Microsoft's Halo franchise is set in space, but the cloud is where today's most interesting advancements seem to be happening for the Mast Chief-helmed video game series.
The company is said to have demoed Halo 4 streaming to a Windows Phone and Windows PC via the cloud. Currently, the game is only available on Xbox 360.
The concept was shown off during "an internal meeting" today and ran smoothly on both the phone and computer, according to The Verge.
Microsoft reportedly reduced latency on a Lumia 520 smartphone to just 45ms, which would cut down on any noticeable lag, a Halo gamers' biggest antagonist since The Covenant.
Makes Xbox One backward compatible?
The Halo 4 streaming demo was described as a "prototype," but Microsoft is said to be hinting that it will expand this cloud service beyond Windows Phone and PC devices.
This could be the company's answer to making the vast library of Xbox 360 backward compatible with the forthcoming Xbox One console.
Microsoft's Azure cloud streaming service could be used for "more complicated things like rendering full games like a Gaikai and delivering it to the box," noted the company's senior director of Xbox, Albert Penello, in a GameSpot interview.
"We just have to figure out how, over time, how much does that cost to deliver, how good is the experience."
If that happens, Azure could end up being a formattable challenger to Sony's Gaikai cloud streaming service that has the same basic idea for PS4.
Only Microsoft's concept throws the Xbox One, Windows PC and Windows Phone into the mix.
Microsoft is planning to combine the Windows Store and the Windows Phone Store into a single app store for all of its platforms as early as the spring of 2014, sources claim.
The Vergereports that Microsoft's new operating systems head, Terry Myerson, revealed the plan during an all-hands meeting in Redmond on Thursday.
The new, unified store will reportedly debut at the same time as the next major update to Windows Phone – which will likely be known as Windows Phone 8.1 – and a major update to the desktop Windows OS that will ship some months after Windows 8.1 launches in October.
Not much is known about that desktop Windows update, but on Wednesday Microsoft-watcher Mary Jo Foley said that it would come preinstalled on a Surface Mini tablet next year, and that internally it's known as the "Spring 2014 GDR" – Redmondese for "General Distribution Release."
Just how Microsoft plans to manage selling apps for desktop Windows and Windows Phone through a single store, however, is not clear.
As it stands, the Windows Store offers apps for Windows 8 running on PCs with Intel processors and for Windows RT running on devices with ARM chips. Many of the apps in the store will work on both platforms, but not all of them do.
Windows Phone apps, on the other hand, are an entirely different beast. Although Windows Phone is designed to run on ARM processors, apps built for Windows Phone won't run on Windows RT. In fact, developers don't even use the same APIs to create them – so far, at least.
In a conference call with financial analysts last week, Myerson said that Microsoft envisions its platforms converging. "We should have one silicon interface for all of our devices, we should have one set of APIs on all of our devices, and all of our apps should be available on all of our devices," he said.
It will take more than a unified Windows app store to make that happen. But pulling apps for all of Microsoft's platforms under one roof could be an important step toward establishing the concept of a single Windows ecosystem in consumers' minds – even if a truly cohesive Windows platform is still a few years off. ®
So you've updated to iOS 7 (or taken delivery of your new iPhone 5s or 5c) and you can't figure out how to close all those apps you've launched. Don't worry: you're not alone.
How to close apps in iOS 7
In iOS 6 and previous versions you had to double-tap the Home button to show the tray containing all the apps which were running in the background, using up all the smartphone or tablet's precious resources (particularly RAM). You'd then tap and hold any one of them to make them all wiggle, and press the red cross to close the app.
It was never a good system, and most people didn't realise you didn't actually have to tap the 'x' – pressing anywhere on the icon would close the app.
In iOS 7, reviewed, you still double-tap the Home button to bring up the list of running apps, but it's now a full-screen affair, no matter whether you're using an iPhone, iPod touch or iPad.
As well as the icon, you also get a larger thumbnail of what was on screen when you last used the app, so it's easier to see at a glance which app is which.
To close an app, you simply swipe upwards on the thumbnail to dismiss it – just as on an Android tablet or smartphone. Swipe left and right to scroll through the list of apps.
If you have lots of running apps, it's quicker to use two fingers to simultaneously dismiss two apps.
A hoax advert shared on social networking sites has tricked iPhone users into thinking the latest software upgrade had also made their phones waterproof.
The hoax claimed that iOS 7 included a "smart-switch" that automatically protected the iPhone's "delicate circuitry ... it will shut off the phone's power supply and corresponding components to prevent any damage".
The misleading rumour was circulated on Twitter, Facebook and other social networking sites and reinforced by a convincing spoof advert which mimicked Apple's own marketing material.
The prank is believed to have originated from the controversial internet forum 4Chan.
iPhone users were tricked into thinking their devices were waterproof by a fake iOS7 advert. Photograph: Buzzfeed
Fooled by the fake advert, which included the statement "waterproofing covered by Apple's warranty policy", some users reportedly upgraded their iPhones with iOS 7 and dunked them in water to test the new feature – only to discover they had just destroyed their expensive smartphones.
Apple's new iPhones, including the iPhone 5C and 5S, cost between £469 and £709 without a contract, depending on the model. At launch in September 2012 the iPhone 5, last year's Apple flagship phone which also works with the new iOS7 software, cost £529 direct from Apple.
Several users took to Twitter to vent their frustrations, including Joe who said "Ok whoever said iOS 7 is waterproof GO F*** YOURSELF, " and Ricardo Tamayo who also seemingly fell for the prank too: "Whoever said iOS 7 is Waterproof your phone.... F*** You".
• iOS 7 is a complete visual redesign of Apple's iPhone, iPad and iPod touch operating system combining flat design with bright colour and enhanced features.
Review When Asus sent the N550 to Vulture Central, I sent it back: the wrong model had been dispatched. Having seen so many tiresome comments following El Reg laptop reviews along the lines of "when I saw it was only 1366 x 768 I stopped reading", I wasn't going to proceed with this spec - and with more than these moans as justification.
Optical drives, remember them? Asus does
After all, given the N-series comes equipped with B&O Icepower amplification together with SonicMaster (a tea mug sized external bass driver), having anything less than full-HD would seem to undermine the thinking behind the latest refresh for this entertainment-centric 15.6in laptop.
So, lucky for me – and for those who might be persuaded to keep reading – I find myself typing this on the full HD 1920 x 1080-pixel model I'd requested. It's an Asus N550JV-CM067H equipped with the latest Haswell chip, a 2.4GHz quad-core Intel Core i7-4700HQ with 8GB of RAM and Intel HD 4600 integrated graphics. There's also an Nvidia GeForce 750M GPU on-board with 2GB of RAM and a 1TB 5400RPM HGST Travelstar HDD.
Surprisingly, there's no solid-state drive (SSD) cache to boost disk performance. The N550JV was dispatched with the 1TB drive split into OS and data partitions with formatted sizes of 372GB and 537GB respectively. This arrangement slightly simplifies file clutter: just rummage around the data partition for that movie or installer, it'll be in there somewhere.
Waves Maxx has a compact mode with just the basics
And talking of data-juggling, the N550JV comes with a BD-ROM optical drive and a bundle of playback apps including Waves Maxx to make the most of its audio, and AsusDVD (a rebranded version of Cyberlink's PowerDVD 10) to get those Blu-ray discs that we've all got so many of spinning away in a useful manner.
Needless to say, having four internal speakers developed in collaboration with B&O and an optical drive plus a 15.6in 1920 x 1080-pixel touchscreen encased in a brushed metal lid, all adds to the weight. At 2.6kg and measuring up at 383 x 255 x 27mm, we're looking at a desktop replacement really, especially with that SonicMaster external bass driver in tow.
I get the impression that the cable for what is described as a sub-woofer (just how low it goes isn't quoted) is kept deliberately short at about 40cm (16in). It also features a rather antisocial 2.5mm multi-pole mini-jack, which is going to be a tough find if the connector fails or you fancied adding an extension lead.
The SonicMaster sub-woofer has a fairly short lead with a 2.5mm mini-jack at the end of it
My guess is that Asus knows that having the SonicMaster bass booster too far from the built-in speakers will greatly diminish the overall effect of this combination, and it doesn't want that to become obvious. It all needs to be kept in close proximity to keep the sound warm and cosy.
For the most part, this is all well and good. Testing with The Bourne Ultimatum Blu-ray disc, the SonicMaster driver delivers all those menacing bass note drones and rumbles that accompany action flicks, sounds that disappear as soon as the unit is unplugged. It warms up voices too and the Waves Maxx Audio Master processing provides some useful controls if you tinker around with the advanced settings.
The iPhone 5C is one of Apple's two new smartphones. It priced a little lower than it's flagship big brother, and as such has lesser specs. Take a look at our new iPhone 5C review to find our what it like to use and whether the colourful Apple smartphone is a actually like. See also: iPhone 5C vs iPhone 5 comparison review.
iPhone 5C review: Design and build
The iPhone 5C is essentially the iPhone 5 but with a colourful new coat. The five colour options match the theme of iOS 7 and are certainly bright. We like the white and blue models but we're not so keen on the pink, yellow and green. See also: iPhone 4S vs iPhone 5C vs iPhone 5S: What iPhone should I buy 2013?
Like Nokia's Lumia range, the phone has a polycarbonate plastic casing and as such is a little bigger and heavier. It's slightly more than a millimetre thicker and is 20 grams heavier compared to the iPhone 5 – that's nothing major. A 9mm phone is quite big for today's standard but the 5C doesn't feel thick or chunky in the hand.
The big difference is the case which is glossy, smooth and feels nice in the hand. It shares the same rounded corners and look of the white MacBook. This is the most ergonomic iPhone since the 3GS.
Build quality is excellent, as we've come to expect from Apple. There's not an internal rattle or gap in the casing to be found. Despite being predominantly plastic, the iPhone 5C retains that premium Apple feel.
The only caveat is that the buttons do feel a little on the cheap side and have a loud click when pressed, especially (and somewhat ironically) the volume buttons. Over the few days we've had the 5C, it's picked up a few small scratches but you have to look hard to find them. See: iPhone 5S vs iPhone 5C comparison review.
iPhone 5C review: Price
Despite having a nice feel, the problem is that many handsets on the market outclass the 5C, yet cost less. For example, the aluminium HTC One is now £385 and the glass-clad Sony Xperia Z is just £350 on Amazon.
The bottom line is that the iPhone 5C, which starts at £469, is a bit overpriced for what is a year-old phone in a plastic case. The iPhone 5S with the same amount of storage is only £80 more than the 5C - a small price to pay if you're going to shell out for a new smartphone.
At launch, the iPhone 5S is only, on average around £10 more on a contract than the 5C. We imagine most people will see that as the better deal.
As we've said, the iPhone 5C is an iPhone 5 with a different case. This is because the hardware on offer is almost unchanged. Inside is the same A6 dual-core processor and, according to the Geekbench 3 app, the device has a 1.3 GHz clock speed and 1 GB of RAM – no change there then.
iOS 7 running on the iPhone 5C feels smooth and responsive but we'll talk more about the software later. Running Geekbench 3 shows that performance is almost identical to the iPhone 5; the iPhone 5C scores 710 which is only three points less than its predecessor.
The iPhone 5C is only one frame off the result of the iPhone 5 in the GLBenchmark 2.5 Egypt HD test at 37fps. The phone scores an impressively speedy 788ms in the SunSpider 1.0 browser test.
Apps and web pages load swiftly, and panning around Apple Maps isn't jerky at all. It feels like you're using an up-to-date smartphone despite the year-old components. See also: Group test: What's the best smartphone?
The iPhone 5C's screen is still the 4in Retina display which was introduced with the iPhone 5. Although the screen looks crisp and colourful, it's no longer class-leading. Full HD is the standard now and, on larger screens, it makes browsing the web, gaming and watching videos easier and more enjoyable.
It's a small brag, but as I predicted before the launch, the iPhone 5C is only available in two storage options – 16GB and 32GB. Our 16GB version had 12.6GB available out-of-the-box which is a typical value for a smartphone. It almost goes without saying that there's no microSD card slot for adding more storage.
An important change is that the device has support for more 4G networks. The iPhone 5 was only compatible with EE. Once Apple sends out an update, the iPhone 5C will support all of the UK's 4G networks (some of which aren't live yet). Our iPhone 5C runs well on Vodafone's 4G network.
Other connectivity remains the same with the 8-pin Lightning connector, dual-band Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 4.0 and GPS. Apple hasn't added features such as NFC or wireless charging.
Something we should point out is that the iPhone 5C doesn't come with the fingerprint scanner and TouchID software found on the flagship 5S. It's one of the main features of the new smartphone and one reason for the £80 price difference.
iPhone 5C review: Camera
There's almost no change compared to the iPhone 5 when it comes to camera equipment. The 5C has the same 8Mp iSight rear camera as the previous model and so you can rest assured that pictures and video will be high quality. Here are some photos we've taken with the iPhone 5C (click to enlarge).
The front FaceTime HD camera is almost the same but Apple says it has better low-light performance thanks to larger pixels and an improved backside illumination sensor. We haven't noticed any major different but the camera is good.
Since iOS 7 comes pre-loaded on the 5C, you get the new camera app which has a square photo mode, filters. We kept accidentally taking multiple pictures by pressing the shutter button for too long.
There's no difference in the app compared to the iPhone 5 (if you update to iOS 7), but the 5S has slow motion video mode and a burst mode which can take 10fps for as long as you hold the button (storage permitting). The 5S's actual camera hardware is better too (larger pixels, a better aperture and a True Tone dual flash) so this is another reason that £80 upgrade is worth it.
It's the biggest redesign Apple has done since the original iPhone and therefore looks quite different. It's cleaner and lighter and much more colourful, in my personal opinion a bit too bright and childish.
Apart from the colour scheme, which I'm sure I'll get used to eventually, something a lot of us at PC Advisor (not just me) dislike is the lack of visual buttons. Across the OS, buttons are now just displayed as text so you a) don't know whether something is a button and b) whether you've then pressed it.
Of course, there are new features including the much-needed Control Centre which Android has had an equivalent for a long time. A swipe up from the bottom of the screen opens a menu from which you can control settings like Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, screen brightness, media playback, AirDrop and some quick apps. Control Centre is both needed and handy.
Multi-tasking has also has a significant update and no longer just shows a row of open apps at the bottom of the screen. Now you see a preview screen of the running apps and can flick one upwards off the screen to close it. It's something like a cross between Android, WebOS, PlayBook OS and Windows Phone.
Apple has tweaked the Notification Centre so it's split into three sections: Today, All and Missed. It's also accessible from any screen, including the lock screen.
Other improvements have been made to Safari, the App Store, Siri and more.
iPhone 5C review: Battery life
There's no big upgrade when it comes to the iPhone 5C's battery, but Apple has installed a marginally larger one - a factor in its extra weight.
We've been impressed with the iPhone 5C's battery life. Unless you hammer the device with contant gaming or video playback, it will last a couple of days with regular and varied use. The phone holds its charge incredibly well when not in use - our sample sat on just one percent for a number of hours.
Having botched the widespread release of its crown jewels, BBM, BlackBerry has now warned of a further delay to the Android and iOS versions of the messaging app.
The messaging app was exclusively available on RIM/BlackBerry devices, but back in May the company promised to make BBM cross-platform and release versions for Android and iPhone "in the summer".
BlackBerry fans familiar with the company's ability to pull disaster from the jaws of success could have scripted what happened next. Summer came and went. An unauthorised Android version leaked out and was downloaded over a million times.
BlackBerry said the Android beta had a serious data-gobbling bug, and halted the release for both iOS and Android. It's currently trying to disable the Android BBM clients that have already escaped into the wild. Since the cross-platform BBM announcement in May, usage of WhatsApp, which is a poor imitation of BBM, but which doesn't require a BlackBerry device, has grown from 200 million to 300 million users.
"We will keep customers updated on the new plan for rolling out BBM for Android and iPhone via BBM.com and @BBM on Twitter. However, we do not anticipate launching this week," a spokesman told us.
The official explanation for the delay can be found here.
"The version we were planning to release on Saturday addressed these [traffic] issues, however we could not block users of the unreleased version if we went ahead with the launch," BlackBerry's BBM chief explained.
Nevertheless, the interest in BBM from former BlackBerry owners and those curious to see what the fuss is about is tangible. Over a dozen fake BBM apps have appeared in the Play store and currently BlackBerry's corporate BES10 client – which requires a BlackBerry Enterprise Server – is 16th in the "most popular" downloads. It was in the Top Ten at one point.
BBM still offers package of features that others can't match: secure delivery, read receipts, ad hoc group creation, voice calls and even screen sharing.
The company did show off a desktop version of BBM at an Asian developer event this week, but made no product commitment.
"BlackBerry must now compete on hardware and execute flawlessly," we The Register warned back in May.
The news comes as the Canadian firm's main shareholder, Fairfax Financial Holdings Ltd, offers $9 a share for control of the company. "Canada's Warren Buffet", Fairfax chief exec Prem Watsa, is leading the $4.7bn bid.®
