Monday
Sep072020

Spotify spotted testing out new 'Car Mode' design

It looks like Spotify is trying to revamp its Car Mode. App researcher Jane Manchun Wong spotted the changes. The Car Mode home page is getting larger grids for recommended playlists, a redesigned navigation bar, and a new banner that promotes Spotify control using Google Assistant. The player UI is also getting a new look with larger buttons to make it easier to control the app. 

According to Wong, other features Spotify is testing include a new animation for new likes and allowing free users to play content offline for 30 minutes a day. Offline listening is currently only available to its Premium subscribers.

With this potential update hitting the app, it looks like Spotify is cozying up to Google. The streaming service recently launched a free Google Nest Mini giveaway for Premium users.

Monday
Sep072020

'Doom,' 'Doom II' now has widescreen support

Bethesda still isn't done updating Doom. And 27 years since the original title came out, Doom and Doom II are getting official 16:9 widescreen support. The developer tweaked the original renderer to provide native 16:9 support sans letterboxing. So, you get a wider field of view on the original game instead of the existing image being stretched out or having to see big, unsightly borders. Without letterboxing, owners of versions that run on devices like the Nintendo Switch, iPhone, and Android won't have edges cutting into their smaller screens. And for Android users, there's now support for 90Hz and 120Hz devices, too.

The engine now also supports DeHackEd mods, controller support on iOS as well as new touch controls, gyro aiming on the Switch and PlayStation 4 (or using a DualShock 4 controller on the PC), an adjustable FPS limiter on the PC, a 120Hz mode on iOS (most likely for the iPad Pro), and many more.

Source: The Verge

Sunday
Sep062020

Samsung's The Terrace is designed for outdoor TV watching

As its name suggests, the new The Terrace television from Samsung is meant for those who want to take their TV viewing outdoors. The new TV joins the other lifestyle TVs from the company, including The Sero and The Frame.

Built for the outdoors, it comes with an IP55 rating for dust- and water-resistance, and it can withstand temperatures between -30 and +50 degrees Celsius.

Click to read more ...

Sunday
Sep062020

LG confirms new Wing smartphone with swivelling screens

Mockup of how the Wing’s screen could rotate to reveal a second screen (Source: ET News)

Ahead of its September 14 launch, the LG Wing's name gets confirmed by the company. The new smartphone features a unique dual-display design with screens the swivelling into a T shape. The Wing will reportedly be a 5G device with a triple rear camera setup (including a 64-megapixel primary lens) and run on a Qualcomm Snapdragon 7-series chipset.

LG is introducing this new smartphone form factor under a new mobile category it's calling the Explorer Project, which aims at "discovering new ways to interact with mobile devices... and challenging established user norms." The Wing will "deliver a new and different form factor and mobile experience that would be impossible to create with conventional smartphones."

Source: The Verge