Gaming doesn't get more mobile than the folks at Gameloft. The company has been making mobile games for what seems like forever, and with the arrival of high-end smartphones and tablets, it has become the go-to place for highly realistic, highly fun games.
Concepts are a double-edged sword in that while they often dazzle, leaving us wishing that they were real, it's often the case that these products are unrealistic, infeasible, or simply impossible to create in the real world. With the smartwatch market currently experiencing something of a boom, we've seen a fair few wondrous concepts in this department already, yet the new, innovative design you see before you is not only extremely creative in beaming notifications using its projector, but it's also something that you can, quite literally, get your hands on.
Having wrapped up the acquisition of Nokia earlier on in the year, Microsoft's BUILD developers conference was largely focused around the Windows Phone 8.1 update. Having been seen as a distant third place to iOS and Android thanks to its lack of key features, Windows Phone has struggled to make a dent in the market share of the Big Two, but with the newer software promising some great features including a voice assistant in Cortana, there's renewed optimism that the software giant may finally stake more than just a token claim to the smartphone industry. After the developer preview launch shortly after BUILD, Windows Phone 8.1 is this week rolling out to Lumia devices via the Cyan update, and as ever, we've got all of the major details right here.
Any mobile gadget looking to attain FCC certification must, at this moment in time, have certain details branded onto the product itself, stating that said device has indeed been approved. However, the agency has today relaxed these rules somewhat, and mobile devices, including the Apple iPhone, may no longer need these details to be etched onto each and every unit as standard.
Nokia, which was recently acquired by Microsoft, has long built great smartphones, particularly those of the Lumia variety. But while the market has been enticed by the sleek, funky designs and top-notch rear-facing camera technology, most have been put-off by the Windows Phone OS, which is nowhere near as evolved as, say, Android.
If you've been on an airplane in the last ten years, then the chances are you're already well aware of some of the rather overzealous restrictions that are being enforced upon air travellers. Mothers forced to prove that baby milk is indeed just that by drinking it is a story we've all heard before, but now it seems that the US Transportation Security Administration isn't content with just making sure liquids are as they appear, anymore.
We cannot, it seems, help but get carried away by voice assistants, and even though Microsoft joined the party extremely late with the introduction of Cortana earlier this year, the amount of hype it has generated for the software giant will certainly do Windows Phone's cause no harm whatsoever. Having already been compared a dozen times to Google Now and Apple's Siri, Cortana has had the benefit of watching and learning from both, but while the Halo-based voice assistant has clearly borrowed from its two longer-serving rivals in many departments, Siri is now looking to Cortana for inspiration.
As most of you will be aware, Microsoft's deal to acquire Finnish telecommunications outfit Nokia was recently given the rubber stamp of approval by the relevant bodies overseeing such takeovers, and even though ties between the two firms have been fairly close for years now, the software giant has gradually been integrating Nokia's staff and product lines with its own business model. As a part of this ongoing process, Microsoft is said to be on the cusp of licensing the iconic Nokia brand, and according to leaked info, may opt for "Nokia by Microsoft" labeling on its smartphone line-up.
There's nothing worse than being out and about and finding out that your smartphone or tablet has suffered from total battery drain and will no longer function. A lack of battery power means that access to text messages, emails, navigation apps and even Facebook is no longer possible when on the move, and for a lot of you guys out there that will almost feel like life as you know it, has ended. Thankfully, Microsoft and British designer Adrien Sauvage can sympathize with that pain and have teamed up to create a pair of innovative wireless charging trousers that will ensure compatible mobile devices remain powered up.
As a part of the Windows Phone 8.1 announcement, Microsoft finally took the wraps off Cortana, it's ecosystem's very own answer to Siri and Google Now. At the time, the software maker touted it as a voice assistant encompassing the best features of Apple and Google's respective services, and such is the faith that the Windows maker has in Cortana, that versions for iOS and Android are now being prepared.
