DNC, RNC streaming options include Twitch and Bing
The US’ big political parties are seemingly determined to outdo each other in terms of ways to watch their conventions online. To start, the Democratic Party has unveiled livestreaming plans that will let you watch its National Convention on seemingly every modern platform under the Sun. On top of Twitter and its own site, the party will stream through Bing, YouTube and… Twitch. That’s right — you can witness an important part of the electoral process in between League of Legends and Overwatch viewing sessions. The convention will also be live on Amazon’s Fire TV, the Apple TV, Roku players and your Xbox, in case you’d rather see the nominations on a big screen.
The Republican Party hasn’t announced similarly broad plans so far — we’ve asked Twitch about what it’s doing — but you shouldn’t be hurting for convention viewing choices on that front, either. You’ll get livestreaming through the Republican National Convention website, Bing, YouTube (including Fox News) and the RNC’s own mobile app. The one certainty: the days of having to sit down in front of the TV are long gone, regardless of where you sit on the political spectrum.
Source: 2016 DNCC (PR Newswire), Bing Blogs
Nissan announces a suite of auto-drive features
Nissan is getting in on the semi-autonomous driving function game, having launched a suite of them on Wednesday. Unlike Tesla’s automated options, Nissan made sure to stress they’re intended only to assist rather than outright replace drivers.
The ProPilot suite is capable of driving a vehicle on a single-lane motorway as well as navigate congestion if required, but it’s only meant to help drivers get through these obstacles rather than taking over completely.
There’s a special button on the steering wheel that will activate ProPilot, which helps maintain a safe distance from a car in front of you without requiring any input from the driver as far as the steering, acceleration or brakes go. Drivers’ hands must be kept on the wheel the entire time, and the wheel is released there’s an alarm that goes off after 10 seconds.
The first vehicle to include these options will be a special Serena minivan that goes on sale in Japan as of next month. There are plans in the future to implement the ProPilot suite in Qashqai SUV crossovers in the future as well as to roll out the feature in the US and China over the next few months.
This news comes hot on the tail of a recent crash involving a Tesla vehicle’s autopilot feature, but Nissan has declined to comment specifically on that event. The company plans to introduce autonomous multiple-lane driving by 2018 and other additional functions for urban driving.
Via: Reuters
Alcatel Idol 4S arrives in the US with VR goggles for $350
Now that high-end phone makers Samsung, LG and HTC have had their fun in the sun, it’s time for their more affordable counterparts to enjoy the limelight. Alcatel is bringing its Idol 4S flagship to the US for a pre-order price of $350 ($400 retail), and you can start ordering at 8 a.m. PT on July 15 via Alcatel’s website. The company is also offering an installment payment option that lets you get the Idol 4S at $37 a month.
What’s unique about the Idol 4S is its packaging. The phone will come in a plastic box that’s part VR goggles and part container for the included accessories such as JBL headphones, screen protector and protective Incipio case. The Idol 4S VR goggles look very similar to Samsung’s Gear VR, except it has touch controls on the bottom instead of the right side, and its head strap has a cushioned back piece for a more comfortable fit.
Goodies aside, the device also squeezes a bunch of impressive features for the compelling price. You’ll get an octa-core Snapdragon 652 CPU, 3GB of RAM and a 5.5-inch Quad HD AMOLED display. Unlike the international version, the American Idol 4S will have a fingerprint sensor on the rear for easier unlocking and payments.
At its retail price, the Idol 4S will go toe to toe with ZTE’s Axon 7 and the OnePlus 3, which all cost $400. The ZTE and OnePlus devices are both equipped with the same Snapdragon 820 CPU that powers this year’s high-end flagships, so it will be interesting to see if the Idol 4S’ Snapdragon 652 setup can keep pace.
The Idol 4S also packs dual JBL speakers that can pump out sound through the back and the front of the phone, a 16-megapixel rear camera with 360-degree image capture built in, as well as a dual SIM card slot. It will ship with Android 6.0.1 Marshmallow, with a promised update to Android N (although time frame is uncertain at the moment).
With so many goodies included regardless of whether you pre-order, the Idol 4S is quite the bargain, and a relatively easy way to check out the world of VR.
‘Pokémon Go’ to Feature Retailer-Sponsored Locations
Niantic Labs, the developer behind the hit augmented reality game Pokémon Go, today hinted to the Financial Times that it plans to allow retailers and other companies to introduce sponsored locations in the future as a way to monetize the app.
Real world locations in Pokémon Go serve as “Pokéstops” for collecting in-game items and power-ups including “Pokéballs” or as “gyms” for battling the pokémon of other players. Right now, Pokéstops and gyms are largely located at notable landmarks like parks and statues, but may expand to encompass retailer-sponsored locations.
Niantic Labs’ previous app, Ingress, featured similar branded portals purchased by retailers like Jamba Juice and Zipcar. Advertisers who purchased portals through Niantic Labs paid on a “cost per visit” basis, and a similar tactic could be used in Pokémon Go.
John Hanke, chief executive of Niantic, which developed Pokémon Go in partnership with the Japanese games group, said “sponsored locations” would provide a new revenue stream, in addition to in-app purchases of power-ups and virtual items. […]
Alongside in-app payments, “there is a second component to our business model at Niantic, which is this concept of sponsored locations”, Mr Hanke said, where companies “pay us to be locations within the virtual game board — the premise being that it is an inducement that drives foot traffic”.
Niantic CEO John Hanke declined to tell Financial Times about any sponsorship deals already in the works for Pokémon Go, but code within the app discovered this morning suggests a deal may have been established with McDonald’s. McDonald’s imagery is included in the app and the McDonald’s name is listed in the app’s code.
Image via Gizmodo
Pokémon Go has become a global phenomenon since its launch last week, earning an estimated $1.6 million in daily revenue with more than 7.5 million downloads in the United States. The app received its first update yesterday, fixing a number of bugs and changing Google permissions that sparked privacy concerns.
Tag: Pokémon GO
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The Rise and Rise of Mobile Gaming
There was a time that the phone was used to talk to people. With the evolution of smartphone technology though, it seems that we spend more time playing games on our devices that we do using them to communicate.
As the world of technology keeps on moving, and improvements give smartphones and tablets give them more power and better graphics, the games are improving too. This is why there has been a sharp rise in the use of these devices as mobile gaming devices.
Whether you are a fan of online slots, bingo, or many of the Candy Crush Saga clones there is plenty of choice on your mobile device when it comes to playing games. With the rise of free-to-play games which let you pay through in-game transactions, finding the right game for you is becoming even easier. While more and more people move to mobile gaming, the popularity of tablets also appear to be growing even more popular.
The reason for this may be that the size of gaming screen is increased, but another factor is also the versatility of the tablets that are being made available to the market. A good example of this is the NVidia Shield that not only allows you to use the tablet as an Android device, but it also lets you stream PC games with relative ease.
Even if you are not a fan of PC games there is plenty of choice for games to play. Online bingo gives you more fun, and this is an area hat have taken full advantage of mobile devices for the gamers. Through smart use of the new technology available, and shrewd use of increasing internet speeds these companies have managed to stay ahead of the game. Thankfully while legislation around these games may have been relaxed, protection for the player is still in place to help them gamble responsibly.
Whether you are a fan of these online casinos, or you are more of a Candy Crush Saga type of gamer there is plenty of choice out there in the world of mobile gaming. With technology getting ever better, it is a safe bet that mobile gaming is set to continue to grow well into the future.
The Love of the Retro Games
Whatever age you are, there are many games you can look back on with love. These were the games you grew up with, the first ones you played, and the ones that have stuck with you to this very day. With that in mind we decided to take a look at how you can go back to those classic days of gaming, whether you play mobile casino games, or the likes of Sonic the Hedgehog.
The Retron 5
For most of us retro gaming is based on consoles that have now been replaced by the likes of the Xbox One and PlayStation 4. Before these we had the likes of the Super Nintendo and Megadrive, consoles created by Nintendo and SEGA during the so called console wars.
The Retron 5 allows you to go back to the days of the Megadrive and Super Nintendo, and even further back to the NES and Master System. With access to other consoles like the Gameboy the Retron 5 allows you to play games you once owned on your modern television, without the worry of working out how to connect your console to it.
The Super Retro Trio
The Super Retro Trio is similar to the Retron 5, but misses out the Gameboy support. What it does give users though is more connection options, making it a more versatile console. Another plus to the Trio is the fact it is also cheaper, which may make it a better option for some of the more cash strapped players out there.
Sega Master System and Game Gear Portable
If you want something a little more portable, the Sega Master System and Game Gear Portable is an easy way to play these old games on the move. With plenty of people having fond memories of the games on these systems, there is no doubt there is a demand for this portable device.
For retro gamers, there is plenty of choice of how to play their games. You don’t need to be restricted to consoles, as there is plenty of access on the PC, as well as mobile devices. Whatever your style of gaming, there is plenty of choice out there for you.
The Growing Popularity of Multi-Player Gaming
If you are over a certain age you’ll remember the fun of playing against your friend on your favourite game. The problem with this of course is that it restricted the amount of people who could play to two, or in special cases maybe four. Looking at games now, the times have changed with some games offering a huge amount of players to play at the same time.
With console gaming and the growth of the internet we’ve seen multi-player games become easier to play. These games on the latest consoles can have eight players or more playing at the same time. The PC of course is the king of multi-player allowing a huge number of people to play.
The number of people you play against depends on the game. If you go with no deposit bingo for an example, then there won’t be that many people playing at the same time. You’ll be able to play with your friends though and enjoy the experience just like a more traditional version of the game.
If you want to play an online game where you are in an open world, like World of Warcraft or The Division then the number of players grows based on the limitations of the game. These numbers can be huge though, as the name massively multi-player online game (MMO) suggests.
One of the most popular style of multiplayer of course is the first-person shooter which normally have teams up to sixteen players. Overwatch is an example of these type of games where it is a four vs. four battle structure and focuses on team work.
With games like this, it could be easy to forget the single-player games, but there will always be the need for this type of game. We don’t always want to play against other people, sometimes it is nice to play alone. Even when we play solo though the internet allows us to challenge other people in various ways.
Multi-player games will get stronger the more processing power we get and the faster the Internet gets. With no sign of the evolution of either of these technologies slowing down anytime soon, multi-player games will get better and better.
Tablets Becoming the Number One Mobile Gaming Device
While smartphones have led to the rise of mobile gaming and led to a surge in the play style, one problem it has is the size of screen. This is why tablets are starting to claim dominance with gamers and is becoming the mobile gaming device of choice.
What the tablet brings is the versatility of the smartphone, including the ability to do online gaming but most importantly it offers more power and bigger screens. Gaming is evolving at a rate that even mobile gaming is requiring more graphical power, and the games are becoming more complex. It comes as no surprise that gamers are now looking to the tablet and their increased size to give that needed screen space for their games.
What tablets hold is the ability not only to host graphically complicated games, but also the versatility to play many types. If you like to create chance with bingo sites, or slots, or the latest version of Candy Crush Sage, the choice is there. While some games may not happily sit well on the smartphone, the tablet gives the ability to play whatever you want.
Another aspect of the tablet is game streaming, and this has been made possible by the NVidia Shield. What makes this tablet different than most is the fact that not only is it designed to be an Android tablet, but it is also designed to allow streaming of PC games onto the tablet device. This includes controls that make it easy for the player to play the game, which is obviously important.
With the rise of tablets as the mobile device of choice it is likely that we’ll see this trend grow. The smartphone will always sit next to the tablet, offering a more pocket friendly device that can be used on the move, but the tablet offers that needed versatility for true gaming pleasure.
It will be interesting to see what the future holds for tablets, and how the innovation in processors and GPUs improve the world of mobile gaming. What we do know is that tablets are here to stay, and mobile gaming is set to reach all new heights.
Gaming Gadgets of the Future
Gaming technology is moving at a fast rate right now, and it’s a very good time to be a gamer. With this in mind we’ve decided to take a look at some of the big trends heading our way in the next few years, and look at how they’ll shape the future of gaming.
VR and AR Headsets
If you have an Xbox One, PlayStation 4, or PC you’ll know that virtual reality and augmented reality is the new technology that is creating a buzz. It may be expensive right now, but with the Oculus Rift and HTC Vive on the market, you can now experience the world of virtual reality. You just need a high-end PC and lots of cash to do it. It should be noted that hope is on the horizon with PlayStation VR though that offers the experience at a cheaper price.
Microsoft are also offering HoloLens which is more of an augmented reality headset. Adding computer generated graphics onto the environment around you, the results are very impressive. While many games that use these technologies do feel like technical demonstrations right now this will soon change. It won’t be long before you are shooting zombies in your favourite FPS, or even stepping into a virtual casino , or get more with bingo.
Gaming Vests
One of the problems with virtual reality is how to add some feedback to the user so that they feel the world they are playing in. with vests like the Kor-FX gaming vest the user will be able to feel the world around them, making the experience even more real.
Advanced Gaming Mice
Moving away from virtual reality, there are also advanced coming to input devices. One example of this is the Naos Quantified Gaming Mouse. This mouse has in-built sensors that take reading tracking your heartrate, skin responses and your overall gaming speed. This kind of data can have many uses, including manipulating horror games based on how scared you are.
There are many new advances coming in the world of gaming, and these are just some that caught our eye. With these kind of new technologies on the way, the world of gaming is set to become very interesting indeed.
House of Marley Get Together portable audio system is worthy of your One Love (review)
One love, one heart
Let’s get together and feel all right
Hear the children cryin’ (one love)
Hear the children cryin’ (one heart)
Sayin’ give thanks and praise to the Lord and I will feel all right
Sayin’ let’s get together and feel all right
(opening lyrics from Bob Marley’s One Love)
Bob Marley was a legendary musical artist that inspired his listeners with his unique style and lyrics. Sadly Bob Marley was taken from this world at age 36 in 1981, yet he lives on through his music that brings happiness to anyone who listens to it. If you have listened to his music, you can feel his love and passion for togetherness and even though he moved on, his message holds as much power today as it did when he first created the music.
AndroidGuys is far from a site that takes a politcal stance, yet with all of the tragedies that have occurred in 2016, you would hope that people listened to his music and learned to use love over violence to solve the world’s problems.
Bob Marley also lives on through a company called House of Marley, which was founded by the Marley family to spread Bob’s values of equality, sustainability, and charity. It continues to carry on the message through electronic accessories like headphones and speakers, and from my experience, does a pretty great job.
I’ve been using the House of Marley Get Together wireless audio system, and it is my new One Love when it comes to portable speakers.
Let’s check it out.
Sustainable design
The House of Marley Get Together speaker isn’t something you would expect when you think of Rastafari and Jamaica which is what we associate with Bob Marley. Instead the Get Together speaker is more of a modern design. It has a clean front and back made from bamboo, surrounded by an eco friendly exclusive fabric called REWIND which is made from cotton, hemp and recycled plastic bottles.
Out of the box, the first thing I noticed was how heavy the speaker is weighing in at six pounds. Looking at the speaker you can see why it is so heavy – it has two 3.5″ woofers with two 1″ tweeters installed in what looks like half an inch of bamboo at the front.
The exterior is neatly covered in gray REWIND fabric with four touch controls at the top right. The controls include the +/- symbols for controlling the volume, a Bluetooth button for pairing to your favorite device, and a power button. There is also an LED indicator which lets you know if you’re paired to a device and powered on.
On the back of the Get Together is a bass port, DC in charging port, USB out, and an auxiliary 3.5mm audio input.
The Get Together is a typical speaker in design, but it uses environmentally friendly resources to build it. House of Marley used responsibly harvested certified wood, and recycled materials to minimize the environmental impact which is a rarity amongst manufacturers who make disposable electronics. It typically requires much more planning and engineering to use eco friendly materials, yet House of Marley engineers did that while keeping the cost in line with similar spec’d devices at $199.99.
Usage
What you notice first about the Get Together audio system is its incredible look. The gorgeous bamboo front and back, mixed in with the REWIND fabric give this speaker an ultra modern look that sets itself apart from the crowd of silver, black and white speakers we are all accustomed to. What I love about the high quality bamboo is that no two speakers will ever look alike. All wood grain has unique characteristics, and this speaker looks like it belongs in a penthouse loft.
At six pounds, this speaker isn’t quite as portable as ones that you can throw in your back pocket. The weight has a purpose where it has two 3.5″ drivers with two full tweeters at the corners that give the Get Together sound that even Bob Marley would be proud of. While many speakers today put a lot of emphasis on bass, House of Marley opted to focus on clear and detailed sound versus going with overpowering lows. The bass comes from the bass port in the back, so if you want to hear more bass in your music, all you have to do is put the back of the speaker closer to a wall and the bass will reflect.
The lack of protective grills for the 3.5″ speakers is another sign this speaker isn’t designed to be taken with you on all of your excursions. 
It’s made for picnics, hanging out at the park, or outdoors at a party. While it isn’t as portable as pocketable speakers, it uses that weight and size to pump out very loud sound that is crisp and balanced, but detailed at low and max volumes. When I compare the sound to the identically priced Bose Soundlink Mini II, it is a sound that is worth carrying the extra five pounds for. The Get Together was made to enjoy with friends, whereas the Bose Soundlink Mini II is more of a personal speaker. If I was stuck with one speaker for the next five years, I would take my $200 and spend it on the House of Marley Get Together 10/10 times over the Bose Soundlink Mini II.
Classic rock, reggae, country, jazz, rap, R&B and even classical all sound fantastic on the Get Together. It’s a speaker made for all music, and is one that will be my goto over all other portable speakers unless I need one that is rugged and waterproof.
The USB out port on the backside of the speaker can also charge your phone while it streams music through the speaker. I’ve consistently averaged eight hours of battery life at 50-75% of the max volume.
Overall I couldn’t be more pleased with the House of Marley Get Together speaker.
Conclusion
In a world of disposable electronics, I love that House of Marley is focused on taking care of the environment by using sustainable materials. And in a world of tragedies, hate, violence and poverty, I love that House of Marley uses the name and brand to give back to children through its 1love charity.
Bob once said, “The greatness of a man is not in how much wealth he acquires, but in his integrity and his ability to affect those around him positively.” These are the family-run charities dedicated to that idea.
Bob Marley’s passion for making this a world a better place lives on through his music and the gadgets that House of Marley makes like the Get Together speaker. As I’ve been listening to music from Bob Marley while I write this review, I could imagine him being very proud of his family for representing him the way he would have wanted. The Get Together not only looks unique and luxurious, but it also sounds fantastic. Highs and mids are extremely detailed from the 1″ tweeters, and lows are deep but not overpowering.
If you have $200 to spend, you won’t find a more well rounded speaker than the Get Together.
You can pick up your own House of Marley Get Together at http://www.thehouseofmarley.com, Amazon.com, Best Buy, and B&H Photo.
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