Rock Band team hits Kickstarter to fund a remake of its cult classic, Amplitude
The team behind Rock Band and Dance Central wants to return to its roots, but needs your help to do so. That’s right, Harmonix Music Systems is revisiting the PlayStation 2 cult classic Amplitude and have turned to Kickstarter to fund development. Harmonix says that while making Rock Band, the plan was to use the new beat-matching tools it developed for that game and apply them to a sequel to its classic rhythm title. That fell by the wayside, however, as publisher-funded games naturally took priority over a passion project. For the new version, Harmonix plans to apply the improvements afforded by the last 11 years (namely: widescreen HDTVs, more powerful consoles, the development team’s talent) and marry them with the original’s game-play. Because Sony still owns the property, the game’s only been announced for PS3 and PS4 release, though. One aspect of the original that won’t make the cut, however, is online play — you’ll have to make due with leaderboards and local multiplayer.
If that isn’t too much of a deal-breaker, admission starts at $20 for a download code upon the game’s release, or $40 for an advance copy. The backer rewards get crazier the higher the pledge amount. If you pledge $8,000 the team will come to your house and throw a party (seriously). Ten grand gets you airfare to Massachusetts, a night’s hotel stay, a jam session with the Harmonix band, a studio tour and a helicopter tour of Boston. Neither of those have been claimed as of this writing, but the campaign still has a long ways to go in its 18 days. Amplitude has raised almost $80,000 in its first day, but that’s a far cry from the $775,000 funding goal. With the amount of irons Harmonix has in the fire — including Disney’s Fantasia: Music Evolved and Chroma – let’s hope that if the game is fully funded that the team can make sure it comes out on time. After all, we’ve seen other gaming projects with lower monetary ambitions stumble along the way to release.
Filed under: Gaming, Home Entertainment, HD
Via: Joystiq
Source: Kickstarter
Bill to end NSA’s mass surveillance moves closer to a vote
The House Judiciary Committee is getting ready to begin mark up procedures on the USA Freedom Act, a bill that would effectively end the NSA’s mass surveillance program as it exists today. Jim Sensenbrenner, a Wisconsin Republican, is the man behind the bill and he’s got tons of backing from the tech and privacy communities. That support probably has something to do with the alternative bill currently with the House Intelligence Committee which many agree doesn’t do enough to rein in the NSA. In an effort to get it through committee with its teeth intact a slew of nonprofits and major companies, including the ACLU, the Electronic Frontier Foundation, DropBox, Mozilla and Reddit have signed a letter to its members stating their support. Plus there are 140 co-sponsors in the House and a sister bill working its way through the Senate with the support of Patrick Leahy, the Democratic chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee.
Sensenbrenner, who has cast himself as a vociferous opponent of the NSA’s overreach, is actually largely responsible for the program. He is credited as one of the architects of the Patriot Act, and introduced that far-reaching law to the House. It’s the provisions of the Patriot Act, signed into law by George W. Bush after the September 11th attacks, that form the legal foundation of the NSA’s surveillance programs. It wasn’t until recently that the long-time Wisconsin representative seemed to take umbrage to the domestic spying programs.
Even with the support of 140 house members and dozens of organizations there’s still no guarantee the USA Freedom act will ever become law. The intelligence committee is bound to fight tooth and nail for its own version. And president Obama may very well veto the law if it fails to include provisions like immunity for the telecos.
Filed under: Misc
Source: Rep. Jim Sensenbrenner, National Journal
Microsoft is planning a Surface event for May 20th
It didn’t seem that long ago that Microsoft held its last Surface tablet launch in New York City, but it’s time again for yet another one. Yep, Microsoft has just sent us an invitation for a Surface-related event slated for May 20th in the Big Apple, imploring us to join them “for a small gathering.” We really don’t know much else aside from that, but we’re guessing a new tablet — possibly a mini Surface? — could be unveiled. All we do know is that we’ll be there live and in person to tell you all about it.
Samsung prepping Galaxy Tab S line with 2560×1600 AMOLED Screens?
I personally like Samsung and what they do. I might not be a huge fan of the TouchWiz / Magazine UI or how device locked the Gear watches are, but the fact that they offer a plethora of device options at variable price tags is rather nice. In the tablet line there are the more prolific Galaxy NotePRO. Along with the TabPRO and the lesser expensive Galaxy Tab 4 line. Now a new set of details is emerging that hints toward a Galaxy Tab S family of AMOLED display sporting tablets.
The report comes in from SamMobile and offers up that Samsung has a pair of tablets, one 8.4-inch and the other a 10.5-inch, with screen resolutions hitting 2560 x 1600. Both of which are using AMOLED displays too. Talks get a little bit better even with the other leaked details suggesting a Exynos 5 Octa-core processor, 3GB RAM, 8 MP camera on the rear and a 2.1 MP camera on the front. Toss in Wi-Fi 802.11ac along with the more known a/b/g/n, Wi-Fi Direct, DLNA, Bluetooth 4.0 LE / ANT+, GPS, GLONASS and an IR Blaster.
It would be stupid of Samsung to release this on anything less than Android 4.4.2 KitKat, which is exactly what the information details out. Not to mention the newer Magazine style UI that we saw on the NotePRO.
The insider is stating that that there will be 4 models of the device available. Standard Wi-Fi only models of each size along with an LTE counter part. Perhaps the better news is that the LTE models are said to retain the Exynos 5 (5420) chip this time around and not be forced to switch to Qualcomm to give the LTE radio coverage.The only thing that didn’t get mentioned was internal storage, but a screenshot sent it offered up internal storage numbers of 10.65GB. We suspect 16GB and 32GB offerings with micro SD card support surely.
I was pretty impressed with the NotePRO when I saw it, but this new Galaxy Tab S line is sounding a bit more interesting to someone like me who doesn’t need the fancy S-Pen. Now if they can make it affordable. What are your guys thoughts?
Source: SamMobile
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Samsung’s ‘Infringe First and Stall as Long as Possible’ Strategies Are Nothing New
On the day that a San Jose jury submitted a final verdict on the damages that Samsung owes Apple in the second United States patent infringement lawsuit between the two companies, Vanity Fair has published a lengthy piece that takes a look at Samsung’s long (and successful) history of using patent infringement as a business tactic.
Back in 2010, before Apple filed an initial lawsuit against Samsung, executives from Cupertino (including lawyers) met with Samsung executives in Seoul, where it was made clear by Samsung VP Seungho Ahn if Apple chose to pursue a lawsuit, Samsung would countersue with its own patents. “We’ve been building cell phones forever,” Ahn told Chip Lutton, an Apple lawyer at the time. “We have our own patents, and Apple is probably violating some of those.”
The iPhone compared to the Samsung Galaxy S
As it turns out, stealing key ideas from other companies and then using its own portfolio of patents to draw out lawsuits is a tactic that Samsung used long before Apple came into the picture.
According to various court records and people who have worked with Samsung, ignoring competitors’ patents is not uncommon for the Korean company. And once it’s caught it launches into the same sort of tactics used in the Apple case: countersue, delay, lose, delay, appeal, and then, when defeat is approaching, settle.
In 2007, Sharp filed a lawsuit against Samsung, alleging that the South Korean company had violated its patents. Samsung countersued, drawing out the lawsuit as it continued to produce TV sets using the stolen technology, building up its TV business. Samsung was found guilty of patent infringement years later in 2009, at which point it settled with Sharp to avoid an import ban.
There’s a similar story with Pioneer, who filed a patent infringement lawsuit against Samsung over plasma television technology in 2006. Samsung countersued, dragging on litigation and appeals until a 2009 settlement. The long and expensive legal battle caused Pioneer to shut down its television business while Samsung thrived. Samsung has pulled the same stunt with Kodak, Apple, and several other technology companies.
Samsung hit Apple with the same tactic following the release of the iPhone. As has been documented during the ongoing global lawsuits between the two companies, Samsung evaluated the iPhone feature-by-feature and came up with 126 instances where Apple’s iPhone was better than its own offerings, which led to the development of the Galaxy S.
Bit by bit, the new model for a Samsung smartphone began to look–and function–just like the iPhone. Icons on the home screen had similarly rounded corners, size, and false depth created by a reflective shine across the image. The icon for the phone function went from being a drawing of a keypad to a virtually identical reproduction of the iPhone’s image of a handset. The bezel with the rounded corners, the glass spreading out across the entire face of the phone, the home button at the bottom–all of it almost the same.
Following the release of the Galaxy S and Samsung’s refusal to sign licensing agreements with Apple due to its former history of successfully avoiding significant penalties for copying intellectual property, Apple filed its first lawsuit against Samsung. Samsung, of course, followed, leading to where we are today — Samsung has thus far been ordered to pay Apple just over a billion dollars in the United States after two lawsuits, but appeals are far from over. Samsung has continued to develop its Galaxy line of devices and has cemented itself as Apple’s biggest competitor.
Meanwhile, as has happened with other cases where Samsung violated a company’s patents, it has continued to develop new and better phones throughout the litigation to the point where even some people who have worked with Apple say the Korean company is now a strong competitor on the technology and not just a copycat anymore.
The full story, which covers Samsung’s history, its past patent lawsuits and other legal woes, Apple’s creation of the original iPhone, and the dispute between the two companies, can be read over at Vanity Fair.
You can now crop and add borders to images in Google Docs
You’ll have to download the standalone apps to get to work on mobile devices, but you can now crop, rotate and add borders to images inside Google Docs. The same handy modification tools that have been available in Slides now make their debut in Mountain View’s word processor. Gone are the days of firing up a separate app to crop those snapshots down size before properly illustrating your thesis. If you’re in need of a step-by-step breakdown, Google provided one right here.
Filed under: Software
Source: Google Drive (Google+)
Mulling a new wardrobe? Google Now alerts you when it’s available nearby
Sometimes you have to run out for a meeting seconds before you’re able to commit to a well-researched online purchase. Fret not though, Google Now is here to help. The card-based system will display the items that you’re longing for when they’re available from a retailer you’re passing by. All you need to do is update Search for Android and the software will remind you of the products and pricing info, allowing for a quick stop on the way home. That’s after you find your car, natch.
Source: Google (Google+)
Must See HDTV for the week of May 6th: 24, Louie and Weekend at Bernie’s
It’s springtime and football is back (sort of). The NFL Draft will stand in for actual games (unless you dig arena league) among a slew of sports this week, but if your tastes turn towards drama or comedy there’s still plenty to look forward to. Among the list of long-awaited movies being released on Blu-ray this week are 80s favorites Weekend at Bernie’s and Revenge of the Nerds, but the biggest news is that Jack Is Back on 24 tonight along with Louis CK’s Louie on FX. Check after the break for a list of what’s new this week plus a few trailers, and drop in the comments if you see any highlights that we’ve missed.
24: Live Another Day
After taking a few years off, Kiefer Sutherland/Jack Bauer is returning to fight terrorism once again. Those familiar with 24 should know what to expect and have likely already prepared a counter for every kill, but we’re wondering if Jack’s cellphone still magically has signal everywhere he goes. If you want to check out some old episodes remember — Amazon Prime is the place for that now.
(Fox, May 6th, 8PM)
Penny Dreadful
Showtime’s new psychological thriller Penny Dreadful premieres this weekend from Skyfall writer/directors John Logan and Sam Mendes. The show promises to reinvent some of literature’s classic frightening characters like Dr. Frankenstein, Dorian Gray and even Dracula. Not quite convinced? Check out the full premiere episode for free on the internet right here.
(Showtime, May 11th, 10PM)
Louie
After an all-too-long layoff, comedian Louis CK is bringing back his self titled series for another season. Last season closed out with him on the losing end of the late night wars, so we can’t imagine where it will go from here, but it should be funny. Back-to-back episodes air tonight and for the next seven weeks, check out a few preview clips embedded here plus a message from Louis CK to the fans:
I took a year off between last season and this one, mostly so I could have more time to do the show, to make it better. This season is very different from past seasons. The first three episodes are pretty typical of what we’ve done in the past, Self-contained stories. But the next 6 episodes after that are all connected in one story. Then we have a three part story and a two part story. So lots of… parts stories. Yeah.
Anyway, I just wanted to make you aware that the show is coming back tonight.
(FX, May 6th, 10PM)
Sports
The big show this weekend is the NFL Draft, kicking off with round one on Thursday night, followed by 2 and 3 on Friday and the rest on Saturday. As usual both ESPN and the NFL Network are in place to catch all the drama, but fans of other sports can also tune into the ongoing NBA and NHL playoffs. NASCAR Sprint Cup action shifts to Saturday night, while F1 racers hit the track in Spain Sunday morning.
Blu-ray, Streaming movies & Games
- Veronica Mars
- Blazing Saddles (40th Anniversary Edition)
- Amistad
- The Terminal
- Bachelor Party
- Revenge of the Nerds
- Weekend at Bernies
- The Honeymooners Classic 39 Episodes
- I Love Lucy: Ultimate Season 1
- The Andy Griffith Show Season 1
- Speed 2: Cruise Control
- MLB 14: The Show (PS4)
- Sportsfriends (PS3, PS4)
- Peggle 2 (Xbox 360)
Monday
- 24: Live Another Day (season premiere), Fox, 8PM
- 2 Broke Girls (season finale), CBS, 8PM
- Wizards/Pacers Game 1, TNT, 7PM
- Penguins/Rangers Game 3, NBC Sports Network, 7:30PM
- Dancing with the Stars, ABC, 8PM
- Star-Crossed, CW, 8PM
- The Voice, NBC, 8PM
- WWE Raw, USA, 8PM
- Friends with Better Lives, CBS, 8:30PM
- Tomorrow People (season finale), CW, 9PM
- Mike & Molly, CBS, 9PM
- Warehouse 13, Syfy, 9PM
- Clippers/Thunder Game 1, TNT, 9:30PM
- Louie (season premiere), FX, 10 & 10:30PM
- Bates Motel (season finale), A&E, 10PM
- Metal Hurlant Chronicles (season premiere), Syfy, 10 & 10:30PM
- The Blacklist, NBC, 10PM
- Castle, ABC, 10PM
Tuesday
- 30 for 30: Soccer Stories – Mysteries of the Rimet Trophy / Barbosa: The Man Who Made Brazil Cry, ESPN, 7PM
- Bruins/Canadiens Game 3, NBC Sports Network, 7PM
- Glee, Fox, 8PM
- Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., ABC, 8PM
- The Voice, NBC, 8PM
- NCIS, CBS, 8PM
- The Pioneers of Television (season finale), PBS, 8PM
- The Originals, CW, 8PM
- The New Girl (season finale), Fox, 9PM
- From Dusk Till Dawn, El Rey Network, 9PM
- About a Boy, NBC, 9PM
- Jim Henson’s Creature Shop Challenge, Syfy, 9PM
- The Goldbergs, ABC, 9PM
- NCIS: LA, CBS, 9PM
- Supernatural, CW, 9PM
- The Mindy Project (season finale), Fox, 9:30PM
- Growing Up Fisher, NBC, 9:30PM
- Trophy Wife, ABC, 9:30PM
- Freakshow (season premiere), AMC, 10 & 10:30PM
- Chicago Fire, NBC, 10PM
- Fargo, FX, 10PM
- Playing House, USA, 10PM
- Person of Interest, CBS, 10PM
- Awkward, MTV, 10PM
- The Listener, ION, 10 & 11PM
- Wild Things with Dominic Monaghan, BBC America, 10PM
- Tosh.0, Comedy Central, 10PM
- Inside Amy Schumer, Comedy Central, 10:30PM
- Faking It, MTV, 10:30PM
- Small Town Security (season premiere), AMC, 11PM
Wednesday
- Penguins/Rangers Game 4, NBC Sports Network, 7:30PM
- Survivor, CBS, 8PM
- Melissa & Joey, ABC Family, 8PM
- American Idol, Fox, 8PM
- Arrow, CW, 8PM
- The Middle, ABC, 8PM
- Revolution, NBC, 8PM
- Suburgatory, ABC, 8:30PM
- Baby Daddy, ABC Family, 8:30PM
- The 100, CW, 9PM
- Criminal Minds, CBS, 9PM
- Law & Order: SVU, NBC, 9PM
- Modern Family, ABC, 9PM
- Mixology, ABC, 9:30PM
- Catfish (season premiere), MTV, 10PM
- The Americans, FX, 10PM
- Legit, FXX, 10PM
- Chicago PD, NBC, 10PM
- CSI (season finale), CBS, 10PM
- Nashville, ABC, 10PM
- The Ultimate Fighter, Fox Sports 1, 10PM
- Triptank, Comedy Central, 10:30PM
- Deal With It, TBS, 10:30PM
- Ali G: Rezurection, FXX, 10:30PM
Thursday
- Nets/Heat Game 2, ESPN2, 7PM
- NFL Draft Round 1, NFL Network / ESPN, 8PM
- The Big Bang Theory, CBS, 8PM
- The Vampire Diaries, CW, 8PM
- The Millers, CBS, 8:30PM
- American Idol, Fox, 9PM
- Saint George (season finale), FX, 9PM
- Grey’s Anatomy, ABC, 9PM
- Reign, CW, 9PM
- Two and a Half Men (season finale), CBS, 9PM
- Trail Blazers/Spurs, ESPN2, 9:30PM
- Surviving Jack, Fox, 9:30PM
- Anger Management, FX, 9:30PM
- Bad Teacher, CBS, 9:30PM
- Maron (season premiere), IFC, 10PM
- Angels/Kings Game 3, NBC Sports Network, 10PM
- Real World/Road Rules Challenge, MTV, 10PM
- Black Box, ABC, 10PM
- Elementary, CBS, 10PM
- Comedy Bang! Bang! (season premiere), IFC, 10:30PM
Friday
- NFL Draft: Rounds 2-3, ESPN / NFL Network, 7PM
- Pacers/Wizards Game 3, ESPN, 8PM
- Unforgettable (season finale), CBS, 8PM
- WWE SmackDown, Syfy, 8PM
- Whose Line Is It Anyway?, CW, 8PM
- Hart of Dixie, CW, 9PM
- Bellator MMA Live (season finale), Spike TV, 9PM
- Shark Tank, ABC, 9PM
- Hawaii Five-0 (season finale), CBS, 9PM
- Continuum, Syfy, 10PM
- Blue Bloods (season finale), CBS, 10PM
- Hannibal, NBC, 10PM
- Vice, HBO, 11PM
Saturday
- NFL Draft Rounds 4 – 7, ESPN / NFL Network, 12PM
- NASCAR Sprint Cup @ Kansas Speedway, Fox, 7PM
- The Good Sister, Lifetime, 8PM
- Heat/Nets Game 3, ABC, 8PM
- Orphan Black, BBC America, 9PM
- Da Vinci’s Demons, Starz, 9PM
- The Real History of Science Fiction, BBC America, 10PM
- Spurs/Trail Blazers Game 3, ESPN, 10:30PM
- Saturday Night Live: Charlize Theron/Black Keys, NBC, 11:30PM
- Comedy Underground with Dave Attell, Comedy Central, 1AM
Sunday
- F1 Spanish GP, NBC Sports Network, 8AM
- Thunder/Clippers Game 4, ABC, 3:30PM
- Bob’s Burgers, Fox, 7PM
- American Dad, Fox, 7:30PM
- Cardinals/Pirates, ESPN, 8PM
- Pacers/Wizards Game 4, TNT, 8PM
- The Simpsons, Fox, 8PM
- Once Upon a Time (season finale), ABC, 8PM
- The Amazing Race, CBS, 8PM
- Family Guy, Fox, 8:30PM
- Nurse Jackie, Showtime, 9PM
- Game of Thrones, HBO, 9PM
- Mr. Selfridge, PBS, 9PM
- Cosmos: A Spacetime Odyssey, Fox, 9PM
- Rosemary’s Baby (Part 1 of 2), NBC, 9PM
- Anthony Bourdain: Parts Unknown, CNN, 9PM
- Turn, AMC, 9PM
- The Good Wife, CBS, 9PM
- Californication, Showtime, 9:30PM
- Mad Men, AMC, 10PM
- Penny Dreadful (series premiere), Showtime, 10PM
- Silicon Valley, HBO, 10PM
- Revenge (season finale), ABC, 10PM
- The Mentalist, CBS, 10PM
- Veep, HBO, 10:30PM
- Last Week Tonight with John Oliver, HBO, 11PM
- Robot Chicken, Cartoon Network, 11:30PM
Filed under: Home Entertainment, HD
Mozilla asks the FCC to rethink net neutrality with content providers in mind
Like some, Mozilla is concerned that the FCC’s second take on net neutrality won’t be enough to guarantee that internet service providers (ISPs) treat all content fairly. To that end, the Firefox developer has just given the FCC a solution of its own: regulate the relationship between ISPs and “remote delivery services” like Dropbox and Netflix. If these content hosts were subject to the same common carrier rules as phone lines, Mozilla argues, ISPs wouldn’t be allowed to discriminate against incoming services by blocking them or slowing them down.
Mozilla contends that its approach has a better chance of surviving the kinds of court challenges that defeated the FCC’s previous net neutrality rules, which allegedly went too far by demanding no-blocking rules for the ISPs themselves. The policy might also help companies like Netflix argue against connection peering deals, where ISPs charge content providers to guarantee the quality of service that users expect.
There’s no certainty that the FCC will bite, though. This is just a proposal, and the agency isn’t under an obligation to seriously consider it. Historically, ISPs have also fought bitterly against any common carrier regulation — the Commission had worded its earlier rules in hopes of avoiding that battle, to no avail. ISPs wouldn’t necessarily get to repeat their earlier appeals court strategy, but we’d expect them to find some way to challenge Mozilla’s suggested measures.
Source: Mozilla Open Policy
Consumer Cellular now offers Moto G, adds 750 retail locations
With ‘no contract’ options becoming increasingly popular, we’re starting to see quite a bit of growth in the prepaid carrier market. Let’s take Consumer Cellular, for example, who has just added 750 new retail locations inside Sears across the United States.
Since their partnership with Sears in 2011, this marks the 3rd time a Consumer Wireless expansion has taken place. John Maverick, Consumer Cellular CEO explains,
Sears has been an excellent partner – helping Consumer Cellular with our expansion into new markets and enhancing our ability to reach more customers nationwide – and we are thrilled to continue our growth momentum across its 750 retail locations. This new display allows us to showcase a broader range of Consumer Cellular products for customers and provides the hands-on buying experience that can be important when choosing a cellphone to best fit a specific lifestyle.
Along with the Sears retail expansion, Consumer Cellular is also making the Motorola Moto G available for $150. The Moto G has been very well-received in prepaid markets due to its great quality hardware, software, and extremely inexpensive price. It’s great to see this phone branch out to more service providers!
If you’d like to check out the Moto G, head over to the official Consumer Cellular site.
Source: Business Wire
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