Sky+ gets some more Sky Q loving

Sky has announced some new features for the Sky+ platform that are already available on Sky Q. The new features include Auto Play, which automatically plays the next episode of a TV series you’re watching, provided it’s already downloaded to your Planner.

• Sky Q features coming to Sky+, here’s what to expect in Homepage refresh

You can also press the green button on the Sky remote to instantly move to the next episode at any point during the current episode, which could be useful if you just want to refresh your memory of what’s happened in a series and move on to the next instalment.

To help make sure the next episode is always downloaded in your Planner, Sky has already introduced Download Next to Sky+, which does as the name suggests and downloads the next episode of a series you’re getting stuck into.

Sky has also introduced a Catch Up series link feature which automatically records the next available episode of a Catch Up TV programme. To enable the feature, you’ll need to go into the dedicated Catch Up TV section of your box, or navigate to a Catch Up TV show that’s already been downloaded to your Planner and press the green button on your Sky remote to Series Link it.

Sky+ has also received a new accessibility option to increase the size of the font on the homepage.

The new features are already available as standard on the Sky Q platform, which lets you watch different content in different rooms of the house, as well as being able to watch any recorded shows on a tablet or smartphone.

Microsoft will announce VR headset details in December

Microsoft has confirmed it will hold two events in December, one in Shenzen, China on 8-9 December and the other in Taipei, Taiwan on 14-15 December which will feature further details surrounding the company’s VR headsets.

Alex Kipman, head of the HoloLens project hinted in an interview with Polygon the details would include mention of differently priced and differently powered headsets: “There is a difference if you want to play Halo or you want to play Solitaire. The entry to play anything was a $1500 PC; that’s what we lowered”.

Microsoft has already revealed basic details of the headsets, they’ll be affordable, starting at $299, will have six degrees of freedom sensors, which means they’ll be able to track your head movements as well as your position in space and will be made by Microsoft’s hardware partners: HP, Dell, Lenovo, Asus and Acer. But unlike headsets such as the HTC Vive and Oculus Rift that do a similar job with the use of tracking sensors around the room, Microsoft’s will be able to work without the extra help.

Microsoft’s VR headsets will begin shipping after the Windows 10 Creators Update is made available to download in March 2017.

Microsoft announced the new VR headsets at its Imagine What You’ll Do event last month, which also saw the unveiling of the new Surface Book i7 and the Surface Studio all-in-one PC.

The LG G6 camera could double up as an iris scanner

The LG G6 should be released sometime in 2017 and so far, all we’ve heard about is features that the phone won’t be getting, such as a modular design, curved OLED screen and wireless charging system. Now though, there’s news surrounding a feature it will come with, an all-in-one camera and iris scanner.

The rumour comes via Korean site DT.co.kr and picked up by Slash Gear, which says the G6 will feature a compact that sensor that will combine a front-facing camera and an iris scanner. The iris scanner part of the sensor will be used to authenticate the user and unlock the phone, in a similar way to the one on the late Samsung Galaxy Note 7, but Samsung’s phone used separate sensors for the iris scanner and camera.

LG plans to combine the two into one, smaller sensor to help save on space and potentially make the phone thinner. The company says the sensor could shrink in size from 0.47cm to 0.36cm. There’s no word on what megapixel count the camera will come with but nevertheless it’s some positive news as to what we can expect from LG’s next flagship.

Titanfall 2 review: A total blast

The original Titanfall arrived amid a blaze of hype which was impressive even by games industry standards – and which came about due mainly to the game’s provenance. It was the first effort made by Respawn Entertainment, a developer formed by the founders of Infinity Ward, the originator of Call of Duty, after a much-publicised falling out with publisher Activision. But Titanfall failed to live up to the hype, as it proved to be only half a game – it didn’t have a single-player campaign.

Happily, Titanfall 2 redresses that glaring omission with aplomb. It has a single-player campaign which, while short (speed-runners could complete it in six hours or so) proves to be absolutely top-notch. It also acts as a great primer for the multiplayer – still the more substantial element of the game – but it also holds up surprisingly well as an entity on its own.

Titanfall 2 review: Much needed campaign

In the game you play Jack Cooper, a rifleman who dreams of becoming a Pilot – the pinnacle of troops in Titanfall 2’s alternate future reality, whose on-foot combat skills are second to none and, more importantly, who are trained and authorised to control Titans, the giant, sentient battle-mechs.

Dropped onto the surface of a planet where the dastardly private military company, IMC, augmented by a bunch of unscrupulous mercenaries (with South African and British accents to the fore, in true Hollywood style), have been up to some skulduggery. The result is an energy blast into the surrounding area of space, meaning things quickly go pear-shaped.

Cooper and his commanding officer, Captain Lastimosa, are isolated from the rest of their squad. On his deathbed Lastimosa reassigns his Titan, the prosaically named BT-7274, to Cooper.

Initially, Cooper must undertake a couple of solo missions to power up BT-7274, which gently teach you the joys of being a Pilot, chief among which are outrageous wall-run and double-jump abilities, plus some handy toys like a cloaking device which renders you briefly invisible. Then acting-Pilot and Titan set out to complete their mission, which involves fighting their way all the way through a secret IMC facility. Which proves to be fantastically good fun and surprisingly varied. 

Titanfall 2 review: Run and jump tactics

The level-design you encounter is particularly stunning, leading to some sequences which are surprisingly reminiscent of the best platform games. In one giant facility where, bizarrely, houses are assembled in a modular manner, the level reassembles itself, forcing you to make perilous wall-run/double-jump combos, often while shooting.

Respawn Entertainment

Another sequence has an extremely cool time-travel mechanic, allowing you to switch between a ravaged version of a building and its pristine predecessor, although the latter has locked parts and enemies galore, so you can switch for a bit of respite if you’re near death, but still have to switch back in order to progress to your objective.

There are some great boss-battles involving new types of Titans, too, and the single-player campaign takes you through the entire Titan-weapon loadout. So once you’ve finished the solo game you’re perfectly prepared for the multiplayer.

Titanfall 2 review: Multiplayer core

Respawn Entertainment has also added impressively to the solid foundations of the original game’s multiplayer. Again, the level-design impresses: the new maps are incredibly convoluted and detailed, and thereby cater for all play-styles; even when camping out with a sniper and anti-Titan rocket – although that runs counter to the game’s fast-paced spirit as the Pilots are among the most mobile characters ever witnessed in a videogame, especially when equipped with grappling hooks (one of the core new elements found in the sequel).

There’s a new game-mode called Bounty Hunter, too, which feels a bit odd at first: Pilots and Titans arrive in the level with bounties attached to them. It’s up to you to take them out, grab the bounty, then during designated periods deposit into banks which open. The twist is that every time you die half your current bounty is removed, which shakes things up. The first team to deposit a set amount wins. Which sounds contrived, but soon develops a sort of logic of its own.

Respawn Entertainment

All the favourite game-modes from the original game are present, as are many of the original maps (with graphical tweaks), and the new weapons and Titan chassis add to the fun. Like its predecessor, Titanfall 2’s multiplayer keeps things simpler than most – it isn’t overburdened with a confusing array of modes. But it provides great, visceral enjoyment which is ridiculously fast-paced and really gets the adrenalin going.

We did, however, get a bit bored with the original Titanfall after a few months; hopefully Respawn will keep things fresh with some judicious downloadable content.

Verdict

Titanfall 2 is an infinitely better game than its predecessor. The presence of a genuinely original and distinctive single-player campaign is a real surprise and, this time around, the game is available on PS4 rather than just Xbox One and PC.

Overall, Titanfall 2 is right up there with the best first-person shooters you can get your hands on. If you like things high-tech, futuristic and centred on mechs, then it’s a must-buy.

iPhone 8 could finally feature wireless charging

Asian site Nikkei has reported that Foxconn, the manufacturer of the iPhone, is working on a new wireless charging system to be implemented in 2017’s iPhone 8. The iPhone 8 will represent the 10th anniversary of the iPhone, so Apple is expected to introduce entirely new features to help boost sales.

Wireless charging for the iPhone has been touted for some time, but now Foxconn could finally be able to produce a module on an incredibly large scale.

The industry source that claimed Foxconn is working on the technology added it would only materialise if the yield rate can be deemed profitable. If too many modules are made and not up to a certain standard, the technology could be scrapped for a future iPhone release.

It’s also been claimed that if the wireless modules can be mass produced, they might not find their way into every iPhone 8 model. The report says Apple could reserve the best features for a more premium 5.5-inch phone, which would also feature a curved OLED screen, glass back and metal frame.

There’s some weight to this rumour as Sharp CEO Tai Jeng-wu recently said Apple will implement OLED technology in the iPhone, although he didn’t confirm it would be the iPhone 8.

There’s talk of two other iPhone models in the range that would launch with the regular flat LCD screen we’ve seen on current models.

Apple already offers wireless inductive charging in the Watch, but the modules are obviously much smaller and charge quite slowly. It’s not crystal clear if Apple would use an inductive charging method on the iPhone or if it would use completely wireless charging, as Apple Insider confirmed the company has hired to executives from uBeam, a company that works on wireless charging via ultrasonic waves.

Sonos users can now control their systems from Spotify

Sonos and Spotify have long been associated with each other, but the relationship has become even closer as you now control your connected music system from the Spotify app.

Spotify Connect integration has been added to Sonos Public Beta 7.0. It gives Android, Apple Mac and PC users the ability to fully control what music plays through a Sonos system without having to open the Sonos dedicated application. It also gives access to grouping and ungrouping of rooms.

The iOS version of the Spotify app will also gain the feature, along with other platforms, when it comes out of beta.

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The app gives you the ability to send whatever you’re playing on Spotify to any Sonos speaker in your home, instantly. This includes Spotify playlists. Grouping all rooms together means you can control the volume of all speakers at once.

Friends and family can also gain control of your system through the Spotify app without having to download the Sonos software. And you no longer have to be on your Wi-Fi network to control Sonos, you can even send songs to it remotely.

You need to sign up to the Sonos Public Beta programme to gain the new feature. You can find out more details on the dedicated Sonos webpage. 

Henrik Fisker unveils his ambitious EMotion luxury EV

Henrik Fisker has tweeted some new images of the EMotion electric car from Fisker Inc. with a theoretical 400 mile range and 161 mph top speed. Overall, it looks like a softer version of the original Fisker Karma EV from the side, with a grill-less snout like the Tesla Model S. The technical highlight is a new type of graphene battery, under development at UCLA, that (theoretically) charges faster than a lithium-ion model. The vehicle is slated to be built at an “existing facility,” reportedly in California, and unveiled in 2017.

To hit the design specs, the carbon fiber EV was designed to be as aerodynamic as possible, with a short, low hoodline, integrated spoiler and underbody diffuser. It also features adaptive LED headlights, dihedral (aka butterfly) doors and fully autonomous driving tech from a “soon-to-be-announced supplier.” Fisker tweeted that the vehicle will have “superb rear legroom” despite its sports-car looks.

Technology & Emotions coming together in the Fisker EMotion. pic.twitter.com/jUfdK8aHU7

— Henrik Fisker (@FiskerOfficial) October 31, 2016

The original Fisker Karma was admired for its dramatic design, but that was the vehicle’s only forte when when Leonardo DiCaprio took the first delivery in 2011. Many analysts felt it was rushed into production after Fisker’s funding was cut by the US Department of Energy. As such, it was plagued by reliability problems and battery fires, making it the Samsung Galaxy Note 7 of electric vehicles.

To top it off, its battery supplier A123 went bust shortly after production started and Fisker followed it into bankruptcy soon after. The design and parts were purchased by China’s Wanxiang Group, which plans to relaunch it without Henrik Fisker’s involvement as the Revero.

The EMotion’s design and specs are drool-worthy, if Fisker can achieve them. However, the battery design — which is based on quick-charging ultracapacitor tech developed at UCLA — is completely unproven. And while the butterfly doors and carbon fiber body are cool, similar features have caused quality problems for Tesla and other automakers. As such, when Fisker Inc. says that “the first deliveries will be announced after the vehicle is shown in mid 2017,” take that with a boulder of salt.