Microsoft showcases Windows Phone middleware partnerships at GDC, we go hands-on (video)

Building on yesterday's announcement that Temple Run and several other games are coming to Windows Phone, Microsoft's been actively courting developers at GDC 2013. To that end, the company's booth showcases several games that highlight cross-platform development and middleware. Now that WP8 and Windows 8 share the same NT kernel, DirectX APIs and tools, it's easier than ever to write games that use the same code base for both platforms. Microsoft is sweetening the deal with a few significant middleware partnerships -- Unity, Marmalade and Havok, to be specific. We talked with Larry Lieberman, Senior Product Manager for Windows Phone development, who was kind enough to explain what these partnerships mean for developers and to give us a tour of the games. Hit the break for our hands-on video. Windows Phone middleware demo at GDC 2013See all

First up was a demo of Drift Mania Championship 2, a racing game built using Unity that's available for Android, WP8 and Windows 8. In addition to being cross-platform, this game supports peer-to-peer racing via WiFi and the MOGA Pro Bluetooth-powered gaming controller. Sixth Planet and Propel Man are examples of games made with Marmalade -- the former reminds us of the arcade classic Lunar Lander and is also available for PlayBook and BlackBerry 10, while the latter was originally launched on iOS. Next was a Havok technology demo which showed the popular console middleware running smoothly on an HTC 8X. Finally there was Galactic Reign, a turn-based strategy game that lets you design spaceships, send them to battle and watch a rendered movie of the result. This is a native game that shares the same code base on both platforms (we played it on a Lumia 920 and Surface Pro). It's clear that Microsoft's working hard to lure more developers into writing games for Windows Phone, and based on what we saw, it sure looks like the company's off to a good start.

Tags: development, Drift Mania 2, DriftMania2, Galactic Reign, GalacticReign, GDC, GDC 2013, GDC2013, hands-on, Havok, Larry Lieberman, LarryLieberman, Marmalade, microsoft, mobilepostcross, Propel Man, PropelMan, Sixth Planet, SixthPlanet, Unity, video, Windows Phone, WIndows Phone 8, WindowsPhone, WindowsPhone8, WP8

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By: Unknown On 9:19 PM

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ASUS video showcases 7-inch MeMo Pad, flaunts what the $150 tablet can do

Lately, ASUS hasn't exactly been the best at keeping some of its secrets under wraps, but the company is trying to be as good as it can be about helping potential customers better understand its devices. More specifically, it's the recently announced 7-inch MeMo Pad, with the Taiwan-based outfit taking to YouTube to release a simple and somewhat informative video on some of the tidbits you can expect out of the Jelly Bean-loaded, budget-friendly tablet. Naturally, ASUS is quick to point out how the MeMo Pad's relatively small chassis "fits perfect in your palm," as well as showing off how effortless it is to stay in the social loop with video calling capabilities and things such as BuddyBuzz. Other touted features of the 7-inch slate include its expandable storage via that microSD slot, plus the easy access to various productivity and entertainment apps like MyPainter, SuperNote Lite and ASUS Studio -- oh, and for folks who enjoy a little color, the previously seen trio of Spectrum Covers can also be spotted making a quick cameo. You can "experience" the vid yourself past the break, and feel free to let us know what has you the most excited about the Nexus 7 this particular MemoPad.

Via: Android Central

Source: ASUS (YouTube)

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By: Unknown On 10:23 PM

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Super Talent Showcases Dual Interface 'UltraDrive MX' SSD Series

Solid state drives (SSDs) are rather simple devices that you plug into your PC and fill with data. Not all SSDs are created equal, however, and Super Talent's latest twist on flash based storage is a dual-interface design. In addition to a SATA II interface, Super Talent's new UltraDrive MX2 SSDs also feature a mini-USB connection. What's the point? To make upgrading easy, Super Talent says.

Super Talent's decision to include a mini-USB connection is predicated on users wanting to port their laptop's existing software setup over to the new drive. Just plug the UltraDrive MX into one of your laptop's USB ports, use an imaging program like Acronis to create a copy, and then replace the HDD with the SSD.

What you end up with is a faster system, though the UltraDrive MX Series isn't going to win any speed records. It's limited to SATA II and tops out at 240MB/s sequential read and up to 180MB/s sequential write transfers (write performance varies by capacity).

"SSDs are becoming more accessible to the everyday user. The UltraDrive MX2 is our premium consumer offering for those wishing to max out the performance of laptops and desktops. The new dual interface we offer also allows users the flexibility for it to function as an internal or external drive," Super Talent said.

The UltraDrive MX Series comes in 60GB, 120GB, 240GB, and 480GB capacities. No word on when they'll be available to purchase or for how much.

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By: Dilusha On 9:31 PM

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