Elon Musk is working on a roof made of solar panels
Elon Musk’s fondness for ambitious, out-of-left-field ideas isn’t restricted to electric cars or rockets. During SolarCity’s latest earnings call, the entrepreneur revealed that his energy-focused company is developing a “solar roof” — not a roof with solar panels on it, a roof made out of solar cells. As Musk explains, people install millions of new roofs every year. Why not have them embrace solar power when they look for a replacement? Homeowners with old roofs tend not to install solar panels, since they know they’ll have to rip everything off before long.
The exec isn’t shedding light on how this solar roof will function, although he notes that buyers will get to customize their design. That’s rather important given the sheer variety of housing on the market, but it also suggests that you won’t just get a patch of solar shingles (like those above) and call it a day. Just when you’ll see it isn’t clear. SolarCity’s Peter Rive says the company only started talking about roofing “a couple of weeks ago,” but it’s also going to be a key part of a ramp-up in production around the second quarter of 2017. In other words, you may get more details when SolarCity has finished merging with Tesla.
Via: Electrek
Source: Seeking Alpha
Apple’s iPhone 7 will reportedly debut on September 7
Apple will reportedly unveil its next iPhone — which we’re referring to as the iPhone 7 for now — on September 7th, Bloomberg reports. That lines up with Apple’s previous iPhone timing, as the 6S debuted on September 9th last year. According to previous rumors, the iPhone 7 will drop the beloved headphone jack, include a new home button with haptic feedback and, unfortunately, it’ll likely look lot like the 6S. You’ll have to wait until next year for a completely redesigned iPhone. Once again, the larger “Plus” model might also have better photo-taking capabilities, as current reports point to a dual-camera setup.
We’ll likely get an official confirmation about Apple’s next iPhone event within the next few weeks. If it actually happens on September 7th, it’ll have to compete with Sony’s PlayStation event on the same day, where we’re expected to hear more about the souped up PS4 Neo.
The historical research behind Mafia III’s biracial anti-hero
The 1960s were a period of dramatic upheaval in the United States. By 1968, the Vietnam War was raging abroad while civil rights activists at home were mourning the death of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., who was assassinated in April. The Civil Rights Act, Fair Housing Act and Brown v. Board of Education — landmark rulings in favor of racial equality in the United States — were all in effect, though racism still reared its ugly head across the nation, particularly in the South. The FBI finally admitted in the 1950s that organized crime existed on a large scale, and by 1968, the sun was setting on the Italian mob’s golden age.
This is the backdrop for Hangar 13’s first project, Mafia III. The game takes place in New Bordeaux, a fictionalized version of New Orleans, Louisiana, and it stars Lincoln Clay, a half-black, half-white Vietnam War veteran who takes on the Italian mob. Mafia III challenges the status quo in the same way the 1960s forever changed the United States: Lincoln represents the tensions of an entire nation and he embodies a drastic shift for the series, which has traditionally starred white members of the Italian mob.
“We’ve told that story,” says lead writer Bill Harms. “We have two previous games and we really wanted to push the franchise forward in interesting ways, but we’re also holding on to the kind of tenets of what makes a Mafia game a Mafia game. A gifted anti-hero, a specific time and place in American history. And honestly, the Italian mafia plays a huge role in this game.”
The Italian mob is important to Mafia III’s story, but it isn’t the game’s focus. Lincoln is a proud member of the black mafia, a group that was viciously slaughtered by the Italian mob. Lincoln vows revenge, and his fellow vigilantes include the Haitian mob’s “Voodoo Queen” Cassandra, Irish mob boss Thomas Burke and Vito Scaletta, noted Italian mafioso and the star of Mafia II.
“One of our big goals was reclaiming what ‘mafia’ means as a term,” Harms says.
Lincoln is a large part of that reclamation. Harms happens to be white and Lincoln, the character he’s in charge of bringing to life in Mafia III, happens to be black. To ensure he told an accurate story — from a historical and racial perspective — Harms did his homework. He watched documentaries like Spies of Mississippi and Take This Hammer, and he read interviews from the 1960s dealing with racial discrimination as it showed up across a range of fields, from housing to football.
Harms is a self-proclaimed history buff and he surrounded himself with stories and images from the era. For a long while during development, his desktop background was a picture of John Lewis (now a US Congressman from Georgia) being pummeled by police officers during the Selma to Montgomery marches in 1965. A Post-it note on his monitor displayed a quote from writer and activist James Baldwin in Take This Hammer, where he discusses his rejection of the n-word and why it doesn’t apply to him personally, as a black man living in 1960s America.
“I’ve probably watched that part of the interview 15 times because it’s very, very powerful,” Harms says.
John Lewis being beaten by state troopers in March 1965 (Credit: AP Images)
Lincoln allows Harms to tell a more robust and authentic story of the 1968 American South, when the Italian mafia’s golden age was coming to a close. Focusing on the black mafia provides a different lens for the series, rather than featuring another white member of the Italian mob.
During development, Harms spoke with the black voice actors working on Mafia III, and he says their personal experiences helped inform the characters as well. “We had a lot of conversations about race,” Harms says. “In terms of everything from, ‘What language are we going to use in the game, what opinions are we going to have characters express in the game?’ In the end, we just decided the best thing to do was just be as authentic as possible and let history inform what we do.”
That history includes the Vietnam War, Creedence Clearwater Revival and other aspects of 1968 Americana. News stories air on the radio throughout the game, offering details about protests, pop culture phenomena and commentary on players’ actions as they progress. And then there’s the music.
“You’re driving around in our game and CCR comes on the radio, and you just want to floor the car and drive fast,” Harms says. “It really gets you going. And it really helps capture and establish the ’60s, even if you weren’t alive then.”
Harms’ father fought in the Vietnam War, as did the father of studio head Haden Blackman. Their personal relationships with Vietnam veterans helped inform Lincoln’s character.
“When Lincoln arrives home, he doesn’t go back to his old bedroom. He sleeps in the basement,” Harms explains. “That’s because the basement is essentially a very large foxhole and that’s where he feels safe. … Obviously, we wanted to be very respectful to other people who’ve served in Vietnam. Lincoln is highly decorated; he’s served his country with honor and he was very brave. That’s also something that comes up about him as a character during the course of the game.”
In Mafia III, Lincoln is a decorated war vet, an orphan and a young man who is trying to protect his surrogate family’s legacy in 1968 Louisiana. In the end, his race provides a fresh angle for the franchise, but it isn’t the entire story. Lincoln is a man who never had a lot, and what he had was cruelly ripped away from him. Players of all backgrounds can relate to these themes — loss, death and uncertainty. Lincoln is a classic Mafia-style anti-hero, just as Harms intended.
“Even though, obviously, I’m a white person, we’re all human beings,” Harms says. “It’s finding out those areas where you empathize with people. There are things about [Lincoln] that are universal to everybody.”
Apple’s Notebook Shipments Rise 30% on Strength of New 12-Inch Retina MacBook
Apple’s notebook shipments, including 12-inch MacBook, MacBook Air, and MacBook Pro models, totaled an estimated 3.3 million in the June quarter of the 2016 calendar year, compared to an estimated 2.5 million in the March quarter, according to new data published by market research firm TrendForce.
TrendForce attributed the 30.3% sequential increase to the release of new 12-inch MacBook models in April. The ultra-thin notebooks were updated with faster Skylake processors, up to 25% faster Intel HD 515 graphics, faster PCIe-based flash storage, an additional hour of battery life, and faster 1866 MHz memory.
Apple’s MacBook shipments in the second quarter were up 30.3% versus the first quarter, placing the brand on the fifth spot of the half-year ranking. This shipment surge was generated by the release of an upgraded 12-inch model of the latest MacBook. TrendForce expects MacBook shipments to register sequential growth in the third and fourth quarter because Apple will also be releasing new products for both periods.
Apple’s notebook market share rose to an estimated 8.6% in the June quarter, a slight rise from 7.1% in the March quarter, as most notebook vendors recorded above-expected shipment results due to arrivals of new notebooks and preparations for back-to-school sales in September, according to TrendForce.
Apple surpassed Acer to become the fifth-largest notebook vendor in the June quarter, trailing behind PC makers Lenovo, HP, Dell, and ASUS, but ahead of Acer, Samsung, and Toshiba. Mac notebooks had estimated 7.9% market share in the first half of 2016 overall, a 23.4% year-over-year decline.
Many prospective buyers are still waiting for a new MacBook Pro, expected to feature a slightly thinner design, faster Skylake processors, Thunderbolt 3 with USB-C, Touch ID, and an OLED-based touch screen strip for function keys above the keyboard. At least one higher-end model is said to have AMD Polaris graphics.
A recent report said Apple has been testing the new MacBook Pro since earlier this year, but it is unlikely to launch alongside new iPhones in September. Apple has hosted October media events in the past to introduce new Macs and iPads, including new MacBook Pro models in 2013 and the iMac with Retina 5K Display in 2014.
Apple officially reported 4.25 million Macs sold in the June quarter, including the iMac, Mac mini, and Mac Pro alongside notebooks.
Related Roundup: Retina MacBook
Tag: TrendForce
Buyer’s Guide: MacBook (Buy Now)
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Eddy Cue and Craig Federighi Discuss Maps and ‘Learning From Apple’s Failures’ In New Interview
Continuing from an interview with Tim Cook and Eddy Cue earlier in the week, Fast Company today posted a lengthy new interview session with Cue and Craig Federighi, in which the two discussed Apple Maps, the legacy of Apple devices, and “learning from Apple’s failures.”
Both Cue and Federighi admitted that everyone who works at the company has “to be honest with ourselves” whenever mistakes are brought up by the public, usually following new product or software launches. While some may see this as an exponentially increasing problem with Apple, Cue points out that the quality issue appears bigger since the company’s reach has expanded. There’s “a higher bar” Apple has to achieve now, and Cue is “okay with that.”
When we were the Mac company, if we impacted 1% of our customers, it was measured in thousands. Now if we impact 1% of our customers, it’s measured in tens of millions. That’s a problem, right—things are going to be perceived differently. Our products are way better than they used to be, but there’s a higher bar, and I’m okay with that. I think that is why we’re here. That’s why I get up every day. I like that people have high expectations of us, and that they care about little things that bother them, which, in a lot of products, they wouldn’t bother about. With other companies, you think, that’s about as good as it’s going to be. With us, you want perfection; you want it to be the best. And we want that.
Both of the Apple executives commented that sometimes the company’s high quality standards aren’t fully met, particularly when Fast Company questioned them about the “universal scorn” that welcomed Apple Maps in 2012. Despite Apple’s decision to treat Maps as “an integral part of the whole platform,” Cue admitted it was a harsh truth to face the public reaction to its initial launch and points out that a small, isolated team might have “underestimated the complexity of the product.”
So you’re trying to replace one thing with another thing, and we kind of let the team we put in charge of it go off on their own. Now that you understand the complexity of Maps, you realize that it was a relatively small team, and we kind of isolated them in their own little world. We completely underestimated the complexity of the product. If you think of Maps, it seems like it’s not that hard. All the roads are known, come on! All the restaurants are known. There’s Yelp and Open Table; they have all the addresses. Mail gets delivered; UPS has all the addresses. The mail arrives. FedEx arrives. You know, how hard is this? That was underestimating.
When asked about Apple’s opinion regarding the belief that companies — including Facebook and Amazon — are attempting to gain “ownership of the customer throughout the day,” both Cue and Federighi said that Apple doesn’t think of their services and products in that way. The company is encouraging of the third-party apps that flourish on iOS, like Uber, and doesn’t see a need to spread itself so thin as to try and become and create these experiences itself.
Cue: So we don’t want to be Amazon and be Facebook and be Instagram and so on. Why? Or Uber. Why? I think it’s awesome that Travis and his team have done Uber on our platform. It would not exist without our platform, let’s be clear. But great for them for thinking of that problem, and solving it. We would never have ever solved that problem. We weren’t looking that way. We would have never seen it.
Federighi: It is an interesting, ongoing press narrative, however. To the extent that anyone anywhere does anything interesting, the question is: Why isn’t Apple doing that; why is Apple behind in that? We aren’t the Everything Company. We take on a very small number of things that we do very well, and we find that pretty rewarding.
Towards the end of the interview, Cue and Federighi mentioned the largely similar work relationship seen with both Tim Cook and former CEO Steve Jobs. Although the approach each took in tackling the job has been “completely different,” Cue said there’s one common factor he’s had with both: “I never wanted to disappoint Steve. I never want to disappoint Tim.”
The thing I love about Tim, and the key to his success, is that he’s stayed true to himself, and never tried to be Steve. There are some qualities that he has that are better than Steve’s, and Steve had some qualities that are better than Tim’s. But he stayed true to what he is, and it’s the best thing . He’s made a lot of areas better and the areas where he’s not sure, he’s surrounded himself with people who do.
In the full interview, the Apple executives go deeper into the complexities of running and growing Apple Maps, the yearly expectations of improved quality for each product (namely the iPhone), and more. You can read the full Fast Company interview here.
Tags: Eddy Cue, Craig Federighi
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Manhunt Underway After Apple Building in Cupertino Burglarized
Santa Clara County police are currently searching in the San Jose neighborhood of Cambrian Park for three suspects who were reportedly caught burglarizing an Apple building this morning in Cupertino, California, where the company’s headquarters are located, according to local affiliates ABC7 News and KPIX 5.
Source: Matt Keller/ABC7 News
It is unclear if the suspects were able to break into the building, located at Bubb Road and Results Way, but the trio reportedly fled by vehicle to San Jose once discovered. A command post has been set up on Camden Avenue, and officers and deputies are going door to door throughout the area in search of the suspects.
One suspect was reportedly arrested near a Starbucks after he was chased down. A manhunt remains for the other two suspects.
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Best Ultra HD Blu-ray players: Spinning 4K discs
Many will proclaim that optical media is dead and that streaming is the way ahead, but one look at the quality of the latest blockbuster movies on Ultra HD Blu-ray and you’ll change your mind.
Ultra HD Blu-ray is a new thing for 2016. The format has been standardised, discs and players are available, so it’s full steam ahead as we cast those aging DVD players aside, retire the venerable Blu-ray player and step into the future.
As Ultra HD Blu-ray is so new, the selection of players is fewer. But that doesn’t mean you’ll have an easy choice: there’s still plenty to consider.
Pocket-lint
1. Panasonic DMP-UB900 Ultra HD Blu-ray player
Panasonic’s pitch with the UB900 is to give you the best of everything: this is an accomplished player that goes beyond all others in offering you connectivity and granular options to control your content. Packaged into a slick box offering a substantial design, Panasonic want the UB900 to appeal as much to audio fans as it does to video. Not only does it offer exemplary audio and video performance, the UB900 comes fully loaded with 4K steaming services too, from Netflix and Amazon.
The user interface could be a little more refined, but there’s a substantial remote to help keep you in control. This all comes at a price, however, with the Panasonic DMP-UB900 asking £599.
FULL REVIEW: Panasonic DMP-UB900 review
Pocket-lint
2. Samsung UBD-K8500 Ultra HD Blu-ray player
It wouldn’t be fair to call the Samsung K8500 the “no frills” player, but it’s certainly simpler than the Panasonic rival, with fewer options and fewer connections. For those looking for that simpler approach, that makes it a winner, as the K8500 just concentrates on delivering stunning visuals from your Ultra HD Blu-ray discs. For many, that’s exactly the point. There’s plenty of streaming goodness, however, offering Netflix and Amazon in 4K HDR.
What’s less impressive, however, is the quirky curved design. That might work if you’re placing it near a curved television, but for many it’s an oddity when placed among your other AV boxes. The remote is also small and rather unsubstantial. But we can accept that for the £429 asking price.
FULL REVIEW: Samsung UBD-K8500 review
Pocket-lint
3. Xbox One S
When Microsoft launched the Xbox One, it was pitched as an entertainment centre. That may have got gamer’s hackles up, but with the Xbox One S now offering Ultra HD Blu-ray playback, as well as supporting 4K streaming services, it’s a media centre with skills that are hard to rival: being able to play the latest HDR games is just one string to its bow.
The Xbox is a physically bigger box than a conventional player and unless you have the Xbox One Media Remote you’ll be using a gaming controller, so things aren’t quite as slick as a dedicated player, but then they aren’t as expensive either. In fact, for those who aren’t hardcore AV enthusiasts, the Xbox One S is a tempting all-round entertainment solution, especially as support for Xbox 360 games is now extensive too. Just wait for the 500GB version to go on sale for £249.
FULL REVIEW: Xbox One S review
What is GoPro Omni? The 360 VR camera rig explained, release date and price info
It’s not the first time we’ve heard about GoPro Omni – the six GoPro camera rig used for 360-degree virtual reality capture, announced early 2016 – but it is the first time we’ve seen it and learned about its end-to-end workflow. So just what can you expect?
GoPro Omni: What is it?
Omni is a camera rig, designed to hold six GoPro HD Hero 4 Black cameras, used for capturing seamless 360-degree footage, for virtual reality (VR) or on-screen playback.
Inside Omni is a motherboard that ensures pixel-perfect sync between the six cameras, useful to eliminate ghosting or poor stitching in the post-production process.
One camera acts as the master for the other five – so only one needs to be triggered to begin the recording process. Remote Wi-Fi triggering is also possible, just as you can with any Hero 4.
GoPro Omni: Which GoPro cameras is it compatible with?
Omni is only compatible with HD Hero 4 Black cameras, which is the current top-end model in GoPro’s range. It is not compatible with the Silver model, nor earlier GoPro editions. We believe it will be forward-compatible with the not-yet-announced HD Hero 5, but GoPro declined to comment.
Each camera requires a firmware flash to make it compatible with Omni. This firmware feature-limits the cameras, so while you could theoretically use each one individually once removed from the rig, their angle of view and frame-rate capabilities will be restricted.
GoPro Omni: What frame-rates and output are possible?
At launch the Omni will be able to capture a maximum output of 8K at 25/30fps or 6K at 50/60fps (technically it’s 5.7K) maximum. There is also a 4K option, for practical purposes.
A firmware update will introduce 4K capture at 100fps. At launch this feature will not be available.
GoPro Omni: Is live preview possible?
Omni is not able to live-output stitched footage (like, say, Nokia Ozo), nor, therefore, is it possible to live preview footage during capture. All footage is captured on the six individual microSD cards – one card per Hero 4.
When the master camera is activated it double checks that the other five GoPro units are present with cards and batteries, plus syncs the settings across all units, before the rig is ready to roll. Green/red lights per camera position identify any individual issues.
GoPro Omni: Workflow and software
Once capture has taken place the Omni Importer software is used for data management. As LVR files are captured alongside the main MP4 video files, low-res preview is available within seconds.
Full stitching is possible using the Importer software, with options for colour correction, digital stabilisation and quality render (2K, 4K or Cineform (8K)). How quickly this occurs depends on your setup and GPU.
For fine-tuning stitching there’s Kolor Autopano Video, while NLE plugins for live VR output in Premiere are also available.
GoPro Omni: Batteries and recharging
Each Hero 4 requires its own battery. GoPro claims battery life is madly improved with each camera in the rig, as the aluminium frame, which connects around each lens, dissipates the heat generated during capture.
However it is possible to recharge all six camera units simultaneously when they are mounted in the Omni rig. A single, central power in makes this possible – and a remote battery charger is included if you buy the full kit.
GoPro Omni: How much does it cost?
Omni will be available in two forms: the rig alone, priced £1300/$1500/€1300 (Hero 4 units sold separately); or the full kit, including flight case, priced £4200/$5000/€5400.
The full kit includes waterproof flight case, Omni rig (with microfibre carry bag), six Hero 4 Black cameras (with batteries, cables, lens covers), six 32GB microSD cards, one Wi-Fi Smart Remote, a 7-port USB hub, Swingtronix Hypercore-98S Battery (with DC adapter), Swingtronix GP-S V-Mount Battery Plate/Clamp.
GoPro Omni: When is it released?
Omni will be available internationally from 17 August 2016.
Kyocera’s DuraForce Pro is a smartphone and action cam in one
If you film motorcycle ice racing or open pit mines, a regular smartphone may be a bit dainty. Kyocera’s newest model, the DuraForce Pro, is up for the job, though. It’s a ruggedized, 5-inch phone packing a special action camera that shoots Full HD with a wide-angle field-of-view. The device lives up to its assertive name with an IP6X dustproof case, underwater mode (two meters for up to 30 minutes) and military specs for dust, shock, vibration, temperature extremes, solar radiation and … well, you get the idea.
Along with the 13-megapixel rear and 5-megapixel front camera, the DuraForce Pro packs a third “Super Wide View” 1080p action camera. It has its own image processor that gives it slow-mo, sports, action and underwater modes. The 135 degree field of view is similar to dedicated action cams, and Kyocera will eventually release a case that supports GoPro-style mounts. It’s pitching the device as superior in some ways to action cams, since it has a hardened, impact-resistant 5-inch 1080p screen to help you better judge shots. It’s lacking the 4K resolution of the GoPro Hero 4 and other models, though.
The phone isn’t bad spec-wise compared to rivals like the $600 Cat S60, but is no Galaxy S7 killer. It’s got a Snapdragon 617 octacore CPU, 2GB of RAM, 32GB of expandable storage, Android 6.0 Marshmallow, a 3,240 mAh QuickCharge 2.0 battery, USB 2.0 and a host of sensors, including NFC, Bluetooth 4.2 and a barometer. For security conscious users and businesses, there’s a fingerprint sensor, built-in encryption and Android For Work support. There’s no word on price, but expect it to be well north of the standard DuraForce, which is $418 on AT&T.
Source: Kyocera
Instagram Begins Experimenting With ‘Save Draft’ Feature for Posts
Instagram recently began testing a much-requested new feature that lets users save drafts of potential posts on the social network, instead of having to completely discard edits made to any photo (via TechCrunch). A small number of users mentioned seeing the “Save Draft” feature as far back as July, but Instagram seems to have expanded its testing phase in early August, without rolling it out wide yet.
The process itself to save a draft is fairly simple: after adding any filter or other fine-tuned edits to a picture, hitting the back button now prompts users with a dialog box saying, “If you go back now, your image edits will be discarded.” Users can choose to ditch the photo, or now save the draft to work on again and post at a later time.
Saved drafts appear at the top of the camera roll when returning to post something to Instagram, and can be deleted permanently by tapping “See All,” which shows every draft saved on the current account. Unfortunately, as one user discovered, Instagram is treating “Save Draft” more along the lines of an experimental test rather than slow public rollout and remained coy on its plans, telling TechCrunch, “We’re always testing new ways to improve the Instagram experience,” with no further details provided.
The company has been updating its popular app with major additions and changes over the last few weeks. Earlier in August, it added “Instagram Stories” to its roster of photo-sharing abilities, bringing it directly in competition to Snapchat’s 24-hour feed of “Stories.” Before that, Instagram revealed a plan to introduce customizable comment moderation features on user posts so each can tweak rules to their liking, since “different words or phrases are offensive to different people.”
Tag: Instagram
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