Xi3's Piston modular PC runs a custom UI on top of Windows, we go eyes-on (video)

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2013/11/13/xi3-pistons-modular-pc-custom-UI-hands-on/

There isn't much mystery left surrounding Xi3's modular gaming PC: we know it'll run Windows 7 Embedded, and we know it'll go on sale November 29th for $1,000. But there's one lingering detail that's continued to confuse us: what's the user interface like? So far, we've only gotten a brief look at some custom UI running on top of Windows, and even that wasn't final software. Finally, though, we caught up with the Xi3 team and had a chance to see the still-unnamed UI in action.

By default, the Piston boots straight into this custom interface, as opposed to Windows. As promised, it hooks into various web services like Netflix and iTunes (to name just two examples), so if you click on "Hulu" or something like that, you'll just need to enter your login credentials to run the "app," as it were. Additionally, you can pin your favorite games to the main menu so that you can get at them with one click, without having to dig deeper into the menus. Conversely, you can remove items from the menu entirely if they're not relevant to you, as well as reorder them. Oh, and if you're ever using Windows and want to get back into the custom-UI side, you can just double-tap the Start button on your keyboard. It's very simple, really (the whole point is to stay focused on gaming), but you know what they say: a picture says a thousand words. Check out our demo video below if you want a better feel for how the whole thing works.%Gallery-slideshow121523%

Filed under: Desktops, Gaming

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Google opens education-only Play store

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2013/11/13/google-play-education/

Granted, they missed the back-to-school season by a couple of months, but now appears to be the time to launch educational initiatives. Yesterday, MakerBot offered up some pomp and circumstance for its Academy offering, working to make 3D printing more accessible for public schools. Today, Google's opening up an education-themed version of Play, designed specifically for K-12 schools. The store offers bulk purchasing for classes and and districts, which should be a pretty solid enticement for devs attempting to break into the education market. There's more info on the offering from a developer's perspective in the source link below.

Filed under: Software, Mobile, Google

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Source: Android Developers Blog

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These Are The Three Most Important Things About Netflix's Dramatic New TV Redesign

Source: http://www.businessinsider.com/netflixs-tv-redesign-2013-11

Today, Netflix is rolling out a redesign of its television experience that will look and feel radically different from what you've grown used to if you watch Netflix on a TV screen. 

Which a lot of people do. 

Netflix members watch more than a billion hours of movies and shows per month, mostly on their TVs. 

“This is the biggest change to the TV experience in our history," Chris Jaffe, vice president of product innovation from Netflix, told Business Insider. The update has been in the works for two years. 

These are the most important changes: 

1. You instantly get more info on every show or movie 

If you scroll over an option on Netflix, that title will now have three large pictures that it will cycle through to give you a better idea of what the show or movie is all about. Then you'll also get a short synopsis and personalized details, like whether a friend has viewed it, how it relates to something you've watched in the past, or whether it's won any awards. "We want to quickly and easily answer the question, 'Why should I watch this?'" Jaffe said. "That's the evidence piece."

In general, the new design is much more simple, visual, and beautiful. 

2. Easy updates for all 

Because this Netflix update is delivered by a new software platform that will run on all types of devices, you'll never have to wait a long time for an update again. Previously, Netflix had to code its updates differently for every different device, ranging from Smart TVs to PlaysSations. "We'll be able to innovate and improve must faster," Jaffe said. 

(The Nintendo Wii and Apple TV, however, will not get this update because they have custom Netflix designs.)

3. You're going to find yourself even more addicted to your watching Netflix

No, really.

Netflix tested its new design with hundreds of Playstation 3 users who didn’t realize they were getting a new experience. Turns out, the new design results in higher engagement: members watch more.

Almost sounds more like a warning to us. 

Check out the promo vid from Netflix:

The new Netflix television experience launches on Netflix on Nov. 13 and will be available to all members globally within two weeks. Devices that will support the new experience include PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, Xbox 360, Roku 3, newer Smart TVs and recent Blu-ray players. Additional devices, including older Roku boxes, will be added over the coming months.

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Incredible video of the magic morphing table that lets you touch things

Source: http://sploid.gizmodo.com/this-video-of-the-magic-morphing-table-is-awesome-1463167945/@kcampbelldollaghan

Remember the morphing table that can replicate your body and movements in real time? It's name is inForm. Daniel Leithinger—from the Tangible Group at MIT Medialab—just told Sploid about their first official video. This thing is so damn awesome.

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Google's Portable Native client lets one app run on any hardware in Chrome

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2013/11/12/google-portable-native-client/

Since 2011, Google's Native Client has been enabling developers to write applications like photo editors, CAD modelers and 3D games in C or C++ and run them inside the Chrome browser. Initially, Native Client only functioned on x86 machines, and early this year it began working on ARM devices, too. However, coders had to recompile their apps for each kind of CPU architecture. Now, the company's long-awaited Portable Native Client has arrived, and with it comes the elimination of the need for platform-specific recompiling. That means devs can compile their app a single time and have it run seamlessly on devices with x86, ARM and MIPS chips. For now, PNC is only supported in Chrome, but should devs want their apps to run in Firefox, Internet Explorer, Safari or any other browser, they can use Google's Pepper API and JavaScript to get the job done. Of course, there's lots more info about Portable Native Client and how to get started using it over at the Chromium blog, so hit the source for the full spill.

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Source: Chromium blog

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