‘Resident Evil 5’ comes to PS4 and Xbox One on June 28th
Capcom’s Resident Evil series set the standard for a generation of horror video games — so it’s no surprise that the company is celebrating the franchise’s 20th anniversary by selling some of its greatest hits again. In reverse order. Starting with Resident Evil 6 back in March, Capcom has been counting backwards to the game that redefined the series: Resident Evil 4. That coveted release is still awhile out, but if you need a zombie fix right now, there are options. At the end of June, Resident Evil 5 will be available on Xbox One and PlayStation 4.
If you can’t remember what made this entry in the series special, it can be summed up in one word: multiplayer. Resident Evil 5 suffered mixed reviews for theming, pacing and an failure to balance action and horror, but it was the first entry in the series to introduce local co-op play. It’s not a perfect game, but it builds on the combat system that made Resident Evil 4 such a hit. If you’ve got a friend and want some action, it’s worth a look. Plus, the PS4 and Xbox One release comes with all of the original game’s add-on content. Interested? The digital release will set you back $20 on June 28th. Looking for a physical disc to collect? You’ll have to wait until June 12th — but at least it won’t cost you anything extra. Check out Capcom’s official release at the source link below for more details.
Source: Capcom
Apple standalone 5K display might include its own graphics chip
To call Apple’s Thunderbolt Display long in the tooth would be an understatement. It’s so old that the first Retina display Macs were still a year away when it was new, and it’s now easy to get a 4K display for less. At last, though, it looks like Apple might be ready to give its standalone screen an upgrade… with an interesting twist, to boot. Sources for 9to5Mac understand that Apple is building a 5K display that includes its own graphics chipset. It’d be an odd move, but it would let many Macs use the display, not just high-end models. If your Mac’s onboard graphics weren’t fast enough, it’d automatically switch to the monitor’s GPU.
The tipsters don’t have full details, but it’s expected that the screen would use Thunderbolt 3 (which relies on a USB-C connector) to connect both the display and GPU. You probably wouldn’t need the multiple video cables of existing standalone 5K screens, then. Also, it’ll supposedly be “very similar” to the current-generation 5K iMac’s display, complete with movie-grade color accuracy.
There’s no mention of a firm release schedule. However, people have noticed that Thunderbolt Display stock is running low at Apple Stores around the world. It wouldn’t be a stretch to imagine Apple unveiling a 5K monitor (and maybe a Mac built for it) at WWDC in mid-June, when many pro Mac users will be watching. If and when it shows up, it’ll arguably be overdue. Mac Pro users have been crying out for a higher-resolution Apple external display for years — after this, they wouldn’t have to consider switching to an iMac to make that happen.
Source: 9to5Mac
Peter Thiel is staying on Facebook’s board of directors
Ever since news emerged that billionaire Peter Thiel is funding multiple lawsuits against Gawker Media, some have said he should step down from his position on the board of directors at Facebook. A now-public war against the media outlet that he called a “bully” certainly complicates things for the company, which works with Gawker on initiatives like Instant Articles and Facebook Live streams. COO and fellow board member Sheryl Sandberg faced questions about that relationship earlier during an interview at the Code Conference (which you can watch below, embedded from Facebook), and confirmed that Thiel will remain on the company’s board.
Asked about the situation, Sandberg acknowledged the importance of independence in the media, before saying that Thiel “did what he did on his own, not as a Facebook board member. We didn’t know about it….and you should talk to him.” Recently Facebook faced uproar after another board member, Marc Andreessen connected India’s view of net neutrality to anti-colonialism, which CEO Mark Zuckerberg addressed with a letter. According to Sandberg, we probably shouldn’t expect a similar response here. In the case of Andreessen’s statement she said it could have been viewed as speaking for the company, while Thiel’s activities are clearly “not a Facebook thing.”
Source: Recode (Facebook), Recode
Yahoo releases content of three FBI data requests to public
Today, Yahoo made minor history by becoming the first company to publicly confirm that it has been issued National Security Letters (NSLs) from the FBI. It sounds like a simple story, but it’s actually a huge win for transparency: until recently, gag orders kept companies like Yahoo from acknowledging NSLs in all but the vaguest of terms. Now, thanks to the USA Freedom Act, the company is able to divulge the contents of three FBI data requests made since 2013.
The contents of the NSLs themselves don’t actually tell us much (though it does specify exactly what Yahoo was to provide: service dates, names, addresses and header information, but absolutely no email content), but the announcement shows us how difficult it still is for companies to tell us how many requests they get per year. Yahoo is allowed to disclose the content of these three NSLs, for instance, but still has to report NSLs in intentionally vague lots of 500 in transparency reports. Bringing that number up to three, however allows Yahoo to list this statistic as between one and 500, rather than between zero and 500. Still pretty vague, but marginally better.
It takes some doing to get permission to acknowledge the receipt of a letter, too — Yahoo says that the FBI needs to review if the nondisclosure provision is still necessary for each specific NSL before allowing a company to publish it, and even then certain information needs to be redacted before being made available to the public. Still, when companies do get these gag orders lifted, it allows them to notify the investigated parties that the FBI was looking into their data, and it’s a big win for transparency overall. Want to see Yahoo’s NSL data for yourself? Check it out at the source link below.
Source: Yahoo
Euro 2016 social activity will determine Eiffel Tower’s colors
The UEFA Euro 2016 soccer tournament kicks off next week, and fans will have the opportunity to show their team spirit via the Eiffel Tower. Tournament sponsor Orange, a French wireless carrier, will light up the Paris landmark in the colors of the most popular team based on social media activity across Twitter, Facebook and Instagram. Posts will be counted from 12:01 AM until 9:30 PM local time the following evening during the month-long event set to take place in France. At that time, the team/nation with the most activity will have its colors displayed on the iconic structure.
Of course, there’s plenty of opportunities for abusive language and trollish behavior. Orange says it has a crew of moderators and only hand-picked posts will be displayed on-site, projected onto the Eiffel Tower. What’s more, the carrier says it won’t count any social updates that contain “blacklisted” words. If the 2014 World Cup was any indication, the internet loves international soccer, so there’s sure to be a flurry of activity — especially now that there’s some added incentive.
Via: CNET
Source: Quartz
Apple’s 2017 iPhone May Feature Dual-Curve OLED Display
Though the 2017 iPhone is more than a year away from launching, we’re already hearing non-stop rumors about the device due to the major design changes Apple is expected to introduce. The latest rumor, coming from IHS analyst Kevin Wang, suggests the 2017 iPhone will include a dual-curve OLED display that covers the left and right edges of the device.
On Chinese social networking site Weibo (via PhoneArena), Wang said Apple will release a device with sloping edges similar to the Vivo XPlay 5 or the Galaxy S7 Edge.
Kevin Wong’s exact words are that after Vivo outed the Xplay 5 with its 5.4″ OLED screen that slopes to the sides like on the S7 edge, there will be more manufacturers using this technique, including Apple with next year’s iPhone.
Apple is already rumored to be using flexible OLED displays for the 2017 iPhone, which will be necessary for any kind of dramatically curved display. It is not clear from Wang’s statement how far the display will extend to the edges of the device and whether it will be a subtle curve for design purposes or a functional wraparound display as Samsung uses in its Galaxy Edge devices. The Galaxy Edge’s wraparound display features side buttons and alerts accessible when the phone is face down.
Wang does not offer details on where he is sourcing his information from, but it is presumably coming from the Asian supply chain and Apple’s myriad manufacturing partners. Supply chain information can be difficult to interpret at times and Wang does not have a well-known track record, but he has shared some semi-accurate information on the release of the iPhone SE. Earlier this week, Wang said the iPhone 7 will have 32GB as minimum storage tier.
Apple has reportedly secured 5.8-inch OLED displays from Samsung, and a previous analyst prediction has suggested that a display of that size could perhaps be used to wrap around the edges of a 5.5-inch iPhone, speculation that agrees with Wang’s prediction.
Other rumors about the 2017 iPhone, which may be called the “iPhone 8” instead of the traditional “iPhone 7s” because of the changes expected, include an edge-to-edge bezel-free display with built-in Touch ID functionality, no home button, and a glass body.
An edge-to-edge display that extends upwards towards the top and bottom of the device, as has been rumored, does not seem to mesh with rumors of a wraparound display, leaving a lot of questions about the actual display we’ll see in the 2017 iPhone. As the 2017 launch date creeps closer, we’ll undoubtedly learn more about the device, giving us a clearer picture of the changes Apple is implementing.
Related Roundup: iPhone 8 (2017)
Tags: IHS, Kevin Wang
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Apple’s 5K Thunderbolt Display Could Include Its Own Graphics Card
Thunderbolt Display stock shortages at some Apple retail stores have begun sparking speculation that a refresh is coming in the near future, and with current machines unable to run a 5K display over a single-stream cable, discussion has turned towards other methods Apple could use to introduce a functional 5K display.
Stephen Foskett and Daring Fireball’s John Gruber speculate that Apple could potentially introduce a refreshed Thunderbolt Display with a built-in graphics card, which would result in a display able to work with almost any Mac because it would be driven by an internal graphics card rather than the machine it’s connected to.
9to5Mac is floating a similar theory, claiming it’s heard rumors Apple is indeed working on a 5120 x 2880 display that has an integrated GPU. Such a display would likely require the purchase of a newer machine with USB-C or Thunderbolt 3, but it would work with Apple’s notebook lineup going forward.
A noted analyst doesn’t believe Apple will go to the trouble of introducing a display with a built-in GPU, instead releasing a 5K display that will connect with newer Macs over Thunderbolt 3 by taking advantage of both DisplayPort 1.2 streams.
It’s been believed Apple would wait to introduce a 5K display until DisplayPort 1.3 support is built into Intel processors as the standard will allow for plug-and-play support for 5K external displays, but by using both of the DisplayPort 1.2 streams, forthcoming machines that include Thunderbolt 3 ports will be able to drive a 5K display using Multi-Stream Transport without the need for an external GPU.
Multi-Stream Transport (MST) would stitch two halves of a display together to make a single seamless display, with each DisplayPort 1.2 connection driving half of the display, a technique Apple previously used in the first 5K iMac. The 5K iMac used the internal equivalent of a dual cable DisplayPort 1.2 MST setup.
Multi-Stream Transport is inferior to the Single-Stream Transport that would be possible with DisplayPort 1.3, but DisplayPort 1.3 support is not built into Skylake or its successor Kaby Lake, meaning it will be at least 18-24 months (the time until Intel’s Cannonlake processors launch) before Apple can introduce machines powerful enough to drive a 5K display over a single-stream cable.
With the Thunderbolt Display having gone without an update since July of 2011, another two years is a long time to wait for a refreshed display.
There is no concrete word on when Apple will introduce a new Thunderbolt Display, but given the stock shortages and the rumblings that a successor is in the works, there is a possibility an announcement could be made at the Worldwide Developers Conference.
Related Roundups: Thunderbolt Display, WWDC 2016
Buyer’s Guide: Displays (Don’t Buy)
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Use Google search to find your iPhone – CNET
Google recently made it easier to find a lost Android phone, and today the company announced similar search options for owners of lost iPhones.
Google has added a new Find your phone section to the My Account page for your Google account. Click on it and you will see a list of the devices — including phones, tablets, Android and iOS devices — on which you have signed in with your Google account.
Choose an iOS device and you’ll see five suggestions:
- Find and lock your iPhone
- Try calling your phone
- Sign out on your phone
- Reach out to your carrier
- Reach out for local help
While these suggestions are a useful starting point for a panicked iPhone owner who can’t find their phone, the process isn’t as helpful as it is with a lost Android device for the simple fact that Google can’t take control of an iOS device.
Matt Elliott/CNET
For example, the Find and lock your iPhone option merely points you to iCloud.com where you can locate your iPhone on a map or enable Lost Mode to remotely lock your phone, while the same option for an Android device gives you Ring and Locate buttons to call your device or locate it on a map without leaving the page or signing into iCloud.
Owners of lost Android devices can also simply Google “find my phone” or “I lost my phone” to view their lost phone on a map at the top of the search results page. According to Google, this search feature will soon be available for iOS devices too. In my tests, it has yet to arrive; a Google search offered to locate my Samsung Galaxy Tab 4 but not my iPhone or iPad.
The first step in locating a lost or stolen iPhone should be visiting iCloud.com from a computer or using the Find my iPhone app from an iPad or another iOS device. But, since many people may not be thinking clearly when they first realize their iPhone is missing, Google’s new Find your phone section with its clear suggestions is a welcome addition to the My Account page.
JOBY’s Powerband Micro might be the most travel friendly portable battery yet (review)
JOBY, the company behind the famous GorillaPod line of tripods has been diversifying as of late and has just released an intelligent battery pack. The PowerBand Micro will come in two versions, one made for iOS devices and the other for Android microUSB compatible devices.
This battery isn’t intelligent in the way hundreds of other batteries are with Fast Charging and wireless charging. It’s intelligent in its design with a simple silicone/rubberized strap built into the back of the battery that allows you to attach it to any smartphone and charge on the go. The iOS version costs $59.95 while the Android version comes in cheaper at $49.95.
Specs
- 3.1 ounces
- 3500mAh
- Built-in microUSB cable for the Android model, and built-in Lightning cable for the iOS version
Build and Usage
I’ve tested and reviewed over 10 portable power banks, and all of them ran into the same issue. I needed to connect them to my smartphone and set them down on a table or hold them both in my hand while they charged. This always made for an awkward situation if I needed to use my smartphone while charging on the go.
The JOBY PowerBand Micro power bank is rated at 3500mAh which is 100mAh less than the Samsung Galaxy S7 edge’s battery of 3600mAh. That means I can get about one full charge with the PowerBand Micro, and that’s pretty much what I saw over five cycles. Phones like the Samsung Galaxy Note5, Moto X Pure, and Nexus 6P all have 3000mAh batteries so the 3500mAh power bank from JOBY should easily supply over one full charge.
While you can get far more storage capacity in a power bank for your money, like the 20,000mAh ones found on Amazon, you don’t always want to carry around a one pound brick with you. Generally, most of us just need one additional charge throughout a single day, and the JOBY PowerBand Micro was designed specifically for us. It wasn’t designed to get you through one to two weeks of usage away from a wall outlet, instead it was designed for the everyday user who needs a little more power.
“With the JOBY PowerBand, we give users a versatile power pack that provides the additional hands-free power needed for their smartphones while also providing a solution that will grow with them as device form factors change.” said Tim Grimmer, vice president of Brand and Product for JOBY.
At 3.1 ounces, the JOBY PowerBand Micro is half the weight of my already light-weight Galaxy S7 edge. It comes with a built-in microUSB cable, with nothing but a power button, battery indicator lights, and a rubberized strap on the back.
You can see in the images above how the PowerBand can be stretched to fit my phones. It’s extremely easy to use and provides a secure fit. You won’t get fast charging or wireless charging with this battery pack, instead you’ll get standard 1amp speeds. Another concern might be how the straps sometimes touch the front screen like they do on my S7 edge.
The strap doesn’t conduct electricity which means they will not, and do not affect the performance of the touch screen. However it does cover the corners which might be a distraction to some.
Summary
Priced at $49.99, the JOBY PowerBand Micro isn’t a whole lot of battery for the money. However, if you are the type of user who just needs a charge to make it through your commute or work day, the convenience of the strap is extremely nice to have.
JOBY is a reputable name when it comes to accessories and I have no doubt that the PowerBand Micro will be a goto battery for my daily needs for many years to come. It is right sized for my lifestyle and I’m thankful I no longer need to carry excess weight in my pockets.
If you’re interested in picking one up for yourself, head on over to Joby.com to learn more.
[Review] Charge on the go with the VoltIQ car charger
When we last wrote a review of Tronsmart car chargers, they were Quick Charge 2.0. Now the company has released a new series of car chargers featuring Quick Charge 3.0, and they are fast. I spent a short amount of time with the gadget, and I was impressed.
First Impressions
There isn’t much to the device. It looks like every other car charger out there. It features two Quick Charge 3.0 USB ports, and you plug the charger into your car’s cigarette lighter (they really still have those?). The way that Tronsmart differentiates its charger is by having it automatically detect what kind of device you plug in and deliver the maximum amount of voltage that the device can safely handle.
Specs
- Model: CC2TF
- Input: DC 12-24V/4.2A (Max)
- Output (Quick Charge 3.0): DC 3.6-6.5V/3A, 6.5-9V/2A, 9-12V/1.5A (each port)
Tronsmart uses its own VoltIQ charging technology in combination with Qualcomm’s proprietary Quick Charge specification. These car chargers have been officially certified by Qualcomm, and its website even features the original documentation to prove it.
Conclusion
If you don’t have a portable battery pack with you, car chargers like this are great to use, and Tronsmart has plenty of car and wall chargers to meet your needs. The company even has chargers with USB Type-C ports. You can get the VoltIQ Quick Charge 3.0 car charger for $22 on Amazon.
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