Fight off aliens with the power of indie music in April

Loud on Planet X uses songs from Tegan and Sara, Lights, Metric, Purity Ring, METZ, Fucked Up, July Talk, Austra, Cadence Weapon and other high-profile independent bands to defeat hordes of invading (yet adorable) aliens. It debuts on the digital stage on April 19th for PlayStation 4 and Steam, and gets an encore launch on iOS and Android on April 21st.

Players embody the bands themselves and play music to keep aliens from overtaking their stage. Loud on Planet X is a mash-up of Plants vs. Zombies tower-defense mechanics and Patapon-style rhythm gameplay. The game will be $7 ($9 CAD) on PlayStation 4 and Steam for PC and Mac, and $4 ($5.50 CAD) on mobile devices.

Making the game involved cutting through a bit of red tape, developer Pop Sandbox told Engadget in 2015. The team needed to license master and publishing rights for each song, plus secure likeness agreements with each band, all of which usually involved coordinating with multiple parties. But the artists themselves were all-in on the idea.

“The musicians we’re working with have been really incredible and genuinely excited to be involved,” studio head Alex Jansen said. “A lot of them are big gamers too, especially someone like Lights.”

The Loud on Planet X Kickstarter raised $53,000 CAD last year and the team is bringing the game to PAX East in Boston in April.

iPhone SE Component Costs Estimated to Start at $160

Component costs for the new 16GB iPhone SE are estimated to be at about $160, according to a preliminary teardown report from IHS iSuppli. When a new iPhone is released, IHS often takes it apart to estimate the cost of each component to ultimately predict how much Apple spends on hardware.

IHS estimates that the materials for the device cost $156.20, rounded up to $160 with the addition of manufacturing costs. Apple is believed to have kept the base cost of the iPhone SE relatively low by using a number of parts designed for the iPhone 5s, 6, and 6s, allowing the device to be sold to consumers at a $399 starting price due to price drops on the original components.

For example, the Gorilla Glass display in the iPhone SE is estimated to be one of the most expensive components, coming in at a price of $20. When that display was originally used in the iPhone 5s, it was more than twice as expensive. When the iPhone 5s was released in 2013, in fact, its costs were estimated to be at $199 and with Apple’s most recent flagship iPhone 6s Plus, component costs were estimated to start at $236.

When it comes to the 64GB iPhone SE, IHS estimates that Apple is making an additional $89 per device over the 16GB iPhone SE, due to the relatively low cost of memory upgrades.

“Apple is willing to drop its gross margin on the low end to induce sales — though it is likely counting on many consumers upgrading to the more profitable 64 gigabyte SE model,” said Wayne Lam, principal analyst, mobile devices and networks, IHS Technology. “When the profit machine that is Apple capitulates to the market forces of a maturing industry, it shows its tacit acknowledgement that even it is not immune to the dynamics of the global smartphone slowdown.”

IHS’ component cost estimates look at the potential price related to each individual component in a device without taking into account other expenses related to product creation like research and development, advertising, software, and distribution, so while interesting, the estimates are not a useful tool for determining Apple’s actual profit margin. An earlier report from CNN suggested the iPhone SE components have a total cost of $220, but IHS has a longer history and more experience with component pricing estimates.

In the past, Apple CEO Tim Cook said that component cost breakdowns on Apple products are inaccurate. “There are cost breakdowns around our products that are much different than the reality,” he said. “I’ve never seen one that is anywhere close to being accurate.”

Related Roundup: iPhone SE
Tag: IHS iSuppli
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How to choose the right microSD card for your Android – CNET

There are a lot of microSD cards to choose from, but not all of them will work with your Android phone or tablet. When you’re choosing between SDHC and SDXC, or a Class 10 and UHS-I Class 1, here are a few tips to help you make sure you’re choosing the best one for your device and your needs.

Capacity

You’ll most often come across two types of microSD cards — SDHC and SDXC. The difference between the two is the range in capacities they provide.

SDHC cards have a capacity of 2GB to 32GB. Alternatively, SDXC cards can range from 32GB to 2TB. To put this in perspective, one photo taken on a 16MP camera is about 7MB worth of data. If you purchase a 32GB card, you could store 4,500 or more photos on it. (This number would differ if you’re using a Galaxy S7, which can shoot in RAW format, creating photos with much larger file sizes.)

You might be tempted to choose a Here’s a list of CNET’s picks for best Android devices with an microSD card slot, and their supported storage capacity:

• Galaxy S and S7 edge: 200GB
• LG V10: 2TB
• Moto G 2015: 32GB
• Xperia Z5 Compact: 200GB
• OneTouch Idol 3: 32GB

Speed

Once you choose a card capacity, it’s time to choose its speed. The speed class of your card determines how quickly it can write data. When you’re working with video, or bursts of photos, the faster the better.

Most newer mobile devices will support three primary speed classes: Class 10, UHS-1 Class 1, and UHS-1 Class 3. UHS stands for Ultra High Speed, and currently has two bus types (the connection between card and phone hardware), labeled I and II, which help determine the card’s maximum speed. UHS-2 cards — which feature an extra row of pins — are being produced, but a limited number of mobile devices support them.

MicroSDHC and microSDXC cards can be any of these three classes, since capacity and speed are not directly related. Since maximum speed is only provided by some manufacturers on packaging, here are the minimum speeds and intended purposes of each class:

• Class 10: 10MB/s; burst photos and up to 1080p video files.
• UHS-1 Class 1: 10MB/s; live video and 1080p video.
• UHS-1 Class 3: 30MB/s; live video and up to 4K video files.

How is this information displayed on the card?

MicroSD card type (SDHC or SDXC) and capacity (GB or TB) are directly labeled on the card. The three speed classes mentioned above have logos to signify their minimum speed. Class 10 is the letter C with the number 10 inside. UHS-1 Class 1 and Class 3 are the letter U with a 1 or 3 inside, respectively. Finally, you may also see a I or II label on the card, which references a UHS bus speed.

Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End Release Date, Price and Specs – CNET

Nathan Drake and his band of merry fellows will be back on your PlayStation 4 on May 10, and the fourth instalment (not counting the Vita releases) will be the last one in the series. You play as Nathan Drake, a wise-cracking, gun toting, Indiana Jones-ish fellow (minus the whip) who goes around hunting for treasure for profit, though it often doesn’t work out that way for him and his friends.

If you haven’t yet played this PlayStation-exclusive series, you should. There’s a remastered HD box set version for the PlayStation 4 called The Nathan Drake Collection which features the previous three games, and they are tons of fun with great storytelling to boot. Trust me, you’ll want to catch up and you have about a month or so to do it.

So what’s Uncharted 4 like?

Combining a mix of action, adventure and exploring, you’ll climb, sneak around enemies (or shoot them) and find collectibles, while hunting for lost treasure. In the last instalment of the series though, developer Naughty Dog has also introduced vehicles, and you’ll be driving around the beautiful scenery of Madagascar.

It’s great fun driving around in a 4×4 Jeep with your old sidekick Sully and another character (who I shall not name to avoid spoilers) as the three of you go on — you guessed it — a treasure hunt.

The world of Uncharted 4 is what Naughty Dog calls “wide-linear”, which is really fancy speak for a much bigger map with heaps of things to see, but still keeping you moving towards the next story point.

They weren’t kidding when they said there’s a lot to explore.

Naughty Dog

I’ll be honest, the large open world of Madagascar is certainly a visual treat, and because the game has collectibles hidden everywhere, serious collectors will have to explore every nook and cranny, or in my case, a waterfall and ruins located off the recommended route.

The 4×4 isn’t just for exploring. You’ll use the Jeep for solving puzzles, its mounted winch capable of pulling down broken bridges to open paths. There was also an amusing bit of dialogue on Nathan Drake’s financial priorities when it came down to choosing features for his ride.

The Jeep also serves as a weapon, if you’re skilful enough to run over enemies. If you want a quieter approach to combat, Uncharted 4 has a new system that lets you track how alert enemies are to your presence.

I tried the stealthy route, though that didn’t work out too well when I was spotted after taking down a guard in full view of another. That meant I had to go in guns blazing. My allies whipped out their guns too, but if you choose to go at the enemy with your fists, you’d be surprised by some very cool double-team action that your inner wrestling fan will celebrate.

A new feature, the grappling hook, lets you play Batman, so to speak. You can swing from point to point to get across platforms, and Naughty Dog says certain areas will let you use the grappling hook to skip enemies, if you chose not to fight them.

Let’s go for a ride.

Naughty Dog

Sadly, my short preview ended really quickly just after reaching a new area. I wanted to explore more, but I had to give up my session there for someone else to have a shot. If this slight teaser is anything to go by, I can’t wait for May 10 for the full game. Don’t forget to check out the video above for a glimpse of why Uncharted 4 will likely be the best of the whole series.

DJI Phantom 4 review – CNET

The Good The DJI Phantom 4 is a very polished drone compared to its competition, and for those who’ve flown a quad before, you’ll have no trouble getting started with this one. The new Sport mode lets you get to your location faster or just have some fun. Its Obstacle Sensing System can help avoid head-on collisions as well as track subjects. Slow-motion video is a nice addition to an already excellent camera.

The Bad The Obstacle Sensing System only sees things in front of the drone. You still need a tablet or phone ready to go along with the controller and drone battery. Extra batteries are expensive. Landing gear and camera are fixed to the body, so you can’t collapse it entirely for travel and if you break or want to upgrade the camera, that’s not an option.

The Bottom Line Yep, it’s not cheap, but DJI has made one of the smartest drones available with the Phantom 4.

It’s all in the experience.

While I could tell you all about the specs and the new features and the performance — and I will get to those — it’s the overall experience of using DJI’s Phantom 4 that puts it above the rest.

Polished is the word that comes to mind. Other drones I’ve flown aren’t necessarily more difficult to get started with and pilot, but DJI makes doing these things painless and uncomplicated. (Though, if you’ve never flown one before, you’ll want to at least read the quick-start guide or, god forbid, the full user manual). This, along with the Phantom 4’s new Obstacle Sensing System (OSS) and streamlined design, are why it’s quickly been tagged as being great for beginners. At least, beginners with deep pockets: The Phantom 4 sells for $1,399 in the US, AU$2,399 in Australia and £1,229 in the UK.

The Phantom 4 might truly be the drone anyone can fly and it is certainly worth the money if you’ve got it. Still, for however polished the experience is, it might be too much of a good thing for absolute beginners.

Joshua Goldman/CNET

Crashproof? Yeah, not so much

If you’ve read anything about the Phantom 4, you know it’s the first consumer model you can buy with an advanced obstacle-avoidance system that DJI calls OSS. The stout quadcopter has a set of optical sensors in front — eyes that will help it navigate around or over obstacles within 0.7 to 15 meters (2.3 to 49 feet) of it or it will simply stop and hover until you pilot it away. (It also enables a couple new flight modes, which I’ll get to in a bit.)

For the most part it works really well and it will likely prevent many accidental collisions. Yes, you can test it by flying it directly at things like fences or buildings or cars or yourself, and it will stop on its own. But what I worry about most when flying are trees.

Clip a tree at 100 feet in the air and it can either start an uncontrollable fall to the ground or, perhaps worse, get stuck like some cruel Christmas tree ornament you can see but never touch. Having the ability to avoid trees is especially important when using the return-to-home feature that summons the drone back to you.

Joshua Goldman/CNET

The Phantom 4 fared better than I expected. I tested just as the Northeast was headed into spring, so I was flying around a lot of trees that were bare from winter. It had no trouble stopping itself before flying into a line of pine trees on an autonomous flight back to me. When navigating around sparse branches stripped clean of leaves, it didn’t immediately recognize them as an obstacle. Had the branches been thick with leaves, it might have stopped in its tracks as it had when I flew near trees in full bloom. Or, maybe it was operator error.

You see, I was coming at the tree from an angle that could’ve been outside of the OSS’s visual range. It senses what’s in front of the Phantom, not above, to the sides or behind it. So while the system can stop a head-on collision, you’ll have no problems crashing it from other directions. My point is, the OSS is great to have, but for new pilots it could create a false sense of security.

Sport mode is fun, but dangerous for newbies

All it takes is a flip of a switch on the controller and you’ll be able to fly at speeds up to 45 mph (72 kph) using the Phantom 4’s Sport mode. It’s not just faster going forward and back, but it can ascend at 6 meters (20 feet) per second and descend at 4 meters (13 feet) per second. This is a really nice addition because it lets you get to a location that much faster to get the shot you want. It gives you a bit of a racing drone experience, too, and with an HDMI module for the controller you can connect FPV (first-person view) goggles to immerse yourself in the experience.

Joshua Goldman/CNET

A little movement on the stick literally goes a long way, though. And the OSS doesn’t work in Sport mode so if you’re flying head-on into something, don’t expect these sensors to save you. Plus, when it is travelling at top speed, it takes much more time for it to stop. The DJI Go app warns you of this the first time you enter the mode, but never again. Regardless, it’s not a mode I would suggest for first-time pilots.

Alright, you probably get the idea by now: the Obstacle Sensing System can potentially keep you out of trouble, but it’s no excuse to fly recklessly or not learn how to properly pilot the drone. Now, on to the good stuff.

Better video through autonomy

So yes, the Phantom 4 can use its optical sensors to avoid crashing into things when you’re piloting. But it can also use them to automatically do your bidding in the air.

T-Mobile is rolling out an update for the Galaxy S7

We’ve received numerous reports that T-Mobile is rolling out an update for the Samsung Galaxy S7. The U.S. carrier is believed to be pushing the smartphone up to PC8, introducing some minor improvements and applying bug fixes.

According to the software update notification, this most recent update includes the following:

• The stability of recording video has been improved.
• Overall device performance has been improved.
• Battery life has been optimized.
• The security of your device has been improved.

It’s also noted that the April security patch is also on-board. Don’t worry if you haven’t yet received the update notification. You can check manually by heading to Settings > About device and then hit check for the updates.

Have you received the PC8 update on your Galaxy S7? Let us know in the comments.

Join the discussion on our forum

Big thanks to everyone who tipped us!

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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Huawei P9 vs Samsung Galaxy S7 vs LG G5: What’s the rumoured difference?

Huawei is set to launch its new flagship at an event scheduled in London on 6 April. The P9 has been the subject of rumours for several months, as well as plenty of image leaks and if you’ve been following the speculation, you’ll know the company is placing plenty of focus on the rear camera.

What else could the Huawei P9 bring to the flagship smartphone arena though? We have put its rumoured specs up against the Samsung Galaxy S7 and the LG G5 to see what the differences are and how the three devices compare.

Huawei P9 vs Samsung Galaxy S7 vs LG G5: Design

The Huawei P9 has leaked in several images over the last few months. All the leaks point towards a slim metal build with a fingerprint sensor on the rear. No measurements or weight information have been suggested but we expect it to be a similar size to its predecessor, the P8.

The Samsung Galaxy S7 has a metal and glass body that measures 142.4 x 69.6 x 7.9mm and weighs 152g. It too has a fingerprint sensor but you’ll find it on the front of the device instead. It is available in white, gold, black and silver colour options.

The LG G5 features a painted metal build with a modular element that allows for a removable battery – something that is not found on other metal devices. The G5 measures 149.4 x 73.9 x 7.7mm and weighs 159g so a little bigger and heavier than the Galaxy S7. It has a fingerprint sensor on the rear like the Huawei P9 is expected to offer and it comes in silver, gold, titan and pink colour options.

Huawei P9 vs Samsung Galaxy S7 vs LG G5: Display

The Huawei P9 is rumoured to come with a 5.2-inch Full HD display. There was previously talk of a Quad HD AMOLED display but after another report claimed the company didn’t want to trade battery life for the extra pixels, it has been assumed we can expect 1920 x 1080. On a 5.2-inch display, this would result in a pixel density of 424ppi.

The Samsung Galaxy S7 features a 5.1-inch AMOLED display with a Quad HD resolution. This means it delivers a pixel density of 577ppi, which would result in sharper and crisper images compared to the rumoured display for the P9, even if it is a little smaller.

The LG G5 also has a Quad HD resolution on board, although its display is LCD and a little bigger at 5.3-inches than the Galaxy S7 and expected P9. The larger display means a pixel density a little lower than the Samsung at 554ppi, but it will still be sharper than the P9.

Huawei P9 vs Samsung Galaxy S7 vs LG G5: Camera

Huawei has placed a big focus on the P9 camera. The new flagship will be arriving with dual rear cameras but it is not yet clear what other features will be on board, or what resolution they will offer. We can expect quality, however, with Huawei teaming up with Leica on the P9.

Some reports have said there will be two 12-megapixel sensors with OIS, while others have suggested there will be two 13-megapixel snappers on the rear. Whether these will provide depth effects like the HTC One M8, or a wide-angle camera like the LG G5, we don’t yet know.

The most recent leaked images suggest there will be a dual tone LED flash and laser AF on board. The front-facing camera of the P9 has also been left without details in the rumours.

The Samsung Galaxy S7 features a 12-megapixel rear camera with larger pixels than its predecessor and an aperture of f/1.7 for better performance in low light. It also features dual pixel technology for quicker auto-focusing, while the front facing camera is 5-megapixels, which also has an f/1.7 aperture.

The LG G5 has a 16-megapixel main rear camera, along with a secondary 8-megapixel 135-degree wide-angle sensor for when you want a wider field of view that is closer to the human eye than a regular smartphone camera. There is also an 8-megapixel front-facing camera on board.

Huawei P9 vs Samsung Galaxy S7 vs LG G5: Hardware

The Huawei P9 is rumoured to be coming with the Kirin 950 processor and 3GB of supporting RAM. This is the same chip as the recently launched Mate 8 with eight cores ensuring everything runs smoothly. There have also been talks of the 955 chip though, as well as 4GB and 6GB of RAM so it is a little unclear what the final hardware might be on the new device. 

Reports suggest we will find 32GB of internal storage and Huawei tends to offer microSD for storage expansion so we can expect that for the P9 too. Apparently there will be a 3000mAh battery on board and leaked images suggest USB Type-C.

The Samsung Galaxy S7 comes in two models – one has the Qualcomm Snapdragon 820 chip, while the other has the Exynos 8 Octa processor. Both have 4GB of RAM and 32GB and 64GB storage options are available with microSD support for further storage expansion. The Galaxy S7 is charged via Micro-USB and it has a 3000mAh battery.

The LG G5 has the Qualcomm Snapdragon 820 chip, 4GB of RAM and 32GB of internal storage with microSD support. It has a smaller 2800mAh battery than the Galaxy S7 and P9, but as we mentioned previously, it is removable. There is also USB Type-C on board the G5 for fast charging and data transfer.

Huawei P9 vs Samsung Galaxy S7 vs LG G5: Software

The Huawei P9 will no doubt come with Android 6.0 Marshmallow from launch. It’s not stock Android though as Huawei changes almost every aspect of Android with its EMUI skin that is placed over the top.

The Samsung Galaxy S7 also comes with Android Marshmallow, as does the LG G5, but again, both have their individual software. The Galaxy S7 has Samsung’s TouchWiz skin placed on top, while the G5 has LG’s Optimus UX on top.

All three of these devices might be based on Android but they all offer different user experiences.

Huawei P9 vs Samsung Galaxy S7 vs LG G5: Conclusion

The Huawei P9 is certainly rumoured to look the part with its metal build, as well as act the part with Leica cameras, but whether it will be able to compete with Samsung’s excellent design or LG’s great camera remains to be seen.

The specs look good enough for the P9 and if the rumours are true, it stands a good chance of competing, even if the display resolution and RAM is a little lower than its rivals. It will almost certainly be cheaper too, something that Huawei is known for.

For now, this comparison is based on speculation but we will update it when we get the official specs in. If you want to read more about the P9, you can read our rumour round up here.

‘Uncharted 4’ shows what its devs learned from ‘The Last of Us’

Nathan Drake thought he was out of the treasure hunting business, but the return of his long lost brother pulls him back in. That’s the basic setup for Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End, developer Naughty Dog’s final entry in its long-running adventure franchise. Family isn’t a new thing for Uncharted — we’ve spent the last few games with Drake’s self-made family of close friends. But that dynamic is about to change in a big way.

The increased focus on family, rather than just making the series’ bombastic action set pieces even bigger, is one of many things the developers are bringing along from their last big title, the post-apocalyptic masterpiece The Last of Us. And of course, the game is also a chance for Naughty Dog to distill everything its learned from the entire Uncharted series.

When last we left Nathan Drake, he was hanging up his holster and settling down for married life with his longtime love interest Elena Fisher. The decision to aim for a safe and normal situation, rather than the life of a globe-trotting, reckless adventurer, was the emotional crux of Uncharted 3. Whatever gets him back into action would have to be something truly special, and the reappearance of his brother Samuel, once thought dead, certainly fits the bill. Sam drags Nate to Madagascar in the search of — what else? — buried treasure. This time it’s a quest to find the lost spoils of British pirate Henry Every.

For those not up to speed with their naval history, Every was one of the most notorious pirates to sail the seas. His exploits, including one raid on a Mughal Empire ship that netted jewels and valuables worth around £600,000 at the time, made Every the subject of the first worldwide manhunt. He supposedly escaped capture with most of his treasure, which would be a tempting target for experienced thieves like the Drakes.

“Everything we do is based on history,” said co-writer Josh Scherr. “But we veer away from it when it suits our needs, or makes certain aspects of the story cooler.” Supernatural elements aren’t unusual for an the Uncharted series, so you can expect the developers to take plenty of liberties with Every’s story. This time around, Scherr says, they’re also focusing more heavily on the idea that every treasure has its cost.

The first thing you’ll notice about Uncharted 4? It’s simply gorgeous — it’s a significant leap beyond the last game, with huge vistas and seemingly endless draw distances. There’s more detail in character models and environments than ever before (pay close attention how light passes through transparent surfaces). It’s also pretty clear that the developers spent plenty of time refining its physics engine. Just about everything in the game reacts to other objects (smash a baddie into a table, and expect everything on top to fall realistically).

The single player campaign runs at 30 frames per second, which will probably let down gamers expecting the silkiness of 60FPS visuals, but wasn’t much of an issue while I was playing. Thanks to the vastly improved graphics, Uncharted 4 also handles its cinematic with the in-game engine, which makes the transition to those scenes from gameplay much smoother. There’s an overall polish to the game that many other PlayStation 4 titles don’t have. The developers had a bit of a leg up with the PS4’s hardware after porting The Last of Us Remastered a few years ago, Scherr says.

The game’s environments are significantly larger than previous entries, though they’re certainly not big enough to qualify it as an “open world” title. You’re still typically headed to a single destination, but this time around there are usually several ways to get there.

You’ll also get a 4X4 truck (Naughty Dog can’t legally call it a Jeep) to traverse the larger stages. It didn’t take long to get the hang of driving it, but I quickly learned to hate trudging through wet mud (though the liquid effects on the truck look great). There’s also a winch located on the front of the truck, which you’ll use to bring it up rough terrain (or in some cases, even take down large objects).

Unfortunately, I didn’t get to explore much of the story in my brief hands-on time with the game. But I was glad to see that Naughty Dog revamped some of the clunkier elements of Uncharted’s mechanics. Stealth isn’t something the series handled very well in the past — Drake has always been about about going in guns blazing — but now you can hide in some areas of the environment, like tall grass, and an indicator tracks if enemies are aware of your presence.

You’re also no longer out of luck if you mistakenly start a firefight, since you can hide and return to stealth mode if you need a breather. You can even mark enemies after spotting them, which allows you to keep track of them when they’re out of sight.

It would be hard to mistake Uncharted 4 for the methodical, stealthier gameplay from The Last of Us, but Naughty Dog clearly brought over some of that game’s ideas. No, you can’t brutally shiv anyone, but you can still sneak up on enemies and take them down silently. In some cases, you can also avoid confronting enemies entirely.

Though the Uncharted series has always emphasized gunplay, it’s also been criticized for feeling a bit too loose when it comes to shooting. Nathan Drake isn’t a highly trained killer like Metal Gear Solid’s Snake, so perhaps that makes sense. Uncharted 4 doesn’t change up the series’ formula much, but aiming at enemies feels a bit more precise now. Popping out of cover to take down a slew of bloodthirsty baddies was also far more fluid, partially due to the improved character animation.

Even the mere act of climbing got a revamp. Instead of recklessly jumping across handholds and ledges, Drake now moves more intelligently. He looks like someone who actually knows how to scale a wall, and the entire process of moving him around simply felt smoother and less video gamey.

Amid the shootouts, explosions and car chases, we can also expect a surprising new addition to Uncharted 4: Quiet moments. Scherr says the Naughty Dog team has learned a lot about the ebb and flow of narrative over the years. The Last of Us, in particular, taught them the importance of slowing things down for smaller character moments. Perhaps this time, someone will have a chance to stop, take a breather and show Drake how to properly tuck his shirt.

US working on rules for flying drones over populated areas

A US government committee has submitted proposed rules to the FAA for drone flights over populated areas, according to the Associated Press. The move would allow much broader use of UAVs for movie filming, package deliveries and other commercial purposes. The US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has banned drone flights over cities and crowds except via special exemptions, due to the dangers of crashing into people or commercial planes. However, many industries feel such restrictions are holding back the commercial potential of drones and that the risks are minimal.

According to documents seen by AP, the committee has divided drones into four separate categories for flights over people. The first includes drones under a half-pound with no flight restrictions. However, the manufacturer would have to certify that there would be no more than one percent chance of a person being hurt if it fell on them.

The second category is for the most common type of recreational and commercial models by the likes of DJI (above), 3D Robotics and others. Those range from four to five pounds in size, though there would be no set weight limit, according to the AP. Permissions for flights over crowds would depend on the design, but the operator would again have to show that there would be no more than a one percent chance of someone getting hurt if it fell “at the maximum strength impact possible.”

The third category of drones could only fly over folks working on inspections and other drone-related tasks, with a 30 percent risk of injury during a fall. In the fourth category, flights would be allowed over crowds, but only if the operator demonstrated a “congested area plan” to reduce risks. The manufacturer would also have to prove an injury risk of less than 30 percent. For the latter three categories, the drones would need to fly at least 20 feet over peoples’ heads.

Industry is keen to push drone flights in populous areas as quickly as possible. “The risks are nominal,” says the Small UAV Coalition executive director Michael Droba. “The reality is the technology would likely save lives rather than threaten them.” As such, the proposed laws simply require that pilots pass an online knowledge test.

However, sources told the AP that the Airline Pilots Association (ALPA), along with the helicopter and crop-dusting industries, wanted pilots to pass TSA background checks and have tests done in person by FAA personnel. Those groups were perhaps spooked by recently reported near-misses between UAVs and airliners. However, the majority of the committee was opposed to such checks, so the committee recommended online tests with a dissent from ALPA and industry groups.

The FAA received the recommended rules on Friday, but can decide any way it likes. So far, the agency has erred on the side of safety by requiring pilots to register drones, though it has relaxed the regulations considerably recently. If passed as is, the rules could unleash a considerable number of drones on the public, so the FAA will no doubt take its time.

Source: Associated Press

iFixit tears apart the 9.7-inch iPad Pro

The repair-it-yourself crew at iFixit isn’t done prying open Apple’s smaller devices. It just finished a teardown of the 9.7-inch iPad Pro that reveals exactly how Cupertino stuffed most of the tablet’s larger sibling (plus a bit more) into a more compact frame. As you might have guessed, Apple had to get creative. Where the 12.9-inch model revolved around its four speakers, the 9.7-inch version centers around its 7,306mAh battery (slightly larger than that of the iPad Air 2) and pushes just about everything else to the margins. And there appears to be a good reason for the camera bump — you’re getting the same 12-megapixel optically stabilized camera as in the iPhone 6s Plus, which chews up a lot of internal space.

Don’t expect to fix this iPad yourself. Much like the Air 2, the smaller Pro is an absolute bear to dissect — there’s adhesive everywhere, and it takes a long time just to open the casing. Like it or not, Apple ditched repairability for the sake of fitting all those components into a thin and light frame.

Source: iFixit