Microsoft will begin rolling out a major overhaul of the Xbox One dashboard at 3AM on November 12. The update brings a raft of new features as well as Windows 10 for the console.
The new software, announced in August , features a redesigned home screen with quicker access to your contacts and options to start or join parties, grouped notifications and a revamped storefront.
In addition, you’ll also be able to play a range of Xbox 360 games on your Xbox One. Microsoft announced the list of more than 100 titles that will be supported initally. However, this won’t work until 3PM ET, so no need to stay up all night for the update.
➤ Global Rollout Of The New Xbox One Experience On Nov 12 [Major Nelson]
OnePlus 2 launches with 5.5 full HD display, fingerprint scanner and 13MP camera, priced from $329
Chinese handset maker OnePlus has finally announced its second flagship handset – the OnePlus 2 – following weeks of drip-feed teaser announcements and leaks.
The follow-up to the popular OnePlus One offers a 5.5-inch 1080p HD display, dual-SIM support, a 5-megapixel front-facing snapper, wide-angle f/2.0 aperture 13-megapixel rear camera with dual LED flash and 64-bit 1.8GHz Octa-core Snapdragon 810 processor. You get the option of up to 4GB of RAM and 64GB of storage too.
Following in other manufacturer’s footsteps – most notably Apple and Samsung – the OnePlus 2 now has a fingerprint scanner, allowing you to quickly wake and unlock the device. The company has said it’s faster than Touch ID, too .
It houses a USB Type-C charging port too, future proofing it somewhat. The company promised to take that a bit further though, and has delivered on that by making the same port Type-A reversible as well – meaning it won’t matter which way in you place the cable.
One of the ways OnePlus looked to make a splash in the market first time around was the pairing of high-end specs at a decidedly mid-range price point. It’s a formula that stays true for the OnePlus 2 too with a starting price of just $329. However, with a competitive marketplace for smartphones, it takes more than pairing specs with value to attract buyers in huge numbers.
The OnePlus 2’s impressive internals are housed in an aluminium-magnesium alloy frame with stainless steel accents. There are a range of rear covers for the phone too, including bamboo (actual bamboo, not ‘bamboo effect’), ‘Black Apricot (not an actual apricot), rosewood and Kevlar.
The OnePlus 2 is also the company’s first handset to ship with its own Oxygen OS, based on Android 5.1.
The company says the platform is “a refreshing take on the pure Android experience” and allows for “subtle” personalization of the device, like allowing you to switch between using hardware or capacative on-screen buttons.
There are a few custom OxygenOS apps pre-installed in place of regular Android too, like the Camera, Audio Tuner and File Manager.
As was the irritating case first time around, you’re going to need an invite to buy a OnePlus 2.
In the US and Europe, sales will start (provided you have that invite) on August 11 with the 64GB priced at $389. The slightly lower specced model with 16GB of storage and 3GB of RAM will be available “later” priced at $329, OnePlus says.
We’ll be bringing you a full review of the device as soon as we can. ➤ OnePlus
Bored of Android and iOS? 24 hours with the Meizu MX4 Ubuntu Edition: I’m going to need some time to adjust
Your iPhone 6s can now replace your kitchen scale using 3D Touch (sort of)
Back at IFA last month, Huawei surprised the world by beating Apple to the punch with Force Touch pressure-sensitive technology on its phones… and then not doing much with it.
One thing it could do, however, was weigh oranges.
Not to be left behind, developers sought out a similar solution for the iPhone 6s . Thus the Plum-O-Meter was created, an app designed to help developer FlexMonkey choose the heaviest plums:
And it works like this:
Unfortunately, that app can only display weight as a percentage of the screen’s maximum allowable force, so it’s not much help for your next baking recipe. For your culinary needs, Stoo Sepp expanded on FlexMonkey’s code a bit and calibrated the screen using a kitchen scale and a tomato:
http://youtu.be/SytXwjGGikA
In both cases, the iPhone measured slightly different numbers depending on where the fruit was placed, so don’t expect it to replace your fancy kitchen scale yet – though it’s possible someone could refine the code later to account for variances across the display.
Importantly, the pressure sensitivity only seems to work with soft-skinned fruits and vegetables, as it could not detect a potato. French fry fans will be disappointed.
Still, the question remains whether the iPhone 6S can actually weigh oranges or, better yet, apples . And why are we even weighing stuff on our phones?
These are mysteries I’ll leave for enterprising developers to answer. If you’re one of those, you can check out the source code for the Plum-O-Meter over on GitHub , and Stoo Sepp’s modifications here .
➤ The Plum-O-Meter: Weighing Plums Using 3D Touch in Swift [FlexMonkey] | Weighing Fruit with 3D Touch [Stoo Sepp]