally given the go ahead to test its new battery system. Since then there have been many tests, including two certification flights. The ban was finally lifted late last month with Ethiopian Airlines becoming the first carrier to resume its 787 Dreamliner service. Today United Airlines has announced that its Dreamliner aircraft will once again roam the skies from this day on.

Despite the fact that the ban on flight was lifted last month, the entire fleet couldn’t be operational at once because it took teams more than a week to retrofit the new battery systems in all Dreamliner aircraft delivered to airlines around the globe. At the moment United Airline’s Dreamliner service is being operated on domestic routes inside the U.S. only. It is expected that the airline will resume long-haul international flights aboard the Boeing 787 Dreamliner aircraft starting June 10th, the route being Denver, U.S. to Tokyo, Japan.

It is no secret that ailing Canadian manufacturer BlackBerry is fighting hard for its survival. It introduced the new BlackBerry 10 platform and two new devices back in January. They devices have performed relatively well, despite rumors that the flagship Z10 was seeing high return rates in the U.S. It may take quite some time for BlackBerry to regain its lost market share, and the third place it recently lost out to Windows Phone, however the company is seeing genuine signs of progress in its homeland.

Research firm Raymond James has released new figures of the Canadian mobile market, which is undoubtedly ruled by Apple and Samsung with 40.1% and 31% market share respectively. BlackBerry had previously been at a low 6% but since the introduction of Z10 and Q10, that number has more than doubled, now standing at 13.5% and expected to go even higher. The company has already said that sales of its new devices are exceeding internal expectations. With the new mid-range Q5 smartphone set to release next month, and alleged new devices just around the corner, there seems to be a fighting chance for the once mighty BlackBerry.

I have yet to come across the path of someone who loathes all things Lego. Who can resist these precise fitting plastic bricks that get the job done, unraveling the imagination of the masses? Well, on May 10th and May 11th, eighty Danish Lego devotees actually got together and assisted Henrik Ludvigsen in creating history, as Ludvigsen had in mind to construct the world’s longest plastic toy train track – using nothing but Lego bricks, of course.

Just how long is it? Well, we are talking about a whopping 4,000.25 m (13,124 ft) here (which would mean approximately four kilometers in total), and the entire feat was achieved using 93,307 pieces. Obviously, the record keepers over at Guinness approved at this world record attempt, where the Lego train engine actually took all four hours in order to complete its epic journey from one end to the other. Since Lego bricks are not the cheapest thing in the world to indulge in, Ludvigsen actually placed ads in newspapers and online to ask for more blue track, and obviously, the public was generous enough to help Ludvigsen achieve his dream. [Press Release]

Hmmm, the name Cooking Hacks might be one that you would want to keep a keen eye peeled open for, where this open hardware division of Libelium has just announced the immediate availability of a new 3D Printer Kit which comprises of all the hardware components required in order for you to mount a 3D printer device from scratch. Not only that, the Cooking Hacks 3D Printer Kit will also feature a step-by-step instruction guide as well as access to hands-on Build-It Workshops to get you off on the right footing.

It does not matter whether you are a maker, hobbyist or DIY enthusiast, the Cooking Hacks 3D Printer Kit should have something for everyone, where it also boasts of professional online customer support to help you out in assembly and calibration requirements. In fact, since May 17th, there has been a series of hands-on workshops offered at TechShop in its Menlo Park location in California, as well as at Cooking Hacks in Spain so that users can go about building their very own personal 3D printer. Hopefully this will not eventually end up in someone printing a 3D gun and smuggling it through borders with nefarious purposes! [Product Page]

So you think that you have what it takes to be the next legend on the track? Well, your surname might not be Schumacher, and neither do you have the slick skills of a Sebastian Vettel, but you figure out that the lack of natural talent, skill, and pure guts can be compensated by sheer passion alone. Unfortunately, you are wrong on those accounts, too, and would be better off by seeing whether you have the aptitude for racing through the participation of Go Kart races. If you so happen to be in France, you might want to check out Kartelec 2013, where battery-powered go-karts will blaze the track in Vierzon, France, later this month.

This is an international educational event which will pit over 40 e-karts that were all designed and built by students from high schools, universities and engineering schools. Hmmm, sounds like the human version of podracing, no? The competition will happen on a 300-meter track, as students take part in a range of challenges including a 50-meter drag race, the fastest lap times, as well as a couple of endurance runs which will run for two and four hours, respectively.

They say that walking can be one of the best forms of exercise, and do you happen to agree with that particular assessment? If you say so, then you might be interested in what this particular group of students who happen to hail from Rice University have managed to come up with – a new kind of shoe energy harvester which will use the amount of energy gathered to power medical devices.

It makes plenty of sense in this day and age, especially when you consider how medical devices at the moment (as well as in the future, no doubt about it) will start to be more power hungry courtesy to a rash of new capabilities that are being introduced. You can more or less say that lithium ion batteries have arrived at a plateau, so there must be a better way of doing things to power hungry devices as and when required. How about harnessing the body’s motion to produce useful electric power? Granted, the amount of energy harvested is not going to be much through walking, and neither is this idea new, but the invention known as PediPower was capable of producing approximately 400 milliwatts in laboratory tests, which should be adequate to charge a battery for some limited applications.

Samsung did confirm after Galaxy S4 launch that many of the software features of its new flagship will be available via update for the Galaxy S3 as well. There’s now an apparently leaked Android 4.2.2 build for Galaxy S3 in the wild, which not only brings Android 4.2 Jelly Bean upgrades, but a host of new features that are currently exclusive to Samsung’s latest Android flagship smartphone. Fair warning though, this leaked build isn’t official, so you must assume all the risks of flashing an unverified and unofficial ROM before proceeding.

This Android 4.2.2 Galaxy S3 build brings a new UI for Settings app, updated version of S Voice, Smart Watch widget, driving mode, Voice Control, Daydream and a host of software and visual tweaks. There’s a caveat though, this leaked build isn’t compatible with U.S. variants of the Galaxy S3. It is only compatible with i9300 model, also known as the international variant of Galaxy S3. If you happen to have that one lying around, it is all up to you if you’re willing to try out this leaked Android 4.2.2 build on your device.

Earlier today we reported that T-Mobile CEO might consider offering the 32GB Lumia 925 smartphone without carrier branding. That observation was actually made in a reply to a customer’s email, so obviously there’s no official confirmation that a 32GB Lumia 925 is indeed coming to T-Mobile. Announced last week, Nokia Lumia 925 is currently only available with 16GB internal storage. It is now being reported that a variant with increased storage space might be a possibility after all, as Vodafone will reportedly sell 32GB Lumia 925 in Europe and T-Mobile Germany will sell the same in Deutschland.

There’s no confirmation as yet from Nokia or these carriers regarding the 32GB model. T-Mobile USA is currently allowing users to pre-register for the 16GB Lumia 925. From a buyer’s point of view, having the option of a model which offers greater internal storage seems useful, not everyone will be content with 16GB of internal storage. As long as we’re on the subject of Lumia 925 rumors, perhaps the alleged yellow Lumia 925 will debut with increased storage? I’m just speculating here, hopefully we’ll get official confirmation soon regarding the status of this particular variant.