Behold! The Microsoft Surface skateboard

During its Surface press conference today, Microsoft showed off the most capable tablet ever made. The new Surface is actually a skateboard.

Today, Microsoft unveiled one of the most expensive skateboards ever made. After demonstrating the durability of the Surface tablet by dropping it on stage (onto carpeted floor, might we add), Microsoft’s Panos Panay showed us another way he and Windows 8 chief Steven Sinofsky have been testing the durability of the new magnesium-encased tablet. The team pasted skateboard trucks onto a regular Surface and converted it into a skateboard. A skateboard! Though they didn’t do any kickflips or ollies on stage, we did see a picture of Sinofsky sporting a massive helmet standing on the homemade sports equipment. For some reason, it didn’t seem too crazy that tablets can become laptops, and since laptops have learned Yoga, why can’t a Surface become a deck?

No, you can’t buy a Surface skateboard, but we wish you could. It could be one hell of an optional accessory. Maybe the trucks could attach with industrial grade magnets like the TouchCover. And you don’t have to worry about falling after a tough grind either. The Surface can hit the ground in 72 different ways without breaking, or so we learned today. Actually, after three hours of Microsoft press conferences, this might have been the only thing we actually learned. But… skateboard! That’s hip, right?

Somebody should call Tony Hawk. He may have found the next great way to make a skateboarding game.

(GIF credit: @strngways)

Source : http://www.digitaltrends.com/mobile/behold-the-microsoft-surface-skateboard/

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iTunes getting major revamp this October

Big changes are on the way for iTunes

Though Apple's iPhone 5 and iOS 6 will be getting most of the attention from today's press conference, they weren't the only stars of the show.

Apple also introduced a major revamp to their iTunes service, set to arrive in late October for Mac and PC clients.

The latest updates to what Apple called "the world's most popular media player" will incorporate plenty of cosmetic and interface changes, as well as a few new tricks to make the existing package even more impressive.

iCloud improvements

With more than 200 million people using iTunes on the Cloud, it should come as no surprise that Apple will be including better iCloud integration when the update arrives.

No matter where you bought your music, movies, or books on iTunes, iCloud will seamlessly incorporate that purchase into all of your libraries.

More importantly, you will now be able to continue watching or listening to movies and music exactly where you left off, and you'll be able to resume playing your media on any device with iTunes.

Cosmetic changes

Once the October update arrives, iTunes will be ditching the sidebars in favor of a full-window interface.

The new grid-style view for your library will allow you to see everything you have in a specific category, be it movies, music, TV shows, or books.

Clicking on an album will let expand the screen to show you a track listing, all the while keeping the rest of your library in plain sight for continued exploration.

There's also an all new MiniPlayer, which will give users the ability to listen to and search for new songs without having to open their entire library.

Additionally, iTunes will add Up Next, which will offer improved insight into what songs are coming up in the playlist, and will allow you to change your queue without much fuss.

iTunes on iOS

The Mac and PC versions of iTunes aren't the only ones getting a bit of polish.

Coming along with the Sept. 19 iOS 6 release is a new version of iTunes for all iOS devices.

Since 60% of all iTunes downloads come from mobile devices, it certainly makes sense for Apple to continue their redesign across all their brands.

iTunes will incorporate a carousel view, and the new library view will be utilized across music, movie, and book stores.

You'll also be able to continue browsing the store while previewing a new song, and will allow you to share your media selections on Facebook and Twitter.

With a new wave of iPods also on the way, this iTunes update couldn't be coming at a better time.

Source : http://www.techradar.com/news/computing/apple/itunes-getting-major-revamp-this-october-1096703

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Apple iPhone 5 unveiled (updating live)

At its much anticipated press event in San Francisco, Apple has revealed the iPhone 5.

Apple has announced the iPhone 5 during its highly anticipated press conference at the Yerba Buena Center for the Arts in San Francisco. Apple’s Phil Schiller took the wraps off the next generation smartphone to huge applause from those gathered in the auditorium, so here’s everything we know so far about the brand-new Apple iPhone 5.

Schiller described the new device as “a jewel,” and the “most beautiful product we’ve ever made.” As expected, it has a 4-inch touchscreen with a 1136 x 640 pixel Retina-quality resolution, while the design is identical to those we’ve seen leaked over the past months.

Billed as the “world’s most advanced display,” Apple has removed a layer from the screen and incorporated the touch sensors into the display itself.

The body is made from glass and aluminum, and weighs just 112 grams. It’s also 18-percent thinner than the iPhone 4 and 4S.

Inside hides a new A6 processor, which is 22-percent smaller and twice as fast as the A5 in the 4S, as well as providing twice the graphics performance too.

The iPhone 5 also supports LTE bands, using a single chip for voice and data, and a single chip for the radio too. Like Amazon’s Kindle Fire HD, the iPhone 5 has been equipped with dual-band Wi-Fi at 2.4Ghz and 5Ghz, plus 802.11a/b/g/n.

The Apple event is ongoing, and we’ll update this article with more information as it’s announced.

(Image via GDGT)

Source : http://www.digitaltrends.com/mobile/apple-iphone-5-announced/

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iPhone 5 launch: live report

All the latest, as it happens

TechRadar is reporting live from the Apple iPhone 5 press conference, bringing you all the latest information from the event.

Latest updates will appear at the top of this page. You can also follow the discussion on our social networks:

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16:52 – So what can we expect from this press conference? Well let us entertain you with a few options… The iPhone 5 is going to be the headline product, and we're now 99.9% sure that's the name, after a little Apple error earlier today.

But that's not all, we could also see a new iPod touch, new iPod nano and a new version of the famous iTunes software make an appearance on stage.

16:45 – Our man on the ground at the Apple event is Patrick Goss, who'll be looking forward to getting hands on with all the latest hardware (ahem, iPhone 5), as well as beaming back nuggets of golden information direct to this very page.

16:40 - Howdy folks! TechRadar will be reporting live from the special Apple event (kicking off at 10am PST / 6pm GMT) in San Francisco today, bringing you all the latest news as it breaks.

We'll be regularly updating this article with all the major announcements, so make sure you keep hitting refresh (that's F5 on your keyboard!).

Source : http://www.techradar.com/news/phone-and-communications/mobile-phones/iphone-5-launch-live-report-1096599

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Watch the Motorola On Display event live here

After Nokia's impressive event, it's now time to focus our attention on what Motorola and its On Display event in New York.

This is the first press conference Motorola is having since the company was acquired by Google, which makes it all the more interesting to see what will be announced.

So, grab a drink, take a comfortable seat and tune in to the live stream below. As you can see, Motorola is already using the perks of being part of Google by using YouTube to stream its event worldwide.

Source : http://www.gsmarena.com/watch_the_motorola_on_display_event_live_here-news-4762.php

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