This is what Mass Effect: Andromeda looks like in 4K HDR, simply stunning

Mass Effect: Andromeda will finally be available from next week, although Xbox One owners with EA Access subscriptions are able to play the first five hours already.

They will know what we are also rapidly finding out; that it is a worthy successor to one of the greatest role-playing games trilogies ever released. And while we work on our full, in-depth review, we thought we’d share a stunning gameplay video sent to us by Nvidia.

Not only does it explain some of the tech behind the forthcoming game, it was shot in glorious 4K HDR itself so shows exactly how good the game can look.

If you have a TV or box capable of playing YouTube in 4K HDR you’re in for a treat.

Even without HDR, it still shows a simply stunning game and matches a previous 4K gameplay trailer released at the beginning of December last year that we also present below.

EA and Bioware’s Mass Effect: Andromeda will be available from Thursday 23 March in the UK, on PS4, Xbox One and PC.

It will have HDR and enhanced graphics on PS4 Pro, while the PC version will have 4K HDR on supported graphics hardware, such as the Nvidia GTX 1080. It also supports Nvidia Ansel in-game screengrabbing, which captures 360 vistas of the action to view through a VR headset or interact with on a conventional flatscreen in a browser.

ABC News lets you watch multiple streams on your Apple TV

We live in an era where there’s so much breaking news, most of it terrible, that there’s simply not enough time for our brains to cope. ABC News agrees, which is why it’s updated its Apple TV app to let you stream multiple channels at once. As TechCrunch reports, the app lets you pick from a dozen different feeds, letting you watch two side-by-side or, if you’re really hardcore, four at once.

It’s hardly new technology, since MLB At Bat already lets you watch multiple games at the same time, but its inclusion here is interesting. After all, news streams are significantly more intensive to watch and, you’d think, niche compared to sports coverage. Then again, we now exist in a world where we’re glued to Facebook, Twitter, Snapchat and all the rest at, often the same time.

Source: TechCrunch

Uber’s self-driving car tests aren’t going as well as planned

Uber has lots of work to do to catch up with its rivals’ self-driving car technologies. According to the internal test reports Recode obtained, the company’s 43 self-driving cars autonomously drove a total of 20,354 miles during the week ending on March 8th. That’s impressive, considering it’s four times the number of miles Uber’s first 20 autonomous cars drove in January. However, the robotic vehicles also had more help from their human drivers that Uber would have liked.

Based on the data in the documents, the drivers had to take over from the self-driving system every mile for one reason or another. They include navigation issues related to unclear lane markings, the system missing a turn or bad weather preventing it from working properly. Drivers also had to take over due to auto-detected hard decelerations or abrupt car jerks more frequently last week than in January.

Uber didn’t count events that might have led to serious accidents, such as those that would have damaged property or hit a person — those were counted as “critical interventions.” Thankfully, the vehicles drove an average of 200 miles between these critical interventions last week. The average used to be 114 miles between each one, so there’s definitely some improvement. But Uber testers didn’t see a steady rate of progress either, since the average seems to dip and rise back up.

The ride-hailing firm is currently testing its autonomous vehicles in Pennsylvania, Arizona and California, though a lawsuit filed by Google could put a stop to the trials. Google is accusing Otto, an autonomous trucking company Uber acquired last year, of using materials stolen from Mountain View’s self-driving car division Waymo. It’s now asking the court to block the firm’s autonomous car operations.

Source: Recode

EU orders Facebook and Google to prevent consumer scams

Social media platforms are still a wild, wild west of consumer fraud, with uncountable numbers of scams everywhere. The EU has ordered Facebook, Google and Twitter to put a stop to them or risk facing “enforcement action.” It’s demanding that the social media companies find a way to spot and remove such listings as soon as they’re aware of them and create direct communication lines with watchdogs to discover wrongdoing.

“Social media companies need to take more responsibility in addressing scams and frauds … it is not acceptable that EU consumers can only call on a court in California to resolve a dispute,” said EU Commissioner Věra Jourová in a statement.

Authorities and advocacy groups are getting more and more complaints from consumers about scams and services that don’t respect EU consumer laws. If you fall for a “Microsoft support” scam originating from a nation outside the union, the fraudster obviously isn’t going to offer you a refund or 30-day cooling-off period. Instead, “given the growing importance of online social media networks,” the EU intends to start holding the hosting platforms responsible, said Jourová.

The aim is to stop scams involving consumer payments, subscription traps via free trials, counterfeit product sales and fake promotions. The EU says Facebook, Google and others cannot “deprive consumers of their right to go to court” in their home countries, require consumers to waive their rights, hide sponsored content or change contract terms and conditions without consumer consent, among other things.

Considering the huge number of scams that quickly appear and disappear, the new rules could make enforcement a costly challenge (though as critics have pointed out, Facebook can spot a naked breast faster than you can say “double-standard”). The Commission is giving the three firms a month to come up with solutions, or “consumer authorities could ultimately resort to enforcement action.” We’ve reached out to Facebook, Google and Twitter for comment and will update the story if we hear back.

Source: European Commission

Philips Hue Reveals New Candle Light Bulb Coming to Europe in April and U.S. Later This Year

Philips today announced that its connected smart bulb lighting system, Philips Hue, is getting a new addition in the form of the E14 candle light bulb. Customers will be able to buy the new bulb in both color and white ambience versions in the U.S. later this year, and in Europe in April. The common candle bulb will fit a wide arrange of household lighting fixtures, and Philips said this means that Hue “can now be used in over 80% of light sockets commonly used in households around the world.”

“The candle has been one of the most requested products by Philips Hue customers. We’ve spent time ensuring it is of the highest quality and available in both white ambiance and white and color ambiance. It is an important next step to ensure seamless integration in all rooms, giving you the freedom to personalize lighting throughout your home,” says Sridhar Kumaraswamy, Business Leader Connected Home Systems at Philips Lighting.

Otherwise, the candle light bulb will function the same as previous Hue products, connecting to the company’s smartphone app through the Philips Hue Bridge accessory and allowing users to customize lighting colors, set schedules and geo-fences, and turn the lights on and off. According to Philips, candle light bulbs are mainly used in decorative lamps made for the bedroom, and with the white ambience bulb’s dimming features users can get a better night’s sleep and wake up more energized.

The new accessory is a 40W bulb with 470 lumens of brightness and will be priced around $40 for a single bulb when it launches in the U.S. later in 2017. Philips didn’t mention if it would debut a Hue Starter Kit with the new candle light bulbs, but if it does the package would likely cost the same as current starter kits, which currently run between $70 and $200, depending on the type and amount of bulbs included.

Tag: Philips Hue
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iPhone 7 Pre-Orders in Indonesia Begin March 24 Following Apple R&D Investment

Indonesian carrier Smartfren has announced it will begin accepting iPhone 7 pre-orders on Friday, March 24. Pricing has not been disclosed, but customers can sign up on Smartfren’s website to receive more information. In-store sales at select authorized resellers will begin on Friday, March 31.

While the iPhone 7 has been available in many other countries since September, the Indonesian government recently enacted a policy that requires 4G-capable smartphones to have at least 30 percent “local content,” which can be hardware, software, or in this case, a commitment to invest in the country.

Apple satisfied the requirements of that policy when it committed around $44 million towards research and development in Indonesia over three years, which will include building an iOS App Development Center in the country. Apple received a “local content certification,” allowing it to sell iPhones throughout Indonesia.

iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus were the last smartphones that Apple officially sold in Indonesia, according to local website Coconuts Jakarta.

Indonesia, an island country bordering Malaysia in southeast Asia, has an estimated population of over 260 million people.

Related Roundup: iPhone 7
Tag: Indonesia
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Samsung 4K HDR TV choices for 2017: QLED Q9F, Q8C, Q7C and Q7F compared

Samsung’s 2017 line-up of TVs is on us, introducing more models that promise to offer outstanding results.

The big introduction is QLED being pushed as the flagship branding, with four models in this new top tier carrying the Q moniker. Other categories of TV will then drop into place under QLED, but for now, this the mainstay of Samsung’s 2017 line-up.

• What is QLED? Samsung’s new TV tech explained

There’s a lot to digest and the potential for plenty of confusion, so we’re breaking them down into the nitty gritty, so you know exactly what the difference is between all these models.

Samsung

Samsung QLED Q9F

• Screen sizes: 65in, 88in
• QLED, 3840 x 2160 pixels, HDR
• Prices: £4,899.99 (65), £17,799.99 (88)

The flagship TV for 2017 is the Q9, with the F designating that this is a flat TV. The new QLED branding is really a change of direction with positioning these TVs: in fact they use Samsung’s third-generation of Quantum Dot technology, so more advanced than the KS models of 2016. It also bumps the brightness to 1500-2000 nits.

The big difference in these QLED models is better colour accuracy and higher colour volumes at higher peak brightnesses.

The Q9F has a very minimalist design, it’s edge lit and framed to look more like a picture than a television, combined with a No Gap Wall Mount system that’s almost flush to the wall and the Invisible Connection cable to the One Connect box.

The thing that really puts the Q9F in premier position over the other QLED models is dimming. There are 32 dimming blocks on the Q9, meaning more accurate light control, leading to deeper blacks and enhanced contrast over the other QLED models.

This TV is really about delivering that premium visual experience along with that stunning design, there’s 40W speakers too.

Samsung

Samsung QLED Q8C 

• Screen sizes: 55in, 65in, 75in
• QLED, 3840 x 2160 pixels, HDR, Curved
• Prices: £2,999.99 (55), £3,799.99 (65), £5,799.99 (75) 

Although Samsung is pushing the flat Q9 as its “best” TV, the Q8 is just a step down and is curved. It comes in a range of sizes, dragging the price back down to the more affordable at 55-inches, although it’s still expensive at £3000.

The Samsung Q8C offers 360-design that goes a long way beyond that of 2016 models, with a premium metal back, moving on from the big plastic panel of the rear, as found on the old KS9500, making the Q8 much more of a show piece. 

It also offers that Invisible Connection to the One Connect box and like the other TVs in the QLED family, there’s a choice of stands, with built-in cable management.

• In the muddle of HDR and Quantum Dots, it’s Samsung’s ‘Invisible Connection’ that’s got our geek juices flowing

This is an edge lit TV but drops the dimming blocks to 12, so it’s not quite as well equipped as the Q9, but still offers outstanding visuals. The new ultra-low reflectance film on the 2017 QLED TVs is designed in part to enhance viewing angles and contrast over previous models. Like the flagship Q9, this TV will give you around 1500 nits brightness. 

The Q8C has 60W of sound on board in a 4.2 configuration.

Samsung

Samsung QLED Q7C 

• Screen sizes: 49in, 55in, 65in
• QLED, 3840 x 2160 pixels, HDR, Curved
• Prices: £2,199.99 (49), £2,499.99 (55), £3,299.99 (65) 

Taking a step down again is the Q7C. You’ll have spotted that C in the name meaning that this is another curved model. It comes in a smaller size than the Q8C, bringing you down to just over £2000. 

The display technology on the Q7C is pretty much the same as the Q8C, but the design is different, slightly less premium on this model. It still gets the Invisible Connection to the One Connect box, however, so you can achieve a respectably minimal installation. 

Again this is edge lit and like the Q8C you have 12 dimming blocks, so this isn’t as effective in black delivery as the flagship Q9. The audio takes a drop from the Q8C offering 40W in a 2.2 configuration. It’s bright, however, at 1500 nits, perfect for HDR delivery. 

The Q7C sits alongside the Q7F, which is a flat version of the same model.

Samsung

Samsung QLED Q7F 

• Screen sizes: 49in, 55in, 65in
• QLED, 3840 x 2160 pixels, HDR
• Prices: £1,999.99 (49), £2,299.99 (55), £3,099.99 (65)

The Samsung Q7F is likely to be the model that sells in the greatest volume, as it’s both flat and comes in a range of realistic prices and sizes. The 55-inch model at £2,300 will probably be the model that most people are after and we expect that RRP will soon shift to that £2000 sweet spot. 

The Q7F offers the same configuration as the curved model, offering a slim design with that Invisible Connection to the One Connect box. The display also has those 12 dimming blocks, so the performance should be the same as the Q7C, only flat. It also has the same 40W 2.2 channel speakers. This is also a 1500 nits TV. 

All these Samsung QLED TVs offer full smart connectivity, detecting connected devices and automatically identifying what they are, and passing the control information to the new Premium One Remote. That means you can control your Xbox One with your Samsung remote – and you don’t have to do lengthy setup.

The Samsung QLED models are on pre-order, expected to be available to buy in the UK from 29 March.

Samsung Galaxy Tab S3 vs Apple iPad Pro 9.7: What’s the difference?

Samsung and Apple don’t just go head-to-head in the smartphone ring, they do it in the tablet ring too.

The new Samsung Tab S3 is gunning for Apple’s iPad Pro more so than ever, offering a premium build, S Pen and a hefty price tag.

Here is how the Samsung Galaxy Tab S3 compares to the 9.7-inch Apple iPad Pro. 

Samsung Galaxy Tab S3 vs Apple iPad Pro 9.7: Design

• Tab S3 is lighter and smaller
• Both have fingerprint sensor, 3.5mm jack and stereo speakers
• Tab S3 comes with S Pen, while Apple sells Pencil separately  

The Samsung Galaxy Tab S3 and Apple iPad Pro are all about solid, super slim, lovely designs. The Tab S3 measures 237.3 x 169 x 6mm, while the iPad Pro is ever so slightly larger at 240 x 169.5 x 6.1mm.

The Tab S3 is also a little lighter at 429g for the Wi-Fi only model and 434g for the 4G model, compared to the iPad Pro’s 437g and 444g but ultimately, there isn’t much in it at all in terms of size or weight.

Both tablets offer rounded corners and a front-mounted fingerprint sensor within their home buttons but the iPad Pro is all metal, while the Tab S3 has a glass back. They both feature quad stereo speakers and a 3.5mm headphone jack.

The Tab S3 opts for USB Type-C, has an S Pen in the box and it has a keyboard dock port on one side for attaching Pogo keyboards. The iPad Pro on the other hand, has Apple’s Lightning port and Smart Connector, the latter of which will also allow for attaching a keyboard. It is also compatible with Apple Pencil, but this is sold separately.

• Samsung Galaxy Tab S3 preview

Samsung Galaxy Tab S3 vs Apple iPad Pro 9.7: Display

• Both 9.7-inch with 2048 x 1536 resolutions
• Tab S3 has HDR support
• Both offer support for 4K video playback 

The Samsung Galaxy Tab S3 and Apple iPad Pro both have a 9.7-inch display, though Apple does also offer a larger 12.9-inch model of the Pro.

The two tablets also offer the same resolution, at 2048 x 1536 pixels, putting there pixel densities at 263ppi and both have 4K video playback support.

The Tab S3 has a Super AMOLED display with HDR, while the iPad Pro has an LED-back-lit display with Apple’s True Tone technology and a wide colour gamut but no HDR support.

• Mobile HDR: Dolby Vision, HDR10 and everything you need to know about future mobile entertainment

Samsung Galaxy Tab S3 vs Apple iPad Pro 9.7: Hardware

• Tab S3 has longer battery life and more RAM
• Tab S3 has microSD expansion 
• Both offer good front and rear camera capabilities

The Samsung Galaxy Tab S3 runs on the Qualcomm Snapdragon 820 chipset, with 4GB of RAM and 32GB of storage. It offers microSD support for storage expansion and Samsung claims the battery will deliver 12 hours of video playback.

The Apple iPad Pro has the A9X chip under its hood, supported by 2GB of RAM and storage options of 32GB, 128GB and 256GB, none of which have microSD. Apple says the battery offers up to 10-hours video playback.

In terms of cameras, the Tab S3 comes with a 13-megapixel rear camera with autofocus and a flash, as well as a 5-megapixel front camera. The iPad Pro has a 12-megapixel rear camera, also with autofocus and Apple’s True Tone flash, while the front camera is also 5-megapixels but it has a Retina Flash on board.

• What is Apple’s True Tone display?

Samsung Galaxy Tab S3 vs Apple iPad Pro 9.7: S Pen or Apple Pencil

• S Pen doesn’t need recharging, Apple Pencil does
• Apple Pencil allows drawing down to single pixel
• More app compatibility with Apple Pencil

The Samsung Tab S3 comes with the S Pen in the box, as we mentioned previously. The new S Pen doesn’t need charging and it is said to feel and write like your favourite ballpen, offering a 0.7mm tip, 4096 pressure sensitivity and a 9.4mm diameter. It is also senstive to tilt.

There are a few apps that work with the S Pen, including Samsung Notes, which allows you to jot down notes without unlocking the screen, as well as annotate and translate text. There’s also an app called Soundcamp that allows for drawing and it will work with Photoshop too.

The Apple Pencil on the other hand, does require charging but it is sensitive to pressure and tilt and it will allow you to draw down to a single pixel. It measures 8.9mm in diameter and it comes with an extra tip.

Like the S Pen, there are numerous apps that work with Apple Pencil, including Apple Notes, Mail, Paper by FiftyThree, Adobe Comp CC and Pixelmator. Charging is done via the built-in hidden Lighting connector at the top of the device and you’ll get 30 minutes of use for 15 seconds of charging.

• Apple iPad Pro 9.7 review

Samsung Galaxy Tab S3 vs Apple iPad Pro 9.7: Software

• Tab S3 is Android
• iPad Pro is iOS
• Both have similar functions

The Samsung Galaxy Tab S3 runs on Android with Samsung’s TouchWiz over the top, while the Apple iPad Pro runs on iOS 10. You’ll get many of the same features and functionality across both devices, even though they are packaged differently.

The Tab S3 offers features including Samsung Flow, that allows you to move between phone and tablet, as well as send content from your phone to your tablet, while Apple has Continuity, which essentially offers similar for iOS devices.

There are also cloud services available on both devices, with the Tab S3 offering Samsung Cloud and the iPad Pro offering iCloud.

Samsung Galaxy Tab S3 vs Apple iPad Pro 9.7: Price

• iPad Pro is cheaper, without Apple Pencil
• iPad Pro comes in more colours

The Samsung Galaxy Tab S3 comes in black or silver colour options and starts at £599 for the 32GB Wi-Fi model.

The Apple iPad Pro comes in silver, gold, space grey or rose gold and it starts at £549 for the 32GB Wi-Fi model. The Apple Pencil is sold separately and costs £99.

Samsung Galaxy Tab S3 vs Apple iPad Pro 9.7: Conclusion

The Samsung Galaxy Tab S3 and Apple iPad Pro 9.7 are remarkably similar in terms of specs. They both have premium designs, the same size and resolution displays, compatibility with a stylus, powerful hardware and decent cameras.

The Tab S3 offers more RAM, a larger battery capacity, HDR support and microSD support for storage expansion. It also comes with the S Pen in the box.

The iPad Pro 9.7 on the other hand has more app support for the Apple Pencil, is available in more colours and it has a flash on its front camera for those all about the tablet selfie. Ultimately, the decision between these two will be largely based on the operating system you prefer.

Philips latest Hue bulbs will match your chandelier

Thanks to wide compatibility with products like Amazon Echo and Google Home, Philips Hue is the “Kleenex” of smart LED bulbs. Up until now, the company has only done a standard-sized bulb, but it has finally released a pair of smaller socket “candelabra”-sized smart bulbs (E14 size in the UK and Europe): the White Ambience Candle and White and Color Ambience Candle.

The former gives you smart control of dimming just one color (white, obviously) and the latter lets you “sync your lights with your music, TV or games, or control via your smartphone, switch, wearables or other smart accessories,” Philips explains in its press release.

By plugging it into smaller lights often used in bedrooms, you can set the Hue Candle to emit melatonin-enhancing warm light in the evening, and more energetic blue colors in the morning, for instance. The bulbs can pump out the equivalent of 40 watts and a color range from 2200k to 6500k, ranging from warm white to cool daylight. You can also set it up to take voice commands from your Amazon Alexa, Apple HomeKit and Google Home device or fit it into almost any smart home system.

If you have an eclectic mix of light fixtures, the new bulbs should help you get more fully automated. However, be prepared to pay, as the bulbs won’t come in starter kits at first, so you’ll be paying $50 for each White and Color Ambience Candle. That’s a pretty expensive way to create a romantic mood instead of using, say, an actual candle.

Source: Philips

McDonald’s brings mobile ordering to the UK

Mobile ordering is big in the UK, so it’s surprising to see a big name like McDonald’s is only now getting its own systems in order. As BuzzFeed News reports, it today pushed live a new feature in its iOS and Android apps that lets customers in selected locations order and pay for their meal before they go in store. The confirmation comes just days after the company enabled a similar feature in the US.

The process is pretty simple. Once the app is installed and one of the 22 supporting restaurants has been selected, customers can press the new “Ordering” tab to immediately begin building their order. Items can be favourited, saving time in the future, and payment details can also be stored in the app. Once the order is complete, customers must then head to the restaurant and confirm their order by scanning a QR code at a designated “Mobile Order Check In Point.”

Unlike Starbucks’ Mobile Order & Pay, which prepares orders ahead of a customer’s arrival, McDonald’s will only start making the food once the QR code has been scanned, presumably to ensure things stay fresh. Some stores will offer table service, but most people will need to collect the order from the counter.

While only a small number of stores are on board right now, McDonald’s says it will roll mobile ordering out to all of its restaurants within the next 18 months. It hopes the large majority of them will go live before the end of the year.

Via: BuzzFeed News

Source: McDonald’s