[Most Recent Entries] [Calendar View]
Wednesday, August 5th, 2015
| Time | Event |
| 12:20a | Xbox One Will Be Upgraded To Windows 10 In November
Just a couple of days ago, Windows 10 was launched for the PC and the rollout is underway. But that is just a single aspect of Windows 10, and one of the other devices that will get the Windows 10 treatment is the Xbox One. The latest generation gaming console from Redmond originally launched with Windows 8 at its core, and like all Windows 8 devices it is going to get the Windows 10 treatment. Microsoft fist showed off the new interface back at E3, and today at gamescom 2015 a release date was announced for November. This will bring a lot of new capabilities to the Xbox One, but the most obvious will be the new user interface. The style has certainly morphed from the Windows 8 Metro design language to what is now available in Windows 10, and the new look is certainly sharp.
There will also be some changes to some of the Xbox One’s experiences, such as the OneGuide. I do run my cable box through my Xbox One, but I have never been happy with the OneGuide that is available now, so I’m looking forward to seeing these changes. The new guide will be a key piece of the Xbox DVR functionality coming next year. Xbox One will also have a Watch section in select regions where it will pull together movies and TV shows across services, including live TV, Netflix, and HBO Go, to make discovery easier. The Store is also getting a makeover, as it did in Windows 10. With the new Windows 10 framework, Xbox One should be able to install Microsoft’s apps created with the universal app platform, assuming the dev does the UI work to make it function on the Xbox One and its unique inputs of a controller, and possibly Kinect. With Windows 10 on Xbox One, Cortana will also be making her way to the console to let you do natural language inputs on the Xbox One, though this will require the Kinect for the audio input. Cortana will first be available in the USA and UK on the Xbox One, but the number of countries slated to get Cortana on Windows 10 has been increased over the last couple of weeks so it would make sense for it to then roll out to the Xbox. For those that need to do a lot of text chat, the Xbox One is also getting a new accessory called the Xbox Chatpad which lets you snap a keyboard onto the Xbox One controller.
The Xbox One has been getting some pretty solid monthly software updates since it was launched, and the November update should be the biggest yet. Source: Xbox Wire |
| 3:01a | Seagate Announces 2TB Game Drive for Xbox At Gamescom 2015
Today Seagate is announcing a new product aimed squarely at the console market, and specifically at the Xbox brand. Seagate partnered with Microsoft to create the Xbox branded Game Drive for Xbox. Console games have been getting larger and larger, with games like Call of Duty coming in around 55 GB with expansions and add-ons. The original Xbox One was released with only 500 GB of internal storage, and of that, only about 360 GB is usable.
Seagate has a solution, and one that comes at a perfect time since the Xbox One is gaining the ability to record television, and that can burn up a lot of space in a hurry. The 2TB Game Drive for Xbox is a USB 3.0 based external drive. Now, before we get any further, it needs to be pointed out that the Xbox One will work with any USB 3.0 based hard drive, but Seagate is the only company to provide one that is licensed and endorsed with the Xbox branding.
The distinctive Xbox green means that you will never be in doubt what this drive is for, and the capacity should let you store around 50 or more games on it, and then you can take them with you if you need to play on another console. The 2TB model will have a MSRP of $109.99, and be available from GameStop, Best Buy, Amazon, and other retailers. If you want to add some Xbox branding to your storage, the price premium over a less attractive model should not be too much. Source: Seagate |
| 6:00a | Build-A-Rig Round 1, Zotac vs. Corsair: The $1500 PC Showdown We’re back again for the final phase of our inaugural Build-A-Rig Challenge, the performance showdown. For the showdown we have run the assembled Zotac and Corsair systems through our benchmark suite in order to document their performance and crown a winner. With a $1500 price tag and a loosely defined goal of putting together a solid gaming system, Zotac and Corsair have submitted designs that are both alike and divergent at times, an excellent showcase of the many different ways one can build a gaming system. Now we get to see how they perform, and better yet give them away. |
| 7:59a | Intel Skylake Z170 Motherboards: A Quick Look at 55+ New Products Along with the launch of the two Skylake-K processors today, we also have a raft of new motherboards to go with them. The Skylake processors use the LGA 1151 socket (which is new) combined with the Z170 chipset, meaning every motherboard manufacturer has been developing and putting together a whole stack of products to meet different price points and demand. The Z170 chipset itself represents a large jump in terms of IO design, driven by the growing need for diversification and utility on modern platforms. |
| 8:00a | The Intel 6th Gen Skylake Review: Core i7-6700K and i5-6600K Tested It’s the Intel review you’ve been waiting for. Today is the launch of the first two CPUs from Intel’s Skylake architecture, the 6th Generation Core i7-6700K and the Core i5-6600K. With the new processors we get a new architecture, a new socket, the move to DDR4 and the potential to increase both performance and efficiency in one. A lot of readers have asked the question – is it time to upgrade? We had a CPU or two in to test to answer that question. |
| 2:43p | Google Commits To Monthly Security Updates For Nexus Devices
Security updates on mobile operating systems have typically been bundled inside larger patches that include other bug fixes and improvements. Unfortunately, the world of security exploits isn't tuned to a company's release schedule, which can leave devices and platforms vulnerable to exploits for long periods of time. Microsoft recognized this issue long ago and has since used Windows Update to roll out regular security patches when needed. With the growth of mobile, more attention is now being placed on the security of smartphones and tablets. Google appears to have come to the same realization as Microsoft, and today they announced that they will start pushing monthly security updates over the air to Nexus devices that are still within their support timeframe. The list of supported devices includes the Nexus 4, Nexus 5, Nexus 6, Nexus 7 (both generations), Nexus 9, Nexus 10, and Nexus Player. In addition to security fixes, the monthly OTA updates will include general bug fixes, but the focus is primarily on security improvements. The first monthly patch for Nexus devices is rolling out today, although as usual it may take some time to get to your device due to Google's staged rollout system. In addition to this announcement, Google has also implemented a long rumored change to their Nexus update policy. While in the past devices were guaranteed 18 months of updates, under the new policy they will be supported for two years of major software updates, and security updates will continue for three years or eighteen months after the device is discontinued on Google Play depending on which is longer. |
| << Previous Day |
2015/08/05 [Calendar] |
Next Day >> |