HP to only release firmware updates for customers under warranty after Feb. 19

HP just announced new policy when it comes to firmware updates for its products. According to Ubergizmo, the company will only provide firmware updates for clients who are still under warranty after the 19^th of February. This means if you have valid warranty, support agreement or signed up for Care Pack service, then you can gain access to the updates through HP support center.

HP Vice President Mary McCoy said in a press release, “Our customers under warranty or support coverage will not need to pay for firmware access, and we are in no way trying to force customers into purchasing extended coverage. That is, and always will be, a customer’s choice.”

Patch for Call of Duty: Ghosts for Xbox One causes performance problems

Patches are generally supposed to remedy any technical issues with a program or game. However, the new Onslaught downloadable content and a stability patch released for the Xbox One edition of the game “Call of Duty: Ghosts” has caused performance issues for the game. Performance drops for certain areas in the new maps and the frame drops to nearly 30 percent from the 60 frame per second rate.

Ubergizmo quotes Digital Foundry’s David Bierton, “Kicking off with a look at Stonehaven, it’s immediately obvious that things are not quite right. While the game does indeed hit 60fps in this stage, frame-rates are dramatically impacted when the whole level is in view, with metrics varying between 46-60fps as we run across the landscape. As frame-rates fall below the desired 60fps target, we also see the appearance of some screen-tear, adding some judder, making drops in smoothness more noticeable.”

Leak of new Windows Phone 8.1 notification centre surfaces

The look of the new notification centre for Windows Phone 8.1 has surfaced online. Engadget cites WPCentral and Winphollowers for a leaked presentation from Microsoft that shows the new notification centre called “Action Center.” This feature will reportedly take the same approach with iOS and Android when it comes to notifications but will have things like a driving mode shortcut intended to minimize distraction while on the road and will give apps more control over their notifications. This means updates can appear silently and update or disappear on its own if the information is time-sensitive and no longer relevant or for things like sports updates. We’ll keep you posted if this appears in the final version of the OS.

Apple tipped to debut iOS 7.1 update in March

Apple is supposedly releasing an iOS 7 update this March to address a few bugs and tweak the user interface. The Verge reports the new update will fix the issues related to iOS 7 devices randomly rebooting. The new iteration of the OS will also include minor design changes to the iPod and dialer as well as the addition of an option to turn off the “parallax” effect or wallpaper motion while the folder animation stays on.