Video: Google+ gets massive redesign

Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Design, Social Media, Social Networks,

Google just released a massive redesign for its Google+ social network, the majority of which you can check out in the walkthrough video above. Our thoughts? Lots of whitespace, but we'll play with it for a bit before final judgment.

Intel working on StudyBook, a tablet for students

Posted by Andrey Malskiy Categories: Handhelds, Toys,

Intel has been working on designing a tablet, dubbed the Studybook, that focuses and built primarily on educational needs. The tablet would run on Windows 7 or Android 3.0, powered by the Atom Z650 processor, feature a front and rear-facing camera, 1 GB of RAM, and all the versatile ports such as USB 2.0, HDMI, and a microSD slot. It would fall into Intel’s line of educational computers, such as the Classmate Convertible, which is used by 7 million students over the whole world.

Now, you might be cringing thinking about how quickly students will destroy the tablets, but Intel has designed the Studybook to withstand abuse. It’s made of durable plastic and can withstand a drop from about 2 feet or so.

The StudyBook is to come with preinstalled educational software, such as the Kno e-reader and LabCam suite for science. It’s reported that the tablet should sell around $200, but no word of when its official release and availability date will be.

Read More | Intel via The Verge

Ask Andru: How can I make my iPad louder?

Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Apple, Editorial, Features, Handhelds, Videos,

In today's Ask Andru column, we get a question about an issue with the iPad that we've actually experienced ourselves for years. Ever since the release of the original iPad, it's been painfully obvious that the speaker on the Apple tablet isn't exactly up to snuff. It's fine if you're somewhere quiet, but go somewhere that has any ambient noise, and all of a sudden it's a challenge to enjoy any audio-based entertainment. So, on to the submitted question:

I love my new iPad, but I wish it were louder. It seems that everything about the new iPad is high-quality, with the exception of the speaker! Is there any way I can get more volume out of this thing?

I hear you! As I said earlier, the low volume issue has been around since the very first iPad. When the iPad 2 was released, the speaker grille was larger, and many assumed that this meant that the device would be louder. Unfortunately, despite the visual cue, the iPad 2 suffered from the same issue, and the new third-generation model (see our new iPad review) seems to have the exact same speaker as its predecessor. Luckily, there are a few things you can do to alleviate the frustration.

Click to continue reading Ask Andru: How can I make my iPad louder?

Netflix updates Xbox 360 app with contrast controls, better episode navigation

Posted by Andrey Malskiy Categories: Home Entertainment, Microsoft, Movies, Software,

For all those that use their Xbox 360 to stream Netflix, an update has been issued today to solve some (but definitely not all!) annoying issues and improve user experience.

You're now able to skip forward and backwards during play, allowing users to quickly change between movies and TV episodes. Users now will be able to zoom during play, turning letterboxed displays into full screen, and there are now contrast settings that allow you to tweak things to make colors more vivid, and blacks purer. For users outside the States, you’ll now have expanded and improved Facebook functionality connected via Facebook. The social functionality allows others to see what you watched and how you rated the shows.

If you’re wondering how to get the update, signing into your Xbox Live account and fire up your current Netflix app. You should get a notification that an update is available right away. If you’re not a Netflix user, when you decide the time is right to try Netflix, the most up-to-date software will be downloaded when you sign-up. Keep in mind in order to access Netflix through the Xbox 360, you need an Xbox Live Gold Account, broadband Internet, and an active Netflix membership.

Read More | Netflix

Top 10 vehicles with highest male ownership percentage

Posted by Andrey Malskiy Categories: Transportation,

Here’s a look at the top 10 vehicles with a high male ownership. We’re not all too surprised with the list of cars, minus a couple of choices.

The Ferrari 458 Italia finds itself on the top of the list with 95.3% of its owners bring men.

After you’re done thinking about who might own the other 4.7% of the 458, the list continues with the BMW 1 Series M taking second followed by Audi R8, Mercedes SLS AMG, and the Ferrari California. We’re not surprised to see all these high-performance, lead-footed fun cars hitting the list. I know that most these cars are on my list of must drive cars before I die.

Number six goes to the Porsche 911, a classic, if you ask us, followed by the Nissan GT-R with 87.9% male ownership. Number eight is were the list take a turn for the worst, the all-ever, cookie-cutter-remixed-Chevy Silverado, GMC Sierra pickup trucks; following closely behind it the Ford F-Series. Number ten goes to the ever-classic, mid-life crisis Chevy Corvette.

What leaves us bogged are the number eight and nine slots, is there really nothing better out there other than pick-up trucks?

Read More | InsideLine

Halo 4 Multiplayer Details Leak

Posted by John Ball Categories: Action, First Person Shooters, Microsoft, Rumors, Xbox 360, Xbox Live,

Buckle yourselves in Halo fans because we have a lot of news to cover. On the 7th of this month a currently anonymous person, who we assume works at the ever popular magazine Game Informer, released for the viewing pleasure of the public the entire Halo 4 cover article. This article goes into great detail about the games multiplayer features and what we can expect at the games launch. Reactions are currently mixed, as no one knows what to make of all of this information. Neither 343 Industries nor Game Informer have made any comment about the leak.

Spartan Ops, Forerunner Vision, and Regicide are a few of the highlights posted in the leaked article. Let's break these all down. Spartan Ops, think Special Ops from Call of Duty but instead of all missions available immediately, we will most likely see Spartan Ops missions released as updates or DLC for the game. By the final Spartan Ops mission release, the entire length of the Ops is said to be comparable to the Halo 4 campaign itself. This is a tactic to keep players invested in the game over time and looks to be very promising. Forerunner Vision has many Halo fans up in arms, as this ability allows the player to see through walls. This could be used to locate enemy positions on the map easier, possibly eliminating camping. Finally there is Regicide, a free-for-all game type similar to VIP. In Regicide, the player with the most kills becomes the “King” and every kill that they get after that adds to points that another player can get after killing the “King.”

That is all we would like to share with you for now but if you would like to read the full list of Multiplayer additions and changes or you want to see a full gallery from the magazine, hit the link below.

Read More | GamePur

Chrysler releases a Powermat-like system in Dodge Dart to charge devices wirelessly

Posted by Andrey Malskiy Categories: Corporate News, Handhelds, Transportation,

Chrysler recently announced that it will be offering wireless in-vehicle charging stations for your mobile devices. For $200 bucks you can clear your car of messy wires that clutter it, while charging your smartphone. The forthcoming Dodge Dart will be the first of vehicles to feature the “Powermat-like” technology. The car is set to hit dealer lots this summer, and is offering a great alternative to the compact car market.

The power bin is integrated into the cars center consoles, measuring about 8-inches x 9-inches x 3-inches deep. The grid becomes activated when your device is dropped in and shuts off when your device is removed. However, there is a small catch to the system, like the Powermat, Chrysler’s system too calls for a special case to be used in conjunction with its power bin. The case is included with the power bin package.

Read More | Jalopnik

New iPad (3rd generation) review

Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Apple, Features, Handhelds, Product Reviews, Videos,

The new iPad. When the third-generation Apple slate was announced, it gained a few new features, but lost a number. Hey, you can't blame Apple for simplifying things, right? Really, though, the new iPad is anything but a simple machine.

When Apple announced the new iPad, the company focused on a few key features that set the third-generation model apart from the iPad 2. The iPad product line is such a runaway success, that we felt it would be more appropriate to focus our review on the things that've changed or been added. After all, the iPad 2 is still a capable tablet, and Apple's still selling it, now at a discounted $399 for the 16 GB model, while the new iPad starts at $499 (although you can get it for less on Amazon.) So let's focus on what the new iPad (3rd generation) brings to the table, and if it's worth your attention. We're talking about things like the Retina display, 4G LTE, A5X SoC processor with quad-core graphics, and dictation. Is that stuff enough to warrant your attention? Let us take you through our iPad (3rd generation) review, and get these questions answered, shall we?

Click to continue reading New iPad (3rd generation) review

iPad (3rd generation) unboxing gallery

Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Apple, Features, Galleries, Handhelds,

Our new iPad review is coming later today live, but in the meantime we've put together a gallery showing off the beautiful device. Check out our Apple iPad (3rd generation) unboxing gallery to get a look, and be sure to check out our thorough iPad review (featuring a bunch of video) later today!

Gallery:

Facebook buys Instagram for $1 billion

Posted by Andru Edwards Categories:

Mark Zuckerburg just announced that Facebook has agreed to acquire the super-popular Instagram for a cool $1 billion. Facebook has been hard at work recently to improve its own built-in photo sharing and viewing experience, while Instagram recently released an Android client that was downloaded a million times on its day of release. Now, Facebook gets the Instagram team in-house, while acknowledging that it should be run independently and maintain all of its social sharing features. Get a look at the full announcement after the break.

Click to continue reading Facebook buys Instagram for $1 billion