Watch how ‘Star Wars: Battlefront’ portrays the Death Star
Ever wanted to blow up the Death Star in Star Wars: Battlefront? If the answer is a resounding “yes,” you’re in luck. EA has revealed that its Death Star paid DLC will arrive on September 20th, and has released a gameplay trailer to match. Suffice it to say that this will rekindle plenty of memories from the original Star Wars movie — including things you might have wished for, such as a fight with a Star Destroyer and an on-foot assault against the Death Star.
The extra content has three core sections: space battles, the firefight inside the Death Star, and a trench run that has you shooting torpedoes down the Death Star’s exhaust pipe. The DLC will also have new playable heroes (Chewbacca and the bounty hunter Bossk) as well as new weapons, Star Cards, a new game mode, and five additional maps.
This third major expansion further tackles one of Battlefront’s biggest early gripes: the relative lack of variety. Previous DLC added new maps and characters, but the core experience was ultimately the same. You can argue that Battlefront should have had a lot of this on day one, but it’s good to see the additional depth all the same.
Via: GameInformer
Source: EA Star Wars (YouTube)
Windows Preview build prevents Edge tabs from piling up
The latest Windows Insider Preview build for PC and mobile comes with an extensive list of bug fixes and improvements, but one feature in particular has the potential to become a procrastinator’s BFF. Microsoft has armed Edge’s tabs with an experimental “Snooze” action that you can use to set a Cortana reminder. Once time’s up, the reminder will pop up as a notification and in Action Center. You don’t even have leave that tab open, since clicking on the reminder automatically loads the website.
Microsoft says people are inclined keep their tabs open indefinitely with the intention of going back to it later. Think about it — when you suddenly become too busy to fill out a website’s registration page or to read an interesting long-form story you find, you tend to leave the tab open. Sometimes you even forget about it until it gets buried under dozens of other tabs. The snooze button sounds like a much better option than leaving multiple websites open or digging for URLs in your History.
Besides the snooze action, the new build also introduces new Edge extensions, including a smart shopping cart that you can use to set price alerts for products you save. More importantly, if you’re running an older Preview build on your PC, expect to get a notification to upgrade once a day. If you still don’t update by October 1st, your computer will reboot every three hours. And if you insist on putting it off, your PC won’t even be able to boot up by October 15th. You should probably set a snooze reminder to make sure it doesn’t get to that point.
Source: Windows
This in-app training Chrome extension will make you a Google Docs master
Whether you’re just getting started with a Chromebook or your office is one of the millions switching to Google Docs — or maybe you’re just curious, that’s OK, too — if you need to know all the tricks to becoming a Google apps wizard, this Chrome extension is for you.
Formerly known as Synergyse Training, the Training for Google APPs extension will walk you through everything you can do, and how to do it, for Google Docs, Sheets, Calendar, Slides, and Gmail with interactive videos and tips. Best of all, it works inside the apps themselves so you can learn by doing while you’re watching.
After you install the extension (and refresh any currently open Google app tabs or windows) you’ll notice a small rainbow Google-rific button in the top right. Clicking it opens a menu where you can search out how to do just about anything.
When you choose one of the entries, a sizable floating window with an interactive video will play that walks you through all the steps and explains why you’re doing them. The videos are fairly short, ranging between three and five minutes, and very concise and focused. The one thing I didn’t like was that the next new video in the series will autoplay after a short warning time. There seems to be no way to adjust this setting.
The content itself is awesome. I’ve been playing with it for a few days since a friend at Google tipped me about the new update. I’ve not only found out how to do things I didn’t know I could do but also that I’ve been doing some things a clunky and roundabout way when a simple more direct approach is available. And I’ve been using Google Docs every day for almost seven years.
The extension is free from Google, and can be installed right through the Chrome browser on Windows, Mac, or Linux, or on your Chromebook. It’s really worth a look if you need to use Google’s apps!
Donwload from the Chrome Web Store
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- Acer Chromebook 14 review
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Android Central 306: Note 7 Armageddon
Andrew, Alex, Jerry and Flo (two appearances in a row!) talk about returning exploding Note 7s, how Samsung has handled another week of the ordeal and just who’s at fault for the poor return rates up to this point.
With the expected upcoming Google event, we break down the latest Pixel phone leaks, and talk about the future of Android software with Nougat and beyond. Also, what the heck is going on with Android Wear right now? It kind of feels like it’s in a holding pattern.
The group also talks about Sony’s recent uptick in mind share since IFA, and how that relates to HTC’s current dismal state of affairs.
Thanks to this week’s sponsor:
- Harrys: Use promo code AC to save $5 off your first purchase — start shaving smarter.
Podcast MP3 URL: http://traffic.libsyn.com/androidcentral/androidcentral306.mp3
Ben Heck’s Intel Edison laser harp, part 2
How did the Ben Heck Show team manage to crash an Intel Edison chip? Find out in the assembly of the Laser Harp where Felix, resident Linux Guy, has been handling the Edison module, while Ben and Karen manage the electromechanical bits. Soldering the harp has been exhausting on the team: There are some two dozen wires connected to the lasers and sensors, and Karen, ever attentive to detail, has to painstakingly align each of them individually. Felix has meanwhile taken on a challenge of his own: get the midi soundfonts working on the Edison chip with FluidSynth. The main question is, will they make beautiful music together? Let us know what you think over on the element14 Community, and while you’re there, tell us about your own audio projects.
Teen claims you can get free T-Mobile data through a proxy
One teen may have just achieved the dream of every cost-conscious wireless user: free, no-strings-attached mobile data. High school student Jacob Ajit claims to have discovered a trick that gets you all the T-Mobile data you want by using a proxy server. Reportedly, T-Mobile doesn’t block sites with “/speedtest” in the address when you’ve run out of data on prepaid service. If you use the proxy to make it look like every site link has that text, you can surf to your heart’s content at no charge beyond what it cost to get the SIM. Before you ask: sorry, folks, Ajit’s proxy is down.
We’ve asked T-Mobile about the workaround, and we’ll let you know if it can verify its authenticity and say what it’s doing in response. With that said, Ajit is quick to acknowledge that his technique’s effectiveness is likely short-lived at best. It’d be trivially easy for the Uncarrier to restrict access, and it won’t be surprising if the hole is completely closed by the time you read this (assuming it was truly open to begin with). You’d also need the wherewithal to set up and use a proxy in the first place. Look at it this way, though: if nothing else, the stunt shows that even big telecoms make simple mistakes.
Via: Ars Technica
Source: Jacob Ajit (Medium)
‘Jackal Assault’ is all I ever wanted in a seated VR game
There’s already plenty to look forward to in Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare due out on November 4th: Space, futuristic weaponry, rifle customization, enhanced multiplayer modes and a bit of Jon Snow. While I missed the opportunity to try the game at the Tokyo Game Show this week, I did come across Jackal Assault which is a PlayStation VR freebie that comes with the CoD title, and it didn’t take long before I fell in love with this space dogfight demo. More importantly, I didn’t feel sick at all, which is surprising given the speedy maneuvers I managed to pull.
There’s no gameplay footage of Jackal Assault at the time of writing this article, but most part of the demo I tried was very similar to what’s shown in the above CoD footage (from 1:35 to 3:05). The game puts you inside a Jackal fighter jet, you have a bit of time to look around the launchpad, and moments later you’re shot into cold space behind a fellow Jackal, with Planet Earth staring right back at you. You’re then tasked with a simple debris removal job to get you familiarized with the controls, which are straightforward on the PS4 controller.
Suddenly, an anomaly is detected nearby, and you’d end up being ambushed by a fleet of similarly-sized enemy spaceships plus their large but stationary battleship. That’s when the game really begins. Soon I found myself taking full advantage of my 360-degree view to track down enemies while flying smoothly at full speed, and occasionally braking to make sharp turns in the debris field. There was certainly no shortage of adrenaline throughout the game. Interestingly, at no point did I notice any nausea even while moving my head around, so I could simply focus on pointing my Jackal at the damn things to shoot them down with my rounds and missiles. Every explosion put a smile on my face.
That was until the demo got cut short by a black hole that came out of nowhere and sucked everything in. Given how simple yet thrilling Jackal Assault is, I wouldn’t mind a longer demo, but then again, it was a good time for me to wipe away my sweat.
After Math: The final frontier
We saw some significant developments in the field of space exploration this week. Jeff Bezos unveiled his latest heavy lift rocket. The Gaia satellite has mapped its billionth Milky Way star. China launched another piece of its Heavenly Palace into orbit. And Galaxies just can’t seem to stop exploding. Numbers, because how else are you going to accurately measure your insignificance against the infinite voids of space?
Lyft expects self-driving cars to handle most rides in 5 years
When Lyft says it’s optimistic about the future of self-driving cars, it’s not joking around. Co-founder John Zimmer has posted a manifesto which sets very ambitious goals for autonomous driving. Most notably, he expects self-driving cars to handle the “majority” of Lyft’s rides within 5 years, and all of them within 10 years. Zimmer doesn’t say exactly how his company will reach that milestone so quickly, but he sees a transition where driverless tech gradually increases in capability. Fixed-route autonomy would show up as early as 2017, while low-speed (under 25MPH) autonomy on changeable routes would start as soon as 2018. Full autonomy would just be the next logical step, then.
The executive doesn’t stop there. He also foresees that private car ownership will “all-but end” in major US cities by 2025. Far fewer young Americans have driver’s licenses than the previous generation, in part because ridesharing reduces the need for a personal car — add self-driving cars to the mix and many urbanites may never need their own vehicle, Zimmer says. He even predicts that cities will change in response to the technology, such as reclaiming parking lots as community spaces.
The 2021 target may be difficult to hit. Numerous automakers only expect to start shipping their first self-driving cars that year, let alone put them into service in fleets. There’s also the not-so-small matter of regulation. For Lyft to fulfill its dreams, many of the 36 states it operates in would have to legalize autonomy. Given that the country is only taking tentative steps toward legalization at the moment, there’s no guarantee the needed legal framework will be in place. And assuming it is, will self-driving cars be sufficiently widespread that city dwellers could safely ditch their cars just 4 years later?
Whether or not Zimmer is realistic, his screed makes it clear where Lyft wants to go, and when. Much like Uber, it’s convinced that the US’ self-driving future is right around the corner. That’s going to dictate not only its partnerships (such as with GM) and research, but its attitude toward drivers. They aren’t completely going away in Lyft’s vision, but they’ll be less important than they are now.
Source: John Zimmer (Medium)
Toddy Cold Brew System review – CNET
The Good The Toddy Cold Brew System is an inexpensive way to make a large volume of cold brew coffee without much hassle. The cold brew the Toddy creates is concentrated, strong, yet smooth, sweet and delicious. The Toddy system has only a few parts and is a snap to assemble.
The Bad Like many manual cold brew coffee products, brewing with the Toddy system takes some practice to perfect. The Toddy Cold Brew System is also tall and eats up some counter space when brewing. The Toddy can’t use paper filters and comes with just one reusable felt filter and rubber stopper.
The Bottom Line The Toddy Cold Brew System is an exceptionally simple, affordable way to create concentrated cold brew coffee and lots of it.
The mechanics of brewing cold brew coffee are simple but in practice the activity is often messy, frustrating, and time consuming. There are products for sale to help make the process go more smoothly though. The $40 Toddy Cold Brew System is one such gadget which certainly succeeds at its task and for not a lot of money.
As kitchen contraptions go the Toddy is very bare bones. The kit consists of a plastic brewing container, essentially a bucket, attached to a handle. At the bottom of the container is a small, recessed hole and reusable felt filter pad that you place above it. Sadly the Toddy can’t use paper filters. Plugging the hole is a tiny rubber stopper. The lidless container then rests on top of a squat glass decanter.
The Toddy cold coffee brewer is a very basic but effective contraption.
Chris Monroe/CNET
To brew, just add 12 ounces (340.2 g) of coarse coffee grounds to the container. You then combine that with 56 ounces (1.7 L) of cool water. Of course you can’t throw everything together all at once. Instead the manual asks that you stagger ingredients, half your grounds then half your water, and repeat in order to ensure an even mixture. It takes a little practice to get the process right.
AIVAnet 