HTC M9 Prime, M9 due in Q1 2015
Whilst the HTC One M8 Prime was allegedly shelved by HTC, rumours have surfaced that point to the next iteration of the One Mx family to hit the market in the first quarter of 2015.
The HTC One M9 and HTC One M9 Prime are already being worked on by the company according to @evleaks, who also notes that the Prime variation of the HTC One M9 will be the first to hit the shelves.
Whilst any granular details about specs or appearance are not yet available, it does seem that we will see two M9 devices next year released by HTC.
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‘Ringly’ Smart Ring Relays iPhone Notifications Over Bluetooth [iOS Blog]
Ringly, a new iPhone-connected smart ring designed for women, uses Bluetooth LE to connect to a phone, lighting up and buzzing to alert users of calls, messages, emails, and other app notifications.
Billed as the first connected ring, Ringly aims to allow users to continue to receive notifications even while a phone is put away in a bag or otherwise unavailable. The ring, which lasts for up to three days on a single charge, connects to an accompanying iPhone app to deliver notifications.
Ringly creates jewelry and accessories that connect to your phone and notify you about the things that matter most. Put your phone away and enjoy the moment.
Ringly is designed to light up or vibrate when a notification is received, and it is entirely customizable by the end user. It features four vibration patterns and five colors that can be assigned to different notifications. Incoming Twitter notifications might buzz in a certain way, for example, while a phone call might light up. The ring is also able to sync with reminders, letting users know when a meeting or appointment is coming up.
Ringly is available in three sizes (6,7, and 8) with four different designs that feature precious and semi-precious stones in 18K matte gold settings. Three of the rings can be pre-ordered for $145, while a fourth ring sells for $180. The rings will retail for considerably more, starting at $195. The first 1,000 rings sold are also advertised as having a real diamond in the side.
Everything Nintendo did (and didn’t) announce at its digital E3 event
Nintendo once told us that if it didn’t change, it “might die,” but we never expected the company to turn into a puppet show. It happened anyway: Nintendo’s digital E3 event was hosted by Robot Chicken-sourced figures, complete with a demanding audience of stop-motion fans. We’ve got to give Nintendo credit — this is certainly a new approach to handling E3. What did the company actually announce, though? Lots of things: including a new, open-world Zelda game, a little bit of NFC wizardry and even a game starring Toad. After the event closed, Nintendo dropped a few more announcements from a “Nintendo Minute” event on the E3 show floor. Miss the show? You can rewatch it in its entirety here, or simply read on for Engadget’s full run-down.
Amiibo, Nintendo’s NFC initiative
When Nintendo launched the Wii U, we wondered what the company was planning to do with the GamePad’s NFC functionality. Now we know: toys, toys and toys. Amiibo is Nintendo’s answer to games like Skylanders and Disney Infinity, linking its games to figurines. Unlike those properties, however, Amiibo promises to work across several games, and will even have a 3DS peripheral. During its digital event, Nintendo showed how the toys integrate with Super Smash Bros, with each toy functioning as an AI combatant that can be used in single and multiplayer battles — but Amiibo functionality is planned for Mario Kart 8, Mario Party 10 and Yoshi’s Woolly World, as well as other, unannounced games. Speaking of…
Mario Party 10
The latest game in the Mario Party series was sadly left out of Nintendo’s main presentation, but reared its head during the company’s Amiibo follow-up presentation. Like its predecessors, Mario Party 10 promises friendship-testing multiplayer competition, but the latest installment seems to make one player the main antagonist: putting them in the role of Mario’s archnemesis, Bowser, with the powers to antagonize the rest of the players from the safety of the Wii U GamePad.
Play as yourself in Super Smash Bros.
Not satisfied with Nintendo’s roster of Super Smash Bros. fighters? Then make your own: Nintendo kicked off its event by announcing not only the game’s Amiibo support, but also the ability to throw your own Mii characters into the brawl. Mii fighters can use three different fighting styles: a Mario-like “brawler,” as a “swordfighter” like Link or as a Mega Man-esque “gunner.” Each of these classes can also select several special moves, making them the most customizable character in the game. Not into Miis? No worries — Nintendo announced that Kid Icarus’ Lady Palutena would be a playable character, too.
Yoshi’s Woolly World
The creators behind Yoshi’s yarn-based adventure took a few minutes to talk about how it’s different from that very similar-looking Kirby game we saw a few years back. Specifically, the developers talked about how exploration-focused they want the game to be, and how co-op gameplay factors into the game design. The team talked about how they knit actual Yoshi dolls to make sure that the character in-game looked realistic and slapped a released window on the title: Expect it sometime in 2015.
Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker
Unless he’s teaming up with Mario or driving a go-kart, Toad doesn’t get much action. That’s about to change: One of Nintendo’s least-expected announcements was Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker – a Wii U title derived from the Captain Toad mini-game from Super Mario 3D World. If you’re looking for something to do with your Wii U GamePad, this is the title for you: Players use the GamePad to manipulate elements in levels to help Toad (who can’t even jump) find treasure and overcome obstacles. There are not a lot of details on the title just yet, but the above trailer teases a few of the game’s GamePad-centric puzzles. It’s adorable, and it’s due out holiday 2014.
The Legend of Zelda goes open world in 2015
How did Eiji Aonuma kick off development of Nintendo’s next big Legend of Zelda game? By going back to the source, apparently. Aonuma says the original games allowed players to explore a wide area, but the series’ 3D iterations were less open and connected by comparison. The next game hopes to break that paradigm, and promises to allow players to enter any area of the game from almost any direction: Think of it like Skyrim in the land of Hyrule. Unfortunately, the title doesn’t have a proper name yet, just a release year — next year.
Pokémon Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire
Dig that fancy, new 3D game engine running Pokémon X and Y? Check out the above video: Nintendo’s using it to remake the series’ third-generation games as Pokémon Omega Ruby and Pokémon Alpha Sapphire. This includes the engine’s new dynamic battles and the Pokémon mega-evolutions introduced in the latest iteration. Catch’em all over again on November 21st.
Bayonetta 2 lets you dress up like Nintendo characters, play the first game
The Wii U is short on third-party exclusives; it’s true — but early on, it secured the Bayonetta franchise as a Nintendo-exclusive title. It was then, and still is, an odd exclusive for Nintendo’s family-friendly arena. Still, the company is doing its best to dress the game up for Nintendo’s audience, and the game’s heroine can now sport Metroid- and Legend of Zelda-themed outfits, at least in the original game. Oh, did we mention that Bayonetta 2 will come with the full original game for free? It totally does — both will be available (in one package, of course) in October of this year.
Play as Princess Zelda in Hyrule Warriors
Who has a flowing dress, a magical bow and the ability to slay hordes of moblins with a single blow? Why Princess Zelda, of course. The team behind Hyrule Warriors sat down during the digital event to talk about the challenges of merging the two series, but what really stuck out were the features and characters. Players will be able to take control of not only Link and Impa, but also Princess Zelda and Midna. Best of all, multiplayer won’t be limited by your TV’s split screen: Player 2 can keep their action exclusively on the Wii U GamePad, giving both players a full-screen experience. That game launches September 26th, 2014.
Kirby and the Rainbow Curse
Kirby’s first major outing on the Wii U echoes the character’s past: Kirby and the Rainbow Curse looks to be a spiritual successor to the Nintendo DS’ Kirby: Canvas Curse, a stylus-controlled platformer that had players directing Kirby by drawing lines on the handheld’s touchscreen. Rainbow looks to be more of the same, but in glorious HD — sadly, this title won’t hit shelves until sometime next year.
Xenoblade Chronicles X
Monolith Soft’s nebulous Wii U exclusive finally has a name, and that name is Xenoblade Chronicles X. This Japanese RPG is one of the system’s most anticipated niche titles, and it’s good to finally see it getting its own identity. That said, this open-world sci-fi game won’t land until 2015 — but check out the trailer to whet your appetite.
Mario Maker
If you’ve been lurking on gaming forums, you knew this was coming: Mario Maker, Nintendo’s Super Mario Bros. level editor. Nintendo’s digital event did tell us a little more about the game than leaks suggested though; in addition to being able to create custom levels in the classic NES style, the tool seems to allow players to switch between old and “new” Super Mario graphics on the fly. Start planning now — you won’t be building your own Mushroom Kingdom until 2015.
Splatoon
Splatoon offers a new spin on four-player arena combat: squid ink. Each team is defined by a specific color of ink, which they can swim through by transforming into a squid — allowing them to sneak, slide and ambush their enemies, provided they’re swimming through the correct hue. This arena-battle game is due out in the first half of next year.
Fantasy Life
As Nintendo’s digital event closed, the company continued its live broadcast from its E3 booth, quietly announcing titles that didn’t make the cut for the main show. After revealing the aforementioned addition to the Mario Party franchise, Nintendo’s team announced Fantasy Life for the 3DS — a create-a-fantasy RPG game that gives characters a chance to embark on their own fantasy adventure… or so Nintendo’s press release says. Check out the trailer above to judge for yourself and pick it up on September 16th, if you’re so inclined.
Professor Layton vs. Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney
Two of the most unique Nintendo properties are coming together for the first time: Professor Layton and Phoenix Wright are teaming up to end a witch hunt — and the title has finally been announced for Western shores: Look for it on September 16th, 2014.
eShop games
If you’ve been paying attention to the dates in this list, you know a lot of Nintendo’s best upcoming titles are going to have to wait until next year. Frankly, it’s a bit of a letdown — but the company has a backup plan: the Nintendo eShop. During its post-event broadcast, Nintendo played a teaser showcasing some of the digital content it plans to offer for the remainder of the year, including 3DS and Wii U games like Affordable Space Adventures, the Ace Attorney Trilogy, Thorium Wars: Attack of the Skyfighter, Chariot, Shovel Knight, STARWHAL: Just the tip, Gunman Clive 2, Citizens of Earth and tons of other titles. Hopefully, those will be enough to tide us over until next year.
And it’s not over yet…
Compared to Sony’s and Microsoft’s long presentations, Nintendo’s digital event seemed deceptively short — but don’t be fooled: It’s not actually over, not even now. Click on that above video and you’ll find that Nintendo is broadcasting continuous coverage for the remainder of the show, featuring developers and Nintendo employees exploring the company’s booth, playing games and quietly dropping bits of news every now and then. Nintendo is slowly trickling announcements on its Twitter feed, too — telling fans about upcoming titles like Pokémon Art Academy.
Is Nintendo’s new approach to E3 novel, or just annoying? Scroll down just a bit further and let us know what you think in our comments section.
Is Samsung working on a foldable tablet for 2015?
It’s time to be ready for some crazy news. Samsung is reportedly working on a tablet with a foldable display, that can fold itself into a smartphone factor as well. Samsung also showcased a bendable tablet at the Mobile World Congress, and back in 2012, Samsung filed for a patent which tells us about a potential foldable tablet.
The Korean site is reporting that the tablet will feature a 8 to 9-inch full HD OLED display. It is said that Samsung will release it sometime in 2015. Samsung has showcased a smartphone with flexible display in past as well i.e. Galaxy Round, and it seems that sooner or later we might see some more tablets and smartphones from Samsung with flexible display. However, the device will be available in limited quantities, and will have a hefty price tag.
Right now, we don’t know anything about the type of user interface it will have, or the hardware it will have. But if it’s something real, we might hear about it soon.
Source: Daum
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Google’s street art project includes over 5,000 images of murals (and graffiti, too)
There’s a joke here about Google owning everything (“all your art is belong to us”?) but if you’re the sort of person who enjoys looking at interesting graffiti, you might appreciate this anyway. The company just announced that it’s added a collection of street art to its existing art database, which originally included only 100-some-odd examples of street work. Now that number has grown to more than 5,000, with images that include murals and etchings (like the one by Vhils above), in addition to your usual graffiti. If that sounds like little more than a well-organized group of Google image search results, you can also use Street View to explore buildings that have been tagged — even some that have been demolished or are closed to the public (RIP 5 Pointz). Curious? We’ve put the source link below, like we do.
Via: Google Official Blog
Source: Google street art project
Pinterest hires two former Apple execs to lead engineering and design
Pinterest is doing really well – we’re talking $5 billion valuation-level well. And to cement its status as a mega-success, the site has scooped up two former Apple execs to lead engineering and product design. First up is Michael Lopp, who worked on Mac OS X before moving to software company Palantir. As head of engineering, he’ll help scale site infrastructure and lead product development teams. On the product design side, Pinterest’s appointed Bob Baxley, who worked on Apple’s online store. His official title will be head of product design and research.
As Re/code points out, Lopp and Baxley don’t just have stints at Apple in common; both are relatively prominent beyond their careers in Silicon Valley. Lopp blogs under the pen name Rands, and he’s authored books on engineer management and software development. Baxley, meanwhile, wrote the book Making the Web Work. In any case, both new hires come to the table with impressive resumes, which will come in handy for a site that’s surpassed 30 billion pins.
Source: Re/code
Amazon’s reportedly working on a service that connects you with local businesses
According to a report by Reuters, Amazon will launch a marketplace for local services, connecting customers with babysitters, handymen, hair stylists and more. As with its AmazonFresh grocery-delivery service, the company will reportedly test-drive the new program before rolling it out nation-wide, but but we can expect to see the service up and running later this year.
According to unnamed sources, Amazon’s been reaching out to service providers in Seattle and San Francisco, including at least one home repair business. The e-tailer apparently has also contacted several startups that connect customers with service providers. According to the Reuters report, the quality of local services would be backed by Amazon’s “A-to-z Guarantee” for verifying third-party vendors.
Several apps and sites, such as Angie’s List, already connect users with local services, often with the help of customer reviews. If Amazon introduces a competing service, it will be another opportunity for the company to take on the lucrative role of middleman. Just yesterday, we learned that Amazon will compete with PayPal by processing customers’ monthly subscription payments for a small fee. With a local services marketplace, the company would likely get a cut from each transaction as well. It’s a formula that’s worked very well; acting as the intermediary for third-party vendors accounts for about 40 percent of Amazon’s sales.
Source: Reuters
Sorry, guys, you didn’t actually crash the FCC website (hackers did)
The only thing more charming than John Oliver’s 13-minute net neutrality explainer? The idea that we, his viewers, managed to crash part of the FCC website because we submitted too many comments about its proposed net neutrality regulations. In fact, though, while Oliver did indeed send fans to FCC’s comments page, and though the site did indeed collapse soon after, it appears the comedian and his band of trolls aren’t to blame. In a statement to Vice, the Federal Communications Commission confirmed that it was actually hackers who took down the site, using a database denial-of-service attack. In layman’s terms, that means they were able to get at the infrastructure of the site — not surprising, considering the FCC’s comment system is 17 years old (yikes). The irony, of course, is that the attack temporarily made it impossible for anyone to leave a comment. Fortunately, the problem seems to be fixed, so head here if you didn’t get your say in the first time around — the site might be old and creaky, but it can probably handle a few of you complaining at once.
Source: Vice
The Werkstatt-Ø1 is an affordable, educational synth kit from Moog
Oh Moog, you make so many wonderful, noisy and (of course) expensive toys. So you can imagine how excited we were to see the Werkstatt-Ø1, a $329 analogy monophonic synth kit that retained that signature Moog sound. The Werkstatt actually began life as part of a VIP workshop at Moogfest 2014. One of the company’s product developers led a two day event where 125 participants actually built this small analog wonder. The response was so great that Moog actually felt compelled to create a commercial version. The retail kit doesn’t involve any soldering however, and we’d hesitate to slap the word “kit” on it as well. Basically you’re just screwing the pre-assembled synthesizer into a case and closing it up. Still, it’s more work than your buddy put into that Sub Phatty.
Beyond the affordability and the thick retro tones, the most exciting thing about the Werkstatt is how hackable it is. Along the right of the various knobs and switches for controlling envelope, LFO and glide (among other things) is a breadboard-style patchable header for really messing with the sound. You can use a standard breadboard cable (one is included) to reroute the path of the synthesizer for truly creative cacophony. Plus it has test points, jumpers and a blank “experimenters pad” where you can expand or modify the Wekstatt to your whim. Unfortunately the Ø1 will only be available in “extremely limited quantities” through select retailers. So good luck getting your hands on one.
Filed under: Misc
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