Grab two of these USB-C adapters for just $6 right now!

Anker is currently offering a two-pack of its Micro-USB to USB-C adapters for just $6 with coupon code AKUSBC11, a savings of $2. With these adapters, you can turn those old cables you have laying around into something that can charge your new Pixel or other compatible phone. The adapters are quite small so you could easily fit them in your pocket or maybe even your wallet, and always have one with you so you are never without a cable to charge up with.

Odds are this deal won’t hang around too long, so be sure to act quickly if you are interested. Don’t get stuck with only old cables around and a dead battery! Grab these adapters now and thank yourself later. Don’t forget coupon code AKUSBC11 for the savings!

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Dell XPS 13 2-in-1 preview: The convertible king?

It’s not the first time that Dell has released a convertible-style XPS laptop device – there were models in which the screen rotated within a frame – but it is the first time the company has released one with such tiny, tiny bezels. Say hello to the Dell XPS 2-in-1.

We’ve long been fans of the XPS 13 and 15 models, given their slender profile, lightweight build and that defining trim bezel (or Infinity Display in Dell talk).

In the 2-in-1 that means a 13-inch screen in a profile more typical of a 12-inch model, making for the world’s smallest 2-in-1 product with a screen of this size. And having seen the HP EliteBook convertible at the CES tech show in Las Vegas we can surely believe that.

• CES 2017: The greatest laptops of the show

Having a hinge provides some extra bells and whistles: you can use the XPS 2-in-1 as a laptop, but also position it as a “stand” or “tent”, or flip it right over to function as a sort-of tablet. There’s no limit to the screen’s position.

Dell’s take on design is straightforward, but effective. There’s none of the more jewellery-like finish of a Lenovo Yoga 910, with its watchband hinge; instead the two notable silver hinge points give the 2-in-1 a similar look to convertible HP models, albeit without the bling. This XPS 2-in-1 walks the line between business and personal laptop – and without showing off to excess.

In a sense this styling puts it in contention against the Microsoft Surface Book, but Dell has been quick to point out several areas where the XPS trumps Microsoft’s machine: it’s 16 per cent smaller, 40 per cent thinner and 20 per cent lighter (that last one not being difficult). So if you’re in the market for an ultra portable power laptop, the Dell should be on your radar.

If you order one of the new machines, you’ll be able to choose from two different display options: an UltraSharp Quad HD+ with 5.7 million crystals or a regular 1930 x 1080 Full HD display. No matter which option you go for, the screen will be coated in an anti-reflective material and will offer 170 degree viewing angles. It works, too, as a preview event at the CES tech show in Las Vegas confirmed: those overhead strip lights didn’t make it impossible to see the bright screen.

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There’s a range of processor, RAM and storage options available to choose from too. Processors are all 7th Gen Intel Kaby Lake and come in 3.2Ghz Core i5 and 3.6GHz Core i7 variants. RAM can be either 4GB, 8GB or 16GB and storage can be 128GB, 256GB, 512GB or 1TB SSD.

The high-end Quad HD+ screen model comes with an Intel Core i7 processor and claims to offer seven hours of streaming via Netflix. That increases to 10-15 hours with the lesser-powered Full HD model, Dell claims.

To achieve that there’s a 46WHr battery on board, which Dell tends to power at higher voltage given the kit inside. And that does make us question its claims of longevity, as most 2-in-1 models aren’t going to hit the double-digit mark. We’ll have to wait for a full review to see to that.

Port wise there are two USB Type-C, Thunderbolt 3, microSD and a 3.5mm headphones jack. Notice how it’s all future-proofed small scale? Yep, that seems to be the way things are going. Oh, and there’s a fingerprint scanner too.

The XPS 13 2-in-1 is available to pre-order now, with prices starting at £1,349.

HP EliteBook x360 preview: Thin with all the win

At CES 2017 – the world’s largest technology show – there were a lot of top-notch laptops on display. And one of the most notable was the HP EliteBook x360: the world’s thinnest 13-inch convertible laptop.

Now that’s particularly relevant, given that Dell also just announced its XPS 13 2-in-1 model. Which, so we thought at first sight, was the convertible king of the show. But HP doesn’t half give it a run for its money. It’s not quite as small, but it’s stunning to look at – something we rarely say of laptops.

• CES 2017: The greatest laptops of the show

HP has been through something of a renaissance of late, focusing on class-leading style. Just look at the new sharp logo (like, literally, it looks like you could prick a finger on that thing). Ok, so it might date badly in the coming years, but right now it’s Bladerunner cool in our eyes.

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The HP EliteBook x360’s sub-15mm slimness obviously defines its style – but without compromising on its power potential. Just like its Dell 2-in-1 rival the latest Intel 7th Gen Kaby Lake processors are on offer, along with hefty amounts of RAM and storage.

Specs are, in a sense, by the by though. The reason to give the HP a look is for a variety of other reasons: its obvious good looks (as we’ve pointed out); that it’s designed to pass MIL-STD4 (a US military standard, so it’s basically a hard bastard); and, for business types, comes fully equipped with a suite of security software.

On the ports front, the EliteBook x360 offers both current and future standards. Given that slender frame we’re pleased as punch that it’s managed to squeeze in two full-size USB 3.0 ports, plus one smaller Type-C, an HDMI and microSD slot. There’s even a SIM slot for 4G LTE use when on the go.

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The screen doesn’t have bezel quite as trim as its Dell competitor, but with resolution up to 4K Ultra-HD it’s not missing a trick here. There’s also a rather excellent “Privacy Mode” at the press of a button, which limits view from adjacent angles so neighbouring flight/train/public transport users can’t see what you’re doing. It’s highly effective.

It’s thin with all the win. As convertible laptops go, this business-personal crossover has everything we could want… well, except for a full-size SD card slot. But we have to find something negative to say. And that’s all we can muster.

Microsoft just cancelled production of its anticipated Scalebound game

If you’re big into adventure and role-playing games, then you’ll be gutted to know Scalebound for Xbox is no more.

Dragons? Check. Giant enemy crabs? Check. Swords? Check. Magic? Double check. Scalebound had all the Japanese RPG elements sorted. Set to be released this year, it had been in the works for roughly four years and was being developed by Japanese studio Platinum Games. However, on 9 January, the game’s developer, which is also known for titles like Bayonetta Vanquish, abruptly ended production.

• Best RPG and adventure games of E3 2016

“After careful deliberation, Microsoft Studios has come to the decision to end production for Scalebound,” a Microsoft announced in a statement. Scalebound was supposed to be published by Microsoft for both Xbox One and PC. According to Eurogamer, Microsoft and Platinum have parted ways, and Platinum quietly stopped working on the project sometime before the end of last year.

Microsoft first showed off Scalebound in 2014. In 2015, it demoed four-player co-op action. It was hoping for a holiday 2016 release until Microsoft delayed the game last year until 2017. Eurogamer said several key members of the development team stepped away from the project for a month due to “the pressure of the project’s heavy workload,” but when they returned, they discovered the game had been axed.

Microsoft has other major titles still coming down the pipeline, however, such as Halo Wars 2, Sea of Thieves, and Crackdown 3. Platinum is even working with Square Enix on Nier: Automata, which will launch on March 7 for PlayStation 4.

Timex IQ+ Move preview: Mensa about motion

When it comes to fitness trackers there are shed loads on the market. A bunch of them are plasticky wrist-worn bands that, well, don’t look all that. Not so the Timex IQ+ Move: this is one elegant looking proper watch.

The concept is simple: take a well-made, decent-looking watch and add an analogue sub display fitness tracker into it. It’s not a new concept, as we’ve seen with the Withings Activite Steel before, but it’s one that works well without overselling the technology.

Watches are distinctive products; they say something about a person. Which is why so many people aren’t interested in chucking on a budget band to make them walk an extra few steps each day.

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The IQ+ isn’t trying to do too much either: your goal, which can be set within the associated app, can be based on distance travelled, number of steps taken and calories burned. It can even track your sleep.

Collected data is sent to your phone via Bluetooth where it can be stored and viewed in a companion app. The IQ+ Move can be set to automatically sync data at up to four set times throughout the day – when it does you’ll see the hands spin around the watchface. You can glance at the sub-dial to see data from 0-100 per cent of goal, but for the most part you’ll want to refer to the application.

There are different versions for men and women – 41mm and 37mm sizes respectively – both of which come with a real leather strap. It’s easy to swap out the strap via Timex’s quick-release system if you want a rubberised one to take into water or for using when out on a run. The watch itself is waterproof to 50-metres, so that makes perfect sense.

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And that is pretty much it. No complications. No smartphone alerts. No built-in training programmes. No nonsense. The Timex IQ+ Move has been smart by keeping things simple and helping you achieve that daily goal without being too much on your back.

That watch is currently only available in US, but should be on sale in the UK in February 2017 according to the Timex spokesperson we chatted to at CES 2017.

Audi and NVIDIA give an AI a crash course in driving

Many of the self-driving demonstrations at CES involved systems required months or even years of training. NVIDIA and Audi decided to see what they could do in four days.

The automaker and chip company gave the AI installed on an Audi Q7 images of what it should perceive as a road including, white lines, orange cones, rows of rocks and a dirt road and that’s it. It didn’t program a path or even add any additional sensors beyond the single forward-facing camera.

While the results were impressive, it’s important to point out that this is only a very small part of an autonomous driving system. But it does show how powerful AIs have become and how quickly they can make sense of the real world.

It’s also helpful to know that if your path to work is under construction and lines have been redrawn, cars will be still be able to determine where they need to go. While it’s important to have highly detailed maps for path planning, this research is important when those navigation tools haven’t had a chance to take note of a roadway change.

Click here to catch up on the latest news from CES 2017.

The 2018 Honda Odyssey is your connected daycare suite on wheels

Honda has remade its long-running Odyssey minivan with the connected generation and their offspring in mind. The 2018 Odyssey launches this spring with features that help up to eight passengers talk to each other – or more likely zone out and stream web videos.

Yes, it has a new design and powertrain, but if you’re a new parent, the interior is what you’ll care about. There’s bevvy of new features. CabinWatch uses a camera to allow front passengers to monitor activity in the back with a feed displayed in the eight-inch high resolution touchscreen mounted in the dash. A CabinTalk feature lets the driver talk to passengers by booming their voice through the speakers and headphones (Sally, keep your hands to yourself!). The rear entertainment system has a 10.2-inch screen mounted in the ceiling and can stream PBS Kids, Spotify, and other feeds via the minivan’s WiFi system, public internet, or your mobile provider. Honda offered a 16.2-inch split screen in the outgoing model, but claims the new one makes for a better experience. We’ll wait until Duck Tales returns this year to confirm that.

Then there’s the apps. There’s literally one called the “How Much Farther App,” which shows the progress of the road trip. Another one can be used to control the entertainment and climate systems, and it can send directions from your phone to your Odyssey’s nav. It also has a playlist function that lets eight people create personalized music choices and uploads it to the audio system.

As far as hardware, Honda is dialing up Disney levels of magic inside. The old van had a “Magic Seat” in the third row, which was a fold-down seat. Now there’s “Magic Slide” in the second row. When the middle seat comes out the two remaining ones slide side-to-side for easy access to the back or to give more space for the second-row passengers. No pixie dust needed.

The third row is reasonably comfortable, we sat back there at a preview event in Detroit last month, and there’s some leg and headroom for an average sized adult male. Your knees aren’t pressed to your chest at least, and the Magic Slide is a clever innovation, especially for ingress and egress. Obviously, this is all very family friendly. “We had a clear direction for the development of this fifth generation of the Honda Odyssey,” engineer Andrea Martin said.

The new Odyssey still looks like, well an Odyssey. It’s retains its trademark lightning bolt (tell the kids it’s like Harry Potter’s scar). The overall design is a little more creased and there’s a new grille, but there’s no mistaking this for anything but a Honda people hauler. The looks are evolutionary but are based on new materials, including high strength steel, magnesium, and aluminum, which help cut the Odyssey’s curb weight by up to 96 pounds. The chassis has a new electric power steering system and a new rear suspension. The transmissions are big the story under the skin. There’s two new ones: nine-speed or 10-speed automatics which replace a six-speed automatic. They team with the company’s 3.5-liter V6, which is rated at 280 horsepower, up 32 from the 2017 model. Collectively this all makes for a quieter, more powerful, and more responsive ride, Honda says.

In its fifth generation, the Odyssey has remained a favorite of consumers, though sales have slipped 5.4 percent to 120,846 units. By comparison, Fiat Chrysler sold 62,366 Pacificas in about nine months, while its outgoing predecessor, the Town & Country moved 59,071 units, for a total of 121,437 Chrysler minivans. Meanwhile, the Dodge Caravan, which lives on as legacy model, had 127,678 sales last year. FCA also added a Pacifica hybrid in December.

Into this still-competitive market, Honda begins another Odyssey. Minivans will never sell again like they did when Baby Boomers chauffeured their two kids and 1.5 dogs everywhere, but now those children of Boomers are parents. They aren’t as shamed or stigmatized over driving a minivan. With this in mind, Honda (and FCA) are still investing in this segment, which offers volume and profits that other companies seem willing to forgo. In 2017, a significant number of buyers are still willing to van up, so the Odyssey lives on better than ever.

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Indie game award finalists include ‘Hyper Light Drifter’ and ‘Inside’

Now that media outlets have handed out awards to blockbuster games, it’s time for the indies to shine. The Independent Games Festival has posted the finalists for its main competition’s 2017 awards, and there are a few competitors who clearly stand out from the pack. Both the retro hack-and-slasher Hyper Light Drifter and bleak side-scroller Inside are nominated not only for the Seumas McNally grand prize, but also the audio and visual design awards. Other titles receiving multiple nods will definitely sound familiar if you’ve been following the scene, including the hacking-themed puzzler Quadrilateral Cowboy and the chaotic food hit Overcooked.

The list shares a lot in common with what we’ve seen from indie categories in other awards programs, although it’s definitely not a carbon copy. You just have to look at the Game Developers Choice awards nominees, which were unveiled a few days ago by the same parent organization. They have a few picks in common, such as Hyper Light Drifter and Stardew Valley. However, you won’t find Campo Santo’s well-received Firewatch anywhere on the IGF list while it’s virtually ubiquitous on the GDC shortlists.

This isn’t to knock either organization, though, and the GDC’s mix of big-name and indie finalists has a few intriguing choices. You’ll see obvious picks like Dishonored 2, Overwatch and Uncharted 4, but some of the games haven’t had much recognition elsewhere, such as Oxenfree (best debut and narrative) and Jonathan Blow’s The Witness (best design and the innovation award).

You’ll have to wait until the Game Developers Conference on March 1st to see who the winners are for both GDC and IGF. Whoever wins, it’s evident that many 2016 indie games earned at least a brief moment in the sun.

Source: Independent Games Festival, PR Newswire

Watch the first trailer for the CBS All Access ‘Good Wife’ spinoff

While we’re all eagerly awaiting Star Trek Discovery on CBS All Access, it won’t be the first exclusive to hit the network’s streaming service. That would be The Good Fight, a spinoff of the Emmy-winning The Good Wife. CBS announced today that the show will be premiering on All Access on February 19th at 8pm ET, and it’ll also air on the broadcast network at the same time. After that, new episodes will be available on CBS All Access exclusively every week. We’ve also got our first look at the show with a new trailer, which looks a lot like the original series, except with far less expensive sets.

The show picks up a year after the end of The Good Wife, and it focuses on Christine Baranski’s character, Diane Lockhart. On the verge of retirement, she loses everything in a Ponzi scheme and is forced out of her own law firm. She joins up with Lucca Quinn (Cush Jumbo) at another firm, along with her god daughter, a young lawyer left disgraced by the financial scam.

Based on the trailer, it seems to hit many of the same beats as The Good Wife, and it’s also getting some heavy-hitting cast members, like Delroy Lindo. As a big fan of the original series, I’m personally excited for this show, but it’s unclear if it’ll move the needle on CBS All Access subscribers.

The Stylophone Gen X-1 toy synth is an updated version of a classic

The annual winter installment of the NAMM pro audio show doesn’t start until next week, but we typically see companies tease announcements in advance. British synth outfit Dubreq has done just that, pulling the wraps off of a new version of a 1960’s classic before the festivities kick off in Anaheim next Thursday. Meet the Stylophone Gen X-1: an updated model of an iconic portable toy synthesizer that adds new features and new sounds in the compact package.

This new Stylophone remains an analog synth with controls for attack and decay alongside knobs that allow tweaks to filter and delay. There’s also a LFO with both square and triangle settings and a pair of sub octaves. The Gen X-1 is still battery powered just like the original that debuted in 1968. What’s more, that built-in speaker remains, as does the stylus you will need to start making noise. This new Stylophone has a 3.5mm jack as well if you need to connect the instrument to your other gear or a set of headphones.

As FACT notes, this isn’t the first time the Stylophone has been revived. After Dubreq reopened in 2003, it released two instruments: the Stylophone X2 and Stylophone Beatbox. The company developed the first model back in the ’60s and is currently lead by the original creator’s son. Dubreq anticipates the Gen X-1 will launch in May for £60 (around $73, no word on US pricing yet). For now, you can get a taste of what the new synth can do in the teaser video down below.

Via: FACT

Source: Dubreq