Halo Master Chief Collection: Are matchmaking problems finally coming to an end?

343 INDUSTRIES have revealed their planned online matchmaking fix for Halo: The Master Chief Collection is set for launch today.

Sony SmartWatch 3 is now in stock in the United States

Sony SmartWatch 3 is now in stock at the Google Play store in the United States The wearable device is listed as ready to leave the warehouse in 1-2 business days.



The $249.99 Sony SmartWatch 3 first appeared in the Play store in the middle of last month. Only the black color model is available for the time being.

Microsoft Lumia 535 goes official with 5" qHD display

The first Windows Phone smartphone to carry the Microsoft name is now a fact. The already leaked, entry-level Microsoft Lumia 535 will being rolling out to key markets this month in single or dual-SIM variants. Microsoft Lumia 535 features Qualcomm Snapdragon 200 chipset with 1.2GHz quad-core CPU. There's 1GB of RAM and 8GB of built-in memory, which can be further expanded via a microSD card slot. The display of the handset is a 5" IPS unit with qHD resolution(960 x 540 pixels), enhanced sunlight readability, and Corning Gorilla Glass 3. A duo of 5MP cameras grace the front and the back of the Lumia 535. Combined with the 5" screen, they give the device a "5x5x5 smartphone package" moniker. The physical measures of Microsoft Lumia 535 are 140.2 x 72.4 x 8.8mm, while its weight tips the scale at 146 grams. A 1,905mAh battery powers the smartphone. The handset boots Windows Phone 8.1 with Lumia Denim. Naturally, it offers free access to the usual plethora of Microsoft services for free. Microsoft Lumia 535 will be available in a plethora of characterful colors on its exchangeable back cover. It will cost around €110 before any taxes and subsidies.

Balling! Kim K's Mobile Game App makes $43million in 3 months

Kim K's mobile phone game 'Kim Kardashian Hollywood', pulled in $43million in three months, between June to September 2014, and her own cut is roughly about $15million. Wow! The game has been downloaded 22.8 million times since it was launched in June.

HERE Maps for Android gets Lollipop support via an update

The HERE Maps beta for Android, which launched a couple of weeks ago has just received its first update. The new release brings support for the latest Android 5.0 Lollipop, while also coming with some bug fixes and performance tweaks.



The update ensures that the downloaded voice files are kept safe and sound. The fix means that you will have to redownload any non-English voices but they won’t accidentally disappear anymore if you’re using a ‘cache cleaner’ app on your smartphone.

Digital generation: Have childrens toys had their chips?

WITH the demand for hi-tech presents sure to hit new heights this year, should we be worried that playtime has gone digital? Not necessarily, as Rachel Carlyle reports

'Football Leather' Moto X (2014) now out at Verizon

Today, Verizon has officially unveiled a new color version for the Moto X (2014). It's got a fancy name, too: "Football Leather". It's a reddish hue, meant to make you think about (American) football when you look at it, since it's so close to the color of an actual football. The new version of the Moto X is exclusive to Verizon, so if you'd like to get it for use on another carrier you're out of luck. If you don't have anything against Verizon, on the other hand, you can buy the Football Leather Moto X for $119.99 (after a $50 mail-in rebate), if you sign a new two-year contract with the carrier. That's $20 more expensive than what the black model currently goes for, so it looks like you'll need to pay extra for that football look. Internally, though, there's absolutely no difference between these handsets. So inside the Moto X with Football Leather you'll still find a Qualcomm Snapdragon 801 chipset, a 2.5 GHz quad-core CPU, an Adreno 330 GPU, as well as 2GB of RAM. It has a 5.2-inch 1080p touchscreen, a 13 MP rear camera with dual-LED flash, a 2 MP front camera, and a 2,300 mAh battery. It runs Android 4.4..

Motorola Moto X (2014) 5.0 Lollipop update now seeding to testers

Over the past two years or so Motorola turned regular firmware updates into one its top priorities and has been making sure that all its current smartphones run the latest available version of Android. And by the looks of it, things won't change with the release of 5.0 Lollipop. Not only has Motorola committed to updating its lineup, but it appears that it will be the first company to do so. In fact the Moto X (2014) that have signed up to participate in the company's soak testing are already receiving a beta 5.0 Lollipop build as an update. That's not quite the finalized ROM that will be distributed, but barring any major bugs that might pop up during the testing, that one shouldn't be too far away. We don't have an exact changelog for the update, just yet but Material Design UI has been confirmed as well as the battery life boost by Project Volta. We don't know if Motorola will be adding any touches of its own to the release, but the company usually likes to stick close to the vanilla user experience. Hopefully, the final release won't take too long to come and put the last pieces of the...

Top Remedies to Remove Acne Scars

Acnes are most common among young people during and after puberty and they are equally affecting lives of both sexes. Women are much more likely to have acnes during old ages and the main reason are the hormonal changes that occur during the menstrual cycle. Besides puberty and hormones, another cause can be an improper diet, the lack of nutrients, improper skin care or even stress. Acnes and pimples do not have a negative impact on the health of the body but they can leave scars on the skin and thus affect a person’s self-confidence as well as the social life.

Since the emergence of this skin disease can be very intense you will probably try a lot of acne remedies so here are some natural resources that can help. All of these natural remedies are easy to find and they are certainly worth to try out because they can’t have negative effects on your skin.
Natural acne treatment
Sea salt – Here’s a simple remedy that you can try out. Briefly boil 2 dl of water and a half a teaspoon of sea salt. Clean the acne area several times a day with this solution using the cotton pads.
Apple cider vinegar – This is an old proven natural remedy for treating acne. Briefly boil 1/2 liter of water and add one tablespoon of apple cider vinegar. Rub this solution on the acne area every day. Acne cider vinegar has antiseptic properties that prevent the growth of bacteria.
Honey and cinnamon – Eastern cultures treated acne and pimples with this mixture for thousands of years. Rub this mixture on a problematic area once a day before bedtime.
Cucumber – Make a mask out of fresh cucumber and place it on a clean face. This soothes the inflammation of the skin and that’s why it’s recommended for acne and pimples too.
Papaya – The juice of raw papaya should be prepared in a form of a face mask and applied with a cotton pad.
ACNE SCAR TREATMENT
The scars are define as fibrous tissue which replaces the normal skin structure due to an injury or a skin disease. The loss of skin tissue is much more common because of the acne formation than because of the new thickened tissue.
The clinical manifestation of these scars depends on the depth of the inflamed area. There are several successful medical procedures for removing acne scars.
Chemical peels 
Chemical peels are done with single component trichloroacetic acid or in combination with salicylic or pyruvic acid. They are most commonly use for superficial peels and they are preformed in series of five peels for a month.

Microsoft enters wearable tech race with cross-platform fitness tracker

Microsoft will compete against tech giants Apple, Google and Samsung, who have all released fitness bands with similar features.

TORONTO – Microsoft has officially entered the wearable tech race with the unveiling of “Microsoft Band,” a fitness tracker designed to integrate with users’ smartphones.
The bracelet-style device monitors user’s daily fitness goals – from steps taken, to calories burned – and includes a heart rate monitor. Band can also synch with the user’s smartwatch to display notifications.

The device has a UV sensor to help users decide if they need sunscreen or not.
Microsoft will compete against tech giants Apple, Google and Samsung, who have all released fitness bands with similar features.
The official announcement comes a week after Forbes published a report speculating Microsoft was gearing up to launch the device ahead of the holiday season.

Oppo N3 and R5 hands-on: First look

Introduction

Oppo's Singapore event is now under way and we were off to a great show - the star of the show took the stage just minutes after the start. The successor to the Oppo N1 is called Oppo N3 and retains the rotating camera module on the top, while adding a few nice extras on top. The Oppo N3 sports a 5.5" display, meaning it's much smaller than the 5.9" Oppo N1.
With 16MP on a 1/2.3" sensor and f/2.2 aperture, the Oppo N3 should be a potent cameraphone. The lens on the camera is also Schneider Kreuznach certified, while a nice touch to the rotating module is the added motor, which allows it to auto-rotate.

Each pixel is 1.34 microns which puts it above the Samsung Galaxy S5 and Sony's Xperia series, so in theory the Oppo N3 should be able to do better in low-light conditions. What's more interesting about the rotating Oppo N3 camera is its ability to move by itself, a whole 206 degrees. Oppo has named the module Motorized camera. Once the camera locks onto a subject it can track it by itself. Panoramas have also gotten better, now offering an automatic mode and a maximum resolution of 64MP.

Oppo N3 at a glance:

• Dimensions: 161.2 x 77 x 9.9mm; 192g
• Display: 5.5" TFT touchscreen, 1,080 x 1,920 resolution; around 401ppi; Gorilla Glass 3
• Chipset: Snapdragon 801 MSM8974AA chipset: quad-core Krait 400 @2.3GHz; Adreno 330 GPU; 2GB RAM
• OS: ColorOS 2.0 based on Android 4.4 KitKat
• Camera: 16MP Motorized camera with 4K@24fps video recording; 206-degree rotation, f/2.2 aperture, infrared and Bluetooth remote control, RAW support
• Storage: 32GB built-in, microSD card
• Connectivity: LTE, Wi-Fi a/b/g/n/ac, Bluetooth 4.0, A-GPS + GLONASS; microUSB 2.0
• Battery: 3,000mAh, VOOC rapid charging
• Misc: Fingerprint scanner on the back
   

The camera suite of the N3 has been upgraded and is now called Ultra image 2.0. It has slow shutter, ultra macro mode, after focus, RAW support and manual control. The beautify mode is here once again.
The Oppo N3 has the the same pixel density as the Apple iPhone 6 Plus - 401ppi. There's a Snapdragon 801 chipset with a quad-core Krait 400 processor and 2GB of RAM inside to keep things going smoothly. The Oppo N3 comes with ColorOS 2.0, which is based on Android 4.4 KitKat, no word yet on a CyanogenMod variant.
Built inside a stainless steel frame the Oppo N3 looks very sleek and premium. On the back it now has a fingerprint scanner, which can also be used to encrypt images.
The Oppo N3 comes with a breathing light under its display. Oppo calls it Notification Light 2.0. The O-Click remote is back as well, also in 2.0 form. It will help users to find the Oppo N3 and more.
The Oppo N3 supports VOOC rapid charging for its 3,000mAh battery. It can get to 75% battery from 30 minutes of charge. Oppo says you can get 2 hours of call time from 5 minutes of charging. There's a new mini VOOC charger specifically for the Oppo N3.
The price of the Oppo N3 at $649.
And now the Oppo R5 - praised by the company as the thinnest smartphone in the world at just 4.85mm. It packs a 5.2" 1080p AMOLED of 423 ppi, 13MP camera on the back and a 5MP on the front.

Android grows as iOS and Windows Phone decline in Q3

According to the latest Kantar WorldPanel report on mobile operating system market share, Android continues to take the lead marking a slight growth. Its main rivals, iOS and Windows Phone, declined slightly in their respective market share numbers.

In both Europe (EU5) and the US, Android leads its competitors with a market share of 73.9% and 61.8%, respectively. In Europe, Apple takes 15.4% of the market, while Microsoft with Windows Phone manages 9.2%. Interestingly, iOS marks a decline in the US of 3.3 percent points to 32.6% compared to Q2. Windows Phone's presence is also shrinking and is now 4.3% from 4.6%
As far as manufacturers go, LG and Motorola have been doing great in the US and Kantar sees them in a better position to fight with Samsung and Apple than ever. LG is counting on the G3, while Motorola is betting on the Moto X.
In China, Samsung is also feeling pressure from uprising manufacturers such as Xiaomi. It now boasts 30.3% market share whereas Samsung's market share fell to 18.4%. Interestingly, 16% of all smartphones sold in China were with a screen size of 5.5" or larger.

Motorola Nexus 6 hands-on: First look

Introduction

Motorola may have already divorced Google, but the relationship still bears fruit and most recently we've seen the Nexus 6. The first Nexus phablet and the first Nexus by Motorola closely follows the Moto X (2014) design language and brings many of the same software features, though now they are a native part of the OS.

Motorola Nexus 6 official images
The Nexus line is meant to lead the way to better smartphone design, but in this generation it plays a bit of a follower by jumping on the already speeding phablet bandwagon. Even so it's the introduction of Android 5.0 Lollipop and for the first time the vanilla OS has a few extra features against its skinned contemporaries.

Motorola Nexus 6 at a glance:

• Dimensions: 159.3 x 83 x 10.1mm, 184g
• Display: 5.96" AMOLED touchscreen, 1,440 x 2,560 resolution (493ppi); Gorilla Glass 3
• Chipset: Snapdragon 805 chipset: quad-core Krait 450 @ 2.7GHz; Adreno 420 GPU; 3GB RAM
• OS: Android 5.0 Lollipop
• Camera: 13MP main camera with ring dual-LED flash; Optical Image stabilization
• Video camera: 2160p@30fps video
• Front camera: 2MP
• Storage: 32GB/64GB built-in
• Connectivity: LTE Cat. 6 (300Mbps), Wi-Fi a/b/g/n/ac, Bluetooth 4.1, A-GPS + GLONASS; microUSB 2.0 with SlimPort functionality
• Battery: 3,220mAh, Motorola Turbo Charger
• Misc: Front-facing stereo speakers, Qi wireless charging

The Motorola Nexus 6 is strictly a phablet - we know the definition has shifted over the years, but in the end a phablet is a device that's pocketable but best used with two hands.
And standing at a whopping 159.3mm tall and 83mm wide, the Nexus 6 is a challenge to use with one hand. Most of that size is due to the screen, bezels are minimal and the 5.96" screen is left to dominate the front. It's a tack-sharp AMOLED of QHD resolution (493ppi).
A Snapdragon 805 chipset is the best showground for Android 5.0 Lollipop and for future versions to come. After all, part of the Nexus charm is that you stay up to date with Android's latest design and features. And there are plenty of features to be had, borrowed from Motorola's own-branded family. The always-on voice commands, the Ambient display and Turbo Charging.

Samsung Gear S lands on AT&T and Sprint on November 7

T-Mobile US announced just few hours ago it will be carrying the Samsung Gear S SIM-enabled smartwatch. It is offering it with a 2-year contract on $0 upfront and 24 payments of $14.58. The monthly plan costs just $5 and includes unlimited talks, texts and data.

AT&T and Sprint has just announced their pricing and availability details. AT&T will offer you the Samsung Gear S for $199.99 with a two-year contract. AT&T's suggests add the Gear S to a Mobile Share plan for $10 per month.
Sprint's take on the pricing is similar to T-Mobile's - the Samsung Gear S will cost you $0 upfront on Sprint plus 24 payments of $16 (a total of $384). The best thing you can do on Sprint is also to add the Gear S on a Family Share Plan for $10 per month.
Samsung Gear S will become available on both AT&T and Sprint on November 7.
Samsung has announced Verizon will be also launching a dedicated Gear S offer and it will kick off the same week ending on November 9. You will be also able to purchase Samsung Gear S at the Samsung Experience Shops in Best Buy among other retailers. The available colors are Black and White.

RAF jets scramble to intercept Russian bombers over North Sea as Nato reports dozens of planes in European airspace

Nato has sounded a warning after 26 Russian bombers, tankers and fighter jets on military exercises were intercepted around Europe in just 24 hours.

Jets were scrambled by the RAF and allies in Germany, Portugal and Turkey after the 'unusual' spike in activity, which saw two giant Tu-95 Bear H bombers fly close to Britain yesterday.

The alliance said Russia had conducted 'significant military manoeuvres in European airspace' - though it then added none of the planes had strayed into any specific country's territory.

Military manoeuvres: Nato has sounded a warning after 26 Russian bombers, tankers and fighter jets on military exercises were intercepted around Europe in just 24 hours. Above, a map of all the activity reported by the Nato alliance between Tuesday and Wednesday afternoon

Closely watched: RAF Typhoon jets were scrambled yesterday to track this Russian Tu-95 Bear H bomber, one of two which flew close to Britain without filing flight plans or communicating with air traffic controllers. Some 26 intercepts were made in around 24 hours, said Nato

The two Bear bombers had been part of an eight-plane formation which was first intercepted by Norwegian F-16s over at 2am yesterday.

While six of the planes returned back towards Russia, the two Bears carried on south west towards the UK where they were picked up by RAF Boulmer, Northumberland.

Chiefs the scrambled Typhoon jets from RAF Lossiemouth in Moray, northern Scotland, which tracked the Bear bombers as they continued through Britain's 'flight information region'.

Nato said: 'The bomber and tanker aircraft from Russia did not file flight plans or maintain radio contact with civilian air traffic control authorities and they were not using on-board transponders.

'This poses a potential risk to civil aviation as civilian air traffic control cannot detect these aircraft or ensure there is no interference with civilian air traffic.' 

Samsung Galaxy A5 price revealed before launch

The Samsung Galaxy A5 is one of the three upcoming smartphones from the company to feature a metal-clad frame and its price has been prematurely revealed by Kazakhstan carrier "Technodom". According to a leaked listing, the Galaxy A5 Duos LTE, as it's dual-SIM version is going to be called, costs about $552 or €435 (KZT 99,990).

This sounds a bit pricey for a smartphone with a 5" Super AMOLED display of 720p resolution and a Qualcomm Snapdragon 400 chipset with a quad-core 1.2GHz Cortex-A7 CPU and 1GB of RAM. There's a microSD card slot on board as well as NFC and the phone will run Android 4.4.4 KitKat out of the box.
Still, the metal frame brings the phone up a notch in terms of look and feel. As for dimensions, the Galaxy A5 measures 139.9 x 69.7 x 6.7mm and weighs 123 grams. At the back, there's a 13MP snapper with LED flash while a 5MP camera sits at the front.
We've seen the Galaxy A5 and Galaxy A3 on video and in a ton of live photos, which show the phone from every angle.
There's no information when Samsung is going to officially announce the Galaxy A5, Galaxy A3 and Galaxy A7 smartphones. With all the leaks we have on track until now, we guess it's not going to be long until the phones become official.

Pics: Nollywood producer Elvis Chuks acquires 2015 Range Rover

Multiple award winning Nollywood producer and director Elvis Chuks just acquired this Range Rover Supercharged. He said it's 2015 and he got it just this afternoon. Big congrats to him. See another photo after the cut...

Motorola Droid Turbo hands-on: First look

Introduction

This is the Motorola Droid Turbo - Motorola's strongest claim at the high-end throne yet. Built around the strong foundation of the Moto X (2014), Nexus 6 and Motorola's previous Droids it pools together a premium build, pure Android with exclusive features and impressive battery life.

Motorola Droid Turbo
The Motorola Droid Turbo is everything we were hoping for with a 5.2" display of QHD (1,440x2,560px) resolution and massive 565ppi density, a top of the line Snapdragon 805 chip, 3GB of RAM, 21MP main camera. To add a bit of character the Droid Turbo comes in Ballistic nylon or Metalized Glass fiber reinforced with DuPont Kevlar fiber and a water-repellent nano coating.
Think of this as the powerful middle ground between the Moto X (2014) and Nexus 6 - smaller but also much, much bigger. Here are the highlights Droid Turbo's crossbreed specs:

Motorola Droid Turbo is official with 5.2-inch QHD display

At a joint event today, Verizon and Motorola announced the Droid Turbo. The phone runs on the Verizon XLTE network and features a 5.2" Super AMOLED QHD display with a pixel density of 565ppi.
The Droid Turbo is powered by a Snapdragon 805 chipset with a 2.7GHz quad-core Krait 450 CPU, 3GB of RAM and an Adreno 420 GPU. The battery is 3,900mAh and Motorola promises it can last for 48 hours of mixed usage.


The phone also promises to be quite resistant to torturing. It's made either of ballistic nylon or metalized glass fiber reinforced with DuPont kevlar. The display is covered with a protective layer of Gorilla Glass 3 and the innards are covered with a water-repellent nanocoating.
The Droid Turbo with Ballistic nylon measures 73.3 x 143.5 x 8.3mm (at its thinnest), while the Metalized fiber one is a bit thinner at 7.8mm.
At the back of the phone, there's a 21MP snapper with a f/2.0 aperture and 4K video recording at 24fps.
The Motorola Droid Turbo will be available starting October 30 and the 32GB model will be available in Metallic Black, Metallic Red, and Black Ballistic Nylon for $199.99 with new two year contract or $25 per month on Verizon Edge. The 64GB Black Ballistic Nylon model will also be available for $249.99 with new two year activation or $27 per month on Verizon Edge.

HIS iSuppli: Xiaomi outpaces Huawei as 3rd largest manufacturer

The champagne is popping over at Xiaomi headquarters as according to HIS iSuppli, the company is now the third largest phone manufacturer. The analysts reports that Xiaomi outpaced Huawei with a total of 19 million smartphones shipped in Q3 2014. For the same period, Huawei managed to sell 16.8 million smartphones.


Xiaomi's pace has been growing continuously over the past couple of years. In 2012, it sold 5.7 million phones and 18.7 million in 2014 (note that these are full year numbers). This year it sold 11 million and 15.1 million in Q1 and Q2 respectively.
The latest markets to welcome Xiaomi are Singapore, India and Hong Kong. In India, the company has been quite active recently and with its aggressive pricing it managed to not only raise awareness but also sell quite a lot of Mi3 and Redmi Note smartphones.
Competition in China is getting more and more fierce with Huawei, Lenovo and Xiaomi fighting for a better position in the market. Meizu and OnePlus are also potent competitors, which are likely to offer even more competitive products as time goes on.