Saturday
Mar072015

Review: Google Nexus Player

 By Gadjo Cardenas Sevilla

The Nexus Player is really a container for software, in this case, Lollipop. While some of it feels half-baked right now, I think that we can expect updates to improve the experience and add more compelling functionality in the future.

 

Google launched Android OS 5.0 Lollipop with three devices. The Nexus 6 phablet, the Nexus 9 tablet and the Nexus Player, which is a streaming set-top box, which runs on Android's Material Design UI.

Nexus Player, made by ASUS, is the evolution of Google TV, which was an earlier attempt at cashing in on the success of rival devices like Apple TV, ROKU and others. The device is powered by a 1.8 GHz quad-core Intel Atom processor.

Since Google launched the versatile and affordable Chromecast, which is a real game changer in the streaming devices market, it seems that Nexus Player is something of a Chromecast Plus, but is it really?

Click to read more ...

Saturday
Mar072015

Canadian Reviewer Weekly Roundup 3/1-3/7

Saturday
Mar072015

Upcoming PlayStation 4 update to add button remapping, improve rest mode

Sony is finally bringing in new features to the PlayStation 4. According to members of PlayStation MVP program that are getting beta test the 2.50 version of the software, the update will include two new major features: system-wide button remapping and enhanced rest mode.

Just as its name suggests, button remapping means you can swap button functions on the PS4 on a system-wide level. It might be geared towards users who have physical difficulty reaching certain buttons on the controller but it will come in handy for games that don’t offer the ability to modify controls. Meanwhile, the new “rest mode” is a truly functional suspend mode. It won’t close apps or games when it goes to sleep, much like what smartphones do these days. The existing low-power rest mode is basically like turning the console off except it allows for background downloads and it lets you charge the controllers. No word yet on the official release of this version but beta testers claim it should be out by the end of April.

Source: Kotaku

Saturday
Mar072015

Google tipped to be dipping into virtual reality

Not wanting to be left behind, Google is reportedly working on a version of Android that can power virtual reality apps. According to the Wall Street Journal, the company has a team of “tens of engineers” working on this project at the moment. Google reportedly plans to distribute this version for free, much like what they did for Android originally. We’re not sure how the market will react to this, especially with the likes of Facebook, HTC, Sony, Samsung, and Microsoft in the game. But the more options we have, the better.

Source: Phys.org