Fully Charged: Skype Translator preview begins, Devil May Cry coming to PS4 and Xbox One, and the VR fitness routine
All the tech news tidbits you need to begin the day well informed
Skype Translator preview opens up
Skype has already helped the world feel smaller and more connected during its existence, but the Microsoft-owned service looks to take things several steps further with the launch of near real-time translation. And Skype Translator is already rolling out via a preview program that began yesterday.
The preview version is only available to Windows 8.1 users at present, whether you’re on PC, tablet, or phone, and as of now includes just English and Spanish spoken language conversion – but it has more than 40 written languages that can be converted on the fly during instant messaging.
Microsoft showcased the tech by creating the above video – thanks to students at Stafford Elementary School in Tacoma, Washington USA and Peterson School in Mexico City, Mexico – but the potential audience here is obviously much broader than schoolchildren. Sign up now to give it a shot.
[Source: Skype Big Blog]
DmC: Devil May Cry getting new-gen release
One of last year’s top action games, DmC: Devil May Cry – the reboot of Capcom’s frantic franchise – will be re-released in a remastered version for PlayStation 4 and Xbox One on 17 March 2015. The new Definitive Edition will run at 1080p and 60 frames per second, with a wealth of previous downloadable content bundled onto the disc, such as a bonus campaign, new modes, and various other tweaks.
Additionally, Capcom says it will bring predecessor Devil May Cry 4 to Xbox One and PS4 sometime next summer, we’d hazard a guess that it’ll be a less extravagant downloadable release. However, no real details were mentioned on that front, so we’ll have to loop back after DmC makes its second debut.
[Source: Capcom]
READ MORE: DmC: Devil May Cry review
Want to work out in VR?
Virtual reality could be the next great medium for interactive experiences, and developers are busy dreaming up the possibilities. But do you really want to strap on a headset, close off your senses to the world, and start working out to fitness routines inside your home?
Fitness app company Runtastic believes so, and has developed an Oculus Rift and Kinect-centric virtual reality fitness experience as a proof of concept, with a virtual trainer and look-based interactions with menus. We could see this being very nauseating, (extra) sweaty, and perhaps even dangerous, but we won’t know until someone flails wildly into a lamp, right?
[Source: YouTube via Engadget]
READ MORE: New Oculus Rift Crescent Bay prototype headset revealed with built-in audio
Hearthstone begins rolling out to Android
Hearthstone: Heroes of Warcraft, Blizzard’s immensely popular free-to-play collectible card game, has started rolling out to Android tablets after strong debuts on iPad and computers. It’s available now in Australia, Canada, and New Zealand, but this soft launch window won’t last for long: the publisher says a worldwide rollout via Google Play and the Amazon Appstore is happening in the “days ahead.”
READ MORE: Blizzard cancels its next MMO project