‘Catlateral Damage’ will smash its way to PS4 on March 22nd

Two events of note are taking place in two weeks time: 1.) Apple is likely launching another iPhone, and 2.) Catlateral Damage is arriving on PS4. That’s right, you’re not dreaming. The cat simulator that puts you in the shoes (paws?) of a rampaging kitty will be available to PS4 players on March 22nd for $9.99. But if you’re a PS Plus member, you can download it for only $7.99 during launch week. If you’ve always wanted to cause a catastrophe as a virtual feline inside virtual houses and museums, that sounds like a bargain.

Catlateral Damage’s creator Chris Chung originally made its prototype during a game jam. With the help of fellow Toxoplasma gondii-infected cat lovers, he was able to raise $62,000 via Kickstarter and make the game available through Steam. Obviously, enough gamers liked it to prompt a PS4 release, and we’re not in the least surprised. The internet loves the furry little destroyers, and a lot of people wouldn’t miss the chance to cat.

Source: PlayStation

New HTC 10 leak of actual photos fully reveal upcoming flagship

The HTC 10 has been spotted in the wild.

HTC is getting ready to unveil its next flagship smartphone. We know this because several press renders and burry shots have leaked out over the last few months, suggesting it is indeed an actual thing. But this latest leak is different. A pair of clear-as-day photos have emerged, showing the metal phone in all its glory while also verifying all the other leaks we’ve seen thus far.

Twitter user @tanalibera has supplied the photos, and as you can tell by looking at them, we can see things like a camera module similar to the module found on the One M7 as well as a bigger flash next to the sensor. The upcoming phone is expected to feature a 12-megapixel rear camera with laser autofocus on the rear and a 5-megapixel UltraPixel shooter on the front.

#Htc #Htc10 #htcpower10 @evleaks @LlabTooFeR @leoside @OnLeaks @HTCBlogItalia @batista70phone pic.twitter.com/mtn9c43j10

— Tanalibera (@tanalibera) March 10, 2016

This is quite obviously a phone from the One-branded flagship line. We can see a decent-sized chamfer that extends around the device and a big screen (reportedly a 5.2-inch AMOLED display). There also seems to be a physical home button with capacitive back and recent apps buttons. Seriously. HTC is bringing back on-screen keys, and we’re not sure what to think.

The rumour mill is expecting to see HTC 10 debut sometime this spring, so check Pocket-lint’s HTC 10 hub for all the latest news and analysis.

DSCOVR films a different view of the total solar eclipse

The DSCOVR satellite used its location between the sun and the Earth to its advantage to capture the total solar eclipse from a different perspective. While people were taking photos of the sun being consumed by the moon in the sky a few days ago, DSCOVR was filming the moon’s shadow moving across the planet. NASA’s four-megapixel Earth Polychromatic Imaging Camera (EPIC) aboard the satellite took a full-resolution image every 20 minutes during the event. It ended up capturing 13 photos spanning the eclipse’s entire duration. Adam Szabo, one of the scientists in charge of the satellite, said he’s “not aware of anybody ever capturing the full eclipse in one set of images or video” before.

DSCOVR is stationed a million miles away, much, much farther than the ISS and most satellites. Since it was deployed to monitor solar winds for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), it stays in the space between the Earth and the sun. DSCOVR regularly captures interesting photos of our planet due to its unique position. Back in 2015, it also followed the moon’s journey across the Pacific Ocean, showing the dark side of its surface we never see from the ground.

Source: NASA

What color Samsung Galaxy S7 or S7 edge should you get: white, gold, silver or black?

No green or blue in the mix this year, but still something worth thinking about.

Now that the Samsung Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 edge are official and on sale, it’s time to decide which color phone will be the next in your pocket. Samsung made an interesting choice this year by not offering all of the same color options for both phones. On the Galaxy S7, you’ll be able to pick between white, gold and black.

If you are interested in the Galaxy S7 edge, you’ll have the same color choices as the Galaxy S7 with the addition of a silver option. Samsung will only be offering the white variant in select markets internationally, and it won’t make its way to the U.S.

Deciding on a new phone can be a difficult process by itself, but then once you add the stress of picking out the color it can be a bit overwhelming. So, which color Galaxy S7 is the right one for you? Let’s take a look!

Distraction concerns

With how much we look at our phones everyday, the color of the front of the phone can be more important than the one on the back. Some colors are far more distracting to some than others, and with Samsung’s decision to match the front and back color on the Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 edge this is something to take into consideration. Television sets all have a black bezel, and that is for a reason. The black bezel doesn’t distract your eyes from the content on the screen, and it disappears into the darkness when watching in darker areas.

The same thoughts hold true on mobile phones. Some find the white to be an eye sore, and want a black front. The gold and silver can be great options, but won’t disappear into the background as easily for some when viewing content on the screens of their phones. The gold and silver colors in particular are also very reflective, so when you’re outdoors you may be looking right at light that’s being bounced into your face.

But beyond this, there are other distractions that the color you purchase can bring on. For example, fingerprints. Gold and silver colors will show far more fingerprints than the white one will, thanks to their very reflective backs and how the glass stands out from the color — for some this is a deal breaker. Even if you are stuffing it in a case, the front bezel will still attract and show those fingerprints as you use it daily.

Coolness factor

One of the best parts about getting a new phone is showing it off to everyone who will listen, bragging about it and showing them just how nice it is. Because of this, the color you opt to purchase can be critical. This time around, Samsung ditched the dark blue in favor of a true black, and has eliminated some of the other color options, like emerald green. None of the Galaxy S7 colors are too far out of the ordinary, but they all offer something a little different.

Gold is always a hit on mobile phones, people seem to love it. Gold phones, gold watches, all things gold, right? But not everyone wants to be that flashy, and instead wants something a bit more stealth, which is where the black comes in handy.

Withstanding wear

Phones are tools that get used all day, everyday, by most people. With this type of usage comes wear and tear on the phones, and if you are extra tough on your phones you may want to pick a color that will hide some of that a bit easier. Like on cars, dark colors are less forgiving, they tend to show the imperfections a bit more.

Since the colors on all of the phones is actually underneath the glass panel, and not anodized, you are less likely to have to worry about one color holding up worse than another.

Cases are your friend

Odds are that regardless of the color you end up deciding on, the phone will likely end up in a case. Cases are your friend. They can provide additional protection, as well as change the overall look of the phone relatively easily. This doesn’t mean you should just pick any color because you can wrap it in a case, because you will still see the color on the front of the phone, and you look at that all the time.

If there is a particular case color that you prefer to use, you may want to pick your phone color based upon what will match that. If you won’t be using a case, or even a skin, the color may be a bit more important than if you were. If at any point you start to regret your decision, or wish you made a different one, you can always add a skin to cover the front and back, giving it a whole new look and feel.

Who should get the white Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 edge?

Details are a bit limited on the white Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 edge right now in terms of availability. Samsung has stated that this will only be available internationally, though never specified in what markets the company would actually make the phone available. Because of this, recommending the white version is hard, even though it’s a great option, because we don’t actually know if it will be available where you live.

If the white version is available in your market, it is the least likely to show the fingerprints, should hide scratches the best, but could be a bit distracting to have the bright white bezel contrasting with the dark screen.

Who should get the gold Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 edge?

Looking for something a bit flashier, or something that better matches your “all things gold” style preference? If this is the case then the gold is perfect for you. One thing to note is that depending on your lighting conditions, the gold coloring of the phone may appear different. We’ve seen the phone change from looking quite similar to the silver version to almost a rose gold color depending on the lighting.

Who should get the black Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 edge?

For most, black is the comfortable bet when purchasing a new phone, but comfort is not always bad. Samsung has opted for a true-black version of the Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 edge, instead of the darker blue model the company offered on the Galaxy S6. As stated above, television sets offer a black bezel for a reason — they want the content on the screen to stand out.

Some things you may want to consider with the black version is fingerprints and scratches. The darker the color, the more likely it is that you will notice scratches and scuffs. If you are going to protect the phone, none of that will really matter, but if you are looking to rock it without a case, this may be a deciding factor.

Who should get the silver Galaxy S7 edge?

If you want the latest and greatest from Samsung, and are interested in just the edge variant, you may want to consider the silver. Because only the edge version will come in silver, you can show off the phone to your friends who went with the Galaxy S7 knowing that they were unable to pick the same color. Additionally, the silver is actually pretty sharp looking, and is a pretty neutral option that would work for just about anyone.

The gold model, along with the silver, are both very reflective. The finish on them is almost mirror-like, so the way the colors appear will change based upon the surroundings. It will also make it tougher to view the screen in direct sunlight.

Still Undecided?

If you still can’t make up your mind on a color, head into our amazing forums and join the conversation with the best Android community out there.

When push comes to shove, the color of your phone is only a small thing in comparison to other daily decisions we are faced with. Sure, you will be using it every day, and want it to be something that you like, but don’t let it be the cause of stress in your life. Close your eyes, imagine your phone, and trust your instincts. Like we said earlier, if you regret it later just put it in a case or grab a skin, and you’re all set. Once you’ve decided though, let us know which color you went with and why!

Samsung Galaxy S7 and S7 edge

• Galaxy S7 review
• Galaxy S7 edge review
• Galaxy S7 edge with Exynos: A Canadian perspective
• Here are all four Galaxy S7 colors
• Details on the Galaxy S7’s camera
• The SD card is back on the GS7
• Join our Galaxy S7 forums

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There is one way to get an unlocked Galaxy S7 in Canada

Every year, with the release of a new Samsung flagship in Canada, we hear appeals for unlocked versions, free of carrier bloat and SIM restrictions. Every year, Samsung fails to deliver.

While Samsung refuses to comment on the record about its reticence to sell devices fully unlocked, either through its online store or branded retail outlets, we’ve heard through various sources that the company has no intention of disrupting its furtive and positive relationship with Canada’s largest carriers, namely Rogers, Telus and Bell, which sell through the majority of the company’s handsets.

This year, however, Samsung is allowing a small loophole through this carrier barrier (say that ten times) — as long as you’re in Toronto, Burnaby, Richmond or Edmonton.

Every Galaxy S7 or S7 edge that is sold throughout Canada is unlocked until a SIM card is inserted, which then locks to that carrier’s network. This way, Samsung can cut down on the number of models it distributes, since all carriers’ assets are loaded onto every device, and install once a SIM is loaded.

But when a device that same device is purchased from one of Samsung’s four so-called Experience Stores, located in Toronto’s Sherway Gardens, Burnaby’s Metrotown Mall, the Richmond Centre Mall, or the famous West Edmonton Mall, the company includes two unlock codes (in case one doesn’t work) with each retail box, a gesture that should alleviate any ill will (and, for some, justify the cost of buying the $900 to $1,000 phone outright).

Samsung is also sweetening the deal by, in addition to bundling a Gear VR like other carriers, a 128GB microSD card, just to reinforce the return of that important feature.

Of course, there is one downside: even with the unlock code, the phone will still load carrier bloatware once the SIM is installed. Fortunately for us Canadians, neither Rogers, Bell, Telus, nor any of the smaller regional providers, force unwanted advertisements in the notification shade. The most egregious addition is, perhaps, the unwanted installation of Amazon’s Android app, which happens to be quite useful. Moreover, all of them can be disabled should they prove unwanted.

According to a Samsung Experience Store employee I spoke to, pre-orders for the Galaxy S7 and S7 edge are considerably higher than they were for the Galaxy S6, perhaps because many Canadians are ending contracts around now and looking to upgrade aging Galaxy S4s or S5s. This is all good news for those who pre-ordered the new phones from one of Samsung’s official retail outlets. For everyone else, though, there are always other ways of getting their phones unlocked.

Are you in that boat, and does this deal for an unlocked Galaxy S7 interest you? Let us know in the comments below!

Samsung Galaxy S7 and S7 edge

• Galaxy S7 review
• Galaxy S7 edge review
• Galaxy S7 edge with Exynos: A Canadian perspective
• Here are all four Galaxy S7 colors
• Details on the Galaxy S7’s camera
• The SD card is back on the GS7
• Join our Galaxy S7 forums

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Now you can call 199 of your Line friends simultaneously

Messaging service Line introduced a unique new feature with the latest update to its mobile and desktop apps: the ability to conference call with up to 200 people. Skype, for comparison, supports only 25-person chats. The feature is now available on iOS, Android and Windows desktop with Mac support coming soon. The feature is free and can be initiated from both group and multi-person chats. Interestingly, the conference call feature will first be released outside of Asia — sort of as an informal beta test before Line introduces it to its core markets of Japan, Thailand, Taiwan and Indonesia.

Via: Venture Beat

Source: Line

New fuel cell tech could power phones for a week

No matter how efficient our devices get in terms of power usage, there’s really only so much manufacturers can do given the limitations of the energy source: lithium-ion batteries. But researchers from Pohang University of Science and Technology in South Korea have designed what they’re calling a miniaturized solid oxide fuel cell that could replace current battery tech in everything from mobile devices to drones. What’s more, the tech could even be scaled up for larger applications including electric vehicles.

The school writes that this new fuel cell is the first in the world to combine porous stainless steel with thin-film electrolyte and electrodes that are “of minimal heat capacity.” The result? Both performance and durability (lithium-ion’s biggest weak spots as time goes on) leaped pretty dramatically. And in terms of real-world changes, Pohang’s scientists say this leads to a drone that can fly for over an hour and smartphones that only require a charge once a week. Good bye battery anxiety, hello devices with much better longevity.

Via: Pohang University of Science and Technology

Source: Nature

Behmor Connected Coffee Brewer review – CNET

The Good The Behmor Connected Coffee Brewer makes excellent pots of drip and keeps it hot for hours. The coffee maker also links to a mobile app for an outstanding amount of control over the brewing process. Thanks to support for software updates, the appliance has the potential to improve over time.

The Bad Like other machines that heat their water first, the Behmor Connected Coffee Brewer needs more time to brew than its competition. The coffee maker also lacks features found in its predecessor such as tracking water temperature in real time and manual water release.

The Bottom Line The $329 Behmor Connected Coffee Brewer makes great drip and uses its app smarts in clever ways but compared with ordinary luxury machines it’s still too expensive.

Just because a coffee maker is app-connected doesn’t mean it’s a wise purchase. Grafting useful smart abilities onto a quality drip brewer is a wiser approach. That’s exactly the tack Behmor took with its new $329 Behmor Connected Coffee Brewer and the result is a compelling yet expensive coffee maker. Using the same hardware powering the Brazen Plus, one of the few coffee makers to meet the SCAA’s rigorous brewing standards, even without smarts the Connected Coffee Brewer creates a mighty tasty cup of coffee.

Behmor’s mobile app unlocks the brewer’s real potential. Through the app you can control the coffee brewing process, right down to water temperature, presoak time, and the type of roast right from your phone. It doesn’t have every feature I’d like to see on a high-end coffee maker, no scheduling, for example, and it hurts to pay a $100 premium for a brewer that’s missing anything. Behmor is on to something with the way it’s using smarts, but I can still think of a few high-end, nonconnected brewers I’d recommend before this one.

Behmor Connected Coffee Brewer blends smarts…
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Design and features

If the Behmor Connected Coffee Brewer looks familiar, perhaps you’ve seen its doppelgänger, the Behmor Brazen Plus. Basically both products are identical in terms of physical footprint and mechanical brewing components, and that’s a good thing. The most compelling attribute of the Brazen Plus is its ability to brew drip coffee at proper temperatures and hit its grounds with hot water for only as long as necessary. This ability helped the machine earn the coveted SCAA certification, which only a handful of home drip brewers enjoy. These include heavy hitters in the coffee maker and kitchen accessory world such as Technivorm, Bonavita and Oxo.

This coffee maker lacks an LCD.

Tyler Lizenby/CNET

One big difference with this new brewer, gone is the old school interface which relied on tiny buttons and a minuscule LCD screen. Instead the coffee maker has just one visible control — a big, circular key ringed by a bright LED light. The LED will also change colors to communicate where the appliance is within its brewing cycle. Similarly a small connection symbol is designed to blink when the brewer is actively trying to connect to your wireless network or in setup mode.

You get a thermal carafe as part of the deal.

Tyler Lizenby/CNET

The bulk of the brewer gadget towers over its squat thermal carafe. Its 40-ounce (1.1 L) metal pitcher is also on the petite side, and it holds less liquid than the carafes of competing models, which typically come in around 45 ounces (approx 1.3 L).

Coffee smarts that actually make sense

The biggest update to this coffee maker over its predecessor is a built-in Wi-Fi radio. So equipped, you can now control the new Connected Coffee Brewer via the Behmor companion mobile application (Android and iOS).

Why bother adding integrated smarts in a drip coffee maker? The first benefit is easier operation through your phone’s bigger screen and the app’s cleaner menu interface. Both this machine and the previous Brazen Plus offer powerful ways to tweak brewer settings (down to atmospheric elevation). The Brazen Plus, however, requires you to navigate its settings using a stamp-size LCD and tiny physical buttons.

There’s just one button so the app becomes the control.

Tyler Lizenby/CNET

By contrast I found the app’s spartan UI refreshing to flip through. After completing the brief setup process, your brewer (represented by coffee cup icon) will appear at the center of the app’s dashboard. Tapping it will either show its current status (brewing stage) or prompt the software to present you with three options, “Brew,” “Buzz,” or “Craft.”

Click through any of those and you end in a wizard which walks you through making a pot of coffee. Each choice though offers a varying degree of control. For example hitting “Brew” will ask you whether your coffee is packaged or fresh and to identify its roast level (light, medium, dark). The brewer will then automatically adjust its water temperature and presoak time accordingly. All you have to do is provide the water, grounds, and the amount of coffee you’d like (6 to 8 cups).

The “Craft” option gives you command over all the brewer’s parameters. Though you can’t save recipes created here for later (a feature Behmor says is in the works), you do have the option of assigning it to the “Quickstart” function. Pressing the coffee maker’s single physical button will now engage your custom brewing profile.

I really like what’s tucked under the “Buzz” menu. Here you’ll find Behmor-approved recipes to match specific coffee beans and roasts. While I used the app there were only three so-called “Joe’s Brews” for African coffee, medium and dark roasts named after Behmor owner and product inventor Joe Behm. Still it’s a unique application of smarts within a connected coffee machine and one I think is actually useful.

Insignia NS-­DR710NA17 series (2016 4K Roku TV) Release Date, Price and Specs – CNET

Roku

If you thought a highly capable Smart TV with 4K resolution had to cost a fortune, think again.

Best Buy’s bargain house brand Insignia will be the first to offer Roku TVs with 4K resolution, and they’re among the least expensive 4K TVs anywhere. There’s a 43-inch model for $399, a 50-inch model for $499, and a 55-incher for $649, all on sale now.

That’s cheaper than Vizio’s entry-level 4K TVs, the D series, with a much better Smart TV experience. The flipside is that we expect the D series sets to deliver better image quality, thanks to their use of local dimming, a picture enhancement that worked well in the E series.

Like the non-4K Roku TVs we liked so much, these new Insignia models boast the best Smart TV suite in the business. It delivers more apps than any competing system, the most agnostic, price-centric search, and a simple, highly customizable interface.

The main difference on the app side is that the 4K sets offer access to the 4K streams from services like Netflix, Amazon Video and Vudu, as well as Roku’s excellent “4K spotlight” app, which gathers 4K videos, TV shows and movies from various services. The TVs aren’t compatible with HDR, but we don’t expect that for these prices.

Of course, just because they’re 4K resolution doesn’t mean they’ll look any better than standard HDTVs. In our review of the Roku 4 streaming box, we had a tough time telling the difference between the 4K and non-4K streams from Netflix, for example, and that was on a very large (75-inch) TV. At Insignia’s sizes, any improvement in picture quality will be much tougher to discern.

Since the 55-inch non-4K version is now selling for $479 at Best Buy, for example, we doubt it will be worthwhile for most people to step up to these 4K Roku TVs.

Unlike the Roku 4 with its fancy voice-search-capable remote that never gets lost, these Insignia TVs have standard Roku TV clickers (hopefully they’ve scrapped the Rdio button). They can be connected to external 4K devices via HDMI, such as 4K Blu-ray players, and have 60Hz refresh rates.

Wikipedia brings personalized reading options to its iOS app

Wikipedia is full of news today. Along with the announcement that it’s working on a crowdsourced speech engine, the service has also rolled out a redesigned app for iOS. With this new version (5.0), users will get a ton of fresh content on their daily feed, including recommended, random and top-read articles, as well as things like a picture of the day. In addition to that, Wikipedia’s iOS application now supports 3D Touch on the iPhone 6s and 6s Plus, letting you search its site with a single and find information about nearby places. The app is definitely much better than before, which will be appreciated by all the Wikipedia buffs out there.

Via: TechCrunch

Source: Wikipedia (App Store)