DanKemble.com

Office Web Apps real-time editing demonstrated, set to fully compete with Google Docs

Wed, 19 Jun 2013 12:57:52 -0700

Microsoft has offered its basic Office Web Apps to Outlook.com and Office 365 customers for over three years now, but one of the big drawbacks for students and businesses has been the lack of true real-time co-authoring. Google Docs has long supported real-time editing with multiple users, but the Office Web Apps have been fairly basic when it comes to editing documents alongside other users. Microsoft is planning to change this over the next few months, and the company is demonstrating the changes this week.

In an early preview video it’s clear the co-authoring editing is almost identical to Google Docs, with improvements that keep the full fidelity of a particular document while allowing others to edit text and other elements. New…

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Watch this: the bloody saga of 'Hotline Miami' continues in 'Wrong Number'

Wed, 19 Jun 2013 12:57:51 -0700

If the brutal violence of the original _Hotline Miami_ didn’t satiate your thirst for pixelated blood, there’s good news, as details have finally emerged about the game’s sequel. Subtitled _Wrong Number_, the next _Hotline Miami_ will also be the last, and it will feature multiple playable characters, each of whom has been inspired by the events of the original. Their stories will intersect as the game progresses, and it looks like the action will be very similar to the first — fast, brutal, and filled with blood. You can get a glimpse of _Wrong Number_ in the teaser trailer below, and for more on the game, be sure to check out our sister site _Polygon_. _Hotline Miami 2: Wrong Number _is launching later this year on Windows, Mac, and Linux.

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New wireless, solar-powered 'bionic eye' gives sight to blind rats

Wed, 19 Jun 2013 12:57:51 -0700

Scientists have been utilizing a variety of different bionic eye and retinal implant technologies as a way to restore sight to blind people, and today a group of researchers from Stanford University are releasing details behind their successful test of a wireless, solar-powered implant. In the new study published in _Nature_, the researchers detailed a tiny new microchip that can be embedded in the retina and wirelessly communicate with a set of video eyeglasses. The implant then translates the images from the glasses into electrical signals that the neurons in the eye can understand as visual images. The chip was tested in the eyes of rats who suffered from macular degradation (a leading cause of blindness), and brain activity measured in…

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Steam might let you borrow friends' games more easily than next-gen consoles

Wed, 19 Jun 2013 12:57:51 -0700

A snippet of code in the Steam digital distribution platform has revealed that Valve may be planning to let users easily share their games with friends in the future. _The Verge _has verified the code’s authenticity, which was originally spotted by a member of the NeoGAF gaming forum; the code references a “shared game library” and a notification that would alert a user when their games are currently in use by a borrower. Steam users can, of course, already share their games by lending friends their usernames and passwords, but that’s not the most efficient or secure method of sharing.

A shared game feature would be a huge addition to the Steam platform, and a highly attractive feature in light of Sony and Microsoft’s battle over sharing…

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Watch the window-switching user interfaces of the Xbox One and PlayStation 4

Wed, 19 Jun 2013 12:57:50 -0700

A recent video from Sony has given us our first glimpse at the console’s user interface, which will provide similar window-switching functionality as the Xbox One, allowing users to swap between tasks and apps to perform different functions. Sony’s PlayStation 4 video focuses on social features, showing how players can record and share gameplay video, switch in and out of live games to chat with friends, and download new games. By double-pressing a PlayStation logo in the center of the PS4’s controller, users can quickly switch between games and other areas of the system.

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Kim Dotcom tweets outrage after LeaseWeb deletes all Megaupload data

Wed, 19 Jun 2013 12:57:50 -0700

Kim Dotcom’s Megaupload file-sharing service has been essentially erased from the web. After being taken offline by the Department of Justice last year, data uploaded to Megaupload has now been deleted from the servers it was stored on by Dotcom’s former hosting service, LeaseWeb. Dotcom, who has since launched another storage service called Mega, took to Twitter on Wednesday to express his outrage at LeaseWeb’s move, which he says took place without warning. LeaseWeb, on the other hand, says that it reached out to Dotcom before deleting Megaupload’s data, but it received no response.

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Microsoft offering up to $100,000 rewards for finding Windows 8.1 bugs

Wed, 19 Jun 2013 12:57:49 -0700

Microsoft has put a reward out for identifying bugs in the Windows 8.1 Preview in an effort to rid the upcoming release of any particularly nasty flaws that may have gone unnoticed. It’s the first time that Microsoft has offered to pay for bug reports — a security measure that competitors like Google and Facebook have been taking for some time now. Microsoft is offering up to $100,000 for what it’s calling “truly novel exploitation techniques,” as well as smaller rewards for “critical vulnerabilities” in Internet Explorer 11 Preview and for methods that could defend against major exploits identified by the first bounty.

In the past, Microsoft has held individual contests that awarded cash prizes for identifying exploits, but this is…

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Lytro releases iOS app for desktop-free sharing of its light field photos

Wed, 19 Jun 2013 12:57:49 -0700

Until now, sharing images taken with Lytro’s unique light field camera has required syncing with the company’s desktop app for Mac and PC. That changes today — at least for iPhone owners — with the release of Lytro Mobile for iOS. The new app lets Lytro users quickly upload and share any light field pictures they’ve taken on the go.

Just how does it accomplish this? Lytro is finally flipping the switch on a Wi-Fi chip discovered inside the camera during a teardown last year. Wireless networking has been inactive until now, but a new firmware update will let the Lytro act as its own Wi-Fi hotspot. From there, the camera will display credentials that can be entered on an iPhone to access its image data. You’ll be able to preview your…

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Simple Calendar gets another small update, bug fixes and a few features in latest update

Wed, 19 Jun 2013 12:32:02 -0700

One of our favorite calendar apps on Windows Phone (we have a quite a few choice options, these days) is Simple Calendar and the developer has been busy polishing up his 2.0 overhaul that recently went out.

Version 2.2. is now live in the Store and brings with it numerous bug fixes, performance tune-ups and some minor changes.

http://dlvr.it/3XkMp4

How Exclamation Points In Your Tweets Affect Retweets & Clicks [Chart]

Wed, 19 Jun 2013 12:13:48 -0700

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We all have our own styles when we type our tweets. For example, some people (like me) put smileys on a lot of their tweets. Other people get annoyed by smileys, and they don’t use them at all. Some people are sarcastic, and others are always cheerful and helpful. There are probably […]

The post How Exclamation Points In Your Tweets Affect Retweets & Clicks [Chart] appeared first on Bit Rebels. http://dlvr.it/3XkCYT

Temple Run for Windows Phone 8 gets minor update, presumably improves things

Wed, 19 Jun 2013 12:01:33 -0700

We have another vague update inbound for the popular (and long overdue) Temple Run on Windows Phone 8. The addictive game has now been bumped to version 1.5.2.0 with no Changelog in tow, unfortunately. That means we’ll have to rely on you for some testing to see if you can discern any noteworthy changes.

We can say that if you were hoping that the 1GB of RAM limit was lifted, you will be disappointed. Firing up the QR link for our adorable Lumia 521 resulted in the now familiar “App not compatible” error message. Sorry folks.

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Shopping for drones in Paris

Wed, 19 Jun 2013 11:57:33 -0700

Project Zero, an all-electric UAV from AugustaWestland, on display at the 2013 Paris Air Show

It’s the second day of the Paris Air Show, and the sun is brutal. Most people gathered outside have their heads tilted skyward, where fighter jets and World War II-era cargo planes take turns performing stunts both balletic and violent. But along the outskirts of the sprawling Le Bourget complex, the focus is more earthbound.

Here, representatives from the government-owned Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) have set up a mini compound displaying their most prized innovations in warfare and defense: missiles, surface-to-air launchers, and, most prominently, the Heron unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV). The hulking gray drone carries an ominous…

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Jetpack Joyride Review: Soaring endless distances on Windows Phone 8

Wed, 19 Jun 2013 11:31:06 -0700

Halfbrick Studios supported the launch of Windows Phone 7 with the release of _Fruit Ninja_ and the promise of _Age of Zombies_. But Fruit Ninja never got content updates (unlike on other platforms) and _Age of Zombies_ never showed up, having caught a bad case of the vaporwares. Many feared that the popular Australian game developer had jumped ship from Windows Phone entirely.

Then in October 2012, Halfbrick’s _Jetpack Joyride_ suddenly showed up as an Xbox Windows 8 game. Microsoft teased a Windows Phone 8 version shortly thereafter, but months passed without the game showing up. Miniclip’s clone _Gravity Guy 2_ actually beat _Jetpack Joyride_ to market in March! Thankfully _Jetpack Joyride_ finally cleared the perils of Xbox certification and landed on Windows Phone8 earlier this month (and for free). Turns out it was worth the wait!

No escape from reality

The game’s protagonist Barry Steakfries has recently started working as a jetpack tester. He soon discovers that his bosses plan to take over the world. He steals the jetpack and begins a desperate escape from the testing laboratory… But this is an endless runner, so don’t expect to actually escape from the lab.

While the game falls into the running genre, you’ll probably spend most of your time in the air. Tapping the screen activates the jetpack and causes Barry to rise up the screen. Let go and he plummets back to the ground. The controls vary slightly when you get in a vehicle, but the game never requires more than a single finger (placed anywhere on-screen) to use. That approachability plays a big part in the game’s popularity.

Harm’s way

Three types of obstacles threaten to end Barry’s run from the lab: zappers, missiles, and lasers. Zappers – a line of electricity spread across two points come in both stationary and rotating varieties. They are by far the most common and deadly threat.

Missiles fly at Barry from the right side of the screen, sometimes alone and other times on after another. An exclamation mark and sound effect at least warns you of their coming. The least common threat, lasers stretch all the way across the screen in various horizontal patterns. Because lasers are so easy to dodge, I usually looked forward to gaining a little distance unharmed during laser strikes.

Vehicles

Barry can gain a random vehicle and a modicum of protection by grabbing the colored gear icons that appear every now and then. If you get hit while in a vehicle, you lose the ride but survive the blow. Vehicles include:

* Bad as Hog: An oddly named motorcycle that can jump but not fly. Barry shoots any passing scientists down with a shotgun (a la _Terminator 2_).
* Crazy Freaking Teleporter: Possibly the best vehicle in the game, if you can use it right. The teleporter’s aiming reticule constantly moves up and down while the vehicle itself remains at a fixed height. Tap the screen to teleport to the reticule’s position. Because the teleporter can’t be harmed while moving, it can basically survive until the player teleporters into a hazard by mistake.
* Lil’ Stomper: A mech suit that can jump and hover. Also likes to punch scientists.
* Mr. Cuddles: Ride this dragon’s head like Falcor from _The Neverending Story_! The dragon stays at the top of the screen by default; tapping the screen moves him downward.
* Profit Bird: Rapidly tapping the screen makes the profit bird fly (as opposed to holding your finger against the screen).
* Gravity Suit: Hey, a _Gravity Guy_ crossover! While dressing up as Miniclip’s character is cool, he reverses gravity far too slowly to be effective. You’ll run into a zapper before very long.

Last Spin

Every now and then a spinner token floats by for the grabbing. Whenever Barry finally dies, he can spend all of his tokens on the lucky spinner. Prizes include double coins on your next run; free Head Start, Final Blast, Quick Revive, and other items; and three quantities of coin payouts.

If you’d rather not take your chances, you can always choose to cash in your tokens instead of spending them. Each one is worth 50 coins.

Coin economy

The ever-present goal is to collect as many coins as possible before you run into one of the lab’s many death traps. Coins can then be spent in the Shack (shop) to unlock new clothes (including an outfit based on fellow publisher Miniclip’s _Fragger_!), jetpacks, and various items and upgrades. Utilities are single use items while Gadgets and Vehicle Upgrades offer permanent benefits.

At any given time, you have three different optional missions to work on. Missions award 1-3 three stars, depending on their difficulty. Get enough stars and you’ll level up, earning a nice coin reward.

Being a free-to-play game, coins can also be purchased with real money. The IAP prices are actually reasonable, so you know Gameloft didn’t make this one. One purchase you’ll definitely want to make as soon as possible is the Counterfeit Machine. It permanently doubles the amount of coins you pick up during gameplay. The purchase supports Halfbrick and cuts grinding time in half; totally worth it.

Gadgets

The Shack sells a whopping 18 different gadgets – equippable items that affect gameplay in various ways. Barry can only equip two gadgets at a time; how I wished for a third slot, even as an IAP!

Not only are there a ton of gadgets, but practically all of them have some charming graphical effect when equipped. Use the Nerd Repellant to keep scientists from appearing and you’ll notice tumbleweeds show up in their stead. Flash, my personal favorite, causes an AI dog to follow you throughout your run. He jumps to collect coins and tokens and he even changes his appearance when you get in a vehicle. Halfbrick lavished an impressive level of detail into this game.

Bugs

Much as I love _Jetpack Joyride_, it does have a few kinks that could use fixing. On a few separate occasions, the title screen “frame” and music would suddenly pop up while I was playing (as pictured above), preventing me from controlling Barry. Basically the game went into its attract mode at the wrong time. On a separate occasion, my character became invisible for a few seconds and died.

Achievements

Several Achievements involve buying certain items from the Stash and completing various numbers of missions. The two secret Achievements are ‘Blinged Out’ for buying a golden vehicle upgrade and ‘Tee Hee Two’ for collecting exactly 69 coins during a run.

The hardest Achievement by far is ‘Romeo Alpha Delta’ for flying over 5,000 km in a single run. Some players struggle with it, but it basically comes down to a combination of practice, equipping the right gadgets and utilities, and luck. Following the guide at TrueAchievements, you should reach 5,000 km eventually. It only took me five tries!

Overall Impression

It’s a good thing _Gravity Guy 2_ came out a few months ahead of _Jetpack Joyride_ on Windows Phone. While Miniclip’s endless runner takes ample inspiration from _Jetpack Joyride_, it doesn’t have nearly as much content or charm.

_Jetpack Joyride_ boasts more backgrounds (randomized), a greater variety of missions, equippable gadgets, vehicles, and the lucky spinner – that’s a lot more game, when you get right down to it. Plus _Jetpack Joyride_ is free as opposed to costing $2.99 AND you can buy a permanent 2x coin multiplier, unlike _Gravity Guy 2_. In terms of value, Halfbrick’s runner soars over Miniclip’s good but lesser featured clone.

* _Jetpack Joyride_ – Windows Phone 8 – 36 MB – FREE – Store Link
* _Jetpack Joyride_ – Windows 8 – 40 MB – FREE – Store Link

Gamesjetpack joyridehalfbrickxbox wp8gamesfree xbox gameIAPendless runner

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Facebook adding ability to post images in comments

Wed, 19 Jun 2013 11:27:38 -0700

Facebook comment threads are about to get quite a bit more crazy. A new camera button is rolling out that allows users to reply to posts with a picture. It’s a simple feature, but it’s one that hasn’t been available on the social network to date. Facebook hasn’t yet officially announced the new functionality, but the company has informed _The Verge_ that the new commenting feature will be rolling out globally today to both the desktop and mobile websites. Users on Facebook’s apps will be able to view photo comments, but they will not be able to upload such comments until a later date. In the past, Facebook has included automatically-generated image previews when users post a URL in a comment, but with today’s addition the picture is…

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10 Comic Book Superhero Inspired Gifts For Geeks

Wed, 19 Jun 2013 11:09:11 -0700

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We are huge fans of gifts for geeks here at Bit Rebels. This is especially true when it comes to superhero stuff. We’ve written about things at ThinkGeek and other sites like that many times, but recently someone showed me a geeky website that I hadn’t seen before. It’s one that’s a […]

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FBI admits it uses surveillance drones over US soil

Wed, 19 Jun 2013 10:57:05 -0700

FBI Director Robert Mueller has admitted that the Bureau uses aerial drones to conduct surveillance within the domestic United States. During his testimony at a hearing of the Senate Judiciary Committee earlier today, Mueller bluntly told Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-IA) that the FBI uses drones, but does so “in a very, very minimal way, and seldom.” Later, after being pressed by Sen. Diane Feinstein (D-CA), he added that “It’s very seldom used and generally used in a particular incident where you need the capability.”

“I think the greatest threat to the privacy of Americans is the drone, and the use of the drone and the very few regulations that are on it today, and the booming industry of commercial drones,” said Feinstein, who ironically…

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'World War Z' review: Brad Pitt’s zombie thriller is a scary summer surprise

Wed, 19 Jun 2013 10:57:04 -0700

Sometimes a movie surprises you. Something you thought was going to be a mid-summer slog or an underwhelming riff on familiar themes turns out to be something more. Familiar tropes are reinvented, a tired villain gets new life, and presumed lines of safety are crossed. You find yourself in the middle of a relentless rush of anxiety, fear, and exhilaration, and when you walk out of the theater you can’t wait to tell _someone_ what you just witnessed.

_World War Z_ is that kind of movie.

The adaptation of Max Brooks’ best-seller has been best known up until this point for its production problems. Last year Paramount delayed the film’s original 2012 release date to allow for extensive reshoots. Much of the blame was laid at the feet…

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Wearable Computer Socks For Fitness Techies Who Want Cozy Feet

Wed, 19 Jun 2013 10:05:05 -0700

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I love fuzzy, cozy socks. I wear them all year round. When I saw these wearable computer socks, I immediately wanted a pair. If you think it sounds strange (or smelly) to wear computer socks, just remember about all the other wearable tech that’s popular these days. Compared to some of those […]

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Rumor: Microsoft looking to once again alter the Windows Phone update process

Wed, 19 Jun 2013 09:59:33 -0700

It’s no secret that Windows Phone owners have endured confusing and frustrating update processes on the platform and while Microsoft has looked at improving the speed and reliability of the rollouts, we’re still not quite there yet.

Rumour has it now that the company is looking at revamping the update process once again from the release of GDR2 onwards. Whether or not this is good news remains to be seen.

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Nokia teases upcoming Lumia EOS with “41 million reasons” post

Wed, 19 Jun 2013 09:59:33 -0700

Looks like Nokia is finally letting the cat out of the bag, if only slightly, on their latest Conversations post from their official blog.

The post, entitled “41 million reasons to zoom in to Nokia Conversations on July 11th”, simply recapitulates the media invite news we reported on last week—namely that Nokia will be holding a press conference in NYC to announce new hardware.

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