I broke my DS and it broke my heart
I never really loved my first Nintendo DS. It was gray, plastic and chunky thanks to its weird angular shape. It didn’t have a lot of interesting games at launch. That first DS (aka the “DS phat”) was a corporate gift from my bosses at The Pokémon Company, and that initial transaction always tainted my interactions with the thing, because it wasn’t something I’d have bought for myself. It never really felt like it was “mine.”
I warmed up to the DS a little over the next two years, if only for games like Phoenix Wright and Animal Crossing. But still, I resented having to carry around the DS phat in my bag because it was so damn big and ugly. It also wasn’t a spring chicken anymore, accumulating a collection of dents and dings despite my (admittedly weak) efforts to keep it safe.
But then the announcement came: Nintendo was going to release a sleeker, smaller version of the DS — the DS Lite. It was pretty. It was damn sexy. So first chance I got, I snapped a glossy black model up and brought her home. That’s right: HER. This was my new lady and our relationship was a dream.
I spoiled my baby. I got a snazzy blue case to carry her around in. I bought an extendable stylus all the way from Japan. I put a Pokémon decal on her lid and it was a bit tacky but I didn’t care. She was my DS and I was gonna gussy my darling up. And I took her everywhere. I played her at the office on a daily basis (I did work at Pokémon, after all). I had her with me at comic and anime conventions. I brought her on bus rides and long flights. She was my main source of portable entertainment, my co-worker and just flat out one of my favorite companions for eight years.
Oh, I played her a little less when I was unemployed some years ago, since I wasn’t exactly riding the subway to an office every day (especially one where my job involved playing games). My “pile of shame” started to grow thanks to all the DS games I was still buying for my girl but not playing. But I still loved her, even as I eventually upgraded to a 3DS XL. It wasn’t a clean break for me: I still chose to play DS titles exclusively on the old gal, and even some Game Boy Advance games (my pile of shame runs deep).
And that’s ultimately what led to her downfall.
I was muscling my way through Lunar Knights about two years back — which admittedly, is not a very good game — when I decided to take a break. I put my beloved DS on top of a pile of books near me and thanks to her glossy plastic underside worn smooth by years of constant use, she slid right off and… boom, crashed to the ground.
I frantically rushed to her side, but the damage was done: a small crack in her case had now blossomed into a full-on break. The right corner (where the indicator lights and the hinge live) came completely off. I was devastated.
I attempted emergency surgery, sliding the broken segment back into place and adding a touch of super glue. It didn’t take at first, and in my grief I went a little crazy, reaching a level of super glue application that practically mummified the plastic. Sure, the shoulder button stays in place now, but it’s pretty stiff. And there are spots of glue splattered pretty much everywhere. (I should not be trusted with super glue.)
I had another DS Lite at my disposal, so I decided to change devices rather than play with a mangled system. I charged up the newer one and started playing again. At the time it made perfect sense: in addition to the now-stiff ‘R’ shoulder button, the ‘A’ and ‘B’ buttons on my original DS Lite were loose, and the screen was scuffed up to the point where parts were unresponsive. But, even though the newer DS Lite works perfectly, it doesn’t feel right. It feels like… cheating.
I haven’t finished Lunar Knights. I haven’t finished any DS game since. It’s just not the same. It can never be the same.
Do you have fond memories of your first tech love or maybe a gut-wrenching tale of gadget heartbreak? Share them using #LoveAtFirstByte
Twitch streamers raised $17.4 million for charities in 2015
Twitch is huge. There’s no getting around this fact: Video giant YouTube basically copied Twitch’s gameplan last year, the site launched Twitch Creative and Twitch Plays sub-sections, it dominated the streaming eSports market, and debuted a successful convention that attracted more than 20,000 people. Twitch has grown so rapidly since its launch in 2011 that it’s already jumped the shark at least once.
Just in case anyone was still confused about the bright purple future of live streaming, today the company shared some internal statistics from 2015, including the fact that it helped streamers raise $17.4 million for more than 55 charities last year.
Twitch boasts an average of 1.7 million streamers every month, with an average of 550,000 concurrent viewers. Plus, Twitch argues, its audience watches videos for longer stretches of time than they do no YouTube: 421.6 minutes per viewer for Twitch versus 291 minutes per viewer for YouTube, based on comScore data. Twitch topped out at more than 2 million concurrent views on August 23rd, thanks to two eSports events, the League of Legends NA LCS Finals and ESL One: Cologne 2015.
Last year’s top games on Twitch were League of Legends and Counter-Strike: Global Offensive, while Destiny and FIFA 15 were newcomers to the top 10. Mobile views now make up 35 percent of Twitch’s audience.
For perspective, rival (and dominant) online video outlet YouTube boasts more than 1 billion users who watch hundreds of millions of hours on the site every day. But, these services have different markets — Twitch focuses on live content, while YouTube is all about those jump cuts. Both services are clearly learning from each other as they, and their audiences, evolve.
Source: Twitch
James Woods gets permission to sue his Twitter abuser
This week has already seen plenty of focus on Twitter’s sometimes toxic culture, and now another high-profile victim is speaking out. James Woods has reportedly been given the go-ahead to launch a $10 million anti-defamation lawsuit against an anonymous Twitter user that suggested the actor used drugs. The case was expected to be thrown out by Judge Mel Recana at a hearing on February 2nd, but chose not to at the last minute. The Hollywood Reporter is claiming to have seen court documents saying that the statement was sufficiently factual not to be dismissed as Twitter hyperbole.
The case will now continue, and it’s likely that the discovery process will force Twitter to reveal the identity of Abe List. Then again, Twitter has already opposed the move once before, saying that the actions of Woods’ lawyers flew in the face of the first amendment, and may look to do so again. It does, however, look as if this anonymous user will be compelled to turn up and argue if they had a basis for making the accusation. Woods, naturally, was pleased that he may yet get his day in court, saying that “Twitter users beware: you are not above the law.” Lisa Bloom, who is representing the currently-anonymous defendant, tweeted a statement saying that Abe List looks forward to “presenting the issues to the Court of Appeal.”
This is the updated reportage of my victory today in the SLAPP motion. My comments are included in this version. https://t.co/exdvRaXSQB
— James Woods (@RealJamesWoods) February 11, 2016
My statement re court’s decision today in James Woods’ $10 million lawsuit against my client John Doe for one tweet. pic.twitter.com/bzLz2KybAG
— Lisa Bloom (@LisaBloom) February 10, 2016
Source: The Hollywood Reporter
‘Battlestar Galactica’ movie starts coming together
There has long been talk of a Battlestar Galactica movie (supposedly as far back as 1999), but it looks like the flick is becoming more than just a bunch of whispers. Universal has signed on well-known producers Dylan Clark (Rise of the Planet of the Apes), Michael De Luca (The Social Network) and Scott Stuber (Ted) to helm a big-screen version of the humanity-versus-Cylon struggle. The X-Men series’ Bryan Singer is reportedly involved as an executive producer, but it’s not certain that he’ll direct.
The credentials suggest that this is an important project for Universal, but whether or not it succeeds is up in the air. The fan-favorite Battlestar reboot ended its TV run 7 years ago, and follow-ups like Blood & Chrome and Caprica weren’t huge hits. Will that audience come back for a movie, especially if the production shares little in common with Ronald Moore’s gritty take on the sci-fi universe? We wouldn’t rule it out, but don’t be surprised if Adama, Starbuck and crew aren’t the same as you remember them.
Source: The Tracking Board, Variety
MLB.tv’s baseball subscription is $20 cheaper after lawsuit
Major League Baseball was due in court last month to answer for its practice of region-locking games. The policy basically meant that a die-hard Red Sox fan in the southeast US had to pay extra for things like Extra Innings package through a cable provider or an MLB.tv streaming subscription. Even with the latter option, in-market games were still blacked out or unavailable locally. In other words, if you didn’t have cable, you weren’t be able to watch your in-town team because of existing TV deals. MLB settled before the class-action lawsuit got going in court, agreeing to offer MLB.tv single-team packages priced at $85 a year. However, if your team doesn’t do well, you won’t be able to stream the playoffs or World Series.
As part of the proposed settlement, the cost of a full MLB.tv subscription was reduced $20 down to $110/year for 2016. What’s more, MLB can only raise the price of the service 3 percent per year through 2020. Comcast and DirecTV will also cut the price of the Extra Innings package by 12.5 percent for the 2016 and 2017 seasons. The league is offering single-team packages to both of those service providers, but they’re not obligated to extend the option to customers.
For MLB.tv subscribers that are also cable customers, there’s a new Follow Your Team option that will give you access to your favorite out-of-market team when they’re nearby. Usually in-market games are always blacked out, but paying an extra $10 ensures you’ll be able to watch every game regardless of restrictions. There’s a catch, though: you have to also pay for a cable plan that includes that in-market team’s network. Everyone’s going to get their money one way or another.
Blackouts and the availability of in-market games has been a hot topic for MLB for years now. As part of the settlement, the league has to work with television networks to reach an agreement that allows in-market streaming on MLB.tv before 2017. If a deal isn’t done by then, the league is prohibited from raising subscription rates until 2020.
Source: MLB.tv
ARCHOS to showcase new 50d Oxygen at MWC 2016, here’s the rundown of specs
The 50d Oxygen is a new mid-range smartphone from ARCHOS. Here’s the rundown on specs.
The ARCHOS 50d Oxygen sports a Full HD 5-inch IPS display. It’s powered by an octa-core MediaTek processor clocked at 1.3GHz. Backing the processor will be 2GB of RAM for a better multi-tasking experience. On the back will be a high-resolution 13MP camera. The front side will house a 5MP shooter for selfies and video chats. 
The 50d Oxygen should include 16GB of internal storage space, although it has not been specified just yet. Memory expansion is said to be possible with the addition of a microSD card. Other sensors include dual-SIM compatibility, Bluetooth 4.0, 802.11n Wi-Fi, and Wi-Fi Direct. Android 5.1 will be pre-installed and a 2,100mAh battery will try to survive the day. The device is expected to cost $149 off contract and hit stores in May.
ARCHOS plans to showcase the 50d Oxygen in its entirety at MWC 2016, which is rapidly approaching. The event is scheduled to start on February 22 in Barcelona. We’ll be covering it all. Stay tuned!
Come comment on this article: ARCHOS to showcase new 50d Oxygen at MWC 2016, here’s the rundown of specs
Vevo updates standalone app for Android to add customization
Vevo has released an updated version of their standalone app that adds several customization features in a bid to be more of a player in the music app space instead of just being synonymous with YouTube videos. The new update comes on the heels of an overhaul of the iOS version of the app that was released last fall and is in conjunction with a new version of the Apple tvOS version that brings similar features to that platform.
When users launch the new version of the app, they will be prompted to create a Vevo account. As part of that account creation process, users will be asked some information about their favorite artists. Users will also have the ability to like videos by tapping on a heart icon. As the service starts to learn what a user likes, content that is presented will be customized. For instance, the Spotlight feature will present videos and playlists created from the user’s interests. Vevo indicates they will present a “new for you” playlist every Monday. Other, less customized playlists will include genre and artist focused lists.
Early testing of the app indicates one issue is a focus on Top-40 radio oriented artists during the initial account setup phase. It is possible to search for specific musicians, but that is a longer and slower process than just going through the artists presented by the app. Users have also noted that Vevo does not seem to always fully take a user’s preferences into account and occasionally presents playlists on artists that a user may have specifically disliked.
Vevo is kind of late to the game in supporting the kind of customization they are adding to the app. They clearly hope it is not too late though and they can push users to some of their own content to help generate revenue. If you want to grab the Vevo app, hit the download link below.
Come comment on this article: Vevo updates standalone app for Android to add customization
Noodlecake Studios’ ‘Alto’s Adventure’ is finally in the Play Store
Alto’s Adventure, as expected, became available for Android phones and tablets today.
Click here to view the embedded video.
The game focuses on Alto and his friends snowboarding through mountains and exploring the world around them, rescuing wild llamas and jumping over huge structures on the way. Making things a little tricky is the unexpected arrival of large structures and different elements. This is all while Noodlecake Studios’ showcases an impressive environment with dynamic lighting and shifting weather conditions.
These are the features highlighted by Noodlecake Studios:
- Fluid, graceful and exhilarating physics-based gameplay
- Procedurally generated terrain based on real-world snowboarding
- Fully dynamic lighting and weather effects, including thunderstorms, blizzards, fog, rainbows, shooting stars, and more
- Easy to learn, difficult to master one trick system
- Beautifully minimalistic and evocative visual design
- Original music and handcrafted audio for an ambient and immersive experience
It’s completely free to play Alto’s Adventure, but the game does have in-app purchases priced at $3.99 if you want to enhance the experience.
Source: Noodlecake Studios
Come comment on this article: Noodlecake Studios’ ‘Alto’s Adventure’ is finally in the Play Store
iPhone 7 A10 chip to be made exclusively by TSMC, Samsung semiconductor in trouble
Samsung semiconductor just can’t catch a break right now. With global semiconductor sales peaking in 2015 and a weak forecast for 2016, the holy grail of chip contracts in 2016 was always going to be the A10 for the iPhone 7. Samsung was, understandably, going after it in earnest, but a new report out of South Korea claims Samsung rival TSMC has been awarded the exclusive rights to produce the A10 for the iPhone 7, sending Samsung into a “state of emergency”.
See also: Salvaging Samsung: Can the world’s largest OEM ever recover?
While Samsung and TSMC have previously shared the load of chip production for the iPhone, TSMC reportedly won the exclusive contract due to its more advanced 10 nm process compared to Samsung’s 14 nm process. Full-scale production is scheduled to begin in June. Samsung was left reeling back in 2014 when TSMC got the exclusive rights to the A8 chip-production for the iPhone 6, but successfully managed to split the chip supply contract with TSMC for the 6s and 6s Plus.
Losing half of the contract to TSMC is going to mean very bad things for Samsung’s System LSI division. While this news is only being reported in South Korea today, Samsung’s semiconductor division apparently knew about the contract being awarded solely to TSMC back in the latter half of last year and is perhaps why Samsung was forecasting a tough year ahead for semiconductor sales. This is perhaps also why Samsung has been aggressively courting Qualcomm over the contract to produce the Snapdragon 820.
SAMSUNG VS IPHONE IN 2015:
.rvs_wrapper
width: 350px;
.rvs_wrapper.align_left
float: left;
.rvs_wrapper.align_right
float: right;
.rvs_wrapper.align_center,
.rvs_wrapper.align_none
width: 100%;
.rvs_wrapper.align_center
text-align: center;
.rvs_wrapper.align_center.cbc-latest-videos ul li
float: none;
display: inline-block;
vertical-align: top;
.rvs_wrapper.cbc-latest-videos:not(.align_none) ul li:nth-child(2n+1)
clear: both;
.rvs_title
font-weight: 600 !important;
margin: 0 !important;
font-size: 24px !important;
.rvs_wrapper.align_right .rvs_title
padding-left: 20px;
.rvs_title a
font-family: ‘Roboto Condensed’;
color: #3a3a3a;
.rvs_wrapper.cbc-latest-videos ul
padding-top: 10px;
.rvs_wrapper.align_left.cbc-latest-videos ul li,
.rvs_wrapper.align_none.cbc-latest-videos ul li
padding: 0 15px 0 0;
.rvs_wrapper.align_right.cbc-latest-videos ul li
padding: 0 0 0 15px;
float: right;
.rvs_wrapper.align_center.cbc-latest-videos ul li
padding: 0 7px;
.rvs_wrapper.cbc-latest-videos ul li > a
font-weight: 400;
.rvs_wrapper.cbc-latest-videos ul li > a .yt-thumbnail
margin-bottom: 0;
@media only screen and (min-width : 480px)
body #page .rvs_wrapper.cbc-latest-videos ul
width: 100% !important;
@media only screen and (max-width : 480px)
body #page .rvs_wrapper.cbc-latest-videos
width: 100%;
float: none !important;
overflow-x: auto;
overflow-y: hidden;
body #page .rvs_wrapper.cbc-latest-videos ul
overflow: auto;
max-height: none;
body .rvs_wrapper.cbc-latest-videos ul li
float: left !important;
clear: none !important;
Samsung’s 14 nm process might be enough to win additional business producing the latest Qualcomm chip, but the company already has a plan to get back on top in 2017. Samsung is reportedly working on a new 7 nm process to win the contract back from TSMC for the iPhone 7s and 7s Plus. But this year doesn’t look good, with officials claiming it will be difficult for Samsung’s System LSI to be profitable in 2016.
See also: Flashbacks and Forecasts: Samsung in 2016
Considering the performance differences uncovered between the different iPhone 6s models last year, Apple’s choice seems a wise one for the iPhone 7. Not only is the TSMC process more advanced, iPhone 6s models that used the TSMC A9 were found to run cooler and offer better battery savings – however marginal – than their Samsung twins. It may have been the first time iPhone users actually cared about the specs of the latest iPhone.
Do you think Samsung will get the A11 contract next year? What do you think this means for Samsung’s overall profitability?
Archos announces Oxygen 50d before MWC
With Mobile World Congress just around the corner, we are already seeing some early announcements and press releases from manufacturers. This latest one comes from Archos, a French manufacturer known for mostly making low- to mid-range tablets and smartphones in the European markets. The latest Archos device will be an addition to the existing Oxygen line, and will be dubbed the Oxygen 50d. The namesake indicates that it is a successor to the mid-range Oxygen 50c, which debuted two years ago.
The Oxygen 50d looks to fit in somewhere between mid-range and high-end, sporting a 5-inch 1080 x 1920 IPS display that boasts 440 pixels per inch. Under the hood will be a MediaTek MTK6753 processor at 1.3GHz, backed by a Mali T720 MP3 GPU and 2GB of RAM. The latest Oxygen device will also feature a 13MP rear camera with LED flash and a 5MP front camera.
Image credit: AndroidCentral.com
Sadly, there will only be 16GB of onboard storage, but users will be able to expand that by up to 32GB via a MicroSD card slot. The Oxygen 50d will also feature a dual-SIM A 2100 mAh battery will power the Android 5.1 Lollipop device, which Archos will have on display at Mobile World Congress in a few weeks.
Interestingly, the Oxygen 50d sports capacitive home, menu, and back buttons, which deviates from the common practice of onscreen Android navigation buttons that most flagship devices of late have come to feature. We will be watching to see how this change plays out when the phone is released. Expect the Oxygen 50d to go on sale in May of this year with a $149.99 price tag.
Source Gadgets 360
The post Archos announces Oxygen 50d before MWC appeared first on AndroidGuys.
AIVAnet 