I barely survived on a dinosaur planet in PlayStation VR
Stepping outside a battered space pod, I drink in the forest’s sights and sounds. A shallow river meanders to my left. Some birds chirp overhead. It’s a tropical paradise. Or it would be, were it not for the legions of dinosaurs roaming around. I’m playing Robinson: The Journey, a game developed by Crytek for the soon-to-be-released PlayStation VR. As Robin, a young astronaut, I’m tasked with searching for survivors on a strange, alien planet. The problem is that I suck at pretty much everything.
First, there’s movement. Most VR games will keep you in a single spot, or, in the case of the HTC Vive, an area enabled by its room-scale tracking. In Robinson, however, you can move around like any other video game. The left stick moves your astronaut, while the right stick changes the camera angle. In VR, it’s both liberating and incredibly jarring. I could walk in any direction and peer at any part of the environment, near or far. But strafing left or right, while my body was stationary in the real world, felt unnatural. I was never sick or unable to continue, but I definitely felt a little queasy.
Crytek has tried to mitigate this problem in a few different ways. As you look around, for instance, your character will naturally slow down and, at times, grind to a halt. Then, if you need to strafe, you can push the stick horizontally and Robin will move a smidge in that direction. These controls are designed to help your body and brain adjust to the game’s free flowing movement. They also encourage you to take in the environment at a slower, leisurely pace. Which is sensible, except sometimes I would slow down to the point where I thought Robin had got stuck on a tree root.
Okay, so I’m not the most nimble astronaut. What about my survival skills? They’re not much better, it turns out. Robin’s robotic buddy, Higgs, tells me “Laika” is being a bother and requires some assistance. I have no idea who or what Laika is, but can hear a primal cry somewhere behind me. Curious, I investigate. (A dinosaur scream. What could go wrong?) After looking in a few random bushes, I realize that I need to move a crate blocking a nest inside the cave. I fiddle about with my multitool — a Gravity Gun-inspired instrument that can push and pull objects — to free the creature. In the same breath I leap backward, expecting a violent confrontation.
But it doesn’t come. It turns out Laika, a small two-legged beastie, is a companion I’ve been training in my spare time. I’m relieved, but also a little embarrassed by my misplaced ‘fight or flight’ instincts.
Never mind. I’ll just prove myself as an engineer instead. Before Robin and Laika can explore the rest of the jungle, Higgs explains that I need to open a gate blocked by a blue force field. I look around, a little confused. I can shout to Laika and guide him over the fence, but nothing happens. Unsure, I turn around and start walking back towards the space pod. “You need to go to the river,” a Crytek developer hints. Under the headset, I feel my cheeks turn a bright shade of red as I traipse over, pulling out the multitool and removing some boxes that were blocking a hydro-powered generator.
Before long, the gate is open and I’m wandering down a path flanked by large, leafy trees. Some herbivores break cover and Elijah Freeman, an executive producer at Crytek, explains that I can scan them with my multitool. Completing this task will add them to my encyclopedia, along with a detailed 3D model. Maybe I can excel as a dinosaur historian? Determined, I keep the multitool aloft and creep forward. Before I can reach them, however, they scuttle away into the undergrowth. I press on undeterred, scanning the environment for any signs of life.
Up above, I spot some birds gliding from one branch to another, mere silhouettes against the harsh midday sun. Immediately I hit the scanner, waiting for the colored orbs that indicate a successful lock-on. To add a little challenge, the orbs appear in two different colors: green and red. Hoovering up the green ones will complete the scan, while touching a red one forces you to start over. The mini game is simple provided your prey stays still — unfortunately, the birds had no interest in such behavior. A few seconds later they had soared out of view, never to be seen again. I look down and scan a rabbit gnawing at a flower instead. It’s not the same.
Before long I hit a fork in the jungle, which indicates the end of the demo. I’ve enjoyed my time with Robinson: The Journey, but can’t help feeling a little dejected. As an agile adventurer, I’ve failed miserably. As a computer genius, I’ve struggled. Even my turn as a prehistoric archivist ended in disappointment. Never mind. When the game comes out, I’ll have more time to hone my skills. To become one with the wild. That’s dependent, of course, on me getting used to the controls and the mild motion sickness it seemed to trigger in me. Right now, my brain could use some fresh air.
What to expect at Photokina’s giant camera show
If you’re thinking about getting a new camera, you might want to wait until the largest photo show in Europe, Photokina 2016, kicks off next week. We’re expecting to see a lot of new models launched at the once-every-two-years event, though that will be tempered a bit because of the Kumamoto earthquake, which reportedly delayed models from Sony and Fujifilm. Nevertheless, all the big manufacturers have major press conferences planned, and here’s what you’re likely to see.
Nikon released the entry-level D3400 DSLR last month, and isn’t planning on showing off any other DSLR or mirrorless cameras at its 10 AM EST press conference, as far as we know. However, we wouldn’t be surprised to see more details on its 4K, dual-lens KeyMission 360 VR camera (above), first revealed at CES 2016 in January. Speaking of which, Nikon Rumors showed two models we’re likely to see in the same family, the KeyMission 80 and KeyMission 170, a pair of action cameras.
Canon has already revealed two hugely important models, EOS 5D Mark IV DSLR and EOS M5 mirrorless camera, and isn’t likely to show off anything else major. However, Photokina will give us a chance to get a closer look at the EOS M5, its best mirrorless effort to date. Sony is in roughly the same boat — we’re not expecting any big new cameras, but we can offer some impressions on its incoming FDR X3000r flagship action cam during its 9 AM ET presser.
Fujifilm recently launch its mirrorless X-A3 selfie-cam (above), mooting a rumor that it would arrive at Photokina. However, Fuji Rumors thinks it will launch a full-on medium-format mirrorless camera, much like Hasselblad’s new X1D. There are no (real) photos or specs to back that up however, so we wouldn’t put much stock in it. Its press event is at 11AM ET.
Panasonic‘s video-centric 4K GH4 was revealed over two years ago, so it’s seriously due to be replaced. 43 Rumors believes that that a pre-production version will be unveiled at Photokina, with 10-bit, 4K video. It also thinks the company will launch a mirrorless “G8x” with 8-bit 4K video and a G7-like body. We’ll find out one way or the other at 6:30 AM eastern time.
Drones became a big part of Photokina starting in 2014, and with the advent of the “selfie drone,” the camera connection is getting stronger. GoPro will unveil its Karma drone during Photokina on September 19th, but will do so at an event in New York. DJI, meanwhile, has a rumored folding Mavic selfie drone coming (above) that could also arrive in time for the event.
As for the rest? Olympus will reportedly launch a successor to the OM-D E-M1 with dual SD card slots and 4K video. As most action cam fans know, September 19th is when GoPro is likely to launch the Hero 5, a seriously important model for the company. Again, that event will take place in New York, though. Finally, we expect to see more of Kodak‘s PixPro SP360 4K VR action camera, which looks a lot like Nikon’s KeyMission 360 camera. Unlike that model, however, you need a pair of them to create a full 360-degree video.
All told, it’s going to be an interesting event, so keep your eyes glued to our Photokina 2016 hub. Most of the activities kick off on the press day on Monday, September 19th, which promises to be the busiest day by far.
How to Reset an iPhone 7 or Enter DFU Mode for Last-Ditch Recovery
This tutorial explains how to reset an iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus, and how to activate Device Firmware Upgrade (DFU) mode to troubleshoot your device if needed. Apple has changed the reset process with the iPhone 7 series, and with the devices now making their way into users’ hands, it’s a good time to let everyone know what to do when things go wrong.
A hard reset basically force-reboots your iPhone, which is useful if the device is freezing, throwing up errors, or has stopped responding completely. DFU mode, on the other hand, restores an iPhone if a reset or standard Recovery Mode don’t solve the problem you’re experiencing.
DFU mode lets the device interface with iTunes, update the firmware and restore the OS without automatically installing the last downloaded version. It’s useful for installing older versions of iOS if a beta persistently hangs your phone, or if a jailbreak goes bad.
Note for non-iPhone 7 series owners: Apple has had to alter the hard reset process and DFU mode activation on the iPhone 7 because the physical-click home button has been replaced with a Force Touch-based Taptic Engine, which is rendered unresponsive if the OS isn’t functioning properly.
Owners of iPhone 6s/6s Plus or earlier devices should consider all mentions of the “lower volume button” in the below steps to indicate when the home button should be held down instead.
How to Reset an iPhone 7
Press and hold down the iPhone’s power button on the right side of the handset.
With the power button still held down, press and hold the lower volume button on the other side of the handset.
Continue to hold both buttons while the display goes blank and comes back on with the Apple logo showing.
How to Activate DFU Mode on an iPhone 7
Turn off your iPhone and connect it to a computer using a Lightning to USB cable, and ensure iTunes is running.
Press and hold down the power button on the handset for three seconds.
With the power button still held down, press and hold the lower volume button, and keep holding both for 10 seconds. The screen should remain blank throughout, so if you see the Apple logo displayed, you’ve held the buttons for too long and will need to restart the process.
Release the power button, but keep holding the lower volume button for about 5 seconds. Again, if it your phone displays the “Plug into iTunes” screen, you’ve held down too long and need to restart.
If you performed the previous steps correctly and your phone’s screen remained blank, a dialog prompt should appear on your computer saying “iTunes has detected an iPhone in recovery mode. You must restore this iPhone before it can be used with iTunes.”
In iTunes’ iPhone device screen you should see a screen saying iPhone Recovery Mode, with the message: “If you are experiencing problems with your iPhone, you can restore its original settings by clicking Restore iPhone.”
To exit DFU mode, simply hold both the lower volume button and the power button until the Apple logo is displayed on your iPhone’s screen.
Related Roundup: iPhone 7
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Launch Day Reaction Mixed as iPhone 7 Shipping Estimates Improve but Some Reservations Turned Away
iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus launch fever has officially reached the U.S. and Canada, with the first pre-order deliveries and in-store availability beginning around 8:00 a.m. from coast to coast. Despite limited to no iPhone 7 Plus or iPhone 7 in Jet Black stock, long queues have still formed at many Apple retail stores in both countries.
Apple Eaton Centre in Toronto, for example, still had hundreds of people waiting in line, with separate queues for those with reservations and walk-in customers. Local news reporters said the iPhone 7 Plus was initially available, despite Apple’s statement otherwise, but stock had depleted before 9:00 a.m. local time.
Customers relentless in their search for an iPhone 7 Plus have attempted to visit resellers like AT&T, Best Buy, and Target only to be disappointed, as supply of the 5.5-inch model is virtually nonexistent in any stores on launch day. Apple preemptively warned that demand would outstrip supply as usual, and it has not specified when iPhone 7 Plus and Jet Black availability will improve.
Meanwhile, investment firm Piper Jaffray counted around 400 people in line at Apple’s flagship Fifth Avenue store in New York, down from around 650 for the iPhone 6s/6s Plus and some 1,880 for the iPhone 6/6 Plus. It cited three reasons it believes contributed to the shorter line this year: an increasing trend towards online pre-orders, the lack of iPhone 7 Plus stock, and fewer overseas resellers.
Elsewhere, the investment firm counted 45 people waiting at Mall of America, down from 60 people a year ago, and another 34 waiting at Apple Uptown, compared to 36 in line last year. Both stores are located in the Minneapolis area. MacRumors readers have shared photos of similar lines of various lengths in other locations, including the West County Center shopping mall in St. Louis pictured below.
Launch day reaction has been decidedly mixed, as some customers are beginning to see improved pre-order shipping estimates, while some others that reserved a new iPhone through Apple’s Reserve and Pick Up or iPhone Upgrade Program were told their order could not be fulfilled today and forced to walk away empty handed.
MacRumors reader Chicagofan00, who pre-ordered a 256GB iPhone 7 Plus in Jet Black from Verizon, said his shipping estimate has been bumped up to Monday, compared to an initial September 26 to October 3 estimate.
Woke up this morning to a status of shipped and a delivery date of Monday. I’m slightly bummed it won’t arrive today as it would have been nice to have the new camera capabilities for my daughter’s birthday party this weekend, but in the end I’m fine with getting it on Monday as they are still delivering much earlier than the initial dates of 9/26-10/3.
MacRumors reader Michael is one of several readers that has contacted us about an unfulfilled reservation, with some others sharing similar experiences in our discussion forums as launch day continues.
Just left the Highland Village location where I had an 8AM appointment to pickup my iPhone 7 Plus/Black/256GB on iPhone Upgrade Program. Apple took 30 minutes to look for the phone before they finally told me they didn’t have the phone. They didn’t receive any iPhones that matched my option combo. No notification beforehand that the phone wasn’t in inventory. They have no idea when it will come in but said it could be next week. Very disappointed in Apple. Waste of time. They should’ve known before the morning of that they didn’t have the phone so they can notify people.
Apple will resume in-store reservations on September 17 at 12:01 a.m. local time in the U.S., at 8:00 a.m. local time in Australia, Canada, and Hong Kong, and at 6:00 a.m. local time in Belgium, Germany, the Netherlands, Switzerland, and the U.K., which should provide a bird’s-eye view of in-store stock.
Related Roundup: iPhone 7
Tag: Apple retail
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News Organizations Team Up in Lawsuit Against FBI Over San Bernardino iPhone Hacking Case
A group of three news outlets, including Gannett, the Associated Press and Vice Media, filed a lawsuit today against the FBI on grounds relating to the bureau’s decision to keep its method of hacking into San Bernardino shooter Syed Farook’s iPhone a secret. The news organizations are looking for more information about how exactly the FBI entered the iPhone, what “outside party” helped with the process, and how much the government paid for it (via USA Today).
Gannett, the AP, and Vice Media have each sought details on the hack under the Freedom of Information Act, but the FBI denied the requests, arguing that “revealing the records would imperil its enforcement efforts.” Now the organizations are teaming up and asking the court to force the FBI to release the requested information.
While the security drama swirls, University of Cambridge researcher Sergei Skorobogatov has released proof countering the FBI’s claim that it couldn’t get into Farook’s iPhone without Apple’s help. In his report (via Engadget), Skorobagatov detailed his process in bypassing the passcode retry counter of an iPhone 5c running iOS 9, which he said “does not require any expensive and sophisticated equipment.”
This was achieved by desoldering the NAND Flash chip of a sample phone in order to physically access its connection to the SoC and partially reverse engineering its proprietary bus protocol. The process does not require any expensive and sophisticated equipment. All needed parts are low cost and were obtained from local electronics distributors. By using the described and successful hardware mirroring process it was possible to bypass the limit on passcode retry attempts. This is the first public demonstration of the working prototype and the real hardware mirroring process for iPhone 5c.
After removing the NAND from the iPhone — which requires “a temperature above 300 ºC…due to heavy heat sinking of the main PCB” — he created a backup of it and placed it onto a custom-built, special test board. To continue the NAND mirroring process, following a successful creation and verification of the backup copy, the original chip is placed back into the iPhone 5c, where the researcher entered six passcode attempts, and then power cycled the device. In total, the process takes 90 seconds each time, meaning the true password could feasibly be discovered in “less than two days.”
Once the phone is powered up and the screen is slid the passcode can be entered six times until the delay of one minute is introduced again. Then the process of mirroring from backup can be repeated again and again until the correct passcode is found. On average each cycle of mirroring for six passcode attempts takes 90 seconds. Hence, a full scan of all possible 4-digit passcodes will take about 40 hours or less than two days.
The fight between Apple and the FBI began earlier in the year when Apple refused to help the government unlock Farook’s iPhone 5c under the belief that it could set a fearful precedent for security and privacy moving forward. The FBI didn’t know what could potentially be on the device, but believed that any information gathered from it would potentially help move the case of the San Bernardino shooting forward in meaningful ways.
Although that particular case is over, FBI director James Comey said that he expects litigation over the encryption of mobile devices to continue, as encryption is “essential tradecraft” of terrorist organizations like ISIS. Technology and security have intersected more and more as smartphones grow more popular, with Comey also stating that WhatsApp’s new end-to-end encryption was already “affecting the criminal work [of the FBI] in huge ways.”
Note: Due to the political nature of the discussion regarding this topic, the discussion thread is located in our Politics, Religion, Social Issues forum. All forum members and site visitors are welcome to read and follow the thread, but posting is limited to forum members with at least 100 posts.
Tag: Apple-FBI
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2017 Porsche 911 Carrera 4S review – Roadshow
Sep 2016
The Good The 2017 Carrera 4S is a joy to drive, thanks to a responsive engine and an impressively quick transmission.
The Bad The 911 can pick up some serious wind noise at speed, and if you include every option, the car’s price heads north of $150,000 in a hurry.
The Bottom Line The latest iteration of the 911 might add two turbochargers, but its core character remains the same — it’s a wondrous sports car that won’t become a chore on longer jaunts.
These days, everybody wants their cars to be superheroes. We want them to be sporty, but not so sporty that we can’t be comfortable. We want power, but we’re not willing to give up fuel economy. We want our cake and, dad gum it, we want to eat it too. Cost keeps most cars from achieving this goal, but most cars aren’t the Porsche 911.
While it may have started its life as a lithe rally machine, the 911 has grown considerably, spawning many different variants along the route, nearly all of which sport turbochargers as of 2017.
It’s an efficiency move, no doubt, but the 911 has soldiered on through worse, and I’m happy to report that the car you see here, the 2017 911 Carrera 4S, hands out the cake on a fork and begs drivers to take a bite. Whether it’s cruising down the expressway in proper grand-touring form or whipping about the back roads of Insert State Here, it’s a delight.
Easy to pick out of a lineup
If you’ve seen a Porsche 911 since 1966 or so, it’s not hard to pick one out on the road. Its rear-engine layout gives it a familiar, demi-ovate silhouette that hasn’t changed much, save for generational expansions along all three axes. Mild revisions for the 2017 model year include a revised front end, new taillights and a new engine cover. This specific color, Graphite Blue, is worth the $710 cost of admission.
If you’re unsure what you’re looking at, the litany of badges across the rear end will definitely remind you.
Nick Miotke/Roadshow
Inside, 911 traditions remain, like the five-gauge binnacle and the left-side ignition, but they’re given a 21st-century update — the key now stays in your pocket, and the center-right gauge houses a 4.6-inch color display.
Even though the infotainment screen dominates the center stack, there are still loads of dials and buttons. I found the menagerie of controls below the shifter, which adjust all manner of chassis and powertrain bits, confusing at first. By the end of my week with the car, though, opening the exhaust or lifting the front end (a $2,590 option) was muscle memory.
My tester came with a blue-and-white leather interior, and it was hard to find a surface that didn’t feel nice and expensive. The seats, despite carrying a Sport moniker, are comfortable and supportive on long trips. Except for the rear seats. No matter how big the 911 gets, the rear seats are, have been, and always will be, a cruel joke.
Thankfully, I could fold down the rear seats and use the parcel shelf as additional grocery storage. If you need to grocery shop for more than two people, the 911’s frunk will need some help, as it’s just big enough for several backpacks or a smaller weekender bag.
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No longer analog
Whether tucked away inside the suspension or right up front on the gauge cluster, technology makes the 2017 Carrera 4S decidedly digital. Drop $3,970 for the Premium Package Plus, and the 911 picks up LED headlights that provide ample illumination, auto-dimming mirrors and heated and cooled seats.
Porsche’s latest iteration of its PCM infotainment system is snappy and very easy to figure out — except for the settings menus.
Nick Miotke/Roadshow
As for infotainment, I was blown away by the latest iteration of Porsche’s infotainment system, which is new for this year. It now supports Apple CarPlay, but not Android Auto. The screen features a proximity sensor, hiding extraneous bits until a hand draws near.
I found this new infotainment system easy to use, but slightly difficult to fully figure out. For example, it gave me three different ways to change settings — use of the Opt button on a specific screen, through the touchscreen’s Settings menu or forcing attention up to the gauge cluster’s information display, which has its own control stalk.
If you need to remain connected on the road, the 911 car can be equipped with a 4G LTE antenna supporting a Wi-Fi hotspot. Optional onboard apps deliver fuel prices, weather, online destination search, news and even Google Earth maps to the screen. Porsche also has the Porsche Car Connect app, which lets the driver control vehicle functions using either a phone or wearable device.
While it may not come loaded with every new safety system on the planet, Porsche will add adaptive cruise control and autonomous emergency braking for $2,490. Another $850 tacks on blind spot monitoring. Parking sensors and a backup camera come standard, which helps keep the shiny parts shiny.
Which color Honor 8 should you get?
Which color Honor 8 should I buy? There are so many to choose from!
Pearl white, midnight black, sapphire blue, and sunrise gold. Which one, which one?! It’s always hard to make the decision, especially when you’re going to have to look at the Honor 8 every five minutes for the next year or two.
We know that the color you choose often comes down to personal preference, but we’ve got some tips that might help those of you still struggling to make a choice.
- Pearl white
- Midnight black
- Sapphire blue
- Sunrise gold
- Sakura pink
Who should get the pearl white Honor 8?
The full glass body of the Honor 8 is a head-turner, no matter which color you choose, but if you want instant attention on your device, white is certainly the way to go. It’s clean and has an almost sterile quality to it, reminiscent of futuristic sci-fi films.
The best part of having an all-white phone is its propensity to hide fingerprints and dirt, since it’s reflective with no dark undertones. If you like a clean-looking phone at all times, you’ll want to go with white.
It grabs attention, sometimes distractingly so. Having such stark, white bezel around a dark screen may end up stealing some of your focus. But if you can get past that, or you have your screen as bright as it’ll go (you animal), then no worries.
See at Honor
Who should get the midnight black Honor 8?
Black is sleek, sexy, and just plain cool. The midnight black Honor 8 really is as black as midnight, without any of the blue hues you see in competitors’ black phones, like the Galaxy S7.
The nice part about going with a black phone is that it’s going to look great with or without a case. Without a case, you have a devilishly handsome phone that’s understated and mysterious, but at the end of the day, it’s just a black phone, so slap a case on it and you probably won’t regret it.
The biggest drawback of having such a dark black phone with a reflective surface is that fingerprints will show up. You’ll either want to carry around a microfiber cloth or you’ll be constantly wiping your phone with your shirt, which is why black often lends itself better to a case.
Black is usually a default choice for most folks, but with current availability (only pearl white is available through the Honor site), we’ll likely see fewer black editions than usual.
See at Amazon
Who should get the sapphire blue Honor 8?
The sapphire blue Honor 8 is gorgeous. It’s not quite as soft, nor polarizing (especially now), as the blue coral Note 7, but it’s truly unique. When most companies are pumping out black, silver, gold, white, and pink/rose gold, if you’re looking for something a little unusual, blue sapphire is the way to go.
It’s a deep, rich shade of blue, reflecting subtly in the light. It’s got a certain beauty and allure. If you’re torn between the flash and guile of pearl white and the shrouded mystery of midnight black, blue might be a good in-between choice.
Who should get the sunrise gold Honor 8?
If you want to stand out with an ostentatious style, then sunrise gold is absolutely for you. If just want something more fashionable that’ll match your golden vibe, it’s definitely your best choice.
Gold is a fickle phone color in that, depending on the lighting, it can change from an almost silver tone to a rose gold to a sickly yellow, and fingerprints will show up at random and then vanish. Them’s the breaks when it comes to phone colors that straddle the fine line between light and dark.
The gold version is also incredibly hard to come by in North America, since it’s being focused in Russia and Middle Eastern markets to start. Don’t expect to get your hands on one any time soon.
Who should get the sakura pink Honor 8?
So far, no one’s seen the sakura pink Honor 8 outside of China, so the only answer, really, is anyone in China.
That being said, if it does make its way stateside, the same folks who usually opt for a white phone will also like the pink. It hides fingerprints fairly well and adds a sort of fashionable, head-turning flair to your phone.
The color will change, depending on the lighting, from a pearlescent rose to an almost crimson, but that’s what happens with such reflective phones.
Read more: Honor 8 review
Still undecided?
If you still can’t make up your mind, hop into our forums and get in on the discussion!
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Digital Offers: Secure your internet connection for $79
How secure is your internet connection? When you’re travelling or using a public network, can you guarantee that your private information will be safe from hackers and other sketchy types? Most of us jump onto public networks and never stop to think about the access we might be granting to total strangers. That includes not only your passwords, but your messages and photos, too. Add to that the fact that, depending on where you’re travelling, public networks may not even allow you full access to the internet you’re used to; blocking certain sites isn’t uncommon. How are you supposed to keep up and stay safe when you’re travelling, or even just out and about in your own city, when you’re spending all of your time worrying and getting frustrated?
What you need is a VPN, or Virtual Private Network. It allows you to become the authorized user of a network that is encrypted, meaning your data remains safer than if you just use a regular public Wi-Fi network. PureVPN is a trusted provider, with well over one million users worldwide, giving you a secure network connection even when your only choice is a public network.
You can get a lifetime subscription to PureVPN through Android Central Digital Offers for just $79, which is 86% off the original price of $597! PureVPN is supported by over 500 servers in 141 countries, so whether you’re overseas on business or just down the street from your place, you’ll have a secure internet connection and access to everything you need. Your subscription:
- Keeps your web history completely out of view of potential hackers, protecting your passwords and usernames from becoming public information
- Is ideal for travel in places where you may find sites have been blocked for some reason; you can now work around those blocks and get access to the sites you need
- Is compatible with nearly any Smart device you may use at home or when you’re away. The subscription also includes five multi logins so that you can access a server from multiple devices at once
- Includes unlimited data transfer so you can download, browse, stream, and share as much as you like
- Prevents unauthorized access to your messages, photos, videos, and more
Lifetime subscriptions to anything are expensive, but right now you can get one for PureVPN for 86% off and never have to worry about secure networks or internet roadblocks again. Get yours now!
See at Android Central Digital Offers
Samsung Galaxy Note 7 going back on sale from 28 September
One of the worst periods in Samsung’s history is almost at an end with reports suggesting that the company has isolated the problem which made some Note 7 smartphones explode. It is almost ready to put the phone back on the market, with suspected faulty models removed from the supply chain.
A spokeswoman told CNN in the US that sales of the Samsung Galaxy Note 7 will resume in the company’s homeland of South Korea on 28 September. Other countries will also start to stock the phone again from that date.
This comes after a mass recall was demanded by US regulators yesterday, Thursday 15 September. Samsung will start to replace handsets with error-free models from Monday 19 September in Korea and other regions.
Pocket-lint understands that will also be the case in the UK.
- Official US recall of Note 7 fully reveals how many have exploded
- Samsung Galaxy Note 7 recall: How to exchange or return your phone
The issue arose at the end of August, with reports that new Note 7 handsets were overheating while charging. In some cases they caught on fire or exploded, allegedly causing burns and property damage.
Samsung was quick to inform its customers to stop using their phones and issued a recall program. Around 2.5 million Note 7 smartphones had been sold to that point, so isolating the problem became a priority.
Not all phones are affected but Samsung offered to replace or refund any it had already sold.
Surely I just played my final ‘Final Fantasy XV’ demo
While Final Fantasy XV’s decade-long development doesn’t beat Duke Nukem’s excessive run, it’s still a hell of a long time for another part of one of gaming’s biggest, longest-running franchises. And it’s still not here. However, at the Tokyo Game Show, I got what is possibly the last taster before the main course; a lengthy 30-minute play-through that — barring some brutal initial loading times — felt like a finished game.
The demo started in a pretty fascinating way: you’re thrown into a throne room on fire, and some evil (and huge) human figure is goading you to fight. You’re also no longer the boy-band prince that’s been part of FFXV’s promotional materials since 2006, but an older, grizzled version. Even your fellow bros are looking a bit rougher around the edges. You then assemble to duck another magical flame attack, and the demo frustratingly moves on to a glossy intro movie showing the King (the protagonist’s dad) biding you farewell as you cross the country to marry… someone. That early fiery scene seems like a tantalizing teaser of what’s to come. I’m all about time skips.
After setting up on your bro roadtrip, your car breaks down, and while it gets fixed, you’re free to do some chores, hunt some monsters and get used to the battle system quirks. Like the surprisingly dense Episode Duscae demo that came out two years ago (!), you’re given free reign to do what you want. Explore, fight, camp out, eat at the cafeteria and all the other important things.
My party gained levels, picked up new skills and I even forced them into casual clothes during my play: nothing seemed particularly locked down, and I could access monster hunt side-quests even if they were beyond my current level. Like I said at the start, it felt like the start of a whole, entire game, and it wouldn’t be a huge shock if it was.
Director Tabata himself said the game would have been ready for its previous September launch date, but the team wanted to avoid the curse of the Day 1 Patch, iron out bugs and add further polish.
I’m still not sure what to make of Final Fantasy XV: it’s willfully different, and I get why. Now I need to work out whether Square Enix can deliver on a modern, open-world Final Fantasy game — and get me to care about Noctis and his buddies. The only way I’ll figure that out is when the whole thing lands. Which is currently November 29th. For now.
AIVAnet 