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In brief: Microsoft has finally set a launch date for xCloud, excuse me, its "cloud gaming" service. The free preview is getting cut off on September 11 with the paid program (bundled with Xbox Game Pass Ultimate) firing up on September 15 for $15 per month. Last month, Xbox head Phil Spencer announced that Project xCloud is launching sometime in September, although it won't be called that. It sounds like the company is just calling it "cloud gaming" for now, but for the sake of familiarity, I will continue to call it xCloud. While it remains ambivalent about the name, on Tuesday, Microsoft said the streaming service would officially launch on September 15. Unfortunately for some, xCloud is first coming exclusively to Andriod devices. Microsoft started the iOS preview in February, which is four months after it launched the Android beta. Additionally, Microsoft has been struggling with Apple's App Store restrictions, and the TestFlight group of 10,000 is much smaller than … [Read more...] about Microsoft’s ‘cloud gaming’ service launches September 15th only on Android

It took a couple more months than originally expected but Gaikai's game streaming service is finally set to open its digital doors today. The new service resembles OnLive in that it will run games on remote servers and stream video back to the player through a browser plug-in, without additional downloads or special hardware required. This means that even the most-demanding of games can be played on low-end PCs, but beyond the technological aspect of streaming games though a broadband connection, the two companies actually have a different business plan in mind. Gaikai is limited to game demos -- at least for now -- and is pitching itself as a game advertising company to attract developers. In a nutshell, the idea is to reduce the friction that stops players from making impulse purchases on the web, allowing them to actually try games for free at the point-of-sale and then pay for a full download of the game, order a physical copy, or simply share the game demo on social networks … [Read more...] about Gaikai launches cloud gaming service with four EA demos

Gaikai’s cloud gaming service is already available on several platforms including Facebook and LG televisions but they can soon add another client to their list: Samsung. Starting later this summer, Samsung Series 7000 units and Smart TVs will get the cloud gaming treatment as part of a service called Samsung Cloud Gaming. Engadget points out that a deal between the two companies has been in the works for nine months now. The service will essentially use the same technology that’s used to deliver the service to LG sets but the South Korean company will customize the experience with their own user interface. Gaikai CEO David Perry told the publication that Samsung had always been in their sights since they are the largest electronics manufacturer on the planet. He also outlined the basics of the deal which will see Samsung purchase dedicated bandwidth from the gaming provider on a per-device basis. Gaikai will be responsible for handling traffic as the service becomes more … [Read more...] about Cloud gaming coming to Samsung TVs this summer via Gaikai

Which is better for Earth : an electric or gas-powered vehicle? The answer to this question might seem blindingly obvious: Of course electric cars must be better for the environment, because they don’t have exhausts and so don’t emit greenhouse gasses as they drive. However, electric vehicles (EVs) aren't perfect, and they come with their own set of polluting problems. Notably, their batteries contain components, such as lithium , that require a significant amount of energy to source and extract. But battery production is just one part of an electric car's life span. A 2014 study published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences looked at the entire life cycle of an EV's emissions, from mining the metals required for the batteries to producing the electricity needed to power them, and then compared this with the average emissions of a gas-powered vehicle. The team found that when electric vehicles are charged with coal-powered electricity, they’re … [Read more...] about Is an electric car better for the planet?

The $829 (£799, AU$1,349) iPhone 12 has two rear cameras and Samsung's $800 (£769, AU$1,249) Galaxy S21 has three rear cameras. Are more cameras better? Or does a higher price mean better photos? To find out, I did a good old-fashioned camera shootout. The results surprised me. There aren't many people deciding between an iPhone 12 and Galaxy S21 based solely on their cameras. Maybe there is a small niche of professional photographers, like me, who'd use cameras to decide between a Galaxy S21 Ultra or an iPhone 12 Pro Max. But most people stick to what they know and if someone switches from iOS to Android or the other way around, cameras won't be the only deciding factor. Cut through the chatter Subscribe to CNET's Mobile newsletter for the latest phone news and reviews. With that acknowledgement of reality out of the way, let's take a look at these cameras. Despite a similar price, the Galaxy S21 and iPhone 12 represent two different approaches to phone … [Read more...] about This iPhone and Samsung Galaxy camera comparison was not what I expected