Here’s everything we saw at Bethesda’s E3 event
Bethesda’s big E3 show is over, and it was pretty great. We got a new Quake, lots of Fallout goodness (including Fallout 4 in VR!), a first look at the upcoming Prey reboot and a ton of detail on Dishonored 2. Oh… and a Skyrim remaster.
While our very own Tim Seppala and Jessica Condit run like excited children towards that Fallout VR demo, you can check out all of the trailers from the press conference below.
Deal: Going on holiday? Get money off these Lumsing chargers that will have you powered up in no time
If you are heading off on holiday this year then you’ll want to make sure you’ve always got enough power on your phone to catch that selfie of yourself on the beach or next to an amazing landmark.
Lumsing has teamed up with Pocket-lint to bring you a number of deals on its range of chargers, wall plugs, and cables to make sure you are simply connected this summer.
Technology should make our lives simpler, not more complicated and with so many changes and so many new devices, it can be hard to remember which one to pack.
For that long trek into the unknown, or maybe just where you can’t guarantee a plug socket, Lumsing offers a range of portable battery packs to suit all needs. Whether it’s the Grand A1 series range that offers up to a whopping 13,400mAh worth of power to charge an iPhone 6 six times or an even bigger portable battery charger like the company’s Harmonica series, powering your devices on the go has never been easier.
Grand A1 Series – http://amzn.to/1raZSyV
Harmonica Series – http://amzn.to/1tdUywG
If you can get to wall plug socket, then the company’s USB wall plug offering might be for you. For those that can’t live without their range of gadgets to take on holiday for yourself, your partner, and your family, will like the Intelligent 5-Port USB Wall Plug charger. It has five separate USB charge ports that can be used simultaneously meaning you never have to fight again over who’s gadget gets to get charged first.
QC2.0 Dual Port USB Wall Plug – http://amzn.to/24vwTDf
Intelligent 5-Port USB Wall Plug – http://amzn.to/24vzehx
And if you’re struggling to cope with having to take that cable you’ve neatly tidied by your bedside, Lumsing have you covered on that front too. It offers a range of different cables for iPhone and Android users in a plethora of styles and colours.
Apple Sync Charging Lightning Cable – http://amzn.to/24vAVvp
Nylon Braided Apple Sync Charging Lightning Cable – http://amzn.to/24vBdSP
Micro USB Android Cable – http://amzn.to/24vBvJw
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Facebook invokes first US Safety Check for Orlando mass shooting
Unfortunately, Facebook has had reason to use Safety Check in the US for the first time. The social network switched on its tool for reassuring friends following the mass shooting at the gay nightclub Pulse in Orlando, Florida. While Facebook has already called on Safety Check since expanding its scope to include human tragedies (it used the check after an overpass fell in India), the American use reflects improvements made to the emergency system in the following months. It’s now faster to invoke checks, the company says to Mashable, and there are tests under way that would let users trigger checks of their own. Let’s just hope the feature isn’t needed again for a long, long while.
Source: Mashable
President Obama got rid of his BlackBerry
President Obama has had to use a BlackBerry since the moment he took office. However, he’s finally moving on with less than a year left in his term. The Commander-in-Chief tells Tonight Show host Jimmy Fallon that he was given a new (and currently unnamed) smartphone this year to replace his increasingly rare BlackBerry. Not that there’s much reason to celebrate. The President notes that his phone is so locked down “for security reasons” that he can’t call, play music, send texts or take pictures. It’s like one of those “play phones” you’d give to a 3-year-old, he says.
A switch wasn’t entirely unexpected, especially when the White House has been considering a move like this for 2 years. While BlackBerry devices are still secure, they’ve been less and less of a mainstay in government. Android and iOS have enough available security measures (such as strict device policies and end-to-end message encryption) that they’re usually up to the job, and sticking to BlackBerry’s proprietary operating system might not be easy when app developers are leaving the platform. Even so, this is more than a little symbolic — when one of the world’s most important leaders is swapping devices, you know the mobile industry has moved on.
Via: BGR, The Verge
Source: The Tonight Show (YouTube)
Here’s everything we saw at EA’s E3 ‘Play’ event
Today, video game juggernaut Electronic Arts kicked off this year’s Electronics Entertainment Expo with a show all its own. If you weren’t a member of the press or one of the lucky few fans that were let into the event to experience it firsthand, don’t worry: We’ve collected all the trailers that made their debut on The Novo theater’s stage and put them in one handy spot for you. Want a look at the new multiplayer trailer for October’s Titanfall 2? Look no further. How about FIFA 17’s intriguing single-player story mode? We’ve got your back there as well, with a few other bits like a new glimpse at Battlefield 1’s World War I action. Join us below, won’t you?
Tattoo artist’s prosthetic inking arm is better than a real hand
If you wanted to be a tattoo artist but lost your drawing arm, what would you do? JC Sheitan Tenet has an answer: get a prosthetic arm that’s better than flesh and bone. He teamed up with artist Gonzal on a steampunk-inspired limb that integrates an inking needle, a pressure gauge and piping. It’s a makeshift combo of a regular prosthetic, a sewing machine and a turntable, but it’s reasonably light and easy to use — so much so that you might prefer JC’s mechanically-assisted output over that of a good conventional artist.
As JC explains, this prototype isn’t something he could use every day at a tattoo parlor. Just cleaning it is a “very long and meticulous” process, he says. With that in mind, he and Gonzal are planning a second prototype that would be much more practical. Is this a niche device that won’t be useful for most amputees? You bet. However, it’s further proof that artificial limbs can have their advantages in the right circumstances.
Via: Metro, Motherboard
Source: JC Sheitan Tenet (Facebook 1), (2), (3)
Jaybird Freedom Review!
This article originally appeared on our sister site SoundGuys.com. For the full review & ratings, check out their Jaybird Freedom Review!
After being announced at CES, the Jaybird Freedom wireless headphones are finally here. They have a new design, a new way of charging, and Jaybird even released a new app to go along with them. But are they everything we hoped for?
What’s inside?
In the box you’ll get a soft carrying pouch, instruction manual, the headphones, 3 sets of wings tips (L, M, S), and 6 pairs of ear tips as well in either silicone or comply memory coming in small, medium, and large. Then you’ll get a short charging cable, 2 wire clips for cable management (super important), and a small clip to secure it to your shirt. Not so important. Finally you’ll get the charging cradle that you’ll need to recharge the headphones.
Build & Design
![Jaybird Freedom[3]](https://www.aivanet.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/1465768211_3439705274999.jpg)
Right off the bat you’ll notice that these look pretty different from the originals. The earbuds are way slimmer now and have a rounded off design that looks really sleek. If you’re not familiar with the X2s, the earbuds used to house the battery which made them big and bulky. And since the earbuds are slim now, the battery had to go somewhere. Which means that the control module is now big, bulky, and not too pretty.
When I first saw the new Freedoms I thought ,”Man, that’s bulky”, and now that I have them I can confirm: it’s big. So big that if you don’t use the wire clips, the extra slack in the cable will definitely force them to fall out of your ear while running. These also don’t have a micro-USB input on the headphones themselves. Instead Jaybird opted for a charging cradle that you need to connect to the headphones in order to plug them in. They also can clip to the control module while you’re wearing them for a boost in battery life.
![Jaybird Freedom[2]](https://www.aivanet.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/1465768212_1708438284695.jpg)
When you attach the cradle it gets even bulkier, but I still think that it is a good idea. After going for a run I just came back to the car, snapped on the charging cradle, and let them charge back up. Overall, the biggest issue that I had with the Freedoms was the fit. I had a really hard time getting these to stay in my ear and I actually had to rewrite this entire review because when I finally found the right combination of tips and cord length to get them to fit decently, it changed the experience.
Still, no combination helped during running. The bulky control module easily gets pulled out of my ear due to its weight and only the wire clips were able to help after a lot of adjusting. If I need to use two clips for the wire and a third to keep it clipped to my shirt just to go on a quick run, maybe the design needs a little rethinking. On the bright side these do feel pretty tough and don’t seem like they’d snap under stress.
Connection
![Jaybird Freedom[6]](https://www.aivanet.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/1465768212_5266403499991.jpg)
One aspect of the headphones that were never an issue during testing was Bluetooth strength. Regardless of where my phone was during my runs I experienced no skipping at all. Even around my house the connection was easily reliable up to 30 feet. Fresh out of the box I wasn’t too impressed with sound quality, but the new Jaybird MySound app is pretty handy. Not only does it keep you up-to-date with how much battery is left, but it also lets you fine tune the EQ settings to your liking.
You can also browse through presets and preview how they sound, including ones made by athletes. The presets then get synced to the Freedoms themselves and not to the source device. So if you switch between devices as often as I do, at least you can count on your music to sound the same. Unlike wired headphones, Bluetooth headphone controls aren’t switched or disable depending on your operating system. So whether you use Android or iOS the playback controls work the same. You can pause and play music, skip between tracks.
Battery Life
![Jaybird Freedom[4]](https://www.aivanet.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/1465768213_8427600555122.jpg)
The battery life on the Freedoms are really only about 3 to 4 hours, but you could technically use them with the charging to cradle to get up to 8 hours. However, in my usage that was really unrealistic unless I was sitting at a desk. As I alluded to before, I preferred to use the cradle as a portable battery to charge the Freedoms up while I’m not using them instead of a charging case that needs to be attached at all times.
Sound Quality
![Jaybird Freedom[5]](https://www.aivanet.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/1465768213_3935741815716.jpg)
When it comes to sound quality, one thing that I noticed that really made a difference was the volume. These get really loud which is great for fitness, but not so much for sound quality. For testing I created a flat EQ profile in the app just so I can see how the headphones sound without any enhancements.
Lows
Even with a flat EQ profile the Freedoms still have a good emphasis on bass, which is expected considering they’re intended for fitness. That said, they weren’t overdone and even though they’re stronger than I prefer, they were contained to the low end.
Mids
Mids really seemed to take a hit this time around. Vocals and instruments don’t have a huge amount of detail and almost sounds like they have a sheen over them. Especially in songs like “Life is Wonderful” by Jason Mraz where it starts off acoustic and brings in more instruments halfway throuhg.
Highs
Again, these get loud. And purely because of that the highs tend to be somewhat piercing unless you dramatically lower the volume. There’s a bell synth in “Ember” by WhoMadeWho that is almost painful at some points.
Conclusion
Overall, the Jaybird Freedom do look way sleeker than the X2s, but they also don’t fit as well. The bigger ‘buds of the X2s wedged themselves in your ears and even though it was bulky and looked weird, they fit great. With the Freedoms you have to rely completely on the little accessories like the cable clips and wing tips. It’s not impossible to find a great fit (and maybe it’s just me) but it’s definitely way harder than something like the UA Headphones Wireless which just stay in your ears no matter what you do.
The sound quality is okay even with the help of the app, but lets be honest — you’re not getting these for the audiophile quality. You’re getting them for fitness. But unless you can get them to fit perfectly they’re not too great in that aspect either. After getting the right fit I really like the Freedom Wireless, but I think I’m just going to wait for the X3s and hope that they’re easier to use.
Buy from Jaybird
This article originally appeared on our sister site SoundGuys.com. For the full review & ratings, check out their Jaybird Freedom Review!
Incredible Xbox One S leak shows slimmer 4K console ahead of E3 2016 launch
A couple of amazing press images of the new, slimmer Xbox One have leaked ahead of the Microsoft E3 2016 media briefing at E3 2016 tomorrow.
Planned for an official unveiling at the event, the Xbox One S (aka Xbox One Slim) is thinner, has a 2TB hard drive and, if the leaked images are to be believed, sport 4K video output with HDR – for 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray support.
As far as we know, there’s no ability for 4K gaming, just the higher resolution Blu-ray playback, but it’s a massive step for Microsoft and, considering the refreshed PlayStation 4 won’t be at this year’s show, is bound to be a hit on the press conference day.
NeoGaf
It looks, based on the pics alone, that the Xbox One S will come in white from the off. It will also be able to stand vertically.
READ: Xbox E3 2016 Briefing: How to watch it and what to expect for the Xbox One
Price details are yet to leak, as is a release date, but the leaked images also state that the controller itself will also be streamlined.
The Xbox team will undoubtedly be disappointed that it hasn’t remain a secret until tomorrow, but considering how good the new device looks, we’re sure that it’ll still get plenty of whoops and cheers.
NeoGaf
‘Titanfall 2’ explores the human-robot link on October 28th
EA isn’t waiting until its big E3 shindig to say more about Titanfall 2. The publisher has followed up leaks by posting a trailer revealing the first few details of Respawn’s next robotic shooter, including its widely-reported single-player campaign. You take the role of Jack Cooper, a Militia soldier who links with a Titan after its previous pilot is killed in action. From all indications, that human-robot connection will play a central role in the story — your Titan is as much a friendly helper as it is a relentless war machine.
As for the actual gameplay mechanics? There are six new Titans for multiplayer play as well as more weapons, greater customization (including new pilot skills) and a “robust” progression system. Titanfall 2 should drop on October 28th for PC, PS4 and Xbox One. We suspect that EA might have more to say about the game at its E3 event at 4PM Eastern today (the 12th), but what’s public is already a good indication of what to expect.
Update: EA showed off multiplayer at its E3 event (you can see the trailer below), and there are fresh movement elements such as grappling hooks and sliding. Naturally, this also gives you a good peek at the new Titans and weapons. And to round things out, there’s news of a multiplayer test ahead of the game’s launch, if you want to see what all the fuss is about.
Source: EA
Ben Heck’s sci-fi movie prop
In this week’s episode, Ben and Karen redesign a mouse and keyboard to make a science-fiction movie prop — a process that involves reused scrap salvaged from the Salvage Wars, a 3D printer and a laser cutter. We also get an update on the Hackmanji board game from an earlier episode. If you know your ones from your zeros, get in touch to help out with much-needed logic puzzles — your contributions may be featured in the build! Join the Ben Heck Show team on the element14 Community page for project ideas as well as discussions with like-minded makers and engineers.
AIVAnet 