ICYMI: Trusting robots too much, automated garbage and more

Today on In Case You Missed It: The Georgia Tech Research Institute studied how people would react to a robot with clearly labeled ’emergency guide’ signage, during a fire drill. Researchers thought humans would ignore the robots and go straight for nearby exits, but instead, they followed the robots deeper into the building, where there was no way out.
In happier robonews, Volvo teamed with several universities to build an automated robot programmed to hang onto the back of a garbage truck, then autonomously collect garbage cans from curbs, ferrying them back and forth.

A new first-person shooter device and game is on Indiegogo that makes any smartphone a portal into an augmented reality battle in the great outdoors.

And we enjoyed this LEGO creation of part of the solar system, timed to rotate accordingly. As always, please share any interesting science or tech videos, anytime! Just tweet us with the #ICYMI hashtag to @mskerryd.

Xbox’s Phil Spencer still coy about a ‘Battletoads’ sequel

When Xbox head Phil Spencer takes the stage at a gaming event, eagle-eyed fans pay close attention to what’s on his chest — his choice of attire is usually a subtle hint of games to come. Last January when he introduced Windows 10’s Xbox app and its features, he was wearing a T-shirt sporting the cult classic Battletoads’ logo. Of course, that lead to rampant speculation that a proper, 20-plus years-in-the-making sequel was under way.

At last week’s Xbox spring showcase in San Francisco, we had the chance to talk to Spencer, so naturally the conversation led to a status check on the eponymous war-ready amphibians.

Engadget: Battletoads. You’ve worn the T-shirts around, when are we going to get a sequel?

Phil Spencer: Well, to be a little defensive, when I wore the T-shirt, we hadn’t announced Rare Replay. [Then] we shipped Rare Replay which had Battletoads in it. We hadn’t announced that Rash was gonna be in Killer Instinct. Now we’ve got a playable-in-Killer-instinct Battletoad.

Engadget: The ball is rolling though, right?

Spencer: You could say the ball is rolling. I could also say, at least it wasn’t a tease that I was [just] wearing a shirt. We had a plan where Battletoads was going to be showing up in ways that people hadn’t played before. But I hear your vote for a new Battletoads. I hear it and I recognize it.

VIDEO GOES HERE

Text alone doesn’t convey the coy tone Spencer took during our interview, so that’s what the video embedded up above is for; Battletoads talk starts around the 7:30 mark. Now all that we can do is wait. But if Battletoads fans are anything, they’re insanely patient.

Play ‘Gears of War: Ultimate Edition’ in 4K on your PC today

You have to hand it to Microsoft for trying surprise announcement/availability on for size for its latest release a la Adele, Drake or Kanye West. Gears of War: Ultimate Edition hits PC today. If you’ll remember, the PC port was announced back at E3 last year. But following its console-based counterpart’s release last August, Redmond’s been mostly radio silent on the topic.

Technically, you could say that this is the true 10th anniversary edition of the original game; when it released on Xbox One, that version was about a year early to the party. What’s been added in the intervening seven months? Unlocked frame rates for campaign and multiplayer in addition to “up to 4K resolution using 20GB of simultaneously-streamed” textures according to a press release. Oh, mouse and keyboard support is on the table too if you’re not a fan of using a gamepad.

Perhaps the best part of this news is that as soon as you’re done reading it, you can buy the game for $30 and see how your rig handles running it in Ultra HD.

Microsoft is bringing ‘Minecraft’ to the Oculus Rift

Minecraft is a delightful and hugely successful game, but no one would say its success hinges upon realism. It’s blocky graphics, full of sharp right angles and huge “pixels” are far from realistic, but it gives the game a signature visual style and plenty of charm. However, it turns out that Minecraft’s massive open-world nature makes it a great game for virtual reality. Microsoft already showed the game running in HoloLens, and now the company is announcing that it’ll work with Oculus Rift, as well. I got a chance to see how the game works with the Rift at Microsoft’s spring showcase last week — and despite the game’s blocky style, it could be one of the best overall VR experiences out there.

For starters, it’s worth noting that this isn’t a new version of Minecraft; it has just been updated to work with the Oculus Rift. You can play in survival mode as well as join one of the many multiplayer servers out there. Once you start playing, you’re presented with two different view modes. The first puts you in a virtual castle with the game running on what amounts to a TV screen in front of you. It’s pretty meta and rather funny to be playing a game inside of a virtual reality game, but it’s not a bad way to view things if you need a break from the full VR experience.

When you jump in to that full experience, the game shifts and you’re completely immersed by what your character sees. Because of the massive scope of Minecraft’s vast 3D landscapes, it really does feel like you’ve been transported away from reality, despite the humongous pixels and lack of fine detail. It’s one of the best and more immersive VR experiences I’ve had thus far. In fact, that lack of fine detail actually helps Minecraft be so successful — the game doesn’t try to mimic reality. Instead, it felt more like I stepped into a cartoon.

The demo experience Microsoft was showing off goes through a few of the games signature moments — I did some mining, fought some creeps, lit up some caves with torches, pressed a bunch of buttons to interact with the environment and eventually rode a mine cart way up the side of a huge building. That was probably the best part of the demo, as there was a real sense of speed and height as I rocketed skyward. A later mine cart ride let me look around in 360 degrees at the vast landscape from way on high as it headed towards a new area, and there was all sorts of activity and eye candy to take in on the trip.

As with most things VR, it’s hard to do the experience justice in words, but I’ll just say that the experience really highlighted the vastness of the world and did a great job of immersing me in Minecraft. It’s a less radically different version of the game than the HoloLens experience, mostly because the Oculus version doesn’t have gesture and voice commands, but it still seems like a great place to go exploring. Unfortunately, there’s no word on exactly when Minecraft will be publicly available in VR, but hopefully it won’t come terribly long after the Rift’s release later this month — “killer app” is a played-out term, but Minecraft has the potential to be one for the nascent VR scene.

Kia to roll out Android Auto in Europe from Q3 2016

At the Geneva International Motor Show, Kia announced that its entire range of cars in Europe will offer Android Auto by the end of 2017. The Niro hybrid crossover — which will make its debut in Q3 — will be the first car to feature Android Auto, with the Optima Plug-In Hybrid and Optima Sportswagon following later this year.

From Kia Europe COO Michael Cole:

In-car connectivity is increasingly important to our buyers, who are young-at-heart and often seek the latest technologies on offer. It makes a great deal of sense to offer full Android and Apple compatibility so our customers can use a wide range of smartphone functions in a safe and seamless way. Kia is integrating these technologies to let drivers maintain their concentration on the road ahead.

The cars also come with the TomTom-powered Kia Connected Services feature, which offers live traffic updates, speed camera locations and alerts, local point-of-interest search and weather forecasts. The Connected Services feature will be available to buyers free of charge for seven years from the date of purchase.

All About Android Auto

• Getting started with Android Auto
• List of compatible phones and cars
• Android Auto news
• Apps that work with Android Auto
• Join the Android Auto discussion!

Grab an unlocked Idol 3 from Amazon for just $180

If you are in the market for a new unlocked phone, you’ll want to check out this deal on the Alcatel Idol 3 at Amazon. You can grab the 5.5-inch version of the phone for just $180, a savings of $100 from its original $280 price. Inside, the Idol 3 runs a Snapdragon 615 processor paired with 2GB of RAM and 16GB of on-board storage. You can add more if needed with a microSD card to store all of your pictures from the 13MP rear-facing camera.

No coupon code is needed this time around, just hit the link below and add it to your cart for $180. Don’t wait too long, as we don’t know when this deal will end.

See at Amazon

This magical cable charges both iPhone and Android with the same connector

Getting rid of cables completely is the dream. But until that day comes cutting down their number will have to do. That’s what one Kickstarter project is doing by combining iPhone and Android chargers into one cable.

LMcable claims to be the world’s first common iOS and Android connector cable. The key here is that one cable and connector end can fit into both devices to charge or to be used to transfer data.

Using some witchcraft the company has managed to merge the micro USB and the Lightning connector into one head that fits both device types.

Not only will the LMcable work across devices but it’ll also support high speed charging up to 2.4A and will also speed data along at rapid rates too.

LMcable

So if you’ve got more than one breed of device, be it phone, tablet, charger block, or you just like the idea of offering out your cable to help anybody low on charge, this is the one for you.

The cables come in varying colours and material finishes including leather or textile. These help them to look good but should also be functional, adding a layer of protective shielding to the cable itself.

The LMcable is on Kickstarter where it’s already smashed its goal. Pick one up for $21 while they’re still available at that price. Deliveries are due to start in April, to anywhere in the world.

READ: Android N guide: Notifications explained

Panasonic UB900 Ultra HD Blu-ray player available from mid-April

One of the first Ultra HD Blu-ray players to hit the shelves will be the Panasonic UB900, meaning you’ll be able to play your (as yet unavailable) Ultra HD Blu-ray discs in glorious 4K with HDR on your brand new television.

Panasonic has confirmed that the UB900 will be available in mid-April and that it will come with two free Ultra HD Blu-ray discs – San Andreas and Mad Max: Fury Road. 

The UB900 is one of a new wave of Blu-ray players that support the new Ultra HD Blu-ray standard that will bring the highest quality next-gen experience to your TV. 

Unlike a streaming service, which has been the main source of 4K content to date, Ultra HD Blu-ray with its 100GB optical discs will give you much more data. With a data rate of around 100Mbps, Ultra HD Blu-ray will give you visuals and audio far in advance of services like Netflix.

Our early and brief eyes-on the new discs, viewed on Panasonic’s new DX902 television, reveal a noticeable boost in detail along with much more dramatic contrast thanks to HDR.

Panasonic hasn’t confirmed the price, although the word on the street is that the asking price will be around £600 for the UB900 player.

We’ll be sure to update you when we have concrete details, but being an Ultra HD early-adopter looks like it’s going to be expensive.

Best LG G5 cases: Protect your new LG smartphone

LG announced its new flagship smartphone at Mobile World Congress at the end of February and it’s a beauty. The G5 was by far one of the more interesting announcements that came out of the trade show in Barcelona, mainly thanks to its modular design.

The LG G5 reinvents its predecessor. It’s a beautiful handset offering a full metal unibody as well as a removable battery – something its competitors haven’t been able to manage. Couple that with the dual rear cameras and the ability to attach modules like the LG Cam Plus and LG Hi-Fi Plus and you have yourself one exciting smartphone.

As with all good looking handsets however, they only stay looking as good as new if you protect them. Luckily, there are already plenty of cases out there ready to keep your new LG G5 from picking up bumps and scratches, keeping that lovely metal body looking fabulous.

We have rounded up some of the best LG G5 cases we have come across so far but we will be updating this feature as more catch our eye. Let us know in the comments if you come across any that you think others might appreciate but for now, head to the gallery for some great LG G5 cases.

Click here to see the best LG G5 cases

Build network engineer skills with MCSA, CCNA training (94 per cent off)

Certification in any field requires commitment and hard work, but with the right instruction your entry into the world of IT and network engineering can be streamlined as you gain mastery of Microsoft Certified Solutions Associate (MCSA) Windows Server 2012 and Cisco Certified Network Associate (CCNA).

You can build a solid foundation in both industry-leading certifications and set yourself on the path to success with the latest iCollege course bundle. Pocket-lint Deals is offering a huge 94 per cent discount on these specialized courses, so you can prep for both the MCSA 2012 and CCNA for just £50.40 (U.S. $69.99), saving yourself hundreds as you prepare for a new career.

The Microsoft Certified Solutions Associate (MCSA) certification has long ruled the hearts and minds of those who work on Microsoft-based systems and servers. MCSE certifications focus on the latest technologies for servers, applications, data platforms and more. Cisco Certified Network Associate (CCNA) Routing and Switching is a certification program for entry-level network engineers that helps maximize your investment in foundational networking knowledge and increase the value of your employer’s network.

This iCollege course bundle consists of five total courses to gain mastery in the IT field; the first three focus on Microsoft Certified Solutions Associate (MCSA): Windows Server 2012, to help you build a foundation in private cloud, server infrastructure, desktop infrastructure, messaging, communication, and SharePoint. You’ll prep for certification exams 70-410, 70-411 & 70-412.

The remaining two courses will cover Cisco Certified Network Associate (CCNA): Routing And Switching, giving you pro-level qualification in installation, operation and troubleshooting of any network. Prep for Cisco 100-101 & 200-101 exams as you learn the skills required for IP, OSPF, ACLs, VLANs, frame relay, serial line interface protocol & EIGRIP.

All material for these courses is available online 24/7, so you can work and refresh at your own pace. At 94 per cent off, top-level certification has never been more affordable or appealing. Get started today at Pocket-lint Deals.