Valve updating select Steam games with system requirements for Linux users

Linux for Steam might not be ready for mass consumption just yet, but we're now able to get an idea of what system requirements will be for some of the platform's games. Valve has updated select titles with Tux-friendly specifications. While some games don't appear to require a specific distro, Ubuntu appears to be the most supported thus far. If you plan on heading over to Steam's site to see if your setup cuts the mustard, double dippers be warned -- it seems that non-Linux machines will not display system requirements. We're guessing the masses will see something like the screengrab above as time marches on, though.

[Source: Engadget]

Six Reasons Why You Should Get a Tablet This Christmas

Once upon a time, laptops were the big Christmas purchase. Now, however, it’s the tablet’s time to shine. If you’re looking into getting one of these portable touchscreen computers either for yourself or a lucky loved one, you may be wondering whether it’s worth the investment. If this is the case, here are a few things for you to consider before you buy.

Portability

As with many small electronic devices, tablets are great for taking out and about. Smaller andmore svelte even than laptops, they’re perfect for using in all kinds of places from long train journeys to coffee shop visits.

Ease of use

Thanks to their touchscreen interfaces, tablets can easily be operated even by those who might be considered somewhat less tech savvy than the average person. Even if they do prove a little daunting at first, a few minutes of the basics should soon see anyone well on their way to using a tablet all by themselves.

Productivity

Believe or not, tablets can help you keep on top of work on the go. Whether you’re a student or an office worker, being able to access your emails, files and even office software remotely can be a lifesaver.

Entertainment

Most tablets have access to hundreds of great games and other applications. Additionally, they can be used to browse the internet, watch films, listen to music and even read books thanks to their e-reader-like capabilities.

Affordability

Due to tablets becoming increasingly common with each passing month, there are now a number of incredibly well-priced options out there (for example the latest Novatech tablet). This means that, like smartphones before them, it will soon be possible for pretty much everything to have one.

Fun factor

There are few people who can honestly say they don’t find using a tablet quite entertaining. Whether it’s because the intuitive controls allow them to interact with various apps in exciting new ways or simply because it makes them feel like they’re in a science fiction film, most tablets are really quite fun to use. [spon]

Secret Santa Revealed

Ooooooh, only 21 sleeps until Christmas :D

It is this time of year that we all look forward to spending time with family & friends. The preparation is just as exciting too, with late night shopping, food planning & the decorating of a real (or possibly virtual) Christmas Tree.

I am in the priveleged position to have an extended set of friends too. Over the years of producing videos, the cool comments come flooding in, the tweets go crazy and the likes on Facebook make me smile. On Twitter & YouTube I communicate with some super cool people, mainly gadget addicts like me, but really a diverse mix. So when I was contacted to take part in a Secret Santa by MoneySuperMarket I was super excited.

The time to reveal the recipient of my gift is now here … and boy oh boy was I smiling when I saw that I had been partnered with a fellow geek. So my Christmas Gift is winging its way to GadgetsBoy … making his Christmas that little bit brighter.

For a nice twist & to keep everyone guessing, just what should I buy someone who handles tech every day? 

Winter Warmers
Maybe some Touch Screen Gloves are in order. Keeping those fingers warm and frost free, whilst still being able to keep those Tweets & Instagram pics coming. These look really geeky and good value for money. I have seen these in varying styles and always fancied a pair myself. Maybe I am drawn to these because I WANT THEM!!! I have heard many a funny story over the years where people buy gifts for others that they really wish they were receiving. Now, if someone could invent some Gaming Gloves to make me play a little better… Hmmmmmmm. 

Gaming
Now, I know that GadgetsBoy likes his gaming, both hardcore & casual, so I went on the search for something that would make this a little more unique & enjoyable. The JOYSTICK-IT Tablet Arcade Stick came to mind and certainly looks the part. Made of aluminium, it looks superbly engineered and attaches to your iPad (or other tablet) for the ultimate control. I really like the look of this and think it could finally see my good friend achieving some good scores.

Staying Alert
Working with and testing all this tech takes time. We both work hard and play hard. Maybe a mix of caffeine and multi-vitamins will do the trick and keep my friend producing all those great articles & videos. I don't believe in getting drunk (although I know many do have a very MERRY Christmas), but I do think staying alert & happy, allows us all to pass on that love and enthusiasm that we have. Making someone else smile, through a comment or a video or a goodwill gesture is a must thing to do. Maybe a month's supply of React Energy Drinks will do the trick!!! When your eyes are getting tired Mr GadgetsBoy, sit back and re-energize yourself… will this be your gift? 

So, I guess we will all have to sit back and wait to see what I send my good friend for Christmas. Have a great time everyone… enjoy your technology, enjoy your gadgets, but most of all … enjoy your friends, family and close ones and have an EPIC CHRISTMAS !!!

Tokyoflash Kisai Online Winner

A couple of weeks ago Geekanoids published a review of the Kisai Online watch from Tokyoflash. This modern watch looks awesome and shows the time in a very unique way. You can check out the review below.

In addition to the review, Tokyoflash very kindly gave us an Online watch to give away. So many of you entered and we cannot thank you enough, but there can only be one winner. 
The winner of the Kisai Online is @geekhelpinghand on Twitter … a BIG CONGRATULATIONS goes out to you.

If you were not lucky enough to win, then there is some good news here for you too. Head on over to the Tokyoflash website and place your order. Use code GEE15 at checkout for up to 15% off your order (valid for the next seven days). 

Droidax Power Pack for the Samsung Galaxy S3

Like many a first wife in Texas has said, you can never have too much power. (At least that's what I assume first wives in Texas say. But then again I watch a lot of "Dallas.") To that end, we present the Droidax Power Pack for the Samsung Galaxy S3.  If this idea looks familiar, it should. It's in the same vein as arguably the most important iPhone accessory -- the Mophie Juicepack. This is a dual-function accessory -- it's a case and an external 2300 mAh battery combined, prolonging life in more ways than one.

[Source: To read the full article visit Android Central]

Synaptics enters the keyboard market, announces the ThinTouch keyboard aimed at Ultrabooks

More likely than not, when you think of Synaptics you think of its touchpads. Or maybe, if you're a mobile aficionado, you know it for its touchscreens, used in phones like the HTC One X and Sony Xperia P. Now, though, the company is about to start making another kind of tactile product: keyboards. That thing you see up there is ThinTouch, a keyboard Synaptics will supply to PC makers looking for ways to make their Ultrabooks even thinner. Indeed, the keyboard is said to be up to 50 percent thinner than its competitors, and Synaptics' big pitch to OEMs is that a thinner keyboard allows for slimmer PCs, with room for larger batteries (now that we need). The company is also promising stronger backlighting, since the keys sit close to the substrate and there aren't rubber domes blocking the light source. Lastly, there's a capacitive sensor underneath the keyboard, allowing the touchpad to be disabled automatically while you're typing. (Naturally, this works best if the trackpad is also made by Synaptics.) The company is also developing a feature in which the space bar could be a touch sensor in and of itself, with support for functions like autocomplete.

[Source: To read the full article visit Engadget]

Barnes & Noble to offer Nook devices in the UK

Barnes & Noble announced today that it plans to bring its Nook devices and digital content to the UK this autumn. Nook Simple Touch and Nook Simple Touch with GlowLight will both be available in UK stores during mid-October according to the company, with yet to be named UK partners.  William J. Lynch, Barnes & Noble CEO, says he is confident about the upcoming launch in the UK. "We are proud to be able to offer our top-rated line of NOOK reading devices and our award-winning digital bookstore to the discerning and highly educated consumers in the UK." A UK version of the Nook Store will also be available in the autumn, featuring 2.5 million digital titles — with top-selling UK books included.

Amazon announced a similar deal in the UK earlier this year, partnering with Waterstones to sell Kindle devices in UK brick and mortar stores. It's not clear whether Barnes & Noble will partner will also partner with Waterstones, the company plans to detail its partnerships later this year. A UK deal for Nook devices is the first major development since Microsoft and Barnes & Noble announced a strategic partnership to spin off the digital and College businesses and create a dedicated Nook Windows 8 application.

[Source: The Verge]

HTC 'Endeavor C2' rumored to be a spec-bumped One X for late 2012

HTC's flagship One X may be set to receive a minor specification bump before the end of 2012, according to reports from ​Stuff​. The re-vamped model is known only by its codename "HTC Endeavor C2" -- note that the original One X was "Endeavor". It'll allegedly ship with a souped-up 1.7GHz quad-core NVIDIA Tegra 3 CPU, along with an "improved" battery, new color options and urBeats earphones included in the box. ​Stuff​ also claims that the new "Endeavor C2" will be compatible with all existing One X accessories, which to us implies that the chassis design will remain identical.  Essentially, the C2 could be to the One X what the Sensation XE was to the original Sensation last year -- the same design, with slightly upgraded internals. The news also converges nicely with rumors we've heard from T-Mobile USA, suggesting an "HTC One X+" may be arriving on that network later in the year...

[Source: To read the full atricle visit Android Central]

Would You Wear an Internet-Connected T-Shirt?

T-shirts are great outerwear, especially in the summer. But they’re just so, you know, analog. That may change, though. Ballantine’s, the brand behind the tattoo-based “Human API,” has a new idea it calls “T-Shirt OS.”  The concept: A T-shirt with an ultrathin LED screen that’s connected to the Internet (via your smartphone) and can display tweets, your Intstagram feed and even take photos. Though the technology to do all this is available, it’s not clear whether consumers want such an item. Hence the video above, which is a sort of trial balloon for the concept. If you like what Ballantine’s is proposing, then visit the brand’s Facebook Page.  

[Source: Mashable]

Voice assistant 'Nina' lets any app obey your commands, makes speech your password

Voice recognition technology from Nuance is all over the place -- in everything from Smart TVs to Beemers. But today, in response to the growth of device-specific voice assistants like Siri and S-Voice, the company wants to take things down a different route: launching a mobile SDK for iOS and Android that any third-party app can employ. Baptized "Nina," the voice assistant won't only be able to understand instructions, but will also identify the speaker using vocal biometrics. That means Nina could potentially pay a bill, arrange a bank transfer, book a vacation or even interact with government services without ever requiring you to enter a password. The video after the break shows just how intimate things could get -- assuming you're able to find a spot where the two of you won't be overheard.

[Source: Engadget]

BBC shows off 33-megapixel Super Hi-Vision Olympic footage

The first live Super Hi-Vision broadcast for public consumption was of the Olympic opening ceremony in London last week. We didn't get to see that premiere, or the second or third screenings either -- but the fourth? Oh yes. We grabbed a seat right up front of a small theater inside BBC Broadcasting House, watched a live 33-megapixel feed from the Aquatics Center and absorbed some very fond memories in the process. At the same time, a question hung over the footage like a watermark: why bother? The world is barely getting to grips with the notion of 4K, so why did the BBC and Japanese broadcaster NHK go to the expense of sending a dedicated SHV video truck, a 22.2-channel SHV audio truck, and the world's only three 8K Ultra HDTV cameras to London? Fortunately, we caught up with someone in charge who was able to respond to that question. Read on for what they said, plus a slightly fuller sense of what the footage was like to watch.

[Source: To read the full article visit Engadget]

Next-Gen iPhone Dock Offers Robotic Motion

In April 2012, an ambitious Kickstarter project made headlines for exceeding its $100,000 funding goal by more than half a million dollars. The project was Galileo, an iOS-controlled, robotic motion platform for the iPhone and iPod Touch.The brainchild of Motrr team Josh Guyot and JoeBen Bevirt, the guys behind Joby and Guyot Designs, the dock certainly captured the imagination of the Kickstarter community, with more than 5,000 backers getting involved.The Galileo isn’t just a high-end iOS dock though, it’s due to be an entire platform. With apps already in the works and a software development kit due soon, we file the project under “one to watch,” with exciting potential for video conferencing, photography, videography and social networking. To find out more we spoke to one of the founders.

[Source: Mashable]