Game On! AMD and Nvidia schedule dueling events during GDC 2017

Why it matters to you

Pull out your calendar and set aside some time on February 28, 2017:.AMD and Nvidia want to let you know what they’ve got in store.

AMD isn’t just introducing its new Zen processor architecture and line of Ryzen CPUs. It’s also going to be announcing its new line of Vega GPUs at some point soon, perhaps at an event scheduled for February 28 during the Game Developers Conference (GDC). Not wanting to be left out of the festivities, AMD competitor Nvidia decided to hold its own event that day as well.

AMD’s “Capsaicin and Cream” live-stream developer sessions are expected to highlight its Ryzen release, as well as touch on the new Vega GPU architecture, as Hot Hardware reports. Nvidia, on the other hand, has sent out email notifications and a Twitter announcement inviting gamers to an “evening of awesome” on the same day, according to Game-Debate.

More: AMD’s ultra-high-end Vega GPUs set for release in the first half of 2017

Both events will be held in San Francisco as part of GDC 2017. Nvidia’s event is open to the public but seating will be limited, while AMD is handing out VIP passes and live-streaming the main event. Given that the AMD live-stream is in the morning and the Nvidia event is in the evening, you’ll be able to participate with both events live or virtually if you play your cards right.

AMD’s schedule is as follows (all times PT):

10 to 10:30 a.m.: Doors open with first come, first served seating
10:30 to 11:30 a.m.: AMD Capsaicin and Cream live-stream
2:30 to 5 p.m.: Cream developer sessions
7:30 p.m. to 12 a.m.: Capsaicin and Cream after-party

Nvidia’s event will start at 7p.m. PT, with the door opening at 6:30 p.m. The company hasn’t yet released the name of the venue, which will be somewhere in downtown San Francisco, and seating will be first come, first served as well. The registration page and details of Nvidia’s event can be found here.

We don’t know for sure what Nvidia is going to announce, but the GeForce GTX 1080 Ti is a possibility. With AMD possibly telling us more about Vega, we should have a much better idea of the near future of the GPU landscape once both events are over.

Asus may reveal a refreshed ZenBook Flip UX300-Series 2-in-1 late February

Why it matters to you

Customers wanting to upgrade from the current Zenbook Flip UX360 models may not have long to wait if leaked images are any indication.

Asus plans to compete with Lenovo’s Yoga line of 2-in-1 convertibles in the second quarter of 2017 with its upcoming ZenFlip UX370, the successor to its ZenBook Flip UX360 released in June. The specs currently aren’t available for the newer model but images appeared online describing the UX370 as the new “hero” 2-in-1 for 2017.

That term likely points to what Microsoft deems as “hero” features in Windows 10. These essentially consist of Windows Hello, Cortana with Voice, Windows Ink, Continuum, Xbox, and eventually Windows Holographic. Microsoft recently focused on three of these during a keynote, indicating that Windows Hello, Windows Ink, and Cortana with Voice will provide a huge value to device owners.

That said, the upcoming UX370 may not only support Cortana with Voice but offer a fingerprint reader on specific configurations. There may also be units offering touch and stylus-based input on the screen supporting Windows 10’s baked-in Windows Ink feature. Infrared cameras likely won’t be offered on the menu, but we could be wrong.

Here is a refresher of what the UX360 currently offers in its various configurations:

Screen size:
13.3 inches with Touch
Screen resolution:
1,920 x 1,080 at 60Hz
3,200 x 1,800
Operating system:
Windows 10 Home
Windows 10 Pro
Processor:
Intel Core m3-6Y30
Intel Core m3-6Y54
Intel Core m3-6Y75
Intel Core i5-7Y54
Graphics:
Intel HD Graphics 515 (integrated)
Intel HD Graphics 615 (integrated)
System memory:
4GB LPDDR3 at 1,866MHz (up to 8GB)
Storage:
128GB SATA 3 M.2 SSD
256GB SATA 3 M.2 SSD
512GB SATA 2 M.2 SSD
Webcam:
HD web camera (facing)
HD camera (back)
Connectivity:
Wireless AC (2×2)
Bluetooth 4.1
Audio:
2x 1.6-watt speakers
Digital array microphone
Asus SonicMaster technology
Battery:
54 Watt-hour
Ports:
1x Micro SD card reader
1x Microphone/headphone combo jack
2x USB 3.0
1x USB 3.1 Gen1 Type-C
1x Micro HDMI
Size:
12.71 x 8.66 x 0.54 inches
Weight:
2.86 pounds with battery

If Asus plans to stick with the Intel Core “m3” processor family in the upcoming refresh, the only seventh-generation model Intel currently offers is the Core m3-7Y30 released in the third quarter of 2016. This is a two-core, four-thread processor with a base clock speed of 1.00GHz and a boost clock speed of 2.60GHz. It includes the HD Graphics 615 GPU component with a base speed of 300MHz and a boost speed of 900MHz.

There is a good chance Asus will continue using the seventh-generation Core i5-7Y54 processor for the high-end UX370 models and throw in infrared cameras into the high-dollar mixture as well. The cameras would support facial recognition used by Windows 10’s Windows Hello security platform, ditching the need for a fingerprint scanner (not to mention usernames and passwords).

In addition to the ZenFlip UX370, Asus is also expected to reveal the UX490, the Vivobook S, the Vivobook Pro, and a mysterious gaming solution. The company will likely reveal its entire portfolio of new products during the Mobile World Congress 2017 convention in Barcelona later in February.

Asus may reveal a refreshed ZenBook Flip UX300-Series 2-in-1 late February

Why it matters to you

Customers wanting to upgrade from the current Zenbook Flip UX360 models may not have long to wait if leaked images are any indication.

Asus plans to compete with Lenovo’s Yoga line of 2-in-1 convertibles in the second quarter of 2017 with its upcoming ZenFlip UX370, the successor to its ZenBook Flip UX360 released in June. The specs currently aren’t available for the newer model but images appeared online describing the UX370 as the new “hero” 2-in-1 for 2017.

That term likely points to what Microsoft deems as “hero” features in Windows 10. These essentially consist of Windows Hello, Cortana with Voice, Windows Ink, Continuum, Xbox, and eventually Windows Holographic. Microsoft recently focused on three of these during a keynote, indicating that Windows Hello, Windows Ink, and Cortana with Voice will provide a huge value to device owners.

That said, the upcoming UX370 may not only support Cortana with Voice but offer a fingerprint reader on specific configurations. There may also be units offering touch and stylus-based input on the screen supporting Windows 10’s baked-in Windows Ink feature. Infrared cameras likely won’t be offered on the menu, but we could be wrong.

Here is a refresher of what the UX360 currently offers in its various configurations:

Screen size:
13.3 inches with Touch
Screen resolution:
1,920 x 1,080 at 60Hz
3,200 x 1,800
Operating system:
Windows 10 Home
Windows 10 Pro
Processor:
Intel Core m3-6Y30
Intel Core m3-6Y54
Intel Core m3-6Y75
Intel Core i5-7Y54
Graphics:
Intel HD Graphics 515 (integrated)
Intel HD Graphics 615 (integrated)
System memory:
4GB LPDDR3 at 1,866MHz (up to 8GB)
Storage:
128GB SATA 3 M.2 SSD
256GB SATA 3 M.2 SSD
512GB SATA 2 M.2 SSD
Webcam:
HD web camera (facing)
HD camera (back)
Connectivity:
Wireless AC (2×2)
Bluetooth 4.1
Audio:
2x 1.6-watt speakers
Digital array microphone
Asus SonicMaster technology
Battery:
54 Watt-hour
Ports:
1x Micro SD card reader
1x Microphone/headphone combo jack
2x USB 3.0
1x USB 3.1 Gen1 Type-C
1x Micro HDMI
Size:
12.71 x 8.66 x 0.54 inches
Weight:
2.86 pounds with battery

If Asus plans to stick with the Intel Core “m3” processor family in the upcoming refresh, the only seventh-generation model Intel currently offers is the Core m3-7Y30 released in the third quarter of 2016. This is a two-core, four-thread processor with a base clock speed of 1.00GHz and a boost clock speed of 2.60GHz. It includes the HD Graphics 615 GPU component with a base speed of 300MHz and a boost speed of 900MHz.

There is a good chance Asus will continue using the seventh-generation Core i5-7Y54 processor for the high-end UX370 models and throw in infrared cameras into the high-dollar mixture as well. The cameras would support facial recognition used by Windows 10’s Windows Hello security platform, ditching the need for a fingerprint scanner (not to mention usernames and passwords).

In addition to the ZenFlip UX370, Asus is also expected to reveal the UX490, the Vivobook S, the Vivobook Pro, and a mysterious gaming solution. The company will likely reveal its entire portfolio of new products during the Mobile World Congress 2017 convention in Barcelona later in February.

Alphabet won’t need all those internet balloons after all

Since it launched nearly four years ago, Alphabet’s Project Loon experiment has shifted from an unlikely moonshot to an idea that might actually work. As Alphabet’s experimental X division chief and “Captain of Moonshots” Astro Teller wrote today, the project team has “now exceeded even their own expectations,” in the attempts to build a network of self-navigating, internet-beaming balloons. “And in the process they’ve leapt much closer to a day when balloon-powered Internet could become a reality for people in rural and remote regions of the globe.”

Back in September, the project’s engineers showed how the system learned to ride air currents and stay in place over one area for months at a time. “The reason this is so exciting,” Teller elaborated during a press conference at X’s Mountain View headquarters, “is we can now run an experiment and try to give services in particular places of the world with 10 or 20 or 30 balloons, not with 200 or 300 or 400 balloons.”

Teller says his team has improved the navigation and altitude control systems to allow for even more precise control, but the AI behind it can get even smarter. It will also need to be tested in other parts of the world to learn how to handle varying conditions, but the implications for the project are very promising. Fewer balloons means operating costs are drastically reduced and service could be deployed to a new region in weeks rather than months — a huge advantage considering these are meant to deliver internet to remote regions of the world.

“We’ve actually made so much progress,” Project Loon engineer Sal Candido said at today’s press conference, “that we think our timeline for when we can provide useful internet service to people is much, much sooner.”

Source: X Blog

Photographer captures nature through surveillance webcams

Nature photography usually involves a lot of being outside and walking. That’s fine for some, but photographer Marcus DeSieno captures our world’s natural majesty from his computer, via online traffic and weather camera feeds.

DeSieno’s photo series “Surveillance Landscapes” comes from looking at more than 10,000 webcams, he told Wired. DeSiento creates his images by grabbing screenshots of the best scenes. He then takes a photo of those screenshots using waxed-paper negatives, before developing them into high quality pigment prints. This method softens the digital pixelation of the screenshots and gives them an ethereal quality. The resulting photos look much like those by 20th century large format photographers like Ansel Adams.

The images don’t come off as artificial or technological, and DeSieno has seen a lot of the world while making them.

“I’ve watched the sun set over the Grand Canyon, seen waves crashing into Hawaii, watched storms passing over [the Swiss Alps],” DeSieno told Wired. “It’s all from the comfort of my desk chair.”

DeSieno became interested in privacy and easily accessible webcam feeds after learning about Edward Snowden’s 2013 NSA leaks. Webcams may have led to these compelling images, but it was the danger they present that lured DeSieno in.

The “Surveillance Landscapes” gallery on DiSieno’s website includes photos of snowy forests, mountainous roads, and other types of landscapes — all of which came from a low-resolution camera hidden out of sight. While the images demonstrate how lovely nature can be, they also remind us that we may not be as alone as we think, even in the most remote places.

Source: Wired

‘Monopoly’ is killing the thimble and it’s all your fault

Monopoly’s venerable thimble is not passing Go and it won’t collect $200. The sewing accessory has been part of the board game since 1935, but voters decided to ditch it during a recent contest for a more modern replacement.

The contest is part of Hasbro’s ongoing effort to update its classic game. Voters chose eight finalists out of 56 new tokens and eight classic tokens, but we’ll have to wait until March 19th to find out what made the cut. Hashtags, emojis and a rubber ducky are all possibilities. The winners will start appearing in Monopoly sets this August.

The last time the company asked fans to replace a token, they decided to exchange the classic iron with the internet’s unofficial mascot, the cat. Knowing how the internet thinks, the next token will be a poop emoji. Or Harambe.

Via: Associated Press

Source: Monopoly Token Madness

Ubisoft serves up the PC system requirements for upcoming ‘Ghost Recon Wildlands’

Why it matters to you

If you plan on playing ‘Ghost Recon Wildlands’ on a Windows PC, you’ll be thrilled to learn that Ubisoft has released the requirements.

Tom Clancy’s Ghost Recon Wildlands is set to arrive March 7 for the Xbox One, PlayStation 4, and Windows PC. To get PC gamers ready for the upcoming open-world tactical shooter, Ubisoft finally released the minimum and recommended hardware requirements. In a nutshell, fans wanting to run the game at 1,920 x 1,080 using the “high” settings are recommended to use Nvidia’s GeForce GTX 1060 card or equivalent.

Here’s what PC gamers will need:

Minimum
Recommended
Target settings:
720p, Low preset
1080p, High preset
Operating system:
Windows 7 SP1 / 8.1 / 10 (64-bit)
Windows 7 SP1 / 8.1 / 10 (64-bit)
Processor:
Intel Core i5-2400S @ 2.5GHz
AMD FX-4320 @ 4.0GHz
Intel Core i7-3770 @ 3.5GHz
AMD FX-8350 @ 4.0GHz
Graphics card (Nvidia):
GTX 660
GTX 750 Ti
GTX 950
GTX 1050
GTX 970
GTX 1060
Graphics card (AMD):
HD 7870
R9 270X
R9 370X
RX 460
R9 290X
R9 390
RX 480
Graphics memory:
2GB
4GB
System memory:
6GB
8GB
Storage:
Unknown
Unknown

Ubisoft also notes specific controllers the game will officially support at launch. These include the following:

• Xbox 360
• Xbox One (Original/Elite)
• PlayStation 4 (Original/Pro)
• Steam Controller

Other controllers outside these four options will not be officially supported, and may require third-party software to make them compatible with the game. Some examples include the OUYA controller, the Logitech Chillstream, and third-party Xbox-compatible controllers from Rock Candy, PowerA, Razer, and so on.

PC gamers who prepurchase Ghost Recon Wildlands (Steam) will receive a bonus mission, allowing them to explore Bolivia’s high mountains to “break the alliance between Santa Blanca and the Peruvian Cartels.” There will also be Deluxe ($70) and Gold ($100) editions at launch packing three emblems, character customization items, an XP booster, the Huntsman motorbike, and more. The Gold edition adds the season pass to the Deluxe version’s basket of goodies.

More: Live-action prequel to ‘Ghost Recon Wildlands’ hits Amazon Prime this month

The PC hardware requirements for Ghost Recon Wildlands arrived after Ubisoft announced the launch date of the open beta for the PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and Windows PC. Preloading will begin on February 21, followed by the open beta session that starts February 23. This “demo” will expand on what Ubisoft offered in the closed beta by inserting an additional province to explore called Montuyoc. The open beta will conclude on February 27.

“As a special bonus, if you participated in the closed beta or the open beta — and start up the retail version of Ghost Recon Wildlands before March 31 on the same Ubisoft account — you’ll also gain access to the special Unidad Conspiracy reward,” the company said.

Ghost Recon Wildlands will be the first massive, open-world military shooter under the Tom Clancy brand. Gamers can explore its world solo or with three other friends in co-op mode to take down the Santa Blanca cartel before it becomes a major underworld power.

Gfycat makes it easier for developers to make GIFs a part of their apps

Why it matters to you

Gyfcat’s new software development kit will make it easier for developers to make GIFs a part of their apps.

GIFs: The cute little animated images you just can’t seem to escape, these days. Dancing cats. Alien saucers. Highlights from the previous week’s big game. They are digital zeitgeists, cultural cross-sections of the now. Thanks to services like Gyfcat, sharing them is about to become a whole lot easier.

Gyfcat, the world’s largest user-generated GIF platform, launched a software development kit earlier this that will let developers tap Gyfcat’s millions of animated images. It’s available first on iOS, with an Android component to come down the line.

More: Tumblr’s new iMessage app lets you create and share your own GIFs

“The Gfycat SDK will enable developers to custom-integrate a GIF keyboard into their app in a single afternoon,” Gfycat CEO Richard Rabbat said in a press release. “As GIFs continue to catch on as a visual language, there is tremendous value to developers in a ready-made keyboard SDK that they can easily integrate into their apps. GIF keyboards increase consumer engagement within apps, and developers are catching on.”

A new version of Tango.me, the first service use Gyfcat’s SDK, integrates the GIF-sharing service of more than 48.5 million monthly users tightly. Users can share GIFs at the touch of a button and search Gyfcat’s selection using a built-in search bar.

It’s a boost for Tango.me, which has struggled to maintain a dominant position in the increasingly competitive messaging market. It boasted an impressive 70 million active users in 2014 and attracted investments from both Alibaba and Walmart, but recently laid off nine percent of its staff.

Tango.me recently launched a new app, Fiesta, in order to streamline development of its flagship product.

More: Stills not enough? Here’s how to post an animated GIF on Facebook

“We’ve prioritized high visual quality in our mobile offerings so far, and after working with Tango intensively we’re very pleased with the results,” Tango.me CEO Eric Setton said. “This is a great opportunity both for our users to express themselves using Gfycat’s fun, viral content and for content owners to expose their GIFs to Tango’s users.”

Gyfcat, on the other hand, is riding the wave of its successes. In September, it announced a $10 million funding round on the heels of the release of an API platform that allows developers to upload videos and GIFs from any site or app directly to Gyfcat.

“The rapid growth of Gfycat’s creator community is a testament to the power of our creation tools,” Rabbat said at the time. “Our users appreciate the speed and simplicity of our platform and we’ve drawn inspiration from our passionate user base to continue improving on the format.”

Bioengineers share their biobot blueprints with the world

Why it matters to you

By sharing their blueprints, these researchers may help create tomorrow’s drug-delivering biobots.

Bioengineers Ritu Raman and Rashid Bashir know biobots. They’ve been building them for years as part of their work within Bashir’s research group at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Five years ago, they developed bio-bots that could move thanks to a power supply provided by rat heart cells. Now, the team wants to help other bioengineers build biobots of their own. They’ve shared their blueprint in a paper published in the journal Nature Protocols.

“Biobots are robots that use biological tissues to perform certain functional tasks,” Raman, the paper’s lead author, told Digital Trends. “Our biobots use skeletal muscle to walk, but our paper discusses extending our methodology to other tissue types and other functional behaviors. The muscle we use is genetically engineered to contract in response to blue light, so we can get our biobots to walk in the direction of a flashing light stimulus.”

In the paper, which was featured on the cover of the journal, the researchers also describe recipes and protocols for developing biobots in order to inform other bioengineers.

More: Biologists just created the world’s first stable semi-synthetic organism

“We believe that the next generation of engineers and scientists will benefit greatly from learning how to ‘build with biology,’ and that biological materials will be an invaluable addition to the inventors’ toolbox,” Raman said. She and her team have developed a class for undergraduates at the University of Illinois and University of California, Merced, and now want to broaden this network to include researchers from other institutions.

Through their research, Raman and Bashir hope to demonstrate how living cells can contribute to the development of complex systems. “In the near future, we hope that this research can be applied towards applications in healthcare such as high-throughput drug testing, dynamic functional implants, and targeted drug delivery,” Raman said. “Once we have developed methodologies for engineering robust multi-cellular multi-functional biobots, we hope that biobots can be targeted at any real-world application that is currently addressed with robots made from man-made materials.

“I hope that other researchers can use this paper as a foundational resource on how to design, manufacture, and optimize a bio-integrated machine,” she added, “and that it inspires them to use biobots to address technical challenges we face as a society.”

AT&T earns top marks among wireless peers in recent J.D. Power surveys

Why it matters to you

AT&T’s impressive marks for customer service set a high bar for what you can expect the next time you step into an AT&T store.

AT&T, the second-largest mobile carrier in the United States, has something to gloat about. On Thursday, it announced that it received top marks in two recent J.D. Power studies.

The company performed well in the area of purchase experience. It’s the eighth time in a row AT&T has distinguished itself in the J.D. Power 2017 U.S. Wireless Purchase Experience Study, and the first time it’s outscored the industry average and closest competitor by 14 points.

More: AT&T’s Glenn Lurie pushes back on criticism of the company’s moves outside wireless

Separately, it received outstanding marks in last month’s J.D. Power’s Wireless Customer care rankings for the second time in a row.

“Customers have spoken. And we are thrilled with what they had to say,” CEO Glenn Lurie said in a press release. “Add that to our recent award for wireless customer care and that means we swept J.D. Power’s [studies] among full service providers. Simply put, this means AT&T is providing a great overall experience when you shop with us.”

The good news comes at a time when AT&T’s mainstay businesses face challenges. In January, a report by Cowen and Company Equity Research found that the carrier lost more subscribers on a quarterly basis than any other American carrier. And the company has lost postpaid phone subscriptions in the last eight consecutive quarters.

More: Following in Verizon’s footsteps, AT&T is raising its activation and upgrade fees

Strategic shifts may help to turn around the trend. AT&T’s become the top provider of in-car connectivity, with more than 10 million cars on its network across some 22 brands. The company’s recently broadened support of internet of things (IoT) products, which comprise home appliances, drones, and wearable devices. And the carrier, which owns satellite television provider DirecTV, is in talks to acquire Time Warner for $85.4 billion. Assuming the effort isn’t stonewalled by the U.S. Federal Communications Commission, the deal is expected to be approved by both parties this week.  

In an interview with Digital Trends earlier this year, Laurie stressed that AT&T was focused on “entertainment first” and connectivity second. “I respect my competitors,” he said, “[but] we’re not just a wireless company.” He underlined his belief that DirecTV Now, an a la carte television service that streams cable channels to digital subscribers, represents the future of entertainment. “It’s very well-priced,” he said. “You want content to come with you.”