Supercell's "Clash Royale"

Supercell - the makers of the phenomenal "Clash of Clans" - had the soft launch of a new mobile game title last week.

Dubbed "Clash Royale," the title is a multiplayer card dueling game that features Clash of Clans characters and elements - covering a range of "Clash of Clans" troops, spells and defenses.

Currently available in App Store (for iOS-driven smartdevices), "Clash Royale" players can assemble their own decks and engage in duels with other players in real time.

Though "Clash Royale" has certain tie-ups with "Clash of Clans," it is not a "Clash of Clans" sequel but a completely different game.

Netflix now available in the Philippines

During the course of this year's Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas held last week, Reed Hastings - the CEO of Netflix - announced that the services of the digital content streaming service will be made available in more countries - the Philippines included.

Established in the United States in 1997, the company specializes in the delivery of on-demand internet streaming content, operating on a subscription-based business model.

Netflix subscribers can use a mobile phone or internet-capable television to access movies, television shows and other forms of downloadable and stream-able digital content at their discretion - giving Netflix subscribers the option to view movies or TV shows of their choice.

Currently, Netflix in the Philippines offers three subscription plan options, namely "basic," "standard," and "premium." More information on Netflix in the Philippines is available at netflix.com/ph.

New Fitbit and Casio smartwatches

Fitbit - a brand that's become synonymous with electronic fitness bands - recently had the introduction of its first true-to-convention smartwatch - the Fitbit "Blaze."

Running on a proprietary operating system, the wearable device can wirelessly connect with smartphones running on Android, iOS or Windows. It is also built with the intuitive activity, fitness tracking and monitoring features that put the Fitbit brand on the map.

Available in elastomer (rubber), leather, or stainless steel strap versions, the smartwatch is expected to be commercially available in overseas markets by March this year.

Casio - a household name brand that's famed for developing wristwatches since the 1970s - also recently introduced the "Casio Smart Outdoor Watch" (WSD-F10).

Built to US military standard specifications, the wearable device runs on Google's "Android Wear" operating system, is water resistant to up to 50 meters and is equipped with a built-in audio microphone.

The smartwatch also features a range of sensors that can track activity levels and measure changes in one's surrounding environment. It also sports a robust power saving mode that can boost battery charge to power it for as long as a month.

Announced to be made available in overseas markets by the second quarter of this year, many have compared the smartwatch with another wristwatch line by Casio - the G-Shock - both the "Smart Outdoor Watch" and "G-Shock" series being built to withstand rough use and wear.

More information about the smartwatches are on the brands' respective websites.

"End of Life" status for Microsoft's Internet Explorer versions 8, 9 and 10

Those still using Microsoft's Internet Explorer (IE) version 8, 9 or 10 may notice pop-up notifications prompting them to upgrade their browser starting today - as Microsoft will no longer be issuing security patches or updates for the mentioned versions in the days ahead.

Announced in a Microsoft Support article on the browser line's "End of Life" standing, the "End of Life" status of IE 8, IE 9 and IE 10 doesn't mean that they will no longer work - but the browsers' security provisions and protocols will no longer receive updates against current generation malware, adware, phishing tactics and other online attacks.

The "End of Life" status doesn't include IE 11, which is the current IE version that came pre-installed with Microsoft's "Windows 10" operating system.

More information about the "End of Life" status of IE 8, 9 and 10 - version-update options, instructions and workarounds - are available on the official Microsoft IE Support website.

Enter: The Nikon "D5"

The much awaited successor of Nikon's "D4" DSLR was finally unveiled last week - a camera model that's capable of shooting 4K-quality videos and capturing stills with ISO rates of up to 3,280,000.

Dubbed the Nikon "D5," the brand's new flagship DSLR aimed for photography pros comes equipped with a new 20.8 megapixel sensor and Nikon's new "EXPEED 5" processor - hardware components matched with a redesigned AF system and a touch screen input/control interface.

As the Nikon camera model to have the "widest native ISO range ever," the "D5" can take up to 200 shots in a single burst and can also record Full HD 1080 videos with the least fuss. More information on the "D5" is available on Nikon's official website.