There won’t be an ‘Assassin’s Creed’ game this year
Time-traveling parkour people, take it easy this year. Ubisoft will not release a new Assassin’s Creed game in 2016, breaking the franchise’s annual launch schedule for the first time since 2009. Ubisoft says it’s listened to fan feedback since the release of Assassin’s Creed Unity, a game that was plagued by technical glitches when it launched in 2014. Sales of last year’s installment, Assassin’s Creed Syndicate, were slower than expected, Ubisoft noted in its quarterly financial report released today.
“We are now in a position to take the decision not to release a new Assassin’s Creed game in 2016-17, in order to give the brand a new dimension, while still presenting very solid targets for the fiscal year,” Ubisoft CEO Yves Guillemot said.
This may mean there’s room for another Ubisoft franchise to land in the fall — the company plans to launch a sequel to Watch Dogs before April 2017, as laid out at the end of its earnings report. Other games on Ubisoft’s slate include For Honor, South Park: The Fractured But Whole, Tom Clancy’s Ghost Recon: WildLands and “a new high-potential AAA brand with strong digital live services.”
Kotaku reported in January that Ubisoft would pause its annual Assassin’s Creed drop in 2016. The site also said the next Assassin’s Creed game was code-named Empire and would take place in Egypt, and the new Watch Dogs would be set in San Francisco. These details are not confirmed, but with today’s news, they’re looking fairly solid.
Source: Ubisoft blog
Samsung’s Gear S2 Classic is finally available in Rose Gold and Platinum
Samsung’s Gear S2 Classic has been teased in Rose Gold and Platinum for a few months now, with Samsung repeatedly showing off the premium iterations of their flagship smartwatch to build up some anticipation. The company announced that the new colors would be available in February, and they’re finally here.
If you’re interested, you can buy both models for $449 at tons of retailers, including Amazon, Best Buy, and directly from Samsung. The 18K Rose Gold comes with an ivory band, while the Platinum comes with a black leather band. Everything else about the watch has stayed the same, including Samsung’s unique rotating bezel that controls the interface of the watch.
Anyone interested in picking one of these up?
source: Samsung
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Late Night ‘Motor Noises’ Heard From Apple-Leased Sunnyvale Campus
Loud “motor”-sounding noises are being heard at a Sunnyvale campus where Apple leases at least one building, reports AppleInsider, speculating that the sounds could be coming from a secret car testing facility. Apple occupies a single building in a 7-building campus at North Wolfe Road and Central Expressway in Sunnyvale, which it leased in 2014.
AppleInsider has previously suggested that in addition to its known offices at the location, where it conducts research and development, Apple is also operating under a shell company known as SixtyEight Research. SixtyEight Research is a mysterious “market research” operation that also leases one of the buildings on the campus, and given the lack of information available about the company, it could potentially be a front for the site where Apple works on its Apple Car.
Campus where Apple leases a building, via San Jose Mercury News
In recent months, a resident who lives near the 7-building campus has complained to the city of Sunnyvale about “motor” noises emanating from the area late at night. Major renovations undertaken by Apple have been underway at the site since last year, so it is unclear if the resident was simply hearing ongoing construction sounds.
“(Do) there have to (be) motor noises at 11:00 p.m. at night like last night?” the resident wrote to the city of Sunnyvale. “Even with the windows closed I could still hear it.”
There continues to be no confirmed link between Apple and SixtyEight Research, or clear evidence that Apple is using the facility for its Apple Car development, but Apple has plans to build a 10-foot security fence around the area to hide its activity.
The rumored car being developed by Apple under the name “Project Titan” is still in the early stages, but Apple is said to have hundreds of employees working on the project. Over the past few months, Apple has hired dozens of new employees with expertise in the auto industry, poaching them from companies like Ford, Tesla, GM, and more.
Recently, “Project Titan” lead Steve Zadesky announced plans to leave the company, and Apple is said to have implemented a temporary hiring freeze ahead of his planned departure. Apple executives are also said to be unhappy with the progress being made on the Apple Car, so its future could be in question. Rumors have suggested Apple is aiming to have the final design of its car established by 2019 or 2020.
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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!
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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.
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