Shift 2 Unleashed PC Gameplay With PS2 Controller

Apple patents reveal hearing aid-based social network

Engadget has dug up a filing at the US patent office's application database, in which Apple describes a social network for hearing aids.

The hearing aids involved would store a profile on its wearer, and, when they're communicating with another hearing aid user, audio profiles would be swapped so the technology could adjust and people could hear each other better.

The devices could also be location aware for specific venues, knocking out ambient noise when required. The patent specifically mentions using an iPhone to connect to the hearing aid social network in order to select venue-specific profiles, which could then be uploaded to the hearing aid.

Windows 8

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Windows Phone 8 rumoured for November release

While Windows 8 has a final release date, over on our sister site ZDNet, Mary Jo Foley has outed a few whispers she's heard regarding other Microsoft launches.

This week, the Redmondians confirmed that Windows 8 will be generally available on October 26, after being released to manufacturing by the first week of August. The Microsoft Surface RT tablet (the one based on an ARM processor that cannot run most existing Windows apps natively) also is due out October 26, too. And we also know from Microsoft disclosures a week ago thatWindows Server 2012 will be released to manufacturing by the first week of August and will be generally available (GA) in September.

One of my good sources in Spain shared what he said are additional official Microsoft delivery targets with me this week. To be clear: This information is from one source only. But these jibe with previously rumored targets I've been hearing from other sources on various product due dates for a while now. With those caveats, I'm going to publish these "whisper dates," even though Microsoft isn't confirming them.

In addition to Windows 8 and Windows Server 2012, here's what's coming in the next few months, according to my contact:

Latest Windows Azure updates: August (RTM); September (GA). (Note: I am thinking these updates are the ones that Microsoft announced as their Azure "spring updates" and that are available in preview form.)

Visual Studio 2012: August (RTM and Price List); September (GA)

Microsoft Dynamics NAV: September (RTM); October (GA)

Windows Phone 8: September (RTM for "Apollo" OS); November (GA for first devices)

Office 15: October (added to price list); November (RTM); February 2013 (GA)

I had heard previously some talk that Microsoft might be working to hold some kind of a "launch" where it could announce immediate availability of both Windows 8 and Windows Phone 8 devices, but based on these new dates, it looks like any kind of orchestrated launch event would seem to need to be later than October 26.  (However, for what it's worth, I also am still continuing to hear a Build 2.0 type developers conference is still happening this year, likely in October, as I've noted previously.)

Also: The new Office 15 general availability date of February 2013 meshes with an earlier leaked Microsoft roadmap about which I blogged, which indicated Microsoft will release to manufacturing all of its Office client, server and services products late this year, but make them generally available in early 2013. (I guess that means last week's rumors of a delay of Office 15 general availability until May 2013 might be off. Now I'm curious what is coming on Office 15 front in May 2013.)

A couple of updates:

First on Windows Phone 8: As one reader noted, Nokia CEO Stephen Elop told the New York Times that the Windows Phone 8 software would be "released" in October.  Elop may mean Microsoft will be releasing it at that time (following a September RTM) to phone makers. Or it could mean Microsoft is going to allow Nokia to go out with Windows Phone OS 8 devices before other phone makers do in November. It's also good to remember that Microsoft can (and has) "launched" products without them actually being available to customers until some time after the "launch" event.

On Office 15, I've had a few folks me how the RTM date of November can be right, given that the Surface RT tablets running Office 2013 RT will be out in October. The answer: The Office 2013 RT apps on those devices will be in preview form, not final, as Microsoft officials acknowledged last month.

James Magnussen on the tech he loves the most

Australia's gold medal favourite James Magnussen tells IT News Flash  about the personal tech that makes a difference in his life.

Australia loves to dominate in the pool, and few right now are as dominant as the current 100m World Champion swimmer James Magnussen. He holds the fourth fastest swim ever over 100m, and is now the spearhead of the Australian men's swim team. Magnussen answered a few questions for CNET Australia about his favourite tech and how the tech helps him stay on top and in touch while on the road to London 2012.

How important is technology in today's training regimen? How does the tech directly improve training and performance?

Technology is really important in my training. My coach and I use the Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 to record my training, and we are able to receive instantaneous feedback on my stroke and look at ways that I can improve my race and eliminate any imperfections with my technique.

What's the tech you couldn't live without?

I couldn't live without my smartphone. It has everything I need to keep in touch with friends and family, it keeps me organised, I am able to answer emails on the go and it has everything I need to relax and have some fun.

What tech do you miss when you're on the road?

I would have to say that I miss my Smart TV the most when I am away; it is great for watching the NRL. Unfortunately, it is one of the only products that I can't take away on trips with me.

When you're on the road at a meet, how does tech help you stay in touch with friends and family?

My [Samsung Galaxy] S3 and Tab are great for keeping in touch with friends and family. I am always on it, either on social media or on Skype.

What's your top three apps?

Commbank, Samsung Music Hub and Formula 1.

What websites are top of your bookmark list?

Bulldogs NRL website and Body Science.

What's your hot tip for the rest of us from your use of tech, while under pressure or away from home?

While I am away from home and travelling a lot, I use my Tab to watch movies. It helps pass the time and it helps me think about something other than swimming.

What tech will be most important to you while you're in London for the Games?

My Tab and my camera will be very important whilst I am in London. I use my Tab in training, and that will be great to film my sessions and look at my stroke. I also hope to take lots of photos whilst I am away, I'll definitely use my camera [the Samsung WB150F SMART] to capture some memories.

Have you ever dropped your phone in a pool?

I am very careful with my phone, so no, I haven't dropped it in the pool. Yet.

Vodafone delays Nexus S Jelly Bean upgrade

Vodafone has had to delay the roll-out of Android 4.1 Jelly Bean to the Nexus S after finding a software fault.

Customers had been expecting Jelly Bean to roll out to the Nexus S today.

In a short blog post on the Vodafone Australia website, Vodafone announced it had found that the software "does not meet all the Australian regulatory requirements related to emergency calls".

Vodafone said that there is no longer any expected timing for the roll-out to resume.

HTC One S

Battery life is the Achilles' heel of the HTC One S, hampering an otherwise sleek and solidly performing smartphone, and making it one for light users only.

Good things come in threes, or so they say. HTC has three phones in its One-series range: the top-end One X, the low-end One V and the piggy-in-the-middle HTC One S. But, as it is with all middle children, the One S struggles to stand out.

Design

Did you road test the One X in a phone shop recently, but walked away concerned that the screen was too big? It's probably the most common refrain from people handling this year's batch of smartphones, especially those who are used to the considerably smaller iPhone. HTC and Samsung are arm wrestling for your Android interest, and the size and quality of the screens is one of the key battlegrounds. Both the One X and the Galaxy S III have screens in excess of 4.5 inches diagonally, and, for some users, this is just too big.

Enter the HTC One S. It mostly shares the physical design of the One X, but packs it into a slightly smaller package. The screen here is 4.3 inches in size, which in turn shaves 5mm off the height and width of the handset, compared with the larger One X. The screen is also lower resolution, down to a qHD (540x960-pixel) panel, and makes use of AMOLED screen technology, rather than Super LCD. While it is hard to notice the drop in pixels with the naked eye, the shift in screen technology is far more pronounced. Colours displayed on the One S are bold, bordering on appearing over-saturated. This will bother some people, but only as much as it will be seen as evidence of how great this screen is by others. Our test video content looks amazing on the AMOLED screen, and its off-axis viewing angles are outstanding.

HTC opts for a aluminium chassis on the One S, with a small, detachable portion at the top on the back of the handset. Below this, the user can find a micro-SIM slot beside the phone's 8-megapixel camera lens. The battery in the One S is non-user accessible, like the One X, and there is no micro-SD card reader to expand the handset's internal 16GB of storage — of which only 12GB is available for users to store personal content on.

User experience and features

For the most part, the user experience and pre-installed features on the One S are the same as those we saw earlier in the year when we reviewed the One X. This handset runs on Android Ice Cream Sandwich (our review unit was on version 4.0.3) with HTC Sense version 4.0 over the top. This includes Beats Audio software, the HTC Watch movie-rental service, the time-stamped HTC Notes app and plenty more.

For richer details as to what you can expect, especially if you are using an older HTC device, check out our One X review.

Performance

So much of the One X and One S is the same, but differences appear below the surface. While the top-shelf One X runs on Nvidia's quad-core Tegra 3 processor, the S is powered by the seemingly slower dual-core Qualcore Krait chip, clocked at 1.5GHz per core. We say "seemingly slower", meaning you could confuse cores with speed, but this isn't necessarily the case.

In our performance benchmarks, the One S held its own admirably. It's BrowserMark results are in proximity of those when the test is run on the Tegra 3 hardware, and our OpenGL 3D-rendering test places the One S among the best phones we've seen this year. This tests don't hold too much water, in our opinion, but they at least indicate what you'll see in everyday use; that the One S offers a smooth, pleasurable user experience.

As it was with the HTC One X, battery life is a concern with the One S. HTC does a decent job of preserving juice when the phone is in standby mode, but when the screen is on, the battery life is among the lowest we've seen this year. This means that light to moderate users won't be too concerned; if you don't have one long sessions browsing the web each day, you shouldn't notice the battery running short. But heavy users will definitely need to look elsewhere for a phone that can handle their usage patterns.

Overall

Crammed between the One X and One V, the One S is a phone with middle-child syndrome. It has a good design, solid performance and some excellent features, but so does the One X, with it's larger, 4.7-inch screen. Battery life is a big concern, too, and while we appreciate that HTC is consciously putting the slim-line design of its handsets first, we are hesitant in recommending a phone with battery-drain results like those we saw when we put the One S through the CNET Australia labs.

In theory, the One S should be a cheaper version of the One X flagship model, but Australian customers won't benefit from a difference in price, with Optus offering both HTC models on the same AU$50 plan. If you really can't stand the larger screen on the One X, then the S is a reasonable alternative, but so too would be the Galaxy Nexus, Sony Xperia S or last year's now-cheaper Galaxy S II.