Tag Archives: update

MMS feature coming to iPhone in 12 days

The long hoped for feature for the iPhone finally gets a date of arrival: the Multimedia Messaging Service feature will be enabled on all iPhone 3G and 3GS devices (sorry, original iPhone users) on September 15.  For those of you not in the know, MMS is the feature that allows you to send and receive picture/video messages to other cell phone users.  Up until now, iPhone users have been stuck in the dark ages, only able to send and receive texts (and more recently audio and contact files).  MSS will be enabled through a required software update via iTunes.

What took so long, you ask?  Put simply, AT&T’s service is sucky and they believed that their cell tower structure was not ready to handle the heavy traffic of iPhone users sending pictures to each other.  After having plently of time to fix and upgrade things (and breaking a promise of a Summer MMS release), AT&T is confident in saying:

“We know that iPhone users will embrace MMS. The unique capabilities and high usage of the iPhone’s multimedia capabilities required us to work on our network MMS architecture to carry the expected record volumes of MMS traffic and ensure an excellent experience from Day One. We appreciate your patience as we work toward that end.  …  We want you to know that we’re working relentlessly to innovate and invest in our network to anticipate this growth in usage and to stay ahead of the anticipated growth in data demand, new devices and applications for years to come.”

Note that there was no new information divulged about tethering.  It was only mentioned that it will be supported “in the future.”

[Via Engadget; AT&T]

Xbox Dashboard update–new details

 

A bundle of details have emerged concerning the new Xbox Dashboard update.

(1) The first ‘Games on Demand’ game titles have been revealed

The initial 24 games to be made available for download over the Internet via Xbox Live have been announced today.  Some include: Assasin’s Creed, Bioshock, Mass Effect, Call of Duty 2, Fight Night Round 3, and The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion.  Look after the break for the entire list of games and a quick video glipse of the ‘Games on Demand’ dashboard in action.

(2) The Netflix update is…disappointing

It was previously announced that the Netflix update will allow Xbox Live Gold members and Netflix subscribers to edit their personal Netflix queues right on the Xbox, without the need for a PC.  While that is nice and dandy, Microsoft has lowered the notch of functionality.  Users are restricted to browsing only the Top 50 videos for each video category, so there is no searching by title and no browsing alphabetically.  Microsoft’s Ben Smith, Director of Program Management for Xbox Live, on the matter: “I think when people come to Xbox they’re not really looking so much for functional, they really want to have fun, they want to be wowed.”  Uhh..I don’t think so.  People want to be able to browse the ENTIRE Netflix database, with capable search features built-in.  It is worthy to mention that Microsoft says it will listen to their user-base, and if the people call for a true Netflix experience on their Xbox, they will provide it in a future update.  *Cue a sigh of relief.

Look out for the new Xbox Dashboard update coming next Tuesday, August 11th.

[Via Engadget, here & here; Joystiq]

Continue reading Xbox Dashboard update–new details

Xbox 360 updates coming soon [Updated]

Microsoft has announced a slew of exciting updates coming to the Xbox 360 (granted you are connected to Xbox Live). Some of the new features include: Netflix updates, including movie parties (a Netflix Gold member can invite up to seven friends (represented by their avatars) to watch a movie in a virtual theatre); managing your queue (Netflix members can now browse the entire Netflix Instant Stream queue from their console, no PC required); avatar marketplace (there will be a store where clothes and props can be purchased for your personal and customizable avatar); games on demand (full Xbox 360 games can now be purchased right on the console, along with their game manuals (no need to purchase a physical game in a store), and it’s yours to keep (the games are attached to your Xbox Live account, so you can move games from different consoles or delete them if you so choose); and more! Check after the break to see the entire breakdown of updates, and see below for screenshots of the new menus. These updates will only be available as a preview release at first. All updates should be released later in the summer (think late August). Also, keep in mind that these updates DO NOT include the recently announced Facebook and Twitter integration, Zune video store, 1080p Instant On, and Last.fm updates; these will be released at a later date (probably Fall 2009).

Update: The Xbox Live Dashboard update will be available to download on August 11th.

[Via Engadget]

Continue reading Xbox 360 updates coming soon [Updated]