In nearly a decade and a half covering the tech industry, I've had the privilege of witnessing companies go all out when showing off their new products. And awkward is one of the words that comes to mind pretty frequently.From the over-the-top Samsung Galaxy Note 4 presentation at Radio City Music Hall in New York to David Blaine performing at the launch of the dual-screen Kyocera Echo (the magician's tricks were far more memorable than the phone), the moments are seared into my brain. Now playing: Watch this: Android turns 10: Google's first Android phone was ugly,... 3:46 I certainly can't unsee the image of two guys skating onto a stage in Rollerblades at an event space in Manhattan and bantering before discussing a new phone. Those two guys: Google co-founders Larry Page and Sergey Brin. That phone: the T-Mobile G1, the original Android phone. The G1, unveiled 10 years ago this coming Sunday, marked the start of a phenomenon that now touches the lives of … [Read more...] about Android turns 10: Google’s fierce iPhone rival had a stumbling start
Turn 10 studios
Turn 10 will remove loot boxes from Forza 7 by this winter
A hot potato: Are developers starting to listen to players’ gripes about loot boxes and microtransactions? I won’t start holding my breath. However, at least one developer is pulling loot boxes from its current hot product and possibly from future offerings as well. Turn 10 Studios, the makers of the Forza series of racing games announced today that it would be removing loot boxes (called Prize Crates) from Forza Motorsports 7. The change will not come until this winter though. Studio chief Alan Hartman explained that the loot box system is tightly woven into the fabric of Forza 7, which is why it is going to take so long to undo it. “Due to the complexity of removing prize crates from the game – while keeping access to Driver Gear, Mods and Badges – we expect that this process will be completed in the winter timeframe,” Hartman said. Developers have already made changes to the Prize Crates so that they only give out cosmetic items instead of cars … [Read more...] about Turn 10 will remove loot boxes from Forza 7 by this winter
10 games we’re most looking forward to in 2016
By Adam Rosenberg2016-01-02 02:37:14 UTC The holiday rush is over, which means most fans of video games have settled into a time of long, wintry hibernation when we catch up on everything we missed. Eff that. There's a whole new year of video games to look forward to. Some stuff we haven't seen, and won't see for many months, but we know they'll be big. Looking at you, Call of Duty, Destiny and Madden. Others we've seen a lot of and have talked about at length (see also: Street Fighter V). See also: The 10 best mobile games of 2015 That's not what we're about right now. Everything listed below is almost certain to be coming out in 2016, and the anticipation for each and every one has us perched on the edge of our seats. Even with a mountain of killer games to get through from the current year — 2015 kicked all sorts of ass — it's never too early to get hype for what's next. Abzû Release date 2016 Platforms PlayStation 4, PC Abzû is … [Read more...] about 10 games we’re most looking forward to in 2016
Huawei Mate 10 Pro review: software sadness
We’re less than two months into 2018, and so far, the year hasn’t been very good for Huawei. The Chinese company had hoped that this would be the year when it would finally be able to break into the US market and compete with Apple and Samsung. But days before it was due to make its big partnership announcement with AT&T, the deal fell apart due to pressure from the US government. A rumored deal with Verizon that was slated for later in the year reportedly fell apart for similar reasons. Then, last week, the heads of the FBI, CIA, and NSA told a Senate Intelligence Committee that American citizens shouldn’t use Huawei products or services on account of suspected ties to the Chinese government. The phone that Huawei hoped would carry it into the US market is its flagship Mate 10 Pro, released in other parts of the world last fall. The Mate 10 Pro has been the focus of all Huawei’s marketing efforts in Western markets, from influencer partnerships to … [Read more...] about Huawei Mate 10 Pro review: software sadness
Microsoft is turning Progressive Web Apps into Windows apps
If you use Android, you might have come across a Progressive Web App or two in your Chrome journeys. Progressive Web Apps (not to be confused with Android’s native “Instant Apps”) use relatively fresh new web technologies to make websites work better offline or with intermittent connections, and often mimic native features like push notifications. For instance, Twitter and Flipboard both have PWAs that you can put on your Android home screen, and which behave like lightweight apps without the installation hassle. Well, Microsoft wants to get into the action. It’s bringing Progressive Web Apps (not to be confused with Universal Windows Platform apps, many of which are glorified websites) to Windows 10 with a new version of Edge that supports the necessary web technologies. Microsoft will also start adding high quality PWAs to the Microsoft Store, and developers can also submit their PWA for consideration. Unlike Electron apps, such as Microsoft’s own Visual … [Read more...] about Microsoft is turning Progressive Web Apps into Windows apps