Saturday, June 6, 2015

Microsoft Xbox One with 1TB storage and a new controller spotted at Amazon


Microsoft was working on a surprise for the console lovers but in the mean time Amazon jumped the gun. A listing of Xbox One with 1TB storage and new controller was spotted in the online store.
More storage is always welcome and to sweeten the deal, Halo: The Master Chief collection has also been included. The entire bundle would cost you $400, while a similar bundle with 500GB storage will cost you $350.
At $50 more, the gamers can get 500GB physical storage on the HDD and a new game controller which also has an audio port at the bottom. The standard 3.5mm headphones are compatible with this new controller.
If the audio port will also support headsets with built-in microphone, expect a new bunch of Xbox One controller compatible headphones to show up soon. Right now, the users have the option to buy the Xbox One Stereo Headset Adapter.
The Amazon listing has since been edited, but we do expect it to show up during or after the E3 2015 games convention between June 16-18, 2015 in Los Angeles, US.

Massive hack compromises data of millions of US federal workers


Hackers infiltrated the computers of the US Office of Personnel Management – which handles government security clearances and federal employee records – and compromised personal data (like Social Security numbers) of at least 4 million current and former federal employees, the Obama administration revealed yesterday.
The hack – which is said to have started late last year – was first spotted a couple of months back, and was confirmed in the beginning of May. It is believed to have originated from China, although it isn’t yet clear if it was state sponsored.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), in association with other agencies, is investigating the case. “We take all potential threats to public and private sector systems seriously, and will continue to investigate and hold accountable those who pose a threat in cyberspace,” said the agency’s spokesperson.

You can now download and install the PlayStation Android app on almost any smartphone


It is no secret that Sony takes great pride in its gaming console and frankly it should, as, it has the PlayStation to thank for a large chunk of its current revenue. The PlayStation Network has always been an integral part of Sony’s sprawling ecosystem and as such, it has naturally found a home on a lot of Xperia devices in one way or another.
Most-recently the Sony Xperia Z3+ featured a new application for integrating with PSN in a clean and centralized manner. It is dubbed simply “PlayStation Network” and acts like a central hub for all other PS-centric apps, like PlayStation, Remote Play, PS Video and PS Music. It offers little added value in itself, but definitely keeps things tidier.
The APK for the said application has now been made publicly available through the XDA Developers community, so, any device running Android 4.3 Jelly Bean or newer can download it and install it. Be advised, however, that the app itself is more or less a launcher and, as such, doesn’t really give you access to any functionality that you don’t currently have, like Remote Play, for instance. Although there are certain unauthorized hacks available for that as well, if you look around online.
Still, Xperia users might benefit from the new hub. Installing it is absolutely straight-forward and does not require root or any other fiddling with your handset. You can get it at the source link.

iPhone 6s will be released on September 25, rumor claims


Apple hasn't even made iOS 9 official yet, and here we are talking about the launch date of the next iPhone. As you may know, this year Apple is expected to bring us an "s" release, which has so far been rumored to sport a higher-res 12 MP camera and 2GB of RAM, among other improvements.
Yet if you've been anxiously wondering exactly when you'll be able to walk into your friendly neighborhood Apple store and purchase an iPhone 6s, wonder no more. According to a still unconfirmed rumor, the big date to circle in your calendar is September 25.
One thing is clear: it's a Friday, and Apple has traditionally launched its iPhones on Fridays, for what it's worth.
As for pre-orders, those are set to go live exactly one week earlier, on September 18. All of this information is supposedly valid for the UK, but the US release timeline for recent iPhones has always coincided with the dates for across the pond. So these details should also be of use to those in the US.
Of course, all of this is assuming that one rumor so early in the game got it right. The info reportedly comes from a leaked internal communication at Vodafone UK, as the operator is outlining its launch plans for the next iPhone to its employees. That said, the email hasn't been shown, so do keep a pinch of salt nearby for this one.
Interestingly, at this stage Vodafone chose to only refer to the device as the "new iPhone". That could mean the operator doesn't yet know what it will be called (hopefully), or that Apple is going to actually call it the "new iPhone" - a strategy it's tried before for the iPad with disappointing results.
We don't get any sort of confirmation about the launch of a bigger iPhone 6s Plus alongside that "new iPhone", but that may come in time. We're still more than three months away, after all.