Hands-on review: Xbox One

The Xbox One is out of the gate. It's available now in the U.S., and November 22 in the U.K. We've got one in our offices, and since the Xbox Live Servers are just now launching, we're giving it some time in the real world before making a judgment and rendering our verdict. While we work through our review process, enjoy our updated hands on assessment.

One console to rule them all. One console to find all your devices, one console to control all your services and in the living room bind them.

That's Microsoft's plan. Gaming, cable television, music and movies all streaming into one system: the Xbox One. It's ambitious, but the hardware seems capable.

 

The real question is this: can the Xbox One overcome the mixed messaging, the now-canned 24-hour online dependence and the other potholes that had it stumbling out of the gate, and allowed Sony to win E3 2013 with some sharp PlayStation 4 counter-programming?

Thanks to a strong launch lineup and more than a bit of damage control, the Xbox One is repairing its reputation. Still, does it have a chance at the ubiquity of the of its predecessor, the Xbox 360? Or will it trip over its own $500/£429.99 price tag?

It's quite the legacy to live up to. For long stretches of the last console generation, the Xbox was king. While the Wii was everywhere, and millions of gamers and AV enthusiasts eventually picked up a PlayStation 3, for a while there the phrase "let's play some Xbox" was almost interchangeable with "let's play some video games."

 

It was the console that brought Xbox Live into maturity, setting the standard for the online experience on a gaming console. It taught couch gamers to tolerate the tech support look of a headset in exchange for voice communication, and that you get what you pay for: a year of Xbox Live Gold might have cost as much as a game, but the service was more robust than Sony's PSN.

Now at the dawn of a new console generation, the Xbox One stands before us, a combination game console and home theater system. Can it truly wrangle all the disparate devices of the living room, as well as support a robust library of games, or has Microsoft bitten off more than it can chew? Don't worry, we'll slice those facts nice and thin for you in our review.

The first thing you'll notice about the Xbox One is what an absolute beast it is. It measures 274 x 79 x 333 mm, making it longer and taller than a PlayStation 4 or an Xbox 360. You don't need a tape measure to figure that out though, the thing just looks huge.

 

Its size and girth harkens back to the original Xbox, an imposing black plastic beast covered in black plastic ridges. Microsoft seems to be throwing back to that design, bringing back the all black and the ridge-covered aesthetic.

 

When you first take the Xbox One out of its box, you'll notice an eyesore of a sticker next to the Blu-Ray drive, asking you to kindly not move the system while a disc is inside.

 

A good warning, as that can damage a spinning disc in any system, but an ugly sticker - luckily it comes off nice and clean. We also have hard time imagining that gamers will be moving their hulking Xbox Ones very often, especially since the system is also not designed to stand on its side.

 

It's massive size and black, rectangular construction evoke a stereo tuner from the nineties. Its imposing bulk begs to be hidden away, with just its slot loading disc drive exposed, little white Xbox logo glowing in lonely TV cabinet darkness.

 

Flip the machine around and you'll see a plethora of ports. It has all your standard nodes: ethernet, HDMI out, power, S/PDIF (commonly used for optical audio), dual USB 3.0 ports and an IR out. Additionally, there are two proprietary ports, one for hooking in the Kinect, and an HDMI in, which is how you feed the Xbox One your cable or satellite signal. There's also a third USB 3.0 port found on the system's right side.

 

We've been told that the HDMI in can be used as a regular old pass through, allowing you to play your Xbox 360, a VCR (do they make HDMI VCRs?) or even a PS4 through the Xbox One. That's something we'll be testing in our full Xbox One review.

You can't talk Xbox One without bringing up the new Kinect. While the system can operate without being hooked into Microsoft's magic eye, you'd be losing a lot of its most unique features and showroom wow factor.

 

The new Kinect is a whole lot bigger than its predecessor. It's also designed to sit in front of your TV, rather than perched on top of the screen like the PlayStation Camera. It's too big and, presumably, delicate for that.

Just like the system itself, it has a white light up logo on its right side. Dull red lights intermittently glow when it's active.

 

The underside of the Kinect has rubber feet that provide a firm grip. It's not going to fall off your entertainment center any time soon. It can also tilt up and down, with enough range of motion that there shouldn't be any trouble finding the right angle for your living room.

View the original article here

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Hands-on review: Xbox One

The Xbox One is out of the gate. It's available now in the U.S., and November 22 in the U.K. We've got one in our offices, and since the Xbox Live Servers are just now launching, we're giving it some time in the real world before making a judgment and rendering our verdict. While we work through our review process, enjoy our updated hands on assessment.

One console to rule them all. One console to find all your devices, one console to control all your services and in the living room bind them.

That's Microsoft's plan. Gaming, cable television, music and movies all streaming into one system: the Xbox One. It's ambitious, but the hardware seems capable.

 

The real question is this: can the Xbox One overcome the mixed messaging, the now-canned 24-hour online dependence and the other potholes that had it stumbling out of the gate, and allowed Sony to win E3 2013 with some sharp PlayStation 4 counter-programming?

Thanks to a strong launch lineup and more than a bit of damage control, the Xbox One is repairing its reputation. Still, does it have a chance at the ubiquity of the of its predecessor, the Xbox 360? Or will it trip over its own $500/£429.99 price tag?

It's quite the legacy to live up to. For long stretches of the last console generation, the Xbox was king. While the Wii was everywhere, and millions of gamers and AV enthusiasts eventually picked up a PlayStation 3, for a while there the phrase "let's play some Xbox" was almost interchangeable with "let's play some video games."

 

It was the console that brought Xbox Live into maturity, setting the standard for the online experience on a gaming console. It taught couch gamers to tolerate the tech support look of a headset in exchange for voice communication, and that you get what you pay for: a year of Xbox Live Gold might have cost as much as a game, but the service was more robust than Sony's PSN.

Now at the dawn of a new console generation, the Xbox One stands before us, a combination game console and home theater system. Can it truly wrangle all the disparate devices of the living room, as well as support a robust library of games, or has Microsoft bitten off more than it can chew? Don't worry, we'll slice those facts nice and thin for you in our review.

The first thing you'll notice about the Xbox One is what an absolute beast it is. It measures 274 x 79 x 333 mm, making it longer and taller than a PlayStation 4 or an Xbox 360. You don't need a tape measure to figure that out though, the thing just looks huge.

 

Its size and girth harkens back to the original Xbox, an imposing black plastic beast covered in black plastic ridges. Microsoft seems to be throwing back to that design, bringing back the all black and the ridge-covered aesthetic.

 

When you first take the Xbox One out of its box, you'll notice an eyesore of a sticker next to the Blu-Ray drive, asking you to kindly not move the system while a disc is inside.

 

A good warning, as that can damage a spinning disc in any system, but an ugly sticker - luckily it comes off nice and clean. We also have hard time imagining that gamers will be moving their hulking Xbox Ones very often, especially since the system is also not designed to stand on its side.

 

It's massive size and black, rectangular construction evoke a stereo tuner from the nineties. Its imposing bulk begs to be hidden away, with just its slot loading disc drive exposed, little white Xbox logo glowing in lonely TV cabinet darkness.

 

Flip the machine around and you'll see a plethora of ports. It has all your standard nodes: ethernet, HDMI out, power, S/PDIF (commonly used for optical audio), dual USB 3.0 ports and an IR out. Additionally, there are two proprietary ports, one for hooking in the Kinect, and an HDMI in, which is how you feed the Xbox One your cable or satellite signal. There's also a third USB 3.0 port found on the system's right side.

 

We've been told that the HDMI in can be used as a regular old pass through, allowing you to play your Xbox 360, a VCR (do they make HDMI VCRs?) or even a PS4 through the Xbox One. That's something we'll be testing in our full Xbox One review.

You can't talk Xbox One without bringing up the new Kinect. While the system can operate without being hooked into Microsoft's magic eye, you'd be losing a lot of its most unique features and showroom wow factor.

 

The new Kinect is a whole lot bigger than its predecessor. It's also designed to sit in front of your TV, rather than perched on top of the screen like the PlayStation Camera. It's too big and, presumably, delicate for that.

Just like the system itself, it has a white light up logo on its right side. Dull red lights intermittently glow when it's active.

 

The underside of the Kinect has rubber feet that provide a firm grip. It's not going to fall off your entertainment center any time soon. It can also tilt up and down, with enough range of motion that there shouldn't be any trouble finding the right angle for your living room.

View the original article here

Read more »

Hands-on review: PowerShell Controller + Battery review

Scratch two massive firsts off the list; we just played a game on an iPhone using physical controls, and saw an iPhone charging with microUSB.

Logitech's PowerShell Controller + Battery brings a traditional D-pad and button mashing control scheme to Apple's ubiquitous smartphone, and it'll charge your iPhone.

It'll be on shelves in early December, just in time for Christmas. At $99, it's a pricey stocking stuffer, but its ability to act as a mobile charger adds a big incentive to toss one under the tree and into your bag.

Docking your iPhone with the PowerShell Controller is simple. Just slide it into the plastic frame, a built in lighting connecter does all the work. No app to download, nothing to sync, it's the definition of plug and play.

 

The PowerShell Controller works on the iPhone 5S and 5, plus the most recent 5th generation iPod touch – there's a rubber slip to put behind your iPod to compensate to make its thinner profile fit snugly.

The iPhone 5C, Apple's more colorful, less expensive option, is out in the cold on this one. The PowerShell can't accommodate its larger frame. That's a shame, but really the only flaw we could find with PowerShell's build during our hands on time.

 

With its black rubber on plastic aesthetic, it's definitely more like a Logitech product than one that would come out of Cupertino. No matter though, it meshed nicely with the black iPhone 5 we had on had for our demo. The build smacked of quality, with a responsive eight-way D-pad and four primary buttons plus shoulder switches and a pause button, all with enough throw and spring back to get mashed on without ending up smashed.

While the PowerShell is officially sanctioned by Apple, thanks to third-party controller support introduced in iOS 7, it is the sort of thing developers will have to provide support for, app by app. Logitech is claiming a list of three hundred games. Some of our favorites include Bastion and MetalStorm Aces.

 

During our time with the controller we messed up some blocky Orcs in Lego Lord of the Rings, chased down bogeys in Galaxy on Fire 2 and rolled over a few Panzers in Pocket Tanks. The PowerShell performed admirably all the way through.

We didn't just love the classic controller feel of the PowerShell, we really appreciated how we could get our thumbs out of the way the display. The iPhone's screen real estate is limited, compared to something like the Galaxy S4 or even the Moto X. This helps you take full advantage of it, and the on screen controls in Galaxy on Fire 2 even disappeared. Hopefully all developers will follow suit when adding controller support for controllers.

 

Right now, Logitech's only competition seems to be the Moga Ace Power gamepad, also priced at $99. Both devices are well above impulse buy territory, and while we appreciate the battery charging feature, we have to wonder if Logitech or anyone else plans to build a Controller minus Battery. Such a device would be a serious charge suck, but could be priced to move.

Don't take that as a reason to wait though, the PowerShell seems like the complete package. It has a built in 1500 mAh battery that charges with an included microUSB cable. Plug in the controller with your iPhone docked and it'll top of the phone first, then charge the controller.

 

That microUSB support is great, since it'll make it easier to charge when you're in an Android household. The built in battery can also charge your phone with the flip of the switch. This feature doesn't actually have to be engaged to control a game.

 

The PowerShell also comes with headphone jack extension that allows you to plug your earbuds into the controller. You have to remember to unplug it before removing your iPhone, or you risk breaking it off in the port. That seemed like a bit of a liability to us.

In our brief hands on session, the D-pad and buttons on the PowerShell Controller seemed reliable enough. We'll need more time to make sure that the controls are free from game killing lag though.

We also want to see how many charges you can get out of the PowerShell's battery. If it's competitive with similiarly priced chargers, it'd be silly not pick one up if you're in the market. Why not get the more functional device? We'll have the long and short of it in our full review.

View the original article here

Read more »

Hands-on review: PowerShell Controller + Battery review

Scratch two massive firsts off the list; we just played a game on an iPhone using physical controls, and saw an iPhone charging with microUSB.

Logitech's PowerShell Controller + Battery brings a traditional D-pad and button mashing control scheme to Apple's ubiquitous smartphone, and it'll charge your iPhone.

It'll be on shelves in early December, just in time for Christmas. At $99, it's a pricey stocking stuffer, but its ability to act as a mobile charger adds a big incentive to toss one under the tree and into your bag.

Docking your iPhone with the PowerShell Controller is simple. Just slide it into the plastic frame, a built in lighting connecter does all the work. No app to download, nothing to sync, it's the definition of plug and play.

 

The PowerShell Controller works on the iPhone 5S and 5, plus the most recent 5th generation iPod touch – there's a rubber slip to put behind your iPod to compensate to make its thinner profile fit snugly.

The iPhone 5C, Apple's more colorful, less expensive option, is out in the cold on this one. The PowerShell can't accommodate its larger frame. That's a shame, but really the only flaw we could find with PowerShell's build during our hands on time.

 

With its black rubber on plastic aesthetic, it's definitely more like a Logitech product than one that would come out of Cupertino. No matter though, it meshed nicely with the black iPhone 5 we had on had for our demo. The build smacked of quality, with a responsive eight-way D-pad and four primary buttons plus shoulder switches and a pause button, all with enough throw and spring back to get mashed on without ending up smashed.

While the PowerShell is officially sanctioned by Apple, thanks to third-party controller support introduced in iOS 7, it is the sort of thing developers will have to provide support for, app by app. Logitech is claiming a list of three hundred games. Some of our favorites include Bastion and MetalStorm Aces.

 

During our time with the controller we messed up some blocky Orcs in Lego Lord of the Rings, chased down bogeys in Galaxy on Fire 2 and rolled over a few Panzers in Pocket Tanks. The PowerShell performed admirably all the way through.

We didn't just love the classic controller feel of the PowerShell, we really appreciated how we could get our thumbs out of the way the display. The iPhone's screen real estate is limited, compared to something like the Galaxy S4 or even the Moto X. This helps you take full advantage of it, and the on screen controls in Galaxy on Fire 2 even disappeared. Hopefully all developers will follow suit when adding controller support for controllers.

 

Right now, Logitech's only competition seems to be the Moga Ace Power gamepad, also priced at $99. Both devices are well above impulse buy territory, and while we appreciate the battery charging feature, we have to wonder if Logitech or anyone else plans to build a Controller minus Battery. Such a device would be a serious charge suck, but could be priced to move.

Don't take that as a reason to wait though, the PowerShell seems like the complete package. It has a built in 1500 mAh battery that charges with an included microUSB cable. Plug in the controller with your iPhone docked and it'll top of the phone first, then charge the controller.

 

That microUSB support is great, since it'll make it easier to charge when you're in an Android household. The built in battery can also charge your phone with the flip of the switch. This feature doesn't actually have to be engaged to control a game.

 

The PowerShell also comes with headphone jack extension that allows you to plug your earbuds into the controller. You have to remember to unplug it before removing your iPhone, or you risk breaking it off in the port. That seemed like a bit of a liability to us.

In our brief hands on session, the D-pad and buttons on the PowerShell Controller seemed reliable enough. We'll need more time to make sure that the controls are free from game killing lag though.

We also want to see how many charges you can get out of the PowerShell's battery. If it's competitive with similiarly priced chargers, it'd be silly not pick one up if you're in the market. Why not get the more functional device? We'll have the long and short of it in our full review.

View the original article here

Read more »

Hands-on review: BlackBerry Porsche Design P'9982

It's a phone many are finding difficult to justify for BlackBerry in its current unstable condition. But the Canadian firm isn't listening to the naysayers - it's just ploughing on.

That determination has led to the arrival of the rather clumsily named BlackBerry Porsche Design P'9982 - a smartphone for the wealthy business person who wants something to gloat about at the next board meeting.

This isn't a phone for the mainstream, and with a recommended retail price of £1450/$2350 (around AU$2500) it's something which only the very elite will potentially consider.

 

We say potentially, because for all that money you're not actually getting a great deal. Think the P'9982 looks familiar? Well that's because it's just a run of the mill BlackBerry Z10 with a fancy stainless steel and Italian leather suit.

In terms of design the Porsche Design P'9982 is more angular than the phone it's based on, with a more pronounced chin below the screen - although it is crafted from stainless steel rather than plastic.

That stainless steel frame runs up either side of the P'9982 and connects to a chunk of stainless steel at the top of the handset.

 

It's a design we weren't overly keen about on the Z10 or Z30 as it appears to add unnecessary bulk to the device without offering anything above a place to splash the Porsche Design logo.

On each side of the P'9982, towards the bottom, is a small square where the Porsche Design logo resides - a subtle reminder that this isn't your ordinary BlackBerry Z10.

 

We found the P'9982 sat nicely in the hand with a well balanced 140g weight which was enough to make the phone feel premium without being overbearing.

That said, it doesn't feel as premium as the price tag suggests and we'd argue that the HTC One and iPhone 5S feel the same, or perhaps even better than the P'9982 in the hand.

 

The stainless steel frame means it's a solid handset, and the Italian leather rear provides a decent level or grip while also feeling rather lovely. It does appear to be something that could get damaged relatively easily though.

If your leather back does get ruined you can always remove it and replace it with another - although there's obviously an additional cost there.

 

Under the rear cover is a removable battery - the same 1800mAh power pack found in the Z10, although this time it's got Porsche Design written on it. BlackBerry claims it's good for 9 hours, but we were unable to test this during our hands-on time.

There's also access to the microSD slot which can take cards up to 64GB in size, and the microSIM port which annoyingly can only be reached if you take the battery out.

 

That will prove a pain for anyone who switches SIMs on a regular basis - like the international businessmen (and women) who this handset is targeted at.

At 131 x 65.6 x 9.5mm the P'9982 is ever so slightly longer and thicker than the Z10, but the width remains the same - as does the 4.2-inch, 1280 x 768 display.

 

In fact the P'9982 sports exactly the same specs as the Z10 apart from one thing - the internal storage has been boosted from 16GB to 64GB.

The screen is clean and clear with some decent viewing angles, although when you think that we now have full HD display on our smartphones (which cost less than half the price) you end up feeling a little short changed by the P'9982.

 

That feeling grows when you discover that the Porsche Design P'9982 still holds onto the humble 1.5GHz dual-core processor from the Z10 - there's no quad-core chip on offer here.

During general usage the dual-core chip manages pretty well with the relatively fluid BlackBerry 10.2 operating system, but it noticeably struggled when we started to ask a little more of the P'9982.

 

We're still not totally sold on the BlackBerry 10 platform, with its slightly confusing gesture controls making some tasks a little fiddly and the poor selection of apps in the BlackBerry World store doesn't help.

It's not all bad news though, and the BlackBerry Hub is a truly useful part of the interface, bringing in all forms of communication into one central inbox which can easily be navigated and filtered.

 

Web browsing is something else BlackBerry appears to have nailed with its new OS and the P'9982 is no exception with blisteringly fast load times on both mobile and desktop sites.

There's 2GB of RAM backing up the dual-core chip in the P'9982 which will no doubt help the surfing speeds and the inclusion of Flash supports is something BlackBerry has over iOS, Android and Windows Phone devices.

 

Return to the rear of the handset and there's the 8MP camera which also adorns the Z10, but on the P'9982 there's a chrome ring round the lens to try and add a more premium feel and it sits in a bar of glass which also houses the single LED flash and the name of the handset.

The camera app is basic, yet intuitive and the shutter speed is relatively quick with the whole screen acting as the trigger. Auto-focus is in play, and it can slow down snapping as it tries to settle.

 

BlackBerry has always been well known for its physical QWERTY keyboards and it made a big deal about its touchscreen offering on BlackBerry 10 which sits on the P'9982. It's a slick offering and we were able to get up to a decent typing speed, but we still prefer SwiftKey on Android.

Every Porsche Design P'9982 handset comes with a certificate of authentication in the box, so you can prove to your doubting friends that it is the real deal. The certificate also holds a unique BlackBerry pin starting in "2AA" - an exclusive prefix available only to those who have splashed the cash on a Porsche Design handset.

 

The BlackBerry Porsche Design P'9982 is targeted at a minority of elite business players, it's not meant to capture the imagination of general consumers - which is lucky, because it won't.

That said, for a phone which costs so much the P'9982's look and feel doesn't come close to justifying the price tag. You need a hell of a lot more than a bit of shiny metal and a layer of cowhide to push a sub-standard flagship smartphone as high-flying premium offering.

While the Porsche Design P'9982 isn't quite a grotesque in price, look or spec as the luxury Vertu brand, it's still set up to target those with more money than sense.

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