‘Hard West’ is getting some Frankenstein-esque DLC next week

The turn-based tactical shooter Hard West is getting a pretty sizeable expansion soon called Scars of Freedom.

If you haven’t already played Hard West you can read our preview, but the simplest explanation of Hard West is that it’s a lot like XCOM, but with a very rich narrative, a Weird West (think Wild West with demons) setting and a ton of additional gameplay elements.

Scars of Freedom doesn’t relate to the main game’s story at all. It’s set in the same world, but with new characters and a new time period. Rather than, as in the main game, having Death narrate the adventure, the two playable characters are their own narrators. And the story they tell borrows liberally from the likes of Frankenstein, Dr. Moreau, and other reanimation / body modding lore.

The first character is Libertee, a slave who is mortally wounded while escaping imprisonment and enhanced without her consent by a crazy doctor type. By “enhanced,” developer CreativeForge means “stitched together from multiple body parts.” And the second is — you guessed it — that crazy doctor, Doctor Gorman. His exact motivations are unclear, but he’s not an archetypal villain, and he ends up working together with LIbertee against a nefarious group known as the “Masked Doctors.”

Most of the game’s core mechanics are intact. You’ll still have a map view, and although this time it’s not centered on prospecting, you’ll still be collecting resources and making decisions that will impact the path you take through the game. Basic combat remains the same as well, but perhaps the most memorable thing about Hard West — the poker-based perks system — has been replaced. Befitting the narrative shift, instead of picking cards to choose perks, you’ll be finding and buying organs or body parts that might prove useful. Examples of parts you can throw in are an “iron stomach” of a federal marshal that provides extra courage, or a bull’s heart that increases your vitality. Essentially, you’ll be turning Libertee into a monster in the name of improving her combat stats.

There are seven new missions in the Scars of Freedom scenario, and the degree of difficulty has been increased over the main game. It’ll launch on March 3rd for $2.99 on PC, Mac and Linux, although original backers of the game on Kickstarter are entitled to a free DLC key. That’s a low price for a considerable amount of content, but of course you need to own the original game to play the DLC. Talking of the original game, it’ll get a big update of its own on March 3rd, which will fix some outstanding issues and also offer some new play modes.

Cleveland Clinic performs first uterus transplant in the US

Doctors in Cleveland have performed the first successful uterus transplant in the United States. But, once the 26 year-old recipient has one or two babies, the womb will be removed so she can stop taking medications that prevent her body from rejecting the foreign organ — a very real risk that’s haunted the procedure in the past. Her previously impossible pregnancy will rely on in vitro fertilization, using her eggs (harvested prior to the transplant) that’ve been fertilized with her husband’s sperm and then frozen, according to The New York Times.

The patient will have to wait a year before that happens though, because she’ll have to heal first. And based on past deliveries, it’s highly likely that the patient will undergo a cesarean section for childbirth to prevent any injury either to the mother or child.

The organ came from a deceased donor, which has been done before, but still proves risky. A previous procedure in Turkey was thought to have been cleared because the recipient had six menstrual cycles following the procedure. The presiding doctors were cautious, however, and said they wouldn’t call the operation a success until the patient gave birth. Sadly, that pregnancy terminated after eight weeks.

The Cleveland Clinic reports that its patient is in stable condition as of Thursday afternoon, but, aside from that, any further details are being withheld until a press conference next week.

Via: The New York Times

Source: Cleveland Clinic

Televisions with built-in Google Chromecast likely to arrive this spring

Chromecast-like functionality is being built into TV sets from Vizio and others.

According to Variety, Google and Vizio have been working together to add Chromecast into Vizio’s new TVs coming out this spring, thus eliminating the need to offer up standard smart TV features such as an interface with on-screen apps. So, with this setup, you’ll be able to send streaming video and music from a smartphone or computer to your TV with a simple button tap.

Google and Vizio might also include a smart remote instead of a traditional remote. The remote will actually be an Android-based tablet that doubles as a dedicated remote control. It will be pre-loaded with apps from media services as well as a programming guide with content recommendations. Vizio will either included this tablet free of charge or ditch the idea altogether.

Vizio is a California-based electronics maker best known for its affordable flat screen TVs. The company hasn’t yet made the jump to the UK, so Brits likely won’t be able to get their hands on these new sets. But according to Variety, Google is working with at least one other manufacturer on building televisions with casting features. It is not yet known which manufacturer is on board.

Entire televisions will obviously be more expensive than the Chromecast, a $35 dongle that plugs into the back of TVs. Google’s streaming device launched a few years ago, was recently updated, and has been a surprise success.

Forget MWC, first official HTC One M10 teaser is in

HTC has released the first teaser for its forthcoming new flagship Android phone, which is now more than ever though to be the HTC One M10.

What looks like a bezelled edge of the new phone – which matches some of the leaks we’ve seen over the last week – is presented on a stark, black background with just the words “Power of 10”. There’s also a hashtag for #powerof10, which suggests that will be the official slogan throughout the phone’s emergence and, likely, subsequent release.

Little else can really be gleaned from the teaser image. We suspect we’ll get a few of these over the coming weeks, until HTC is ready to unveil the device itself.

READ: HTC One M10/Perfume: What’s the story on HTC’s next flagship?

HTC

As for the launch itself, that could be quite a way away still. The common train of thought is still that HTC will hold an event on 11 April, with the device hitting stores in May.

That gives the company plenty of time to tease us further before the official invites drop our way.

One thing’s for sure, as Mobile World Congress finishes in Barcelona, HTC is keen to remind us that we haven’t seen all of the big brand flagship Android smartphones quite yet. This one might just well be worth the wait.

Boston Dynamics’ new Atlas humanoid bot looks ready to take over the world

Boston Dynamics has just shown off its next-generation bipedal robot.

And wow. This thing is intense.

We can imagine in 5 years or more the Atlas being able to tuck our children into bed at night. Its creators just 6 months ago showed off a version of the 6-foot humanoid droid walking outside into unplanned terrain, but it was tethered at the time. This new version ditches the cord and now stands 5-foot 9-inches tall and weighs 180 lbs. It’s like the size of a full-grown man.

Atlas is electrically powered and hydraulically actuated: “It uses sensors in its body and legs to balance and LIDAR and stereo sensors in its head to avoid obstacles, assess the terrain, help with navigation and manipulate objects,” Boston Dynamics explained via a new video published to YouTube. The video shows Atlas walking through snow, picking up boxes, opening doors, etc.

Boston Dynamics

Scientists can be seen trying to trick Atlas, moving boxes on the bot and knocking it over with a stick. We’re happy Atlas hasn’t been given the ability to consciously think, because with this sort of treatment, we envision an eventual rise up from him and his sibling machines. Boston Dynamics also creates a four-legged Big Dog bot for the US military as well as a smaller one called Spot.

Watch the video below to see the future – we mean Atlas – in action.

Apple might introduce full Siri integration for Macs this year

The next version of Mac OS X could come with full-on Siri.

According to 9to5Mac, Apple is working on a major update to OS X El Capitan called OS X 10.12. It’ll likely arrive this autumn with an impressive expansion of Siri capabilities. Siri, which debuted on the iPhone years ago, has since been added to iPad, Apple Watch, and most recently, the Apple TV. So it makes sense that Apple would want to bring its smart assistant to desktop machines.

Apple had been testing Siri integration since 2012 but only now has a better idea of how Siri can work on the Mac. The company has developed a slick user-interface and is almost ready to go public with it. In fact, Apple is expected to unveil OS X 10.12 at its annual Worldwide Developers Conference in June. During the demo, you can expect to see how Siri for Mac works and functions.

The feature is thought to live in the Mac’s Menu Bar as a Siri icon. It will support voice control, but when you click the icon, a dark Siri interface will appear in the top right corner of your screen. A mockup of this was supplied by 9to5Mac and can be seen below. It looks a lot like Siri on the iPhone and elsewhere, with colourful sound waves and all. Siri will also have a System Preferences pane so you can enable keyboard shortcuts.

There might be an option to enable a “Hey Siri” command under this pane, because – similar to Siri on the iPhone or even Alexa via the Amazon Echo speaker – Siri on the Mac will be always-listening when plugged into power.

9to5Mac said OS X 10.12 is internally codenamed Fuji.

9to5Mac

LeEco has a smart mountain bike, and you’re going to want one

When LeEco called us in to talk about the Le Max Pro – and it’s plans for expansion outside of China – we weren’t expecting to be spending our time marvelling over a smart bike. 

But when we found Le Syvrac it only seemed fair to stop and stare.

You might think that bicycles are inherently simple. Yes, there’s lots of technology involved, from power monitoring cranks, to high-tech manufacturing and materials or powered gear shifting, but Le Syvrac is something else.

Well firstly it has the T700 carbon fibre and aluminium alloy frame, which is par the course, as is the leather saddle and 30-speed Shimano Deore groupset. But take a second glance than that frame design is rather unique.

Pocket-lint

That crossbar is chunkier than normal, as it houses the controls for some of the bike’s smart functions: the built-in bike lock, the lights and the camera function. That’s right, there’s chain bolt that will slide into place when you lock the bike, so it can’t be ridden away. 

That might not stop someone picking it up and walking away with it, but it’s alarmed, and you’ll be able to track its location via the smartphone app if it does go walkabouts.

Returning to the lights, there are front and back lights built-in which are automatic, as well as indicator lights on the ends of the handlebars. We’re not sure we’d truth those over a conventional arm signal, but there’s also a lateral laser that paints a line along the road to help you get seen, rather like the Blaze lights we’ve seen previously.

That’s not all the tech that Le Syvrac has in store, as there’s also an Android-based 3.97-inch display mounted at the top of the stem, the hub of your bike’s smart functions. It’s powered by a quad-core processor and has a whopping 4GB of RAB, meaning your bike is probably more powerful than your smartphone.

Pocket-lint

On the BikeOS that runs on it you have all the functions that a normal bike computer would offer, like speed and distance data, along with maps, routing and music. Oh, yes, there’s a speaker, or you can connect a Bluetooth headset (although we’d advise against it), and when we sampled the music, it was pretty loud. You can now add a soundtrack when you’re ripping up the single track.

Even that isn’t the end of the smart functions. There are sensors in the handlebars so you can monitor your heart rate and make sure you’re getting into the right zone when you’re out on a training ride, and if you’re with friends there’s a push-to-talk walkie-talkie system built-in as well, so you can stay in contact on group rides.

Le Syvrac isn’t the top spec bike either. There’s the Le Alpe d’Huez version that’s has an all-carbon frame, as well as uprading to Shimano XTR with electronic shifting.

We’ve no idea how much these will cost, or if you’ll ever be able to buy one.

A closer look at LG’s X cam and X screen smartphones

LG has a busy Mobile World Congress this year, not only did it launch its new flagship – the LG G5 – but we also saw two mid-rangers appear in the form of the X cam and the X screen.

The LG X series was teased in the run up to the mobile-focused show but LG only revealed the front of the two devices, hiding the X cam’s camera array on the back.

They were both on display in Barcelona however so this is a closer look at the LG X cam and the LG X screen smartphones to see what they bring to the mid-range party.

Pocket-lint

LG X cam

Starting with, in our opinion, the slightly more exciting of the two – the X cam. This smartphone has dual rear cameras like the LG G5 at 13-megapixels and 5-megapixels. It also has a front-facing snapper at 8-megapixels. The camera array is designed slightly differently on the rear of the X cam in comparison to the flagship G5 but the same idea applies.

There are two icons in the camera app that allow you to select between a normal shot and a wide angle shot. The normal shot is the icon with one tree, while the wide angle shot is the one with three trees. The design of the cameras is a little fussier than the LG G5 but you still get the dual camera feature, only without paying premium prices.

The X cam is light in the hand and although it feels a lot cheaper than the G5, it offers some decent specs and it’s lovely and slim. The X cam measures 147.5 x 73.6mm and has a curved rear between 5.2mm and 6.9mm so it is slimmer than the flagship. It comes in titan silver, white, gold and pink gold.

In terms of hardware, the X cam has an octa-core processor, 2GB of RAM, 16GB of internal memory and a 2520mAh battery. There is also a 5.2-inch Full HD display on board, but unlike the X cam’s sibling – there is no secondary screen on this device.

Pocket-lint

LG X screen

That takes us to the LG X screen, which as we just mentioned, does have a secondary display. We didn’t see any notifications come through in our brief amount of time with it but the secondary display does show the time and date whether the main display is on or off. We also noticed that commonly used apps also appeared at the top when the main display was on. 

The main display is 4.93-inches with a HD resolution on the X screen, while the secondary display is 1.76-inches with a 520 x 80 pixel resolution. We weren’t as keen on the secondary display feature as the dual cam feature of the X cam device, but it’s still good to see these kind of features on mid-range devices and not just the flagships so kudos to LG for that.

The X screen measures 142.6 x 71.8 x 7.1mm meaning it is a little smaller and thicker than the X cam, and it keeps the more plasticky feel in comparison to the LG G5, as you would expect. It is very light and certainly easy to hold and manage with one hand. There is a 13-megapixel rear camera, coupled with an 8-megapixel front camera and the X screen comes in black, white and pink gold.

When it comes to hardware, the X screen opts for a quad-core processor, 2GB of RAM, 16GB of memory and a 2300mAh battery so the battery capacity is a little smaller than the X cam.

Both the LG X cam and the LG X screen run on Android Marshmallow. We didn’t get to spend enough time them at MWC to see how their various features perform but the important thing about these devices is that LG is offering premium features on mid-range devices, which is great to see. It means if you want a smartphone with a dual camera, or a dual screen, you can still have that without having to spend over £500.

Click here to head to the gallery for a closer look at the LG X cam, followed by the LG X screen. 

OnePlus 3 release date slated for June

The OnePlus 3 is expected to launch “at the end of the second quarter” according to Carl Pei, one of the company’s co-founders sporting a new design. 

The comments made to Cnet en Espanol in an interview at Mobile World Congress, imply that we could see a new One Plus handset for June ahead of the summer, but after the roll out of flagship devices from Samsung and LG.

Pei declined to comment further as to what the specs of the OnePlus 3 would be or what the finalised flagship handset would look like only stating that it would feature a “new design”.

READ: OnePlus 3: What’s the story so far?

Leaked specs already “doing the rounds” suggest that the OnePlus 3 will be powered by Qualcomm’s new Snapdragon 820 processor and feature a large battery and possibly microSD support.

According to Pei, the OnePlus 3 will arrive in the US and other markets as an unlocked phone and will be sold directly by the company. He says the company expects to offer a “better buying process,” although he did not reveal if that would mean abandoning its system of selling by invitation only. 

The co-founder also acknowledged, according to the site, that “the company’s first phone was a more captivating device than its second generation,” adding “he hopes the OnePlus 3 will have ‘at least’ that special feeling cast by the OnePlus One when users first saw it.”

The OnePlus 3 will follow on from the OnePlus 2 and the OnePlus X (pictured) released last year. 

Huawei teams up with Leica, could the Huawei P9 be the first to benefit?

Huawei and iconic camera maker Leica have announced they are joining forces to “reinvent” smartphone photography.

In a move that apes the long lasting partnership that saw Nokia and Carl Zeiss join forces to improve the camera quality on the back of Nokia phones, the two companies say they will be working together to “achieve the best possible imaging results in the field of smartphone photography – and to take it to the next level of quality.”

The strategic partnership means that future Huawei phones, like the upcoming flagship Huawei P9, are likely to feature Leica lenses and imaging technologies to enhance and improve the smartphone’s photographic credentials.

The two companies say that the partnership will span research and development, design, co-engineering, user experience, marketing, and retail distribution. It will be “long-lasting”.

Although neither party confirms or denies Leica’s involvement in the Huawei P9 as yet, a joint statement sent to Pocket-lint says:

“In 2016, Huawei looks to build on its success with Leica Camera: a mutually beneficial collaboration with the most iconic name in the photographic world to bring joint superior excellence to consumers.”

That suggests we should see fruits of the partnership sooner rather than later.

Oliver Kaltner, CEO of Leica adds slightly more details over Leica’s involvement:

“The technology partnership with Huawei offers Leica Camera an excellent opportunity to introduce its proven optical expertise into a new product segment and to unlock exciting business areas in the field of mobile devices. Smartphones make a very important contribution to the world of photography and open an important door for Leica to new target groups and fields of application.”

There’s at least one thing you can be certain of, your chance to own a “Leica” just became a lot more affordable.