New Quake Champions trailer finally shows incredible gameplay
Bethesda pulled a great surprise out of the bag at the start of its E3 press conference in June, with the announcement of Quake Champions. But we were only treated to a pre-rendered trailer of the new competitive Quake game that didn’t really give much away.
Now QuakeCon is underway in Dallas and a new trailer has emerged, one that shows pure, fast and furious gameplay.
The first-person shooter reminds us a lot of the original Quakes, naturally, but also the Unreal Tournament franchise. There were fears during E3 about the different characters and abilities shown at the time, but looking at the action in the latest collection of clips, everything we know and love has been retained – including rocket jumps, oh yes!
The game promises to be incredibly quick and will certainly satisfy the hardcore fans. It also promises to be smooth, much like the recent Doom reboot. Even the YouTube video runs at 1080p in 60fps.
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- Doom review: Redefining the remake
It’ll be a while before you get your hands on it, however. A closed beta is planned for 2017, but beyond that no release date has been discussed as yet. You’ll have to keep your eyes on Quake.com to keep up to date with how to get onto the beta.
Bethesda is even yet to reveal what formats it will be coming to, but we expect PS4, Xbox One and PC at least.
What’s creepier than Stranger Things? Stranger Things in VR! Watch it here
Netflix Originals show Stranger Things has been critically revered since its debut in July. The creepy thriller series has become the most talked about thing in the Pocket-lint office and, if Twitter is any indication, pretty much everywhere else too.
It’s also one of the shows on Netflix that’s available in 4K, so can be viewed in Ultra HD on compatible TVs and devices, including the Nvidia Shield Android TV box and the new Xbox One S.
There’s another way to watch it too – at least, one specially made part. Netflix has created a spooky teaser for the show in 360-degree video, so you can visit one of the scenes from Stranger Things through a virtual reality headset.
The immersive clip is best viewed through a VR device, but can also be viewed online, with your mouse doing the scrolling. It lasts for around two minutes and sets the tone superbly for the show. Be warned though, it’s not for those with a nervous disposition.
Stranger Things is now available to watch on Netflix in the US and UK. There are eight episodes in season one, all of which are available on the platform now.
It is based in the 80s and Winona Ryder leads a stellar cast.
Rubik’s Cube goes high-tech with all-new Rubik’s Spark
Like Pokemon Go today, the Rubik’s Cube was a massive craze that lasted a fair while back in the 1980s but eventually died down. People still play with the puzzle toy, but its popularity is unlikely to ever reach the heights of its launch.
Instead, a new, high-tech twist on the Cube has been announced which could revitalise the interest of a more discerning, 21st century public: Rubik Spark.
It looks similar to the Rubik’s Cube. It is the same size. Seemingly has nine squares on each side and you hold it to play. However, all of the squares are white, and they don’t twist or turn individually. They light up instead.
LEDs inside the Rubik’s Spark light up as you rotate the cube, creating different games to play. And as well as solo gameplay, the new version has multiplayer modes.
“The Rubik’s Spark is a fun, electronic cube which includes lights and unique technology that allows the game to be controlled by tilting, turning and quick movements – we call this bubble control,” said Chrisi Trussell of the Rubik’s Brand.
“There are six game modes to get addicted to, five of which have 26 difficulty levels. There is also a fun extra game called Rubik’s DJ, which allows users to make their own music.”
It will be available soon from toy retailers and rubiks.com for around £20.
Nissan made a working prototype of its BladeGlider EV hotrod
Nissan is getting serious again about its futuristic BladeGlider EV. The delta-shaped, single-front-seater (with two rear seats) was first introduced in 2013, but after saying it might sell the car, the automaker quietly dropped the idea. Now, Nissan has revealed two working BladeGlider prototypes in Rio de Janeiro that it built in conjunction with Formula 1 fabricator Williams. With twin 130-kilowatt motors producing 268 horsepower and 521 pound-feet of instant torque (yep), the EV can get to 62 mph in under five seconds and reach a 115 mph top speed.
No concept car is complete without weird doors, so the BladeGlider has rear-hinged, dihedral ones. Other touches to impress the auto show crowd include three custom displays that show charging, torque status and the view from rear-facing cameras, wing mirrors, an open roof design with a roll-over bar, “agile” and “drift” modes, and epoxy resin seats with four-point harnesses. It’s equipped with a 220kW lithium-ion battery, but no endurance figures are provided.
Nissan is offering rides to the press in one of the vehicles, but the car still isn’t going into production. However, it said the vehicles “symbolize future technologies that will combine intelligent mobility, environmentally friendly impact and sports-car driving capabilities.” Check the video above to see it in action.
Via: Autoblog
Source: Nissan, Williams
‘Overwatch’ now has over 15 million players
It’s safe to say that Blizzard Entertainment’s foray into first-person shooters has been a successful one. After surpassing 7 million players in just over a week, Overwatch has seen that number double and now has 15 million people charging their ultimates. The news comes just days after Blizzard introduced its Olympic-themed “Summer Games,” which lets players buy sporting skins, sprays and other in-game items for their favorite characters.
With Warcraft now taking the Hollywood route (although a new expansion is coming), Overwatch is proving it’s more than capable of building a sizeable community. World of Warcraft reached 12 million players at its peak, but Blizzard’s first ever shooter has the advantage of being available on PC, PlayStation 4 and Xbox One.
With players logging 500 million hours (71 of them mine) in the game so far, Blizzard is keen to build on that momentum by releasing new content throughout the year. Earlier this month, the game got its first new player — a healing sniper called Ana — but gauging from the easter eggs included in the new Summer Games release, we may soon learn who the mystery “Sombra” is.
Over 15 million Overwatch players? Whoo! Get HYPE!
Thanks for believin’, heroes. 💙💚❤️ pic.twitter.com/C1us6IBDyO
— Overwatch (@PlayOverwatch) August 4, 2016
Via: Polygon
High school in Japan to offer drone and robotics course
In the latest installment of ‘Japan is too cool and I wish I grew up there,’ one private high school has announced a new course dedicated to drones and robotics. While the specifics are a little hazy, RocketNews24 is reporting that it’s a full-time, three-year program that kicks off next April. Presumably, successful applicants won’t have to take any other classes (no algebra or history? Sign me up.) It’s an educational gamble, but one that could make graduates ultra-hireable for Amazon, Google and the like. Or simply well-suited for a University course that specialises in either field.
The new Vantan High School curriculum will reportedly cover drone piloting and maintenance, as well as system programming and an overview of aviation and radio laws. The course will be open to junior high school students, as well as existing Vantan learners and other high school students that wish to transfer across. I’m not jealous. Nope. Not one bit.
Via: Nifty, RocketNews24
Source: Vantan High School
Accessibility Software Suffers Following Apple’s Faceshift Acquisition
Back in September, MacRumors uncovered evidence that Apple had acquired Zurich-based real-time capture firm Faceshift, in a move possibly related to the development of biometrics for unlocking devices or authorizing payments through facial recognition techniques. Apple later confirmed the purchase in a statement.
Before the acquisition, Faceshift worked closely with game and animation studios on technology designed to quickly and accurately capture facial expressions using 3D sensors.
One of the lesser known aspects of Faceshift’s business was licensing out its face tracking SDK to other companies, one of which was Xcessity, a small Austrian firm that specializes in designing human-computer interaction software to improve accessibility.
One of the most popular products made by the firm is KinesicMouse, which enables disabled people and those with degenerative conditions like Parkinson’s disease to control a mouse through facial expressions. The functionality of the KinesicMouse software – which is also used in hospital settings – depended heavily on the SDK developed by Faceshift, which received a royalty fee for every purchased license.
Earlier this week, Xcessity CEO Markus Pröll revealed in a tweet and a post on the Xcessity forum that Faceshift had revoked the license following Apple’s acquisition of the company, and that he would no longer be able to develop or offer the software:
The Faceshift SDK is the result of a research team that focused on this topic for several years at the university ETH Zürich. Whilst it would not be impossible to create such a software it would take way too much time and resources. Believe me after about four years of development I have tried about everything.
I don’t know who or why the decision was made to cancel the existing license agreement. I want to explicitly mention that I don’t make any claims that Apple or Faceshift is responsible for the cancellation. On this part I am left in the dark just as you are. All I can tell is that the guys from Faceshift have been very supportive through all those years.
The news came as a blow to users of the software, and Pröll says he has received “quite a few messages” from people who really depend on the app. One user of the software told MacRumors:
People like me depend on this affordable solution to access computer games. It brought me back to gaming although I have suffered from muscular dystrophy since I was a child. Shame on Apple for locking down such a solution.
If the license cancellation is indeed linked to Apple’s acquisition of Faceshift, the KinesicMouse software would appear to be an unfortunate casualty, given Cupertino’s stated commitment to accessibility. MacRumors has reached out to Apple for comment and we’ll update this story with any forthcoming response.
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Cat S60 review: Tough build and thermal imaging make for a phone like no other
Cat phones of the past have never been about having the best specifications, more about having the toughest phone build on the planet.
That is also sort-of true with the Cat S60: a super-tough phone which recently became available for pre-order in the UK. It’s still not the most spec-tastic handset around, but there are far fewer compromises than there have been in past models.
As a quick overview: the S60 is built around a a 4.7-inch, 720p-resolution screen, powered by a mid-range Snapdragon 617 processor. It isn’t built for high-end, spec-obsessed consumers, more for construction sites and surveyor workers. This market is niche, of course, but for the right user the Cat S60 might well be the perfect phone. Here’s why, and how it could improve.
Cat S60 review: Flir thermal imaging
The feature in the S60 to really shout about is its Flir thermal imaging camera. This isn’t just for a bit of fun so you can pretend to see like the Predator – it’s squarely aimed at professionals.
Plumbers will be able to find a leak under the ground using the heat vision; electricians can find a faulty fuse at a glance; a surveyor can check heat loss on a potential new house purchase. It’ll even work up to 100 feet away.
The S60’s camera offers a great function where you can tap an area and be told the temperature. You can add more than one point to the screen, too, just by tapping on it, in case you want to read the temperature in two or three specific locations. You can also select a box and resize to fit where you want and it will read out the point of highest and lowest temperatures. Ideal if looking for, say, a leak.
The Flir thermal camera works for photos, panoramas and videos; any content captured includes the temperature readings. So, unlike in the past when you had to measure temperature then jot it down with a pen and paper to remember it, you can simply snap a picture or shoot a video and save it for later.
Cat S60 review: Waterproofing and tough build
Anything with the Cat name on it is going to be tough. Despite looking a little more like a day-to-day phone than previous models, the S60 still sticks to its hardy Cat heritage.
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Its extra thick diecast frame gives it MIL Spec 810G durability, meaning you can drop the handset from up to 1.8-metres and it’ll bounce back just fine. No shattered screens here. We dropped it a number of times from shoulder height onto concrete and, while it sustained some deep scratching around the metal frame, it came through otherwise unscathed. The Gorilla Glass cover held up well with very fews markings, and the phone worked perfectly afterwards.
Should that drop be into water there’s still no need to worry as the Cat S60 is waterproof down to 5-metres – officially for an hour of tme. It’s good for 2-metres in normal mode but has physical switches on the speaker and mic to shut them off when going down deeper.
As you’d expect, this waterproofing means the headphone and USB ports are both sealed shut, covered by a couple of detachable flaps. Likewise, the dual SIM trays and the microSD card reader are all sealed shut inside a door on the back of the S60. All this means it’s a dustproof handset too.
Cat S60 review: Display, camera and hardware
The camera in the Cat S60 is built to be tough but functional. If you’ve got a handset that can survive diving down to depths of 5-metres then you’re going to want to take advantage of it, right? The 13-megapixel rear camera is fully functional underwater – it even has a dual-flash.
If you want selfies then the 5-megepixel front-facing camera should capture your best underwater face just fine.
Pocket-lint
Looking back at the pictures (or any other content, for that matter) is easy thanks to the Cat S60’s bright 4.7-inch HD display, which kicks out 540-nits of brightness – which is a lot. Of course this panelis tough, too, with Gorilla Glass 4 coating it for protection. Plus it’ll remain touch-sensitive even to gloved and wet fingers – again, indeal for industry workers.
Most of the time during daily use the phone acts fluid and quick – the Snapdragon 617 octa-core processor is paired with 3GB of RAM and 32GB storage to ensure this – but attempt gaming and the frame-rate is slow and a little stuttery. Plus, generally speaking the S60 is often too slow to respond to touchscreen input.
As for the battery, the 3,800mAh cell is capable of getting through 2-days of use thanks to the underpowered processor and small, low(ish) resolution display.
Cat S60 review: Software
On the software side, the CAT S60 is a mostly stock Android Marshmallow experience.
Pocket-lint
There are some differences, however, since Cat really wants you to play with its unique features. That means there’s an app toolbox for instant access to downloadable farming, construction, outdoor and other specialist apps.
There’s a preinstalled Hike app with information on it like current temperature, upcoming changes in temperature, plus latitude and longitude, altitude and a barometer readings. There’s also a compass, trip distance information, a torch, plus the button onscreen that flashes the torch in the SOS morse code pattern.
There’s the app for launching the Flir thermal imaging camera app, and a cool app called Speaker Dry which helps speakers dry out if the phone’s been in water.
It’s a pretty unique set of applications, one which only strengthens the phone’s appeal to its niche audience.
Verdict
It’s clear from the outset that the Cat S60 is a phone built for a niche market, so comparing it to phones like the iPhone 6S or Galaxy S7 would be foolish. The features that really matter on the S60 are the ones that shine through – its specialist applications.
The Flir camera adds thermal imaging capabilities to a smartphone for the first time ever, which is a genuinely useful tool to have on your phone if you’re in an industry that needs one. Not having to carry around a separate gadget means greater convenience, while the tough waterproof build means it can be used on a building site, in any weather, without ever having to worry that it’ll be broken or water damaged.
Simply put, for 99 per cent of the population the Cat S60 phone isn’t close to good enough. But for the one per cent that it’s aimed at, this may well be the ideal smartphone.
New Apple TV plans emerge, EPG for digital shows and films
After Apple was said to have ditched plans for its own television broadcast service at the end of last year, there have been few rumours about its TV expansion plans. And the Apple TV set-top-box is still waiting for something to ignite its potential, beyond a few games, apps and voice control.
There are a few improvements for the device coming, which were detailed at WWDC 2016. It will get additional app support, including Sling TV in the States, and a Live Tune In mode that more easily switches between different livestreaming channels.
In addition, Single Sign-on will automatically authenticate you in all pay TV apps you subscribe to, as long as they support the function.
But these are tweaks rather than a groundbreaking new feature. That, says Recode, will be rectified soon.
- Apple TV review: Packed with potential
Industry sources, it claims, have revealed that Apple is looking to add a digital TV guide, similar to the one used by Microsoft for its OneGuide Xbox One software. It will list specific content on multiple supported video streaming services.
You will get, for example, an EPG like on your television, but with Netflix programming listed as a channel. Then HBO, etc. You can then click on the show and it will start instantly, without you having to search for it in an individual app.
According to Recode, Apple is in discussions with services about providing the metadata for their shows and films.
No timeline has been mentioned as to when this might happen, but it would certainly add something new to the latest Apple TV box.
The best Samsung Galaxy Note 7 will be for China it seems, dual-SIM and 6GB of RAM
Ahead of an actual review, we can say that we’ve been mightily impressed by the Samsung Galaxy Note 7 so far. It is beautiful to hold, irrespective of its 5.7-inch screen and, from what we’ve tried out on it so far, it moves like the clappers.
However, did you know that the model destined for the UK, US and pretty much everywhere else will be overshadowed by another variant?
It seems the version of the Samsung Galaxy Note 7 heading for China will have some significant spec bumps. At least, according to postings on GeekBench and the TENAA, China’s official wireless communications regulator.
They claim that a dual-SIM variant is heading to the country, one with both 128GB storage and a whopping 6GB of RAM. The standard Note 7 for other reasons has 64GB storage with microSD expansion for up to a further 256GB. It also has 4GB of RAM, which seems ample to us.
SamMobile
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The larger storage makes sense, considering that the microSD card tray is likely to double as the second SIM card slot. Without the possibility for expansion, additional storage would be necessary. But why it needs the extra RAM is anyone’s guess.
As for other specifications it seems to be the same. The GeekBench listing shows a quad-core Qualcomm processor that we presume to be the Snapdragon 820 used in other models around the globe. Some, such as the UK, have an Exynos processor instead.
The Samsung Galaxy Note 7 will be released in the UK on 2 September. Pre-orders start on 16 August.
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