Pre-order an LG G5 from AT&T and get a second one for free

AT&T has kicked off pre-orders for the LG G5, with the phone slated to launch April 1 in the U.S. You can pick up the handset for $23 per month over 30 months through AT&T’s Next 24 plan, or purchase one for $688 outright. AT&T also offers a second handset for free, provided it is purchased on AT&T Next and activated on a new line.

The carrier will reimburse the cost of the second handset by providing $695 in bill credit over the course of 30 months. You’re still on the hook for sales tax and activation fee for both phones. Interested? Head to AT&T from the link below to get started.

See at AT&T

LG G5

• LG G5 hands-on
• LG G5 complete specs
• LG G5 CAM Plus module
• LG G5 B&O Hi-Fi audio module
• The G5 has an always-on display
• LG G5 keeps the SD card, shuns adoptable storage
• Join the LG G5 discussion

How you will become Batman is revealed by Telltale Games

Telltale is now a household name for gamers with titles like The Walking Dead, Game of Thrones and Fables all showing how great its character-story based gaming can be. Now it’s moving onto Batman.

Telltale announced last year it would be creating a Batman game but had only just begun to release details.

The Batman Telltale game will, like the maker’s other titles, focus on the character and his story. For this reason you’ll be playing as Bruce Wayne as much as you will be as Batman. The decisions you make in Wayne’s life will affect the outcome of the game and the choices you have to make as Batman. You’ll even have the choice of dealing with issues as Wayne or as Batman.

The character can be developed as either one of “redemption” or one of “corruption”.

The style is described as modern day with a gritty feel and “R-rated film” darkness. It also won’t be going for realism like the recent films, in favour of the fantastic world of the comics.

Telltale says the comic book art of the last 75 years will be brought to life. Villains and other characters featured are not mentioned although it’s been made clear that Robin and Nightwing won’t appear.

The Telltale Batman game is set to arrive this summer.

READ: How to get ready for PlayStation VR on the cheap

Smart 3D modeling lets you mess with faces in videos

Have you ever wanted to mess with a video by making its cast say things they never would on camera? You might get that chance. Researchers have built a face detection system that lets you impose your facial expressions on people in videos. The software uses an off-the-shelf webcam to create a 3D model of your face in real time, and distorts it to fit the facial details in the target footage. The result, as you’ll see below, is eerily authentic-looking: you can have a dead-serious Vladimir Putin make funny faces, or Donald Trump blab when he’d otherwise stay silent.

This isn’t about to reach software you can buy, but the implications for video creation are big if it becomes more than a university project. You could use the tool to mess with your friends by having celebrities say audacious things, or have famous figures recite dialogue in movies without needing to painstakingly animate faces frame by frame. In other words: get ready for an era when even the most plausible videos aren’t safe from a little computer trickery.

Via: Gizmodo

Source: Stanford University, University of Auvergne (PDF)

LG Watch Urbane 2nd Edition is back on sale as pre-orders kick off at AT&T

After being removed from store shelves last year, LG’s LTE-enabled Watch Urbane 2nd Edition is now back up for sale, with pre-orders kicking off at AT&T.

The Watch Urbane 2nd Edition made its debut in November with a bigger 1.38-inch P-OLED screen, standalone LTE connectivity, IP67 certification, and a 570mAh battery. But just a few week after launch, LG announced that it would not sell the device, citing “a hardware issue which affects the day-to-day functionality of the device.” A faulty screen component was to blame for LG’s decision, which the manufacturer said would “potentially impact our image quality over the life of the device.”

It now looks like LG has worked out the kinks, as the Watch Urbane 2nd Edition is once again up for pre-order at AT&T. The carrier is offering the smartwatch for $360 outright, or $18 a month over 20 months if you want to go down the instalment route. You can also get the device for $99.99 on a two-year agreement if you buy it alongside the LG G5 on AT&T’s Next plans.

See at AT&T

LG’s Watch Urbane 2nd Edition LTE returns to AT&T

AT&T isn’t just banking on the LG G5 to start its spring with a bang. After months of sorting out glitches, LG is re-launching the Watch Urbane 2nd Edition LTE on AT&T as of today. The cellular-linked, NumberSync-friendly Android Wear piece is available for $18 per month on a 20-month installment plan ($360 total), or $100 if you buy it alongside a G5 on an AT&T Next plan. That’s before the $10 per month you’ll need to pay to add the smartwatch to your shared data plan, we’d add. If you absolutely need to stay online when your phone is at home, though, this might hit the spot.

As for the G5? That little old thing? Pre-orders are starting today at AT&T, with a launch planned for April 1st. Buying the modular smartphone will set you back $23 per month on a 2-year AT&T Next plan, but the network is offering a Buy One Get One deal that provides a free G5 (or rather, the credit for one) if you add it on a new second line and pay for it on a Next 24 plan. The BOGO promotion is comparable to what you get for the Galaxy S7, but it’s worth considering if you’re looking for an alternative to Samsung.

Source: AT&T (Watch Urbane 2nd Edition), (G5)

‘Forza Motorsport 6’ gets eSports tourneys anyone can join

If you’re the sort to regularly set lap records in Forza Motorsport 6, you’re about to have your moment in the sun. Making good on its bet on eSports, Microsoft has announced two Forza-based eSports tournaments for late March that give any would-be Lewis Hamilton a chance at winning real prizes. The first, the Race Off Pro Series, will have you vying for Formula E glory starting on March 24th. If you place well enough in time trials and full-on races, you’ll win a trip to London to compete in a championship with cash prizes.

The second is more up your alley if you’re not so fond of electric cars. Major League Gaming is hosting its first Forza Motorsport 6 tournaments starting on March 26th. They’re free to enter, and give you the choice of racing S Class cars either one-on-one or in three-person teams. So long as you thrive, you’ll head to New York to compete in a cash prize tourney on May 21st. Winning either competition isn’t going to be easy when you’ll likely be facing racers who’ve memorized every last inch of the track. Nonetheless, it’s likely your best chance at translating your Xbox One racing skills into tangible rewards.

Via: Xbox Wire

Source: Formula E, MLG

Telltale reveals the first details of its ‘Batman’ game series

When Telltale Games confirmed late last year that it was working on a Batman game series, it didn’t reveal much beyond the game’s very existence. At last, though, it’s ready to dribble out some details. The series will translate at least some of Telltale’s character-driven formula to the Caped Crusader’s story when it arrives this summer. Unlike Rocksteady’s games, the emphasis is as much on Bruce Wayne as his alter ego: choices you make in Wayne’s private life will influence what he faces as Batman (and vice versa), including whether characters will go through “corruption or redemption.” You’ll even have the option of dealing with certain scenes as Wayne or Batman, no doubt with far-reaching consequences.

As for the general style? It’ll be set in the modern day and should have the gritty vibe of an “R-rated film,” but it won’t be realistic. Much akin to Telltale’s flagship The Walking Dead adaptation, you should expect comic book art brought to life (with the influences of artists from the past 75 years, the company says). You won’t see companions like Robin or Nightwing surface, either. It’s far too soon to say whether or not the game will be any good — we don’t even know what villains are involved yet — but it’s evident that Telltale doesn’t want to simply rehash the stories from other developers.

Via: Eurogamer

Source: Telltale Games

Blind woman may see thanks to gene therapy and light

Optogenetics, or mixing gene therapy with light treatments, is finally getting a proper field test: doctors have given a blind Texas woman the first optogenetics-based therapy in hopes of restoring some of the vision lost to a degenerative retina disease. The procedure injected her eye with viruses containing DNA from light-sensitive algae, letting them mimic the eye’s rods and cones by generating electricity whenever they’re subjected to light. The patient won’t get full vision even if the therapy is a runaway success, but it could be enough to let her know when there’s nearby activity.

Whether or not this works is far from certain. Doctors are going to watch the woman’s progress closely over the next year, and she may need up to three more treatments. The cells also can’t adjust their light sensitivity the way a retina can, so a truly effective system might need video glasses that automatically tweak the image brightness as the wearer ventures indoors or outdoors. Even so, this promises to be a breakthrough — it’s less intrusive than the current solution, which implants a chip that stirs cell activity. Eventually, certain forms of blindness may be relatively easy to mitigate.

Via: MIT Technology Review

Source: ClinicalTrials.gov

Airbnb now books stays in Cuba for everyone

Airbnb was quick to open its doors to Cuba once the country enjoyed warmer relations with the US, but there was a big gotcha: you could only book a stay if you were a US traveler. That ruled out… well, most visitors to Cuba at the time. Today, though, it’s a different story. In sync with President Obama’s trip to the island nation, Airbnb has received a special exception that lets its Cuban hosts accommodate anyone, whether they’re locals or Canadians on snowbird vacations. The expanded service starts April 2nd, or a year to the day when the company first set foot in Cuba.

It’s a big deal, even if you’re an American who took advantage of the relaxed rules in the past. The country is already Airbnb’s fastest-growing market, with roughly 4,000 homes added since April 2015. That rapid growth is only likely to continue now that Cubans can host anyone — and that, in turn, will increase the chances that you find a prime location without breaking the bank. This could be particularly crucial in Cuba, where your choices used to be limited to either mediocre state-run hotels or their pricey, foreign-run counterparts.

Source: Associated Press

Here’s how ‘Star Wars Battlefront’ does Jabba the Hutt’s palace

Part of the allure of Star Wars Battlefront is seeing how it translates classic scenes from the movies to the video game world. How will it handle Jabba the Hutt’s palace, for example? As of this week, you now have a good answer to that last question. EA and DICE have posted a trailer for the imminent Outer Rim expansion that gives you a solid look at Jabba’s home, whether it’s the vast sail barge garage or the tighter confines of the throne room. The clip also offers a peek at the volcanic world of Sullust and the two new hero/villain characters, Greedo and Nien Nunb — Greedo’s multi-shot ability looks like it could be a real ace in the hole when you’re surrounded by enemies.

The Outer Rim pack (which also includes five new weapons/cards and a new Extraction mode) arrives on March 22nd, so you won’t have long to wait before you can explore things first-hand. Be ready to pony up, though, as you’ll have to get it using the $50 season pass. And in case you’re wondering: while the trailer does pit Han Solo and Greedo against each other, it sadly doesn’t say who shot first.

Source: EA (YouTube)