Microsoft's entry into the wearable technology space got off to a quick start Thursday when the company debuted the Microsoft Band at its stores nationwide. The Microsoft Band, part smart watch and part health monitor, dovetails with a new health-monitoring system called Microsoft Health. I had the chance to stroll down to the local Microsoft Store to check them both out yesterday so I could present to you Microsoft Band: 30 minutes of "wrists on" impressions. The Microsoft Band is about half an inch wide and comes … [Read more...]
YEZZ Billy 4.7 with Windows Phone 8.1 Pre-Orders Launch
It may sound like a crazy cowboy device, but the YEZZ Billy 4.7 with Windows Phone 8.1 appears to be much more modern than its "old west" name would suggest. With a Qualcomm Snapdragon 200 processor with quad CPUs at speeds of up to 1.2GHz, a 4.7-inch IPS screen with Asahi Dragontrail glass, 15GB of free cloud storage and a 2MP front camera and 8MP autofocus rear camera with flash, there's a lot to this funny-named device. And pre-orders for the phone just so happened to go live today. The YEZZ Billy 4.7 with Windows … [Read more...]
NFL Players Inc. Launch Mobile Madness Challenge for Devs
There's nothing hotter in American sports than the NFL, and no matter how much the PS4 vs Xbox One debate gets covered, there's nothing hotter in gaming than mobile. Any combination of the two seems like a marketing match made in heaven. That's the logic of NFL Players Inc., at any rate. NFL Players Inc. has unveiled a "Mobile Madness Challenge" to all mobile-game developers. The concept is simple: win the challenge and win an NFL Players Inc. license, $10,000 toward a social-media campaign and an NFL player … [Read more...]
Ubisoft Creating ‘The Rabbids Invasion’ Interactive TV Series for Xbox One and Mobile Devices
The Xbox 360 has toyed with interactive TV with Kinect games such as Sesame Street and National Geographic, and Microsoft appears to be doubling down on interactive TV with the Xbox One. Today at E3, Ubisoft announced it's creating an interactive TV series called "The Rabbids Invasion" for Xbox One and mobile devices. The Rabbids Invasion TV series is being created by Ubisoft Motion Pictures in partnership with France Televisions and Nickelodeon. The traditional TV series itself will make its debut later this year, … [Read more...]
Nintendo May Enable Wii U to Play Smartphone Apps
The battle over the next-gen consoles took an intriguing turn today, as word leaked out of Japan that Nintendo is actively investigating the possibility of allowing smartphone games to be played on the Wii U console. The report, which didn't attribute its news to a source, said Nintendo is looking at enabling the Wii U hardware to play smartphone apps and games as a way to leverage the Wii U's tablet-like GamePad controller and take advantage of the dozens of games Wii U owners likely already own for their … [Read more...]
HTC Trophy Windows Phone Review
Microsoft has this knack of releasing products before their ready, so it’s OK to be skeptical of the latest batch of Windows phones. Sure, they include Xbox Live connections, but that promise comes from the company that launched Xbox Live a bit prematurely in the first place on the original Xbox, right? Or that five years ago at E3 promised mobile connectivity to the XBL community? Funny thing: Microsoft must have learned its lesson, because if the HTC Trophy Windows Phone is any indication of all the other Windows … [Read more...]
Verizon HTC Trophy Windows Phone Comes with Free Xbox 360 Game
HTC and Verizon have a long-standing Android partnership (hello, Thunderbolt), but the companies are set to release a new Windows Phone on June 2 that should entice people who also happen to own an Xbox 360. Why? Because if you buy the HTC Trophy from Verizon before July 15, you'll be eligible to receive a free Xbox 360 game. Anyone who buys the HTC Trophy from Verizon before that date can choose one game from a group of several popular titles, not the least of which are Halo Reach, Kinect Sports and Lode … [Read more...]