E3 2012: Microsoft impresses with immersive Xbox SmartGlass experiences

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With no new hardware releasing this year, Microsoft made sure to focus squarely on games and new experiences powered by Xbox 360. It was announced that this year the company’s seven year old console went from being the #1 selling game machine in North America to being the best selling console in the world. And with everything that Microsoft showed off at their E3 press conference this year, you’d be remiss to think that they’ll lose the crown anytime soon.

Before jumping into the exciting software titles Microsoft has in store for gamers in the not-so-distant future, let’s dive into the most talked about announcement coming out of their presser: Xbox SmartGlass. Leading up to E3, a rumor leaked that Microsoft was cooking up a new Xbox feature that would work similarly to AirPlay from Apple; one could wirelessly beam video content from a smartphone or tablet to the big screen TV in your living room. The leak became official at Microsoft’s briefing, but it would be proven that Xbox SmartGlass offers so much more than Apple’s AirPlay beaming. Real world examples follow. Start watching a movie on your tablet and with one click transfer it to your TV. As the movie is resumes on the big screen, your tablet doesn’t remain idle; instead it provides relavant content to what’s being played on your TV. Say you’re watching Sherlock Holmes; while it’s playing on the TV you can use your tablet to delve into the movie’s synopsis, cast, bonus features, and other content that pertains to the movie.

A neat feature, it still might not stimulate your appetite for SmartGlass. This will. Hop onto HBO GO and watch an episode of Game of Thrones. Through the power of SmartGlass you can follow the story that unfolds on the TV using your tablet as a guide through Westeros. In real time SmartGlass will help you keep up with the large cast of characters and goings-on with an expansive interactive map of Westeros. Microsoft is working close with content providers to bring these kind of experiences to Xbox, so this is only the tip of the iceberg.

In additional to expanding the world of movies and TV, SmartGlass will serve as a gaming controller of sorts to enhance gameplay for compatible titles. In Madden, for example, SmartGlass transforms your tablet into a playbook and allows you to create and execute routes using an innovative, touch-based interface. Will you be able to take control of Master Chief in Halo 4? Definitely not, but Microsoft showed off another way SmartGlass can enhance even the most hardcore games they offer. In Halo 4, Halo Waypoint data can be unlocked in-game and later accessed on your smartphone. Stuff like that. Again, Microsoft is spearheading the SmartGlass initiative, and soon we’ll see what game developers can think up to enhance their experiences by making them more interactive across multiple screens.

Movies, TV, games. What else will SmartGlass affect on Xbox? It will (at long last) enable Internet browsing on the console. Internet Explorer is coming to Xbox, and SmartGlass allows you to scroll and pinch-to-zoom on-screen content. Using Kinect you’ll also be able to control the web browser with your voice. SmartGlass also gives you the ability to navigate the Xbox dashboard using your fingers, in addition to your voice (Kinect) and a traditional controller.

Xbox’s Marc Whitten summed it up best when he closed the segment like this: SmartGlass is “when devices work together to immerse you in entertainment.” He also went on to make a great point. You already own the devices that will make SmartGlass a possibility: smartphones, tablets, PCs. There is no need to purchase an additional controller, peripheral or console (looking at you, Nintendo) to make a second screen experience a reality. The SmartGlass companion app will be compatible with Windows 8 PCs, tablets and phones, as well as devices powered by iOS and Android. There is one catch, however. If you’re planning on beaming content from portable devices to the TV, said content must be purchased and rented from within Microsoft’s ecosystem, i.e. the Xbox Video storefront. With that said, Xbox SmartGlass is coming to Xbox, Windows 8, and the other aforementioned mobile platforms this fall.

Other announcements made at Microsoft’s press conference include: Continue reading E3 2012: Microsoft impresses with immersive Xbox SmartGlass experiences →

Nintendo details updated Wii U controller, social space Miiverse ahead of E3 2012

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Ahead of the Electronic Entertainment Expo that officially begins on Tuesday, Nintendo has kicked off the festivities with a “Nintendo Direct Pre E3 2012” video featuring the company’s president Satoru Iwata and the upcoming Wii successor. He informs the press and gamers around the world that Nintendo’s E3 press conference will focus mostly on Wii U software, and so the Pre-E3 video is used as a platform to expand upon Wii U hardware and social infrastructure.

First, Iwata unveiled the final product version of the Wii U’s tablet-esque controller that is now officially called the Wii U GamePad. (The name is derived from the original NES controller that was also referred to as a “GamePad” since it was the first of its kind to not feature a joystick.) The controller has been tweaked and refined since its prototype days to provide maximized comfort. Most significantly, the two Circle Pads are have replaced by clickable analog sticks. Underneath the D-pad there’s a marker for the controller’s built-in NFC functionality; it is here where gamers will be able to place physical objects to enhance gameplay. The plus and minus buttons have been moved to the right side of the controller underneath the ABXY buttons. Along the bottom underneath the touch-capable screen is a new button labeled TV Control; clicking it opens up a TV remote app that turns your GamePad into an infrared remote control and guide for channel surfing. Around back the grips have been slightly transformed to improve ergonomics.

Next, Iwata unveiled a new accessory for the Wii U. Yet another controller and this one’s called the Wii U Pro Controller. Taking design cues from the original Wii’s Pro controller and Microsoft’s Xbox controller, Iwata describes the new peripheral as a “lighter, and maybe more attractive for longer, more intense forms of gaming” alternative to the GamePad. As you’ll notice in the gallery below, the Pro Controller is shown off sporting a slick coat of black; perhaps this is a sign that the Wii U will also come in black when it ships later this year.

Iwata wrapped things up by introducing Nintendo’s giant leap into the social space with Miiverse. When you turn on your Wii U, the Miiverse serves as your homescreen. It looks like Mii Plaza from the current Wii, with all your custom-made Miis mingling around a big white space, but this is so much more than that. Miiverse brings together your avatar, all the avatars you’ve created on the console, your friends’ avatars, and avatars of people from your country that are playing the same games as you. Miis are organized around the games and apps they are currently involved with. You can interact with this giant community of Miis via text messages and drawings that are sent through the GamePad. In addition to sharing messages to gamers in your locality and around the world, you can capture screenshots from games and share these too. Iwata says that developers will be able to take advantage of this messaging system inside their games to make for a more communal gaming experience. (Iwata makes the point that even if you are playing a game alone in your living room, you are not truly alone because the sense of community with the Miiverse is always there.) Iwata confirms that the Miiverse is destined to bring Nintendo gamers together like never before by making it accessible through web browsers on PCs, smartphones, and of course Ninty’s portable offering the 3DS. This social expansion, however, will not be available immediately at launch.

E3 is just around the corner, and Nintendo is ready to show off what really counts (read: the games) when they take the stage for their press conference on Tuesday at 9AM PST. The Wii U hardware and social network contain a goldmine of gaming potential, but in the end it always comes down to the software lineup. Will Nintendo impress with games beyond their typical lineup of first-party gems starring the company’s mascots Mario, Zelda, and Metroid? Keep it right here for the latest from Nintendo, Microsoft, and Sony as E3 kicks off later this week.

Check out the gallery below to see pictures of the final Wii U GamePad, the Wii U Pro Controller, and glimpses at the Miiverse interface. Jump after the break to watch Iwata’s half-hour Pre-E3 clip.

Continue reading Nintendo details updated Wii U controller, social space Miiverse ahead of E3 2012 →

Windows 8 Release Preview out now

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The next operating system from Microsoft is almost here. After posting the Developer and Consumer previews, on May 28 the company let loose the Windows 8 Release Preview. In addition to packing bug fixes to make for a more stable and consistent user experience, the Release Preview includes improvements to existing apps like Mail, Photos, and People and introduces new Bing-powered apps Travel, News, and Sports. Also included is Zune Pass integration, Flash support in Internet Explorer 10, and of course a broader selection of apps in the Windows Store as developers start to hop aboard the Metro bandwagon.

The Windows 8 Release Preview is available for download today in 14 languages today; click here to access the free download. The final version of the touch-friendly OS is out later this year. PR after the break.

[Via Engadget] Continue reading Windows 8 Release Preview out now →

Google introduces the Knowledge Graph, makes search even smarter

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Last month Google started rolling out their next evolution in search and they call it the Knowledge Graph. Here’s how they describe it:

The Knowledge Graph enables you to search for things, people or places that Google knows about—landmarks, celebrities, cities, sports teams, buildings, geographical features, movies, celestial objects, works of art and more—and instantly get information that’s relevant to your query. This is a critical first step towards building the next generation of search, which taps into the collective intelligence of the web and understands the world a bit more like people do.

Go to Google and search “Tom Cruise.” In addition to the typical results (links to his official website, Wikipedia and IMDb pages), you will surely notice the Knowledge Graph to the right. Google’s search engine now aims to understand your query and pull together relevant information for you to easily glance at. You’ll see an image of the actor, along with a brief description borrowed from Wikipedia including date of birth, his spouse, children, and a list of the movies he’s been in. Underneath all that you’ll find a “people also search for” section that serves as a recommendation hub for further research.

To reiterate, the Knowledge Graph will provide information based on your query. For example, if you search “Empire State Building” you can quickly glance to the right to find relavant information such as the height of the building and architectural styles.

It may not seem like a giant leap in the evolution of search on paper, but the more you take advantage of Google’s new offering you’ll come to notice that the Knowledge Graph does come in handy and marks a step in the right direction for intuitive search. Google explains it all in a video embedded after the break.

[Via Google] Continue reading Google introduces the Knowledge Graph, makes search even smarter →

Trailer: ‘The Bourne Legacy’

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The action-packed followup to the February teaser has arrived. Here is the first full-length theatrical trailer for the next movie in the Bourne franchise, The Bourne Legacy. New star Jeremy Renner is trained assassin Kenneth Kitson, “Treadstone, without the inconsistency.” Rachel Weisz, Edward Norton, Stacy Keach and Oscar Isaac also star alongside franchise vets Albert Finney, Joan Allen, David Strathairn and Scott Glenn.

The Bourne Legacy is out August 3.

Andy Samberg confirms ‘SNL’ exit

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It was rumored and now it’s true: Andy Samberg has left the building; Studio 8H, that is. Following Kristin Wiig’s emotional exit from Saturday Night Live, fellow castmate Samberg has also decided to call it quits after spending six seasons with the late-night sketch comedy. In an interview with the New York Times, the original of the Digital Short made it official. “It’s an incredibly emotional and strange moment in my life,” said Samberg. “Obviously it’s not a huge shock, but I did officially decide not to come back.” He admits that leaving SNL is “one of the hardest decisions [he has] ever made.” Samberg shared that Wiig gave him insight into her decision to ultimately step away from the show, and this helped him make one. “She kept saying it just feels like it’s her time,” he said. “I connect with that. Something about it just feels like it’s the moment. My contract’s up and I did so much more than I ever thought I would ever even do.”

Though it’s certainly sad to see Samberg go, this does not spell the end for some of his most memorable characters and sketches. When asked if he would be willing to return as a host: “Well, hopefully things will work out well enough that they’ll want me.” And although “Lazy Sunday 2” served as the pitch-perfect closing to his SNL Digital Shorts era, Samberg hopes that he’ll get the opportunity to reunite with his Lonely Island crew to sporadically produce more Shorts for upcoming seasons of the show. “That’s the kind of thing that I really do hope happens,” he said.

Like Wiig, Samberg is leaving SNL to pursue a career in film; he stars in the upcoming Adam Sandler comedy That’s My Boy in theatres June 15. The only other castmember whose contract is up is Jason Sudekis; unless he pulls a Samberg and quietly leaves via an online interview, we might not get an answer until the season 38 premiere credits roll in September.

From “Dick in a Box” to “Jizz in my Pants” and “I’m on a Boat“, “I Just Had Sex“, “Motherlover” and everything before, in between, and after, Andy Samberg helped launch Saturday Night Live into the digital age and contributed to the definition of the viral video. And for that he will always be remembered as one of the most influential cast members to come and go on the show. Now if that’s not high praise, I’m not sure what is.

[Via NYT]

Jason Mraz hosts an emotional ‘VH1 Storytellers’ this Friday night

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This Friday Jason Mraz will take the stage and host the season premiere of VH1 Storytellers, the music/reality channel’s original program that invites artists across all genres to perform a collection of their songs and share insight into how the music came to be. In this installment VH1 promises that viewers will be privy to “a rich assortment of songs from [Mraz’s] truly outstanding body of work,” including tracks from his latest album Love Is A Four Letter Word. And things will get emotional. In a nearly nine minute preview clip embedded after the break, Jason explores the inspiration behind his hit single “I Won’t Give Up” and tears flow before he performs the song in front of a live audience. The gifted singer/songwriter is known for digging deep into his mind and soul and past life experiences to come up with lyrics and rhythms for his songs; fans should be excited because Storytellers gives him a platform to reveal the secrets behind his most popular tunes. Get a taste of what’s in store after the break. Mraz is arguably the greatest live performer to live, so it is somewhat of an understatement when I say this is must see TV.

VH1 Storytellers with Jason Mraz airs this Friday, June 1 at 11PM. Click here to see pictures from the previously recorded event. Continue reading Jason Mraz hosts an emotional ‘VH1 Storytellers’ this Friday night →

G.O.O.D. Music: The Throne drops “No Church In The Wild” music video, Pusha T teams with The-Dream for “Exodus 23:1”

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It’s been a rather busy week for valuable members of the G.O.O.D. Music family. On Tuesday the music video for “No Church In The Wild” dropped; it’s the third single off Kanye West & Jay-Z’s collaborative effort Watch The Throne. Unlike the previous two singles that also received clips (“Otis” and “Ni**as In Paris“), this riot-themed music video directed by Romain Gavras and shot in Prague does not feature the Throne duo nor featured artist Frank Ocean. Still, like everything West outputs it is visually pleasing and deserves at least one go-around. Watch it after the break.

Rising G.O.O.D. Music rapper Pusha T released a new track titled “Exodus 23:1” featuring The-Dream. The very colorful clip does include Pusha as he stirs controversy with rival rapper Lil Wayne and his Young Money crew. Watch above, then snag a free download here. Continue reading G.O.O.D. Music: The Throne drops “No Church In The Wild” music video, Pusha T teams with The-Dream for “Exodus 23:1” →

First look: ‘The Walking Dead’ season 3

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The first thing Walking Dead fans are used to seeing before the start of a new season is a graphic production still of Greg Nicotero’s spectacular zombies. This time around, however, we get a two-and-a-half minute clip! Though it’s not all that revealing in terms of plot, some things are said that are worth mulling over here. As we know, Michonne and The Governor will be introduced in season 3, and the action will take place at a fortified prison. Lauren Cohan (who plays Maggie) says, “From the beginning of this you see completely changed characters.” Laurie Holden (Andrea) teases, “We have the introduction of new characters, some that have been announced, some that have not.” Norman Reedus (Daryl) says that in season 3 “People start losing their minds, love blossoms, and a whole lot of awesome zombie kills [will take place].” Andrew Lincoln (Rick) sums it all up nicely: “The pace of it is darker, harder, faster, deeper.”

From the farm to the prison, The Walking Dead returns this fall on AMC. Bonus! Jump after the break to get a first look at Danai Gurira as the katana sword-wielding Michonne. Continue reading First look: ‘The Walking Dead’ season 3 →

‘Awake’ creator Kyle Killen addresses that mind-bending finale and what was planned for season 2

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Major spoilers inside…

This past Thursday marked the season one finale of NBC’s unique drama Awake. Unfortunately for the show’s small but rabid audience the episode also served as the series finale; the cancellation was announced weeks ago. But how about that mind-bending, Inception-like conclusion? After an impressionable pilot and a handful of procedural installments, Awake managed to tell an extremely compelling story that left its viewers wanting more when the grand finale closed one chapter and opened the door to a shiny treasure chest of possible season 2 storylines. Detective Michael Britten (played by the gifted Jason Issacs) figured out that Harper was the one behind his life-altering car accident, and shortly thereafter he created a third (dream?) reality in which his son and wife survived.

So what the hell happened? Continue reading ‘Awake’ creator Kyle Killen addresses that mind-bending finale and what was planned for season 2 →

Movie posters: ‘The Dark Knight Rises’

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The epic conclusion to Christopher Nolan’s Batman trilogy is less than a month away. What better way to spend these days leading up to arguably the most anticipated date of the summer than by gazing at a collection of dark, seductive posters that scream “RISE” and “THE LEGEND ENDS.” The image above is very reminiscent of the orignal TDKR poster that released last July; only this time fire has risen. In the gallery below you’ll find additional posters that highlight the three main contenders: Batman (Christian Bale), Bane (Tom Hardy), and Catwoman (Anne Hathaway). Will Catwoman aka Selina Kyle play a roll in the imminent downfall of the Bat? One of these posters is tipping the scale that way. See for yourself…

The Dark Knight Rises releases July 20.

Trailer round-up: ‘Skyfall’, ‘The Great Gatsby’, ‘Anchorman 2’ & ‘Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter’

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Here it is, the first official teaser trailer for the 23rd Bond movie, Skyfall. Watch Daniel Craig and company in the quick but tantalizing clip above. Out November 9.

Jump after the break for more trailers. Continue reading Trailer round-up: ‘Skyfall’, ‘The Great Gatsby’, ‘Anchorman 2’ & ‘Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter’ →