Microsoft buys livestreaming service Beam to boost interaction on the platform

Microsoft’s latest acquisition might be giving them an advantage in the livestreaming space. Its latest buy is livestreaming service Beam, a platform that lets viewers interact in real-time with the streamers while they broadcast. This is in contrast with Twitch that only allows passive viewing. Beam’s SDK doesn’t just allow for simple chatting and streaming, it allows you to directly interface with the streamers and even get involved in the game. You can earn XP points, boosters, and emoticons based on how much and how often you watch.

Beam will be part of the Xbox team and its CEO Matt Salsamendi is viewing this as a positive for them as well. Salsamendi says, "As part of the Xbox team, we'll be able to scale faster than we've ever been able to before." 

Source: Engadget

Lenovo teases what it has in store for IFA 2016, includes new MotoMods, tablets and ‘intuitive keyboard’

With IFA 2016 almost upon us and the Lenovo press launch happening on August 31^st, Lenovo isn’t wasting any time showing what it has up its sleeves for the coming season. The teaser video above shows things like Yoga laptops, tablets, the Moto 360, and even flexible smartphones and tablets they showed off at Lenovo Tech World earlier this year. But some of the new things it called out in the video include the new MotoMods, which perhaps will get market release dates at this point; “new chapter in tablets;” and a “whole new kind of intuitive keyboard.”

Source: 9to5Google

A two-part ‘Supergirl’ and ‘The Flash’ musical crossover episode is coming

The Flash and Supergirl are teaming up again. This time, it’ll be for a two-part musical episode. Yes, a musical. Since Supergirl moved from CBS to CW, it’s expected that the DC adaptations, including The Flash, Arrow, and Legends of Tomorrow, will be working alongside its newest sister. In fact, they do have a big crossover in the works. But that’s for another time. Right, now we’re getting that two-part musical.

It doesn’t come as a surprise they’re trying this route since a lot of the actors on Supergirl and The Flash have musical backgrounds. Yes, that includes both shows lead actors Melissa Benoist and Grant Gustin. Both of them have appeared on Glee. Jesse L. Martin (Joe West on The Flash) originated the role of Tom Collins in Rent on Broadway. Jeremy Jordan (Winn on Super girl) has also appeared on the Broadway production of Newsies. According to Greg Berlanti, the executive producer of all DC shows on CW, the songs will mostly be “preexisting songs” but they are working to include at least one original track per episode. Speaking at the Television Critics Association press tour, Berlanti says these episodes are likely to air sometime in the “back half of the year.”

Source: The Verge

LG to boost V20 audio quality with built-in quad DAC

The LG V20 won’t just be the first to get Android Nougat outside of Google’s Nexus program, it’ll also supposedly get another first: a 32-bit Hi-Fi quad digital to analog converter (DAC). The quad DAC will supposedly reduce ambient noise by up to 50 percent and provide you with crisp sound reproduction. With the launch date of the V20 approaching, we’re sure a lot more info will be surfacing and we’ll finally be able to see the phone and if it’s a worthy successor to the V10.

Source: CNET