Microsoft is designing XBOX TV for casual gaming

Rumors are spreading that Microsoft is designing a Set-top box version of XBOX, named as XBOX TV. The Verge has been reported via Microsoft that company plans to introduce a low-cost alternative to its Xbox console, designed to provide access to core entertainment services. 

This new generation Xbox system will be unveiled in 2013, with a release date ahead of the holiday shopping season. It will have core of Windows 8, and again you find the tiles, reminding a branding package of Windows. It will also feature a chipset to enable an "always on" device that boots quickly and resumes to provide near-instant access to TV and entertainment services. The whole hardware specs haven't been disclosed yet.

Microsoft's statement for its Xbox TV plans is:

"Xbox 360 has found new ways to extend the console life cycle by introducing controller-free experiences with Kinect and re-inventing the console with a new dashboard and new entertainment content partnerships. We are always thinking about what is next for our platform and how to continue to defy the life cycle convention."

With these new kind of Gaming-Television system, Microsoft is going to compete Apple and others.

[via: The Verge]

Facebook App center

A place to find great apps

For the over 900 million people that use Facebook, the App Center is the central place to find great social apps. Everything has an app detail page, which helps people see what makes an app unique and lets them install it before going to an app.

App detail pages help people understand what makes an app unique, see screenshots of the experience, and login to start using the app. After a user authenticates from an app detail page, they’ll be sent directly into the app.

Growth for high-quality apps

Success through the App Center is tied to the quality of an app. We use a variety of signals, such as user ratings and engagement, to determine if an app is listed in the App Center. To help you monitor user feedback, we provide an app ratings metric in Insightsto report how users rate your app over time.

Well-designed apps that people enjoy will be prominently displayed. Apps that receive poor user ratings or don’t meet the quality guidelines won't be listed.

Driving mobile installs

The App Center is designed to grow mobile apps that use Facebook – whether they’re on iOS, Android or the mobile web. From the mobile App Center, users can browse apps that are compatible with their device, and if a mobile app requires installation, they will be sent to download the app from the App Store or Google Play.

[Source: Facebook]

Samsung will unveil new Galaxy on May 3

Samsung has started sending out invites for the launch of the next Galaxy smartphone, which is slated for May 3 in London.The invite doesn't give any details about the upcoming device(s) — it merely says “come and meet the next Galaxy.”

However, we know that the company plans to reveal Samsung Galaxy S III, which was rumored to be launched at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, but Samsung decided to move the launch to a later date.

In any case, Samsung will have to show something truly spectacular if it wants to top the Tegra 3 powerhouses from HTC.

[Source: Mashable]

Angry Birds Space Downloaded 10M Times in 3 Days

Rovio’s Angry Birds Space has had a solid takeoff with 10 million downloads since its release on Thursday, according to the company.

The company, which disclosed the figure in its Twitter feed Monday morning, didn’t say how the release compares with previous title launches. However, according to reports, Rovio’s last major Angry Birds release, Angry Birds Rio, hit 10 million downloads in 10 days, more than three times as long.

The latest game was released for various formats, including for the iPhone, iPad, iPod touch and Android devices, as well as the Mac and PC. The company didn’t release a Windows Phone version, though it plans to,according to Rovio CEO Mikael Hed.

The new version brings several important changes, most importantly gravity, which will allow players to use nearby planets to perform trick shots on unsuspecting pigs.

The game has 60 levels, with more content available through in-app purchases (only in the iOS version for now). The game includes hidden goodies and secret levels, and Rovio promises regular free updates for the future.

You can get the iPhone version here. The iPad version is available here, and the Android version is available over at Google Play. Finally, the Mac version is available in the Mac App Store, while the PC version is available directly from Rovio.

[Courtesy: Mashable]