Techno FYI

Everything you need to know about the Xbox One event

Alex Kuklinski — Tue, 21 May 2013 21:51:46 +0000

Microsoft finally unveiled the next generation Xbox today in a press conference at the company’s Redmond, WA headquarters. Rumors hinted that the new console would be named Xbox Infinity, but Microsoft quickly announced that the name would in fact be Xbox One.

The hour-long conference was mostly talking about the new hardware and its features, and did not go into much detail on games. In fact, actual in-game footage was lacking throughout the event.

Hands-on: TYLT TUNZ Rechargeable Bluetooth Speaker

Alex Kuklinski — Mon, 20 May 2013 23:41:35 +0000

We go hands-on with TYLT’s portable and lightweight speaker.

Are passwords and usernames coming to an end?

Eric Anderson — Thu, 16 May 2013 22:42:24 +0000

I’m met with the same dilemma every time I see a login screen—trying to remember a specific username and password for a particular service. The chance of me getting both of those right the first time sits right around the zero percent mark.

Evernote working on a Google Glass app

Alex Kuklinski — Thu, 16 May 2013 20:28:07 +0000

Evernote has published an article on their blog detailing plans to adapt their popular note taking application to work with Google Glass.

NVIDIA’s SHIELD console to cost $349, pre-orders start today

Eric Anderson — Tue, 14 May 2013 20:37:39 +0000

We got our first look at NVIDIA’s SHIELD console and all its specs back at CES. In a blog post today, NVIDIA has finally announced a ship date, or rather, a ship month.

Hail Protector is an external airbag for your car

Alex Kuklinski — Tue, 14 May 2013 19:38:50 +0000

I love thunderstorms, but hate hail—especially when it ends up hitting my car. Texas-based hail-hater Michael Siciliano has invented Hail Protector, a giant inflatable airbag that covers your vehicle when severe weather threatens.

Straight Talk’s ‘unlimited’ data plan is bullshit

Alex Kuklinski — Mon, 13 May 2013 20:50:19 +0000

Last month I wrote an article about how I planned to cancel my Verizon contract and move to the prepaid network, Straight Talk. The carrier advertises unlimited minutes, texts and data for $45 a month—significantly less than the ~$120 a month I was paying with Verizon.

My general experience was okay until I hit 1.5 GB of data and had to deal with their customer support and extremely vague explanations.

Half-Life 2 on the Oculus Rift is official

Eric Anderson — Sat, 11 May 2013 01:55:44 +0000

The Oculus Rift now has official support for Valve’s much-loved Half-Life 2, according to a post by Valve programmer Joe Ludwig on the Oculus developer forums. This announcement follows an unofficial port that was released late last month.

Paid subscriptions on YouTube become a reality

Alex Kuklinski — Fri, 10 May 2013 03:11:54 +0000

YouTube has announced that a “small group” of partners are currently participating in a pilot program that offers paid channels.

Subscription fees start at $0.99 per month, with several channels offering discounts if you sign up for a full year. Additionally, every paid channel will offer a free 14-day trial.

Google Fiber expanding to Grandview, MO

Alex Kuklinski — Wed, 08 May 2013 15:57:21 +0000

Google has announced that Grandview, Missouri —a city in the Kansas City area— will be receiving Google’s high speed Internet and TV service.

The announcement was made after the city’s Board of Aldermen voted to bring the service to the community.