Microsoft looks to power Android and iOS gaming with Xbox Live

Mobile achievements are on their way?

It looks like Microsoft is making a new play on mobile gaming beyond its own mobile handsets.

A newly discovered job posting suggests that Microsoft is looking for new software engineers to port the Xbox Live platform to iOS and Android devices. Going beyond the Smartglass app users can already download, it seems Microsoft wants to extend Xbox Live's functionality even further.

One of goals listed in the job description included creating "a modern framework that is open source, light-weight, extensible and scalable across various platforms including Windows Store, Windows Phone, iOS and Android."

The description also details that Microsoft is hoping to "win back" game developers from our competitors. Developers that are most likely switched from programming console and PC games to become mobile game makers.

Winning back developers

The Verge confirmed with a source familiar with the Redmond company's plans that it is building a platform to extend Xbox Live functionality to iOS and Android games directly.

Prior to this new job posting, Microsoft has already implemented achievements into the Wordament app on iOS and Android. So it's not a far stretch that it would want more Xbox Live integration in games.

For Xbox gamers, achievements are a big reason why they stick with Microsoft's gaming platform, which could completely steamroll over Game Center on iOS and Android's Play Games service.

Achievements aside implementing more chat messaging, leaderboards, and even voice chat could all add a whole new cross-platform layer to competitive and multiplayer mobile games.

• You can also get achievements on the Xbox One, check out our review

Source : http://www.techradar.com/news/phone-and-communications/mobile-phones/microsoft-looks-to-power-android-and-os-gaming-with-xbox-live-1230605

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Galaxy S5 will come with $500 worth of freebies, says Samsung

Unfortunately the Galaxy S5 does not come with a hot air balloon ride

Just in case the Samsung Galaxy S5 isn't sweet enough on its own, Samsung is adding some extra sugar in the form of a "Galaxy Gifts" bundle of subscriptions, premium apps and more.

It includes a year's premium subscription to the fitness apps RunKeeper and Lark and six months with the similar Skimble and Map My Fitness, six months of The Wall Street Journal and three months of Businessweek+, three month premium subscriptions to LinkedIn and Evernote, and three months of massive 1TB storage with Bitcasa.

It also hahs special offers from select stores when you use Paypal, a free download of the to-do app EasilyDo Pro, $10 (about £6, AU$11) of Cut the Rope 2 credits, a six-month, 50GB subscription to the online storage service Box, and more.

Getting better all the time

All told Samsung says the Galaxy S5 bundle is worth $500 (about £300, AU$560).

The Galaxy Gifts bundle will be included with every Galaxy S5 purchase when the phone launches in April.

With a 5.1-inch full HD display, a 2.5GHz quad-core processor, a 16-megapixel camera, and a fingerprint scanner, the Galaxy S5 is not a gargantuan step up from its predecessor, but carries enough welcome improvements that it will no doubt sell like gangbusters come April.

• The Galaxy S5 has a lot in common with the Galaxy Note 3 - here's TechRadar's review

Source : http://www.techradar.com/news/phone-and-communications/mobile-phones/galaxy-s5-will-come-with-500-worth-of-freebies-says-samsung-1230592

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Oppo Find 7 snaps a new image, reveals a 50-megapixel sensor

Just look at those reflections (credit: Weibo)

The smartphone megapixels wars are back on as a new image on the web suggest Oppo might have a 50-megapixel camera powered smartphone.

The Chinese phone manufacturer posted a new photo of a Ford classic taken by the upcoming Find 7 smartphone in a whopping 8,160 x 6,120 resolution.

The posted image may have been enhanced by some post-processing trickery, but it seems like the camera can also resolve some good dynamic range. On the surface we can see a lot of sharp details without any noticeably dark shadows or overblown highlights.

There's a fair bit of purple fringing around the leaves in the background as they meet the sunlight but this is usually a fault of the lens. However, it's still too early to call the smartphone camera's quality from just one image.

Widening the camera gap

If the teaser image turns out to really come from the Oppo Find 7 it would dethrone the Nokia Lumia 1020 from having the highest 41 megapixel camera around.

The smartphone camera technology war is picking this year and thus far we've already seen the 16-megapixel camera on the quicker auto-focusing Samsung Galaxy S5. Soon enough the dual-sensor HTC One 2 will make its reveal, and the iPhone 6 is likely to feature the same 8-megapixel sensor with a wider aperture sapphire lens.

We know megapixels don't account for even half the quality of an image, but it's a big gambit coming from Oppo. The smartphone maker has already put down some big bets on the Find 7. Earlier reports said that the phone will come with a 2,560 x 1,440 resolution display in addition to the more pedestrian 1080p model.

We'll find out if all of this hardware boasting is real very soon when the Oppo Find 7 is announced on March 19.

• Megapixels aren't everything, the Lytro Light Field Camera has over 100,000 microlenses

Source : http://www.techradar.com/news/phone-and-communications/mobile-phones/oppo-find-7-snaps-a-new-image-reveals-a-50-megapixel-sensor-1230579

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Acer gives Windows Phone cold shoulder until more apps available

Turning its back on Windows Phone

Avoiding Microsoft's smartphone platform until your favorite apps are available? Turns out at least one smartphone manufacturer feels the same way and plans to sit on the sidelines until Redmond gets its act together.

The Inquirer reported that consumer electronics maker Acer may have a cozy relationship with Microsoft when it comes to Windows 8 notebooks and tablets, but believes Windows Phone 8 has much longer odds for success.

At least that's the sentiment of Acer Vice-President of EMEA Allen Burnes, a former Motorola veteran who claims his company "can't take the risk" on further Windows Phone devices until consumers have a better selection of apps at their fingertips.

"There are a whole bunch of elements around the application space which need fixing, which for us, is a a big deal," Burnes elaborated, referring to the situation as "no good for consumers."

Show us the market

The Acer veep apparently has the numbers to back up such tough talk, having released a single ill-fated Windows Phone handset back in late 2011, the Acer W4.

While Windows Phone currently enjoys more than 10 percent market share in Europe, growth there appears to have stalled, and Microsoft is apparently going to have to find a way to increase that number to at least 15 percent in order to get Acer interested again.

"The fact is, until people start talking about the great experience you can have on Windows Phone, we can't go in on it," Burnes said.

In the meantime, Acer appears fully committed to Android smartphones, despite the company getting into bed with Redmond when it comes to Windows-powered tablets and PCs.

• Speaking of Android, check out our review of the Nexus 5!

Source : http://www.techradar.com/news/phone-and-communications/mobile-phones/acer-gives-windows-phone-cold-shoulder-until-more-apps-available-1230566

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LG G Flex wins iF Design Award 2014

The LG G Flex smartphone was one of the winners of the iF Design Awards, getting a Gold Award along with 74 other products this year. According to LG, "The G Flex was commended by iF judges for implementing a new approach to the smartphone interface by putting controls on the back and adopting a curved display, thereby adding immensely to the smartphone experience in terms of both ergonomics and quality."

The G Flex is one of the first smartphone of its kind to feature a vertically curved display that follows the contour of your face. It also puts the controls on the back, same as the G2, that allows having thinner bezels. LG also used a special POLED or Plastic OLED display for this phone, which is flexible in nature. The back also features a unique self healing material that automatically hides minor scratches over a period of time.

You can read out full review of the LG G Flex here.

Source

Source : http://www.gsmarena.com/lg_g_flex_wins_if_design_award_2014-news-7957.php

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Microsoft's Siri contender Cortana shows its smarts in extensive leak

Gonna hazard 'yes it is cold in Moscow right now' as the answer (credit: The Verge)

Microsoft's Siri-alike voice controlled personal assistant will take the form of a blue circle according to the latest leaks.

The Verge got its hands on some shots of Cortana in action on a handset, revealing that you'll be able to set a nickname for Cortana to call you - so if you prefer to be known as Little Slice instead of just regular old Kate then that can be accommodated.

On to more useful features, and Cortana will save information in Notebook that it can easily draw on to provide notifications - similar to Google Now, it'll also monitor things that are mentioned in emails and data you've told it to track, such as flight information.

Badabing

It'll nab its information from Microsoft-friendy services like Bing as well as Foursquare and others.

The name Cortana, which is taken from Halo, may or may not change before the feature debuts, probably at Build in April.

Like Siri, Microsoft has imbued Cortana with some "quirky" (read: annoying) turns of phrase like "I'm absorbing the entire internet" and is no doubt on the look out for someone "quirky" (read: annoying) to advertise it too.

• Here's everything you need to know about Cortana

Source : http://www.techradar.com/news/phone-and-communications/mobile-phones/microsoft-s-siri-contender-cortana-shows-its-smarts-in-extensive-leak-1230500

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iPhone 6 display may look even more beautiful in a self-healing coat

Crystal blue persuasion

It might not be long before Apple's Retina displays look even more impressive, with Cupertino showing interest in a fix for screen imperfections that could give iMacs and iDevices significantly smoother appearance.

A patent application from Apple, published by the US Patent & Trademark Office on February 27, describes a technology that would work as an added coat to "heal" imperfections created when the display panel lighting gets scratched.

As BGR notes, the imperfections caused by scratches are minor by themselves but by removing them all the viewing experience would noticeably improve.

Fix up, look sharp

As this is something that will be appreciated more on larger displays, the iMac and iPad would obviously benefit more from the technology.

However Apple's interest in the technology may also chime with rumours of the iPhone 6 having a larger screen too.

• All the other gossip on the iPhone 6

Source : http://www.techradar.com/news/phone-and-communications/mobile-phones/iphone-6-display-may-look-even-more-beautiful-in-a-self-healing-coat-1230455

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