Microsoft Research has released its very own social network simply labeled So.cl. So.cl was leaked a few months ago under the codename Tulalip, a Native American tribe in the Seattle area. It was rumored to be a site in which students would be able to easily share and collaborate in projects, but from what we have seen, it has nothing to do with that. Today the site was publicly believed to have been released but former head of Winrumors Tom Warren sent out tweet criticizing the rest of the news sites for only now realizing So.cl has gone live when in reality it had been up for months. Whatever the case might be we thought we would share our thoughts on So.cl.
Before we dig into this we should mention that So.cl is in beta and the last time I returned to the site it was having trouble with the increase of users.
So.cl can be called many things, it is a mix between Facebook and Tumblr, along with some Pintrest. Basically the new So.cl site allows for easy sharing and for commentary from people who have similar interests as you. Unlike Facebook, you do not need to know the person in order to follow them and much like Tumblr and Pintrest visually stimulating images are front and center. Search and sharing seems to be the main allure of the site. You can search for things you like and share them. You can even bookmark a sharing tool like WordPress and Pintrest. From a few hours of trying out the site, it is quite noticeable that this is a newly formed site, meaning hipsters out there will be quite pleased but content is not quite there yet. An example would be the absurd amount of links being shared. For some reason So.cl tends to send you back to the stream in which it shows everyone’s updates, not just the ones that you follow or that follow you. This is actually very annoying because now you are presented with something you would not expect and most probably not care about. You will not believe the amount of Bing links that were spamming that stream. Luckily most people will not spend most of their time there but in your own profile and commenting on other things you find interesting.
A really cool feature of this new social site is that you can create parties and watch videos together with other people. The downside is that there is no option to start a private party and having a public party can result in a power struggle. In one of the parties I was in a few people and I was playing music but because it was public random people came in and started adding videos to the playlist that were completely irrelevant to the videos already queued and what’s worse people actually have the option to change the playlist which led to people fighting over which video should be played next. The good news is that the team behind So.cl was actually talking with the community and I was able to ask one of them if there were any improvements coming down the line in which he responded that they are always looking to find ways to improve the site. Overall So.cl is a great site sure it’s not the best but compared to Google + I bet it could give it a run for it’s money.
Check out So.cl here and remember to follow Zunited on Facebook and Twitter.
Aero Glass the current Visual style that is built in Windows 7 and Windows Vista has now been kicked out in favor of a new design reminiscent of the Metro design. The new style is a push to get users more comfortable with Metro and make transitions between the Metro Start Screen and the classic desktop. The new design was carefully considered by Microsoft in order not to be compatibility issues with older programs, they even took a look at other mock ups around the web for inspiration. Gone is the see through panes and taskbar, few will miss them after trying out programs like Zune.
The new look has already taken some criticism and some praises from users around the net. How do you feel about it? Like the new look? Leave a comment down below with your response. I for one enjoy the new design but wish it were easier on the eyes.
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Source:MSDN
John Root a former employee at Remedy who works on Motion Capture and is a Virtual Production specialist was hired to upgrade the ‘Character Pipeline’ for next gen devices, specifically the next Xbox. From the looks of his LinkedIn account it appears as though Remedy was or is working on a next generation game for the next Xbox.
Root’s LinkedIn Job Description at former work space Remedy
Remedy brought me on to Lead an upgrade to the character pipeline for use on next generation consoles (XBox 720) I installed a FACS based scanning and facial motion capture pipeline on top of a muscle / skeleton based body rig that is currently generating industry leading data in real-time. One of the more interesting endeavours was a compression technique for converting vertex cache into bone based transforms. Remedy is a wonderful company that truly appreciates fidelity of performance.
Although John Root no longer works at Remedy his LinkedIn account now shows his current job position is at Spark Unlimited an independent developer working on current gen consoles such as Lost Planet 3 for Capcom. Spark has worked on plenty of triple A titles one of them being Call of Duty which means Lost Planet is in good hands.
This is not the first time we see evidence of next gen development. Lionhead Studios developers of Fable have been hiring employes for work on the next Xbox as well. There was even a secret conference going on a while ago for development on ‘Durango’. Also it appears as though Rare, creators of such hits as Donkey Kong and Viva Pinata is looking for a Program Manager for their team in the UK. The Posting in the Microsoft Carree’s page does not state development for a next gen game but at this stage of the Xbox 360′s life span it would only seem natural to start development on the next Xbox.
What do you guys think of this news? Excited to see Remedy working on a title for the next Xbox. Remember to follow us and like us on Facebook and Twitter to keep up with the latest Xbox news.
Microsoft has taken the spot ahead of the iPhone just two month after the Windows Phone Launch in China. HTC, ZTE and Nokia have all made their Windows Phone presence felt at the expense of Apple’s own iPhone. Michel van der Bel, COO Greater China Region at Microsoft states Windows Phone holds 7% market share, meanwhile the iPhone holds 6% and is now behind Microsoft’s OS. Although Windows Phone is ahead in market share, Android still holds top spot with around 69% market share.
It is also reported that Windows Phone is also ahead of the iPhone in Russia. According to MTS, Russia’s leading mobile operator, put out a report on its mobile space for Q1 2012 and shared that Windows Phone held 8.2% market share while iOS held 7.3% market share. Windows Phones such as the Lumia 900, Lumia 800, and HTC Mozart held the top spot for most sold phone in the 10000 RUB price category.
What do you think of these reports? Happy to see Windows Phone doing well? Can Microsoft repeat the same success here in the United States? Remember to follow and like us on Facebook and Twitter for your Windows Phone news.
Via:Wmpoweruser, Source:MT
A few days ago we wrote an article on Apple’s very own Siri prompting that the Nokia Lumia 900 was the best smartphone ever. Today Apple has patched up the response Siri would give when asked “What is the best smartphone ever?”. In order for Siri to find what the best smartphone is it would search a third party service named Wolfram Alpha, which would point out that user ratings placed the Lumia 900 above all others.
Sadly Apple felt the need to silence its praised assistant and re-educate her. The phone, as noted by The Verge, will now appoint itself as the best smartphone. I am guessing from now on every time Apple sees competition they will resort to such measures.
You are looking at what is believed to be the box art for Halo 4. Microsoft sent out E-mails earlier today on puzzle pieces of this image. Luckily the Xbox community wasted no time in assembling the cover and gave us this neat surprise. The new art features the Master Chief in his new Spartan armor. What do you guys think of the box art? It remind us of the box art for Halo 2.
A few days ago we reported that Apple Co-Founder Steve Wozniak found the Lumia 900 Windows Phone delightful and better than Android. Today in an article by WMPoweruser we found out that even Apple’s very own SIRI finds the Lumia 900 the best phone in the market. The Lumia 900 has been doing extremely well and has held positions like best seller and is currently highest rated on Amazon. The phone has sold out in select AT&T stores and has caused controversy when given a low score on a review. Seeing SIRI give the Lumia 900 the rank of best phone is not much of a surprise, unless you count that its an Apple product. Oh the irony.
Update:Apparently Siri suffers from mood swings and will only give the Nokia Lumia 900 the rank of best smartphone ever if you ask it exactly as the image below. We also got a video demonstration for those who think this is fake.
Nokia is slowly but surely bringing in all of its Symbian apps over to Windows Phones…well actually just its Lumia line of phones. If you have a Nokia Windows Phone device then Nokia has a nice little gift for you. City Lens allows you to search locations of interest through augmented reality. The app uses your phone’s camera to locate and show you stores, restaurants and other interesting locations in your area. Not only does it use augmented reality, but it also borrows a few of Windows Phone native features like local scout, but in a different presentation. The app also allows you to share locations with your friends and save searches. Note that this is a beta app and the only way to get your hands on the app is to get it directly through Nokia. Hit the source link below and share your thoughts on the app in comments section below.
We reported a few days ago that Apple Co-Founder Steve Wozniak wanted a Lumia 900 Windows Phone. Well, in an interview with anewdomain, Wozniak gave huge praises to the Windows Phone OS. True to his word Wozniak was carrying with him a Lumia 900, and a couple of iPhones and a Motorola Droid RAZR. Read some of the praises Wozniak had for the Windows Phone below.
“Just for looks and beauty I definitely favor the Windows Phone over Android”
“….I’m just shocked, I haven’t seen anything yet that isn’t more beautiful than the other platforms”
“Intuitive and beautiful”
“it’s makes me feel ‘Oh my gosh, I’m with a friend not a tool’” (In regards to the animations and graphics)
“I just really like the experience and will be carrying the Windows Phone everywhere”
He also believe the following about apps on Windows Phone “more beautiful than on Android or iPhone”
Of course he does go on to mention that the iPhone is still his favorite device like any other Apple employee or retired employee would say.
Microsoft promised a few years ago on a new Bing design. One complete with html transitions and the new Metro style that is currently found throughout most other Microsoft products. Although we are not currently looking at the complete design change the new search results page looks a lot better than the previous. The new design is only available to those living in the United States at this time but will hopefully roll out to the rest of the world soon.
This page was being beta tested by random Bing users and a new homepage was also demonstrated for a while. I had the pleasure of using it myself in two different occasions. The first new homepage I encounters last year had tiles with solid colors and opacity while the newer version I just recently used had transparent tiles along with the ability to hide them, which comes in handy when you don’t want to see tiles with news on politics (which happened often!). Check out a few screen shots below.
Previously Microsoft added a few changes to the Bing maps such as 3d buildings, mall maps, Linked Pages, and more. It looks as though Microsoft might slowly add features and not make the big change all at once. That might be a brilliant idea considering that people don’t like change. What do you guys think of the new search results design.