Hello Kitty is the latest addition to ‘Super Mario Maker’
Nintendo has added new characters to its Super Mario Maker before, but this week the title gains another fan favorite. Starting tomorrow evening (May 26th), there will be a new Event Course for players in North America to complete, and doing so will unlock both Hello Kitty and My Melody has playable characters. If you live in Europe or Japan, the two new options will be available the morning of Friday, May 27th.
Hello Kitty’s debut in the game follows the additions of Japanese band Babymetal last month. Earlier in May, Popo and Nana from the classic NES title Ice Climber made their way to the game as well. With the releases coming in such rapid succession, don’t be surprised if we see more new additions in the weeks to come. For now, take a look at Hello Kitty in action in the video that follows.
Via: IGN
Source: Nintendo News
Audit shows Hillary Clinton’s private emails broke federal rules
Hillary Clinton’s email woes are far from over. Earlier this morning, the State Department’s inspector general delivered a report to Congress stating the Democratic presidential candidate violated federal rules by using a private email server for official business during her tenure as secretary of state.
“At a minimum, Secretary Clinton should have surrendered all emails dealing with Department business before leaving government service,” the report reads. “Because she did not do so, she did not comply with the Department’s policies that were implemented in accordance with the Federal Records Act.”
Moreover, the office of the Inspector General found no evidence that Clinton had ever “requested or obtained guidance or approval to conduct official business via a personal email account on her private server.” The reason neither she nor her staff sought out government support is pretty obvious in hindsight: officials who spoke with the Inspector General confirmed that they would not have allowed Clinton to exclusively use a personal email server for State Department business, citing potential security risks.
Clinton’s social media accounts haven’t addressed the report and she hasn’t directly commented to the press, but a campaign spokesperson told the New York Times that her use of a personal email account was known to department officials during her time as secretary of state. That spokesperson also pointed out that the scope of the report extends beyond just Clinton’s potential email indiscretions — “longstanding systemic weaknesses” have plagued how the State Department deals with digital records, and former secretaries of state like Colin Powell also used a personal email account on the job. The difference here is that Powell didn’t rely on a private email server the way Clinton did, dulling the direct comparisons the Clinton campaign has between her actions and his.
Though the report indeed digs into State Department practices, it mostly shines the spotlight on Clinton, adding fuel to a fire Republicans have been stoking in the lead-up to the general election. With a Republican nominee almost locked down and a potentially contested Democratic convention in a few months, you can believe this won’t be the last time you’ll see these emails come up.
Via: Reuters
Google’s self-driving car project sets up shop in Michigan
The Google Self-Driving Car Project, as it is accurately named, announced via Google+ yesterday that it is building out a 53,000 square-foot technology development center in Novi, Michigan where it will “further develop and refine self-driving technology.”
“Many of our current partners are based here,” the team wrote, “so having a local facility will help us collaborate more easily and access Michigan’s top talent in vehicle development and engineering.”
Novi is about a 35-minute drive from Fiat Chrysler’s US headquarters in Auburn Hills, so it makes sense that Google would set up shop nearby in order to do some R&D work on those autonomous Chrysler Pacifica minivans. (It’ll also give the company a chance to test some wintry conditions to balance out those tough desert conditions in Arizona.) Google has previously said it wants to see 100 Pacificas added to its self-driving fleet by the end of 2016, which lines up nicely with their move-in plans at the Novi facility.
The US Olympic cycling team is training with smart glasses
When the US cycling team heads to the Olympics in Rio this summer, it’ll have an ace up its sleeve: training with smart glasses. Solos has worked with the team to create augmented reality glasses that show vital data in mid-ride (such as cadence and heart rate), making it ideal for athletes looking to push themselves a little harder. It talks to common cycling apps, too, such as MapMyRide, Strava and TrainingPeaks. However, the best part may be the availability — Solos is running a crowdfunding campaign to get everyday cyclists using the eyewear.
As I write this, you can pledge $250 (normally $400) to get the glasses as soon as they ship in October. You might want to act quickly if you like the idea of having Olympian-approved biking data always within sight, mind you. The glasses will normally sell for $500, which is a lot to ask unless you spend most of your days racing on two wheels.
Source: Kickstarter, Solos
Periscope broadcasts are now permanently saved by default
Earlier this month, Twitter’s live-streaming app Periscope began testing saving broadcasts for more than 24 hours. During that beta phase, you had to include #save to trigger the feature. Permanent saves are now available for everyone by default, and you won’t need to use that hashtag to make it work. Likes and comments are saved along with the video footage, so you’ll be able to gauge reactions afterwards as well.
If you still want those video to disappear after a day, don’t worry: you can still do that. You’ll need to adjust the save settings inside the app, but the temporary option is still available if you prefer it. The new method for saving follows improved search and streaming from DJI drones, all of which were first announced at the beginning of May.
It’s here! Update your Periscope app to permanently save your broadcasts by default (no #save needed). pic.twitter.com/Tv8O48jImQ
— Periscope (@periscopeco) May 25, 2016
Source: Periscope (Twitter)
Uber is using Foursquare location data to help pick you up
If you’ve used ridesharing often enough, you’ve probably run into problems getting the driver to pick you up at just the right spot. Ever play a frantic game of phone tag as the driver circles the block looking for you? Mercifully, that might not be much of an issue in the near future. Uber is partnering with Foursquare to use the location-based service’s data to improve the accuracy of pickups and dropoffs. It’ll tweak Foursquare’s point-of-interest info to show drivers where to go when you request a ride or a bite to eat. It may indicate where the front entrance is, for example, or tell UberEats drivers to stop near the side door.
The team-up will help Foursquare, too. Uber’s changes will roll into Foursquare’s database, which should help whenever specific venue location data is vital. This isn’t always going to be useful — just ask anyone asking for pickup on a poorly-mapped private street — but it should save valuable time when you’re leaving a restaurant or ordering some much-needed dinner.
Source: Uber Newsroom
Republican budget proposal would gut net neutrality
It’s no secret that the Republican Party hates net neutrality regulation, but it’s now ready to raise the stakes. House GOP members have drafted a 2017 budget proposal that would neuter some of the FCC’s bigger telecom initiatives, at least for a while. On top of cutting the FCC’s budget by $69 million, it would prevent the FCC from enforcing its net neutrality rules until some court cases wind down — which, knowing the legal system, could take years. You could also forget about short-term attempts to open up competition for TV set-top boxes, as the legislation would prevent the FCC from taking action on its set-top rule until a study finishes.
There’s more: the bill would also ban attempts at regulating broadband rates. While the FCC is okay with keeping its hands off of regular pricing, the GOP proposal would have such a broad definition of rate regulation that it would hamper the FCC’s net neutrality practices. It would prevent the Commission from looking into unfair data cap practices, for instance. In theory, carriers would be free to use low caps and exceptions to steer you toward their services while making like difficult for all the others.
It’s entirely possible that President Obama could veto the bill given that the US government’s fiscal year starts in October, assuming it gets the necessary votes. The House unsuccessfully tried a similar move last year. However, it won’t be surprising if supporters keep pushing. Net neutrality has long been a hot-button issue for anti-regulation forces, and telecom campaign money (the House Appropriations Committee chair received $25,500) is bound to motivate those opponents.
Via: Ars Technica
Source: House Committee on Appropriations, (PDF)
‘Battleborn’ gets a hefty $20 price cut through the weekend
Battleborn, the frenetic team-based shooter from Gearbox Software, has introduced a $20 price cut. What’s more, a brand new character joined its ranks, all on the same day rival shooter Overwatch made its debut. Coincidence or genius marketing? It could be a little bit of both.
Battleborn will not retail for $54.99 for the digital deluxe version with all future downloadable content and $39.99 for the standard version, both of which are available in the 2K Store. The deal is going on through this upcoming Saturday, May 28th, in case you’ve been plowing through Blizzard’s Overwatch and need a taste of something different for your Memorial Day weekend.
Along with the $20 price cut, Battleborn introduced a new character to its fold named Alani, one of five planned characters to be released over the next few months. She’s up for grabs right now for anyone who participated in the Battleborn open beta or purchased the season pass or digital deluxe edition. The warrior monk looks pretty deadly, and fits in perfectly with the rest of the game’s roster. The latest, Pendles, will make an appearance “in the next couple months,” according to 2K Games.
There’s obviously room for both games out there, and the price cut makes Battleborn all the more palatable.
Source: Polygon
Foxconn replaces 60,000 human workers with robots
According to reports, the world’s largest electronics manufacturer Foxconn has replaced around 60,000 human factory workers with machines. Or, as a government publicist for the city of Kunshan told the South China Morning Post, the factory “reduced employee strength from 110,000 to 50,000 thanks to the introduction of robots. It has tasted success in reduction of labour costs.”
Although Foxconn confirmed to the BBC that it was working to automate much of its manufacturing operations, the company denied that the new robotic assembly line would mean fewer jobs for humans. Instead, the company says it is simply using the machines to “replace repetitive tasks previously done by employees” while allowing those employees to focus on more valuable parts of the manufacturing process like R&D and quality control. “We will continue to harness automation and manpower in our manufacturing operations,” Foxconn told the BBC, “and we expect to maintain our significant workforce in China.”
Meanwhile, the South China Morning Post also reports that 35 Taiwanese companies including Foxconn have spent a total of 4 billion yuan (or about $609 million USD) on artificial intelligence last year. Many of those companies employ tens of thousands in Kunshan, where two-thirds of the 2.5 million people are migrant workers. According to a government survey, 600 companies in Kunshan plan to follow Foxconn’s lead.
In 2012, a report from the Fair Labor Association showed that working conditions in Foxconn’s manufacturing facilities — where most of Apple’s products are made — were way below legal standards. Both Apple and Foxconn agreed to pitch in and improve the conditions for their human workers.
Apple Releases Safari Technology Preview 5 With Bug Fixes and Feature Tweaks
Apple today released a new update for Safari Technology Preview, the experimental browser Apple first introduced on March 30. Apple uses Safari Technology Preview to test features that may eventually be introduced in the release version of Safari.
Safari Technology Preview release 5 includes a bug fixes and updates for JavaScript, CSS, web APIs, Web Inspector, media, security, networking, and accessibility.
The Safari Technology Preview update is available through the Mac App Store to anyone who has downloaded the browser. Full release notes are available on Apple’s Safari Technology Preview website.
Apple’s goal with Safari Technology Preview is to gather feedback from developers and users on its browser development process. Safari Technology Preview can be run side-by-side with the existing Safari browser and while aimed at developers, it does not require a developer account to download.
Tag: Safari Technology Preview
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