Official file manager for Windows Phone 8.1 is now available

So much for a revised June release, the team at Microsoft were able to get the new official file management app out in May after all.  The app, as we have seen before, is straight forward, and functional. You can access and manage user files on your Windows Phone, or microSD card if you device is so equipped. 

Files, as the app is called, allows you to browse through, search, and launch files on the device. You can also share parts of, or multiple files.  Everything else, like creating, moving, copying, renaming, organizing and deleting files is also a straight forward affair.

That is the gist of it, Files is basic, but functional.  About the only thing you cannot browse through are the device’s system files like you can on other Windows machines.  There are not too many bells and whistles that we could see being worthwhile on an app like this, but we would like to see OneDrive incorporated into the app. When it comes to appearances, the tile is transparent if you want it to look nice with whatever chosen image you have set up with your start screen and theme.

You can download files for your Windows Phone 8.1 device via the source link below.

BBM coming soon to Windows Phone; messaging app to be pre-loaded on Nokia Lumia 630?

After Facebook offered $19 billion for WhatsApp, BlackBerry CEO John Chen had an epiphany. Realizing that BBM might be a hidden jewel inside BlackBerry, and understanding that WhatsApp was valued at $42 for each subscriber, he opened up BBM to iOS and Android subscribers. It was a smart idea, since it added a large number of new users for BBM, thus raising the value of the messaging app.

BBM is coming to Windows Phone

The executive also has promised Windows Phone users that they too, would be allowed to subscribe to BBM. And while this has yet to take place, earlier speculation had the app opening up to Microsoft's mobile OS platform between May and June. The timing then, couldn't be better for a photograph posted by a Reddit account holder. The picture shows that BBM should soon be available on the Windows Phone Store. In addition, BBM is supposedly going to be offered as a pre-loaded app on the Nokia Lumia 630.

The reason why this is so important for BlackBerry, is that BBM could eventually be a source of cash if things get tight. And as previously noted, the higher the number of BBM subscribers, the more the platform will fetch in a sale. John Chen has also started to monetize BBM by signing up major advertisers for sponsored discussion groups with BBM Channels. In addition, a recent update to BBM added the BBM Store, where users can purchase BBM Stickers.

BBM is not worth anywhere near the $19 billion that WhatsApp fetched from Facebook, at least not yet. But BlackBerry is doing all the right things in pumping up the value of BBM. And soon, iOS, Android and Windows Phone users will be able to use BBM Video which might add even more members to the messaging app.

Top 3 Slim and Sexy Laptops For Power Users

Slim is the the talk of the tech town now. Ever since Apple released the air, the race has been to make laptops not just slim and portable, but also fully functional. Not everyone wants a low-powered or cheap laptop. The Ultra slim laptops try to fill in the void by bringing in a mix of power and portability.

Here we have taken three laptops into account, all these laptops are the slimmest and provide the best functionality in their range.

 ASUS VIVOBOOK S SERIES LAPTOP

If you ever wanted to have a touch capable notebook, but never found one in your price range, this is what you were looking for. The Asus Vivobook is very inexpensive for a touch screen Windows 8 laptop. It is powered by Intel Pentium Dual Core 987 processor with a clock speed of 1.50 GHz. It features Intel HD Graphics, and comes with Windows 8 operating system.

The laptop gives you hard disk capacity of 500 GB. It comes with a system memory of 4GB DDR3 RAM, and 11.6 inch LED-backlit TFT LCD display with resolution of 1366 x 768 pixels that ensures clarity from all angles. It also supports touch panel. The Asus Smart Gesture touchpad ensures natural smoothness and usability. This Notebook weighs in at just 1.4 kilos and at 21 mm width makes it really slim, as well as making it a very friendly travel companion. At Rs.29,000 it’s a great buy.

ACER ASPIRE S3-391 ULTRABOOK

The Aspire S3 with its understated and classy design is a well rounded notebook with more than enough power on tap  with a 3rd Generation Core i5 CPU. It has 4 GB of DDR3 Ram, 500 GB of Hard Disk Capacity , 20 GB of SSD. The screen on this ultrabook is 13.3” screen supporting resolution upto 1366 X 768. This laptop has a rated battery backup of upto 6 hrs on medium usage. It weighs in at just 1.34 kg with 17.5mm of thickness. For a laptop of this screen size it weighs very less. This ultrabook is excellent for those looking for computing power while not compromising on the portability front as well. At Rs. 55,000 makes it a value for money proposition and a must buy.

ACER ASPIRE S7-392 ULTRABOOK

This is the slimmest laptop out there in the market at just 12.9mm thick and 1.3 Kg. This notebook has enough processing grunt to feed the need of any power hungry user.  It is powered by a 4th Gen Core i5 processor, with 4 GB DDR3 Ram, and a really fast 256 GB of SSD storage. It comes with a gorgeous 13.3” screen at 1920 X 1080(Full HD), and a 10 point touch screen incorporated to an IPS LCD screen.  The Notebook has a unibody construction whose lid is covered in Corning’s Gorilla Glass 2.

At Rs. 1,08,000 is definitely expensive but it has a drool-worthy package that just screams “premium”.

Possible Samsung Galaxy Mega 7.0 press shot leaks

Samsung is the king of the phablets, but it has a serious question to ask: if you want the best of both worlds, why compromise on size? You just want a tablet with a phone in it, right? Obviously, that strategy worked super well for Asus with its Fonepad, so Samsung wants to give it a try as well. We saw what appeared to be an FCC filing for the device recently, now we're getting what looks like a press shot of the Samsung Galaxy Mega 7.0.

The image shows the device with China Mobile branding, but if it is the same device that we saw go through the FCC, it would follow that Samsung is also planning on bringing the Mega 7.0 to America. Although, it should be noted that below the China Mobile branding, it says "Imak Case", which is very strange because we're not sure we've ever seen a case like that with carrier branding on it. This could mean that the image is a fake, or it could mean that what is shown in the picture is not what the Mega 7.0 actually looks like. 

We could be getting more accurate info relatively soon though, because there are rumors that the Mega 7.0 will be announced along with the new Galaxy Tab S lineup as soon as June 12th. 

Peace at Last : Apple-Google War is Done for Good

Seems like every techie journalists staple source of conflict beat is about to get over. On Friday, Google and Apple decided to call it quits on the incessant exercise of suing and counter suing each other. They have asked the courts to dismiss the remaining patent lawsuits and have decided to settle the matters outside the courts.

The conflict between the two Silicon Valley giants started in 2010. Steve Jobs’ disdain for Google became evident when he commented on the fact that Google had ripped off the iPhone. In a strong statement, he swore he was going to spend his last dying breath trying to destroy Android since he believed it to be stolen. Words which didn’t suit his stature.

The company has now made a sensible decision of discontinuing needless pursuit. After all Android is at the top of the charts with 52.5% of the smartphone operating system market. The Android and the iOS have evolved into completely different systems now.

This gives no indication that the companies are going for a license sharing agreement. They will though use the money they were spending on expensive lawyers on real innovation in the market. A fact that satisfies everyone. The battle will now be on real free market capitalism principles. This advancement also doesn’t put an end to the Apple-Samsung wars which was widely viewed as the Apple’s proxy war on the Android system. Apple had won a compensation of $930 million against Samsung in 2012.

Motorola Mobility was also waging a patent war with Apple. Google bought Motorola Mobility to access Motorola’s patent library thereby protecting other Android Vendors. With the acquisition Apple and Google directly came face to face. Google later sold the Smartphone businesses of Motorola to Lenovo while keeping a majority of the patents.

There is also a happy ending to the story. Like in clichéd endings of movies about warring factions, the two super giants also agreed to work together in the field of patent reforms. This can be good for the overall market too. In an era where knowledge is increasingly getting privatized, an initiative by familiar names would help boost the conversation on the concept of patents in our economies.

One Step Ahead: 3D Imaging on New Google Tablet

“What if you could walk into a store and see exactly where that thing you need to buy is, or play hide-and-seek in your home with that character from your favorite game, or help the visually-impaired navigate that place they have never been able to to go on their own? We believe the possibilities are vast.” That’s been Google’s Project Tango‘s vision. And now, Google is reportedly working on a tablet version of this initiative, that incorporates multiple advanced imaging sensors into a portable device for real time 3D imaging and mapping.

According to The Wall Street Journal, the Internet search giant is further exploring into computer vision technology with a 7-inch tablet which has two rear-facing cameras, infrared depth sensors and highly customized software. The small-format slate seems to be an oversized version of the existing prototype Project Tango smartphone released in February by Google’s Advanced Technology and Projects division.

Google’s Project Tango webpage notes the sensor suite “allows the phone to make over a quarter million 3D measurements every second. Updating its position and orientation in real-time, and then further combining that data into a single 3D model of the space around you.”

In February, Google had released a prototype smartphone out of that group, which also boasts sensors that could come up with a 3D map of your surroundings. The tablet appears to have the same or similar imaging hardware as the smartphone version, which features a regular camera mounted near the top of the handset, a motion-sensing camera placed opposite and incorporated depth sensors mounted between the two. It is unknown what type of CPU will power the tablet, but the phone boasts two “computer vision” processors and assorted positioning sensors for calculating movement in three-dimensions.

The project’s recommended applications range from the ordinary, such as capturing the dimensions of a home before furniture shopping simply by waving the phone around a room, to the helpful, such as aiding the visually impaired inside unfamiliar buildings, to the playful, such as turning a foyer into a virtual-reality game space.

Facebook is also exploring advanced computer vision technology with its planned $2 billion acquisition of Oculus VR, the maker of virtual reality headset Oculus Rift. The headset was originally intended for use with gaming devices, but Facebook has said it plans to extend its virtual reality capabilities beyond gaming into areas such as communications, media, entertainment, and education.

Developers already have their hands on the phone and WSJ reports the company plans to release the tablet to select testers prior to Google I/O, which begins on June 25.

Nexus 6 and Nexus 8 Show up in Chromium Code

Google’s next edition of Nexus devices have been spotted in the new Chromium code, hinting confirmation of the Nexus 6 and the 8.9 inch tablet Nexus 8.  While it’s not much to go on, references to the two devices have recently appeared in Chromium’s source code, as dug up by Florian Kiersch on Google+.

The reported changelog of Android 4.4.3 KitKat published on the Android Open Source Project (ASOP) has referred to HTC-made Flounder, and another product codename Molly. Where flounder is suggested to be the Nexus 8 which this time around could be an HTC built device. Molly on the other hand could be  Android TV, both of which are expected to be launched at Google I/O Conference on the 25 and 26 June in San Francisco

Earlier, reports had claimed that the next-generation Nexus smartphone would come from LG, based on their new flagship device G3.The G3 could be a mix of the LG G Flex and the G2, So it may sport a 5.2-inch full HD curved LCD display. Everyone has their money down on the handset being powered by a 64-bit version of Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 800-series chipset with 3GB RAM and running on Android 4.5 Lollypop.

The Nexus 8 on the other hand, if made by HTC, could mark the long awaited return of the taiwanese manufacturer in the tablet market. The push that a Nexus device could bring to HTC’s tablet line, may be as good as a push LG got.

It is also rumored that the Nexus 6 will be the last Nexus from Google, ending the Nexus saga from the Android maker. It is also assumed that Google will be developing a new name for its series of devices going forward, naming them with a different moniker.

5 Things You Should But Don’t Know About Buying a New Phone

Buying a new phone is always cumbersome, and unless you spent the past few months researching up on what the tech world is all about, you probably have a few misconceptions in your head. Here is a list of the most common confusions and beliefs that we think need to be set right.

1. WHICH PHONE CAN I BUY, THAT WILL BE FUTURE PROOF?

Answer : No technology is future proof, no matter what the manufacturer says. In fact its bound to get dated even so more if the manufacturer says that its future proof. The reason why technology advances is because there will be someone buying whatever is new. Because there will always be demand for new things, more resources are put into creating a better technology, all so that something can be sold and a profit can be made.

Projects like the Motorola Ara provide hope for a future proof phone, but once we think about it, it essentially  ends up being the same thing. The Motorola Ara is comprised of the phone’s exoskeleton and various modules that “can be anything” according to Motorola. The modules could include anything from a new processor or display to a pulse oximeter or an extra-large battery. But every module will need to be bought and there is a high chance that the owners will get bored of the design or looks of the concept. In that situation a newer phone would make more sense vs buying newer modules.

2. DOES BUYING AN EXPENSIVE PHONE MEAN I WILL NOT HAVE ANY PROBLEMS?

Answer : Not everything expensive is perfect. At the end of the day every phone consists of hardware, which can fail due to a number of reasons. Buying a more expensive phone may reduce the chance of issues, but may not remove it completely. Companies like Apple, Samsung etc have various quality standards that they enforce on their products. While some lower level companies who sell “cheaper” phones (read : import and sell Chinese handsets) many not have any standards of their own what so ever. Most of these “cheap” phone sellers rely on standards set by the manufacturers they buy their products from. 

Buying an expensive handset from a well known manufacturer mostly ensures good after sales support and maybe relatively less problems.

3. SHOULD I BUY MY PHONE NOW OR WAIT FOR THE NEXT VERSION/ NEXT BIG THING?

Answer: There are two ways to look at this and two possible answers. The first answer is Yes, Buying a newly launched phone means that you get the latest in technology, the newest features and the “coolest”, newest phone on the block. 

However, the Second answer is No, every time you buy a new phone, there will be something newer that will be launched. Unfortunately thats how it works!

So if you want to buy a new phone, the time is when you have the money and the intent.

4. I HAVE A BUDGET OF X, IF I EXTEND THIS WILL I GET A BETTER PHONE?

Answer : Again the answer is Yes and No. This truly depends on what your initial budget is and how much you are willing to extend it. For example if you extend your budget from a Galaxy Grand to a Galaxy Note 3 then yes you will get a better phone. But unless you are willing to drastically extend your budget, any other device around your original price bracket, even if its slightly more expensive may be no better than the other.

Q. MY SON / DAUGHTER WANTS TO BUY AN IPHONE, IS IT A GOOD INVESTMENT?

(iPhone is purely for reference, it could be any other phone)

Answer : If your Son/ Daughter wants to buy a particular phone they have their reasons for it, so the best possible thing to do is to let them buy it. It will be the easiest decision to make without any repercussions and hey, If they don’t like the phone at a later stage, they can’t blame you. 

Whatever their reason for selecting the phone; be it the way it looks or a special feature it has, is probably a good reason. Yes your job is to guide them and yes there may be a better phone or a better investment to be made, but it won’t be their choice and they won’t be happy.

So, If your budget permits buy them the damn phone.

BONUS QUESTION : CAN MY NEW PHONE FACETIME ? WILL I BE CHARGED FOR IT?

Answer : FaceTime is an Apple only VOIP service, that works between iPhones, iPads, iPods and Macs. So if your new phone is going to be an iPhone, Yes you will be able to FaceTime. That being said you can always use other services like Tango, Skype and possibly upcoming WhatsApp on any new phone that has a front facing camera and supports the said service. 

Most of these services rely purely on the device being connected to a data network like 3G or Wifi, so all you will be charged for is your data connection or whatever you already pay for your Wifi.

In other words ; No, you will not be charged for the service.

There are several other questions or myths people have about new technology, do you have any myths to bust, or suggestions for more myth busters. Drop them in the comments below. 

Home Automation: Apple’s New Initiative

The Apple Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) 2014 is going to take place on June 2-6 in San Francisco. It is going to one hell of an event – we’re looking forward to new MacBook’s, iOS 8 and possibly, the Apple TV. Here’s adding to the growing list. According to several sources, Apple may unveil a smart home platform that is centered around the iPhone.

It’s going to take comfort and convenience to another level. With this application you can interact with Internet enabled devices, like security systems, lights and household appliances. Making the handset the center of the user’s digital universe. This might further lead to Apple collaborating with home appliance companies to make products specifically designed for the iPhone’s smart home features.

There are two key points to note here. Firstly, this initiative might be the core component for the upcoming iOS iterations. This means that we will get to see Apple’s smart home to be connectable from pretty much any Apple device.

Secondly, while it is a comparatively new segment for tech based industries to enter, we know that several companies have attempted their hand at home automation in the past.  Earlier this year Google had acquired Nest Labs for $3.2 billion in cash. Nest Labs, is well known for its Nest Thermostat and the Nest protect smoke alarm.

It looks like Google might not want Apple to have the whole slice of the pie, as they are also eyeing an entry into the growing smart home market. It will be interesting to see these two silicon based giants battle it out. Who will turn victorious and sustain this venture is something we will have to wait and watch.

Look Out Oculus! ANTVR Might Steal the Show

VIDEO LINK :  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iXXcKQZUSWY

While the Oculus Rift was setting up the stage for the Virtual Reality(VR) revolution, one Chinese open source project might turtle its way to the finish line. A Chinese company called ANTVR is offering VR headsets which have everything that a proprietary system like Oculus lags. Get ready for a whole new  iOS-Android like battle.

The shining glory of the ANTVR is it flexibility of integration on multiple platforms. It can be used with Xbox, Playstation, PC, Blu Ray and even the Android. Right now Oculus only plays the games made for its system and Sony’s project Morpheus will only run on the PS4(Lame!).

It is easy to make games for the ANTVR because of its an Asperical Lens system. The lens also allows proper recreation of the image and takes out any aberrations. This might actually help correct the complaints of vertigo in the likes of the Oculus Rift. Adjustable pupil distance also helps to reduce the strain on the eyes.

The headset gives a 360 degrees immersive vision. It has a dual 9 axis Inertial Measurement Unit(IMU), which bestows on it better capabilities for sensing the movements of the user. The IMU is integrated in the headset as well as the controller. The headset’s 100 degree straight vision gives a feeling of wearing an entire IMAX screen on your head.

ANTVR co-founder Qin Zheng quit his PhD to work on the system. He and his entire team look as if they are the members of the fellowship of Nerdliwood. Maybe it is because they themselves are Sci-Fi and gaming nerds that they can perfect a system that other fan boys and girls can enjoy.

Another key area where the ANTVR succeeds in is its transformable controller that offers multiple functionality. The controller can be used as a standard controller, a steering wheel, a gun or even a simulated hand grenades, can it BE more all-round convenient? There is also an option for standard cables as well as a wireless version of the controller.

The designs for the ANTVR systems are done by China based industrial designers LKK. They have come up with really ingenious and kickass designs. The transformable controller especially will be a boon to the gamers.The software’s and sensors are designed for a complete immersive experience. The detachable controller makes it extremely simple to use. Easy placement on the head even with spectacles is a welcome development.

ANTVR’s open source platform opens it up to enormous possiblilities. Qin Zheng has said that he will provide all documentation and libraries to the public. This approach will help increase the rate of upgradation of firmware and rapid feedback and growth for the ANTVR in comparison to its competitors.

The most respectable part of Zheng’s approach is that he has made it clear that he will not sell the company. The company has already scored $212,344 with its kickstarter campaign whose target was $200,000. The selling price of the individual equipment is around 300$ which will be a direct competition to the Oculus Rift’s consumer version.

We seriously hope for the ANTVR project to live long and prosper and set a milestone in the VR arena. This will also force big companies like Facebook (owners of Oculus) to try to one up the competition and come up with better products.

Apple buys Beats Audio for $3 billion

It's now official. Apple has purchased Beats Audio for $3 billion. $400 million of that amount will vest over time. It is the largest purchase ever made by Apple, and represents a small amount of the company's $160 billion cash hoard. Apple CEO Tim Cook said that Beats Audio's co-founders, Jimmy Iovine and Dr. Dre, will be spending more time in Silicon Valley, working for Apple. Cook also said that the Beats brand will remain intact.

The purchase is an admission by Apple that its pay-per-tune payment plan for iTunes is not working. Apple wants to have a service that charges users monthly for access to content, and Beats Music fits the bill. Dr. Dre dialed down the celebration afteran initial self-congratulatory video selfie made Apple brass a bit worried about the deal. Today, Dre said, "Financially I'm in a place I never dreamed of. Now I'm just ready to get started with the work."

Many might consider the price high considering Beats Music had just 111,000 paying subscribers in March. But the headphones division raked in over $1 billion in revenue, and that might be a cash cow for Apple until the streaming music side of the company starts performing.

"This is a big deal. But to put it in some perspective, we acquired 15 companies last year and 12 this year, some 27 in 18 months. But this one is all about music, which we've always felt is in our veins and we've always appreciated that technology alone was not enough."-Tim Cook, CEO, Apple

5 awesome LG G3 features that make the Galaxy S5 look obsolete

It wasn’t exactly a surprise since specs and details surrounding LG’s new flagship smartphone have been leaking for months, but the company finally unveiled its new G3 handset on Tuesday. We took an early look at the phone in our hands-on LG G3 preview, and we found that LG’s new flagship phone outshines its predecessor in just about every way.

LG certainly has an uphill climb if it hopes to compete with top rival Samsung, but thanks to cutting-edge technology and a few innovative features, there are also several areas where the G3 doesn’t just top the G2, it outshines Samsung’s market-leadingGalaxy S5 as well.

Here are the top 5 LG G3 features that make Samsung’s Galaxy S5 look old and obsolete.

5.5-inch QHD Display

Samsung has been the best in the business for years when it comes to mobile displays but as was the case in the TV market, LG has quickly caught up. Now, Samsung’s South Korean rival has beaten it to the punch and announced the world’s first widely available smartphone with a quad HD display.

LG has managed to pack ridiculous 2,560 x 1,440-pixel resolution into a screen that measures 5.5 inches diagonally, and the result is a remarkable pixel density of 538 pixels per inch.

Samsung will reportedly follow LG’s lead and launch a quad HD smartphone of its own in the coming months but until then, LG clearly has the edge where pixel count is concerned.

Laser Auto Focus

LG’s G3 sports a unique camera feature that is the first of its kind on a smartphone.

The phone’s camera is among the quickest in the business when it comes to capturing moments and a big part of the reason for the G3′s speed is LG’s new laser auto focus system, which “can shoot stunningly sharp images in a fraction of the time required by conventional phone cameras.”

In layman’s terms, the system works by shooting an invisible laser beam at the subject of a photo and using it to measure the distance between the camera’s optics and the subject. This lets the phone know exactly where it should focus, to the millimeter, and eliminates blurry photos.

Knock Gestures

The LG G3 is huge. All flagship Android phones are huge these days. Thanks to some nifty work with the phones’ sensors though, unique gesture support makes some huge phones more manageable than others.

Last year’s G2 featured some knock gestures that made using the phone much easier. For example, a double tap on the phone’s display would wake it from sleep or put it to sleep while awake, eliminating the need to reach around for the power button.

The G3 takes things a step further with new knock support, including a nifty feature called “Knock On” that lets users unlock their phones by creating a specific pattern of knocks. Of note, the G2 also has this feature now in some regions thanks to a software update.

Some quick advice, though: Don’t use “Shave and a Haircut” as your Knock On pattern.

QuickCircle

A new trend among Android smartphone vendors is to find unique new ways to display information through a flip cover. The coolest implementation we had seen to date wasHTC’s Dot View case on the One (M8), but it looks like LG just pulled ahead with QuickCircle.

LG’s QuickCircle case includes a flip cover that is automatically detected by the phone. When the cover is closed, the G3 displays a circular UI through a space on the cover that shows important information and gives the users access to calling, text messaging, music and the phone’s camera.

Smart Keyboard

There are dozens of nifty alternatives to Android’s stock keyboard, but none offer all of the unique features found in LG’s new Smart Keyboard on the G3.

“Adaptive technology learns as you type for faster input with less mistakes,” LG said in a press release. “Smart Keyboard reduces input errors by up to 75 percent by tracking and analyzing typing habits and intuitively “knowing” what word the user intended to type. The height of the keyboard can also be adjusted to better fit the user’s hands and position of the thumbs. Individual keys can also be customized with frequently used symbols for even faster input.”

The G3′s Smart Keyboard can also grow and shrink according to the user’s preference, and there are several other customization options to help improve the typing experience.

For more on the LG G3, check out this video that shows you every cool new feature on the LG G3 in just 2 minutes.

Trials Frontier review - motorbikes survived the apocalypse, but so did in-app purchases with a downloading link

Publisher: Ubisoft	Download: Android, iOS
Genre: Motorbike Racing	Price: Free (with in-app purchases)

Extreme sports fans have it pretty easy these days. Every major app store is stocked to the brim with (mostly interchangeable) motorbike and monster truck mobile games. Frankly, most of them look like they are born out of crude experiments with 3D graphics and physics engines on a budget, hence they look bad and control awkwardly. But not this one, fortunately. Ubisoft's Trials Frontier is, by far, the best looking and most playable motorbike game we've had on a smartphone. In fact, it's one of the coolest and satisfying mobile games as a whole, but alas, it is plagued by in-app purchases and there's no way to put it nicely. Still, there are many things Trials Frontier has going on about it, so let's bring some of them to light.

The first thing you'll probably notice is that the game's graphics are both unique and impressive. Taking inspiration from dystopian PC games like Borderlands and Rage, Trials Frontier brings that same post-apocalyptic vibe to a genre that's practically devoid of personality. And not only does Trials introduce a unique setting, it also manages to inject a healthy dose of humor and ridiculousness into its apocalyptic backdrops and hard-boiled characters. You will notice that after you ride through your first race track and get a feel for the game's fantastic visuals. They integrate high quality hand-drawn backdrops with 3D-rendered assets that have an Unreal Engine look to them. The scenery is very colorful and detailed, but you might miss out on most of the eye candy because you will be concentrated on proper biking.

Apart from the glorious presentation, the elements that make the game stand out are an actual storyline, variety in levels, and that sense of humor we mentioned. Early in the game, you will witness your nameless character get crushed by stones released by an explosive trap. The distressing episode is followed by him waking up in a village, inhabited by a mob of characters that will proceed to give him quests. Some of these challenges will unlock new parts of the game map and advance the story forward. The storyline is completely ridiculous and it's not one to be taken seriously, but it's there, and it's actually fun. The race tracks are quite creative. They are rich with stunts, explosives, traps, and many of them feature a hilariously slapstick ending that sees your character bump into barriers, explosive barrels, walls and other obstacles without batting an eyelid. As a motorbike simulator, Trials Frontier isn't much ahead of the competition. It plays just like other specimens of the genre, and while the controls are reasonably tight, the physics are completely out of this world. Expect plenty of crashing and failed back-flips, along with the constant challenge of maintaining good balance.

Not long into the game, you will be introduced to its upgrade system, which happens in a way that foreshadows how Trials's in-app purchases system will eventually force you to pay up or put off playing it. You are faced with an unbeatable opponent and must upgrade your bike to get a chance against him. The first few rounds of upgrades are free, but from then on, it's money-making time. Trials features coins and diamonds as in-game currencies, and while you will be able to win some cash and jewels by completing challenges, sooner than later, buying them with real-world currency remains your only option if you want to keep playing. Trials is especially vicious in the ways it restricts you from progressing. For example, there's the fuel meter. Each challenge taxes you some drops of fuel to enter, and needless to say, in the later stages, you will frequently see yourself completely out of gas. Additionally, upgrades to your bike don't come any cheaper, and without them, you can forget progressing past a certain point. 

To ensure prompt payments, the game will introduce time-outs between the availability of fuel. Once you deplete the gas, it's either buy some, or wait one minute. A minute becomes an hour, an hour becomes two hours, and before long, you'll be faced with 24-hour time-outs if you happen to decide your real money are better spent on real fuel. Due to the extreme nature (or should we say, annoyance) of the in-app purchases, eventually Trials Frontier regresses from an addictive, bright game to something you'd rather play for 5 to 10 minutes to kill time, and from then on, even quick fixes of the game become impossible, as you will have to wait an hour before you're allowed a ride or two. By that time, your interest and, possibly, the weight of your wallet, will have waned.

Now that we've taken a quick look at Trials Frontier, what can we say about the game's pros and cons. It's for certain that the game boasts an awesome presentation, an original concept, and a funny storyline. It's also simple and fun to play, while being just challenging enough to be interesting. However, the dreadful in-app purchase system ruins the party very quickly. It would have been much better if the game was available as a paid download with a limited amount of purchases. Instead, the game practically extorts you with buying diamonds and fuel just so you are able to play. We feel many of you will enjoy Trials Frontier right until the shopping compulsions kick in, and then move on to another game. A bit of a shame, really, because the game has a lot to offer, but it's not enough to entice you into paying for everything all the time.

Microsoft Surface Pro 2 prices drop at online U.K. Microsoft Store

 As you might expect, following the introduction of the Microsoft Surface Pro 3 last week, prices of the predecessor tablet are dropping like the proverbial stone. At the online U.K. Microsoft Store, prices for theMicrosoft Surface Pro 2 have been slashed by as much as £150 ($252 USD). The 64GB version of the Tablet is now £569 ($956 USD) while the 512GB version of the slate is priced at £1,289 ($2167 USD). Both of those prices include the £150 discount. The Surface 3 is priced at £639 ($1074 USD).

So just what is the difference between the Microsoft Surface Pro 3 and the previous model? One of the main differences is with the screen size. The newer machine offers a 12 inch display, up from the 10.6 inch display on the Surface Pro 2. The Intel Core i5 on the latter is replaced with the Intel Core i7 on the newer tablet.

Microsoft doesn't want to write off a whole slew of unsold Surface Pro 3 slates, so the price cut is being done to keep inventories of the slate moving. Last year, the company ended up having to write off nearly $1 billion of unsold Microsoft Surface RT tablets that were collecting dust in the warehouse.