Thursday, January 9, 2014

Software : Nokia Lumia Black update brings App Folders and Refocus camera tool

Software : Nokia Lumia Black update brings App Folders and Refocus camera tool

Nokia Lumia Black update brings App Folders and Refocus camera tool

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Nokia Lumia Black update brings App Folders and Refocus camera tool

Nokia has revealed a significant software update for its range of Lumia Windows Phone 8 devices, bringing a host of new features into play for owners of handsets like the Lumia 1020.

The Lumia Black update allows users to group like-minded apps into folders within a single Live Tile on the homescreen, making it easier than ever to customise the Windows Phone Start screen.

Also along for the ride is Nokia's neat Refocus camera app (here, go play with it!) which, like the Lytro camera, allows users to take a picture and then choose the image's point of focus.

For keen photographers there's also the introduction of the Nokia Camera interface for WP8 users. So far that software has only appeared on the company's PureView handsets. The Storyteller mode, which arranges photos by date and place, is also included.

Nice Beamer

The Lumia Black update, which is rolling out worldwide for Lumia 1020 and Lumia 925 today and "in the coming weeks" soon for other Nokia WP8 devices, also includes the Nokia Beamer screen mirroring tech.

Other new features include Nokia Glance, which gives users a quick indication of pending notifications, while 'Black' will also unlock Bluetooth LE connectivity for all applicable devices.

The update can be downloaded over the air and you can check if it's available yet by heading to Settings > Phone Update.

Details on first Xbox One update, with focus on Live experience

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Details on first Xbox One update, with focus on Live experience

Microsoft may not have a presence at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas this week, but that doesn't mean its next-generation gaming console can't steal a little bit of the limelight away from other manufacturers.

Engadget reported Wednesday that Microsoft engineers are hard at work on the first big update to Xbox One, which promises to address early criticisms from gamers with a more streamlined Xbox Live experience.

Although Microsoft doesn't have an official presence at CES, Xbox Chief Product Officer Marc Whitten was on hand to meet with partners and take an "environmental scan" of the event to see what the competition is up to.

Whitten also found time to sit down for a brief interview with Engadget, where he dished on Xbox Live updates and when Microsoft plans to deliver Twitch game streaming functionality missing at launch.

Theme it up

According to Whitten, he and his team have taken early feedback and used it to shape the first major update for the Xbox One, which should be heading to more than three million (and counting) consoles in the weeks to come.

"As a person who's been pretty involved in building Xbox Live for the last decade, I take it pretty seriously when people say it's harder to get into a party, and the defaults aren't right, and I don't like the model. So what I'm trying to do with the team is kind of theme some stuff up," Whitten elaborated.

In addition to improving the "Live experience," Whitten also divulged those fixes could be soon be followed by game streaming sometime before this year's Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3), which kicks off June 10 in Los Angeles.

"This is not 100 percent, but my general strategy at E3 is to talk about things that are gonna happen from that E3 to the next E3. So, we are not yet to the next E3," Whitten teased with a smirk, hinting that gamers won't have to wait until June to start streaming.

CES 2014: ZTE's Car Mode app for Android adds a little extra Nuance with voice biometrics

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CES 2014: ZTE's Car Mode app for Android adds a little extra Nuance with voice biometrics

ZTE has announced a new version of the innovative Car Mode application for its range of Android devices, allowing users to use voice commands to unlock the device, search for directions and control music.

With in-car connectivity a big theme at this week's CES show, ZTE has boosted the Nuance-powered app with voice biometrics technology meaning devices can easily be unlocked while focusing on the road.

The improved driving companion app will now recognise each user's voiceprint and will unlock to general or child mode, without the need to insert passwords and pin numbers while driving.

Also new to the Car Mode app is the ability to use voice commands for navigation. Drivers will be able to ask for directions to addresses or points of interest or local amenities, with the results loading in Google Maps and presented with voice-powered turn-by-turn navigation.

Barge in

The new functionality doesn't end there. There's also a music barge in mode, which allows users to ask the device to Play, Pause, Stop, Play Next Song or Play Previous song.

ZTE's announcement comes after Google announced an Open Auto Alliance aimed at having Android-based connectivity built into new vehicles as standard.

Among Google's parters are Audi, GM, Honda, Hyundai, and chip manufacturer Nvidia, as it seeks to provide a safe, driving-optimised was to integrate our favourite smartphone features into the car.

Of ZTE's latest bid to do the same Zeng Xuezhong, executive VP of mobile devices, said:."Voice biometrics, natural language navigation and music barge-in are breakthroughs in handset-based telematics, giving people the connectivity they expect as part of a mobile lifestyle, while minimizing dangerous in-car distractions.

"Nuance's advanced voice technology provides us with diversified and innovative speech capabilities for our mobile devices, giving users truly intelligent, safe and great mobile experiences."
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