By Patrick Shaw | 05-23-2013 | 12:00PM On Thursday, NVIDIA unveiled the GeForce GTX 780, its latest graphics card powered by the same GK110 graphics architecture featured in the supercomputer-class TITAN GPU. “[GTX 780] is all about pure performance, which means it is fast, it is quiet using brand new fan technology and it delivers a smooth gaming experience like never before,” explained Tom Petersen, GeForce’s director of technical marketing. Armed with 50% more CUDA cores (2,304) and 50% more memory bandwidth (3 GB) than the GTX 680, the GTX 780 delivers a significant leap in performance over its predecessor. On average, the GTX 780 is approximately 35% faster than the GTX 680, but, as GeForce’s...
By McKinley Noble | 05-23-2013 | 3:00PM Electronic Arts has been teasing the launch of Tetris Blitz for quite a while, and after some isolated releases for testing purposes, it's now available on Android via Google Play just about everywhere. As noted previously at NVision, the major change in the gameplay is that the whole game is centered around a "time attack" structure, hence the "Biltz" moniker. Rather than the traditional Tetris set-up where you have an infinite amount of time to clear "Tetromino" blocks from a steadily-filling well, Tetris Blitz gives you only two minutes to rack up as many points as possible, with skillful drops acting as...
By McKinley Noble | 05-23-2013 | 1:45PM Google is steadily making its "card stock" design scheme for Android apps, Google Play and its online services a uniform element, with the latest update now out to Google Play Magazines. As detailed in the section's app page on Google Play, the newest version of Google Play Magazines has ditched its previous UI for something a bit more organized, now implementing slide-out drawers that you've probably noticed elsewhere. Now, getting to your own library is extremely simple, with a swipeable side-bar that shows what you've purchased and what you have yet to read in your current stock. Overall, the various Google Play changes have made browsing magazines, movies,...
By McKinley Noble | 05-23-2013 | 9:00AM Although NVision brings you Android, tech, gaming and movie news around the clock, even we can't get to everything worth seeing on the Internet. But to help you out, here's today's required reading for May 23th, 2013. • Bitcoin, the strange digital currency that's slowly seeping it's way into the world market, continues to fight for recognition—but its value is too volatile for many to take seriously. The Verge gives an amazingly in-depth look at Bitcoin and asks why it won't just go away. • The Hollywood Reporter talks to Netflix COO Ted Sarandos about his rapidly-growing video-on-demand service, and how he plans to keep building...
By Jason Venter | 05-23-2013 | 6:00AM The Xbox One reveal on Tuesday made news throughout the industry for a variety of reasons. For diehard Call of Duty fans, though, one moment during the presentation unquestionably outshined all of the others. As the conference strode toward its abrupt conclusion, Activision’s Eric Hirschberg took the stage to reveal the evolution of the Call of Duty series. Call of Duty: Ghosts is coming to Xbox One, and downloadable content will launch first on that platform. However, it’s not the only system that will host the latest entry in the popular series, which meant that the last ten minutes of the conference were of interest even to those who wouldn’t touch new Microsoft hardware...
By McKinley Noble | 05-23-2013 | 12:00AM Several things are changing underneath the Yahoo umbrella lately. Not only is the company buying up as much valuable property as they can, but they're also heavily upgrading their existing properties. Look no further than Flickr, which has gotten a bit of a facelift, both on the browser side and its mobile app. When you're using the service on desktop, you'll likely notice that the entire interface looks completely different, now adopting a card stock motif not entirely unlike Google+ or the "Holo" scheme for Android devices. Instead of scattered menus and empty white space, everything is now better arranged in scrolling menus that are easily self-contained within...
By McKinley Noble | 05-22-2013 | 12:00PM There's no point in being cagey about it—Blitz Brigade is an obvious Android spin on the Team Fortress 2 formula. But in its own respects, the mobile title's biggest strength is doing "pretty good" where Valve does "amazingly well." In an nutshell, that boils down to three things: variety, replay value and the controls. Out of the three, it's the first area where your mileage may vary the most with Blitz Brigade. Packing five character classes (Solider, Gunner, Sniper, Medic and Stealth), two multiplayer modes (Domination and Deathmatch) and less than half a dozen maps, things can get repetitive pretty quickly. However, that's not to...
By Julian Benson | PCGamesN I’ve been following GoD Factory: Wingmen’s development with a cautious eye for the past year now. It’s ticking a whole lot of boxes on the list of good space shooter features - 4 v 4 dogfights, capital ships, ridiculous levels of fighter customisation, mechanics encouraging co-operative teams - and it looks damn pretty, too. Though all its spikes and colours may not be to everyone’s tests. And now GoD Factory’s taken to Kickstarter to round off its development, As you can see, GoD Factory is particularly colourful. Take that away and you’re left with what, on paper, sounds like a space shooter that’s pulling in a rarely-walked direction....
By Patrick Shaw | 05-22-2013 | 8:00PM NVIDIA announced on Tuesday that Microsoft’s next-generation Xbox One gaming hardware will feature built-in support for its PhysX and APEX software development kits. PhysX is NVIDIA's proprietary physics engine that provides game developers with a framework for delivering advanced effects like realistic collision detection, particle debris, tearable cloth and other visual flourishes. APEX is another set of developer tools for creating dynamic destruction, vegetation and turbulence within games. "We are excited to extend our PhysX and APEX technologies to Microsoft's Xbox One console," said Mike Skolones, product manager for the PhysX SDK at NVIDIA. "We look...
By McKinley Noble | 05-22-2013 | 5:45PM Foursquare is making a concentrated effort to drill down a bit deeper on recommending stores, restaurants and venues to the Android community, with a brand-new update that pushes new filters. Dubbed "super-specific searches" by the company's official blog, the app is now far more flexible, with options that allow for language, timing and certain preferences. For example, you can use Foursquare to set up the following situational searches: Finding a nearby restaurant that's open, but you haven't been there. Searching for a venue that your friends have tagged, but you haven't seen yet. Locating restaurants based on relative prices per dish. Tracking...
By McKinley Noble | 05-22-2013 | 3:00PM Another competitor has appeared to throw its cap into the smartwatch market, and it hardly needed half a day to clear its Kickstarter goal—"the world's smartest watch" has already raised $300,000 in funds. That's a huge accomplishment for Secret Labs' and House of Horology's AGENT gadget, which hit $100,000 on Day One, pre-selling most of its first production run. Nearly 1900 backers are buying into the smartwatch so far, which is staking its reputation on a proposed design scheme that combines advanced battery life, Bluetooth technology and various automated app functions into a cutting edge companion gadget meant to pair with your Android...
By McKinley Noble | 05-22-2013 | 9:00AM Although NVision brings you Android, tech, gaming and movie news around the clock, even we can't get to everything worth seeing on the Internet. But to help you out, here's today's required reading for May 22th, 2013. • Just a day after Microsoft's reveal of the Xbox One, many insider opinions are split on what we know about the console so far. That includes Engadget, who had several staff members weighing in on the new console, in their own in-depth column. • But while many outlets are debating the value of the console itself, GamesRadar is asking a very different question—are the console wars officially over? After all, you hardly by a console...
By McKinley Noble | 05-22-2013 | 6:00AM It's just about time for children to leave their schools for the summer and families to start planning their yearly trips, so Google has a nice surprise in store for those of you within the Android community. According to the company's official Google+ blog for their Field Trip app, that means free admission to 13 museums in six different cities, a rather generous perk. Generally, the Field Trip app serves as sort of an automated guide for tourism, with location-activated information cards popping up on your Android smartphone or tablet whenever you happen across an interesting landmark, funneled by publications like Thrillist, Food Network, Zagat, Cool Hunting, WeHeart and Atlas...
By McKinley Noble | 05-22-2013 | 12:00AM Microsoft continues to push its plan for a perfect ecosystem involving Xbox, Kinect and Windows 8, but their newest gaming console will be all the more equipped to take advantage of your Android device. That was briefly touched upon during yesterday's special reveal of the Xbox One system, as the company also committed to an evolving gameplan for SmartGlass. Specifically, the use of your tablets and smartphones as second-screen devices was especially emphasized during the announcement of a closer partnership between Xbox and the NFL, which aims to take advantage of "Live TV" games and fantasy league interaction to use the Xbox One in conjunction with SmartGlass for in-depth...
By Matt Purslow | PCGamesN Earlier this evening/morning a rather big corporation revealed a pretty massive glossy box that plays TV shows and does Skype calls at the same time. Also at this announcement was the reveal of the new Call of Duty trailer, because apparently those games are pretty big with their target audience. It'll be on PC too though, so that's pretty cool. Call of Duty: Ghosts promises to be a more human experience, with a brand new world, somber music, a loveable doggy, and massive explosions. We've all got to the point now where we roll our eyes when Activision and Infinity Ward promise a 'brand new' Call of Duty experience. But this trailer does look as if they're actually trying this...
By McKinley Noble | 05-21-2013 | 11:30AM Microsoft's next-generation gaming console is the "Xbox One"—it's real, and it looks fantastic. As revealed during the company's Seattle headquarters this morning, their new system is looking to change the way that people play games, watch TV and browse the Internet for all their favorite content. Getting the biggest questions out of the way first, there's no release date or price tag. But there was plenty else announced during the event, including a sizeable amount of upcoming games: Madden NFL 25 FIFA 14 EA Sports UFC NBA Live 14 Forza Motorsport 5 (Launch Title) Quantum Break Call of Duty: Ghosts (w/...
By McKinley Noble | 05-21-2013 | 9:00PM Thanks to mobile apps, the days of calling in your delivery orders for lunch and dinner is nearly a thing of the past. Now that most people in the world have an Android smartphone or tablet, many restaurants and food shops are catching on to the fact that apps like GrubHub and Seamless are a brilliant way to cache orders online. But there's still plenty of competition in the mobile market for delivery apps, so GrubHub and Seamless are inking a deal to merge their companies, with the specifics to be ironed out this year. GrubHub details the news on their official blog, assuring their partners that not much will really change: "Now, with all that said, I know you are...
By Jason Venter | 05-21-2013 | 6:45PM If you can’t get enough of the Arma series and you’d like to take it with you on road trips or lunch breaks, you might be interested to learn that a new title based on the IP has arrived on Google Play. Arma Tactics THD is a “turn-based close-combat strategy game” wherein players control a four-person squad. “There are no given strategies, rails to move on, or paths to follow,” the Google Play listing reads. “It’s up to the player to decide how he will play through both the story-driven missions and generated missions with randomized objectives. Whether using stealth or a more direct approach, players will need to use their strategic thinking...
By Patrick Shaw | 05-21-2013 | 5:00PM Sweden-based Unity Technologies announced on Tuesday that its multiplatform Unity engine and publishing tools—which are used by over one million developers—will now be available to mobile developers for free. While PC and web versions of the Unity tools were previously released for free, those mobile tools had cost developers approximately $800 until today. Now, indie developers and studios of all sizes can publish their games on Android and iOS without having to worry about licensing costs or sharing revenue. “There are no strings attached, no royalties and no license fees,” wrote Unity CEO David Helgason in a blog post. Helgason added that the tools will also be...
By Jason Venter | 05-21-2013 | 3:00PM If you’ve always wanted to drive an F1 car around a track at blistering speeds, now you’ll be able to enjoy the fantasy by purchasing a full-size F1 simulator for less than the cost of a new sports car. Er… did we say “less”? We actually meant “more.” Much more, in some cases. As reported at Joystiq, Costco UK has begun selling the FMCG International F1 racing simulator. If you purchase one, you’ll get delivery and installation as part of the package, but that package costs a whopping £89,999.89 (around $138,000 in the US). In exchange for their hard-earned money, UK residents will receive quite the fancy toy. The artificial vehicle...
By McKinley Noble | 05-21-2013 | 1:45PM In a textbook case of "better late than never," smash-hit sim game Diner Dash has arrived on Google Play, roughly a decade following its original release on the PC. With the inclusion of an Android port (courtesy of the folks at PlayFirst), that means the famed restaurant management simulator is now available on nearly every current gaming system known to man, including the PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, Nintendo Wii, Mac, PC, the Nintendo DS and a select group of mobile devices. That's not to say that Diner Dash on Android isn't without its own unique touches, though. There's two versions of the game available to consider—"free" and...
By McKinley Noble | 05-15-2013 | 9:00AM Microsoft is finally revealing their next Xbox console today from their Seattle headquarters, with most of the gaming world on pins and needles waiting for the announcement. There's a number of gaming outlets that will be covering the event live, but Microsoft has opened up the event to the entire world with a variety of livestreams and online portals that will be airing the while press conference. Anyone can watch the next Xbox reveal at the official Xbox website and on Xbox Live with the "Live Events" app, while also tuning in to Spike TV. For everyone around the world, here's when you'll need to catch the event: 10:00AM — Pacific 11:00AM...
By McKinley Noble | 05-21-2013 | 3:45AM Although NVision brings you Android, tech, gaming and movie news around the clock, even we can't get to everything worth seeing on the Internet. But to help you out, here's today's required reading for May 21th, 2013. • Many people didn't think that Yahoo would buy out Tumblr, but the purchase gives the tech giant a surprising amount of clout. Bloomberg Business recaps the situation, explaining why it's a huge gamble that will determine Yahoo's future. • Sorry, overly-sensitive TV viewers—you won't have Seth MacFarlane to kick around anymore. Entertainment Weekly reports that the charismatic creator of Family Guy...
By Jeremy Peel | PCGamesN The original Nuketown was one of Black Ops’ best-loved maps, but its fans haven’t been particularly well-served by Treyarch since. Its Black Ops 2 successor, Nuketown 2025, was first available only as a pre-order bonus - and for a short while afterwards, not at all. Thankfully, some enterprising souls in Illinois have built a version of the map which should prove a little tougher to remove from rotation. The one-to-one recreation of Nuketown was opened last weekend at Paintball Explosion in East Dundee, Illinois. It’s all there: the white picket fencing, the yellow school bus, and the sign - though that now reads ‘Nuketown 2013’. Just beneath the year, you’ll spot...
By McKinley Noble | 05-20-2013 | 8:30PM Although Sony had plenty to talk about during their PlayStation 4 reveal last February, everyone couldn't help but notice something after it was over—where was the new console? PlayStation Home, some launch titles and the controller had been shown to the world, but actual system was nowhere in sight. But now we have a slightly better idea of what the console may eventually look like, although Sony's latest teaser for the PlayStation 4 doesn't put together a full picture. As far we can tell, the PS4 isn't straying too far from tradition, adopting the same black color scheme of its two predecessor systems. It has a fan, it carries a PlayStation logo and it's got...
By McKinley Noble | 05-20-2013 | 6:00PM Back at Google I/O 2013 last week, Google promised a bevy of new features that would be paired with the completely revamped Google+ network, including a specific set of photo tools. Those updates are now rolling out to Android devices on the official Google+ app in its v4.0 release, and should be done within a day or two. Once you get the install, you'll be able to do a lot more with your pictures, which now get backed up to your Google account via "Auto Backup" for easy storage, much like syncing options from before—still hosted on Picasa (for now). But the major player is the so-called "Auto Awesome" tools, which adds "Motion"...
By Patrick Shaw | 05-20-2013 | 3:00PM The Electronic Entertainment Expo (or “E3”) returns to Los Angeles, California on June 11, 2013. While admission to the world’s largest gaming trade show is generally limited to media and industry professionals, the OUYA’s E3 show will be free and open to the entire public. Interestingly, OUYA’s booth won’t actually be physically located in the Los Angeles Convention Center where E3 is held every year, but in the parking lot next door because, as OUYA Head of Developer Relations Kellee Santiago explained in a press release, “we're roaming outside of the pack!” In addition to letting the public get their hands-on the Android-based OUYA...
By McKinley Noble | 05-20-2013 | 1:30PM Even though a great deal of focus from the Android community will be centered around the incoming Galaxy S4 smartphone, there's still plenty for dedicated Galaxy S3 owners to anticipate. In particular, SamMobile got their hands on a build of Android Jelly Bean 4.2.2 for the device, showing off features included in the expected update. There's a hefty number of perks to the OS upgrade, with the major highlights being an overhauled UI, partial voice controls and a new version of the built-in S-Voice personal assistant tool developed in-house by Samsung themselves. Here's a short list of some other features you'll notice in the video: Multiple Widgets w/ new...
By Ryan Scott | 05-20-2013 | 11:00AM Within Google Play, Android phone and tablet users have a lot of apps to choose from. In this weekly rundown, we give you a peek at five of the very best Android apps -- both free and paid -- to help you get the most out of your Android mobile device. DocuSign Ink-Sign & Send Docs by DocuSign (Free) Get it now on: The important and legally binding documents that we sometimes (or frequently, depending on the line of work) need to sign are increasingly going digital -- which means less actual ink put to paper, and more annoying pages that you have to print, sign, re-scan, and email. Except, you don't have to do that: DocuSign is the most popular e-signature platform...
By McKinley Noble | 05-20-2013 | 9:00AM Although NVision brings you Android, tech, gaming and movie news around the clock, even we can't get to everything worth seeing on the Internet. But to help you out, here's today's required reading for May 20th, 2013. • There's a lot of ground to cover this morning, so let's start with the biggest news—Microsoft's Xbox event is tomorrow morning, and the gaming world is dying to know what's in store. Eurogamer has a fantastic roundup of everything we know about the next Xbox so far, which covers all the rumors and insider reports over the months. • It's a given that Star Trek Into Darkness will get the trilogy treatment, but...
By McKinley Noble | 05-20-2013 | 6:45AM It's official—Tumblr is now a Yahoo property, with the $1.1 billion acquisition firmly placing the microblogging site underneath one of the Internet's largest and oldest corporations. Yahoo made their business announcement earlier this morning, with an amusing opener to their press release on the sale: "Per the agreement and our promise not to screw it up, Tumblr will be independently operated as a separate business. "David Karp will remain CEO. The product, service and brand will continue to be defined and developed separately with the same Tumblr irreverence, wit, and commitment to empower creators." Most the funds used to pay the deal will be done in...
By Ryan Scott | 05-19-2013 | 6:00PM Mobile gaming is bigger than ever, and that comes with some ups and downs. On one hand, it means lots of increasingly awesome games that give even proper console heavy-hitters a run for their money; on the other hand, it means a lot of subpar choices to wade through on Google Play. In this weekly roundup, we've got you covered: Here are five Android games that are worth your precious time (and in some cases, even your money!). Aces of the Luftwaffe by HandyGames (Free) Who doesn't love a good vertical-scrolling shoot 'em up? Aces of the Luftwaffe is a stylized take on World War II's European air battles, providing a fast and frantic shooter experience rife with weapon...
By Jason Venter | 05-19-2013 | 6:00AM The industry moves at such a rapid pace that we don’t always have enough time to provide detailed coverage for some of the exciting stuff that happens between the bigger announcements. Each week, we’ll gather some of those news tidbits and share our thoughts on why we believe they deserve to be highlighted, even though for one reason or another they didn’t quite make it to center stage during the preceding seven days. We think you’ll agree that they’re still quite interesting. Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance Coming to PC During his HideRadio podcast, Metal Gear Solid creator Hideo Kojima revealed that Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance is being ported to the PC...
By Jason Venter | 05-19-2013 | 12:00AM A recent VentureBeat report indicates that Yahoo may be looking to make a significant investment in the popular blogging service, Tumblr. That possible investment, first reported on by All Things D, could even take the form of an outright acquisition, according to a related report from AdWeek. If Yahoo does acquire Tumblr, the deal would be a great deal more substantial than other recent acquisitions. Yahoo has lately been on a bit of a shopping spree, acquiring talent as part of a string of acquisitions that includes smaller operations such as GoPollGo and Milewise. VentureBeat notes that many of Yahoo’s recent acquisitions have quickly been followed by closures, with the goal...
By Jason Venter | 05-18-2013 | 12:00PM While many of us might waste a few idle minutes contemplating what we would do if we had a million dollars in our bank accounts, or ten or a hundred million, there exist a number of people who don’t have to dream. Such men and women possess fortunes that make a single million seem like something that could easily be spent on an especially good meal, or perhaps on a weekend in Aspen. Bloomberg tracks those wealthy individuals, and regularly assembles a list so that anyone watching from the peanut gallery can tell exactly who in the world has accrued the most wealth. In 2007, the man at the top of that list was Bill Gates, but then he lost the position and hadn’t reclaimed it...
By Patrick Shaw | 05-18-2013 | 6:00AM Starring Brad Pitt as a United Nations worker caught in the midst of a zombie outbreak, World War Z hit theaters this summer on June 21st. The film is an adaptation of Max Brooks' best-selling novel World War Z: An Oral History of the Zombie War and now an official video game based on the movie that is based on a book is coming to Android. Developed by Chicago-based Phosphor Games (known to Android gamers for titles including Horn and The Dark Meadow) in collaboration with Paramount Pictures, World War Z - The Mobile Game is slated to arrive on Google Play on May 30th, 2013. In anticipation of the game's forthcoming launch, the developer has released its debut trailer (watch...
