Software : Twitch drops in with Titanfall to the Xbox One on March 11 |
- Twitch drops in with Titanfall to the Xbox One on March 11
- BlackBerry lifts lid on BES12, goes big on security and reliability
- Stephen Elop set to run Microsoft's Xbox, gaming, devices and entertainment unit
- Is BlackBerry branching out into in-car tech?
- Sony SmartBand fitness tracker arriving in March with Lifelog app in tow
- BBM to collide with Facebook Messenger on Windows Phone later this year
- MWC 2014: Meet Blackphone, an encrypted Android handset as secure as Fort Knox
| Twitch drops in with Titanfall to the Xbox One on March 11 Posted:  After a long delay Twitch live streaming is finally coming to the Xbox One on March 11. Microsoft and Twitch announced that live steaming is coming to the Xbox One on the same day as Titanfall's release. When the newly updated app drops in few weeks, players will be able to shout "Xbox, Broadcast" to instantly start live streaming. On top of broadcasting all the heavy metal action, Twitch has updated the viewing experience on the next gen console. Users will soon get notifications whenever their friends start broadcasting. Alternatively, viewing anyone's live stream opens up options to leave a chat message. Users can also view the broadcaster's profile, and from here live stream viewers can start following the, send them a party request, and join their game. To the streamPreviously, Twitch integration on the PS4 helped propel the live streaming giant to 1 million users. Since arriving with live streaming capabilities, the pool of PS4 Twitch broadcasters has ballooned from 100,000 to over 200,000 in just a few months. So far Xbox One owners have patiently been awaiting the ability to broadcast their live gameplay sessions. One additional thing Microsoft's implementation has over Sony's is 10 viewing achievements. These achievements are tied to simply watching copious amounts of videogame entertainment ranging anywhere from one hour to a whole nights worth of broadcasts in one sitting.
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| BlackBerry lifts lid on BES12, goes big on security and reliability Posted:  Blackberry has used MWC 2014 to announce the latest version of its BlackBerry Enterprise Service, called BES12. Part of its "secure and private mobility solutions for enterprises", BES12 will allow organisations to create "enterprise-grade applications" for use on Blackberry devices. The company's new EZ Pass program will provide free migration to BES10 for customers. The Canada-based mobile maker is hoping that a renewed focus on security, productivity, communications and collaboration will help to rejuvenate its fortunes, in particular within its traditional business market. Two tiersBES pricing and licensing has been updated to offer just two tiers - Silver and Gold. Silver, at US$19 (around £11/AUS$24) per user per month, provides device, application, email and security management for BlackBerry, iOS and Android devices. Gold, at $60 (around £36/$AUS72) per user per month, offers a higher level of security for organisations in regulated industries, like government, financial services and healthcare. Subscriptions will be available on an annual or rolling basis. The firm has also announced the eBBM Suite, an enterprise-class solution aimed at providing secure and reliable real-time mobile messaging for regulated industries. New strategy"We have engineered a new strategy to stabilize the company and restore our customers' confidence in BlackBerry," said John Chen, Executive Chairman and CEO at BlackBerry. "The announcements made during Mobile World Congress demonstrate that BlackBerry is looking to the future and bringing solutions to market that matter most to our customers." Elsewhere, the firm has launched two new smartphones. The BlackBerry Z3 smartphone is an all-touch version of the BlackBerry 10 aimed at the Indonesian market and the Q20 is a device featuring a QWERTY keyboard. |
| Stephen Elop set to run Microsoft's Xbox, gaming, devices and entertainment unit Posted:  Former Nokia CEO Stephen Elop will take charge of Microsoft's hugely important Devices and Studios unit, according to a purported leaked internal email. Elop, who was thought to be in strong contention for the CEO position at Redmond before losing out to the eventual choice Satya Nadella, will still be given a pretty substantial remit within the new Microsoft. The Devices and Studios department oversees the Xbox One games console, devices like the Microsoft Surface and (soon) Nokia smartphones, as well as the first-party gaming and entertainment studios. The somewhat major news comes via the current leader of the division Julie Larson-Green, who is moving on to a new position within the Applications and Services Group. In good hands?In an email sent out to her team, obtained by Geekwire, Ms. Larson-Green wrote: "I'll remain in role leading the DnS organisation in the interim until the Nokia deal closes and Stephen Elop makes his transition to Microsoft. We've been meeting regularly throughout and are making a lot of progress, ensuring our teams are ready for the Day 1 close and beyond. "You are all in great hands with Stephen and already we've shared a lot with him and his LT from Nokia regarding all of the fantastic people, teams and products in DnS. I also know many of you are looking forward to welcoming the Nokia team and working more closely with them." The as-yet-unconfirmed appointment puts Elop right in the centre of the action at Microsoft as head of, arguably, the company's most important division going forward. Initially, there is sure to be some scepticism regarding Elop in charge of Xbox given that last year it was rumoured he planned to sell the gaming division if he became CEO. Of course, we await official word from Microsoft on the scope of Elop's new role. We've reached out to the company for comment and will update this story if and when a response is forthcoming. |
| Is BlackBerry branching out into in-car tech? Posted:  When was the last time you heard of anyone dropping anything in favour of BlackBerry? Quite a while ago, probably. Well, it appears Ford may be on the verge of waving goodbye to Microsoft's Windows and and empowering BlackBerry to create its in-car Ford Sync technology. Bloomberg reports the multi-year Ford/Microsoft partnership is coming to an end, with the automaker preferring BlackBerry's QNX operating system for the next generation Ford Sync system. Ford Sync allows drivers to hook their smartphones, make hands-free, voice activated calls, have text messages read out, control entertainment content and other third-party apps via the AppLink tech. N-Sync with BlackBerryFord's rationale, according to the report, is that BlackBerry's service is preferable on account of it being cheaper, faster and more flexible for Ford's purposes. Bloomberg's sources claimed the deal with BlackBerry is complete, but hasn't yet been made public yet. The news comes at a time when BlackBerry looks to capitalise on its valuable services and shift away somewhat from the hardware business. Taking the front seat in all new Ford vehicles going forward would be a pretty decent start as the company seeks to find some way to stay afloat in the new era. |
| Sony SmartBand fitness tracker arriving in March with Lifelog app in tow Posted:  Sony's shift from SmartWatch to SmartBand fitness tracker will reach the public next month alongside an accompanying mobile application, the company confirmed at MWC 2014. The Sony SmartBand SWR10, announced last month at CES, is the first gadget to be powered by Sony's new Core fitness tracking technology. The launch in 60 countries will also see bring the Lifelog app for Android, which promises to track not just your exercise routines, but also the places users visit, the songs they listen to, and books they read. The Lifelog app, which connects to the SmartBand via NFC or Bluetooth, will present the info in a neat interface and will also help out with recommendations for future entertainment content. Core strengthGoing back to the SmartBand, which is yet to be priced, it is designed to be worn 24/7 and is fully waterproof - a la the company's most recent Xperia smartphones. The independent, removable Core module means it can also be detached and carried in a pocket rather than worn. Can Sony's entry into the burgeoning fitness tracker world match high profile entries from the likes of Jawbone, Nike, Adidas, Fitbit, Fitbug and more? Let us know your thoughts in the comments section below. |
| BBM to collide with Facebook Messenger on Windows Phone later this year Posted:  BlackBerry has confirmed its ever-popular BBM platform will spread its wings to a new platform later this year when it joins the Windows Phone fray. On day one of MWC 2014, the company announced it will also support the new Nokia X Android/Windows Phone hybrid. BlackBerry said the Windows Phone expansion comes as a response to demand from users following the rollout on Android and iOS late last year. Currently, the company is hard at work on the new apps and said the Windows Phone version will arrive sometime this summer. BBM vs FBMThe rollout comes just 24 hours after Microsoft announced Facebook Messenger would be arriving on Windows Phone in the near future. During that event Microsoft promised a host more high profile apps would arrive to plug the gaps. It seems like BBM and Facebook Messenger will be the first of many. |
| MWC 2014: Meet Blackphone, an encrypted Android handset as secure as Fort Knox Posted:  Geeksphone is out with a new privacy promising smartphone that aims to subvert NSA spy rings around the world. Dubbed the Blackphone, it's an unassuming 4.7-inch Android smartphone. Geeksphone hasn't divulged the exact resolution of the screen but its been listed as an HD IPS display. Android users will also find the same specs they've come to expect on handsets including a 2GHz quad-qore CPU backed up by 2GB of RAM, 16GB of storage, LTE, HSPA+ and a 8-megapixel camera. But underneath this glossy screen Silent Circle, a security and encryption software developer, has done some serious Android OS tweaking to secure it into a new platform called "PrivatOS." Digital Fort KnoxWith a mix of secure applications and Android modifications, PrivatOS gives users more insight and control over what third-party applications are doing with their data. Silent Circle's solutions drill down to replacing some of the basic communication apps to offer encrypted VoIP calls and silent texting. Meanwhile, the stock Android app has been replaced with Silent Contacts to block apps from scrubbing your virtual phonebook. Additionally the Blackphone comes with SpiderOak, a plan for 5GB of "zero-knowledge encrypted data backup." Users will also be able search their musings on Google and Bing with the Disconnect search provider, which routes internet queries through an anonymous VPN client. The bottom-line fees
However, in order for Silent Circle's applications to provide all this peer-to-peer encryption goodness, both devices receiving and sending information need to be enrolled in the service. Even the Blackphone itself comes with two years of service for all the encrypted apps. For everyone else not using a Blackphone, the software company has the encrypted apps available for download for iOS and Android devices that come with paid subscriptions. Blackphone buyers are given three additional one-year licenses to Silent Circle's security suite they can hand out to their friends. Once the terms are up, Silent Circle users can continue paying to use the suite for $10 (about £6/AU$11) a month, buy a Blackphone themselves, or go back to regular phone calls and text messages. Of course the Blackphone can also cal unsecured connections, such as ordering a pizza or speaking to those not enrolled in Silent Circle's secure network. You can order the Blackphone today for $629 (about £377/AU$ 695). Look for it to ship in June.
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