How ‘Game of Thrones’ put together its biggest battle yet
If you’re caught up on Game of Thrones, you’re probably still reeling from last night’s “The Battle of the Bastards.” The show is no stranger to big battle scenes, but it was an episode that still managed to outdo anything we’ve seen before when it comes to large-scale mayhem (even last year’s zombie-filled “Hardhome”). As you’d expect, it was all thanks to a smart combination of practical effects and CG, as the HBO behind the scenes feature below points out.
(Spoilers ahead, obviously.) To capture horses running at full tilt across the battlefield, director Miguel Sapochnik relied on a specialized remote controlled camera rig (dubbed the “Russian Arm”) that was sitting atop a Land Rover. And to turn its hundreds of extras into thousands, the show’s VFX artists implemented some heavy-duty crowd replication. There were also digital effects throughout the battle, including a swarm of arrows filling and falling from the sky, as well as composite effects weaved in to safely show things like soldiers flying off horses
Oh, and if you were wondering, that wonderful shot of Jon Snow confronting a wall of enemy soldiers on horseback, entirely on his own, was completely real.
Microsoft helps you create links to your phone apps
You know the problem — you want to go back to something you saw in a mobile app, but you either forgot to save your place or couldn’t save it at all. What to do? If Microsoft Research has its way, you’ll never be left scrambling again. Its uLink experiment creates links to mobile app pages on the fly, helping you find that hotel listing without having to re-do all the steps you took to see it. It’s a bit like Google’s deep app linking without the need to go online.
Don’t expect to see uLink everywhere in the near future. Microsoft has only shown it running in Android so far, and the current implementation is fairly basic (you shake your phone to add bookmarks and visit a simple app to see them). Regardless, it’s easy to see a future where you can always revisit specific spots in your favorite apps.
Source: Microsoft Research, YouTube
Spotify Has Twice as Many Paid Subscribers as Apple Music
Spotify confirmed to The Telegraph today that it now has more than 100 million monthly active users worldwide, including approximately 30 million monthly paying subscribers.
Comparatively, Apple services chief Eddy Cue announced at WWDC 2016 last week that Apple Music has 15 million paying subscribers, just two weeks before the streaming music service turns one year old. Apple Music was at 13 million subscribers in April and 11 million subscribers in February, meaning that it has been growing at a rate of about 2 million subscribers every two months.
Spotify, which launched in Europe in October 2008 and expanded to the U.S. in July 2011, thereby remains the world’s most popular streaming service, but Apple Music is quickly closing the gap. Both services cost $9.99 per month for individuals and $14.99 per month for families, while only Spotify offers a free ad-supported tier.
Nevertheless, Spotify recently said that Apple Music has helped, not hurt, its business. Since Apple Music launched on June 30, 2015, its European rival has grown at a faster pace than beforehand. Spotify has now surpassed Skype as the most lucrative European startup, with an estimated valuation of roughly $8.5 billion.
“It’s great that Apple is in the game. They are definitely raising the profile of streaming. It is hard to build an industry on your own,” Jonathan Forster, a vice president and one of its first employees, told Reuters in an interview.
“Since Apple Music started we’ve been growing quicker and adding more users than before.”
Despite rising users and revenues, Spotify continues to operate at a loss due to expensive royalties and revenue sharing with music label partners. The report claims Spotify’s losses rose by 10 percent to $195.7 million (173 million euros) last year, prompting some investors to question the viability of its business model.
Tags: Spotify, Apple Music
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E-Book Buyers to Start Receiving Credits on Tuesday as Part of Apple Price Fixing Settlement
Starting on Tuesday, June 21, U.S. customers who purchased e-books from Apple and other retailers like Amazon and Barnes & Noble will begin receiving payouts from the $450 million settlement Apple agreed to pay after being found guilty of conspiring to fix the prices of e-books.
Customers will be receiving a $6.93 credit for each book that was a New York Times bestseller, and a $1.57 credit for other e-books. Customers eligible for credits include those who purchased e-books between April 1, 2010 and May 21, 2012.
Attorneys say the process is uniquely simple for consumers — credits will be automatically sent directly into the accounts of consumers at major book retailers, including Amazon.com Inc., Barnes & Noble Inc., Kobo Inc. and Apple. Retailers will issue emails and put the credits in the accounts simultaneously.
If e-book purchasers requested a check in lieu of a credit, they will receive a check. If purchasers received a credit during the first round of distribution of publisher settlements, and they did not opt out, they will automatically receive a credit.
The U.S. Department of Justice first accused Apple and five other publishers — HarperCollins, Simon and Schuster, Hachette Book Group, Macmillan, and Penguin — of colluding to fix the prices of e-books in 2010, suggesting they had worked to raise prices of e-books to weaken Amazon’s dominant position in the market and restructure the business model of the industry.
While all of the publishers settled early on, Apple fought the accusation for years and maintained its innocence, but ultimately, a ruling in 2013 found the company guilty of price fixing. A series of appeals were unsuccessful, and after the Supreme Court declined to hear the case, Apple was forced to pay a $450 million settlement.
$400 million of that $450 million is earmarked for customers who purchased e-books, with $30 million going towards legal fees and $20 million going to states who were also involved in the lawsuit.
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Apple CEO Tim Cook to Host Fundraiser for House Speaker Paul Ryan
Apple CEO Tim Cook plans to co-host a fundraiser for House Speaker Paul Ryan next week in an attempt to strengthen Apple’s relationship with key Republicans, reports Politico. The announcement comes following news Apple has decided not to donate money and Apple products to the Republican National Convention, reportedly because of comments made by presumptive nominee Donald Trump.
Cook and Ryan will host a private breakfast on Tuesday, June 28 in Menlo Park alongside longtime Apple treasurer Gary Wipfler. Money raised will benefit Ryan and a fundraising committee that helps elect other House Republicans. Invitations were sent out today, and Politico was able to obtain one.
Cook is hosting the fundraiser on his own accord, as Apple does not have a corporate political action committee like Facebook, Google and other tech giants in Silicon Valley. Still, the move reflects Apple’s desire to court Republican and Democratic officeholders alike, even at a time when it has serious reservations about Trump, the GOP’s presumptive presidential nominee.
Over the weekend, Apple told Republican leaders it would not donate resources to the convention due to Trump’s comments on women, immigrants, and minorities, despite having traditionally made donations to both the Republican and Democratic conventions.
HP has also announced that it will not provide funding, but Facebook, Google, and Microsoft have all agreed to provide support to the upcoming event. It is not clear if Apple will donate to the Democratic convention.
As Politico points out, Cook has made an effort to bolster relationships with both Democrats and Republicans in the past, with donations to Senators and Representatives from each party.
Note: Due to the political nature of the discussion regarding this topic, the discussion thread is located in our Politics, Religion, Social Issues forum. All forum members and site visitors are welcome to read and follow the thread, but posting is limited to forum members with at least 100 posts.
Tags: Tim Cook, Paul Ryan
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iPhone 7 Rumored to Ship With Standard 3.5mm EarPods and Lightning Adapter
Apple’s iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus will be manufactured without a 3.5mm headphone jack, leading to speculation about the accessories that will be included alongside the two devices.
Lightning-equipped EarPods and wireless EarPods are two rumors that have been bandied about, but a new report from Japanese site Mac Otakara suggests Apple may ship the iPhone 7 with standard 3.5mm headphones and a 3.5mm jack to Lightning adapter to allow them to connect to the new devices.
Mac Otakara’s information comes from sources at Computex Taipei 2016 and the reliability of those sources cannot be confirmed. Shipping EarPods with a 3.5mm jack included seems like an unusual choice for Apple, even if an adapter is included in the box.
At Computex Taipei 2016, many manufacturers showcased their new Lightning audio adaptors, and it seems there has been rumors that the headphones to be included with the new iPhone 7 series will still come with its own headphone jack as usual, and that a Lightning headphone jack adaptor will also be included in the package.
Past rumors, including one from Mac Otakara itself, have suggested Apple will introduce a new EarPods design that connects to the iPhone via Lightning or Bluetooth, something that would better ease the transition away from the 3.5mm jack than an adapter. We’ve only heard a few rumors about the EarPods, though, so Apple’s exact plans remain unclear.
Mac Otakara’s report also reiterates claims 256GB of storage will be an option and suggests the iPhone 7 will feature speaker holes on both the right and left sides of the Lightning port, filling the space left by the headphone jack. Rather than introducing stereo sound, the site believes the two speakers will be “on a monaural system.”
Rumors about the fate of the space left by the removal of the headphone jack have been mixed. Early rumors pointed towards two speakers for stereo sound, but later rumors and design schematics have cast some doubt on whether the iPhone 7 will feature dual speakers.
A lot of the information we’re hearing about the iPhone 7 is mixed, making it difficult to narrow down the exact features we can expect to see, but the removal of the headphone jack is one of the most consistent rumors we’ve seen about the device. Other expected features include an iPhone 6s-style design with relocated antenna bands, faster LTE and Wi-Fi, a more water resistant casing, and dual cameras for the larger iPhone 7 Plus.
Related Roundup: iPhone 7
Tag: macotakara.jp
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Dead Zombie Land: Simple game that’s close to fun (Review)
Overview
Sometimes you’re just bored and you don’t really want to think too hard, but you want to play a game. A couple questions you can ask yourself. Do you like tap style game? Do you like zombies? If you answered yes to both then, Dead Zombie Land may be for you.
Developer: Cruel Bytes
Cost: Free with In-App purchases
Review
This game takes place in a post zombie apocalypse world where the zombies have won and rule the world. The main character, you, are a zombie as well and your head is about to explode. So your goal is to take out as many zombies as you can before that happens.
The concept is quite easy to understand. You have ten seconds to take out as many zombies as you can. Once you explode you respawn in a different location and you are given another ten seconds to get yourself in the position to take out more zombies. The catch is each time you have to take out more zombies than your previous attempt. So needless to say it gets harder each attempt. If you don’t explode more zombies than before, then the game is over.
The controls for this game are simple, swipe your character in the direction you want to go and tap if you want him to explode earlier. While these controls are simple, I did have problems with the swipe. It just wasn’t as responsive as it should be. I would swipe and he just didn’t seem to move much, if at all sometimes. This made it hard to maneuver into a large group of zombies This should be a simple adjustment.
The graphics are done well and mimic the block style made popular by Minecraft, It also incorporate Google Play Game’s leaderboards and achievements to compete against your friends. You may also connect ” Dead Zombie Land” with Facebook as well.
There are various levels of in-app purchases to purchase coins that allow you to buy different
characters. They vary from 1500 coins for $.99 to 12,500 coins for $5.99. You can also collect coins based on how many zombies you kill and you can watch videos as well to get coins,free of charge. If you share a gameplay video that nets you another 20 coins.
Conclusion
Dead Zombie Land isn’t an overly exciting game, but it is a time killer. I’m not sure how you make it more exciting as the general concept is not very appealing. I do give kudos however to the attempt at changing the way a tap game is done. If you’re interested in a game that will help you kill time when you’re bored, and don’t want to get hooked on a thriller, feel free to check out Dead Zombie Land at the Google Play Store.
Get Dead Zombie Land in the Play Store
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Inateck 2-Port USB Car Charger: 2 Ports and a bonus (Review)
I just recently wrote about an awesome 4-Port car charger from Inateck. It’s a sleek looking charger with a lot to offer. Today, from that same great company I present to you Inateck’s 2-Port USB car charger for $15.99. It not only has USB ports for charging your devices, but it has a little bonus.
In the box
- 2-Port car charger with built-in MFi Lighting cable
- Four-foot microUSB cord
Review
Inateck’s 2-Port car charger isn’t quite as sexy as the previous charger I reviewed, but that doesn’t mean it’s lacking the goods to make it worth your while. As you have seen the bonus is its built in MFi Lighting cable for Apple products. So when your non-Android friend forgets their charging cable, you’ll have their back.
Like many other modern chargers, it comes equipped with the built-in smart chip to deliver the safest current for your device. This lowers the risk of overheating, the potential of causing a fire and damage your device.
This 2-port charger’s outside is built with fire proof materials to ensure the highest standard of safety. It is also certified in many areas such as MFi, RoHS, CE, and FCC so you can rest assured it’s safe.
Summary
Inateck produces a reliable product that is gonna last and this product is no exception to the rule. This 2-Port charger with the lightning cable could be the life saver your friend needs. At $15.99 you can pick one up for yourself or even that friend.
Buy Inateck’s 2-Port Charger with Lightning cable
Gululu Water Bottle: Pricey, but fun (Review)
Keeping our kids healthy is one of the top priorities as parents. It has become increasingly harder to do so with all the fast food chains, numerous snacks, and drinks of all flavors. Getting them to drink water can be a task. Especially a 5-year-old who has just discovered the wonderous joys of sodas. But water is an essential part of life. Bowhead Technology has a Kickstarter that can change all that with its new Gululu Water Bottle.
Design
The Gululu water bottle is made of a durable rubber shell that withstands multiple drops, which is needed for kids. It comes in five different colors so they are sure to have something that will please your little ones.
The bottle can be taken apart into separate pieces. The main body is where all the sensors, screen, and the water is located. There are multiple sensors located throughout the bottle. The sensors and inclinometer on the inside are used to accurately measure how much water the child has consumed, while sensors on the outside allow the child to interact with the pet.
Also removable are the lid and the spout. The spout breaks down into two pieces that are easily replaced and is also BPA-free. The bottle is leakproof and waterproof, but it is not dishwasher safe, so make sure you hand wash it.
Charging is a breeze with is easy to use charging stand. Just plug the charging station in and sit the bottle on top and you’re good to go. It also links to WiFi for data transfer.
Setup
Setup takes no more than ten minutes with simple to follow instructions after downloading the app from the Play Store. Once you have created an account, you enter some information about your child and get a recommended water intake level.
Then comes the fun part for your child. They get to pick from three different cute companions that will accompany them on their healthy adventure. Once that is done, it will walk you through the steps to of connecting to the WiFi.
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Once you have set the bottle up, you can then adjust your settings in the app for more or less water, school mode and bed time. These two modes simply shut the companion down for a desired amount of time so there are no interruptions.
Review
Gululu is a neat water bottle that combines drinking water, virtual pets, and gamification. Think Tamagotchi pets on a water bottle. It makes drinking water fun as they help their new companion grow.
The sensors on the side allow the child to interact in fun ways. The companion will do a few different tricks depending on how you touch the sides. It also has a built-in feature that allows to kids to shake their bottles together and their pets can visit each other and become friends.
The app is a simple and useful tool for parents. You don’t have to be any kind of techie to understand how to use it. Once the bottle is in WiFi, the data is uploaded and then open it up and monitor your kid’s habits.
What is there negative to say about this device? I mean it’s got it all. There has to be a downside right? Usually, all that would be followed by a no, but in this case, it’s not. This bottle has a future retail price of $129 before shipping and taxes.
I realize there is a lot of technology in this bottle and I understand. But it is hard to pay that kind of money for an item like this. If you go to the Kickstarter you can get one before that price kicks in for $89, which may still be pricey.
Summary
With a colorful array of bottles to choose from, there is no doubt this bottle is cool. Kids love it and it’s a wonderful aid in keeping kids healthy. I’m not sure what the long term future holds in pricing terms. But I feel they will have to come down in price at some point.
The Kickstarter has less than 20 days and is fully funded and expected to deliver anywhere starting in Septemer.
Pre-Order on Kickstarter
Xbox One S vs Xbox One: What’s the difference?
With Sony revealing before E3 that an upgrade to PS4 would not appear at the show, the stage was set for Xbox to upstage its main rival with a hardware unveiling of its own.
It even revealed that two new consoles will be coming in the next 18 months: Project Scorpio in 2017 and the Xbox One S this year, in time for a Christmas push.
That complicates matters somewhat, because you might want to wait an extra year for a higher spec’ed machine. But should you be in the market for an Xbox in the interim, you’ll be wondering whether to get an Xbox One S when it is available or opt for an existing model, especially as it will undoubtedly be heavily discounted soon.
That’s why we’ve put them head-to-head in spec terms to help you make your mind up.
READ: Xbox One S preview: Thinner, better PS4 beater
Xbox One S vs Xbox One: Design
Design is undoubtedly the biggest and most noticeable change between the original Xbox One and the newer, slimmer Xbox One S. In fact, Microsoft has removed 40 per cent of the body mass, making a console that’s just over half the size of its predecessor.
Pocket-lint
It’s an important change, considering the huge size difference that exists between the PS4 and the Xbox One. As is the fact that you’ll be able place it vertically, and that the power brick is internal.
That means instead of having it lie flat, taking up tonnes of room on a shelf and having a chunky power brick lying next to it (or on the floor somewhere), it can neatly stand next to your TV with nothing but a couple of cables attached. It’s clearly a much neater all-round package.
Like the Xbox One, the One S’s has a two-face design. One half of the device has a single solid texture and matte finish, the other half is patterned.
Unlike the Xbox One, however, it has hundreds of machined holes and dots on one half, and not the diagonal line and slits. This is partly for aesthetic purposes, and partly for cooling. A large circle section underneath the machined holes acts as the air vent to cool all the internal components. Arguably, having it stand vertically with more of its surfaces exposed to the air will help cooling too.
Although it’s undoubtedly a much more aesthetically pleasing design in general, at the moment, it is limited to just the white finish initially. In contrast, the current Xbox one has a number of custom designs thanks to tie-ins with some of the most popular game titles. We expect the One S will soon join in with those, especially with the holiday season coming up in a few months.
Xbox One S vs Xbox One: Controller
While the console remains instantly recognisable, the updated Xbox Wireless Controller has seen some welcome changes.
Pocket-lint
It looks similar to the original but, like the console, is a touch sleeker and now has a grippy finish underneath the handles to ensure it stays in your hands and doesn’t slip out.
It also has twice the range of its predecessor, just so you won’t have to huddle around your TV so closely. And it works with Windows 10 PCs, tablets and phones via Bluetooth too.
READ: Xbox One S: Release date, specs and everything you need to know
Xbox One S vs Xbox One: Features
Apart from its design, the biggest change we see in the Xbox One S is that it’s 4K capable.
Not only can it stream 4K Ultra HD content from services like Netflix or Amazon Instant Video, but the console also supports 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray playback. This is a big deal for more than one reason, but predominantly because – for those you currently in the market for a decent Ultra HD Blu-ray player – you’ll struggle to find one as competitively priced.
Noot only are you getting a great gaming console, you’re also getting a 4K Blu-ray player for less than those from the likes of Samsung or Panasonic.
Xbox One S also supports HDR 4K content, meaning videos will be both sharper and feature a much higher dynamic range. In simple terms: If you have a 4K HDR TV, your movies are going to look awesome.
HDR capabilities also mean that your games will look better too. Darks will be much darker thanks to the higher contrast ratio. Although it doesn’t support 4K native gaming yet, it is capable of 4K upscaling, so even games should look better on a 4K TV.
In terms of other features, it’s a case of one lost, one gained. The Xbox One S doesn’t have a dedicated Kinect port, confirming that Microsoft isn’t as concerned about its motion-tracking technology as it once was. However, you will still be able to connect a Kinect using a USB adapter, plugged into the USB port on the console.
As for the one gained, the One S has an IR blaster built-in, so that you can switch on your TV, audio receiver or satellite receiver without needing to go hunting for all of your remotes.
The USB port is now on the front of the console too, rather than the side. As is the pairing button to connect to wireless controllers. And the on/off switch is physical on the Xbox One S rather than the touch panel found on the original Xbox One.
Xbox One S vs Xbox One: Pricing and availability
The 2TB launch edition of the Xbox One S is available to pre-order now for £349, but there will be both 500GB and 1TB versions of the console in the future, priced at £249 and £299 respectively. In comparison, you can pick up the current Xbox One in various bundles and deals starting from around £230.
If you are in a mad dash for an Xbox One because a game has just been released and you can’t wait a few months, you can probably find a bargain out there for the original model. But it could be worth holding off, especially if you have a 4K TV.
The 2TB model will be available from August, with the others following soon after.
Conclusion
If you’re already in the market for a 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray player, then it’s hard to see a reason not to buy an Xbox One S. Even if you already have an Xbox, it could be the sole reason to encourage you to upgrade.
HDR gaming might also be something you’d like to have for your brand, spanking new 4K TV. And the entry level price of the S is reasonable to say the least.
However, if you’re happy to wait and want true 4K gaming, you may be best to hold off until next year. Project Scorpio is coming at the end of 2017 with 4K gaming and high quality VR. But it will no doubt be very pricey on launch, so that could be a factor too. At least Microsoft has promised that all games released for Xbox will be compatible across all of its machines, just with slight benefits for the consoles with more oomph.
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