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Oculus VR unveils new Rift virtual reality headset for developers, will ship for $350 in July

Mar19
by on March 19, 2014 at 3:56 pm
Posted In: Around the Web, Gadgets, Product Updates

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Oculus VR today revealed a new version of its Oculus Rift virtual reality headset for developers. Referred to as the DK2, it’s based on the Crystal Cove prototype shown off at the CES trade show earlier this year. It has two high-definition, 960×1080 displays that cover your eyes and reduce the “screen-door” found in previous models. These are low-persistence, OLED screens that, like the Crystal Cove, should reduce motion blur and unnatural movements, while also raising the clarity, color and contrast. Each unit also comes with an external camera for positional head tracking. It’s a crucial peripheral, as it allows the…

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The history of flat design: How efficiency and minimalism turned the digital world flat

Mar19
by on March 19, 2014 at 2:09 pm
Posted In: Analysis and Opinion, Around the Web, Design & Dev, Insider, Investigations

flat design interface
It seems as though any time you hear about Web design these days, you can’t help but come across the term “flat design.” While the flat Web design trend has been emerging in recent years, it seemed to have exploded in popularity thanks to large companies and organizations changing their design aesthetic to that of flat design. But where did flat design come from? And why are we seeing it on the Web? As with anything in design, knowing where a style or technique came from and the history behind it can help you make more educated decisions when it…

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Google Voice Search now lets you enter the Konami Code for ‘unlimited free searches’

Mar19
by on March 19, 2014 at 1:41 pm
Posted In: Around the Web, Google, Shareables

The infamous Konami Code, a sequence of button inputs that unlocks secrets and cheat modes in classic games such as Gradius, Contra and Castlevania, has achieved folklore status on the Web. It’s been used as an ‘Easter egg’ on sites such as Digg and Facebook, but as TechCrunch reports it’s now been quietly introduced for Google Search. Just hit the microphone icon and say this all-too familiar button combination out loud: “up, up, down, down, left, right, left, right”. Google will then kick into gear and say: “Cheat mode unlocked. Unlimited free Google searches.” This doesn’t actually mean anything –…

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Dual-screen YotaPhone now available in the UK – new European markets and the Middle East to follow

Mar19
by on March 19, 2014 at 1:18 pm
Posted In: Around the Web, Gadgets, Product Updates, UK

The dual-screen, e-ink display-equipped YotaPhone from Russian handset maker Yota Devices is now available to buy in the UK via its website. We knew it was due to hit the UK’s shores soon, but weren’t sure exactly when. Today, as it turns out, is the day that you can snap one up for £419. A spokesperson for the company confirmed that it would also be on sale in Portugal, Switzerland, Italy, Nordic countries and the Middle East in the coming weeks. It has been available in Russia, Germany, France, Austria and Spain since December last year. While the device certainly is a…

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Titanfall for Xbox 360 delayed again, will now launch on April 8

Mar19
by on March 19, 2014 at 12:52 pm
Posted In: Around the Web, Product Updates

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Futuristic and kinetic first-person shooter Titanfall is an important title for the Xbox One, so it should come as no surprise that Microsoft wants to prioritize that version over the PC and Xbox 360 versions. The latter has already been delayed once, but publisher Electronic Arts (EA) today announced that it will be pushed back once more. Instead of March 28, the first-person shooter will now launch on April 8 in North America and April 11 across Europe. Admittedly it’s only a two-week delay, but for some mech fans that’s akin to pushing Christmas back to January 8. In a blog…

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