DJI’s sub-$800 drone packs smart features for first-timers
After the Phantom 3 Professional and the Phantom 3 Advanced, DJI’s back with an even cheaper drone dubbed Phantom 3 Standard to tempt beginners. It costs just $799, which is $200 less than the Advanced and $460 less than the Professional, but you still get all the essentials: a built-in 3-axis stabilization gimbal, 12-megapixel still image capture (supports RAW shooting), up to 2.7K of video capture at 30 fps and 40 Mbps, video downlink at up to 720p and a slightly longer flight time of up to 25 minutes. The only real downside here is that the Standard can only transmit video back to your phone at up to 1km or 0.62 miles, which is half as much as the other two models. Slideshow-309055
Other less important differences include the missing visual and ultrasonic sensors on the Standard’s underbelly, which are only to help the drone identify its position accurately (the more high-end Inspire 1 has this, too); and the bundled remote controller is basically just an updated version of the one that came with the Phantom 2 Vision+: no still camera trigger and no tablet holder, but you still have an integrated WiFi range extender plus a wheel to adjust the camera’s tilt. It’s worth noting that while the Advanced can only capture video of up to 1080p (for now) instead of 2.7K, it still beats the Standard with a better camera sensor from Sony. The Professional has the same Sony sensor as well.
One major complaint we had in our Phantom 3 Professional review was the lack of autopilot features. Well, these are arriving in the near future, with the Standard likely to be the first in the Phantom 3 series to receive the firmware update. Our favorite feature is the Point Of Interest mode, which keeps the drone’s camera pointing at your desired object — as configured in the app — while it flies around in a circle at your set radius, speed and height. (In fact, professional drone pilots may have already come across this feature on DJI’s A2 flight controller.) The result is a stable 360-degree shot that makes anyone in the middle of it look cool, especially while you’re hiking up a hill or driving across the field.
Another upcoming intelligent feature that we got to see is the Ground Station mode. To set a route, simply fly your drone to a set point with your desired camera angle, then save the waypoint, and repeat until you’re done. You can then let the drone automatically follow the course to make a slick video, with the gimbal taking care of smoothing out your shot throughout the entire route, rather than changing the camera’s angle on the spot at each waypoint. And say if you need to take another shot, simply pull down the remote controller’s right trigger to fly the drone backwards on the same course. It’s a pretty handy feature for both beginners and film makers, really.
The third and perhaps the riskiest feature here is the Follow Me mode. We say risky, because if it’s not used properly, then there’s always a chance that your drone could end up hitting a building or a tree. That’s the last thing DJI wants to see in the news, but apparently it’s also what a lot of customers want, so it’s working on this. Alas, we didn’t get to try it during our preview, so we’ll have to wait and see.
In addition to the aforementioned intelligent features, the Phantom 3 Standard offers a few tools that make life easier for beginners. For those who struggle to get their heads around the drone’s orientation when it’s far away, they can toggle Course Lock that changes the drone’s direction according to the pilot’s perspective, instead of the drone’s perspective. In other words, even if the drone is facing you, it’ll go left in your view if you pull left on the remote controller, rather than fly right as it normally would. Of course, you’ll want to refrain from using the live view while flying with Course Lock enabled, in order to avoid confusion.
The second notable mention goes to Home Lock. When toggled, you can pull the drone back to where it took off by simply pulling back the right stick, regardless of where the drone is. It’s like letting the drone take a shortcut back to you, but obviously, you should be wary of any object that could be in the way.
Other noob-friendly features are actually already on the Professional and Advanced. These include a geofence tool that lets you set a virtual barrier at a set distance, as well as mandatory GPS calibration on the drone before first take-off, and auto take-off plus auto landing which can easily impress your friends.
At $799, the Phantom 3 Standard will sure be a new popular choice for folks who are new to aerial videography. For those who are interested, you can grab one on DJI’s official online store, and expect shipment as early as next week.
Filed under:
Robots
Tags: aerialcamera, AerialPhotography, AerialVideo, dji, drone, hands-on, phantom 3, phantom 3 standard, video
Intel targets gamers with sixth-gen ‘Skylake’ CPU launch
With mobile annihilating the mainstream PC industry, Intel knows gaming is buttering its bread. The chip giant launched its sixth-gneration “Skylake” desktop processors today with two enthusiast quad-core models: the Core I7-6700K and i5-6600K. The 14-nanometer chips are unlocked for maximum overclocking (all the “K”-series will be), and if you’re not into that, the two new chips have fairly high base frequencies: 4.0GHz for the Core i7-6700K and 3.5GHz for the i5-6600K. Compared to similar current-gen models, prices are reasonable — suggested retail is $350 for the i7-6700K and $243 for the i5-6600K, with street prices likely lower.
Unfortunately, the i7-6700K offers just a modest performance increase (10 percent) over last-gen Haswell i7-4790K CPUs and little, if any, advantage over the current Haswell-E i7-5820K chip. However, the Skylake models are the first 14-nanometer performance CPU’s that Intel has launched, since the lower-powered Broadwell 14-nanometer desktop chips aren’t aimed at gamers. The smaller transistors should help overclocking, and rumor has it that the i7-6700K can be pushed to 5GHz, which may give it an edge over current tech. At any rate, with 10-nanometer “Cannonlake” CPUs now delayed, Skylake is it until next year.
Intel also revealed a new platform for the chips, the Z170 chipset. Like Haswell-E, the Skylake models use DDR4 RAM, which is much faster than DDR3 memory, but also way more expensive. (Skylake chips won’t run on Haswell-E X99 motherboards, which also use DDR4 RAM.) However, the Z170 chipset has a dual memory controller, so you can use use cheaper DDR3L memory on motherboards that support it. Another plus to the platform is new Intel HD 530 graphics, which run 20-40 percent faster than last-gen Intel HD. It also has 16 PCI Express 3.0 lanes, giving you more USB 3, graphics and storage options. And Intel just happens to have a new PCI Express 3.0-based 800GB 750 series SSD drive with read speeds up to 2,200 MB/s.
Many folks expected Intel to launch more of its Skylake lineup today, including mainstream and mobile CPUs, so what happened? That was just a rumor in the first place, but Intel has narrowed down the timeline. It’ll reveal more information at the Intel Developers Forum on August 18th, and launch the rest of the sixth-gen Skylake lineup sometime in Q3 2015. The mainstream chips will also see a modest performance bump over current-gen tech, but are expected to sip less power, giving future Macbooks, ultrabooks, laptops and tablets improved battery life. Down the road, it may also reveal more high-performance desktop Skylake CPUs, hopefully including an “Extreme” model.
Filed under:
Desktops, Gaming, Intel
Tags: Core i7-6600K, Core i7-6700K, enthusiast, gaming, Haswell, intel, Sixth-generation, Skylake
ASUS Zenfone 2E review
Earlier this year, ASUS surprised us with a fantastic device with their flagship Zenfone 2, which has received a lot of appreciation from the tech world and consumers alike. Joining the three variants of the ASUS Zenfone 2 is another entry-level edition, dubbed the Zenfone 2E, that will be available from AT&T exclusively for their prepaid GoPhone customers. With its much lower price point, and specifications reflecting that, how does budget-friendly Zenfone 2E fare? We find out in this review!
Design
Despite its smaller size, the Zenfone 2E retains a lot of the design language of its flagship counterparts. Like its larger sibling, the power button is placed up top, which does feel a little out of place given that most phones now have it on the sides, but given the overall smaller size of the Zenfone 2E, it isn’t hard to reach.
The volume rocker is on the back, and while the implementation isn’t as refined as on LG’s smartphones, it is still well positioned, allowing for the index finger to land easily on the buttons. The rocker doesn’t offer as much of a tactile feel as we would have liked, but there have been no issues with input throughout my usage. Even the front buttons are all capacitive, with a small faux brushed metal area underneath them, giving the phone a little extra texture.
A much appreciated design feature of this phone is the removable back cover, allowing users to swap between the available white and black options. The back cover is easy to remove, and underneath it is where the slots for the SIM card and the microSD card can be found.
Though the 5.5-inch Zenfone 2 didn’t feel cumbersome despite its larger size, the smaller footprint of the Zenfone 2E obviously makes for a far better handling experience. The curve on the back is also a contributing factor, as the device sits really well in the palm, and helps angle the phone for side to side operations. The design of the Zenfone 2E is best described as spartan, with its lack of any obvious bells and whistles around the body. But the device retains all the nice design elements of the Zenfone 2, and we think GoPhone customers will appreciate it.
Display
The smaller display comes with a smaller resolution, but casual users won’t have much to complain about, as far as the performance of the display is concerned. The 5-inch IPS LCD display comes with a 720p resolution, resulting in a pixel density of 294 ppi. This is lower than on the Zenfone 2, but it makes perfect sense considering the price of this device. The lower pixel density reduces the sharpness for text reading, but it isn’t the worst performer that we’ve seen.
That said, the difference in overall quality is noticeable when compared to the Full HD and Quad HD screens out there, but that is nothing to fault this budget-friendly device for. Viewing angles happen to be pretty good, and the general color temperature tends to be on the warmer side. This can be changed with a built-in screen color mode selector, where you can chooses between some preset options or manually adjust the temperature. Text loses a bit of sharpness with the drop in resolution though, making this, at best, a decent performer in the scope of the total market.
Colors remain pretty good, and brightness does benefit from the underlying IPS technology, allowing for an enjoyable media consumption experience, as long as you aren’t looking for the most clarity or highest resolution. As a budget GoPhone, having a 720p resolution screen is pretty standard, making the Zenfone 2E the kind of performer the frugal user will be happy with.
Performance
Under the hood, the Zenfone 2E packs a dual-core Intel Atom Z2560, backed by the PowerVR SGX544MP2 GPU and 1 GB of RAM. This processing package is a big step down from the one found with the Zenfone 2. It’s easy to blame it for the less than ideal performance, but the paltry 1GB of RAM has a lot to do with it as well, potentially causing frustration even for the most casual of users.
A measure of stutter is observed even in the homescreens, and there is a delay when attempting to load most applications. It’s understandable that graphic-intensive games don’t work all that well here, but it’s a bit disheartening to see that even a middle-of-the-road game like Combo Crew crash consistently. We don’t really see more than just the typical point and click games like Candy Crush working on a consistent basis here, and, depending on what games you play, your experience may vary. It’s not surprising that an app cleaner is prominently shown in the recent apps screen and the notification dropdown, and of course, there are some limits to what this phone’s processing power can handle.
Hardware
The entry-level nature of the Zenfone 2E is apparent from other specifications as well, starting with the substandard 8 GB of built-in storage, which can be filled up very easily. Fortunately, a microSD card slot is available for expandable storage of up to 64 GB, which you will definitely have to rely on for your media and picture storing needs.
Since the Zenfone 2E is available exclusively from AT&T, connections and call quality is dependent on the strength of the network in your area. In my experience, phone calls were quite clear with no drops, and the 4G LTE network was reliable. The device also packs a standard suite of other connectivity options, with the exception of NFC. The rear facing speaker is pretty standard fare, offering a somewhat tinny noise that doesn’t get too loud, and lacks in the lower-middle to lower ends.
When it comes to the battery, the 2,500 mAh unit performs about as well as expected. While not the largest battery capacity, the lower-end specifications and 720p display help make this battery last for at least a single day of work, and possibly even more with light usage and activated power saving modes. Heavier usage, like using GPS navigation and music streaming, may result in you needing to reach for the charger before the end of your day though. While the battery isn’t a terrible performer, you will probably find yourself scrambling for ways to have power in order to get through the day.
Camera
The Zenfone 2E packs an 8 MP rear camera, and features some extra modes that might not be expected with an entry-level smarpthone, such as HDR, a miniature mode, and even a smart removal mode, along with videos modes that include a timelapse at 1080p resolution. While self-portraits can be taken using the 2 MP front-facing camera, the dedicated selfie mode using the rear shooter is great. Using user-defined face detection, the rear facing camera will snap three photos based on how many faces it finds, and this will be a pretty good mode to use for anyone that wants a better selfie from this phone.
Image quality is unfortunately, but expectedly, low. Sharpness is poor, made much worse when zooming in, and colors are quite muted, with brighter parts of pictures typically getting blown out. HDR tends to be a better choice in these situations, as it does lower exposure a bit on those blown out spots but, more importantly, adds a healthy amount of saturation to all colors.
What probably hurts the experience the most is the slower speed of capture. It takes a long time between the moment you press the shutter button and the moment the image is saved, not to mention that the slow shutter speed often adds blur to photos that already lack in sharpness. Videos show the same problems, especially blowing out highlights, and showcasing that shutter speed that results in high stutter throughout. For capturing the moment, the camera of the Zenfone 2E tries to be a good companion, but quality remains proportional to the low price that this phone comes at.
Software
On the software side of things, the Zen UI brings its generally oversaturated interface to this budget-minded device, providing a lot of features that the casual user might not really take advantage of. There are the different customization apps, like the screen color tweaker, and a bunch of tools, including even a Do It Later task app. Customizations continue with plenty of options for the homescreens, including icon packs, different animations for scrolling, and smart grouping of applications in the app screen.
All of this is on top of the Android 5.0.1 Lollipop, so Material Design elements are given a much more colorful and somewhat cartoony feel. Though perhaps that impression can be due to the 720p display, which can make items look a little more bloated that displays with higher resolutions.
What is most striking about the Zen UI is that it tries to provide a lot of options no matter where you are in the interface. But, with lower specifications and only 1GB of RAM, having so many options might not make a lot of sense, because the device can only really run so much before slowing down. As we keep saying, the highly casual daily user will find the Zenfone 2E to be a decent overall performer, but going the extra mile is not what this budget GoPhone was made for.
Specifications
| Display | 5-inch IPS LCD display 720p resolution, 294 ppi |
| Processor | 1.6 GHz dual-core Intel Atom Z2560 processor PowerVR SGX544MP2 GPU |
| Storage | 8 GB expandable via microSD up to 64 GB |
| RAM | 1 GB |
| Connectivity | Wi-Fi b/g/n Bluetooth 4.0 GPS microUSB 2.0 |
| Software | Android 5.0 Lollipop |
| Camera | 8 MP rear camera with LED flash 2 MP front-facing camera with wide angle lens |
| Battery | 2,500 mAh |
| Colors | black, white |
| Dimensions | 148.1 x 71.4 x 10.9 mm 155.1 grams |
Gallery
Pricing and final thoughts
At a very affordable $119.99, the price point is definitely the best aspect of the ASUS Zenfone 2E, making this one of the easiest entry points into the world of Android. Not a lot of smartphones feature such a low price tag, and even those that are commonly considered budget-friendly, including the Moto G, will set you back at least $50 more.
So there you have it for our look at the ASUS Zenfone 2E! This device is a good choice for the starter smartphone user that is looking to save money. While it is easy to criticize this smartphone for not going the extra mile compared to the competition and the higher-end market, that’s not the point of the Zenfone 2E. Rather, this is for the user that needs the cheapest way to experience a smartphone without breaking the bank. Granted, you do get what you paid for, but, for the casual gamer, the occasional media streamer, and the user that needs a cell phone with smartphone capabilities, the Asus Zenfone 2E is one of the cheapest ways to get there.
Google and MIT researchers demo their photo reflection removal algorithm
I’m sure we have all witnessed those pesky reflections while trying to grab a photograph through a window, but those days may soon be behind us, thanks to research conducted by Google and MIT. The group presented a paper at Siggraph 2015 and has published a video demonstrating its algorithm for removing reflections from your pictures.
The software isn’t just good for reflections though, it can also be used to analyse and remove other obstacles from your pictures, such as raindrops on the glass and even a chain-link fence that partially obstructs your view. It’s not 100 percent perfect, but seems to do a pretty good job at mostly removing these annoyances in a wide range of scenarios, include tough low-light scenes.
The developers state that the algorithm works using a short video clip that could, for example, be capture from your phone. At this stage, the algorithm sorts out the depth of the scene using edge detection differences in the successive frames and can figure out any obstructions in the foreground. A somewhat similar idea is used for techniques like post processing depth of field adjustments and 3D parallax images, which rely on multiple points of view.
From here, the software can fill in the obstructed space with information from other frames, resulting in a clearer final picture. One creepy “side effect” of the technology is that it can also quite accurately recreate a clear image of whatever is contained within a reflection or occlusion.
The video below has a really detailed explanation about how this is accomplished and a few more examples, which is well worth a watch if you’re keen on details.
This type of technique has been tried before, but previous result have been rather mixed. Google and MIT’s implementation seems the best so far. Unfortunately we don’t know if or when this type of technology will become available for smartphone cameras. Here’s hoping that someone picks up the idea and brings it to consumers.
LG’s Android flip phone gets global release as Wine Smart
LG’s Android Lollipop-powered Gentle flip phone is set to be released outside South Korea, with the company today confirming the handset will be known as the LG Wine Smart outside its homeland. Like others, LG is known to release a range of handsets exclusively for its home market and many expected the Wine Smart to be one of these but LG think there could be demand for the handset in other markets.
LG in video:
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Aside from a different name, the Wine Smart essentially has the same specs as the Gentle and features a 3.2-inch touchscreen with 480 x 320 pixels resolution and the usual array of buttons found on a traditional clamshell. The handset is powered by a quad-core 1.1GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon 210 processor and 1GB RAM, while other notable specs include 4GB internal memory (that can be expanded using a microSD card slot), a 3MP rear camera, front VGA camera and a 1700 mAh battery. Also on board is LTE support and the handset runs Android 5.1.1 Lollipop out of the box.
LG hasn’t confirmed pricing for its clamshell handset but given it’s priced at $170 in South Korea, we’d expect a similar price tag around the world. The question now is, will Samsung follow suit and offer the Galaxy Folder outside of South Korea?
What do you think of the LG Wine Smart aka the LG Gentle? Let us know your views in the comments below guys!
NEW LG WINE SMART DELIVERS SMARTPHONE FEATURES WITH FAMILIAR FOLDER STYLE CONVENIENCE
Flip Phone with Android Lollipop Supports the Latest Apps and Multimedia Functions
SEOUL, Aug. 5, 2015 ― LG Electronics (LG) brings global consumers with its newest hybrid smartphone designed especially for a generation of users who are more accustomed to the feel of flip ― also known as folder or clamshell ― phones. Originally announced in the domestic Korean market as LG Gentle, the all-new LG Wine Smart will make its international debut later this month in target countries including France, Italy, Poland, Spain, Kazakhstan, Japan and the United Kingdom.
The Wine Smart combines the familiarity of a folder phone with an easy-to-use touchscreen and the connectivity and power of a smartphone. Thanks to the positive response to the original Wine Smart introduced in Korea last year, LG optimized the latest model with more advanced multimedia features to make the transition from feature phone to smartphone as seamless as possible.
The new LG Wine Smart is powered by Android Lollipop 5.1.1 to run the latest apps without complaint. To truly optimize the new Wine Smart for flip phone fans, LG included a large physical 3×4 numeric keypad for easy and accurate typing and hotkeys that provide instant access to frequently used features such as phone dialer, address book, text messages or camera. Larger-than-normal icons take full advantage of the 3×3 home screen layout on the crisp 3.2-inch HVGA display. The Wine Smart includes LG’s Safety Care feature which can be set to automatically transmit emergency alerts and real-time location to pre-selected contacts whenever the user needs immediate assistance.
“Our goal with LG Wine Smart was to create a smartphone that fans of flip phones could embrace,” said Chris Yie, vice president and head of marketing communications for LG Mobile Communications Company. “Consumers shouldn’t have to miss out on the smartphone revolution because they prefer a particular phone design over another. With LG Wine Smart, they won’t have to.”
Prices and carrier details will be announced locally at the time of launch.
How to restore an Android phone when you forget the unlock code
We need codes for everything nowadays. It’s good to keep all our data secure, but this cluster of random words, letters and characters makes it hard to keep track of all our security credentials. I can’t tell you how often I have to reset my passwords, and I have even been known to forget my smartphone unlock code from time to time. It may seem hard to believe, but it happens, and I am sure I am not the only one!
Stuck with a locked Android smartphone? Don’t you worry! There are multiple ways to restore usability after forgetting your unlock code. In this post we will cover the best ways to get out of these unpleasant situations and regain control over your phone.
Reset your unlock pattern using your Google account
Those running Android 4.4 KitKat or below will have it pretty easy. Android used to come with a built-in security measure that allowed you to bypass and reset your unlock pattern by simply accessing your Google account. Here’s how it’s done!
- Your device will need to be connected to the internet. If it is, keep reading.
- Enter a wrong pattern a few times.
- After some failed attempts, a new option labeled “Forgot pattern” will appear. Tap on it.
- Enter the username and password previously entered in the handset.
Restore the device to factory settings
Sadly, the rest of us will have to opt for more drastic measures, as there is really no other way to recover from a forgotten unlock code with the latest software versions. You will need to wipe the phone (otherwise known as performing a factory data reset). There’s a few ways to do this, so let’s take you through some of them.
Failed password attempt limits
Some of you are lucky enough to have a phone that will automatically perform a factory data reset if the password, PIN or unlock code (or whatever you are using) is entered incorrectly a set amount of times – usually 10 attempts. HTC and LG’s latest flagship phones are known to do this. If your phone has this features, just go at it trying to unlock it and eventually the handset will be automatically wiped.
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Using Android Device Manager
Android Device Manager is a life-saver. This is Google’s security tool, and it allows you to locate, ring, lock and wipe your device remotely. The only downside is that you have to set it up before-hand. If you were cautious and took care of business prior to getting locked out of your handset, just go to the Android Device Manager website and locate the device. After this, you will be given the “Erase” option. Simply select it and follow instructions. Your phone will then be completely wiped and you can set it up as if it was new.
Perform a hard data reset
If all else fails go ahead and perform a hard data reset on the phone. This will also wipe your device, but you will need to perform a series of button combinations and enter recovery mode. We can’t exactly give you step-by-step instructions on how to do this, though, as the process varies per device. Google is your friend!
Wrapping up
So there you have it, guys. These are the best solutions for gaining access to your smartphone after forgetting your password or unlock code. We know some of these are not the best solutions around, but keep in mind this is the best we can work with. We also have a guide for bypassing the unlock code using ADB, but that also takes a lot of work!
Let’s hear from you, though – what do you prefer to do when you forget your security credentials? Thank the tech gods for bio-metric solutions! We sure can’t forget those.
Qualcomm could unveil the Snapdragon 820 at press event on August 11th
After riding high on the success of its Snapdragon 800, 801 and 805 processors, Qualcomm hit some speed bumps in 2015 with its much maligned 810 chip. Rumours began that the Snapdragon 810 had issues with overheating and thermal throttling, that weren’t helped when Samsung decided to use its own Exynos processor in the Galaxy S6. Issues with overheating still linger to some extent, despite Qualcomm developing a version 2.1 of the 810 processor that has most recently been seen powering the OnePlus 2. Having already sent out batches of samples of its next flagship processor, the Snapdragon 820, to handset manufacturers such as HTC and Sony, it seems that Qualcomm could make a public announcement next week.
According to a report out of China, Qualcomm plans to announce the Snapdragon 820 at a press conference it is holding on August 11th in Los Angeles, with press invites having already been sent out.
Besides being rumoured to use a Quad-core configuration, the Snapdragon 820 is believed to be using ‘Kryo‘ custom cores running @3.0GHz. From the cores’ moniker, one gets the impression that cooling played a major part in its development. The Snapdragon 820 is also believed to include an Adreno 530 GPU @ 530MHz with support for LPDDDR4 RAM, 4K video decoding @60fps, 4K video encoding @30fps and LTE CAT 10. The Snapdragon 820 is thought to be being manufactured using Samsung’s 14nm manufacturing process, aiding Qualcomm in ensuring the chip runs both cooler and more efficiently than its predecessor. Finally, it’s believed that Xiaomi’s Mi5 flagship will be the first handset to feature the Snapdragon 820 processor.
Source: Laoyaoba
Via: gforgames
Come comment on this article: Qualcomm could unveil the Snapdragon 820 at press event on August 11th
‘Star Wars: Battlefront’ gets 20-player aerial combat
Yes, slicing your enemies with a lightsaber is one reason to buy Star Wars: Battlefront, but it shouldn’t be the only reason. At Gamescom 2015, Electronic Arts has revealed that it’s adding in an aerial combat sim to the game, entitled Star Wars: Dogfight. The title is a 20-player aerial combat mode that pits Rebel forces against the Empire’s TIE Fighter squadrons, much like the Lucasarts classics of yore. 20 human players will also be joined by 20 computer-controlled ships, meaning that each glorious battle will see 40 craft zooming around at once.
Ordinarily, players will be asked to pick between an A, B, X or Y Wing on one side, or TIEs on the other, but more famous ships are available as a special bonus. For Rebels, the hero powerup is a few minutes flying the Millennium Falcon, while Imperials get to hang out on Slave-1, Boba Fett’s whip of choice. If that’s gotten you super excited, then you can begin dogfighting when Battlefront launches on November 17th.
We’re live all week from Cologne, Germany for Gamescom 2015. Click here to catch up on all the news from the show.
Filed under:
Gaming
Source:
EA
Tags: Battlefront, Dogfight, Gamescom, Gamescom-2015, Gaming, StarWars, StarWarsBattlefront, StarWarsDogfight, video
Sky edges out BT to retain Spanish football TV rights
Much like the Premier League, broadcasters have to bid for the TV rights for other major sporting leagues around the world. Sky has delivered comprehensive coverage of Spain’s La Liga championship for two decades, but recently reports suggested that its biggest broadcasting rival, BT, had swooped in and stolen them. It turns out that’s not the case, because Sky has today announced it has secured La Liga access for another three years.
Sky will broadcast over 100 matches each season, including Real Madrid, Barcelona and the final of the Copa Del Ray (the Spanish equivalent of the FA Cup). Yep, that means El Clasico fixtures will stay on Sky Sports until 2018 and you won’t have to wait for the 15-minute window to lift before Sky shows live feeds from evening kick-offs.
With BT breathing down its neck, it was crucial that Sky retained its hold over Spanish football. BT already broadcasts matches from Germany’s Bundesliga, Italy’s Serie A, France’s Ligue 1 and the addition of La Liga would have truly seen it become the home of European football. Sky will add live Spanish football to its coverage of Scotland’s Football League, America’s MLS and the Eredivisie in The Netherlands, as well as 116 matches from the Premier League, 127 Football League matches and Capital One Cup ties. It’ll also likely secure the future of Sky Sports 5, Sky’s dedicated channel for European football.
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Home Entertainment, HD
Source:
Sky
Tags: bt, football, hdpostcross, la liga, sky, sky sports, soccer
Watch ‘The Martian’ astronauts struggle with isolation training
One of the greatest challenges for any manned Mars mission isn’t surviving the planet itself, but remaining mentally sound on the way there — you don’t want to freak out during a months-long space voyage. And it looks like the producers behind the movie adaptation of The Martian are well aware of this practical reality. They’ve posted a teaser clip showing how the fictional NASA crew copes with 10 days of isolation training meant to simulate the disconnection they’ll likely experience during the journey. As you’ll see below, some of them handle it better than others. A few are practically itching to go on the expedition, while others clearly… suffered a bit. Why does Aquaman have control over whales?
It’s a frequently silly video meant to drum up attention ahead of The Martian‘s October 2nd theatrical premiere. However, it’s also a rare instance of movie creators offering a semi-serious take on the psychological effects of space travel — that is, using them as more than just explanations for the villains’ behavior. Moreover, it suggests that Ridley Scott and his team are staying true to novelist Andy Weir’s careful balance between humor and realism. While there’s no certainty that the full movie will live up to the expectations set by the teaser, this is a good early sign.
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Home Entertainment, Science, HD
Via:
io9
Source:
ARES: live (YouTube)
Tags: andyweir, fox, hdpostcross, mars, movies, sciencefiction, teaser, themartian, video
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