Sky Sports iPad App

Nokia Unveils Cheap Phones with Fast Internet Access Posted: 11 Jul 2013 05:00 AM PDT While users of high end smartphones have been talking about the recently leaked image of the Nokia 909, we cannot ignore users who may prefer more affordable units. There is a whole spectrum of gadget users, and Nokia is certainly not one to not take advantage of the lower end market. As such, the second-biggest manufacturer of mobile phones has unveiled its line of cheaper handsets. Many people will already be gotten at “cheap”, especially since Nokia is a well established brand. Who doesn’t have fond memories of their 5110 or 3210 Nokia phones? I know I do! In their latest unveiling, Nokia showcased the 207 and 208 mobile phones, both geared towards users who are on a budget. The great thing about these new cheap Nokia phones is that while the pricepoint is lower than usual, they boast fast Internet access; and in today’s ultra connected world, what is more important than that? Straight from the horse’s mouth (Nokia): The new Nokia 207 and Nokia 208 are designed to offer speedy Internet access in a versatile package. They bring high quality construction, a full set of contemporary phone features and a modern design to a classic 'candybar' phone. Candybar or not, the combination of price and 3.5G is more than enough to satisfy many a user, especially in developing countries. Additional specs of these new cheap Nokia phones: 2.4″ QVGA display 1.3 megapixel camera (Nokia 208) Bluetooth 3.0 with Slam sharing micro USB 3.5mm AV connector AHJ headphone support Easy Swap Dual SIM Up to 256 MB flash; SD card support up to 32GB The new Nokia phones are going to be available in the 3rd quarter of this year, with red, cyan, white and black options. Now, no one ever said that Nokia is the king of design, so let’s not go there! So what’s the price? A very interesting USD 68 – before local taxes and possible operator subsidies. Not bad, yes?

Microsoft Urged to Reinstate Xbox One Policies Posted: 11 Jul 2013 04:00 AM PDT Although most of the gaming industry, fans and retail stores praised Microsoft's decision to give up some controversial policies for its next-generation console, it seems that not everyone is happy with the move. A new online petition calls on the company to bring back the Xbox One policies, insisting that they are the future of entertainment. The petition can be found at Change.org and calls for signatures in order to get back "the Xbox One we were promised at E3." To be sent, the petition needs 10,000 signatures and has already gathered over 8,600. The initiator insists that Microsoft made a mistake when it gave in to fans' criticism and withdrew its digital rights management policies. The petition's intro says that consumers were uninformed when they rallied against the policies, which were then withdrawn because Sony took advantage of consumers' uncertainty. Microsoft's original DRM policies required users to connect to the Internet at least once a day and imposed restrictions on secondhand games. Sony's PlayStation 4, on the other hand, does not have any of these restrictions, which gave the console a significant edge ahead of Xbox One. Sony also benefits from the fact the PlayStation 4 is more conveniently priced. The PS4 will retail for $400, while the Xbox One is expected to cost $500. It is therefore very unlikely that Microsoft will change its mind again and reinforce its DRM policies, despite the new petition. The Xbox One has been seeing a boost in pre-orders after the policy reversal. Best Buy has just run out of Xbox One consoles for pre-orders and has halted online purchases until it replenishes its stocks. The next-generation console is still available at Amazon, GameStop, Wal-Mart and other retailers. The console is expected to be featured at European trade show Gamescom in Germany next month. Microsoft is rumored to hold a press conference at the show to reconfirm the core message behind the Xbox One. If confirmed, this will be the first time Microsoft holds a press conference at Gamescom. The event will take place August 21-25. What do you think of the new petition? Does it have any chance to change Microsoft's mind about the Xbox One DRM policies?

3D Printed Exoskeletal Cast to Mend Fractures Posted: 11 Jul 2013 03:00 AM PDT Any of you who have had to deal with bone fractures know how frustrating and uncomfortable the regular plaster casts can be. Thanks to 3D printing technology, which has recently begun to gain more ground in the medical field, you may not have to deal with those cumbersome casts any longer. A New Zealand media design graduate who recently healed from a broken arm used his first hand experience to offer an alternative solution to the fiberglass and plaster cast: he designed a 3D printed exoskeletal cast. Dubbed the Cortex, this 3D printed cast is a fully ventilated, lightweight support structure that will act like any traditional cast, minus that itchy, stuffy feeling. The Cortex was designed by Wellington Victoria University media design graduate Jake Evill, who used 3D printing and scanning paired with X-ray technology to build the exoskeleton system.  The system is injury-localized and was designed to mimic bone structure: the honeycomb, lattice-shaped structures forming the bone's inner tissue. The idea behind the Cortex is that patients with a broken bone would have the fracture X-rayed and then 3D scanned. By analyzing the images, a computer would determine the optimal structure and pattern for the cast, so as to focus the denser material around the fractured area. The end result is a very light, recyclable and shower-friendly 3D printed cast that is comfortable to wear. The cast would weigh under 500 grams and would be about three millimeters thick. Evill's Cortex also lets in plenty of air and due to its customized fitting and tight structure, it can fit under clothing more easily compared to traditional casts. Its honeycomb-like structure would also allow the wearers to feel the surroundings and scratch the inevitable itches more freely. The 3D printed exoskeletal cast is still in prototype stage and Evill is currently working to refine the scanning process. He initially used a hacked Xbox Kinect sensor to create, but the downside was that the scanner had to be moved around the broken limb and this affected the accuracy of the readings. Granted that a 3D printed cast would take a few hours to print, unlike traditional plaster casts which can be ready in half an hour or less, but we think its customization, convenience and flexibility would worth the wait.

Sky Sports iPad App: Follow The Ashes Posted: 11 Jul 2013 02:00 AM PDT Sky Sports for iPad app has been updated with a new Ashes specific event centre.  Sky is to add further sportacular coverage to its iPad app with a new Ashes section so you can get the ultimate second-screen experience whilst watching this year's cricket. This new app feature has just launched in time for the Ashes, and features lots of clever statistics and multi-camera functions Sky implemented with F1. Each session is divided into a timeline, so you can scan back and forth watching any moments you might have not viewed. Highlights such as boundaries or wickets are marked on the timeline by corresponding symbols, so you can quickly jump to them. Further to this, there is an integrated social media feed which will help you keep track of what everyone else is saying about the game.  Those who like their cricket with lots of statistics will enjoy the integrated Hawk-Eye app, which allows you to review each bowl. The Hawk-Eye stats are the same as those used by Sky Sports’ own live coverage and provide more than enough data for the most adamant cricket fans. David Gibbs, Director of Sky Sports Digital Media said; "The Ashes series is a key part of our biggest ever summer of live sport and we are giving Sky Sports customers the ultimate Ashes experience…The Ashes Event Centre is the UK's most advanced second-screen cricket app and allows Sky Sports subscribers to keep up with the defining moments of each and every Test Match. It's the first time we've offered a dedicated second-screen experience for our cricket coverage and it's another example of our investment in the Sky Sports viewer's experience." Those who use the Sky Sports iPad app, (which comes free as part of a Sky Sports subscription) can also enjoy things like F1 race control, which allows you to switch between multiple camera angles during a race. For the football loving men and women out there, there is the Premier League match centre, which includes an aggregated Twitter feed and game statistics.  The Sky Sports’ iPad app is rapidly shaping up to be the best second-screen experience available. The inclusion of cricket coverage, especially for the Ashes, means sports fans really do have as much information as they could want, all available straight from their iPad.  The Ashes Event Centre, as Sky calls it, will go hand in hand with Sky’s own dedicated Ashes channel: Sky Sports Ashes HD. Those who subscribe to Sky Sports 1 and Sky Sports 2 will find the app free, though you can pay the standalone fee of £4.99 a month via an in-app purchase to use the app, minus Sky Sports 1-4 and the F1 coverage.