A live action ‘Pokemon’ movie could finally happen after ‘Go’
Following the smashing success of Pokemon Go, Legendary Pictures is reportedly working harder to secure rights to the Pokemon franchise for a live action film, Deadline reports. We first heard that the studio — which was behind recent geek-friendly films like Warcraft, Pacific Rim and Godzilla — was trying to capture the Pokemon license back in April. As is usually the case with film rights, these things take time. It makes sense for Legendary to make a bigger push for the franchise now, given just how well Pokemon Go has taken off. It’s credited for increasing Nintendo’s overall value by $7.5 billion on Monday, even though the console maker is only a partial owner in The Pokemon Company.
Via: Polygon
This is the Gear S2’s upcoming software refresh
According to a recent leak, Samsung is preparing a fresh software update for the Gear S2 smart watch. A collection of images were posted by SamMobile and show a number of welcome new features and user interface changes.
Undoubtedly the biggest update to the watch software is the ability to install recommended apps right from the watch itself. The current software requires you to use the paired smartphone if you want to download any of the recommended applications. From the language of the original post, it seems as though this feature might only apply to the recommended apps that show up in the “get more apps” screen on the watch itself.
As well as changes to the downloading capabilities of the Gear S2, Samsung is seemingly playing with a couple of design tweaks in the world clock app and the weather app.
The clock face in the world clock app turns dark at night time and light during the day. As well as that, tapping on the time in a particular location will give you sunrise and sunset information for that time zone as well as the time. As for the weather app, that’s being updated with a new UV index.
SamMobile
Like Android Wear, it looks as though Samsung’s next Tizen update for Gear S2 will also include the ability to set your own photo as a watch face, and choose from up to 10 different photos.
Apart from the design changes, Sammy is also expected to enhance S Voice’s capabilities, including the ability to start a timer with a voice command. It’s claimed that we’ll also see a new separate contacts app, as well as phone and messages applications.
No specific information has been given on when the watch OS will be updated, but it’s likely to be a minor side-mention during the Galaxy Note 7 event on August 2.
ZTE’s affordable Axon 7 arrives today to take on OnePlus
ZTE is ready to let the public get their hands on the Axon 7. The all-metal smartphone is available for pre-order at $400 starting today via ZTEUSA.com, Amazon, Best Buy, B&H and Newegg.
At that price, ZTE is hoping the Axon 7 can take on the likes of costlier rivals such as Samsung’s Galaxy S7, HTC’s 10 and LG’s G5. It is armed with the same Snapdragon 820 CPU with 4GB of RAM and 2K screen resolution as those competitors.
However, the Axon’s $400 price tag is the same as the OnePlus 3, which also sports a Snapdragon 820 chip, but comes with a whopping 6GB of RAM. The OnePlus 3’s display is a less-sharp 1080p, though.
Its high-res AMOLED panel helps the Axon 7 achieve compatibility with Google’s Daydream mobile VR platform, and the company says the device will be Daydream-ready by the fall.
The Axon 7 is a step up from its predecessor in many ways, but the most obvious improvement is its design. ZTE partnered with BMW Designworks in crafting the Axon 7, and the result is a handsome handset that I couldn’t keep my hands off of when I saw it in May.
Other highlights include a 20-megapixel camera that features dual or “hybrid” image stabilization (IS), which is a blend of optical and digital IS, loud speakers powered by two sound chips and a dual SIM slot. As with previous Axon devices, ZTE is offering its Passport 2.0 warranty service that provides replacements or loaners if you break your phone within two years of purchase. That’s a solid bundle of features for the price. If you’re already sold and will be pre-ordering, you won’t have to wait long to get the phone; The Axon 7 starts shipping July 27th.
The Star Wars Gallery is a love letter to ‘The Force Awakens’
On the fourth floor of Harrods, the ludicrously luxurious department store in London, a special exhibition has been set up inside The Disney Store. Out of sight, locked behind an unremarkable black door, is a collection of items meticulously adapted from Star Wars: The Force Awakens. Poe Dameron’s X-Wing helmet. Kylo Ren’s lightsaber. Chewbacca’s bowcaster. Each is based on a 3D scan of the original movie prop, and built with an expensive mixture of 3D-printed materials, forged and cast items.
All of the pieces have been created by Propshop, a company that has long produced physical props and digital assets for the movie industry. The team is based in Pinewood Studios, where some of The Force Awakens was shot, and has Rogue One: A Star Wars Story and Episode VIII on its resume. Outside of the sci-fi franchise, it’s also worked on Spectre, The Martian and Ex Machina, as well as Guardians of the Galaxy and The Dark Knight Rises.
Each replica is virtually identical to its on-set counterpart. Some of them are available to order online too, but be warned — they’re not cheap. Kylo Ren’s helmet, for instance, will set you back £1,800 ($2,000). For that price, you also get a stand, a chip that proves its authenticity, and a wooden crate inspired by the packaging that was used for the original prop.
These “Ultimate Studio Edition” replicas aren’t the sum of the “Star Wars Gallery” experience, however. Propshop has also reconstructed the Millennium Falcon cockpit — complete with pilot, co-pilot and passenger seats — and the curved sofa where the film’s heroes play a game of Holochess. A couple of minor elements have been changed — one set of levers was switched out to make the cockpit more durable — but otherwise, it’s an absurdly accurate recreation of the legendary spaceship. Oh, and you’re allowed to sit in the pilot’s seat, provided you don’t touch anything.
Dotted throughout the exhibition are a few character statues, including Rey, Kylo Ren and a First Order Stormtrooper. My personal favourite was BB-8, although sadly it’s unable to roll around or make any of its trademark beeps and boops. For that, you’re better off buying the toy by Sphero.
Before you leave, Harrods and Propshop will invite you to sit inside a room with a spherical camera array. Fifty DSLRs will capture your head simultaneously, giving the team the data it needs to 3D print your likeness. Should you have a spare £1,595 floating around, you can then order a custom Stormtrooper, Rebel pilot or Tie fighter pilot with your face on it. The figures stand at nearly half a meter tall and take 16 weeks to build and deliver — again, with a certificate of authenticity and a branded crate.
If, like me, you don’t have the cash to spend on such exorbitant items, you can still look around and admire Propshop’s handiwork. Admission is free, but you’ll need to book in advance online — the gallery shuts at the end of August, so an early booking is recommended to avoid disappointment.
Source: Star Wars Gallery
Island dwellers map their country with Sheep View 360
Google has captured all kinds of places on cam for Street View, from the Batcave to Mt. Everest, but it hasn’t had the chance to visit the Faroe Islands yet. The tiny and remote archipelago in the middle of the North Atlantic Ocean has almost twice as many sheep (80,000) as people (49,188). So when one of its residents decided to take matters into her own hands, she enlisted the help of five fluffy ruminants for a project that’s aptly called Sheep View 360.
Since Durita Dahl Andreassen and her fellow islanders didn’t have access to Google’s Trekkers and cars, they attached 360-degree cameras to harnesses and strapped them to the animals they chose. The cameras have solar panels to harness energy from the sun, and they send pictures with GPS coordinates back to Andreassen who then uploads them to Street View. The result, as you can see below, gives you a chance to explore the islands through the eyes of a sheep.
Despite the success of Andreassen’s project, she’s very much aware of its limitations. A sheep, after all, wouldn’t be able to film Faroe Islands’ roads or the peak of its mountains. She’s still urging Google to drop by and map their nation in an effort to encourage tourists to visit, as well.
Source: Visit Faroe Islands
ICYMI: M&Ms vaccinating wild ferrets and Land Rover AI
Today on In Case You Missed It: The US Fish and Wildlife Service is trying to protect the endangered black-footed ferret by dropping vaccine-dipped M&Ms in rural areas of Montana, via a drone. Land Rover is testing an all-terrain autonomous driving system that can adapt to trail conditions and even alert other vehicles if anything gets stuck in the mud.
Be sure to read up on the mall security bot that may have run over a child and the grandpa who created a backyard paradise for his grandkids. As always, please share any interesting tech or science videos you find by using the #ICYMI hashtag on Twitter for @mskerryd.
‘Robot Wars’ returns to BBC Two on July 24th
Forty teams. New presenters. A bullet-proof arena. Nastier house robots.
Rejoice, for the return of Robot Wars cometh.
It’s been over a decade since homemade robots — each taking huge amounts of time and care to build — were pitted against each other in fights to the death, purely for the entertainment of a hydraulic fluid-thirsty crowd. And starting at 8PM on Sunday July 24th, a brand new six-part series will debut on BBC Two.
Expect twisted metal, burning rubber, flipper-induced acrobatics, and probably a couple of anticlimactic electronics failures. In short, utter carnage. Sure, Craig Charles will be notably absent, but that’s nothing the tears of a child clutching a heap of dead robot won’t make us forget about.
Source: Robot Wars (Facebook)
‘Pokémon Go’ sponsored locations to let brands in on the fun
While you’re trying to catch ’em all with Pokémon Go, the developers are figuring out how to make (more) money from the white hot augmented reality (AR) game. Along with the existing in-app purchases from “PokéCoins,” developer Niantic says it will use sponsored locations as another way to cash in, according to the Financial Times. “There is a second component to our business model at Niantic, which is this concept of sponsored locations,” Chief Executive John Hanke told the FT.
Sponsorships make a lot of sense for Pokémon Go, because retailers are already paying to set Pokéstop “lures” to draw players. Also, Niantic is familiar with the concept thanks to its other AR game, Ingress. With that app, sponsors like Duane Reade pharmacies in the US and Vodafone in Germany pay to turn their locations into “portals,” drawing extra foot traffic. With Pokemon Go, advertisers would be charged for every customer visiting a store, as confirmed by the app.
In just a week, Pokémon Go has become the most downloaded and top-grossing app on Android and iOS in the US, and has 21 million active (and I do mean active) daily users as of yesterday. It’s not clear how much money the app is actually generating, though some analysts think it could make a $1 billion a year if it can keep up its current momentum.
Niantic is an independent company, but is funded by both Nintendo and Google parent Alphabet. Pokémon Go, meanwhile was jointly developed by Niantic and the Pokémon company, which is 32 percent owned by Nintendo. The success of the game has increased Nintendo’s value by billions of dollars in just two weeks.
Niantic has promised to release more information “in the future” about any Pokémon Go sponsorship deals. As with Ingress, it will no doubt introduce them carefully so as not turn off players. Businesses will need to be equally careful, as the game has drawn mobs of users to various locations, sometimes for the good and sometimes the not-so-good.
ABC Rebrands iOS and Apple TV Apps With ‘Throwback’ Shows and New Interface
ABC today announced a rebranding of its Watch ABC app for iOS and Apple TV devices, now simply called “ABC,” aimed at offering a wider breath of content as well as new, exclusive digital series for users who download the app. The interface has also been redesigned and the app is exclusive to iPhone, iPad, and Apple TV (via Entertainment Weekly).
One of the more interesting aspects of the new ABC app is that the network has added 38 full seasons of “throwback” shows, meaning that anyone can download the app and watch entire seasons of now-cancelled ABC series, without having to sign into a paid TV service account. Some of these old shows include Ugly Betty, Schoolhouse Rock, Ellen, My So-Called Life, and Dinosaurs.
“Our team has completely re-imagined the digital viewing experience for ABC fans,” said Karin Gilford, ABC’s senior vice president of digital media, in a statement. “In addition to the current ABC shows that fans know and love, we are introducing new ABCd original digital series that are fun, fresh and perfect for mobile, and we are making full seasons of all-time favorite shows available for binging.”
Otherwise, ABC will function much in the same fashion as its predecessor, allowing those who can provide proof of a TV subscription access to brand-new episodes of the latest TV from the network, like Scandal and Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., with the addition of new digital short-form video series. Users will also be able to stream live TV from within the app.
ABC is available to download from the iOS App Store for free. [Direct Link].
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‘Pokémon Go’ Now Considered ‘The Biggest Mobile Game in U.S. History’
One week after it launched in the United States, Pokémon Go is now the biggest mobile game in the country’s history, in statistics focusing on the amount of daily active users (DAU) the app draws. Within the first 24 hours of launch, Pokémon Go beat out popular games like Slither.io and Clash Royale, but didn’t have enough traction at the time to topple massive hits like Candy Crush Saga at its peak.
According to Survey Monkey, Niantic’s app has officially done just that, breaching Candy Crush Saga’s peak DAU as more and more users download the app. The numbers state that Pokémon Go has just under 21 million DAU in the United States alone, which dethrones Candy Crush Saga’s peak U.S. numbers of approximately 20 million DAU (on a worldwide scale, King’s app was reported to have 93 million DAU in its heyday). The record-breaking statistics make the new app “the biggest mobile game in U.S. history.”
Next, Survey Monkey thinks it’s possible for Pokémon Go to even topple Google Maps and Snapchat, as the augmented reality game’s user numbers continue to rise in the wake of positive and enthusiastic word-of-mouth. How long the game will remain in the public consciousness — particularly in comparison to the somewhat abandoned, first-party Nintendo app Miitomo — is the main question mark in Pokémon Go’s immediate future.
Tag: Pokémon GO
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