‘Watch Dogs 2’ finally has all the features Ubisoft promised
People who bought Watch Dogs 2 under the promise of a seamless blend between a solo campaign and multiplayer are finally going to get the game they paid for. Yesterday, developer/publisher Ubisoft turned on what it’s calling the “second phase” of the feature to both PlayStation 4 and Xbox One owners. From the company statement:
“Players will now be able to experience the full seamless multiplayer features: Nearby bounty targets and Prime_Eight rivals will join the player’s world for them to hunt down and hack without going through the Multiplayer App in the smartphone. Players will also encounter friendly Dedsec hackers who can help them complete different Dedsec events throughout San Francisco. Players can also invite those Dedsec hackers to form a co-op team and complete co-op missions.”
During the pre-launch period when press had advance access to the game, Ubisoft discovered that the drop-in multiplayer was wreaking havoc on Watch Dogs 2’s frame rate and general stability. While certain multiplayer modes were available before this patch, as the statement says, you had to set them up for yourself rather than randomly happening upon another player in your own world — a step back from how the first game worked.
Watch Dogs 2 was released on November 15th, so if you’re keeping track at home, it took just over a week for the patch to make it through Microsoft’s and Sony’s respective quality certification programs.
Second Source Claims Apple Will Launch 10.5-inch iPad in 2017
A report from the Taiwanese supply chain emerged overnight claiming Apple will release a 10.5-inch “education and enterprise” tablet as part of its iPad line-up next year (via DigiTimes). The 10.5-inch iPad is said to be equipped with Apple’s A10X processor, also expected in next year’s refreshed line-up, with production slated to begin next month.
Apple is launching the 10.5-inch iPad mainly because 10-inch and larger tablets have been popular among enterprises and the education sector in the US, the sources said. Its existing 9.7-inch iPad may be too small and the 12.9-inch iPad Pro too expensive for such procurement, the sources indicated.
A number of claims have emerged recently suggesting Apple plans to extend its iPad line-up with a new tablet dimension in the 10-inch range. Earlier this month, Barclays analysts claimed Apple will release a bezel-free 10.9-inch model alongside refreshed 9.7-inch and 12.9-inch iPads, citing its own supply chain sources, while in October Japanese website Mac Otakara said a new 10.1-inch iPad Pro would launch in early 2017.
However, today’s report marks the second independent source to suggest Apple plans to introduce a 10.5-inch mid-tier iPad. In August, KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo said the same thing and earmarked the same A10X processor for the tablet, suggesting there may be more substance to this particular rumor.
In addition, Kuo claimed Apple will also launch lower-price versions of the 9.7-inch iPad. Today’s sources corroborate that claim also, citing Apple’s apparent intention “to compete with Android models”.
Shipments of the rumored 10.5-inch iPad are expected to reach two million units in the first quarter of 2017 and may reach 5 to 6 million units in the year, DigiTimes sources said.
More “revolutionary” changes to iPads, including a switch to OLED displays, are expected in 2018, according to Kuo’s earlier report.
Related Roundups: iPad Air 2, iPad Pro
Buyer’s Guide: 9.7″ iPad Pro (Caution), 12.9″ iPad Pro (Caution)
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Trump’s new tech adviser wants to gut the FCC
On Monday, President-elect Trump named two advisers to his tech policy transition team. One of those experts, director of the Public Utility Research Center at the University of Florida Mark Jamison, wrote a blog entry last month explaining his position on the FCC — namely, that the country could do without it. In his opinion, the nation should almost completely dissolve the antiquated agency and farm out many of its regulatory duties to the FTC and local officials because the telecom industry is competitive enough to require far less oversight.
“Most of the original motivations for having an FCC have gone away. Telecommunications network providers and ISPs are rarely, if ever, monopolies,” he said in the post.
Given that assumption, In Jamison’s opinion, a whole agency devoted to regulating internet providers is overkill. Instead, the FTC and state authorities would handle anticompetitive conduct. Internet content competes well enough with broadcast television, so the latter don’t need regulation either. The only thing left for the FCC to handle is doling out radio frequencies, which could be done by a smaller independent agency that won’t change its priorities to sync with new Congressional members, presidents or commissioners.
We expected deregulation to be at the top of the list for the Trump administration’s tech agenda. Jamison dismissed the FCC’s work to preserve net neutrality and unlock set-top boxes as political favoritism that also coddled a cottage industry that sprung up to support those causes. Trump’s other advisor on the tech policy transition team, Jeffrey Eisenach of the conservative American Enterprise Institute, has actively crusaded against telecom regulation and net neutrality.
Even as the shadow of the Trump administration looms over the agency, which might see many of the industry and consumer protections it’s created in the last few years rolled back, the FCC has continued to work. A month ago, it passed new privacy rules protecting personal data from ISPs, which must now ask permission to monitor browsing habits. It’s also handed down judgments on Comcast ($2.3 million, charging customers for services they didn’t order) and T-Mobile ($48 million, poor disclosure of speed throttling).
Via: DSL Reports
Source: The Washington Post
Bonavita BV01002US Coffee Maker review – CNET
The Good The Bonavita BV01002US coffee maker brews as well as premium machines but costs much less. It’s also compact and easy to use and clean.
The Bad With mostly plastic parts, the Bonavita BV01002US is less attractive and feels less durable than its more-expensive competition. Instead of a thermal carafe, this coffee brewer comes with a glass pitcher and electric hot plate.
The Bottom Line Those who crave an outstanding coffee brewer at an attractive price should look to the Bonavita BV01002US, but only if plastic parts aren’t an eyesore.
Automatic drip coffee makers worth your money tend to cost an arm and a leg, typically two to three hundred dollars. Our Editors’ Choice winner, the $190 Bonavita BV1900TS, came in just under that price barrier, brewing pot after pot of fantastically good coffee. Now the company has a new model, the $140 BV01002US, which Bonavita promises will make java every bit as good yet is even more affordable.
True to Bonavita’s word, this coffee machine whips up superb batches of drip that are in line with those of its fancy sibling. Bonavita had to cut corners somewhere though, and here you’ll find a cheaper build as well as a hot plate and glass pitcher rather than a thermal carafe. All this makes Bonavita’s latest coffee maker perfect for frugal shoppers who seek quality drip coffee. If you’d like a machine with more elegance plus brewing chops, a $299 Technivorm Moccamaster KBT 741 or Bonavita BV1900TS will be more your speed.
Design and features
Those who’ve used previous Bonavita brewers should find the BV01002US very familiar. Its shape is similar to the company’s previous BV1800 line right down to the tall, rectangular tower and trapezoidal water tank that both products share. Unlike the BV1900TS, this appliance is equipped with a glass carafe and not an insulated thermal container. That’s another characteristic in common with the base BV1800 brewer model.
This Bonavita has a shape similar to the BV1800 series.
Chris Monroe/CNET
To keep the carafe’s contents warm, the coffee maker relies on an electrically heated metal hot plate. The plate itself sits on top of the machine’s thick base. Additionally, the filter basket here is conical and designed to accept Type-4 paper filters. Again, this matches the filter setup of Bonavita’s BV1800 series brewers, but not the BV1900 series which use flat-bottom filters.
The button layout on the BV01002US, however, is entirely new. Up until now, Bonavita coffee makers came with just one button or switch to control brewing. Outside of other keys for programming a brew in advance, this button turned the machine on and off. The BV1900TS’ power switch also enables and disables its presoak function.
The button layout is slightly different.
Chris Monroe/CNET
This brewer has a dedicated presoak button in addition to one for power and another labelled “Clean.” Hitting presoak before the power button tells the device to drip just enough hot water into the filter basket to saturate your coffee grounds. After the presoak cycle completes, roughly one minute, brewing begins in earnest.
As you might have guessed, the clean button kicks the coffee maker into descaling mode to help scour away any lime deposits that may have built up over time. The button is linked to an internal cycle counter, too, and will glow red when it thinks you’re due for a descale. Keep in mind you must use special descaling agent for the task, sold in a powder or liquid solution.
Other than these differences, the Bonavita BV01002US is cut from the same cloth as the company’s other products. The coffee maker is an eight-cup brewer and accepts a maximum of 1.3 liters (44 ounces) of water. Depending on what coffee you use and your preferred grind size, you can expect between 38 and 40 ounces (1.1 to 1.2 liters) of coffee in each pot.
The water reservoir holds up to 1.3 liters (44 ounces).
Chris Monroe/CNET
Final Fantasy XV Release Date, Price and Specs – CNET
Square Enix
Some clueless gamers weren’t impressed by Final Fantasy XV, with Conan O’Brien calling it a “a waste of time” in his preview. But fear not gamers, I come with good news. I got to play the first three hours of Square Enix’s upcoming epic, and it’s looking like a lot of fun.
Be warned, there may be some minor spoilers ahead.
Final Fantasy XV takes place in an open world called Eos. From what I could see, it looks to be a sprawling world, with plenty to see and do.
But before we get to the good stuff, there’s just one negative thing I have to point out. The real-time combat can be clunky. This is especially true with warping, a mechanic that lets Noctis, the royal protagonist, jump around to various points on the map mid-battle.
To perform a warp, you’re supposed to look at a possible warp point and hit circle (on the PS4), but sometimes, even when I’m staring at the warp point and hitting circle, instead of making the jump, I found Noctis blinking straight ahead instead into more monsters. It made the whole experience frustrating to say the least.
As with most Final Fantasy games, you don’t go at it with monsters alone. This time around, Noctis comes with three other AI-controlled buddies, Ignis, Gladiolus and Prompto, who he can team up with to perform special devastating combos. Like with many good modern RPGs, each partner performs a different role. Ignis is damage, Gladiolus is the tank and Promptus is the stupid range damage-dealer in your party that keeps running up to die instead of hiding in the backlines.
It may be that the combat system takes a while to get used to, but honestly, even after three hours I didn’t feel very comfortable with it. Then again, the game offers an extensive combat tutorial, which I didn’t get to finish due to time constraints.
Square Enix
But it’s not all about combat. Final Fantasy XV is really the big beautiful new world of Eos. You get a fancy convertible to drive around in, and you’ll need to, unless you want to walk everywhere (which I don’t recommend at all). You can also go off the beaten path to find treasures or just check things out, but the game doesn’t want you driving around at night because that’s when the scary demons spawn.
And spawn they do. I was less than 30 minutes into the game, driving around at night, and met an Iron Giant, which killed my party in two hits. Having learned my lesson, I made sure to rest for the night until I got a bit stronger, which leads me to the leveling up system…
Unlike most RPGs, which level up after you fight, you only level up in the game when you rest, and depending on where you spend the night (the swankier, the better), you get percentage bonuses to your earned XP. Of course, the nicer places that give you more XP aren’t cheap to sleep over, so you’ll have to find ways to earn money.
There’s a variety of ways to do this, mainly fetch quests, killing monsters or exploring the map for gems and ores. Leveling up gives you points you can put into various skills that affect combat and world exploration. You can chose to ignore the main story and do a whole bunch of side quests before finishing up, and you can also go fishing if you’re feeling up for it.
Square Enix
The story starts picking up after the first chapter, because that’s where the bad things happen to Noctis’ dad, the king of Eos. Noctis is now the new guy on the throne and inherits a power up. This was where I had to stop, because my allocated time had run out.
What I’ve played so far has convinced me this game won’t be like Final Fantasy XIII, which forced you to run endless linear corridors. As with most Japanese RPGs, there’s not much hand-holding, you’re pretty much left to your own devices to figure things out, which I like. I’m just crossing my fingers that the combat gets tighter further into the game.
Check back soon for our full review.
NASA hopes for five more year-long ISS missions
Just because Scott Kelly has landed and retired doesn’t mean that NASA is done with long-term stays in space. The agency informs Ars Technica that it’s aiming for five more year-long missions aboard the International Space Station, with the first starting as early as September 2018 and the last finishing by the station’s expected shutdown in 2024. There may be some overlap to fit all of them into the schedule.
Why not longer, to gauge how astronauts would fare on trips to Mars? It’s not practical, NASA says. There would likely be just one 2- or 3-year mission in the time the ISS has left, and that mission would play havoc with the remaining crew rotations. Even if NASA could stuff two missions into that period, that wouldn’t exactly provide a lot of data. The single-year intervals strike a balance between longevity and the volume of research. As it is, ISS visits can’t illustrate the effects of communication delays and radiation by themselves.
The big question is whether or not NASA will get the funding it needs to complete such a mission. President-elect Trump senior advisor Bob Walker tells the Guardian that NASA under Trump will focus on on an “exploration role,” which could include these ISS missions. However, there’s no guarantee that the administration will see station visits this way. It might scale operations back if it thinks ISS trips contribute to the study of human-made climate change. We’re not expecting a sudden change of heart, but there’s going to be a lot of uncertainty until the first Trump-era NASA budget arrives.
Source: Ars Technica
HTC offering free USB-C to 3.5mm headphone adapter to all Bolt buyers
The second best option is still pretty good.
The HTC Bolt is a pretty great phone, but the Sprint exclusive has one pretty major omission — one increasingly common these days — in the lack of a headphone jack. Worse, unlike the iPhone 7 and Moto Z, two other phones lacking in that ubiquitous circular port, the Bolt doesn’t come with a headphone adapter in the box.
Thankfully, HTC has seen the error in its ways and is offering a free USB-C to 3.5mm headphone jack adapter to all Bolt owners through its rewards website. Just head over to the site, enter your purchase date, transaction number and phone’s MEID, and you’ll receive an adapter in the mail within a few weeks.
While it’s not quite as good as getting one in the box, we’re glad HTC understands the needs of its customers. In the meantime, the headphones included in the box are pretty good!
The offer is available to U.S. citizens only, and the Bolt’s purchase date must be between now and January 31, 2017. The adapter offer then expires on February 28, 2017, which will come more quickly than you think.
Microsoft’s classic Solitaire Windows game now out for Android and iOS
Microsoft has taken a classic Windows game and made it available for Android and iPhone users.
The new app, called Microsoft Solitaire Collection, includes five different Solitaire game modes: Klondike, Spider, FreeCell, Pyramid, and Tripeaks. It also offers daily challenges for players in all modes, with four levels of difficulty daily. Solitaire is basically a card game played by one person, and the object is to use up all the cards by forming particular arrangements and sequences.
- Are you colour blind? This Microsoft app will help you see colour
- How Xbox One backwards compatibility works: The Xbox 360 games list and more
Microsoft has also included the ability to play with friends and earn achievements through Xbox Live. All you have to do is sign in with your Microsoft account. You can continue playing on any Windows 10 or iOS device, too, because your progress and data will be saved in the cloud.
Android and iOS users have long had access to various Solitaire games in their respective app stores, but Microsoft considers its version the “world’s number 1” Solitaire game because more than 119 million people have played it on Windows 8 and Windows 10 machines, according to the Verge.
You can now download Microsoft Solitaire Collection from Apple’s App Store and Google Play Store. Although the app is free to download, you can buy a premium version for $1.99 to unlock even more features in the app and remove adverts.
Best gadgets you can buy right now: EE Pocket-lint Gadget Awards 2016 winners announced
Another year draws to a close but not before we celebrate the finest games, gadgets and other tech treats of the last 12 months in the annual EE Pocket-lint Gadget Awards. It’s time to reveal the winners.
You have been voting in your droves, along with the elite of the tech industry and Pocket-lint’s journalistic peers to find the finest products in 14 different categories. The following winners and highly recommended runners-up are all therefore fantastic products that you should consider if you’re in the market for new kit.
We’ve also rounded up all the votes in all the categories to find the overall product of the year – the tech that has made us all smile since launch.
So here are the best products of 2016, as rewarded in our swanky event in London. Huge congratulations to one and all.
EE Pocket-lint Gadget Awards 2016: Best game
Naughty Dog / Sony
Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End
Uncharted 4 was well worth the constant delays in making it to market. Nathan Drake has never looked better and the many additions to gameplay make it the most rounded in the series by far.
Uncharted 4 is not just the best Uncharted game, it can be argued that it is the best PS4 game full stop.
- Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End review: Going out with a bang
Highly recommended: Pokemon Go
Who could have predicted the global impact of Pokemon Go earlier this year? It’s still hugely popular today and a very worthy runner-up.
EE Pocket-lint Gadget Awards 2016: Best camera
Pocket-lint
Canon EOS 5D Mark IV
The EOS 5D range has long been known as the true enthusiast DSLR, the do-it-all camera for pros and consumers alike. And the Canon EOS 5D Mark IV has an all-new 30-megapixel full-frame sensor to take that tag even further.
It may be more expensive than the last-gen model, even considering inflation, but it has stacks of top-end features on board that should see it appeal to a wide audience.
- Canon EOS 5D Mark IV review: The 30-megapixel monster
Highly recommended: Fujifilm X-T2
Fuji’s latest compact system camera is, perhaps, the most advanced offering we’ve seen in its field to date.
EE Pocket-lint Gadget Awards 2016: Best home entertainment device or service
Pocket-lint
Sky Q
Sky Q is more than just a name change for Sky’s broadcasting service. It’s an entirely new platform that allows you to watch different programmes in different rooms and even supports 4K.
With all the content and ability to watch recordings on the go, Sky Q has all the potential of being the best TV service we’ve ever had.
- Sky Q review: The future of multi-room television?
Highly recommended: Netflix
With 4K HDR support, even Dolby Vision for compatible TVs, Netflix is going from strength to strength. It is also available on more devices than any competitor.
EE Pocket-lint Gadget Awards 2016: Best smarthome device
Pocket-lint
Amazon Echo
The Amazon Echo is a Bluetooth speaker with the company’s voice controlled assistant, Alexa, built-in. Not only will it play your tunes, but it can answer all manner of questions as well.
We think hands-free voice control is a godsend and that Alexa truly distinguishes this Bluetooth speaker from the competition. It blew our minds. We won’t ever get tired of walking into our living room and casually asking Alexa to stream some music.
- Amazon Echo review: It’s all about Alexa
Highly recommended: Dyson 360 Eye
Dyson finally entered the robot vacuum cleaner market and showed why it was well worth the wait.
EE Pocket-lint Gadget Awards 2016: Best smartwatch
Pocket-lint
Apple Watch Series 2
Apple’s shift from pure fashion accessory with some smarts to a device that supports a range of different sports and activities in the Apple Watch Series 2 is a very welcome advance.
With built-in GPS, a better battery, water-resistance and a much greater focus on fitness, the Apple Watch works excellently with workouts. It is now so much more than just a pretty smartwatch. It’s now a smartwatch with a purpose.
- Apple Watch Series 2 review: Fitness first
Highly recommended: Polar M600
Most sportswatches are only worthy of being worn when on an activity, not so the Polar M600 which is an excellent smartwatch too.
EE Pocket-lint Gadget Awards 2016: Best wireless speaker
Pocket-lint
BeoPlay A1 from B&O Play
It might be small, but the B&O BeoPlay A1’s big sound makes it standout in the portable Bluetooth speaker market. And given how good it sounds, we think it’s worth every penny of the £199 asking price.
Its solid battery, build quality, extra drive of bass and sheer audio clarity give this speaker the upper hand when it comes to sound quality. The BeoPlay A1 is well worth saving up for.
- B&O BeoPlay A1 by Bang & Olufsen review: Bluetooth speaker bliss
Highly recommended: UE Boom 2
The Ultimate Ears range goes from strength to strength and the UE Boom 2 proves you don’t need to be massive to get room-filling sound.
EE Pocket-lint Gadget Awards 2016: Best headphones
Pocket-lint
Sony MDR-1000X
With a clever application of technology, Sony has achieved wonderful results albeit with a slightly larger build than rivals.
The MDR-1000X are able to fold though, with a carry case included, and can work both wired or wirelessly. They have outstanding noise-cancellation with some very clever and effective features. Importantly the sound quality is great too.
- Sony MDR-1000X review: Quite simply phenomenal noise-cancelling headphones
Highly recommended: Bose QuietComfort 35
Super noise cancelling headphones from the leading brand, but this time wireless too.
EE Pocket-lint Gadget Awards 2016: Best tablet
Pocket-lint
Apple iPad Pro 9.7
The iPad Pro 9.7 tablet bridges the gap between offering a smaller iPad Pro and a more powerful iPad Air 2.
In the iPad Pro 9.7, Apple has created a tablet powerful enough to act as a laptop replacement. But it’s done so in a way that still feels very “iPad”. It’s the tablet to beat all tablets.
- Apple iPad Pro 9.7 review: The tablet to beat all tablets
Highly recommended: Microsoft Surface Pro 4
Many have swapped their laptops for one of these and for good reason. Fast, light and very powerful when it comes to the crunch.
EE Pocket-lint Gadget Awards 2016: Best fitness tracker
Pocket-lint
Fitbit Charge 2
The Charge 2 takes the best features from the Fitbit Charge HR and Alta, while adding a few more including VO2 Max and Guided Breathing. It also takes on Fitbit’s new design ethos with interchangeable straps, solid build quality and a larger, informative OLED display.
If you’re looking for a well-designed, accurate fitness tracker with a fantastic app platform, then the Charge 2 fully takes charge.
- Fitbit Charge 2 review: Taking charge
Highly recommended: Garmin Vivosmart HR+
The Garmin Vivosmart HR+ is an ideal device for someone who wants to track daily activity as well as record runs or walks in more detail.
EE Pocket-lint Gadget Awards 2016: Best TV
Sony
Sony ZD9
The ZD9 TV wins hook, line and sinker when it comes to HDR content.
Its unprecedented combination of colour, brightness, sharpness and contrast is virtually addictive, and undoubtedly adds up to what is simply the most spectacular and convincing next-generation TV picture performance of 2016.
- Sony ZD9 4K TV review: The HDR master
Highly recommended: LG OLED E6
Quite simply the king of picture quality, especially with the deep black levels that only OLED can achieve.
EE Pocket-lint Gadget Awards 2016: Best laptop
Pocket-lint
Apple MacBook (2016)
Apple’s refreshed MacBook is one of the most beautiful and portable laptops we’ve ever seen. This updated version comes with a faster processor and improved battery life, along with a new rose gold finish.
If you’re after a stylish, peppy little laptop then the 2016 MacBook is approaching just about perfect. It’s bold, sleek and, with all its trackpad and keyboard tech, feels like a futuristic extension of the company’s wider range.
- Apple MacBook (2016) review: Is port-free still the future?
Highly recommended: Dell XPS 15
As exemplary as 15-inch laptops go. We can’t think of any other Windows machine we’d rather own at this size.
EE Pocket-lint Gadget Awards 2016: Best VR device
Pocket-lint
Sony PlayStation VR
Setting up the PS VR might seem like a faff, with tonnes of cables and connections to sort out, but the pay-off at the end is a superb virtual reality experience – and an accessible one to many.
Virtual reality is magical when done well and if any device is likely to have a chance of exciting consumers it’s PlayStation VR.
- Sony PlayStation VR review: Virtual reality for the masses
Highly recommended: HTC Vive
With movement tracking at its best there are no equivalents. Just a little pricy for some.
EE Pocket-lint Gadget Awards 2016: Best phone
Pocket-lint
Samsung Galaxy S7 edge
Samsung might have had its troubles recently, but there’s no denying this is an amazing device. The Samsung Galaxy S7 is a fantastic smartphone in its own right, but it’s the S7 edge that turns heads; this is the smartphone that’s calling for attention; this is the handset that’s unique.
If you’re looking for a new flagship phone in 2016 then this Android champion absolutely has to be on your shortlist.
- Samsung Galaxy S7 edge review: The new smartphone champion
Highly recommended: Apple iPhone 7
Apple’s best phone ever. ‘Nuff said.
EE Pocket-lint Gadget Awards 2016: Best car
Pocket-lint
Tesla Model S
The Tesla Model S P90D offers eyelid-flipping acceleration, space-age design (especially on the inside), digital menus that would make Apple swoon, heaps of interior and boot space, plus, of course, your own robot chauffeur in Autopilot.
You also get sports car speed and a general feeling that you’re doing something good for the environment in the process.
- Tesla Model S P90D review: If your robot chauffeur were a racing driver
Highly recommended: Volvo XC90
Twelve years was a long time to wait for a new XC90, but it’s been worth it — it now leads the class.
EE Pocket-lint Gadget Awards 2016: Product of the year
Pocket-lint
Amazon Echo
A very worthy winner for the overall product of the year, the Amazon Echo might just seem like a slightly clever Bluetooth speaker to those who haven’t used one, but those who have always rave about it.
It is affordable enough to attract a wide audience and gives a great glimpse of the sci-fi future we’ve all been promised in movies for the last few decades.
- Amazon Echo review: It’s all about Alexa
AIVAnet 