HTC Executive Reveals Android 6.0 Marshmallow Rollout Details

Google’s Nexus event just ended today with the company announcing two new Nexus devices, a new Chromecast, Android 6.0 Marshmallow, a new Pixel C tablet, and some other smaller improvements and updates sent out to different services.

– Android 6.0 Marshmallow to be available next week – focus on battery improvements

Android 6 rollout strategy:

Google shared that the new iteration of the Android operating system will start rolling out to Nexus devices next week. However, as typical with Android rollouts, there are no details of when the other Android devices will be getting the update. HTC executive, Jason Mackenzie, has started the speculation game by tweeting that the HTC One M8 and the One M9 will be getting the Android 6.0 Marshmallow before the end of 2015. Other HTC devices will be getting the s’mores early in 2016.

As with all the Android releases, there is a small warning asterisk letting us know that “not all carriers in all regions will have completed the roll out before the end of 2015.” While these two are the past two flagship devices from HTC, it still takes carriers quite a lot of time to roll out latest Android updates. Mackenzie promises “serving up Marshmallow sweetness real soon,” but we can’t be sure just how soon that will be.

HTC One A9 is also expected to be announced on October 20th, probably carrying Android 6.0 Marshmallow out of the box. We will be updating you about the Android 6 rollout strategy for more devices as they are revealed.

Android 6.0 Marshmallow offers improved battery and charging enhancements with a new Doze mode, granular app permissions, deeply integrated fingerprint sensor capabilities, Google Now on Tap, and much more. While not a major update in terms of design, Google has certainly tried to refine the Android experience with more focus on under-the-hood optimizations.

Next Gen AMD Stoney And Bristol Ridge APUs Spotted In BIOS Update

AMD’s next generation Bristol Ridge and Stoney Ridge desktop APUs set to launch in 2016 were spotted in a BIOS update. These two families of desktop APUs are based on AMD’s fourth generation CMT – Clustered Multi-Threading- x86 CPU microacrchitecture code named “Excavator”.

Based on the various leaks that have come out so far, Bristol Ridge APUs should feature up to 4 Excavator CPU cores as well as 8 GCN GPU compute units. Stoney Ridge APUs on the other hand will target the entry APU segment, featuring half the number of CPU cores and 3 GCN compute units. The addition of Bristol Ridge and Stoney Ridge ID’s indicates that we might see some engineering samples of said APUs appear in the wild in the not too distant future.

AMD 7th Generation APUs Coming To Desktops Next Year

Bristol Ridge and Stoney Ridge both belong to AMD’s 7th generation APU line-up that the company announced back in May at its Financial Analyst Day event. The 7th generation of AMD APUs will debut on a brand new socket and platform dubbed AM4 that they will share with AMD’s hotly anticipated high-performance Summit Ridge family of CPUs.
Summit Ridge is the leaked code name for AMD’s upcoming FX family of enthusiast/high-end desktop CPUs featuring AMD’s brand new high performance x86 CPU core “Zen”, the development of which was spearheaded by the legendary CPU architect Jim Keller.

Despite sharing the same platform, Summit Ridge processors will be made on a more advanced 14nm/16nm FinFET manufacturing process for better power efficiency and higher performance. While the Bristol Ridge and Stoney Ridge families will build-on the current Carrizo SOC design and maintain the same Globalfoundries’ 28nm SHP process. However Summit Ridge, Bristol Ridge and Stoney Ridge will all share DDR4 memory support and AM4 socket compatibility

All three families represent an all new top-to-bottom roll-out of brand new desktop CPU and APU products coming up next year. All AMD desktop processors, CPUs and APUs, will share a single platform starting with the previously mentioned AM4 socket. Differentiation in motherboard tiers will therefore occur at the chipset level. We should see a range of high-end to medium range and entry level chipsets to address the needs of enthusiasts on the Zen based FX processor line as well the needs of the more average user looking to build a simple APU based system.

Summit Ridge and Stoney Ridge Platforms

WCCFTech	AMD Bristol Ridge	AMD Stoney Ridge	AMD A-Series "7000/8000-Series"
Product Segment	Mainstream APU	Low-end APU	Mainstream Processors "Kaveri/Godavari"
Product Architecture	x86 Excavator	x86 Excavator	x86 Steamroller
Process Node	28nm	28nm	28nm
Max CPU Cores	4	2	4
GPU Architecture	Next Gen GCN	Next Gen GCN	Sea Islands / GCN 1.1
TDP	TBA	TBA	95W
Socket	AM4	AM4	FM2+
South Bridge	Promontory	Promontory	A78/A88X
North Bridge	On-die	On-die	Board
Memory Support	DDR4	DDR4	DDR3
Launch	Q3 2016	Q3 2016	2013-2015

iPhone 6s And 6s Plus Buyers Report Issues In 3D Touch, Touch ID, Speaker And Power

Apple released its next in line iPhones the previous week that boasted major upgrades in the performance department. However, no changes were made to the iPhone 6s and 6s Plys externally apart from a little thickness added due to the 3D Touch panel. Even though this did not bother users much, however the Apple support community pages are flashing a number of complaints regarding other problems.

While some customers have reported overheating of the device, others claim irregular power offs. The issues do not rests with all iPhone users as some customers have been affected by the issues.

Let’s see some details on the issues that users are facing on their iPhone 6s and 6s Plus.

Users Claim Several Problems In iPhone 6s And iPhone 6s Plus

According to the trend, Apple will possibly devise solutions for the issues recorded by users on Apple’s support community pages and forums. By the look of it, the Cupertino giant will release an update for its iOS 9 that will eliminate the bugs which are causing the issue.

Some users have reported lopsided behavior of the newly introduced 3D Touch. iPhone 6s and 6s Plus users claim that the software related bugs in 3D Touch fails to open links with normal taps in the Safari app. While restarting the iPhone 6s or 6s Plus makes the 3D Touch feature to come back to its original functionality.

An odd problem that iPhone 6s users claim is the Touch ID being hot. However, it can simply be solved by force restarting your iPhone by pressing and holding down the Power button and the Touch ID or Home button for 7-10 seconds.

On behalf of other issues, users claim that their iPhone 6s keeps powering off even though their devices still have battery power. However, the powered off iPhones can be switched back on by pressing down the Power key.

Issues also reside in the Speakers according to some early buyers of the iPhone 6s and 6s Plus. Users report that there is a deformed sound coming out of the speakers which includes the sounds being too loud or distorted in case of notification tones. Users believe the issue resides in the software department, however it is unsure if it’s true. iPhone 6s users also reported the irregular behavior in the Phone app, where it malfunctions on audio related aspects.

The issues have inflicted a handful of iPhone 6s or 6s Plus users in one week period. However, most probably Apple will release an update with fix for these issues soon. As for now, let us know in the comments if your iPhone 6s or 6s Plus is causing these issues.

Official Images Of Microsoft Lumia 950 And 950 XL Leaked – See All Of Them Here

Just a while ago, we reported that both Lumia 950 and Lumia 950 XL might have accidentally found themselves on Microsoft Store, indicating that they could be nearing their launch date. Now, we have come across what look to be the leaked images of the smartphones.

Leaked Images Of Lumia 950 And Lumia 950 XL – See All Of Them Here

According to a source, both Lumia 950 and Lumia 950 XL are expected to sport the same cosmetic design but thanks to the screen size of Lumia 950 XL, the device is going to be slightly thicker than its 5.2 inch screen sized brother and in addition to its large screen, it is also going to sport a much better SoC (Snapdragon 810). Let us hope that the chipset does not overheat on the flagship Windows smartphone otherwise the software giant is going to be running into a whirlwind of problems.

Given below are the leaked images of Lumia 950 XL and the specifications of the handset have been listed right below it.

• 
• 
• 
  
• 

• Chipset: Snapdragon 810
• Processor: Cortex-A57 x 4 at 2.0GHz + Cortex-A53 x 4 at 1.5GHz
• OS: Windows 10 Mobile
• Screen size: 5.7 inches
• Resolution: 2560 x 1440
• RAM: 3GB
• Chassis type: Polycarbonate
• Rear camera: 20MP
• Front camera: 5MP
• Charging port type: Type-C USB
• Wireless charging capability: Yes
• Internal storage: 32GB
• External storage: Up to 2TB via MicroSD card slot
• Battery capacity: 3,300mAh

Right after Lumia 950 XL, given below are the leaked images of Lumia 950, with its hardware specifications listed below the images.

• 
• 
• 
  
• 

• Chipset: Snapdragon 808
• Processor: Cortex-A57 x 2 at 1.82GHz + Cortex-A53 x 4 at 1.44GHz
• OS: Windows 10 Mobile
• RAM: 3GB
• Chassis type: Polycarbonate
• Rear camera: 20MP
• Front camera: 5MP
• Charging port type: Type-C USB
• Wireless charging capability: Yes
• Internal storage: 32GB
• External storage: Up to 2TB via MicroSD card slot
• Battery capacity: 3,000mAh

Since these smartphones will be running high-end Snapdragon chipsets, the Type-C USB ports should be compatible with Qualcomm’s Quick Charge 2.0 functionality, assuming there is a compatible charger that has been bundled with the retail packaging. The expected announcement date of both Lumia 950 XL and Lumia 950 is October 6, so we will keep you updated on all the elusive details on the aforementioned date.

What do you guys think of the upcoming Lumia flagship smartphones? Is it something that you would want to upgrade to? Let us know your thoughts.

Assassin’s Creed Syndicate Gets New “Evie Stealth” & “Jacob Combat” Gameplay

Assassin’s Creed Syndicate features two main protagonists, twin siblings Jacob and Evie Frye. Jacob is the loud and more brawler focused of the two, relying heavily on his knuckles to do the talking, while his sister Evie is a more restrained assassin, taking a more stealthy approach to tackle her missions.

Assassin’s Creed Syndicate’s Twin Protagonists Jacob and Evie Frye tackle their objectives differently

Gamespot, during their hands-on time with the latest iteration of the long-running franchise have recorded and shared some direct-feed footage of Syndicate, focusing on the two different approaches, using each protagonist for combat and stealth respectively. You can watch Gamespot’s Assassin’s Creed Syndicate gameplay footage below.

The city of London is “the star of the show” in Assassin’s Creed Syndicate

Marc-Alexis Côté, Creative Director for Assassin’s Creed Syndicate, explains how the city of London is the “Star of the Show”, and they wanted to treat it as a real character from the very beginning. The city is teeming with life, the river Thames is filled with steamboats and the evolving technology and structurally expanding architecture provide the perfect playground, with immense scalability opportunities and unlimited traversing potential.

Ubisoft has released a new Story trailer for Assassin’s Creed Syndicate, alongside some impressive 1080p screenshots.Ubisoft has also recently announced that Assassin’s Creed Syndicate will be getting a Jack The Ripper DLC, taking place 20 years after the events of the main game. The Jack The Ripper DLC will be part of the Season Pass and will see players joining forces with Inspector Frederick Abberline of Scotland Yard, to hunt down Jack The Ripper.

Assassin’s Creed Syndicate comes out on Xbox One and PS4 on October 23 2015, with a PC release to follow on November 19. We will bring you any new information as soon as it becomes available.

Sony Hopes That People Might Pick Up PlayStation VR & PS4 For “Other Entertainment”, Too

PlayStation just turned 20 in Europe. Aside from making us feel old, this was also an opportunity for Shuhei Yoshida, President of Sony Worldwide Studios, to sit down and chat with Eurogamer in a long interview.

One particularly interesting tidbit we found at the very end is that Sony wants to reach a broader audience after winning over the core market with PlayStation 4, and its trojan horse could be PlayStation VR. In fact, PlayStation 4 sales have been so fast until now that Sony finds itself in the position to try and lure in non-gamers with its upcoming VR device.

The real issue is, we look at things positively in terms of fast sales of PS4. We continue to try to push to reach an even broader audience.

Even when PS4 is doing well, you might look at the sales, the fast pace of PS4 sales, we may be just selling to the same people faster, right! That’s a sad view of things, but it could be the case. We have to continue to work hard to really bring back people who used to play console games before PS2 era, or find new people to provide great experiences, that people who never had their own consoles might find useful for their lives. For that, actually, PlayStation VR has broader applications than the games, and demos we’ve been doing, the very first demo we provided was The Deep. It has no gameplay at all. Anyone can enjoy it. Of course there’s a challenge of pricing and whatnot, but in the future we position PlayStation VR not as a peripheral to VR, but as a virtual reality system that makes use of PS4. We’re hoping in the future that people might pick up PlayStation VR and PS4 not only for the games, but for other entertainment usage.

That’s certainly a thought-provoking perspective. While PlayStation 3 was famously purchased by many non-gamers as a cheap Blu-ray device, the same cannot be said of PlayStation 4, since Blu-ray drives are now much cheaper and common.

Sony has won over most of the gaming community, that much is clear by now: the company has shipped 25.3 million PS4 units as of June 2015, which is just over a year and a half after its launch. However, with PlayStation VR they’re now trying to tap into another market entirely, though it’s still unclear whether these new customers would be interested in spending another $300 or more after their PS4 purchase.

We still don’t have a final price or release date for PlayStation VR, though Sony is aiming to release the product in Q1 2016; between the press conferences at Paris Games Week and PlayStation Experience, however, all the important details should be confirmed and we’ll be sure to report them on these pages.

Unreal Engine 4 Survival Horror ‘Caffeine’ Launches its First Episode on October 5

Incandescent Imaging announced that the first episode of their Unreal Engine 4 Survival horror title, Caffeine, will be released on October 5, 2015. A DRM-Free version will be available for purchase from their official website.

Caffeine is an Unreal Engine 4 psychological horror adventure set in the near future

Caffeine is described as a quirky first person adventure game with environmental puzzles and a touch of psychological horror.

“Massive space stations built by the biggest corporations roam the stars mining minerals to create a synthetic caffeine.

You awaken aboard one of these caffeine mining stations alone. Before long you realize that you are a young boy with no memory of what has transpired on this seemingly empty space station.

Naturally you set out to explore the depths of the huge structure to figure out what exactly is going on.”

Caffeine Features

• Horror – You are alone in a mysteriously empty space station. Who knows what’s out there!
• Lore – Sticky notes, audio logs, whiteboards etc. This place feels lived in with each character having a rich back-story that can be deciphered from just walking into an office or quarters.
• Puzzles – Interesting environmental and memory based puzzles.
• Windows, Linux and Mac support
• Controller support

Caffeine is a collection of three episodes, the first of which will be released on October 5th 2015. Episode One is a 1-2 hour adventure which sets the story and tone of what is to come in Episode Two and Three. You can download the Caffeine Demo now with Oculus support, here. We will bring you any new information on Caffeine as soon as it becomes available.