Jan 19, 2011: News Digest

This post is a summary of all the technology, gadget, electronics and news that I find interesting from different sources. You never know, something from this list may interest you too... Check it out...

Topics:
- Forgot your wallet? No problem! Starbucks will accept payment from your phone
- "Phantom Data" source identified in Windows Phone 7, says Microsoft

- VUDU updates keep coming, hits multiple devices

- Nintendo 3DS will hit stores on Mar 27 in US, for $249

- Valve introduces cross-platform gaming for Portal 2

Forgot your wallet? No problem! Starbucks will accept payment from your phone

Source: Engadget

Strarbucks has been testing this for a while and is now rolling out the feature to make payments for Coffee and other purchases in Starbucks using your smartphone (iPhone and Blackberry, Android phones are not loved). The Strarbucks Card mobile app will display the barcode that will be recognized by the scanner in Starbucks outlets to charge you for your purchase. The purchase will be charged against the Starbucks Card account that is already available for Starbucks. With NEC chip support coming up, the mobile payments seem to be a good area to attract tech savvy customers.

"Phantom Data" source identified in Windows Phone 7, says Microsoft

Source: Engadget

Some users of Windows Phone 7, have noticed and reported about "Phantom Data" that seems to be relayed periodically from the Windows Phone devices. The source of the data transfer had remained a mystery for the users, as it was not part of the data access that they were attempting and was taking place, even when the phone was not in use. While some people suggested that it could be the nature of billing by carriers, today Microsoft has confirmed that some of the reported cases are because of third party software. The software is not named, but could explain the reason why all users are not seeing this problem. Microsoft are still evaluation additional causes for this potential problem

VUDU updates keep coming, hits multiple devices

Source: Engadget

VUDU is a high-definition On-Demand Movie streaming service. This service is slowly getting into lot of the media streamer devices and is gradually becoming a formidable competitor for Netflix. Unlike Netflix, this service is On-Demand and does not need a recurring monthly subscription. VUDU updates have hit Boxee boxes and PS3 recently and as a sign on bonus they are giving free credits. You get a free HD movie option in PS3 and $5.99 credit in Boxee that is good for 2 HD movies. Since the movies are available same day as DVD and the online collection is latest, it seems a better service than Netflix for movies.

Nintendo 3DS will hit stores on Mar 27 in US, for $249

Source: Engadget

Nintendo announced its next generation mobile gaming platform in 3DS. This device extends the much popular DSi, by adding glasses-free 3D support to it. The 3D is achieved with lenticular technology and is supposed to be good for a single person use, which is normally the case for mobile gaming devices. The launch date and price were finally announced today and the device will hit US markets on Mar 27th for $249. With the mobile gaming industry making a switch towards casual gaming, it will be interesting to see the sales figures for Nintendo 3DS. The initial preview and feedback of 3D on the device has been said to be game dependent and not evenly implemented in all games. The device is likely to get as much as 27 titles by June.

Valve introduces cross-platform gaming for Portal 2

Source: ArsTechnica

Portal 2 has been one of the much anticipated game across all platforms While this game eluded consoles in the previous version, it is set to release in all platforms this time around. In a pleasant surprise for PS3 users, the PS3 version of this game will include a free copy of PC / Mac version. It will required integration of PlayStation Network (PSN) id and Steam id, but will allow users to play in the console and then continue on PC. This is the first game in PS3 (to my knowledge) that is going to allow cross platform integration. The game will be releasing on Apr 19th and is available from Amazon for $54.99

Author: Vinod