Microsoft may have been the E3 matinée, but Sony's late-night showing was quite impressive -- offering a gaming device that's $100 less, with plenty of other notable features to help it stand out of the next-gen crowd. And if you were waiting around until after the PlayStation press conference tonight before deciding which console to grab, it's finally time to settle on your top choice (if you plan to go with only one, that is). Now that the PS4 has been priced at $399 and a general timeframe of availability has been set for this holiday season, it's now time to head to online retailers to pre-order a unit of your very own. So far we've seen the page pop up on Amazon, though we imagine it will only be a matter of time before several other retailers follow suit. If you know without a doubt that this is the next-gen gaming console for you, you know what to do below.

Update: Well, would you look at that. Like clockwork, GameStop and Best Buy have jumped into the PS4 pre-order fray too.

Follow all of our E3 2013 coverage at our event hub.

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Source: Amazon, Gamestop, Best Buy

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Sony just wrapped its E3 press event, delighting attendees and future console buyers with showstopping news: a $399 retail price and lack of used game restrictions on the PlayStation 4. Now, with all those important bits behind us, it's time to once again focus on the hardware, specifically the PS4 controller. We got our grips on the controller immediately following Sony's E3 2013 presser -- our first chance to check out the new DualShock -- and it feels great!

We're glad to say that the thumbsticks have dramatically improved and no longer allow your thumbs to easily slip out. The triggers are also much improved, with a little lip enabling a comfortable cradle. The front face buttons are nigh identical with the DualShock 3, as is the d-pad (despite a slight visual alteration) -- the biggest difference is the new touchpad. It's clicky and feels like a surprisingly nice addition to the DualShock. It's easily clickable from the standard two hand position on a controller, though the share and options buttons are a bit out of reach (at least for our small hands). We'll have a closer look at the DualShock 4 this week from E3 and some impressions of it with actual games, so stay tuned for more from E3 2013!

Gallery: PlayStation DualShock 4 controller hands-on

Update: We've got our hands-on video embedded after the break, so head on down to check it out.

Zach Honig and Ben Gilbert contributed to this report.

Filed under: Gaming, Peripherals, HD, Sony

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On the heels of yesterday's revelation that the NSA is bulk collecting call logs from Verizon Business customers, the Washington Post is reporting tonight on another initiative, code named PRISM. According to the report, it gives the FBI and NSA access to "audio, video, photographs, e-mails, documents and connection logs" from the central servers of Microsoft, Yahoo, Google, Facebook, PalTalk, AOL (parent company of Engadget), Skype, YouTube and Apple. Another program called BLARNEY sniffs up metadata as it streams past "choke points" on the internet, continuing the theme of bulk scooping of data most would think is private. The Post's knowledge of these programs comes from PowerPoint slides (like the one shown above) provided by a "career intelligence officer" driven to expose how deep it goes.

So what can the project see? Analysts based at Fort Meade use search terms to determine at least 51 percent confidence in a subject's "foreignness" before pulling data, which can include that of people found in a suspect's inbox. On Facebook, they can utilize the service's built in search and surveillance capabilities, monitor audio, video, chat and file transfers or access activity on Google's mail, storage, photo and search services. So... are you still logged in?

Update: We've contacted several of the companies listed, and so far have heard directly from Facebook and Google. Both companies statements are available in full after the break, where Google reiterated its stance that it does not have or provide "back door" access to anyone, while Facebook Chief Security Officer Joel Sullivan states "We do not provide any government organization with direct access to Facebook servers." Apple has made a similar statement to CNBC denying any knowledge of or participation in such a program.We will add any other response or updates as we receive them.

Update 2: Microsoft has also responded, similarly claiming that it only provides customer data under specific requests such as subpoenas, and if there is any broader program then it does not participate in it. Its full statement is after the break with the others.

Update 3: The latest to chime in is Director of National Intelligence James Clapper, stating "The Guardian and The Washington Post articles refer to collection of communications pursuant to Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act. They contain numerous inaccuracies." His response goes on to point out that such actions cannot be used to "intentionally" target American citizens. Finally, he calls the disclosure of information about the program "reprehensible," and a risk to the security of Americans. You can check out that full statement (a more detailed version is available here) after the break and decide which part makes you feel less secure on your own.

Filed under: Internet, Apple, Microsoft, Google, Facebook

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Source: Washington Post, Office of the Director of National Intelligence

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It's not exactly the best birthday present ever, but today HP announced that webOS devices running version 2.1 and up will receive an automatic update to the App Catalog. The new code is needed to replace security certificate set to expire on July 23 that grants access to webOS cloud services. For the select few running older versions of webOS, fear not, for updating your devices merely requires manual navigation to the App Catalog, then grab and install the "HP App Catalog Update" application. Got it? Good.

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Microsoft today unveiled plans to allow used games on its next game console, the Xbox One, ending speculation about fees associated with the process. "Microsoft does not charge a platform fee to retailers, publishers, or consumers for enabling transfer of these games," a Q&A regarding Xbox One licensing fees reads. "We designed Xbox One so game publishers can enable you to trade in your games at participating retailers." There is an exception noted, as the above only applies to Microsoft-published games apparently:

"Third party publishers may opt in or out of supporting game resale and may set up business terms or transfer fees with retailers. Microsoft does not receive any compensation as part of this. In addition, third party publishers can enable you to give games to friends. Loaning or renting games won't be available at launch, but we are exploring the possibilities with our partners."

You'll also be able to give your games to friends, though you must be friends on Xbox Live for more than 30 days and "each game can only be given once." It's unclear if the game can be given away to subsequent people by the receiver.

There's also a piece detailing how the console's always online requirement will work, with a check-in needed once every 24 hours if you're on your home console (you'll only get one hour offline on a friend's console before getting booted). Beyond serving to check whether the game license you're using is official or not, Microsoft says the requirement will, "verify if system, application or game updates are needed and to see if you have acquired new games, or resold, traded in, or given your game to a friend." Sounds to us like a way to get around issues associated with not needing discs post-install to play games on the Xbox One. The piece also notes that, "Games that are designed to take advantage of the cloud may require a connection." There's no word on exceptions for military personnel or people who live in areas without internet -- the minimum suggested speed to maintain a connection is 1.5Mbps.

Finally, there's a piece about privacy which adds some interesting notes about the new, required Kinect. The "Xbox On" wake functionality can be disabled, and Microsoft assures that a variety of privacy settings will be available right from initial setup.

Update: When asked whether the online requirement would allow exceptions for military personnel or consumers in areas without stable internet, Microsoft told us, "The blog posts on Xbox Wire detail everything we can share today. We look forward to sharing more details in the months ahead." Not exactly a comforting answer if you're an Xbox gamer serving overseas.

Filed under: Gaming, HD, Microsoft

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Source: Xbox Wire (1), Xbox Wire (2), Xbox Wire (3)

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Now that Facebook Home is a practical reality, Facebook has to support both a full launcher and its traditional app at the same time -- and an update to Facebook for Android reflects that newly expanded focus. The big addition comes to Home, which gets its promised (and frankly needed) favorites tray for heavily used apps. Those relying on the traditional Android experience will mostly notice improved sharing: they can send multiple photos in one message, and it's easier for them to filter the visibility of shared content. No matter how committed you are to Facebook's vision of our mobile future, there's just one upgrade to grab at the source link.

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Source: Google Play

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On stage at Acer's press event at Computex 2013 in Taipei, wrapping up a day of new Ultrabooks, tablets and smartphones, it revealed the Orbe, a new storage hub that connects to AcerCloud. You'll be able to tap into 2TB of storage with the curiously-shaped device, which will connect to... yep, Ultrabooks, tablets and smartphones -- something that's particularly useful given the cloud service's relatively recent update allowing any Android or iOS device to connect. Unfortunately we have yet to dig up any more specs on the device, but you can take a closer look at the hardware in our hands-on photos below.

Gallery: Acer Orbe hands-on

Zach Honig contributed to this report.

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Repix -- one of the more creative photo editing apps available for iOS -- has just seen an update that streamlines its design and adds a handful of new features. Since its launch in March, the app's strongest selling point has been its brushes, which allow you to selectively edit parts of your photos. Sadly, this update doesn't include any new ones, but it does introduce a spotlight filter pack with four options: gallery, slender, stage and disco lighting. The set isn't included in the free download; it can be purchased for $1.99 through the app. Additionally, the adjustment menu has seen a performance-enhancing facelift. The slider at the bottom of the screen allows for straightforward editing of contrast, brightness, vibrance, saturation, temperature and vignette settings. Lastly, the new frame tool offers seven different borders in black or white variants. The new frames and filter aren't overly exciting, but the aesthetic tweaks do freshen up Repix's look while improving functionality. For more info, you can read the full press release after the break.

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A little added interactiveness with living room essentials goes a long way. With that in mind, Comcast today announced it's boosting its iOS X1 remote control with newly minted voice commands, something the company's been working on since earlier this year. Xfinity TV subscribers using the X1 platform will now be able to search for content by (quietly) shouting different vocal orders at the application, including, but not limited to, things like "Record," "Watch Gossip Girl" or "Find the Yankees game." While the new feature is only available on iOS at the moment, Comcast says its devs and engineers are "also working on voice control features for Android phones and for traditional remote controls." The X1 app update doesn't appear to be live just yet, but be sure to keep an eye on the App Store as it should be arriving pretty soon.

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Source: App Store

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Outside of possible FCC filings, Motorola has largely been coy about just what its next major smartphone will be -- until now. The firm's Dennis Woodside just revealed at D11 that the new flagship will be called Moto X (previously rumored as the X Phone), and that it will be built in a Fort Worth, Texas factory that was once used to make Nokia phones. Woodside isn't giving away many details at this stage, although he teases that the smartphone will "know what you want to do before you do." Oh, and he has a Moto X in his pocket... not that he's about to show us anything just yet, of course. If you're curious about Woodside's actual quote, it's below:

"It'll be the first Motorola smartphone built in the United States. It'll be built in Texas -- we'll employ around 2,000 people. It's right outside of Fort Worth in a 500,000 square foot facility that was previously used to build Nokia phones."

Update: Woodside had two extra nuggets while on stage -- he mentioned that the Moto X will be "broadly distributed" across numerous carriers, a rarity for Motorola smartphones in recent years. Specifically, he noted: "The Moto X is going to be broadly distributed -- that's a first for Motorola in a number of years. The support of the carriers has been fantastic." In other words, this won't be a Nexus device, and you can count on some amount of skinning and bloatware to muddle things up. On the issue of battery life, Woodside said: "I'll save the details for later, but [the industry issue of] battery life is a huge problem. Motorola has some of the world's best engineers and systems designers who spend their lives on that problem. There are two processors in the device that creates a system that allows you to do such a thing." Two processors, you say? Fascinating!

Update 2: The Moto X should arrive in late summer. Also, a reminder: Motorola mentioned a shift toward stock Android coming later this year. While there isn't any guarantee that the Moto X will embrace that philosophy, it would be a fitting poster child.

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After seven months of cooperative tapping, Peter Molyneux's Curiosity experiment is finally over: the cube is open. As Molyneux's studio, 22Cans, teased the game's last layer over Twitter, players descended upon it, chipping away the last million cubelets in a matter of minutes. "We have a winner," the game's creator wrote on the social network. "They should get a message now." 22Cans is currently trying to validate the player who tapped away the final block. After the final block disappeared, so did the cube, presumably to be opened privately by the winner. So, what was inside the box? We may never know -- but if you just happened to win, fill us in, would you?

Update: The winner asked Molyneux to share the winner video with the community. Their prize? Godhood, according to 22Cans. The winner will be featured as a deity in the company's next game, Goddess, and will able to "decide on the rules that the game is played by." The winner will get a share of the revenue generated by the title. Check out the full video for yourself after the break.

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Source: 22Cans

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In with a bang, out with a whimper. After making us fear for the Xbox 360's (shelf) life by delivering an adverse ruling in Motorola's ITC patent infringement case against Microsoft last year, the presiding Administrative Law Judge reversed his stance a couple months ago after prodding by the full Commission. While the finding of non-infringement was good news for Microsoft, the decision still needed to be OK'd by the Commission before the investigation could be officially closed. We thought we weren't going to get a final ruling until later in the summer, but the ITC apparently agreed with the ALJ's initial ruling ahead of schedule, and has decided not to review the decision today. As a result, the investigation is now closed, and this particular battle in the patent wars is finally over.

Update: Naturally Microsoft Corporate VP and deputy General Counsel David Howard is a excited to see this case be closed, and issued the following statement:

This is a win for Xbox customers and confirms our view that Google had no grounds to block our products.

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Via: Reuters

Source: USITC [PDF]

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When Valve's first hardware hire, Jeri Ellsworth, tweeted back in February that she was fired from the company, we were disappointed but also intrigued by what she meant by "time for new exciting projects." Well we finally saw what she's been up to here at at Maker Faire 2013. It's called Cast AR, and it's a pair of 3D augmented-reality glasses that she and former Valve programmer Rick Johnson were working on at Valve before they left.

The model we saw is still in the early prototype stages, but the concepts are already in place. Perched atop a pair of active shutter glasses are a couple of miniature LCD projectors, which bounce images from a connected computer onto a special reflective surface at a 120Hz refresh rate. A camera module sits on the eyewear's bridge and monitors an array of infrared LEDs embedded in the reflective surface. This allows for quick and accurate head tracking. Join us after the break for our impressions and our video interview with Jeri Ellsworth.

Gallery: Cast AR hands-on at Maker Faire 2013

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YouTube only recently came to Windows Phone 8 as a full-fledged app, but its availability may be short-lived. According to documents obtained by The Verge, Google has requested that Microsoft remove the app from it Windows Phone Store -- and disable installations on devices -- immediately. The reason? Apparently the app didn't get Goog's stamp of approval before going live, and it blocks the ads that typically run on YouTube. Naturally, ads are an important source of revenue for both Google and no shortage of third parties, so Mountain View may not be out of line for crying foul. And that's not the only strike against Redmond: according to the cease and desist letter, YouTube on WP8 lets users download videos, in addition to streaming content that's been restricted on certain devices. Oh, and all the above-mentioned issues violate YouTube's Terms of Service. Google is giving MS until May 22nd to remove the app -- we're sure this isn't the last you'll hear on this subject.

Update: Microsoft has responded. We have the full statement from a Microsoft spokesperson after the break.

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Source: The Verge

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The Hulu Plus app for Android has a new update, and the most noticeable change is that its player UI to closer match the one on its website and in iOS. It also brings features from those platforms like 10 second skip back and a preview thumbnail in the scrub bar. Hulu also claims it's rebuilt "for optimized awesomeness" with reduced buffering, better playback, and more device compatibility. Finally, in a move that should make plugging in your HDMI-out a little easier, it supports remote control navigation from game controllers and "similar peripherals." A picture of the new UI is above, check out the old version after the break or just hit the source link to try it out for yourself.

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Source: Google Play

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Are you using an iPhone 5 on T-Mobile? Are you in an area with re-farmed 1900MHz HSPA+ spectrum? Well rejoice! Some enterprising folks over at TmoNews have hacked Apple's carrier update for T-Mobile to boost data speeds on the 1900MHz (PCS) HSPA+ band. Better yet, this tweak applies to both T-Mobile's iPhone 5 and the AT&T / unlocked versions -- no jailbreak required. While the official carrier update enabled LTE for the iPhone 5 on T-Mobile, it also decreased data speeds on re-farmed PCS HSPA+ spectrum for many users. The hacked file makes a number of adjustments: it enables Release 9 for dual-carrier HSPA+ and sets the band preference to "auto" from AWS. Follow the source link below for more details and step-by-step instructions.

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Source: TmoNews

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Yesterday NASA reported that an ammonia leak had been discovered on the ISS. Astronauts Tom Marshburn and Chris Cassidy are embarking on an emergency spacewalk to fix the problem. NASA TV is broadcasting the walk live, and you can follow along on the somewhat safer journey past the break.

Update (3:54PM ET): Nasa has reported within the last or so that the faulty pump has been successfully replaced. The entire spacewalk took about six and half hours to complete, according to NASA's Twitter.

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Source: Space.com, NASA (Twitter)

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Not exactly earth-shattering news in the weeks leading up to E3, but Nintendo Japan announced some nice little additions to its Google-powered Wii Street U. The panoramic mapping service is getting support for the proprietary Miiverse social network, letting you share favorite locations and tag images with emotions like "amazing," "beautiful," "fun" and "scary." And for those times when you don't want to give too much away, you can set things to "spoiler." More update spoilers can be found in the source link below.

Filed under: Gaming, GPS, Nintendo

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Via: Neogaf

Source: Nintendo (translated)

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While Facebook Home may not be for everyone, it gained some serious traction since its introduction. Today at Facebook HQ, Cory Ondrejka, Director of Mobile Engineering let loose that, in the month since Facebook Home was first released, it's been downloaded over almost 1 million times. And, the addition of the launcher to those phones is turning out as Facebook had hoped, as the company has seen it drive 25 percent greater engagement (time spent using Home and numbers of comments and likes) with the social network once Home is installed. Naturally, most of those million are early adopters, but Director of Product Adam Mosseri stated that they are seeing the user base shift to "more normal users" with each passing week.

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Google's cadre of Glass explorers only started receiving the headgear last month, but the folks in Mountain View are already pushing out an update. Named XE5, the fresh software carries a raft of tweaks and new features, ranging from crash reporting to Google+ notifications. Among the more notable upgrades are the ability to comment and +1 posts on the search titan's social network, alerts for incoming hangouts, improved battery life estimation and quicker transcription. One thing that may dampen spirits is a new charge to sync policy, which only allows background uploads when devices are plugged in to power sources and connected to WiFi. For the complete list of tweaks, hit the break for the changelog.

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Source: Phandroid

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