Xbox One won’t get a television DVR feature after all
Back at Gamescom in August, Microsoft announced that the Xbox One would be getting a DVR feature for over-the-air TV this year. Well, if you got your hopes up about the add-on, we’ve got some bad news. The company has confirmed to Engadget that the tool is no longer being added to the console. Why the change of heart? Microsoft cites a decision to focus on “new higher fan-requested gaming experiences across Xbox One and Windows 10.” While the company says development is “on hold,” there’s no indication that it will pick the project back up at a later date.
When the DVR tool was announced last year, Microsoft said users would be able to stream recorded content via the SmartGlass app for Android and iOS or the Xbox app on Windows 10. Apps would’ve also offered the ability to schedule recordings while on the go through OneGuide and that the content would be stored on an external hard drive. The addition of the DVR would’ve made the console a more complete TV solution, at least for over-the-air shows. However, it appears the company has turned its focus solely on gaming, and we should hear more about that topic at next week’s E3. Here’s the full statement from Microsoft.
“After careful consideration, we’ve decided to put development of DVR for Over-the-Air TV on hold to focus our attention on launching new, higher fan-requested gaming experiences across Xbox One and Windows 10. We’re always listening to fan feedback and we look forward to bringing more requested experiences on Xbox One, Windows 10 and Xbox Live this year.”
Via: The Verge
UK spies may have risked lives by collecting too much data
One of the common arguments against mass surveillance is that it could backfire: you might collect so much data that finding crucial info becomes difficult. As it turns out, that’s a well-founded theory. A 2010 UK report leaked by Edward Snowden warned that MI5 spies were collecting so much data that there was a real risk of an “intelligence failure” where it would miss info that could save lives. Without enough staff and tools, it simply couldn’t handle the sheer glut of raw surveillance content.
GCHQ’s snoops have had problems, too. In 2009, a study revealed that 97 percent of data collected on surveillance targets hadn’t even been seen. There was a real risk that something important might slip between the cracks, according to the findings. And there are more privacy concerns than previously thought. GCHQ would later offer internet metadata to other British agencies (such as MI5 and tax agents) as part of a sharing program codenamed Milkwhite, giving them information about suspects that they either wouldn’t have or would need to collect themselves.
While this was more of a warning than a definitive conclusion, the Intercept notes that there have been some real-world examples of mass surveillance failures leading to deaths. The extremists who murdered British soldier Lee Rigby in London were already known to MI5, but officials missed call and messaging records that would have revealed the killers’ intentions. Like it or not, governments may need to worry less about expanding their powers and more about reining themselves in — targeted spying could actually provide more useful intelligence.
Source: The Intercept
Mark Zuckerberg holds his first live Facebook Q&A on June 14th
Now that Mark Zuckerberg has talked to astronauts using Facebook Live, he’s ready to talk to the Facebook community at large… and it might just be one of the biggest showcases of the streaming service to date. The social network founder will use Facebook Live to host a Q&A on June 14th at 2:30PM Eastern, and he’s using comments on the announcement post to determine what he’ll answer. If you’ve been yearning for a big new feature or have a question about Facebook’s artificial intelligence efforts, you might just get your voice heard. Suffice it to say that there will likely be a lot of people watching — it’s not often that Zuckerberg gets to address the people who made his site what it is.
Source: Mark Zuckerberg (Facebook)
Valencia CF is the next big soccer club to start an eSports team
At this rate, soccer (aka football) clubs signing eSports teams is quickly becoming an everyday occurrence: Valencia CF has become the first club in Spain’s La Liga to have its own eSports team. It’s not certain just how many games the new outfit will play (Hearthstone and Rocket League are in the mix), but it’s counting Twitch as an official partner. The first virtual match takes place roughly three weeks from now, in Madrid.
Valencia isn’t shy about the reasons behind the move. At the least, the eSports team will give greater visibility to the conventional sports club. However, the organization also sees the potential for big money. ESports are already pulling in hundreds of millions of Euros in Europe, and they’re only expected to grow in the next few years. The move could give Valencia a head start in a competitive gaming world that could easily hit the big time.
Source: Valencia CF
What to expect at this year’s E3
Ah, the Electronics Entertainment Expo. It’s Paris Fashion Week for the video game crowd, where practically the entire industry descends onto downtown Los Angeles for a week of media briefings, game announcements, ill-advised open-bar parties and, for folks on the press side of things, an awful lot of walking, talking and writing to bring you the latest news and interviews straight from the convention. Before the show floor opens on Tuesday, Electronic Arts, Bethesda, Microsoft, Ubisoft and Sony each have keynotes scheduled. We’ll be at all of them, starting Sunday with Bethesda and EA and liveblogging Microsoft and Sony on Monday. Here’s what you can expect for the week.
Microsoft
This year is Microsoft’s chance to show what the Xbox One is truly capable of. We’ve already seen the excellent Quantum Break from developer Remedy Entertainment this year, and, indeed, the company has a new focus on original, exclusive games. Cases in point: the cel-shaded pirate simulator Sea of Thieves, the robotic mystery of ReCore and a long-awaited return to Halo’s strategy roots with Halo Wars 2. There’s also the chance we could hear more about Inside, from Limbo developer Playdead, and maybe, just maybe, Crackdown 3 and the newly leaked and zombie-focused Dead Rising 4 and State of Decay 2. That’s to say nothing of Below from Capybara Games or Tacoma from Fullbright — both of which have been running under the radar in terms of media access.
There are also rumors that Microsoft will have new hardware to show off, including a microconsole that accesses games and apps like Netflix from your Xbox One. Given the work that Microsoft has put into Xbox-to-PC streaming, this doesn’t seem farfetched. Other reports say that Microsoft may unveil two new pieces of hardware, one of which might be a smaller and lower-priced Xbox One with a whopping 2TB of internal memory. Rumors suggest that might launch later this year.
The other theory is that Microsoft has a more powerful Xbox in the works, code-named “Scorpio.” There’s a chance this hardware won’t debut next week or even come out in 2016, but supposedly it’ll pack a stronger GPU and support for Oculus Rift headsets. That way, the PS4 wouldn’t be the only console built with virtual reality in mind.
Sony
Image credit: Patrick T. Fallon/Bloomberg via Getty Images
If the rumors are to be believed, Sony is developing a revamped, higher-spec PlayStation 4, code-named “Neo.” Will it hit stores this year, though? That’s anyone’s guess. Unlike, say, the Xbox 360 Slim that came out five years into the Xbox 360’s life cycle, this sounds different than just a mid-cycle refresh with more-efficient innards in a smaller chassis. It supposedly packs a stronger GPU and a faster processor and is capable of outputting 4K video. Reportedly, games can be patched to take advantage of these new specs to run more smoothly, and by October, every PS4 game will be required to support both systems. Translation: Sony doesn’t want to split its user base between the 40 million existing PS4 owners and those with newer hardware.
Now, that doesn’t mean that the Neo/PS4.5/PS4K will be out by October; it’s just an internal timeline (again, based off rumors) laid out by Sony. And that puts the Neo in a weird spot. Think about it this way: Sony’s been pitching PlayStation VR, a $400 virtual reality headset for the living room, for over two years. The company has remained silent about the Neo since rumors started cropping up earlier this year, but smart money says Sony will finally talk about it at E3 next week.
Image credit: Bloomberg via Getty Images
But when will it come out? If the console is announced next week but doesn’t actually arrive until the fall or maybe next year, sales of the current PS4 would likely grind to a halt, thus giving Microsoft an opportunity to surge ahead. That’s not something Sony wants. With that in mind, it doesn’t seem like a stretch that the newly formed Sony Interactive Entertainment will do as Microsoft did with the Xbox 360 Slim and launch the hardware either during or immediately after E3.
As far as games go, it’s a safe bet that we’ll see more of the titles that debuted at last year’s show but haven’t hit store shelves yet. That includes The Last Guardian, the recently delayed Horizon: Zero Dawn and, of course, PlayStation VR, which ships in October. Maybe we’ll hear about PS VR support for the also-delayed No Man’s Sky or Gran Turismo Sport. And you can’t forget about David Cage’s next game, Detroit: Become Human.
The typically E3-averse Rockstar Games could even make an appearance at Sony’s show: The company recently renewed its trademark for Agent, a game announced but not shown during Sony’s 2009 E3 keynote.
Of course, E3 wouldn’t be E3 without a number of surprises (remember last year’s Shenmue sequel?), which means you should definitely follow along with our liveblog come Monday.
Nintendo
Nintendo is in a weird spot this year. It’s skipping a traditional media briefing in favor of a livestream. The Wii U is in its twilight period, and its successor, the still-code-named NX, won’t come out until next March. Meanwhile, the company is adamant that the console won’t make an appearance at E3. Like the other console manufacturers, Nintendo typically has a sizable booth on the show floor with tons of demo kiosks featuring a bevy of playable games. The company says this year will be different because every one of those will be occupied by a fairy boy sporting a green tunic this year.
The perpetually delayed next entry in the Legend of Zelda series is going to be the only playable game in Nintendo’s booth, and it’ll be the Wii U version — not the one planned for the NX.
In fact, Nintendo is dedicating next Tuesday to streaming Zelda footage exclusively, along with commentary from its developers. A few days ago, Nintendo said in a statement that it would also be streaming the new Pokemon games, Sun and Moon, as part of its Treehouse Live broadcasts in addition to Monster Hunter Generations, Dragon Quest VII and Tokyo Mirage Sessions. As has been the case for the past few years, the company is using these streams as a replacement for a traditional E3 press event.
Everyone else
Bethesda
A giant Rubik’s Cube in Fallout 4
Bethesda, Electronic Arts and Ubisoft all have press conferences scheduled for next week, with the first two kicking off the show on Sunday. Last year was Bethesda’s first-ever E3 keynote, and it spent the bulk of the time talking about Fallout 4 and Doom. Both of those are already out, so what could the company have to brag about now? Dishonored 2, for starters. Earlier this year, Bethesda promised we’d see the steampunk sequel’s first gameplay at E3 well ahead of the game’s Nov. 11th release.
There are also whispers of an Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim HD port as well. Considering that during Fallout 4’s development process the team ported Skyrim to the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One, this seems like a no-brainer. Furthermore, now that the company has a framework in place for mod support on Fallout 4 and Doom, a shiny version of Skyrim getting the same treatment is highly likely.
Speaking of Fallout 4, more info on add-on packs for the game is also pretty likely, and maybe we’ll hear more about post-launch missions or multiplayer maps for Doom. Expect to hear more about The Elder Scrolls card game and Legends as well. There are also reports that Bethesda is resurrecting the alien-bounty-hunting sequel Prey 2.
EA
EA is pouring a lot of resources into Titanfall 2, Battlefield 1 and the new FIFA game. We haven’t seen any gameplay of the former whatsoever and only a brief snippet of the new Battlefield. That changes next week, with new details expected at E3. FIFA is a perennial favorite, but, well, it’s soccer, and aside from switching from EA’s sports engine to Frostbite (which is used to develop everything else from the company) it’s hard to reinvent the wheel.
You’ll also notice a Mass Effect–size hole here. After the long-awaited sequel Mass Effect: Andromeda debuted during the keynote last year, the game has mostly gone silent. There hasn’t been any gameplay footage released since (last year’s trailer was just CGI), and its “fall 2017” release window has been pushed to early next year. Key talent has left developer BioWare following last E3 as well. My crystal ball is cloudy here, but there’s the slightest of chances we’ll learn more next week.
Ubisoft
There won’t be a new Assassin’s Creed title this year.
Don’t expect to finally see Beyond Good and Evil 2 from Ubisoft at E3: It’ll only lead to heartbreak when the “one more thing” from the company’s press conference is another Tom Clancy-branded shooter. Speaking of which, there should be a whole lot more info and gameplay coming out for the open-world Tom Clancy’s Ghost Recon: Wildlands, in addition to Watch Dogs 2 making a guaranteed appearance. It’s safe to say that we’ll see more of the period-piece brawler For Honor and the superhero-centric South Park role-playing game The Fractured But Whole as well, considering both debuted last year. A Ubisoft press conference wouldn’t be the same without Assassin’s Creed making an appearance, but with the series taking a much-need break this year, we’ll probably get a new trailer for the upcoming movie starring Michael Fassbender instead.
Google’s Project Fi gets more coverage through US Cellular
Ever since Google launched Project Fi, you’ve had to hop between just two networks: Sprint and T-Mobile. But what if you’re in an area where one or neither is particularly great? You might have an easier time of things after today. US Cellular has signed up as Project Fi’s third partner, giving you both better overall coverage and a greater chance of staying on speedy LTE data. You should see it reach your phone sometime in the “coming weeks.” It’s probably not the additional network you were hoping for (AT&T or Verizon, anyone?), but it could mean the difference between a rock-solid connection and having to wait for WiFi.
Source: Android Official Blog
Dato Duo is a simplified synthesizer for kids of all ages
Simple synthesizers are great for kids who are interested in music, and a pair of Dutch designers have built another instrument that does just that. The Dato Duo is two-panel synth features an 8-step sequencer on one side with the sound controls and effects on the other. It seems a bit odd at first, but the idea is to have one person control each to enhance the collaborative efforts. There’s also no wrong way to use the device, so even the youngest noise makers can get started with ease. And it doesn’t hurt that the Duo sounds pretty good either.
In terms of tweaking the sound, the Duo has two oscillators, a simple envelope generator, filter and two additional effects. For the older kids (read: adults), there’s MIDI in/out as well as sync in/out which means you can use the gadget alongside a Korg Volca, Teenage Engineering Pocket Operators, Boss guitar effects pedals and more. The Dato Duo will set you back €299 (around $334), unless you’re quick enough to cash in on the early bird discount. If you do decide to commit funds, the instrument isn’t expected to ship until April of next year.
Via: Fact Magazine
Source: Kickstarter
LAPD adds 100 BMW i3 EVs to its non-emergency fleet
After considering BMW’s i3 and Tesla’s Model S to replace a group of aging vehicles, the LAPD awarded the bid to the German automaker. 100 of the electric vehicles will be used as part of the department’s motor pool that’s mostly used by civilians, but they’ll be available to officers on “routine assignments” as well. Along with the EVs, 104 charging stations were also included in the contract. With the total electric vehicle count now sitting at 168, the LAPD says it has “the largest fully battery-powered municipal fleet” in the US.
While California’s own Tesla Model S was being considered, that electric sedan costs more than twice as much as the i3’s $42,000 price. The department had been testing the now discontinued P85D which would’ve offered more range and the power needed to participate in a high-speed chase if needed. LAPD announced last month that it wasn’t quite ready to switch over to an all-electric fleet for its cruisers, after spending some time with two of the Model S sedans. Cost and the availability of charging stations were cited as reasons for holding off on the switch.
Via: The Verge, Los Angeles Times
Source: LAPD
PayPal won’t refund a Twitch troll’s $50,000 in donations
An Australian teen is learning one of the many reasons why you shouldn’t cause grief for Twitch streamers. PayPal has refused to refund Anthony Archer after he made a total of $50,000 in donations to several well-known Twitch users (including LegendaryLea and NoSleepTV) as part of a trolling scheme. He’d intended to cancel the transactions through PayPal a month after making them, leaving the streamers high and dry, but PayPal wasn’t having any of it — he’s on the hook for the full amount. And given that he appears to have used his parents’ credit card, he’s in more than a little trouble with them, too.
It’s not as if gigantic donations are unheard of. Some streamers (including some of those targeted by Archer) have received tens of thousands of dollars in legitimate contributions from wealthy viewers. However, this serves as a reminder that there are risks to making a living from community donations. Unless you have a safety net like PayPal’s, you could lose your shirt to a less-than-sincere fan.
Via: Motherboard
Source: LiveStreamFails (YouTube), Reddit
‘Deus Ex: Mankind Divided’ gets arcade-style competitive mode
Square Enix has just come forward with an entirely new reason you might want to pick up the next Deus Ex game: A brand new arcade shooter mode included with Deus Ex: Mankind Divided.
A new trailer shows off exactly what you can accomplish in the new game mode, including earning XP, credits and booster packs that will allow players to upgrade skills and weapons as well as break down and create new weapons with the same components. While it’s not technically a straight multiplayer mode, it incorporates elements to create what could be classified as an alternative to one. And it looks pretty awesome.
You’ll take up the role of a Ripper, whose objective is to obtain and sell corporate data while infiltrating secure servers. If you ever wanted to live out your dream of becoming a superstar hacker, this might well be it.
Have your first look at what’s to come below and get ready to experience it all when Deus Ex: Mankind Divided launches August 23rd, 2016.
AIVAnet 