Valve announces Steam Controller

Valve announces Steam Controller

After announcing the SteamOS and Steam Hardware, Valve has finally announced the last piece of their living-room gaming puzzle: Steam Controller.

Steam Controller is a completely fresh and innovative new design for the humble gaming controller that we have been using since decades. It eschews existing control systems and replaces them with their modern equivalent that will provide a sense of familiarity as well as novelty, while managing to work with all of your existing Steam games.

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Valve announces SteamOS

We wrote last week about an impending announcement by Valve. Turns out, that announcement was the new SteamOS.

So what is this SteamOS? SteamOS is an operating system that will run on computers meant to be connected to your TV and let you play your Steam games there. The trick here is that the games don’t necessarily have to run on that computer itself but can run on another computer with Steam and then get streamed over local Wi-Fi network.

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Valve hints at Steam Box announcement next week

Valve’s Steam Box gaming console has been rumored for awhile now, but it seems the company is finally ready to take the wraps off and give us a good look at it. A teaser page has gone up on their site with a clock that counts down to Monday next week.

But it seems there isn’t going to be one but three announcements. The site shows three circles with cryptic icons within and the timer is only for the first of the three. The Verge has been able to confirm that there will indeed be three announcements next week so it seems Valve has a lot to show us. Hopefully, it’s more than just a PC that plugs into your TV.

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SanDisk launches CFast 2.0 memory card, claims it to be the world’s fastest

SanDisk has launched the world’s first CFast 2.0 memory card. CFast is a variation of the CompactFlash cards we usually find in high-end cameras and offers significantly faster access speeds.

The CFast 2.0 card that SanDisk launched has read speeds of around 450MB/s and write speeds of around 350MB/s. This makes it ideal for cameras that record content in resolutions as high as 4K. In fact, SanDisk claims that their CFast 2.0 card is currently the world’s fastest memory card.

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Phiaton Bridge MS500 over-ear headphones review

The Phiaton Bridge MS500 headphones are the manufacturer’s most capable and luxurious offering to date. Crafted from materials such as perforated leather and machined aluminum, the headset packs fashion-forward looks to go with aspirations to take on the established heavy hitters on the market.

I’ve walked out impressed out of my last two encounters with Phiaton products. The MS500 however has entered a whole new, ultra-competitive market segment, currently dominated by the likes of Beats Audio’s latest Studio headset, as well as the hordes of other offerings fighting to chip away from its market share. Read on to find out how the latest Phiaton creation fares as a daily driver!

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Fujifilm announces the new entry-level X-A1 mirrorless interchangeable lens camera

Fujifilm has announced the new X-A1 camera, the fourth in the line of the mirrorless interchangeable lens X-series cameras and also the cheapest one so far.

The X-A1 has a 16.3 megapixel APS-C CMOS sensor with an ISO range of up to 25,600 and can shoot videos in 1080p at 30fps. On the back is a 3.0-inch, 920k dot display with tilt functionality. The X-A1 also has Wi-Fi to wirelessly upload images to social networking websites and to mobile devices using Fujifilm’s app.

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Google to bring ads to Gmail for Android

Last week, Google started pushing out a new update for the Gmail app on Android. One of the changes was a new conversation view with card-based design and some other visual changes, along with improved sync and outbox behavior. But what you don’t see yet is that the app is now ready to support ads, which should be coming in the future.

As Android Police found out in their APK teardown of the latest version, there are multiple references to ads in the code of the app. It’s unclear what the ads will look like in the app; on the website, the ads appear above your mail or if you use the new inbox view with tabs they appear in the Promotions tab like an email.

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Samsung Galaxy Mega 6.3 for AT&T hands-on

The Samsung Galaxy Mega 6.3 made its way officially to the United States, so we managed to spend some quality time with the market-specific version of the phablet. The gigantic handset is offered by AT&T for $149.99 with a two-year commitment.

Sold under the model name SGH-I527, the Samsung Galaxy Mega 6.3 for AT&T sports the same hardware as its internationally available GT-I9200 sibling. The highlights include Qualcomm Snapdragon 400 SoC with 1.7GHz dual-core Krait CPU, 1.5GB of RAM, 16GB of built-in memory, microSD card slot, and 8MP camera. Of course, the massive 6.3” 720p SC-LCD display is heading the entire show – it is simply impossible to be left unnoticed.

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Apple iPhone 5c arrives at the office, the hands-on video is inside

Today Apple iPhone 5c arrived at our office and as the tradition goes, we unboxed it in front of our camera and took a quick tour around its UI.

The iPhone 5c comes in a brand new colorful and plastic shell, but its internals are identical to the already discontinued iPhone 5. The battery capacity is the only thing that got bumped by a hair.

Apple iPhone 5c comes running iOS 7 out of the box, but there are no new hardware features inside. The novelties are reserved for the 5s flagship.

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Drop test: Samsung Galaxy Note 3 hits the pavement on video

Why would you drop a brand new expensive gadget? Well, curiosity but also entertainment for people on the Internet. You just have to pick an interesting victim, say a Samsung Galaxy Note 3.

How does its faux leather back survive a collision with the pavement?

Turns out, pretty well. The only thing that suffered was the camera housing that protrudes from the back, the camera lens, however, was intact. The bottom of the phablet did well too, only sustaining cosmetic damage.

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Galaxy Note 3 wars: Snapdragon 800 version draws first blood

Samsung is launching the Galaxy Note 3 in two different versions – an LTE-enabled Snapdragon 800-powered N9005 unit and a 3G/HSDPA-only Exynos 5 Octa-powered N9000 model. Depending on your country, you will be getting either one of those flavors, but not the two simultaneously.

There are no differences on the exterior between the two models, nor there are any in the user interface. But there are some minor gaps in the performance, so you may want to check this head-to-head video.

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GoPro Hero 4 specs get leaked, can shoot 4K video at 30fps

We are hearing about the first leaked specs of the upcoming edition of the popular GoPro mobile cameras, the HD Hero 4.

The leak comes by way of Ambarella, the company that makes the SoC’s that have powered the GoPro line for the last several generations.

The GoPro HD Hero 4 will be powered by the Ambarella A9 camera SoC, which, besides being able to film in 4K resolution at 30fps

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Windows Phone 8 devices now able to update offline maps to latest version

Windows Phone 8 devices have the ability to save maps for offline viewing, but until now when a map has been updated you’d need to delete the stored one and re-download.

Now WP8 smartphones have the functionality to update the maps saved for offline viewing on your device without wasting as much data.

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WhatsApp to start charging $0.99 per year now

WhatsApp, the hugely popular cross-platform instant messaging app that lets you message other users for free over the internet, is starting to charge an annual fee for its service.

It will now cost $0.99 per year for you to be able to message your friends on WhatsApp. However, both new and current users will get the first year for free. The update applies to all versions of the app, including both Android and iPhone.

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Samsung ChatON messaging service clocks in 100 million users

Samsung’s ChatON messaging service was launched in October 2011 and in after nearly two years of existence it has accumulated over 100 million users, the company reports.

ChatON managed to snag 50 million users to use it actively in May this year, so reaching double the subscribers in just four months is impressive.

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Nikon announces AW1 mirrorless camera, the world’s first waterproof shooter with interchangeable lenses

Nikon announces AW1 mirrorless camera, the world’s first waterproof shooter with interchangeable lenses

Nikon has officially unveiled the world’s first waterproof camera with an interchangeable lenses, the AW1. The mirrorless camera is complimented with two new waterproof, shockproof and freeze proof lenses – the Nikkor AW 11-27.5mm and the Nikkor AW 10mm f/2.8.

The 11-27.5mm lens is the more versatile option with its 2.5x zoom range, while the wide angle 10mm lens due to its wider aperture offers shallow depth of field and higher shutter speeds in low-lighting conditions.

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Sony launches Android based Walkman players

Before there was the iPod, there was the Sony Walkman. One of the oldest brands in the industry, the Walkman name was once synonymous with portable music players before Apple came along and changed everything.

But even after all these years and waning interest, Sony continues to make Walkman players and has kept them moving with the times. This week they announced two new members of the series, called the ZX1 and the F880.

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Lenovo Yoga 2 Pro ups the resolution to 3200 x 1800, has an auto-flattening keyboard in tablet mode

We here at GSMArena HQ have been fans of the Yoga ultrabook ever since it launched a year ago so naturally we were screaming like exited school girls when we saw what Lenovo has done with its next generation Yoga.

The Yoga 2 Pro ups the ante with a 13.3″ touchscreen of 3200 x 1800 (previously 1600 x 900) resolution resulting in an insane 276 ppi. The slate also runs on the fourth-gen Intel Core i7 Haswell processor and promises a battery life up to 9 hours.

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Lenovo introduces new range of ThinkPads before IFA

The IFA festivities have yet to officially get underway in Berlin, but that’s not stopping anyone for joining in the announcement fest that usually takes place before such major events.

Lenovo has today introduced its latest line of ThinkPads, 5 in total, including the company’s first 15″ Ultrabook targeted at business users.

The new line of laptops has several members with the integration of Haswell processors, and some feature cosmetic and feature upgrades, while other more recently-refreshed models only have upgraded hardware.

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For the first time ever Lenovo sells more phones and slates than computers

Lenovo has recently became the fourth largest smartphone manufacturer in the world with a 4.7% market share, just 0.3% less than LG in third. Lenovo’s success doesn’t end with its newly earned fourth place though.

According to the latest earnings report the Chinese company has sold more phones and tablets than personal computers for the first time in its history. If you think the achievement is not that impressive, you should note the fact Lenovo is currently world’s biggest PC manufacturer with 12+ million PCs shipped globally in the last quarter alone.

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Lenovo updates existing ThinkPad roster with Haswell chips

Lenovo is still dead set on delivering capable notebooks to market, despite crushing the handheld sales boards recently. After bringing a new range of ThinkPads prior to this year’s IFA and delivering the uber high-res Yoga 2 Pro ultrabook the company has decided to bump its existing lineup with the latest Intel chips from the Haswell series.

The series getting the update are the ThinkPad T, W, L and E. The higher-end of the bunch is the W540, moving down the T440P, T540P and the L440, L540 and E440, E540 laptops. All but the E series laptops will feature 4G connectivity as well.

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ASUS and Toshiba join the Chrome OS party, Acer and HP announce new notebook additions

ASUS and Toshiba join the Chrome OS party, Acer and HP announce new notebook additions

Google has announced that ASUS and Toshiba have jumped on the Chrome OS bandwagon. The two companies join Samsung, Acer, HP and Lenovo to make a total of six manufacturers who have turned their attention to Google’s infant computer OS.

Additionally, new laptops boasting Haswell CPUs are out as well. ASUS has debuted on the Chrome OS scene with its own Chromebox, while Toshiba has a Chromebook. Acer and HP have updated their Chromebook and Chromebook14 laptops with Haswell chips as well.

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iOS 7 now running on 60% of iGadgets

It’s been a bit over a week since iOS 7 became officially available to download and install on older iPhones and it has already hit around 60% adoption rate. Only a small part of that is due to newly purchased iPhone 5s and 5c units, as both combined account for around 2% of all iPhones according to Mixpanel.

Mixpanel has iOS 7 adoption at a hair over 62%, having surpassed the dwindling iOS 6 share sometime on September 20 (just a couple of days after release).

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Has your iPhone 5 or 5c developed a battery drain issue on iOS7? Some of ours have

Has your iPhone 5 or 5c developed a battery drain issue on iOS7? Some of ours have

Several people in the office along with some of our friends and family experienced a sudden battery drain on their iPhone 5 phones after the iOS 7 update and we noticed the same thing happen to the iPhone 5c(which has virtually the same internals as the iPhone 5). The iPhone 5s has not developed such a problem though

It’s not just us, people have complained on the Internet that they’ve had the same issue with their iPhone 5/5c units.

Here’s what happens – the phones were at 70+ percent charge in the evening and the battery was completely flat in the morning. This is for iPhone 5 units bought at different times from different places and the iPhone 5c review unit (in the middle of our battery test too, so we have to repeat it now). The worst case has to be when an iPhone 5 battery was getting drained while the phone was hooked up to a charger.

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Nokia charges a Lumia 925 using lighting

So, Apple gadgets are charged with Lightning cables? That’s cute – Nokia uses actual lightning. No really, Nokia has partnered with the University of Southampton for the craziest scientist implementation of wireless charging.

The team managed to get a Nokia Lumia 925 charging from a simulated lightning.

No, the point isn’t to create a franken-Lumia or to have Stephen Elop dress up as Doctor Doom. It’s that the electric arc is about the worst wireless charging signal a phone can get, rather than the nice, specially prepared signal coming from a wireless charger.

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Sony disassembles QX100 lens-style camera on video

The Sony QX100 and QX10 lens are some of the most innovative products to come out of IFA this year and they’re going on sale. The QX10 is available right now, while the QX100 seems to be out of stock in the US and the UK but it’s available in Germany and France (that we checked).

The QX100 packs a large 1″ Exmor R sensor borrowed from the RX100M II camera and will set you back $500 / €430 / £360. Well, while you might not be able to get one right now, you can watch a QX100 disassembled to see what’s inside out of pure geek curiosity.

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Beats Electronics buys back HTC's shares for $265 million

HTC bought 50.1% of Beats Electronics back in 2011 for $300 million. Almost a year later HTC sold half of its stake back to Beats Electronics giving up the control of the company.

Since 2012 HTC has been struggling with the competition and has been trying really hard to bring back the profitable days, but it hasn’t been particularly successful. It seems the lengthy crisis has put HTC in a dire need of cash because it has just struck a deal with Beats to sell it back all the remaining shares (about 25%) for $265 million.

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Apple iPhone 5s review: step by step

Introduction

It's that time of year again and Apple's in the usual record-breaking mood at the box-office. This is an S year in the Supertino calendar but different enough - it may be that two phones instead of one account for almost double last year's record sales. We can only guess as to which one contributed how, but this is hardly the point. We have the latest flagship reporting for duty and it will be both the main course and the desert, considering the        5c didn't quite impress as an appetizer.

As with every "S" version of the iPhone the changes are subtle but not illusory. There's no new design obviously, no bigger screen or a bump in resolution - nothing to go against the conservative grain of how Apple typically delivers iPhone upgrades every other year. That said, it's not this phone's fault that the iPhone 5 wasn't the full-digit upgrade everyone was hoping for.

As usual with Apple - we need to give it that - a certain set of users just can't wait to get the next big thing. Others, though, won't just get rid of the iPhone 5 unless the newcomer is convincing enough. An iPhone may fail to meet the (usually over-inflated) expectations but it has never been a product to be displeased with.

The new OS version may be a decider as well, if more people share our experience and feel the slowdown on an iPhone 5 running iOS 7, but the rest of the new stuff may as well be just enough to tip the scales in favor of the iPhone 5s.

 

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