Half-Life and Portal movies going ahead says Star Wars director J.J. Abrams

The long and eagerly awaited Half-Life and Portal movies are coming and director J.J. Abrams has confirmed more details.

Valve’s Gabe Newell and Star Wars director J.J. Abrams spoke about a team up back in 2013 but it’s only now that confirmation has arrived proper. Speaking at the SXSW festival The Force Awakens director said: “We’ve got writers, and we’re working on both those stories. But nothing that would be an exciting update.”

Of course that much detail itself is enough of an update to get even a mild Half-Life fan clicking for a YouTube fan made film to fill the wait time. That should be a long haul since it’s still in the writing stages.

Also Valve’s Newell has said in the past that if these movies aren’t perfect he’d rather do them in-house at Valve, so there will be plenty of pressure to get them right.

Which movie will come first is unclear but we’d imagine the bigger fan base of Half-Life will be catered to initially.

While we’ve got a long wait ahead of us before meeting the real-world Gordon Freeman or Portal’s Chell, we’ve got some brilliant fan-made films to keep us going in the meantime. Check the link below to see what happens when real-world Gordon Freeman goes head-to-head with Chell.

READ: Portal vs Half-Life real world video: Prepare to be gravity gunned away

This is what Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time could look like on Nintendo NX

As we head towards the summer and E3 rumours of Nintendo’s new console, the Nintendo NX, are bound to ramp up. For now though, with little actual information, it’s more about what it might be capable of than anything concrete.

One thing we’re pretty sure of though is that it will be on a par with PS4 and Xbox One in graphics terms at least. And that means we’ll get some stunning-looking homegrown games.

More than likely that will include a Zelda game somewhere down the line, even if it’s yet another refreshed and remastered version of The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time.

READ: This is what Mario could look like on Nintendo NX

We’ve already had versions for the GameCube and Nintendo 3DS, so a Nintendo NX special edition would not be contrary to company traditions. And if it looks anything as good as the Unreal Engine 4 recreation by CryZENx we will not be complaining.

PC owners can even check out his own-made demo yourselves.

The programmer has recreated the Death Mountain crater section of the classic RPG, using Unreal Engine 4, and you can download it to try out the area yourself. He’s also posted a video showing how great it looks with modern lighting and textures which you can see below.

Hopefully, the Nintendo NX will be capable of much more than tarting up older games, but if we can get a classic or two like this demo, we’ll be very happy too.

You can download the 730MB PC demo from the link provided on CryZENx’s YouTube posting.

Six tiny robots can pull a two-ton car

Stanford university’s uBots have pulled off a feat that makes ants look like slackers. Working in concert, six of the robots managed to tow a 3,900 pound car, despite weighing just a half-ounce each — much less than other car-towing robots. The secret, according to the team, is biomimicry. The wee bots are designed to imitate gecko lizards with sticky feet that can support a heavy load but still detach easily. In previous experiments, that allowed them to climb up walls and pull heavy weights. This time, the robots are channeling ants by working as a team to pull a heavy load.

The researchers noticed that ants can boost their power by using three out of six legs at once. “By considering the dynamics of the team, not just the individual, we are able to build a team of our ‘microTug’ robots that, like ants, are superstrong individually, but then also work together as a team,” grad student David Christensen told the NY Times. Working in a similar fashion (albeit with wheels), the uTug robots can muster a force of 200 Newtons, or around 45 pounds. With their sticky tires, that’s enough to slowly but surely pull a two-ton vehicle (see the video below).

Via: NY Times

Source: IEEE (paywall)

John Oliver breaks down the San Bernardino iPhone case

John Oliver has earned himself a reputation for explaining politically complex topics in a way that anyone can understand during his Last Week Tonight talk show. After tackling net neutrality and Donald Trump, the comedian has turned his attention to the San Bernardino iPhone case. The legal tussle between Apple and the FBI has been all over the news recently, but the various arguments and counterarguments can be difficult to describe to someone that rarely reads about encryption, backdoors and government warrants. If you have friends or family that fall into this camp, Oliver’s new 18-minute breakdown is a good place for them to start.

The TV host delivers the recap with his usual wit and charm, packing in plenty of gags that should keep even the least tech-savvy viewer engaged. In the video, Oliver covers the general purpose of encryption, the San Bernardino shooter’s iPhone, exactly what the FBI has asked Apple to build and its justifications for such an order. He then summarises Apple’s counterarguments and the potential issues — technical and political — with building such a controversial workaround. It’s not the deepest of dives, but if you know someone that wants to quickly catch up with the whole affair this is an accessible, humorous and fairly comprehensive take.

Source: Last Week Tonight with John Oliver (YouTube)

App Store Algorithm Failures Reported in Several Countries

Apple came under fire over the weekend for an apparent failure of its App Store algorithm to rank app categories using any meaningful criteria.

Several users took to Twitter to voice their displeasure after subcategories in the App Store Games section were shown to be displaying multiple variations of similarly named apps spanning several pages.

More examples quickly followed, and apps with almost identical titles consisting of numbers were shown to dominate several “New”, “Featured” and “What’s Hot” sections in categories around the world, suggesting a complete breakdown in the way the algorithm processes certain content in the App Store database.

The issue was reported by users in several countries, including New Zealand, Spain and the UK, but users in the U.S. were apparently unable to replicate the problem.

Apple’s marketing chief Phil Schiller, who took over App Store leadership in December, responded to the criticism via his Twitter account, promising to investigate the issue.

@WesleyDyson @Adora Shouldn’t happen. We’ll look into it. Thank you.

— Philip Schiller (@pschiller) March 13, 2016

Back in November, Apple reportedly made significant improvements to the algorithm that ranks apps in the App Store, although those changes focused on returning more useful results following a specific keyword search.

Apple often hand-picks apps for promotion on the App Store landing page based purely on merit, but the bulk of the store’s organization is automated. Apple has not revealed specifics about how its algorithm usually sorts listed categories, however it is generally accepted among developers that install frequency, reviews, star ratings, engagement and sales play a combined role.

Tag: App Store
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Emicro One scooter review: Keeping up with the kids?

As we push off once again, the motor kicks into action and zoom through the English countryside without a care in the world. We effortlessly pass a man walking his dog. The two young children who have accompanied us on this adventure are doing everything they can to keep up. It’s clear they are getting annoyed by the lack of effort dad is putting in, but hey, that’s a “them” problem, not an “us” problem.

We can’t blame them, they might be on micro scooters, feet hammering floor hell for leather, but we’re on the Emicro One scooter – an electric-motor adult take on the child’s accessory that virtually every family takes to the park these days.

Emicro One review: Design

Looking like a regular kid’s scooter, only considerably more black and beefier, the Emicro One Scooter is a heavy beast (certainly compared to the regular scooters you carry when your children get bored), weighing in at 7.5kg.

Pocket-lint

Like the kids models the company sells, this scooter is capable of folding in half when you need to pack it away, and the main upright poll that delivers the handle bars is adjustable to suit a variety of different heights.

The main difference in design compared to the kids model, though, is that there is a much bigger and much wider foot-plate, presumably to cope with your grown-up-sized shoes. It certainly works: we were able to put both our feet on the board at the same time and enjoy the world as we zipped along.

To brake, you simple press the rear mud flap down against the wheel. This flap doubles as a regenerative brake to charge the battery. Clever.

Importantly there is no throttle to squeeze or twist, no real evidence that it is an electric scooter, and no complicated combination of buttons to learn. The only real giveaway is four LED lights on the foot-plate to tell you how much charge you’ve got left. And, of course, the fact it’s so heavy.

Pocket-lint

Emicro One: Performance

If you are under the assumption that you’ll be able to jump on the Emicro One and whizz off to work with zero effort from you, then don’t. The best way to describe the electric element here is as an assist to your journey, not one that fully powers it. You will still have to “scoot”, you will still have to be involved in kicking off to get moving, and it is only once you’ve got some motion that the electric motor kicks in to help you. That said, you shouldn’t underestimate how much assistance this scooter is willing to give. As we’ve said we could easily “keep up” with the kids on their scooters with very little effort. 

A bit like modern cars the One has three performance programmes to choose from: eco, standard and sport. Each limits the maximum speed of the support and the maximum power of the motor. Go eco and you won’t be able to go as fast, but you do get more distance before the battery dies.

Not that distance is a major problem, as the emicro one has a range of around 12km on a single charge, something we had no problem achieving over a couple of days without plugging in. Even if you do have to charge it, you’re back up and running within 60-minutes of plugging it into the wall.

If an hour is too long to wait, or you’re miles away from a changing point, it doesn’t entirely matter. This is still a scooter through and through, and so still works as a scooter whether you opt to use the electric motor element or not.

Pocket-lint

Our very first use was without the battery as, rather embarrassingly, it turns out you can deactivate the motor element by tapping the brake lever three times in succession. It was only when we spoke to Micro Scooters to see whether we were doing something wrong, that they informed us that we were. Opps. 

When the motor is going, although it is never overly fast, we found that it still goes fast enough that without focus, especially when stopping, you can certainly feel like the scooter is running away from you. The gut reaction is to giggle and then jump off as quick as you can, but we suspect with time you’ll get to learn that feeling. Well, hopefully. 

Giggles aside you quickly learn to control the speed, although expect to get plenty of looks as you hurtle past. Kids on scooters is an expected everyday occurrence, an adult on one turns heads.

First Impressions

There’s a catch, there’s always a catch, and in the case of the Emicro One scooter it’s the price. Forget about the over-heavy 7.5kg of weight for a moment and contemplate the eye-watering £750 price tag. Yes, for a scooter.

It is not that we can’t see where the money goes though: built like a tank, the Emicro One is clearly happy to take a beating, plus it works a treat zipping you along at comfortable speed. Just that £750 could buy you an old banger, or get you a lot of taxi rides – or simply buy you 10 non-motorised scooters that will help you actually do some exercise at the same time.

It’s a shame, because we like the Emicro One, as do our kids and anyone who’s tried it out, smile beaming across their faces. But as as soon as we mentioned the price, that smile turned to laughter – the kind that couldn’t fathom how anyone could justify spending that much on a scooter.

HTC Vive owners will be able to play any Steam game inside a VR living room

Valve has announced a way for PC gamers to play any game from inside the HTC Vive virtual reality headset. Any title you have in your Steam library can be accessed while wearing the device, even if it’s not designed for VR play.

That’s because SteamVR Desktop Theater Mode essentially sits you inside a 3D virtual home cinema or living room environment, with a main, large screen playing the game. That way, your entire Steam library will be accessible to you, rather than the handful that will work with HTC Vive from the off.

Of course, you might wonder why you’d want to spend time playing XCOM 2 or Undertale on a virtual monitor while wearing the headset rather than sat at an actual screen. But if you’ve had to move your gaming rig to the living room to take advantage of the space required for motion, you might not have it plugged into a conventional monitor at all.

READ: HTC Vive preview: An experience that’s out of this world

In that situation, at least you can continue those mammoth Football Manager 2016 sessions without moving all your kit around again.

Valve has revealed that the SteamVR Desktop Theater Mode will also work on other VR headsets too, so Oculus Rift owners might also be able to take advantage.

The mode is currently in early beta and should be available to new owners when their headsets arrive in April.

LG announces the Stylus 2 with digital radio for all your favorite broadcasts

LG has announced what is boasted as the world’s first smartphone to feature DAB+ digital radio support. The Stylus 2, announced for Australia, Belgium, Germany, Italy, Netherlands, Norway and the UK, brings the very best of digital radio to the smartphone. Featuring not only a DAB+ chipset, the LG Stylus 2 also comes with an exclusive app that allows owners to enjoy broadcasts right out of the box.

But that’s not all. Developers can take advantage of this new functionality to develop their own apps to compliment broadcast radio with internet-connected features. The best part for consumers? Using DAB+ radio consumers no data. Zero. Unlike traditional FM stations through radio apps, you can enjoy DAB+ all day long without fear of running up a massive data bill.

It’s a neat feature, and one we’re sure fans of radio will welcome. Unfortunately, while we know which markets will be among the first to take advantage of the Stylus 2 with DAB+, LG failed to provide word on availability or pricing.

Press Release

LG STYLUS 2 FIRST SMARTPHONE TO SUPPORT DAB+

SEOUL, Mar. 14, 2016 ― LG Electronics (LG) today unveiled the world’s first smartphone to feature DAB+, the de facto standard for digital radio broadcasting. LG introduced its newest smartphone at Radiodays Europe 2016 in Paris, the world’s largest radio conference. Consumers in Australia, Belgium, Germany, Italy, Netherlands, Norway and the United Kingdom will be the first to receive the LG Stylus 2 with DAB+.

As the world’s first smartphone with DAB+, the LG Stylus 2 features a DAB+ chipset and an exclusive app that allows customers to enjoy digital radio broadcasts out of the box. A technical interface also enables broadcasters to develop their own tailored apps in which internet services complement broadcasted radio.

Users will be able to access more radio channels with DAB+ than traditional FM. Unlike regular radio apps that stream large amounts of data, DAB+ radio provides excellent audio quality for free, as it uses no data.

DAB+ is expected to replace FM analog radio and already reaches over 500 million people in 40 countries around the world. LG collaborated with the International DMB Advancement Group (IDAG) to include DAB+ technology in the new LG Stylus 2.

“We are taking a proactive approach towards the fast-paced technological shift to digital broadcasting with DAB+ to deliver a new paradigm of experiences through the smartphone,” said Juno Cho, president and CEO of LG Electronics Mobile Communications Company. “With its large 5.7-inch screen, 1 watt speaker and 3,000mAh removable battery, the LG Stylus 2 is the perfect device to enjoy rich, multimedia content.”

“We are proud to help introduce a game-changing smartphone with an innovative company like LG. The combination of broadcasting and the internet opens up a vast array of possibilities for the future,” said Gunnar Garfors, president of IDAG. “Consumers get new functionalities and media companies reach new audiences with more broadcasted free-to-air radio.”

Experience Star Wars in light sabre swinging VR soon on the HTC Vive

What’s the one thing better than being dazzled by the wonder of Star Wars on the big screen? Being placed into the Star Wars universe thanks to virtual reality. That’s what the HTC Vive may be doing soon if a recent leak proves accurate.

The experience, called Star Wars Trials on Tatooine, appeared briefly on Industrial Light & Magic’s YouTube channel dubbed ILMVisualFX, before being swiftly taken down again. But not before several images had been grabbed and shared around the interwebs. Check the gallery above to see these.

One of the screenshots showed off a first person perspective with a blue lightsabre and three moons in the background, so it looks like, as the title suggests, this will be set on Tatooine. There’s even an appearance from R2-D2 at some point.

This isn’t the first time we’ve seen Star Wars taken to the virtual world, with the Jakku Spy experience released last year for Google Cardboard.

The HTC Vive should be able to add new levels to the virtual reality experience as it is one of the most advanced VR headsets around right now. It is also able to work in conjunction with movement-based controllers meaning you may be able to swing a virtual lightsabre as if you were a real Jedi.

We can’t wait for this experience to land. Expect it to arrive with the consumer launch of the HTC Vive on 5 April.

READ: HTC Vive preview: An experience that’s out of this world

Ariana Grande channels pop stars to save Tidal on SNL

Things aren’t going great at Tidal right now, and it’s trying to save itself with exclusive exclusive releases from the likes of Rihanna. But what if a power outage messed up their streams? As SNL humorously imagines, it’s Chloe the intern (aka Ariana Grande) to the rescue. As glimpsed on the Tonight Show, the diminutive pop star has got a gigantic voice and flawlessly belted out hits from the likes of Britney Spears, Shakira and Celine Dion until the music was restored.

SNL did a very similar skit about Pandora in 2012 with Bruno Mars (and was mocked on Twitter for copying it), but it’s going to take more than Ariana Grande to help Tidal, which just fired it’s CFO and COO. You can watch her try her best in the video below, but the Hulu stream is geo-blocked outside the US unless you have a (working) VPN.

Via: People

Source: Hulu (US only)